Computer Act!ve articles from October 2006

Computer Act!ve archives from October 2006

Mesh Elite E6300 CA.
October 12, 2006... Byline: Marc Delehanty Mesh Elite E6300 CA Get the latest dual-core processor technology with this affordable PC Intel's new dual-core processors are making their presence felt. They're remarkably quick and Mesh has supplied this...

Get 25 digital audio.
October 12, 2006... Byline: Rob Beattie Get 25 digital audio tracks for free Download some songs for free and try out the big new rival to Apple iTunes Knocking Apple's iTunes off its perch as the number-one legal music download service in the...

Sing along with Evil Lyrics.
October 12, 2006... Byline: Scott Colvey Sing along with Evil Lyrics Install a free program that hunts the web for song lyrics and displays the words while the tune plays Angst-ridden teenagers the world over have traditionally pored over the...

Repeat offender.(using Microsoft Excel)(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Byline: Scott Colvey Repeat offender In Excel spreadsheets, an existing cell value can be repeated in the next cell to the right or next cell below by using the following keyboard shortcuts. To repeat in the next cell right, select new...

Shut it.(creating shutdown shortcut in Windows)(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Byline: Scott Colvey Shut it This is a little-known way to shut down Windows quickly. Right-click on a blank space on the Windows Desktop, select New and then Shortcut. In the window that opens, type 'Shutdown --s -t 00', without the...

Hair-brained idea?(printing envelopes )(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Byline: Scott Colvey Hair-brained idea? When printing envelopes with an inkjet printer, I suggest afterwards spraying the address with clear hairspray. This may sound like a barmy idea but inks used by most inkjet printers are water-...

Fixing fonts.(using Microsoft Works)(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Byline: Scott Colvey Fixing fonts It is possible to change the default font style and size used for text in new word-processing documents in Works. Launch the Works word processor and adjust the font as necessary -- you can also make...

Check multiple lottery entries in Excel.
October 12, 2006... Byline: Scott Colvey Check multiple lottery entries in Excel Use an Excel worksheet to discover all the winning lines chosen by a lottery syndicate of any size, in seconds The easiest way to win the lottery is to become...

Keep computer networks free from intruders.
October 12, 2006... Byline: Mark Wilson Keep computer networks free from intruders Home networking is more popular than ever before. Learn the steps to keep all PCs and data secure The number of households with more than one computer has increased...

Packard Bell Vibe 360.
October 12, 2006... Byline: Cliff Joseph Packard Bell Vibe 360 An attractive video and mp3 player marred by poor software The Vibe 360 is a well-designed mp3 player that ought to give Apple's all-conquering iPod Nano a run for its money. ...

Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo XI.(image processing software)(Product/service evaluation)
October 12, 2006... Byline: Paul Wardley Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo XI Enhance digital photos to professional standards the easy way The XI after the name tells you that Paint Shop Pro Photo is no newcomer to the game of image editing, and if you're...

Advent DHE X22.(pentium-based system)(Product/service evaluation)
October 12, 2006... Byline: Marc Delehanty Advent DHE X22 A small desktop with notebook components at its core At first glance it's clear that the Advent DHE X22 is no ordinary desktop computer, due to its compact and stylish design. Small form...

ATMT HD160.(portable hard drive)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Byline: Paul Lester Removable storage >> [pounds sterling]89 ATMT Pocket Drive HD160 Despite the name, the HD160 is actually a very portable 20GB hard disk. The drive, which Windows XP automatically recognises when it's...

Site seeing.
October 12, 2006... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran As the new season starts for television programmes, take a look at our guide to TV comedy www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide Although it's a BBC site, the comedy guide is a comprehensive encyclopaedia of...

Samsumg NV10.
October 12, 2006... Byline: Paul Monckton Digital Camera >> [pounds sterling]279 Samsung NV10 With its matt black finish and unfussy front panel, the NV10 looks like it means business. As well as the elegant understatement, it has a 10 megapixel...

Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy.
October 12, 2006... Byline: Eddie Henderson Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy A long time ago in a toy shop far, far away... Now the furore over George Lucas's double trilogy is finally beginning to fade, you may be wondering why yet...

Joint Task Force.(strategy game)(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Byline: Eddie Henderson Joint Task Force Game developers and moral values are rarely bedfellows, so it's refreshing to see a real-time strategy (RTS) game where war is about more than just bombing the hell out of anything or anyone in...

Faces Of War.(war game)(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Byline: Eddie Henderson Faces Of War Perhaps in a bid not to put people off immediately, Faces of War's name doesn't mention that it's another strategic shooter set during the Second World War. But you shouldn't avoid it just because...

Power trip.(saving energy as well as environment)
October 12, 2006... Byline: Paul Wardley Power trip Power-hungry devices are filling our homes, affecting both the environment and our bank balances. We show you how to save energy and money by using your IT equipment wisely Try making a list of the...

Calculate your carbon footprint.(website, www.carbonfootprint.com)(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Calculate your carbon footprint There are lots of websites where you can calculate your personal carbon footprint. One that we like, because it also suggests ways of reducing or offsetting the impact of energy consumption, is at...

10 green tips.(using electronic products)(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... 10 green tips We've offered advice about using IT and electronic equipment more efficiently, but none of it will do much good if power is being squandered elsewhere in the home, so here are the 10 best no-cost or low-cost energy-saving...

Apple iMac 24in.
October 12, 2006... Apple iMac 24in The big iMac is a widescreen dream machine The new low-cost 17in version of the iMac was marred by a couple of short-sighted cost-cutting measures, but this 24in model is another matter altogether. It's a...

Rom-combination.
October 12, 2006... Byline: Scott Colvey Rom-combination No all-embracing theme this issue but lots of variety instead, as we explore the latest CD- and DVD-Rom releases We have a real mix of CD- and DVD-Roms for you this issue, taking in all sorts...

Teaching-you First Aid Skills.(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Byline: Scott Colvey Teaching-you First Aid Skills With all the ham-fisted knitting that's been going on of late in the Computeractive office (see the Rowan Knitting Know-How review above) we welcomed the chance to improve our...

Rowan Knitting Know-How.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Byline: Scott Colvey Rowan Knitting Know-How Several members of the Computeractive team have recently become parents, so our interest in knitting is at an all-time high. Of course, that still doesn't equate to an interest level of...

Wordsearch Buff 1501.(children's educational software)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Byline: Scott Colvey Wordsearch Buff 1501 With a product title as literal as Wordsearch Buff 1501, there's not a whole lot we can add to describe what this CD-Rom offers. You get 1,501 wordsearches, spread across various topics and...

Easy DVD Copy 2 Premier.
October 12, 2006... Byline: Scott Colvey Easy DVD Copy 2 Premier B eing frank, we imagine most people looking to buy a program with a title like this do so with the intention of copying movie DVDs. So, does Easy DVD Copy 2 Premier copy movie DVDs? Yes, it...

Driving Test Success All Tests 06/07.(Product/service evaluation)
October 12, 2006... Byline: Scott Colvey Driving Test Success All Tests 06/07 Save for the odd whipper-snapper staff writer, it's been a while since any of us had to take a driving test. However, we understand it's a lot tougher these days than...

Acer CP-8660.(digital camera)(Product/service evaluation)
October 12, 2006... Byline: Ben Tudor Acer CP-8660 Compact 8-megapixel digital camera with a 6x optical zoom As time passes, digital cameras continue to become better value for money, in much the same way that a computer bought today for [pounds...

Phoenix RecoverPro 6.
October 12, 2006... Byline: Tim Smith Backup software >> [pounds sterling]30 Phoenix RecoverPro 6 Phoenix's RecoverPro is an unobtrusive backup program. In fact, Phoenix has used all its experience -- it's better known for creating the important BIOS...

Philips VoIP321.(telephone set)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Internet telephone >> [pounds sterling]70 Philips VOIP321 Skype and normal calls in one This is a conventional Skype phone that doubles up as a handset for a normal phone line. It comes in several...

CivCity Rome.
October 12, 2006... Byline: Jonathan Parkyn CivCity Rome CivCity Rome is a direct descendant of games like SimCity but is set in Ancient Roman times. Starting with nothing but a little stone quarry in the middle of pre-Christian Italy, you must turn...

No problem.(web browser)
October 12, 2006... Byline: Tim Smith Anthony Dhanendran Blocked by browser QI tried to download 7-Zip as featured in issue 224 by typing in the link from the magazine. I clicked on the free download link and was asked to select a mirror site. I chose one...

Moxia USBCELL.(computer-rechargeable battery)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Peripheral >> [pounds sterling]13 Moixa USBCELL An innovative computer-rechargeable battery Devices that power and recharge themselves using a computer's USB port are common (think mp3 players) but this is the first time...

Readers to the rescue.(connecting Skype )(voice messaging)(connecting attachments perfectly)
October 12, 2006... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran the problem After installing Skype I noticed that my computer speakers no longer work, even when Skype is not running and the USB Skype phone is unplugged. Tristar, issue 225 your answer To...

Silver surfers reap awards.(Jennifer Drury, Jim Tuckwell, David Dartnall-Smith)(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Byline: Anna Lagerkvist Silver surfers reap awards Computing skills learned by this year's silver surfer award winners have helped them contribute to their local communities, and a Computeractive reader is among these people. ...

BT rewards young 'tutors'.
October 12, 2006... Byline: Dinah Greek BT rewards young 'tutors' BT has launched a competition to reward youngsters who help their parents or grandparents use the internet. Young people, dubbed Internet Rangers, are being sought by the telecoms...

Rollup, rollup.(roll up screens with flexible metals)(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Roll up, roll up A computer screen that can be rolled up into a tube is a technological advance that over the past few years has always been just around the corner. But this frequently promised product...

Bracelet to monitor health.
October 12, 2006... Byline: Clive AkaSS Bracelet to monitor health Intel is testing products that can monitor the health of an individual remotely, sending alerts over the internet to a doctor if the wearer's vital signs deteriorate. The Ibracelet is...

Nibs.
October 12, 2006... Byline: staff Sharp goes green with PVR Sharp's first personal video recorder (PVR) is designed to be as energy efficient as possible. The TU-R160H is a twin-tuner digital Freeview PVR that can record up to 80 hours of programmes,...

Nibs.
October 12, 2006... Byline: Dinah Greek Future of broadcasting The BBC and Microsoft will be working together more closely to look at ways of developing digital services. The BBC said areas of collaboration include search and navigation, plans for its...

Anti-terrorism project wins grid computing competition.
October 12, 2006... Byline: Dinah Greek Anti-terrorism project wins grid computing competition A project to combat global terrorism was the winner of a nationwide grid computing competition. Grids link large numbers of PCs, usually over the internet,...

See what they know about you.
October 12, 2006... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran See what they know about you British passport holders will allegedly be able to see what data is electronically stored on their passports when the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) installs kiosks in the...

The eyes have it.(Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology designs Eye-Controlled Interaction system to regulate the mouse)(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Byline: Dinah Greek The eyes have it A german university has developed a system that makes it possible to control a computer mouse with the blink of an eye. The Eye-Controlled Interaction system (EYCIN), which has been developed...

Ebay reduces charity fee.
October 12, 2006... Byline: Dinah Greek Ebay reduces charity fee EBay has made it more attractive for sellers to give a percentage of their profits to charities. The auction site has cut the minimum donation for its Ebay for Charity programme to as...

Nibs.
October 12, 2006... Byline: staff IM giants to unite service Yahoo and Microsoft have announced that users of their instant messaging can now talk together to create the world's largest IM community. The 350 million users of Yahoo's Messenger and Windows...

Kelkoo offers Xmas shoppers green guide.
October 12, 2006... Byline: Dinah Greek Kelkoo offers Xmas shoppers green guide Kelkoo is revamping its website over the coming weeks to include themed pages in time for the Christmas shopping rush. Top of the agenda for the price-comparison site is...

Sony declares global recall.
October 12, 2006... Byline: staff Sony declares global recall Sony has announced a global replacement programme for battery packs that incorporate its lithium ion cells. The electronics giant said the move addressed "concerns" relating to recent...

Telewest admits fee gaffe.(TeleWest Communications PLC's customers wrongly charged)(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Byline: Dinah Greek Telewest admits fee gaffe Ntl Telewest has admitted that some people who signed up for its TV Drive service have been subject to rogue charges. However there is still some dispute over how these charges have...

Nibs.
October 12, 2006... Byline: staff Worming in A variation of the Stration worm posing as a security patch for a flaw in Internet Explorer is spreading rapidly via email, warned security company Sophos. The worm can turn off anti-virus applications and...

Nibs.(Remote XT system for safety of mobile phones)(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Byline: Dinah Greek A real scream A new service that makes stolen mobile phones emit an ear-piercing screech has been launched. The Remote XT system will disable a handset even if the SIM card is removed. The service works on GPRS and...

Security experts let rip at Vista flaws.
October 12, 2006... Byline: Dinah Greek Security experts let rip at Vista flaws A row has broken out between software security companies and Microsoft. Last week, security company McAfee and Symantec accused Microsoft of endangering the online safety...

Join our club.(Club Active from Computer Active)(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Byline: staff Join our Club! Here at Computeractive we decided it was time to put our expert knowledge of software to good use, so we have set up an exclusive club for our readers. Readers can join Club Active, where every month...

Don't auction off British heritage.
October 12, 2006... Byline: Dinah Greek Don't auction off British heritage Ebay has agreed to help prevent illegal sales of treasures on its auction site to help preserve Britain's heritage. It will work with the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS)...

TalkTalk admits service strife.
October 12, 2006... Byline: Dinah Greek TalkTalk admits service strife ISP overwhelmed by demand for 'free' broadband package The chief executive of Carphone Warehouse has again admitted that the company is struggling to meet demand for its 'free'...

Choosing the best image format.(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Choosing the best image format Digital photos take up a good deal of space, depending on their resolution, but typically 1 to 3MB each. You notice this particularly when you want to upload pictures to one of these online photo...

Watching you.
October 12, 2006... Byline: Rene Millman Watching you From 2008, anyone applying for a new passport will be required to enter their details onto a National ID Register and provide biometric data. Is privacy set to become a thing of the past? The...

Go local.(photo books)(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Byline: Rod Lawton Go Local If you prefer the personal touch, it is possible to order photo books in the high street rather than having to find your own way through the options on a website. Jessops stores have self-service kiosks...

Photo finish.(uploading photographs)
October 12, 2006... Byline: Rod Lawton Photo finish You can't beat a printed and bound photo album for keeping memories, and digital photgraphs make it simple to design one. We test four services There are plenty of websites and services where you...

Will it cut your insurance premiums?
October 12, 2006... Byline: Jane Hoskyn Will it cut your insurance premiums? First, the bad news. According to the insurance experts at financial website MoneySupermarket.com, home monitoring makes "not a single bit of difference" to home insurance...

The political opinion.(identity theft)(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Byline: Rene Millman The political opinion The present Government wants to introduce the new ID cards for a number of reasons. It has said the new scheme will be the best way to ensure that people are who they say they are. Over...

File-sharing links.
October 12, 2006... Byline: Nigel Whitfield File-sharing links Bittorrent www.bittorrent.com Bittorrent's site provides software, films, games and more that you can access -- legally BPI www.bpi.co.uk The British Phonographic Institute is...

File sharing nasties.(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Byline: Nigel Whitfield File sharing nasties If you're using file-sharing programs, it's important to be aware of the risks. Firstly, if sharing files from your computer, make sure that you have a folder just for files that you...

The MySpace effect.
October 12, 2006... Byline: Nigel Whitfield The MySpace effect Even more than the web, file sharing is a great leveller; it allows anyone to distribute their music or video clips easily and cheaply. Social networking sites like MySpace and BeBo allow...

T-Mobile MDA Vario II.
October 26, 2006... Byline: Will Head T-Mobile MDA Vario II Broadband speeds in the palm of your hand T-Mobile is promising something special with its new MDA Vario II -- broadband speeds over a mobile connection. This is possible thanks to HSDPA...

Epson Stylus Photo R265.
October 26, 2006... Byline: Cliff Joseph Epson Stylus Photo R265 A high-quality photo printer for less than [pounds sterling]100 The latest addition to Epson's range of home inkjet printers is a little on the bulky side, but is fast and produces...

Sig as a parrot.(Microsoft Outlook Express, Outlook)(Brief article)
October 26, 2006... Byline: Scott Colvey Sig as a parrot One of the most underused features of Outlook and Outlook Express is the Signature facility that enables the user to add a name or a message to emails. However, it can also be used for endless other...

Feel the merge.(using spreadsheet in Microsoft Works )(Brief article)
October 26, 2006... Byline: Scott Colvey Feel the merge Although it is not technically possible to merge cells in a Microsoft Works spreadsheet in quite the same way as it is in Excel, there is something of a workaround available. If a title needs to span...

What at do-do!(Microsoft Works)(Brief article)
October 26, 2006... Byline: Scott Colvey What a to-do! One handy feature that is missing from the Calendar function in Works is the option to create a to-do list. However, it is possible to create such a list using the Works Task Launcher. Run the program...

Task force.(Microsoft Office 2003)(Brief article)
October 26, 2006... Byline: Scott Colvey Task force Microsoft Office 2003's Task Pane feature is a handy place to access common or otherwise-useful functions. However, the Task Pane's usual home, anchored to the right-hand side of the screen, may not be...

Get a free, personal internet radio station.
October 26, 2006... Byline: Rob Beattie Get a free, personal internet radio station Find out how Last.fm lets you create a personalised internet radio station that can be shared online In itself, internet radio is nothing new. However, there are...

Access Opera's options with ease.
October 26, 2006... Byline: Scott Colvey Access Opera's options with ease The web browser Opera has a huge variety of features. Learn how to access them all from one place We've covered the Opera web browser a few times in Workshops, with the...

Protect files with a clever file copier.
October 26, 2006... Byline: Paul Wardley Protect files with a clever file copier Use Replicator to copy, back up and synchronise files, either interactively or at scheduled intervals Windows Explorer is fine for copying a few files between...

Share videos online with YouTube.
October 26, 2006... Byline: Mark Wilson Share videos online with YouTube YouTube is a great way to share videos. Find out how to upload your own footage to this popular website A few years ago, the only way to see amusing clips of children...

HP Photosmart 8750 Pro.
October 26, 2006... Byline: Simon Williams HP Photosmart 8750 Pro HP's impressive photo printer can produce A3+ size prints in nine colours Anybody who needs to print pages bigger than A4 has a limited range of printers to pick from. Prices rise...

Tune in.
October 26, 2006... Byline: Jacqueline Williams Tune in You don't need an iPod to take advantage of iTunes. We show you all the best features in the latest version Although the new iPod Nano portable music player is undeniably covetable, its release...

Don't panic.
October 26, 2006... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Don't panic PC crashes rarely call for a restart with Windows XP on the scene. We show you how to make the most of its built-in recovery system, Task Manager Although crashes and freezes are less common...

What process?(taskmanager usage)(Brief article)
October 26, 2006... What process? IT'S NOT always easy to track down which processes represent which programs in the Task Manager, even if you use the Go to Process option described on page 58. In fact, many of the processes listed may not appear to make...

Site seeing.(Website overview)(Brief article)
October 26, 2006... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran With Halloween round the corner, we take a look at some of the scariest urban myths sites www.snopes.com The king of all urban legends sites, Snopes has a huge index of all kinds of modern myths, from...

Pocket Mindmap.(mind-mapping techniques )(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 26, 2006... Byline: Tim Smith Productivity software >> [pounds sterling]34 Pocket Mindmap Pocket Mindmap is a software package that brings mind-mapping techniques to a PocketPC. Mind mapping is a way to visualise topics on all kinds of...

Mogo Mouse.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 26, 2006... Byline: Rob Jones travel mouse >> [pounds sterling]50 Mogo Mouse First off, the Mogo Mouse looks like it's going to be uncomfortable to use. It needs charging before it can be used, which is done by plugging it into the PC Card...

Ricoh Caplio R5.(digital camera)(Product/service evaluation)
October 26, 2006... Byline: Gavin Stoker Digital Camera >> [pounds sterling]249 Ricoh Caplio R5 A sophisticated pocket camera with vibration correction Ricoh's compact cameras have consistently impressed with their image quality and classy...

Microsoft Flight Simulator X.
October 26, 2006... Byline: Tim Smith Microsoft Flight Simulator X Flight simulation takes another step towards reality At a not-so-youthful 25 years, Flight Simulator is one of Microsoft's longest-running programs and even older than Windows. ...

Files from the flames.(saving information for future)
October 26, 2006... Byline: Nigel Whitfield Files from the flames Nothing causes heartache like losing important information or precious photos and videos. Keeping them safe is easy if you follow our guide to backing up It's a fact of life:...