Computer Act!ve articles from September 2008

Computer Act!ve archives from September 2008

Stay connected with a social web browser.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Mark Wilson Stay connected with a social web browser Stay on top of your favourite social-networking websites with Flock With so many social-networking services in existence, it can be a real struggle keeping on...

Add album art to your iTunes music.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Rob Beattie Add album art to your iTunes music Sometimes iTunes messes up album cover art. Here's how to sort out common problems Generally Apple's iTunes media player program is good at organising both music and...

Create custom Desktop calendars with Rainlendar.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Rob Beattie Create custom Desktop calendars with Rainlendar Rainlendar is an excellent program that's effective, unobtrusive and free Microsoft Outlook is very powerful, but it can be a bit complicated if you only...

Transfer files faster.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Mark Wilson Transfer files faster Downloading files via Bittorrent is extremely efficient and quite legal. We reveal all With the widespread availability of broadband connections, the internet is now being used to...

The legality of torrents.(Brief article)
September 4, 2008... Byline: Mark Wilson The legality of torrents The use of Bittorrent has become synonymous with illegal activity, such as the downloading of pirated films and music. But there is nothing illegal about Bittorrent itself. Of course,...

How to share files using BitTorrent.(Brief article)
September 4, 2008... Byline: Mark Wilson How to share files using BitTorrent 1Remember, to share only legal material. Vuze will automatically share downloaded files. To view what is currently being shared, or 'seeded', click View, then Advanced and My...

Problem solved.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Tom Royal Problem solved Computers are great, until they go wrong. Here we give solutions to 30 of the most common problems that get sent to our No Problem mailbox 1) Vista won't hibernate Q) I ran the Disk Cleanup...

Shoot the Messenger Q/Every time I start my Windows XP computer I am faced with a window stating that i?1/2Messenger Plus has not been installed properly on this system. Please download and install the set up packagei?1/2. I have gone through the instructions tha.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Tim Smith, Anthony Dhanendran Shoot the Messenger Q|Every time I start my Windows XP computer I am faced with a window stating that 'Messenger Plus has not been installed properly on this system. Please download and install the...

Protect your photos with an electronic watermark.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Rob Beattie Protect your photos with an electronic watermark Getting good at digital photography? Protect pictures stored online with a watermarking tool The popularity and simplicity of modern digital cameras mean...

Best of the web.(Website list)(Brief article)
September 4, 2008... Byline: Tim Smith Organise meetings, read blogs and choose complimentary colour schemes The Sims resource www.thesimsresource.com The Sims family of games has proved to be very popular, not least because of the way that your...

Video reviews.(Brief article)
September 4, 2008... Byline: Tim Smith Stop the need to sort through email spam and find out ways to make your home more energy efficient MSI Wind review Mini Notebooks are all the rage these days, so what does the MSI Wind have to offer? Andrea-Marie...

Downloads.(Brief article)
September 4, 2008... Byline: Tim Smith Organise your tasks, edit blog posts offline and brighten up your emails with images Chandler This personal organiser gathers tasks, contacts and events by theme. Signing up for a free online account enables...

No pane no gain.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Scott Colvey No pane no gain You'll find lots of handy shortcuts in Microsoft Office's Task Pane. We explain all If you use Microsoft Office XP or Office 2003, you've probably seen the Task Pane. It's a column that pops up...

how to Manage items in the Office Clipboard.(Brief article)
September 4, 2008... Byline: Scott Colvey how to Manage items in the Office Clipboard 1Copy items to the Clipboard using the Ctrl and C shortcut, or the Copy command from the Edit menu. Access the Clipboard Task Pane by holding down Ctrl and double-tapping...

What is Office Online?(Brief article)
September 4, 2008... Byline: Scott Colvey What is Office Online? Click the 'Connect to Microsoft Office Online' link in the Getting Started Task Pane and your web browser will fire up and deposit you at Microsoft's assistance website. But what is it?...

Get to the root of Ubuntu.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Tim Anderson Get to the root of Ubuntu We demonstrate how to work with files and folders the Linux way While Windows remains by far the most popular operating system for home PCs, the number of people using or thinking of...

managing your files.(Brief article)
September 4, 2008... Byline: Tim Anderson managing your files Nautilus is the Ubuntu equivalent of Windows Explorer and can be used to browse and manage files and folders in much the same way. Ubuntu's command line, however, is a handy alternative that is...

Why try open source?
September 4, 2008... Why try open source? A lot of people are convinced that the future of home computing lies with open source software such as Ubuntu. It's clear that the technology itself has come a very long way, worked on by developers around the world....

Navigate through your files with Nautilus.
September 4, 2008... Navigate through your files with Nautilus Ubuntu's file browser Nautilus can help you manage documents, pictures, music and more Managing files in Ubuntu Linux is easy using the Nautilus file browser. The basics are similar to...

Terratec Noxon iRadio for iPod.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Cliff Joseph Terratec Noxon iRadio for iPod Listen to internet radio and iPod tunes Terratec's Noxon range of internet radios includes lots of models, each with slightly different features, but the new Noxon iRadio for...

LG W2252TQ.(Product/service evaluation)
September 4, 2008... Byline: Gavin Stoker LG W2252TQ Great looks, great performance Want a better monitor than the one included with your computer, or a larger or wider screen for viewing movies? With its glossy black frame and blue power light,...

Lexmark Z2320.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Paul Lester Lexmark Z2320 Good quality from a cheap printer The most popular printers tend to be multifunction devices with a built-in scanner and copier, and even wireless networking. However, Lexmark has gone back to...

Elonex One.(Product/service evaluation)
September 4, 2008... Byline: Simon Williams Elonex One The cheapest notebook PC yet The price of notebook PCs has dropped dramatically in the last few years with both Asus and Acer nearing the [pounds sterling]200 mark, but it was still hard to...

Medion Akoya S5610.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Medion Akoya S5610 Good computer design isn't limited to Sony and Apple, it seems The Akoya S5610, Medion's latest notebook, is one of the first to use the new Centrino 2 technology, which means it should...

Avanquest Disk Copy & Clean Professional.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
September 4, 2008... Byline: Paul Monckton Avanquest Disk Copy & Clean Professional When it's time to upgrade a hard disk A- perhaps you've run out of disk space or the current disk may be about to fail A- it's necessary to find a way of copying data onto...

Driving Test Success: All Tests 2008/09.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
September 4, 2008... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Driving Test Success: All Tests 2008/09 Driving Test Success can help with the theory and hazard perception tests A- the new 2008/09 edition comes with the updated set of questions, guides to good driving and...

Alone in the Dark.(Product/service evaluation)
September 4, 2008... Byline: Jonathan Parkyn Alone in the Dark Return to the root of all evil with this reimagined horror sequel Info: www.centraldark.com PEGI rating: 18+ Also consider: Penumbra Black Plague; Resident Evil 4 Overall:...

Buffalo WLI-TX4-AG300N.(Product/service evaluation)
September 4, 2008... Byline: Simon Williams Buffalo WLI-TX4-AG300N Makes several wired devices wireless Buffalo's WLI-TX4-AG300N won't win you over on appearance. The small, rectangular, semi-glossy black box has only two buttons on the front,...

Magix Xtreme Photo & Graphic Designer 2.(Product/service evaluation)
September 4, 2008... Magix Xtreme Photo & Graphic Designer 2 Draw and paint with one piece of software Vector graphics programs such as Adobe Illustrator and Corel Draw define drawings using mathematics to make up lines and shapes. Conventional painting or...

Consumeractive.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Dinah Greek Bad connection My daughter is having trouble trying to get her HP notebook PC repaired. The PC was bought from Currys online in May 2007. In June this year she began having problems with it not connecting to or...

Homepage Maker 6 Ultimate.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
September 4, 2008... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Homepage Maker 6 Ultimate Homepage Maker 6 Ultimate bills itself as a business website maker that's easy for home users too. However we think home users, unless very technically minded, will be left behind by...

Taxcalc Personal Lite.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
September 4, 2008... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Taxcalc Personal Lite For the self-employed, summer means it's time to start thinking about tax, as the returns for the previous year start to become due. This program looks good and was easy to install, as...

play the game.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran play the game Get closer to the experience of flying a plane, driving a Ferrari or fighting the enemy with these five game-enhancing accessories 1 Saitek Aviator Budding pilots can use the Aviator to...

Free online games.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Free online games Switch The object of Switch is to move your puck around the board and pick up the balls that are coloured the same as the puck. Then click the mouse to change your puck's colour and mop...

Win security software from Agnitum worth i?1/21,200.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Andrea Vassou Win security software from Agnitum worth [pounds sterling]1,200 20 copies of Outpost Security Suite Pro 2009 worth [pounds sterling]60 each to give away Online criminals are getting smarter and more...

System Mechanic 8.(Product/service evaluation)
September 4, 2008... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran System Mechanic 8 Keep your computer running smoothly The idea behind System Mechanic is that it gives your PC a thorough check-up as well as tweaks to keep it running smoothly. Installation was...

Legal liability for pornography stored on home PCs.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Paul Allen Legal liability for pornography stored on home PCs Many people find adult material distasteful and even offensive, but it is a booming industry. But what's the legal status of pornographic websites? Could home PC...

Three golden rules to stay within the law.(Brief article)
September 4, 2008... Byline: Paul Allen Three golden rules to stay within the law l Do not click on links in emails from people you do not know if they offer access to any form of pornography. l Never click links in windows that pop up to display...

Our verdict If you do receive links or attachments that lead you to illegal pornography, our advice is to delete the offending material immediately. To be on the safe side, you can also clear your cache i?1/2 in Internet Explorer 7, select i?1/2Delete Browsing Hi.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Paul Allen Our verdict If you do receive links or attachments that lead you to illegal pornography, our advice is to delete the offending material immediately. To be on the safe side, you can also clear your cache A- in...

Games news.(Brief article)
September 4, 2008... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Games news Spore Long awaited God-game Spore may be turned into a Hollywood film. The game will be released on September 5. Creator Will Wright told Reuters: "We're basically planting the seeds to spread...

move up to Serif Webplus X2 If you want to get more from your home page, why not consider upgrading to the latest version of Serif Webplus X2? This advanced tool will enable you to create and publish your own blog, as well as design your own web form, ad.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Chris Wiles move up to Serif Webplus X2 If you want to get more from your home page, why not consider upgrading to the latest version of Serif Webplus X2? This advanced tool will enable you to create and publish your own...

Serif Webplus 8 download workshop.
September 4, 2008... Serif Webplus 8 System requirements: Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP, Vista Download from: www.computeractive.co.uk/serif/index Registration: Required; see step 6 below Manufacturer: www.serif.com File size: 53 MB ...

how to get the most out of serif webplus 8.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran how to get the most out of serif webplus 8 1Follow the instructions above to download the program. Once it's downloaded, you'll have a file called 'SerifWebPlus 8.zip' A- how you use this will depend on...

Add items to your toolbar The Office 2007 ribbon may change all the time, but the Quick Access Toolbar doesni?1/2t. This toolbar is also visible if the main Ribbon has been hidden to save screen space. To speed up your work in Microsoft Office you can add ite.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Tim Smith Add items to your toolbar The Office 2007 ribbon may change all the time, but the Quick Access Toolbar doesn't. This toolbar is also visible if the main Ribbon has been hidden to save screen space. To speed up your...

Take a quick look Mac OS X may have its QuickLook feature, but Vista has a very similar function that is just as useful and can view the contents of a file in Windows Explorer without opening it. This includes listening to music and watching videos as w.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Tim Smith Take a quick look Mac OS X may have its QuickLook feature, but Vista has a very similar function that is just as useful and can view the contents of a file in Windows Explorer without opening it. This includes...

Style icons The new style icons in Windows Vista can show more than just the type of file. They also show a preview of the file, whether it is a picture or a video. There is one disadvantage, which is the icons are normally too small to actually show wha.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Tim Smith Style icons The new style icons in Windows Vista can show more than just the type of file. They also show a preview of the file, whether it is a picture or a video. There is one disadvantage, which is the icons...

Change the font size.(Brief article)
September 4, 2008... Byline: Tim Smith Change the font size There is a quick way to change the font size in Word without opening the Format properties window. Select the desired text by clicking with the left mouse button at the beginning and the dragging...

Web shoppers defy credit crunch.(Brief article)
September 4, 2008... Byline: Phil Muncaster Web shoppers defy credit crunch UK consumers are not letting the gloomy economic climate hamper their online spending, research has found. The Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG) and Capgemini's monthly...

Cut your carbon footprint.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Andrea Vassou Cut your carbon footprint A search engine that helps people cut their carbon footprint has been launched. Click4Carbon.com is powered by Google search technology. It is also an online community and forum that...

Degree in web behaviour Nottingham Trent University is offering postgraduate students the chance to learn about the psychology behind online gaming, gambling and dating. The Masters degree in Cyberpsychology will cover social networking, cybercrime, artif.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Andrea Vassou Degree in web behaviour Nottingham Trent University is offering postgraduate students the chance to learn about the psychology behind online gaming, gambling and dating. The Masters degree in Cyberpsychology...

Anger at record site delay.(Brief article)
September 4, 2008... Byline: Andrea Vassou Anger at record site delay FAMILY HISTORIANS have criticised an indefinite delay in setting up a Government website that promised direct access to 171 years of family records, calling it "appalling". The...

npsp users get soccer highlights Football fans can now watch goals from the Premiership on a Playstation Portable (PSP) games console. Users can use the Goview video-on-demand service to transfer 45 minutes of Sky coverage. From October they will also be.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Andrea Vassou npsp users get soccer highlights Football fans can now watch goals from the Premiership on a Playstation Portable (PSP) games console. Users can use the Goview video-on-demand service to transfer 45 minutes of Sky...

UK airport tests face scans.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Andrea Vassou UK airport tests face scans passengers travelling to British airports are to have their faces scanned and identities checked by computers. Already passengers with biometric passports are being scanned by a...

Airline voids thousands of web tickets.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Andrea Vassou Airline voids thousands of web tickets Ryanair has cancelled thousands of tickets booked through price comparison websites. The move has been described by travel industry body ABTA as "an appalling way to...

Youtube shifts into Top Gear The BBC has teamed up with Youtube to let fans watch video clips from its popular motoring programme Top Gear. The new channel, the first Youtube channel dedicated to an individual BBC programme, will include clips from the sh.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Andrea Vassou Youtube shifts into Top Gear The BBC has teamed up with Youtube to let fans watch video clips from its popular motoring programme Top Gear. The new channel, the first Youtube channel dedicated to an...

nbetter playback without blu-ray Toshiba has unveiled a new DVD player that it says can significantly enhance existing DVD playback without the need for Blu-ray discs. The XD-E500 DVD player with extended detail enhancement upscales the DVD picture to 10.
September 4, 2008... nbetter playback without blu-ray Toshiba has unveiled a new DVD player that it says can significantly enhance existing DVD playback without the need for Blu-ray discs. The XD-E500 DVD player with extended detail enhancement upscales...

Regulator finds conversation cheap.(Brief article)
September 4, 2008... Byline: Andrea Vassou Regulator finds conversation cheap Consumers are spending more time using communication services but are paying less for them, according to the industry regulator. In its Annual 2008 Communications Market...

Surfers ignore ID-theft threat People willingly give away personal details online despite growing awareness of identity theft, research has found. In a survey of 1,000 people AOL found although eight in 10 people said they would not give away their income.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Andrea Vassou Surfers ignore ID-theft threat People willingly give away personal details online despite growing awareness of identity theft, research has found. In a survey of 1,000 people AOL found although eight in 10...

nzero watt monitor launched Fujitsu Siemens Computers has launched what it claims to be the worldi?1/2s first zero-watt monitor. The technology could save people around i?1/26 per monitor per year, according to estimates. It works by triggering the power supply t.
September 4, 2008... nzero watt monitor launched Fujitsu Siemens Computers has launched what it claims to be the world's first zero-watt monitor. The technology could save people around [pounds sterling]6 per monitor per year, according to estimates. It works...

Asda slashes call costs.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Andrea Vassou Asda slashes call costs Asda IS to cut the charges for its prepay mobile phone services in half from September. The store will be offering its customers calls for 8p per minute and texts for 4p, which it...

New calls to save WWII site.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Tom Royal New calls to save WWII site The campaign to save wartime code-breaking centre Bletchley Park continues to gather momentum. Both the Royal British Legion and actor and comedian Stephen Fry have lent their support...

Tips and tricks to make money online.
September 4, 2008... Tips and tricks to make money online The internet isn't just a great place for shopping, research and catching up on the latest news. It can also be a great way to make money, and the latest title in Computeractive's Ultimate Guide series...

ngoogle - now with suggestions Google has added a new feature that attempts to guess what users are searching for as they type. Google Suggest, which is only available on the search enginei?1/2s US home page at present, reads what the user types into the sear.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Tom Royal ngoogle - now with suggestions Google has added a new feature that attempts to guess what users are searching for as they type. Google Suggest, which is only available on the search engine's US home page at present,...

Child safety database hit by fresh privacy row.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Tom Royal Child safety database hit by fresh privacy row Fresh concerns have been raised about the controversial Contactpoint database after it emerged that police would be able to access the information it contains. The...

nPhotosynth is unveiled Microsoft has unveiled a new, free service for creating large 3D environments from smaller digital photos. Photosynth takes hundreds of photos and compares them. Once it has worked out where the photos overlap, it converts them int.
September 4, 2008... nPhotosynth is unveiled Microsoft has unveiled a new, free service for creating large 3D environments from smaller digital photos. Photosynth takes hundreds of photos and compares them. Once it has worked out where the photos overlap, it...

Freeview upgrade causes chaos.
September 4, 2008... Byline: Tom Royal Freeview upgrade causes chaos Thousands of set-top boxes stop working following enhancements to TV service An upgrade to the Freeview digital television system has left thousands of consumers without a Freeview...

Save important data with Mozy.
September 18, 2008... Byline: Joe Cassells Save important data with Mozy Avoid the risk of data loss with this secure online backup service Backing up data is the single most important maintenance job for anyone using a PC, yet most people forget...

Get organised visually with a mind map.
September 18, 2008... Byline: Rob Beattie Get organised visually with a mind map Organising an event or running a project? Find out how Bubbl can help There are many ways to organise events, from business-style project management, through to...

Personalise your BBC online home page.
September 18, 2008... Byline: Mark Wilson Personalise your BBC online home page Find out how to customise this essential website to contain just the information you need The BBC home page is a portal that opens doors to a wide range of information...

Workshop intro.
September 18, 2008... Byline: Mark Wilson Build your own social networks with Ning Discover a simple-to-use service for bringing together your own social groups online p36 Personalise the BBC's online home page The BBC website has loads of...

Build social networks for free with Ning.
September 18, 2008... Byline: Rob Beattie Build social networks for free with Ning Discover a simple-to-use service for bringing together your own social groups online Social networks like Facebook and Myspace have changed the way that people...

Spreadsheet sums solved.
September 18, 2008... Byline: Paul Wardley Spreadsheet sums solved Turn an Excel worksheet into a real decision-making tool by installing and using the Solver add-in For most of us, most of the time, Excel is nothing more than a very sophisticated...

Use ranges to save time.(Brief article)
September 18, 2008... Byline: Paul Wardley Use ranges to save time In our example, we simplify the imposition of constraints by using repetition. Cell D8 is prevented from falling below zero by using the constraint $D$8 >= 0. This works A- and it's easy to...

How to install Solver.(Brief article)
September 18, 2008... Byline: Paul Wardley How to install Solver 1In Excel, click on the Tools menu and look for an entry called Solver. If it's not there, you'll have to install it by clicking the Add-Ins option (also on the Tools menu). This displays the...

Retain the resolution Q/I have just installed Windows Vista on my new computer. When I turn on the computer I get the lowest resolution on the screen. I open the Control Panel, double-click Display and select the Settings tab, then drag the bar from the l.
September 18, 2008... Byline: Tim Smith Retain the resolution Q|I have just installed Windows Vista on my new computer. When I turn on the computer I get the lowest resolution on the screen. I open the Control Panel, double-click Display and select the...

Online video reviews.
September 18, 2008... Byline: Tim Smith A simple solution to overflowing inboxes and how to crack open a bottle without losing your teeth Thunderbird Part 5 It doesn't take long for an email inbox to become so cluttered that you cannot find the email...

Downloads.(Brief article)
September 18, 2008... Byline: Tim Smith Recover deleted files, find and move files in Windows and try Google's new web browser Comodo Backup Comodo Backup makes backing up easier. It has presets for essential folders and can save files in various...

Win the latest security software from Panda worth over i?1/21,000.
September 18, 2008... Byline: Tim Smith Win the latest security software from Panda worth over [pounds sterling]1,000 Stay safe online and backup files to the internet with Panda's latest Collective Intelligence protection We spend more time online...

Downloads.(Website list)(Brief article)
September 18, 2008... Byline: Tim Smith Manage money and appointments online, read blogs and watch videos The periodic table of videos www.periodicvideos.com This site has almost everything you wanted to know about every element on the periodic...

Send messages from old email identities.
September 18, 2008... Send messages from old email identities Continue sending messages from an old email account when you switch internet service provider If you switch to a new internet service provider (ISP), the chances are that your old email...

get into the movies.
September 18, 2008... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran get into the movies Our pick of the best software and gadgets for recording and playing videos on your computer or portable media player 1 Magix Rescue Your Videotapes Easy to use yet still with...

Iomega Floppy Drive.
September 18, 2008... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Iomega Floppy Drive Floppy disks are unquestionably an obsolete technology, superseded by both CDs and USB memory keys. The drives are no longer included with modern computers, but if you find that you need...

Varnam VM830BT.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
September 18, 2008... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Varnam VM830BT The Varnam VM830BT 8in photo frame has a resolution of 800x480 pixels. That's similar to most common frames but because it's stretched over only eight inches, rather than 10, images appear...

NEC MultiSync LCD1770NX.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
September 18, 2008... Byline: Gavin Stoker NEC MultiSync LCD1770NX Cheap but good quality Interested in a workhorse PC monitor for work first, gaming and watching movies second? NEC's new 17in Multisync LCD1770NX may not have a widescreen display, but...