Personal Computer World articles from November 2006

Personal Computer World archives from November 2006

It's a stitch up.(database management)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Mark Whitehorn It's a stitch up Export text strings into an SQL-type database field; plus, why MVFs are a pain Brian Ritchie has some data he wants to import into an SQL-type database, such as Access or Oracle. The data...

Copyright issues and ownership rights.(Brief article)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Ken Mcmahon Copyright issues and ownership rights One of the issues you need to be aware of when uploading video material to a sharing site is copyright. Copyright law prevents you from publishing anything in which you...

And the Bafta goes toa[euro][bar].(video hosting sites)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Ken Mcmahon And the Bafta goes toa[bar] Before you commit to filming a video, find the right video-hosting site for you For some it's a personal thing, others see it as a route to fame and celebrity -- or at least an...

Hard to beat?(Pentium 4 vs Core 2 Duo)(Intel Core 2 Duo processor)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Gordon Laing Hard to beat? Find out if the Intel Core 2 Duo processor really lives up to its impressive reputation Intel's Core 2 Duo is the darling of today's processor market with good reason: it's quicker,...

What about Speedstep?(Intel Core 2 Duo E6700)(Brief article)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Gordon Laing What about Speedstep? Core 2 Duos support Enhanced Intel Speedstep Technology (EIST), which underclocks the processor during idle periods to save power. The Core 2 Duo E6700 processor tested here uses a 10-times...

Are you Core 2-ready?(desktop version of Core 2 Duo)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Gordon Laing Are you Core 2-ready? The desktop version of Core 2 Duo, codenamed Conroe and labelled with a letter E, uses the same LGA 775 interface as several generations of earlier Pentiums. Unfortunately for anyone hoping to...

The power of two.(Pentium 4 comparison with Core 2 Duo processors)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Gordon Laing The power of two Every performance enthusiast wants to know how well Intel's Core 2 Duo overclocks Intel's Core 2 Duo processor brings many benefits to desktop systems. In this month's Hardware column I...

Excel doesn't have to be taxing.
November 10, 2006... Byline: Stephen Wells Excel doesn't have to be taxing A simple calculation for three purposes: tax, discounts and commissions It's not often that you find one solution for three unrelated queries, but that is the case this month....

Take advantage of automation.
November 10, 2006... Byline: Stephen Wells Take advantage of automation It can save you a lot of time if you occasionally review the defaults under Excel's AutoCorrect, AutoFormat As You Type, and Smart Tags features. These are all found on the Tools menu...

Don't be duped.(using Excel)(Brief article)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Stephen Wells Don't be duped Excel offers a number of ways for you to find and highlight duplicate names in a list. Here is one of the easiest to use. To save space, only a few names are shown in this example, but it works just...

Get with the script.(scripting languages)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Nigel Whitfield Get with the script How scripting languages fit with your web server to help build dynamic sites We've looked in the past at the PHP language, which is a great tool for building websites, especially those...

How to code with Vista's WPF.(Windows Presentation Foundation)(Microsoft Windows Vista)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Tim Anderson How to code with Vista's WPF Windows Presentation Foundation radically changes the way you design applications Windows Vista sees the introduction of a new user interface framework called Windows Presentation...

Driving ambition.(hard disk)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Tim Nott Driving ambition A step-by-step guide to installing or adding a new disk for extra storage When I bought my first desktop PC, 16 years ago, it came with a generous 65MB hard disk. When I eventually outgrew this, I...

A free launchy.
November 10, 2006... Byline: Tim Nott A free launchy I'm a great fan of the Start, Run, box: for things such as MSConfig or Regedit, it's much quicker than trying to find a way in from All Programs. But now I've found something even better. Launchy...

Word takes a pasting.
November 10, 2006... Byline: Tim Nott Word takes a pasting Discover how to paste text without the formatting; plus shape-shifting on text boxes One of my pet annoyances in Word is that pasting text automatically defaults to preserving its source...

Software repositories explained.(where data is stored and maintained)(Ubuntu)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Barry Shilliday Software repositories explained Lately, we have been concentrating largely on the popular Ubuntu Linux distribution. A number of readers have been confused by the concept of repositories and how to set them up....

Rockbox your iPod.(firmware)(Column)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Barry Shilliday Rockbox your iPod A new project based on Linux code can add extra features to your music player In last month's column we saw how to update the firmware on an Apple iPod or to restore it to factory...

Build a virtual machine.(Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Alan Stevens Build a virtual machine Put Microsoft's free Virtual Server 2005 R2 through its paces In last month's Networks column (see www.pcw.co.uk/2166671), I looked at the free VMWare Player and how it can be used with...

Access all areas.(how to use database Microsoft Access)(Brief article)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Kelvyn Taylor Access all areas Databases Q I am using Access and I have a set of numbers (called Offsets) in a table. These can range in value from -50.0 to +100.0. After I have entered them, I need to sort them in...

Between the lines.(word processing software)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Kelvyn Taylor Between the lines Word Processing Q When converting a Wordperfect table to Word 2000, an extra line appears before each line of the table. This line is only 0.5 to 1 point deep and doesn't make much...

Hands on question time.
November 10, 2006... Byline: Kelvyn Taylor Digital Imaging On the slide QI have been trying to make a slideshow from my pictures. I went into Movie Maker and added music and credits. I then put it all onto a disc which will play through my computer,...

HP Procurve Switch 1800 Series.(Product/service evaluation)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Alan Stevens HP Procurve Switch 1800 Series Smarter than your average switch with functionality small businesses will like The Switch Series 1800 is designed for businesses wanting more than a basic unmanaged switch but...

HP Ipaq HW6915 Mobile Messenger.(Product/service evaluation)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Alan Stevens HP Ipaq HW6915 Mobile Messenger Phone, PDA and GPS receiver with Wifi and push email The Ipaq HW6915 Mobile Messenger is fine if used just as a phone but is easily outclassed by dedicated mobile phones. If you...

Google Mini 2.(Product/service evaluation)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Alan Stevens Google Mini 2 Google it yourself with the new Mini Mini by name but not by nature, the Google Mini 2 is a self-contained appliance that allows small businesses to use Google's search technology on their own...

Kodak Scan Station 100.(Product/service evaluation)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Alan Stevens Kodak Scan Station 100 Walk-up network scanner that gives consistently good results Take a top selling colour scanner, bolt on a PC and a touch-sensitive colour screen and you've effectively got a Kodak Scan...

Real-world PSU testing.(power supplies)(Brief article)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Paul Monckton Real-world PSU testing We took a range of power supplies comprising the latest 1,000W models, some popular branded current models and some older units. We also included a couple that come pre-installed in cases....

Checking your Psu's performance.
November 10, 2006... Byline: Paul Monckton Checking your Psu's performance If you're having problems with your PC, especially unexpected shutdowns or heat issues after installing new hardware, then your PSU is a likely culprit. What is more, PSUs that are...

Troubleshooting Nat and Wifi.(network address translation)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Peter Jackson Troubleshooting Nat and Wifi Standard internet services only work because the router knows about them and has set up something called 'port forwarding' to let traffic through the Network Address Translation (Nat)...

Checking cable modem settings.
November 10, 2006... Byline: Peter Jackson Checking cable modem settings To check the configuration of a cable modem, plug a PC into its interface socket, launch a browser, and enter the address 192.168.100.1; this is the default IP address for Docsis...

Energy-saving gadgets.(Brief article)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Nigel Whitfield Energy-saving gadgets Whether you want to offset your emissions or simply work out which devices are using most power, a good starting point is to know the true consumption figures, rather than assuming that...

How to offset carbon emissions.(Brief article)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Nigel Whitfield How to offset carbon emissions Carbon offsetting isn't complicated; it simply means doing something to offset the CO2 emissions you cause, and the most common way to do that is by planting CO2-absorbing...

Sonicwall SSL-VPN 200.(data security device)(Product/service evaluation)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Alan Stevens Sonicwall SSL-VPN 200 Clientless remote access to Lan resources Small businesses often lack the time and expertise needed to set up and manage a traditional VPN (virtual private network), particularly the...

IBM Lotus Sametime 7.5.
November 10, 2006... Byline: Alan Stevens IBM Lotus Sametime 7.5 It's good to talk, and even easier with Lotus Sametime 7.5 Instant messaging (IM) and web conferencing are fast becoming essential business collaboration tools, but public services lack...

Canon Pixma mini260.(photo printer)(Product/service evaluation)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Jacqueline Williams Canon Pixma mini260 A good-quality compact photo printer, but it's a little on the heavy side One of the newest faces on the inkjet block, the compact Canon Pixma mini260 has been designed with...

Map24 Mobile.(Product/service evaluation)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Will Stapley Map24 Mobile Street-level maps on your mobile, but watch out for those data charges There are plenty of options for satellite navigation on your mobile phone but, as well as being expensive, they all require...

Nikon D80.(Product/service evaluation)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Paul Monckton Nikon D80 A 10-megapixel sensor, bigger screen and improved functionality Nestling in the middle of Nikon's range of six digital SLRs, the D80, like the D70s it is set to replace, straddles the gap between...

Virgin Mobile Lobster 700TV.(Product/service evaluation)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Will Stapley Virgin Mobile Lobster 700TV Another attempt at getting people to watch TV on their mobile phone Late in 2005, we took a look at Vodafone's Mobile TV service that streamed Sky TV channels over the 3G network....

Palo Alto Business Plan Pro 2007.(Product/service evaluation)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Alan Stevens Palo Alto Business Plan Pro 2007 Professional-looking plans for your business Business Plan Pro is one of those products where the name tells you exactly what you're going to get. In this case, you get a set of...

January 2002.(digital cameras)(Brief article)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Emil Larsen January 2002 Our group test focused on PCs running Microsoft's latest operating system. XP had arrived just in time for Christmas and the shopping bonanza was well under way. AMD, which had introduced its Athlon...

January 1992.(hardware industry)(Brief article)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Emil Larsen January 1992 We proudly plastered 'Giant SX test' on the cover of this issue. It was one of the biggest group tests in PCW's history. With the 286 glory days gone, 45 386SX/20s were put through their paces. Two...

January 1982.(Brief article)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Emil Larsen January 1982 In the early 1980s two giant corporations entered the microcomputer market: Xerox and the BBC. We tested systems from both, starting with the Xerox 820 micro. It was a very competent, no-frills system...

Send in your questions In 'magazine time' it's now 2007, with 2006 having shot by at an incredible rate. It always amazes me how much information our Hands on gurus manage to pack into each issue -- and it also surprises me how much feedback we get for Que.(Brief article)(Column)
November 10, 2006... send in your questions In 'magazine time' it's now 2007, with 2006 having shot by at an incredible rate. It always amazes me how much information our Hands on gurus manage to pack into each issue -- and it also surprises me how much...

Stick together and we can go a long way.(research by US Air Force Laboratory )(Brief article)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Clive Akass Stick together and we can go a long waya[bar] These experimental catoms hardly seem to justify the astonishing claims being made of Claytronic technology. But they are the Claytronic equivalent of the first...

Ipswitch Imail Server Plus 2006.(Product/service evaluation)
November 10, 2006... Ipswitch Imail Server Plus 2006 Small-business email server with good anti-spam protection Imail Server is a very mature small-business email server that supports all the common messaging standards including Pop3 and Imap4. It can be...

Photo printing under Windows Vista.
November 10, 2006... Byline: Paul Monckton Photo printing under Windows Vista Most existing printer drivers and installation routines don't work with current pre-release versions of Windows Vista. However, many older printers include drivers that are in...

Canon Pixma IP6700D.(Product/service evaluation)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Paul Monckton Canon Pixma IP6700D Price [pounds sterling]149 Contact www.canon.co.uk Top of Canon's new range of six photo printers, the Pixma IP6700D replaces last year's highly successful IP6600D. Like the other...

Editor's choice printers GT.(Brief article)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Paul Monckton All three products here are capable of producing excellent-quality prints. One product stands out in two very obvious ways. At [pounds sterling]199, HP's Photosmart D7360 costs [pounds sterling]50 more than Canon's...

Epson Stylus Photo R360.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Paul Monckton Epson Stylus Photo R360 Price [pounds sterling]149.99 Contact www.epson.co.uk Epson's latest photo printers, the Stylus Photo R265 and Stylus Photo R360 both take advantage of newly developed ink technology...

How we tested the photo inkjet printers.(Brief article)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Paul Monckton How we tested the photo inkjet printers To judge the various strengths and weaknesses of each printer, we put them through a series of different tests. To assess print speed, we timed the printers' output...

HP Photosmart D7360.(Product/service evaluation)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Paul Monckton HP Photosmart D7360 Price [pounds sterling]199.99 Contact www.hp.com/uk Of the three printers reviewed here, HP's Photosmart D7360 is the most expensive, but delivers outstanding performance and some unique...

Printer perfection.(Brief article)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Paul Monckton Printer perfection High-quality A4 photo printers are becoming rare beasts due to the current fad for all-in-one printers. But they still have a lot to offer, as Paul Monckton discovers Since we last looked...

Upwardly mobile Remote and mobile working are very much top of the small-business agenda at present. So we're kicking off this month's business section with a look at how you can extend your network to give teleworkers and road warriors the same kind of a.(Brief article)
November 10, 2006... upwardly mobile Remote and mobile working are very much top of the small-business agenda at present. So we're kicking off this month's business section with a look at how you can extend your network to give teleworkers and road warriors...

MSI Megabook M662.(Product/service evaluation)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Luke Peters MSI Megabook M662 Price [pounds sterling]760 Contact www.msicomputer.co.uk MSI's M662 is the only notebook here with a dedicated numeric keypad on its keyboard, which at first makes you think it's bigger than...

HP Compaq NX7400 (RH393ET).(Product/service evaluation)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Luke Peters HP Compaq NX7400 (RH393ET) Price [pounds sterling]668.57 Contact www.hp.com/uk Notebooks from HP Compaq have impressed us over the past 12 months, not just in terms of price and performance, but also with their...

Hi-grade Notino D7000-5500.(Product/service evaluation)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Luke Peters Hi-grade Notino D7000-5500 Price [pounds sterling]733.13 Contact www.higrade.com Like the HP and Sony, the Hi-grade Notino D7000-5500 is one of only three notebooks here to use Intel's entry-level Core 2 Duo...

GT Laptops Editors choice.
November 10, 2006... Byline: Luke Peters This test of entry-level Core 2 Duo notebooks highlighted some interesting issues. Should you save cash and buy a cheaper model or it is worth paying hundreds of pounds more for a laptop that will complete tasks a few...

Asus F3Jv.(Product/service evaluation)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Luke Peters Asus F3Jv Price [pounds sterling]1,199 Contact http://uk.asus.com Unsurprisingly, the most powerful notebook here is the also the most expensive. At [pounds sterling]1,199, the Asus F3Jv costs almost twice as...

Pros and cons of a hosted service.
November 10, 2006... Byline: Alan Stevens Pros and cons of a hosted service One approach to remote access is to give up on the idea of having a network, servers and applications of your own and opt instead for hosted services. There are several benefits,...

Aopen i945GTm-VHL.(Product/service evaluation)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Simon Crisp Aopen i945GTm-VHL Price [pounds sterling]188 Contact www.scan.co.uk Overall HHHHH A small mobile CPU-based motherboard from Aopen that uses notebook-type So-Dimm memory. This model is built on a Micro ATX PCB,...

Terratec Cinergy T USB XE.(television tuner device)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Ken McMahon Terratec Cinergy T USB XE Price [pounds sterling]34.06 Contact www.terratec.co.uk Overall HHHHH The Cinergy T USB XE is smaller than a highlighter pen, plugs into a USB port and gives you access to...

Logitech V450.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Will Stapley Logitech V450 Price [pounds sterling]39.99 Contact www.logitech.co.uk Overall HHHHH As with most Logitech mice, the V450 uses a laser instead of an optical beam. Although few will appreciate the increased...

Understanding PC power supplies.
November 10, 2006... Byline: Paul Monckton Understanding PC power supplies Paul Monckton and Simon Crisp take you on a tour of a vital, but widely ignored, component of your PC Many of us upgrade our PCs regularly: we want faster processors, dual...

Fix your broadband.
November 10, 2006... Byline: Peter Jackson Fix your broadband Broadband is now almost a utility, but when things go wrong you can't simply call a plumber. Peter Jackson explains stages in the chain and shows how to fix common problems In the UK,...

TCP optimisations.
November 10, 2006... Byline: Peter Jackson TCP optimisations The trouble with online speed tests is that the internet does not involve fixed links from point to point, and the networks and servers have to respond to numbers of simultaneous users making...

Have a very techie Christmas.
November 10, 2006... Byline: Cliff Joseph Have a very techie Christmas Christmas is coming and, as Cliff Joseph discovers, there are some weird and wonderful gifts to fill your Xmas stockings. We've gift ideas from [pounds sterling]5 to [pounds...

Going, going green.
November 10, 2006... Byline: Nigel Whitfield Going, going green Can we maintain technological progress without destroying the planet? Nigel Whitfield provides some practical advice on reducing the environmental impact of your PC As we add more and...

Five D-Link Wireless Internet Cameras.
November 10, 2006... Byline: Kelvyn Taylor Five D-Link Wireless Internet Cameras For many businesses security cameras provide an excellent way of monitoring events in real time, and play a critical role in crime prevention. For home users, cameras can be...

Canon Selphy CP730.(Product/service evaluation)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Jacqueline Williams Canon Selphy CP730 Print your digital photos with ease For those who hanker after a simple life, this compact photo printer range will be a breath of fresh air. The Selphy CP730 uses dye-sublimation...

Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo XI.(Product/service evaluation)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Cliff Joseph Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo XI This aging photo editor can still spring a few new surprises With the word Photo clumsily grafted onto the end of its name, Paint Shop Pro Photo XI is a solid upgrade for this...

Palm Treo 750v.(Product/service evaluation)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Emil Larsen Palm Treo 750v Palm wants a piece of the Blackberry pie The Treo 750v Smartphone is the first European Palm to run Windows Mobile 5 in favour of its own software. Its push emailing feature makes it a direct...

Rim Blackberry Pearl 8100.(personal digital assistants)(Product/service evaluation)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Will Head Rim Blackberry Pearl 8100 The corporate mobile email machine gets a streetwise makeover Blackberry is the undisputed king of the corporate email market. But until now it has yet to capture the heart of the...

Roxio Creator Suite 9.(Product/service evaluation)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Tim Smith Roxio Creator Suite 9 One software suite for every multimedia task under the sun Roxio Creator Suite 9 is less of a whole new product and more a general smartening up. The Home utility is still the first port of...

T-Mobile MDA Vario II HSDPA.(Product/service evaluation)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Will Head T-Mobile MDA Vario II HSDPA A fully featured handset complete with high-speed internet The Vario II from T-Mobile is not just a top-of-the-range handset, but it also supports HSDPA (high-speed downlink packet...

Sanyo Xacti VPC-CA6.(Product/service evaluation)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Emil Larsen Sanyo Xacti VPC-CA6 A good-looking camcorder, but the awkward design and high price let it down The Xacti VPC-CA6 combined digital camera and video recorder is designed to be held in an upright pistol-grip...

The amazing 'programmable matter'.(Claytronics)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Clive Akass The amazing 'programmable matter' As promised in PCW last month, here is more on the astonishing morphing technology researchers claim will be able to precisely clone anything within 20 years. Clive Akass reports...

How to look after your laptop's battery.
November 10, 2006... Byline: Luke Peters How to look after your laptop's battery Exploding laptop batteries might make good headlines and video clips, but the recent spate of battery recalls involving defective Sony lithium-ion (Li-Ion) batteries fitted in...

Sony VGN-C1Z/B.(Product/service evaluation)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Luke Peters Sony VGN-C1Z/B Price [pounds sterling]1,099 Contact http://vaio.sony-europe.com In a world where laptops are made in their millions and are often simply rebadged versions of the same anonymous chassis, owning...

Rock Pegasus 665-T56.(Product/service evaluation)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Luke Peters Rock Pegasus 665-T56 Price [pounds sterling]899 Contact www.rockdirect.com The Pegasus 665-T56 is billed as Rock's 'gaming to go' Core 2 Duo notebook, which sounds like a bargain at [pounds sterling]849. But...

Double take.(Core 2 Duo processor)(Brief article)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Luke Peters Double take Intel's Core 2 Duo processor is now available in a variety of mobile flavours. Luke Peters sees how tasty those at the bottom of the food chain are Intel's new Core 2 Duo processor is finding its...

Evesham Voyager C530.(Product/service evaluation)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Luke Peters Evesham Voyager C530 Price [pounds sterling]849 Contact www.evesham.com Pitched against stylish designs such as the Asus and Sony in this group test, the Evesham Voyager C530 isn't that enticing to look at....

Remote possibilities.(remote access of virtual private networks)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Alan Stevens Remote possibilities Want to extend your network, but not sure how to go about it? Remote VPN access could be the answer, so we show you how a small business can use it Ask most business users if remote access...

Nintendo Wii.(Product/service evaluation)
November 10, 2006... Byline: Jonathan Parkyn Nintendo Wii A sneak peek at this small, cheap and innovative console What's in a name? Only three little letters, in the case of Nintendo's next-generation games console, but three letters that have been...

Cities set for 10Mbit Wimax.
November 10, 2006... Byline: Clive Akass Cities set for 10Mbit Wimax Wimax wide-area wireless broadband is coming to the UK -- and it will compete with fixed cable and DSL links as well as with 3G mobile. The first version of the technology, using the...

Testing wireless broadband in Shakespeare country.
November 10, 2006... Byline: Clive Akass Testing wireless broadband in Shakespeare country What speeds are we likely to get in practice with Wimax? Pipex Wireless took journalists to a farm near Shakespeare's birthplace at Stratford-upon-Avon to find out....