est new way te u|ead

and share huge f||es 40

0NL
.99
eur fr|end|y gu|de te techne|egy
kt Iast - a briIIiant ne- centract
phene under 50l pI8
Secret tips fer kdbIeck PIus
I55uE 43 Z4 E0Z03 - 7 JNZ04

There's ||fe
|n the o|d
0S yet!
KkCK
NlN00NS XP
I0 SPEE0 lI P
Remove more than just adverts p48
Make everyth|ng en
yeur P0 uk Eng||sh
No more annoy|ng Amer|can|sms

C0NIk0L
Y0k PC
Fk0MkNY 0EVlCE
Best free ways to access your 0esktop
and h|es wherever you are
Use w|ndows on your tab|et
0ontro| your pr|nter
Superb Andro|d & |0S apps
Fantast|c free software
... and keep |t a|| I00% secure
n

p4Z
Best new way to upload
and share huge files p40
ONLY
1.99
Your friendly guide to technology
At last - a brilliant no- contract
phone under 150! p18
Secret tips for Adblock Plus
ISSUE 413 24 DEC2013 7 JAN2014
PLUS
Theres life
in the old
OS yet!
HACK
WINDOWS XP
TO SPEED IT UP
Remove more than just adverts p48
Make everything on
your PC UK English
No more annoying Americanisms

1
.
9
9
CONTROL
YOUR PC
FROMANY DEVICE
Best free ways to access your Desktop
and les wherever you are
Use Windows on your tablet
Control your printer
Superb Android & iOS apps
Fantastic free software
... and keep it all 100% secure
n
BUY IT!

p42
240cmbr 20J3 - 7 !anuary 20J4
\elcome
Fom!he Ed!o
TSSSUNNUMRS
DlT0RlAL
Crcup d|tcr 0anl| Bccth
Rev|ews d|tcr A|an Lu
7echn|ca| d|tcr Shrwln Cc|hc
Deputy |eatures d|tcr !ams 1mprtcn
Ccntr|but|ng d|tcr Scctt Cc|vy
5en|cr 5ub d|tcr CrahamBrcwn
5en|cr Des|gner Fml|y W||r
Scrry, nc tchnlca| cr buylng advlc.
ADVRTl5lNC
Advert|sement sa|es &med|a pack
0207907 6799
Advert|s|ng D|rectcr Andra Mascn
Acccunt Manager A|xa 0raccs
5en|cr 5a|es xecut|ve Ptr Smlth
MARkTlNCANDClRCULATl0N
5ubscr|pt|cns Manager Sarah A|drldg
Market|ng and d|tcr|a| xecut|ve
Pau| Cccdhad
Market|ng Prcduct|cn Manager Cmma Hl||s
C|rcu|at|cn &Research Ass|stant
Samantha Rcw
PR0DUCTl0N
Crcup Prcduct|cn Manager
Stphn Cathra||
Prcduct|cn Ccntrc||er
0anl| Stark
MANACMNT
Manag|ng D|rectcr !chn Carwa|
Deputy Manag|ng D|rectcr 1lm0antcn
MDcf Advert|s|ng !u|lan L|cyd-Fvans
Ccmmerc|a| and Reta|| D|rectcr 0avld Barkr
Crcup Manag|ng D|rectcr |an Wstwccd
CDDBrtt Rync|ds
Crcup ||nance D|rectcr |an Lggtt
Ch|ef xecut|ve !ams 1y
Cha|rman P|lx 0nnls
RANDU5AC ANDRPRlNT5
Ccmpanls can cbtaln a |lcnc tc us apprcvd
quctatlcns frcmartlc|s, th Ccmputractlv
|cgc and Buy |tl |cgc. Rprlnts cf artlc|s ar
a|sc aval|ab|.
P|ease ccntact Wr|ghts Med|a fcr mcre
|nfcrmat|cn and rates:
Uk: B77-652-5295 xt J64
|nternat|cna|: 2BJ-4J9-5725 xt J64
ma||: NladmarccQwrlghtsmdla.ccm
Rqusts tc us quctatlcns frcmartlc|s wl||
nd tc b apprcvd by th dltcr. P|as snd
rqusts tc. dltcrQccmputractlv.cc.uk
0VR5A5 LlCN5lNC
Ccmputractlv ls aval|ab| fcr lntrnatlcna|
|lcnslng. Ccntact Nlcc| Adams at nlcc|
adamsQdnnls.cc.uk cr -44 (0l207907 6J34
0NWARDR5AL
Tls pub|lcatlcn may nct b rsc|d cr cthrwls
dlstrlbutd, whthr at, b|cwcr abcv fac
va|u. Ncr can thls pub|lcatlcn b advrtlsd fcr
sa|, transfr cr dlstrlbutlcn.
PRMl55l0N5
Matrla| may nct b rprcducd ln any fcrm
wlthcut th wrlttn ccnsnt cf th pub|lshr.
P|as addrss such rqusts tc !chn Carwa|,
0nnls Pub|lshlng, 30C|v|and Strt,
Lcndcn WJ1 4!0
LlAlLlTY
Whl| vry car was takn prparlng thls
magazln, th pub|lshrs cannct b h|d
rspcnslb| fcr th accuracy cf th lnfcrmatlcn
cr any ccnsqunc arlslng frcmlt. A||
judgmnts ar basd cn qulpmnt aval|ab|
tc Ccmputractlv at th tlm cf rvlw.
Ccmputractlv taks nc rspcnslbl|lty fcr th
ccntnt cf xtrna| wbslts whcs addrsss
ar pub|lshd ln th magazln.
ADNNl5 PULlCATl0N
Ccmputractlv ls pub|lshd
fcrtnlght|y by 0nnls Pub|lshlng
Ltd, 30C|v|and Strt, Lcndcn WJ1 4!0.
Ccmpany rglstrd ln Fng|and. Matrla| may
nct b rprcducd ln whc| cr part wlthcut th
ccnsnt cf th pub|lshrs. |SSNJ46J-62JJ
Avrag sa|s, Ian-Dec 2012, 98,560
ccpls pr lssu.
Ccpyrlght 0nnls Pub|lshlng Llmltd
A evyeurs ugo, I vus dlscusslng Ihe populurlIy
o IubleIs vlIh my dud. He recognlsed Ihe
lncredlble Iechnology used ln Iouchscreens,
buI sIlll dldn`I qulIe geI Ihe polnI o Ihem.
Susplclous o Ihe hype surroundlng Ihe lFud,
he quesIloned vhy he needed one vhen he
Iook hls neIbook vlIh hlm everyvhere.
1ree yeurs on und he`s never more Ihun nve
eeI rom hls Nexus IU, vhlle hls neIbook ls,
vell, , exucIly` Oh, I huven`I seen IhuI
ln uges he recenIly Iold me. And vhuI chunged
hls mlnd` II vus vhen he reullsed hov euslly
he could conIrol hls FC rom u IubleI, uccesslng
ull hls nles und olders qulckly. Our cover
euIure puge SU) reveuls Ihe besI nev vuys Io
do Ihls on Androld und lOS devlces. WheIher
you geI u nev IubleI or ChrlsImus or noI, you`ll
nnd Ihe Ilps very useul.
1ulklng o ChrlsImus, I`d llke Io vlsh you ull
u merry one. Hopeully you`ll enjoy lI more
Ihun SIuurI Andrevs see puge 74).
See you ull ln 2UI4!
DanicI Booth
cditor@computcractivc.co.uk
p58
p50
pI8
p4Z
p40
p48
1he percentage of
fake apps on Coog|e
P|ay store that |ook
||ke genu|nevers|ons
-
1he amount of Coog|e
0r|ve storage that
comes free for
two years
w|th the
Motoro|a
Moto C
phone -

Battery ||fe of the H1C

Dne Max smartphone
-
1|me Amazon says
|ts de||very drones
w||| take to drop off
|tems -
I.Z% S0GB 3Ihours 30mins
24December 2013 7 January 2014 3
Welcome
Fromthe Editor
THISISSUEINNUMBERS
EDITORIAL
Group Editor Daniel Booth
Reviews Editor Alan Lu
Technical Editor Sherwin Coelho
Deputy Features Editor James Temperton
Contributing Editor Scott Colvey
Senior Sub Editor GrahamBrown
Senior Designer Emily Weller
Sorry, no technical or buying advice.
ADVERTISING
Advertisement sales &media pack
0207907 6799
Advertising Director Andrea Mason
Account Manager Alexa Dracos
Senior Sales Executive Peter Smith
MARKETINGANDCIRCULATION
Subscriptions Manager Sarah Aldridge
Marketing and Editorial Executive
Paul Goodhead
Marketing Production Manager Gemma Hills
Circulation &Research Assistant
Samantha Rowe
PRODUCTION
Group Production Manager
Stephen Catherall
Production Controller
Daniel Stark
MANAGEMENT
Managing Director John Garewal
Deputy Managing Director TimDanton
MDof Advertising Julian Lloyd-Evans
Commercial and Retail Director David Barker
Group Managing Director Ian Westwood
COOBrett Reynolds
Group Finance Director Ian Leggett
Chief Executive James Tye
Chairman Felix Dennis
BRANDUSAGE ANDREPRINTS
Companies can obtain a licence to use approved
quotations fromarticles, the Computeractive
logo and Buy It! logo. Reprints of articles are
also available.
Please contact Wrights Media for more
information and rates:
UK: 877-652-5295 ext 164
International: 281-419-5725 ext 164
Email: Niademarco@wrightsmedia.com
Requests to use quotations fromarticles will
need to be approved by the editor. Please send
requests to: editor@computeractive.co.uk
OVERSEAS LICENSING
Computeractive is available for international
licensing. Contact Nicole Adams at nicole_
adams@dennis.co.uk or +44 (0)207907 6134
ONWARDRESALE
Tis publication may not be resold or otherwise
distributed, whether at, belowor above face
value. Nor can this publication be advertised for
sale, transfer or distribution.
PERMISSIONS
Material may not be reproduced in any form
without the written consent of the publisher.
Please address such requests to John Garewal,
Dennis Publishing, 30Cleveland Street,
London W1T 4JD
LIABILITY
While every care was taken preparing this
magazine, the publishers cannot be held
responsible for the accuracy of the information
or any consequence arising fromit. All
judgments are based on equipment available
to Computeractive at the time of review.
Computeractive takes no responsibility for the
content of external websites whose addresses
are published in the magazine.
ADENNIS PUBLICATION
Computeractive is published
fortnightly by Dennis Publishing
Ltd, 30Cleveland Street, London W1T 4JD.
Company registered in England. Material may
not be reproduced in whole or part without the
consent of the publishers. ISSN1461-6211
Average sales, Jan-Dec 2012, 98,560
copies per issue.
Copyright Dennis Publishing Limited
A fewyears ago, I was discussing the popularity
of tablets with my dad. He recognised the
incredible technology used in touchscreens,
but still didnt quite get the point of them.
Suspicious of the hype surrounding the iPad,
he questioned why he needed one when he
took his netbook with him everywhere.
Tree years on and hes never more than ve
feet from his Nexus 10, while his netbook is,
well, where, exactly? Oh, I havent seen that
in ages he recently told me. And what changed
his mind? It was when he realised how easily
he could control his PC from a tablet, accessing
all his les and folders quickly. Our cover
feature (page 50) reveals the best new ways to
do this on Android and iOS devices. Whether
you get a new tablet for Christmas or not, youll
nd the tips very useful.
Talking of Christmas, Id like to wish you all
a merry one. Hopefully youll enjoy it more
than Stuart Andrews (see page 74).
See you all in 2014!
Daniel Booth
editor@computeractive.co.uk
p58
p50
p18
p42
p40
p48
The percentage of
fake apps on Google
Play store that look
like genuineversions
p7
The amount of Google
Drive storage that
comes free for
two years
with the
Motorola
Moto G
phone
p18
Battery life of the HTC
One Max smartphone
- p22
Time Amazon says
its delivery drones
will take to drop off
items - p49
1.2% 50GB 31hours 30mins
240cmbr 20J3 - 7 !anuary 20J4
240ec 20J37 !an 20J4 lssue4J3
0
Control your PC!romany
devIce
Ndtcaccss ycur PCn|s whn
cut andabcut7 Larnhcwtcwcrk
cnycur ccmputr rmct|y vla ycur
ndrcldcr lOSdvlc

Make everythIngUK
EnglIsh
Maksurycur dvlcs arspaklng
ycur |lngcby twaklngycur dvlc's
|anguagsttlngs
60
The best keyboard
shortcuts
Mak|lfaslr by uslngbrl||lant
shcrtcuts lnycur favcurltwbslts
B Nevs
B uestIono!
the FortnIght
rPacbcck, Cccg|and
1wlttr hypccrlts7
I0 Letters
IZ ConsumeractIve
I4 Protect Your Tech
IB Best Free So!tvare
mazcnC|cudP|ayr fcr PC
30 BuyItl
4BWhat's All the Fuss
About7 mazcn's d|lvry
drcns
B4 Problems Solved
BB ReaderstotheRescue
BB Fast FIxes
Wlndcws Fxp|crr
7Z BroadbandDeals
73 |argonBuster
74 The FInal Strav
Chrlstmas 0ay shcpplng
Makryth|ng
UkLng||sh
thsssu
vryssu
1hbst kyboar
shortuts
C
D
V
E
R F
E
A
T
U
R
E
P
5
0
ny
5tuart
nrws
grumb|s
about
Chr|stmas 0ay
shopp|ng
Ma
Uk
4 24December 2013 7 January 2014
Contents 24Dec 20137 Jan 2014 Issue413
50
Control your PCfromany
device
Needtoaccess your PCles when
out andabout? Learnhowtowork
onyour computer remotely via your
Androidor iOSdevice
58
Make everythingUK
English
Makesureyour devices arespeaking
your lingoby tweakingyour devices
languagesettings
60
The best keyboard
shortcuts
Makelifeeasier by usingbrilliant
shortcuts inyour favouritewebsites
6 News
9 Questionof
the Fortnight
AreFacebook, Googleand
Twitter hypocrites?
10 Letters
12 Consumeractive
14 Protect Your Tech
16 Best Free Software
AmazonCloudPlayer for PC
30 BuyIt!
49Whats All the Fuss
About? Amazons delivery
drones
64 Problems Solved
68 ReaderstotheRescue
69 Fast Fixes
Windows Explorer
72 BroadbandDeals
73 JargonBuster
74 The Final Straw
Christmas Day shopping
Makeeverything
UKEnglish p58
Inthisissue
Ineveryissue
Thebest keyboard
shortcuts p60
C
O
V
E
R F
E
A
T
U
R
E
P
5
0
ny
Stuart
Andrews
grumbles
about
Christmas Day
shopping p74
Ma
UK

NDwl
Spag62
fcr cur spcla|
subscffr
be be
l
2
la| la|
IB MotorolaMotoC
xc||nt budgt smartphcn
Z0 PanasonIc LumIxDMC-CMi
ccmpact camra wlthrccmfcr
|cads cf tcpfaturs
ZZ HTCDneMax
1h smartphcn wlth a whcpplng
6ln scrn and flngrprlnt radr
Z3 HPSplIt XZ
Laptcpwlthdtachab|kybcard
Z4 NeroZ0i4PlatInum
cmprhnslvmu|tlmdla sult
ZS KoboArc i0HD
udgt prlctab|t wltha J0lnscrn
ZB ADCIZZ69Vvm
Lcw-prlcmcnltcr wlthqua|lty cutput
Zyxel PLA5Z05TvInPack
asy-tc-usandspdy HcmP|ugs
ZB HumaxHDR-Z000T
nctlvandrascnab|y prlcdVR
ZB ToshIbaSatellIte C50D-A-i3N
|mprsslvbudgt |aptcp
workshops&Tips
J4pges o br||||nt workshops ndepert t|ps
3S WrIte your lI!e storyInWord
3B SvItch!romIDS to AndroId
usIng a PC
40 Share huge !Iles vIthout an
account
4Z Hack WIndovs XPto
make It run!aster
43 Readers' TIps
mbdthnw-|cck Cccg|
Maps cnycur wbslt
44 Tablet and Phone TIps
ustcmlsca|| vlbratlcns
4B Make WIndovs Better
Sarchcn|lnfrcmxp|crr
47 Make D!!Ice Better
rata PcwrPclnt s|ldshcw
4B Secret TIps For.
db|cck P|us
Motoro|
MotoC
Reies
24cmbr 20J3 - 7 !anuary 20J4
Comperacie
oHer of heforigh
N0W0NLY 17.99
Nermall 39.99
kasersk lnternet
5ecur|t 2014 age 33
Pnson|c Lum|
0MC-CMJ
W0NLY 17 99
t 2014 age 33
Sae
55
osh|b 5te|||te
C50--J3N

5
Subscribe
NOW!
Seepage62
for our special
subsoffer
be be
!
2
ial ial
18 MotorolaMotoG
Excellent budget smartphone
20 Panasonic LumixDMC-GM1
Acompact camera withroomfor
loads of topfeatures
22 HTCOneMax
The smartphone with a whopping
6in screen and fingerprint reader
23 HPSplit X2
Laptopwithdetachablekeyboard
24 Nero2014Platinum
Comprehensivemultimedia suite
25 KoboArc 10HD
Budget pricetablet witha 10inscreen
26 AOCi2269Vwm
Low-pricemonitor withquality output
Zyxel PLA5205TwinPack
Easy-to-useandspeedy HomePlugs
28 HumaxHDR-2000T
Eectiveandreasonably pricedDVR
29 ToshibaSatellite C50D-A-13N
Impressivebudget laptop
35 Write your life storyinWord
38 SwitchfromiOS to Android
using a PC
40 Share huge files without an
account
42 Hack Windows XPto
make it runfaster
43 Readers Tips
Embedthenew-look Google
Maps onyour website
44 Tablet and Phone Tips
Customisecall vibrations
46 Make Windows Better
SearchonlinefromExplorer
47 Make Office Better
Createa PowerPoint slideshow
48 Secret Tips For
Adblock Plus
Motorola
MotoG p18
Reviews
24December 2013 7 January 2014
Computeractive
ofer of thefortnight
NOWONLY 17.99
Normally 39.99
Kaspersky Internet
Security 2014 page 33
Panasonic Lumix
DMC-GM1 p20
WONLY 17 99
ty 2014 page 33
Save
55%
Toshiba Satellite
C50D-A-13N p29
BUY IT!

etopsto|es |n thewo|dof techno|og

leads thevorldInonlIne
shoppIngas spendIngsoars
A cyberuIIuck ls belng blumed
uIer Ihe Royul Bunk o
ScoIlund RBS) und NuIWesI
cusIomers vere unuble Io
uccess Ihelr onllne uccounIs
or Ihe second Ilme ln nve
duys ln eurly December.
RBS blumed Ihe dlsrupIlon
on u surge ln lnIerneI Irumc
dellberuIely dlrecIed uI Ihe
NuIWesI vebslIe.
1e bunk suld IhuI u
dlsIrlbuIed denlul o servlce
DDoS) uIIuck cuused mllllons
o requesIs or uccess Io lIs
vebslIe Io be mude uI Ihe sume
Ilme, muklng lI crush. RBS suld
IhuI cusIomer duIu vus never
uI rlsk romIhe uIIuck.
II udded IhuI Ihe dlsrupIlon
vus unreluIed Io un eurller
lncldenI IhuI leI mllllons o
people unuble Io uccess Ihelr
cush due Io u compuIer uulI.
RBS vhlch ls SI per cenI
ovned by Ihe GovernmenI
hus been plugued by I1
ullures ln recenI yeurs.
In June 2UI2, u ulled upduIe
Io soIvure suvmllllons o
people unuble Io uccess Ihelr
uccounIs. 1e bunk suld such
ullures vere unuccepIuble
und hus unnounced lI vlll
lnvesI 4SUmIo lmprove lIs I1
sysIems.
NatWest vebsItecrashestvIceInaveek
fcom|ooked at on||ne
shopp|ng |n e|ght countr|es,
revea||ng the average annua|
spend per head |n 20J2.
Here's howthe countr|es
ranked:
Uk- EJ,J75
Austra||a - EB67
U5A- E663
!apan - E560
Prance - E539
Cermany - E374
5pa|n - EJB0
|ta|y - EJ26

lncome spenI on
communlcuIlons ln Ihe UK
ln 2UI2 vus 2.8 per cenI,
compured Io 2.S per cenI ln
Ihe US und 8.4 per cenI ln
Germuny. 1elecoms bllls ln Ihe
UK huve been ulllng ln reul
Ierms or Ihe pusI IU yeurs,
Ocomsuld.
T
he umounI ve spend
onllne shoI up I6 per cenI
beIveen 2UII und 2UI2, vlIh
Ihe uveruge person ln Ihe UK
orklng ouI I,I7S u yeur.
Our love or onllne
shopplng suv Ihe UK spend u
IoIul o 74.8bn on Ihe veb ln
2UI2, second only Io Ihe USA
uccordlng Io ngures rom
communlcuIlons reguluIor
Ocom. Hovever, per person,
ve come Iop o Ocom`s
spendlng Iuble.
1e numbers come
romOcom`s unnuul
CommunlcuIlons MurkeI
ReporI, vhlch compures duIu
romelghI counIrles: AusIrullu,
Frunce, Germuny, IIuly, Jupun,
Spuln, Ihe USA und Ihe UK. As
vell us spendlng more onllne
per person, ve ulso shop
onllne more oIen. 1ree
quurIers o people ln Ihe UK
shop onllne uI leusI once u
monIh, puIIlng us uheud o
every oIher counIry surveyed.
1e uveruge spend o I,I7S
per person ls much hlgher Ihun
ln oIher Europeun counIrles. In
IIuly Ihe lovesIspendlng
counIry surveyed Ihe uveruge
person spenI jusI I26 onllne,
vlIh Frunce second hlghesI uI
S89 per person. Ocomsuld
IhuI people ln Ihe UK hud more
IrusI ln onllne reIullers und
more ulIh ln Ihelr securlIy.
Hlgh dellvery churges vere
Ihe muln reuson or people Io
ubundon Ihelr buskeI beore
checklng ouI, Ocomsuld.
RecenI reseurch hus shovn
IhuI people ln remoIe or rurul
purIs o Ihe UK ure belng
puI o onllne shopplng by
skyhlgh dellvery churges.
Ocom`s reseurch ulso
shoved IhuI people ln Ihe UK
benenI romcompuruIlvely
cheup moblle phone,
broudbund und lundllne deuls.
1e proporIlon o household
eu'll lkeths.
5pot|fy has |aunched a free mus|c-stream|ng
serv|ce for phones and tab|ets www.spot|ty.comI
.but net ths
CryptoLocker ransomware has attacked
more than J50Br|ts www.sn|pca.com/J0939I.
240cmbr 20J3 - 7 !anuary 20J4
News Tetopstories in theworldof technology
UKleads theworldinonline
shoppingas spendingsoars
A cyber-attack is being blamed
after the Royal Bank of
Scotland (RBS) and NatWest
customers were unable to
access their online accounts
for the second time in ve
days in early December.
RBS blamed the disruption
on a surge in internet trac
deliberately directed at the
NatWest website.
Te bank said that a
distributed denial of service
(DDoS) attack caused millions
of requests for access to its
website to be made at the same
time, making it crash. RBS said
that customer data was never
at risk fromthe attack.
It added that the disruption
was unrelated to an earlier
incident that left millions of
people unable to access their
cash due to a computer fault.
RBS which is 81 per cent
owned by the Government
has been plagued by IT
failures in recent years.
In June 2012, a failed update
to software sawmillions of
people unable to access their
accounts. Te bank said such
failures were unacceptable
and has announced it will
invest 450mto improve its IT
systems.
NatWest websitecrashestwiceinaweek
Ofcomlooked at online
shopping in eight countries,
revealing the average annual
spend per head in 2012.
Heres howthe countries
ranked:
1 UK- 1,175
2 Australia - 867
3 USA- 663
4 Japan - 560
5 France - 539
6 Germany - 374
7 Spain - 180
8 Italy - 126
WEBSPEND
income spent on
communications in the UK
in 2012 was 2.3 per cent,
compared to 2.5 per cent in
the US and 3.4 per cent in
Germany. Telecoms bills in the
UK have been falling in real
terms for the past 10 years,
Ofcomsaid.
T
he amount we spend
online shot up 16 per cent
between 2011 and 2012, with
the average person in the UK
forking out 1,175 a year.
Our love for online
shopping sawthe UK spend a
total of 74.3bn on the web in
2012, second only to the USA
according to gures from
communications regulator
Ofcom. However, per person,
we come top of Ofcoms
spending table.
Te numbers come
fromOfcoms annual
Communications Market
Report, which compares data
fromeight countries: Australia,
France, Germany, Italy, Japan,
Spain, the USA and the UK. As
well as spending more online
per person, we also shop
online more often. Tree
quarters of people in the UK
shop online at least once a
month, putting us ahead of
every other country surveyed.
Te average spend of 1,175
per person is much higher than
in other European countries. In
Italy the lowest-spending
country surveyed the average
person spent just 126 online,
with France second highest at
539 per person. Ofcomsaid
that people in the UK had more
trust in online retailers and
more faith in their security.
High delivery charges were
the main reason for people to
abandon their basket before
checking out, Ofcomsaid.
Recent research has shown
that people in remote or rural
parts of the UK are being
put o online shopping by
sky-high delivery charges.
Ofcoms research also
showed that people in the UK
benet fromcomparatively
cheap mobile phone,
broadband and landline deals.
Te proportion of household
Youll likethis
Spotify has launched a free music-streaming
service for phones and tablets (www.spotity.com)
but not this
CryptoLocker ransomware has attacked
more than 150Brits (www.snipca.com/10939).
24December 2013 - 7 January 2014 6
cmbr 20J3 - 7 !anuary 20J4 7
One o Ihe mosI populur upps
on Ihe Google Fluy sIore hus
been shurlng people`s locuIlon
duIu vlIhouI Ihelr consenI, Ihe
US Federul 1rude Commlsslon
F1C) hus reveuled.
BrlghIesI FlushllghI vvv.
snlpcu.comIU976) vhlch
hus been dovnlouded Iens o
mllllons o Ilmes Iook
moblle phone ldenIlncuIlon
und locuIlon duIu rom users
und shured Ihls lnormuIlon
vlIh udverIlsers. n F1C
lnvesIlguIlon reveuled IhuI
un opIouI seIIlng vlIhln
Ihe upp dld noIhlng.
1e developer behlnd Ihe
ree upp, GoldenShores
1echnologles hus been
reprlmunded by Ihe F1C und
musI nov deleIe ull Ihe duIu lI
hus collecIed und lmprove lIs
prlvucy pollcy. 1e F1C
AndroidHashlight appillegallyshared
user dataithadvertisers
ttorneygeneral tveetslegal
advIcetoavoIdtrIalscollapsIng
1e uIIorney generul ls
Io sIurI lssulng legul
vurnlngs onllne Io sIop
people posIlng commenIs
on 1vlIIer und Fucebook
IhuI could cuuse Irluls
Io collupse.
Such vurnlngs ure
ulreudy lssued Io Ihe
press, buI Ihey vlll nov
be mude uvulluble Io Ihe
publlc. 1e unprecedenIed
sIep ls u slgn o hov Ihe luv
hus been orced Io recognlse
Ihe huge lmpucI o soclul
neIvorks.
II comes uIer severul
hlghpronle cuses vhere Irluls
huve been puI uI rlsk vhen
people commenIed on Ihem
onllne. In one lnsIunce, u
juror`s 1vlIIer posIs cuused u
seuuloence Irlul Io collupse,
cosIlng 8UU,UUU.
IIorney generul Domlnlc
Grleve suld IhuI soclul
neIvorks posed chullenges Io
Ihe crlmlnul jusIlce sysIem.
In duys gone by, lI vus only
Ihe mulnsIreum medlu IhuI
hud Ihe opporIunlIy Io brlng
lnormuIlon reluIlng Io u courI
cuse Io such u lurge group o
people IhuI lI could puI u
courI cuse uI rlsk. 1uI ls no
longer Ihe cuse, he suld.
1e vurnlngs vlll be
publlshed on Ihe uIIorney
generul`s 1vlIIer puge
QCOUK) und on Ihe relevunI
secIlon o vvv.gov.uk.
Some 1vlIIer users,
especlully celebrlIles,
huve more ollovers Ihun
nuIlonul nevspupers
huve reuders. 1e lmpucI
o Ihelr prejudlclul
commenIs cun be huge.
Feuches Geldo,
soclullIe duughIer o
slnger und ucIlvlsI Bob
Geldo, upologlsed
recenIly uIer she IveeIed Ihe
numes o Ihe moIhers o Ivo
bubles ubused by rock sIur
Iun WuIklns. II ls u crlmlnul
oence Io ldenIly vlcIlms
o seuul ussuulI.
In June 2UII, Jounne Frulll
becume Ihe nrsI juror Io be
julled or conIempI o courI
on soclul medlu uIer she
cuused Ihe collupse o u
mulIlmllllonpound drugs
Irlul by echunglng Fucebook
messuges vlIh Ihe deendunI.
5 FlV NW
HHNNL5
H|gh-dehn|t|on vers|ons
of Tree, Pour,
eeb|es, and
News are nowava||ab|e.
|| the newHchanne|s are
be|ng broadcast on Preev|ew
H, YouV|ew, Preesat H, 5ky
Hand V|rg|n Med|a. Tey
jo|n the Hvers|ons of
Dne and 1wo. Lvery H
channe| |s ava||ab|e on the
|P|ayer.
Mlk050FT F5 0
00NT 50klTY
M|crosoft has added new
secur|ty too|s to Dut|ook.
com, 5kyr|ve, W|ndows B
and other on||ne accounts
to protect users.
1o stop peop|e from
h|jack|ng your account
M|crosoft now||sts a||
successfu| and unsuccessfu|
|og|n attempts. You can
then report susp|c|ous |og|ns
made fromstrange p|aces
or at odd t|mes.
M|crosoft has a|so added a
secur|ty code to |ts two-step
ver|hcat|on process. Te code
can be used to access your
account |f you no |onger have
access to your recovery ema||
address or phone number.
BlEF
polnIed ouI IhuI people dldn`I
huve u cholce vheIher Ihelr
duIu vus shured or noI.
pps IhuI sIeul und leuk
people`s personul lnormuIlon
ure endemlc on ndrold.
sIudy ln November shoved
IhuI more Ihun IU,UUU upps
I.2 per cenI) on Google Fluy
vere uke verslons o
leglIlmuIe upps IhuI huve been
redeveloped by scummers.
CuIulln Cosol, chle securlIy
sIruIeglsI uI BlIdeender, suld
IhuI Ihe Fluy sIore ls ull o
upps IhuI huve unnecessury
or rlsky permlsslons Io uccess
your duIu. He ulso vurned
IhuI upps IhuI sold on people`s
duIu vlIhouI permlsslon
hud u ur durker slde.
Scummers ulso represenI
Ihlrd purIles ln Ihls rulIul
murkeI. Users` deIulls ure
commonly used or IurgeIed
ruud, ldenIlIy IheI und
phlshlng uIIucks, he suld.
He udded IhuI Ihe only vuy
Io sIop Ihe scummers vus or
people Io be more cureul
vhen dovnloudlng ndrold
upps by checklng vhuI
permlsslons Ihey usk or.
We've had smartphones and
smart 1Vs - nowget ready for
5ony's 5martW|g, a b|zarre
ha|rp|ece that v|brates on
the wearer's head to prov|de
|nformat|on. 5ony's patent
for the dev|ce exp|a|ns that
|t w||| be ab|e to mon|tor the
user's hea|th and even g|ve
d|rect|ons. Te company's
emp|oyees tested the w|g
by tapp|ng the|r s|deburns to
sw|tch s||des. 5ee draw|ngs at
www.sn|pca.comJB24.
Tomorro's
orld
24December 2013 7 January 2014 7
One of the most popular apps
on the Google Play store has
been sharing peoples location
data without their consent, the
US Federal Trade Commission
(FTC) has revealed.
Brightest Flashlight (www.
snipca.com/10976) which
has been downloaded tens of
millions of times took
mobile phone identication
and location data fromusers
and shared this information
with advertisers. An FTC
investigation revealed that
an opt-out setting within
the app did nothing.
Te developer behind the
free app, GoldenShores
Technologies has been
reprimanded by the FTC and
must nowdelete all the data it
has collected and improve its
privacy policy. Te FTC
Androidfashlight appillegallyshared
user datawithadvertisers
Attorneygeneral tweetslegal
advicetoavoidtrialscollapsing
Te attorney general is
to start issuing legal
warnings online to stop
people posting comments
on Twitter and Facebook
that could cause trials
to collapse.
Such warnings are
already issued to the
press, but they will now
be made available to the
public. Te unprecedented
step is a sign of howthe law
has been forced to recognise
the huge impact of social
networks.
It comes after several
high-prole cases where trials
have been put at risk when
people commented on them
online. In one instance, a
jurors Twitter posts caused a
sexual-oence trial to collapse,
costing 300,000.
Attorney general Dominic
Grieve said that social
networks posed challenges to
the criminal justice system.
In days gone by, it was only
the mainstreammedia that
had the opportunity to bring
information relating to a court
case to such a large group of
people that it could put a
court case at risk. Tat is no
longer the case, he said.
Te warnings will be
published on the attorney
generals Twitter page
(@AGO_UK) and on the relevant
section of www.gov.uk.
Some Twitter users,
especially celebrities,
have more followers than
national newspapers
have readers. Te impact
of their prejudicial
comments can be huge.
Peaches Geldof,
socialite daughter of
singer and activist Bob
Geldof, apologised
recently after she tweeted the
names of the mothers of two
babies abused by rock star
Ian Watkins. It is a criminal
oence to identify victims
of sexual assault.
In June 2011, Joanne Fraill
became the rst juror to be
jailed for contempt of court
on social media after she
caused the collapse of a
multi-million-pound drugs
trial by exchanging Facebook
messages with the defendant.
BBC ADDS FIVE NEW
HDCHANNELS
High-denition versions
of BBCTree, BBCFour,
CBeebies, CBBCand BBC
News are nowavailable.
All the newHDchannels are
being broadcast on Freeview
HD, YouView, Freesat HD, Sky
HDand Virgin Media. Tey
join the HDversions of BBC
One and BBCTwo. Every HD
channel is available on the
iPlayer.
MICROSOFT BEEFS UP
ACCOUNT SECURITY
Microsoft has added new
security tools to Outlook.
com, SkyDrive, Windows 8
and other online accounts
to protect users.
To stop people from
hijacking your account
Microsoft nowlists all
successful and unsuccessful
login attempts. You can
then report suspicious logins
made fromstrange places
or at odd times.
Microsoft has also added a
security code to its two-step
verication process. Te code
can be used to access your
account if you no longer have
access to your recovery email
address or phone number.
INBRIEF
pointed out that people didnt
have a choice whether their
data was shared or not.
Apps that steal and leak
peoples personal information
are endemic on Android. A
study in November showed
that more than 10,000 apps
(1.2 per cent) on Google Play
were fake versions of
legitimate apps that have been
redeveloped by scammers.
Catalin Cosoi, chief security
strategist at Bitdefender, said
that the Play store is full of
apps that have unnecessary
or risky permissions to access
your data. He also warned
that apps that sold on peoples
data without permission
had a far darker side.
Scammers also represent
third parties in this fruitful
market. Users details are
commonly used for targeted
fraud, identity theft and
phishing attacks, he said.
He added that the only way
to stop the scammers was for
people to be more careful
when downloading Android
apps by checking what
permissions they ask for.
Weve had smartphones and
smart TVs nowget ready for
Sonys SmartWig, a bizarre
hairpiece that vibrates on
the wearers head to provide
information. Sonys patent
for the device explains that
it will be able to monitor the
users health and even give
directions. Te companys
employees tested the wig
by tapping their sideburns to
switch slides. See drawings at
www.snipca.com/10824.
Tomorrows
world
24cmbr 20J3 - 7 anuary 20J4
Nevs
nd ef m|d-cenrac
r|ce h|ke
n Junuur, lndusIr reguluIor
Ocompromlsed Io puI un end
Io mldconIrucI prlce hlkes or
mobllephone cusIomers. I
Ihe Ilme Voduone suld IhuI
operuIors someIlmes needed Io
puI up conIrucI prlces Io sIu
compeIlIlve. In November,
OcomIook ucIlon und ordered
ull mobllephone, lundllne und
broudbund compunles Io leI
people cuncel Ihelr conIrucIs l
Ihe prlce goes up. 1e rules
klck ln romJunuur 2I4.
Ceernmen
eb nee|ng
Your securlI und prlvuc
hen uslng Ihe lnIerneI ere
puI under Ihe spoIllghI ln June
hen IopsecreI documenIs
ere leuked b ormer NuIlonul
SecurlI genc NS)
conIrucIor Edurd Snoden.
II emerged IhuI US und UK
securlI ugencles ere
monlIorlng everIhlng e
do onllne. In Ihe US, Ihe NS
hud secreI uccess Io Ihe servers
o Fucebook, Google und
MlcrosoI, hlle ln Ihe UK Ihe
IopsecreI GCHQcber
securlI ugenc Iupped lnIo Ihe
nbreopIlc cubles connecIlng
us Io Ihe resI o Ihe orld.
N|ance caller
ge hef ne
1ere us good nes or
people belng bomburded b
nulsunce culls und IeIs lIh u
mujor cruckdon unnounced.
In ugusI Ihe InormuIlon
Commlssloner`s Omce ICO)
und Ocomsuld Ihe ould be
orklng IogeIher Io Iuckle
oendlng compunles. 1e ICO
ulso hunded ouI lIs blggesI
ever nne, Ielllng 1eIrus
1elecoms Io pu 44, or
mllllons o unsollclIed IeI
messuges und culls.
T|er and Facebeek
abe lead e ja|l
Feople ho IhoughI Ihe lu
dldn`I uppl onllne ound
Ihemselves behlnd burs us
prosecuIors goI Iough on
ubuse on soclul neIorks.
In prll Io men recelved
suspended senIences or
shurlng plcIures on Fucebook
IhuI ulleged Io shoJumle
Bulger`s klller Jon Venubles,
ln breuch o un lnIernuIlonul
courI order. In unoIher cuse,
Reece EllloII, u 24eurold
uIher o one romSouIh
Shlelds, us julled or Io
eurs und our monIhs uIer
u serles o Fucebook posIs
ln hlch he IhreuIened Io
klll more Ihun 2 US
schoolchlldren ln 1ennessee.
W|nde 8.1
WlIh crlIlclsmrlnglng ln lIs
eurs, MlcrosoI releused lIs nrsI
mujor upduIe Io Ihe much
mullgned Wlndos S operuIlng
ssIem. Wlndos S.I, luunched
ln OcIober, suIhe reIurn o
Ihe SIurI buIIon ulong lIh
u ruI o oIher lmprovemenIs
Io hoIhe operuIlng ssIem
looked und uncIloned.
1e SIurI menu, hoever,
ls sIlll mlsslng. DesplIe Ihe
lmprovemenIs, onl uround I
per cenI o FC users orldlde
ure runnlng Wlndos S. B
compurlson, jusI over I2 per
cenI o people ure sIlll uslng
Ihe I2eurold Wlndos XF.
Rral breadband
lef frher beh|nd
Broudbund speeds conIlnued
Io rlse ln 2I8, buI Ihe gup
beIeen speeds ln urbun und
rurul ureus ldened. In Mu,
Ihe UK`s uveruge broudbund
speed ln urbun ureus us
I8.9Mbps, buI ln rurul ureus lI
uveruged S.IMbps. Feople`s use
o Ihe lnIerneI us ulso on Ihe
up, buI Ihe elderl und Ihe
poor ere sIlll Ihe leusI llkel
users. O Ihe seven mllllon UK
udulIs ho huve never gone
onllne, 8.2 mllllon o Ihemure
7S or older.
PC ale l|de,
able ale r|e
1ubleI und smurIphone sules
conIlnued Io rlse us FC sules
plummeIed. In Ihe Ihlrd
quurIer o 2I8, FC sules ln
esIern Europe ere don
I2.S per cenI on Ihe sume
perlod ln 2I2, lIh unulsIs
polnIlng Ihe nnger o blume
uI Ihe unpopulurlI o
Wlndos S. Fhones und IubleIs
rompple und Sumsung
conIlnued Io domlnuIe.
P|rac crackden
CoprlghI holders sIepped
up Ihelr uIIempIs Io shuI
don plruc ebslIes. In
November, 2I ebslIes ere
blocked b UK ISFs ollolng
u rullng b Ihe Hlgh CourI.
1e slIes llnked Io plruIed
muslc, nlms und 1V shos or
provlded llnks Io IorrenIs o
Ihem. B Ihe end o 2I8 lI
us lmposslble Io dlrecIl
uccess un o Ihe orld`s I
mosI populur IorrenI ebslIes
ln Ihe UK.
0nl|ne ern bleck|ng
Duvld Cumeron luunched u
scuIhlng uIIuck on onllne
pornogruph. 1e Frlme
MlnlsIer unnounced nerules
IhuI lll orce people Io Iurn
o compulsor lnIerneI nlIers
l Ihe unI Io uccess udulI
conIenI. 1e umll rlendl
nlIers lll be enubled on ull
UK lnIerneI connecIlons b
deuulI b Ihe end o 2I4.
Te danger
ef W|nde XP
WlIh supporI or Wlndos XF
endlng ln prll 2I4, Ihe
ugelng OS us muklng
heudllnes or ull Ihe rong
reusons. In OcIober, MlcrosoI
urned IhuI XF users ere sl
Ilmes more llkel Io be hucked
Ihun people runnlng
Wlndos S. Such eurs ere
reullsed ln December hen u
mujor nesecurlI uus
dlscovered ln old verslons o
dobe Reuder runnlng on XF.
i0bIggest technologystorIeso! Z0i3
Technoloyhas neve domna!ed!heheadlnes as muchas ! has ove
!hepas! yea. Hees ou pck ol !hes!oes !ha! ma!!eedmos! !oyou
8 24December 2013 - 7 January 2014
News
End of mid-contract
price hikes
In January, industry regulator
Ofcompromised to put an end
to mid-contract price hikes for
mobile-phone customers. At
the time Vodafone said that
operators sometimes needed to
put up contract prices to stay
competitive. In November,
Ofcomtook action and ordered
all mobile-phone, landline and
broadband companies to let
people cancel their contracts if
the price goes up. Te rules
kick in fromJanuary 2014.
Government
web snooping
Your security and privacy
when using the internet were
put under the spotlight in June
when top-secret documents
were leaked by former National
Security Agency (NSA)
contractor Edward Snowden.
It emerged that US and UK
security agencies were
monitoring everything we
do online. In the US, the NSA
had secret access to the servers
of Facebook, Google and
Microsoft, while in the UK the
top-secret GCHQcyber-
security agency tapped into the
bre-optic cables connecting
us to the rest of the world.
Nuisance callers
get hefty nes
Tere was good news for
people being bombarded by
nuisance calls and texts with a
major crackdown announced.
In August the Information
Commissioners Oce (ICO)
and Ofcomsaid they would be
working together to tackle
oending companies. Te ICO
also handed out its biggest
ever ne, telling Tetrus
Telecoms to pay 440,000 for
millions of unsolicited text
messages and calls.
Twitter and Facebook
abuse leads to jail
People who thought the law
didnt apply online found
themselves behind bars as
prosecutors got tough on
abuse on social networks.
In April two men received
suspended sentences for
sharing pictures on Facebook
that alleged to showJamie
Bulgers killer Jon Venables,
in breach of an international
court order. In another case,
Reece Elliott, a 24-year-old
father of one fromSouth
Shields, was jailed for two
years and four months after
a series of Facebook posts
in which he threatened to
kill more than 200 US
schoolchildren in Tennessee.
Windows 8.1
With criticismringing in its
ears, Microsoft released its rst
major update to the much-
maligned Windows 8 operating
system. Windows 8.1, launched
in October, sawthe return of
the Start button along with
a raft of other improvements
to howthe operating system
looked and functioned.
Te Start menu, however,
is still missing. Despite the
improvements, only around 10
per cent of PC users worldwide
are running Windows 8. By
comparison, just over 12 per
cent of people are still using
the 12-year-old Windows XP.
Rural broadband
left further behind
Broadband speeds continued
to rise in 2013, but the gap
between speeds in urban and
rural areas widened. In May,
the UKs average broadband
speed in urban areas was
13.9Mbps, but in rural areas it
averaged 5.1Mbps. Peoples use
of the internet was also on the
up, but the elderly and the
poor were still the least likely
users. Of the seven million UK
adults who have never gone
online, 3.2 million of themare
75 or older.
PC sales slide,
tablet sales rise
Tablet and smartphone sales
continued to rise as PC sales
plummeted. In the third
quarter of 2013, PC sales in
western Europe were down
12.8 per cent on the same
period in 2012, with analysts
pointing the nger of blame
at the unpopularity of
Windows 8. Phones and tablets
fromApple and Samsung
continued to dominate.
Piracy crackdown
Copyright holders stepped
up their attempts to shut
down piracy websites. In
November, 21 websites were
blocked by UK ISPs following
a ruling by the High Court.
Te sites linked to pirated
music, lms and TV shows or
provided links to torrents of
them. By the end of 2013 it
was impossible to directly
access any of the worlds 10
most popular torrent websites
in the UK.
Online porn blocking
David Cameron launched a
scathing attack on online
pornography. Te Prime
Minister announced newrules
that will force people to turn
o compulsory internet lters
if they want to access adult
content. Te family friendly
lters will be enabled on all
UK internet connections by
default by the end of 2014.
Te dangers
of Windows XP
With support for Windows XP
ending in April 2014, the
ageing OS was making
headlines for all the wrong
reasons. In October, Microsoft
warned that XP users were six
times more likely to be hacked
than people running
Windows 8. Such fears were
realised in December when a
major newsecurity awwas
discovered in old versions of
Adobe Reader running on XP.
10biggest technologystoriesof 2013
Technologyhas never dominatedtheheadlines as muchas it has over
thepast year. Heres our pick of thestories that matteredmost toyou
40cmbr 20J3 - 7 !anuary 20J4

tion
ofthe
Fortnight

buIIle or your duIu ls

belng oughI beIveen Ihe
compunles IhuI collecI lI und
Ihe governmenIs IhuI vunI
uccess Io lI. 1e luIesI sulvo
cume us Ihe blggesI numes ln
Iechnology publlshed un open
leIIer Io US FresldenI Buruck
Obumu urglng hlmIo curb
survelllunce o Ihe lnIerneI.
1ey urgue IhuI people`s
IrusI ln Ihe lnIerneI hus been
dumuged by reveluIlons IhuI
Ihe US und UK governmenIs
enguge ln vldespreud
snooplng o everyIhlng ve do
onllne. I people don`I IrusI
Iechnology, Ihey von`I use lI.
Or Io puI lI unoIher vuy l
people don`I IrusI Iechnology,
compunles lose money.
Your personul duIu ls one o
Ihe mosI vuluuble commodlIles
ln Ihe vorld rlghI nov. Google,
Ihe duddy o duIu collecIlon,
mude u pronI o I.S4bn rom
July Io SepIember, vhlle
Fucebook Iurned u pronI o
2SS.7mln Ihe sume perlod.
1e pleu vvv.snlpcu.
comIU974) Io FresldenI
Obumu seIs ouI prlnclples
or reormlng lnIerneI
snooplng. Slgned by OL,
Fucebook, pple, Google,
LlnkedIn, MlcrosoI, 1vlIIer
und Yuhoo, lI culls on Ihe US
governmenI Io muke veb
survelllunce more IrunspurenI,
resIrlcIed by luvund
reusonuble ln lIs scope.
SecurlIy ugencles ln Ihe
US und UK huve ubused Ihelr
povers ln u mud grub or our
duIu. BuI lI`s lncredlbly
hypocrlIlcul o blg veb
compunles Io suggesI IhuI
Ihey ure chumplons o our
prlvucy rlghIs. Dlck CosIolo,
CEOo 1vlIIer, suld IhuI hls
compuny vus commlIIed Io
deendlng und proIecIlng Ihe
volce o lIs users. In reullIy,
compunles llke 1vlIIer muke
money by collecIlng vusI
quunIlIles o personul duIu.
1e compunles culllng or
reorms Io governmenI
survelllunce o Ihe veb ure
dolng so or one reuson ulone
pronI. 1ey vunI you Io eel
comorIuble creuIlng un
uccounI und shurlng every
deIull o your lle vlIh Ihem
Ihrough your emulls, phoIos,
documenIs und pronles. 1e
buIIle or your duIu ls belng
oughI beIveen compunles
vlIh obscene veulIh und
governmenIs vlIh llIIle or no
regurd or your rlghI Io prlvucy.
Nobody should be surprlsed
by reveluIlons IhuI securlIy
ugencles vlIh neur llmlIless
budgeIs huve Ihe ublllIy Io spy
on everyIhlng ve do onllne.
BuI lI`s hypocrlsy o Ihe
hlghesI order vhen compunles
IhuI muke bllllons romselllng
our duIu dlscover Ihelr morul
compuss und spln u llne ubouI
Irunspurency und prlvucy.
YeI, or ull Ihelr sellnIeresI,
Ihey`ve hlI Ihe null on Ihe
heud. In Ihelr leIIer, Ihe elghI
USbused lnIerneI glunIs urgue
IhuI Ihe bulunce o pover
hus Ilpped Ioo ur ln uvour
o Ihe sIuIe und uvuy rom
Ihe rlghIs o Ihe lndlvlduul.
BuI lI`s noI only Ihe sIuIe
IhuI`s erodlng Ihe rlghIs o
Ihe lndlvlduul by collecIlng
vusI svuIhes o duIu.
1e lnIerneI ls domlnuIed
by slIes und servlces IhuI
acebook, Coogle
andTvItter hypocrItes7
Theds oes eocmaes a aas suveacel heee,
helac he ousess mdes aeou vadu vacy
Yu esa daa s
e l he ms vauaoe
cmmdes he d
ve ull hupplly use or ree.
We vllllngly commodly
ourselves so ve cun uvold
puylng Io send emulls und
sIore our phoIos. On Ihe
lnIerneI, ure Ihe producI.
eaked c|ass|hed
documents have shown
howU5 and Uksecur|ty
agenc|es can spy on
anyth|ng you do on||ne
1oo|s of state web
surve|||ance are shrouded
|n secrecy, w|th compan|es
not ab|e to say |f they
are forced to hand over
user data
Major tech compan|es have
|obb|ed the U5 government
to a||owthemto d|sc|ose
|nformat|on on secret
requests for user data
L|ght of the wor|d's b|ggest
|nternet hrms have now
asked the U5 government
to change snoop|ng |aws
THEFACTS
24December 2013 7 January 2014 9
?
Question
ofthe
Fortnight
A
battle for your data is
being fought between the
companies that collect it and
the governments that want
access to it. Te latest salvo
came as the biggest names in
technology published an open
letter to US President Barack
Obama urging himto curb
surveillance of the internet.
Tey argue that peoples
trust in the internet has been
damaged by revelations that
the US and UK governments
engage in widespread
snooping of everything we do
online. If people dont trust
technology, they wont use it.
Or to put it another way if
people dont trust technology,
companies lose money.
Your personal data is one of
the most valuable commodities
in the world right now. Google,
the daddy of data collection,
made a prot of 1.84bn from
July to September, while
Facebook turned a prot of
258.7min the same period.
Te plea (www.snipca.
com/10974) to President
Obama sets out principles
for reforming internet
snooping. Signed by AOL,
Facebook, Apple, Google,
LinkedIn, Microsoft, Twitter
and Yahoo, it calls on the US
government to make web
surveillance more transparent,
restricted by lawand
reasonable in its scope.
Security agencies in the
US and UK have abused their
powers in a mad grab for our
data. But its incredibly
hypocritical of big web
companies to suggest that
they are champions of our
privacy rights. Dick Costolo,
CEOof Twitter, said that his
company was committed to
defending and protecting the
voice of its users. In reality,
companies like Twitter make
money by collecting vast
quantities of personal data.
Te companies calling for
reforms to government
surveillance of the web are
doing so for one reason alone
prot. Tey want you to feel
comfortable creating an
account and sharing every
detail of your life with them
through your emails, photos,
documents and proles. Te
battle for your data is being
fought between companies
with obscene wealth and
governments with little or no
regard for your right to privacy.
Nobody should be surprised
by revelations that security
agencies with near limitless
budgets have the ability to spy
on everything we do online.
But its hypocrisy of the
highest order when companies
that make billions fromselling
our data discover their moral
compass and spin a line about
transparency and privacy.
Yet, for all their self-interest,
theyve hit the nail on the
head. In their letter, the eight
US-based internet giants argue
that the balance of power
has tipped too far in favour
of the state and away from
the rights of the individual.
But its not only the state
thats eroding the rights of
the individual by collecting
vast swathes of data.
Te internet is dominated
by sites and services that
AreFacebook, Google
andTwitter hypocrites?
Theworlds biggest webcompanies rail against surveillanceof theinternet,
ignoringthefact their ownbusiness models arebuilt oninvadingour privacy
Your personal data is
one of the most valuable
commodities in the world
we all happily use for free.
We willingly commodify
ourselves so we can avoid
paying to send emails and
store our photos. On the
internet, you are the product.
Leaked classied
documents have shown
howUS and UKsecurity
agencies can spy on
anything you do online
Tools of state web
surveillance are shrouded
in secrecy, with companies
not able to say if they
are forced to hand over
user data
Major tech companies have
lobbied the US government
to allowthemto disclose
information on secret
requests for user data
Eight of the worlds biggest
internet rms have now
asked the US government
to change snooping laws
THEFACTS

|| us what's cnycur mlnd

ma||: |ttrsQccmputractlv.cc.uk
|acebcck: www.facbcck.ccm/ccmputractlv
7w|tter: QCcmputrctlv
www.twlttr.ccm/ccmputractlv
240cmbr 20J3 - 7 !anuary 20J4
kig
atiirus for XP
e jusI nnlshed reudlng your
QuesIlon o Ihe ForInlghI ln Issue
4IU regurdlng Ihe lmmlnenI removul o
supporI or Wlndovs XF. 1e consensus
o oplnlon seems Io be: geI rld o your FC
und buy u nevone. Hus lI occurred Io
Ihe securlIy experIs you lnIervleved IhuI
Ihere ure muny XF users vho slmply
cunnoI uord Io buy u nevFC` nd l lI`s
correcI IhuI more people ure sIlll uslng
XF Ihun Wlndovs S, Ihen lsn`I Ihere u
good buslness opporIunlIy here or
securlIy compunles Io curry on produclng
speclnc soIvure und sIlll muke money`
m|th
'Not orried' about
losigsupport for XP
Your recenI urIlcles ubouI
Wlndovs XF noI belng supporIed
by MlcrosoI uIer prll nexI yeur goI me
vonderlng hovmy deskIop compuIer
und I huve survlved or Ihe pusI evyeurs.
My FC, vhlch I boughI romMesh ln
2UU4, ls un MD82UU model vlIh IGB
o memory, runs XF Servlce Fuck 2 und
hus un old Rudeon gruphlcs curd.
I use lI or emull, brovslng Ihe veb,
llsIenlng Io muslc, vuIchlng vldeos,
onllne bunklng, onllne shopplng,
phoIoedlIlng und oIher nonlnIenslve
uppllcuIlons. Besldes ZonelurmI huve
no securlIy progrums, huvlng dlsubled
Wlndovs Flrevull und uuIomuIlc upgrudes
shorIly uIer lnsIulllng Servlce Fuck 2. I`ve
vhlIIled Ihe number o progrums IhuI
run on sIurIup Io jusI 8U, und regulurly
cleun up junk nles und derugmenI my
FC. I ulso huve hlghspeed WlFl
broudbund provlded by Vlrgln.
My llmlIed budgeI doesn`I run Io
upgrudlng elIher my FC or my operuIlng
sysIemund, sIrungely enough, I`mnoI Ioo
boIhered. I`ve never been hucked nor
hud u mujor vlrus ln neurly 8U yeurs o
compuIlng, even Ihough I spend Ivo Io
Ihree hours onllne every duy.
So, should I be vorrled ubouI loslng
supporI or XF` I don`I Ihlnk so.
H0unn
Microsoft shouldrelease
toersios of their et DS
When Wlndovs S vus unnounced,
I upduIed my Ivo deskIop FCs, us
I ulvuys huve golng buck Io Wlndovs 8.I.
I vusn`I lmpressed by Ihe MeIro screen
buI vunIed Io glve lI u ulr Irlul. Ier u
yeur`s use, und huvlng done u number
o modlncuIlons recommended by
, I goI lI vorklng us neur
Io Wlndovs 7 us posslble uslng Clusslc
Shell vvv.clusslcshell.neI). 1ls glves
me u proper sIurI buIIon und leIs me booI
dlrecIly Io my DeskIop. I vus prepured Io
IoleruIe Ihe Churms bur und oIher olbles.
When Wlndovs S.I becume uvulluble,
I upduIed uguln. 1ls vus u blg mlsIuke
becuuse lI removed ull my prlnIer drlvers
und oIher devlce drlvers, some o
vhlch vere noI uvulluble Io relnsIull
rommunuucIurers` vebslIes!
1ls vus Ihe lusI sIruv. I ormuIIed my
FCs` C Drlves I keep duIu sepuruIely on
u DDrlve) und relnsIulled Wlndovs 7.
Wonderul! My FCs novvork perecIly.
I Ihlnk lI`d be u good ldeu vhen
MlcrosoI lssue Ihelr nexI verslon o
Wlndovs l Ihey muke Ivo verslons:
one culled Wlndovs 1ouchscreen or
compuIers vlIh u Iouchscreen uclllIy
or IubleIs, und one culled Wlndovs
DeskIop vlIh no MeIro euIures, or
serlous DeskIop users.
Pau| anbury
Timetoupgrade
towidos 7
I enjoyed your breukdovn o
Wlndovs` our muln operuIlng
sysIems ln Issue 4II. I huve used XF or
yeurs und I reully llke lI. I vus 72 ln
December und spry us I umI sIlll cun`I
do vhuI I dld 4U yeurs ugo. In compuIer
yeurs I suppose IhuI musI be Ihe sume
lengIh o Ilme us XF hus been uround.
I suspecI Ihe muln problemls IhuI
u) nobody llkes chunge or Ihe suke o
chunge, und b) muny o us huve Ihe
lmpresslon IhuI slnce Blll GuIes reIlred
muny people uI MlcrosoI huve been
muklng chunges or no oIher reuson Ihun
Io jusIly Ihelr jobs und sulurles. WhuIever
I`mIhe locul purlsh
councll broudbund
rep or my vllluge ln
Llncolnshlre. In u recenI
meeIlng Ihe B1 represenIuIlve
unnounced u number o
broudbund lnsIulluIlons
IhuI vere unIlclpuIed ln our
ureu, buI noIhlng vus
plunned or our vllluge.
Hovever ve vere
lnIroduced Io Qulckllne
vvv.qulckllne.co.uk) uI u
luIer meeIlng. 1ls compuny
provldes WlFl broudbund or
ureus ln Llncolnshlre. nd Ihe resulI ls
IhuI ve novhuve superusI broudbund!
mullbox nIIed Io my house ln llne
o slghI romIhe IrunsmlIIer ln
ScunIhorpe) hus Irunsormed my
broudbund. My speed vus under IMbps
und ls nov2UMbps! 1ls Iook less Ihun
ettIngbroadbandInrural LIncs
IS mlnuIes Io lnsIull und I huve u
phone llne Ioo. ll or 27 per monIh!
My B1 lundllne ls novredundunI.
I vonder l B1 suvIhls comlng und
declded Io grub Ihe GovernmenI`s
money und run.
Robert Puncheon
Letters
Tell us whats onyour mind
Email: letters@computeractive.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/computeractive
Twitter: @ComputerActive
www.twitter.com/computeractive
10 24December 2013 - 7 January 2014
Keepmaking
antivirus for XP
I have just nished reading your
Question of the Fortnight in Issue
410 regarding the imminent removal of
support for Windows XP. Te consensus
of opinion seems to be: get rid of your PC
and buy a newone. Has it occurred to
the security experts you interviewed that
there are many XP users who simply
cannot aord to buy a newPC? And if its
correct that more people are still using
XP than Windows 8, then isnt there a
good business opportunity here for
security companies to carry on producing
specic software and still make money?
ASmith
Not worried about
losingsupport for XP
Your recent articles about
Windows XP not being supported
by Microsoft after April next year got me
wondering howmy desktop computer
and I have survived for the past fewyears.
My PC, which I bought fromMesh in
2004, is an AMD3200 model with 1GB
of memory, runs XP Service Pack 2 and
has an old Radeon graphics card.
I use it for email, browsing the web,
listening to music, watching videos,
online banking, online shopping,
photo-editing and other non-intensive
applications. Besides ZoneAlarmI have
no security programs, having disabled
Windows Firewall and automatic upgrades
shortly after installing Service Pack 2. Ive
whittled the number of programs that
run on startup to just 30, and regularly
clean up junk les and defragment my
PC. I also have high-speed Wi-Fi
broadband provided by Virgin.
My limited budget doesnt run to
upgrading either my PC or my operating
systemand, strangely enough, Imnot too
bothered. Ive never been hacked nor
had a major virus in nearly 30 years of
computing, even though I spend two to
three hours online every day.
So, should I be worried about losing
support for XP? I dont think so.
HDunn
Microsoft shouldrelease
twoversions of their next OS
When Windows 8 was announced,
I updated my two desktop PCs, as
I always have going back to Windows 3.1.
I wasnt impressed by the Metro screen
but wanted to give it a fair trial. After a
years use, and having done a number
of modications recommended by
Computeractive, I got it working as near
to Windows 7 as possible using Classic
Shell (www.classicshell.net). Tis gives
me a proper start button and lets me boot
directly to my Desktop. I was prepared to
tolerate the Charms bar and other foibles.
When Windows 8.1 became available,
I updated again. Tis was a big mistake
because it removed all my printer drivers
and other device drivers, some of
which were not available to re-install
frommanufacturers websites!
Tis was the last straw. I formatted my
PCs C Drives (I keep data separately on
a DDrive) and reinstalled Windows 7.
Wonderful! My PCs nowwork perfectly.
I think itd be a good idea when
Microsoft issue their next version of
Windows if they make two versions:
one called Windows Touchscreen for
computers with a touchscreen facility
for tablets, and one called Windows
Desktop with no Metro features, for
serious Desktop users.
Paul Banbury
Timetoupgrade
toWindows 7
I enjoyed your breakdown of
Windows four main operating
systems in Issue 411. I have used XP for
years and I really like it. I was 72 in
December and spry as I amI still cant
do what I did 40 years ago. In computer
years I suppose that must be the same
length of time as XP has been around.
I suspect the main problemis that
a) nobody likes change for the sake of
change, and b) many of us have the
impression that since Bill Gates retired
many people at Microsoft have been
making changes for no other reason than
to justify their jobs and salaries. Whatever
Imthe local parish
council broadband
rep for my village in
Lincolnshire. In a recent
meeting the BT representative
announced a number of
broadband installations
that were anticipated in our
area, but nothing was
planned for our village.
However we were
introduced to Quickline
(www.quickline.co.uk) at a
later meeting. Tis company
provides Wi-Fi broadband for
areas in Lincolnshire. And the result is
that we nowhave superfast broadband!
A mailbox tted to my house in line
of sight fromthe transmitter (in
Scunthorpe) has transformed my
broadband. My speed was under 1Mbps
and is now20Mbps! Tis took less than
Gettingbroadbandinrural Lincs
15 minutes to install and I have a
phone line too. All for 27 per month!
My BT landline is nowredundant.
I wonder if BT sawthis coming and
decided to grab the Governments
money and run.
Robert Puncheon
2mbr 20J3 7 !anuary 20J
RLETTER
lIverycharges toUK's Islands
are 'outrageous'
he reuson, ollolng yor gldunce, I
lll hue o pgrude o Wlndos 7.

MP 'can' inHence
Google' polic
I`msllghly orrled by Wurren
Seudmun`s luck o ulh ln he
people ho rn or conry 'Folllcluns
don` ndersund he lnerne`, Isse 4I).
He seems o hlnk hu js becuse hey
don` hue brulns llke spercompers,
hey`re no morully enlled o hue un
oplnlon on hu echnology compunles
ge p o. Whu nonsense! I don` kno
hoGoogle`s seurch ulgorlhms ork,
b I do kno hey shold block lmuges
o chlld ubse. 1o be ulr o Google, hey
ure no uklng hls serlosly b only
uer pressre romhe ery polllcluns
Mr Seudmun hlnks sholdn` express un
oplnlon. 1u`s u sccess or perslsen
purllumenury pressre, no sensulonulls
ublold heudllnes or lobby grops on
Fucebook rn by lgllunes.
N|ge| rooks
Stopforcingmeto
joinFacebook
I`e neer hud u Fucebook uccon
und neer lll). Whu lncenses
me ls he grolng nmber o shops,
bunks und oher orgunlsulons hu lnsls
yo lsl helr Fucebook puge o nnd o
lnormulon or ener compellons. nd,
o corse, hu meuns yo hue o slgn
p or u Fucebook uccon. ldl und
Hullux ure js o exumples I`e seen
recenly. For compellons, some do gle
ulernule roes o enry, b hese ure
brled so deep ln he erms und
condllons, only he rly deermlned
lll nnd l. Exucly hu do hese
bslnesses ge o o uclng us ugens or
Fucebook` I oe lh my ee l yo`re
pressrlng me o joln Fucebook, I don`
un o p my bslness yor uy.
W||k|nson
Nophoneignal onl
Zminte fromLondon
I old llke o sppor Iun
Sheppurd`s leer Isse 4IU) ln
hlch he hlghllghs mobllephone
compunles` skechy coeruge. My home ls
u Umlne ruln jorney romcenrul
London und lnslde he MS, b I hue no
mobllephone slgnul ln my hose. I hue
o go lno he gurden js o send und
recele ex messuges. My broudbund
speed ls SUKbps und hereore oo slo
o se Skype or uny o he cuchp 1V
serlces. Whlle I hue eery
sympuhy lh people ln slmllur
clrcmsunces ln rrul
commnlles, I lsh he
Goernmen old uke
p o he uc hu een l
yo lle neur u cly yo
uren` uomulcully
guruneed u us und
relluble serlce. 1ls
needs o be uddressed
beore spendlng mllllons
on sperus broudbund.
I ulso hue u hollduy propery
upproxlmuely slx mlles oslde
Bornemoh und I hue no moblle
phone slgnul unyhere close by. I hue
un lFhone on conruc lh EE, und hey
brug ubo 9Spercen coeruge ucross
he UK. 1ls ls probubly
re, b l`s js us
mlsleudlng us he phruse
speeds p o sed ln
broudbund uders.
I old be lnereslng
o curry o u srey o
see hour rommujor
clles ln he UK yo need
o be beore loslng moblle
phone slgnuls. I hlnk l cold
be qle un eye opener.
aro| arr
I`mso glud yo hlghllghed one
o he mos bluun rlpos on
he lnerne ln Isse 4I he scundul
o hlgh dellery churges or people
lllng on lslunds. I lle ln he blgges
on on he Isle o Wlgh, Ryde, hlch
hus u poplulon o ubo 6,UUU. So,
no u buckuer, ubo he sume slze us
Herord, Dldco und Sulybrldge, und
only seen mlles romForsmoh
check or yorsel. I enclose u
screensho romGoogle Mups see
rlgh). I don` cull hu remoe. nd
ye eBuy deems l ulr o cuegorlse l
us u speclul domeslc reglon, hlch
meuns sellers cun legllmuely usk or
u hlgher dellery ee. Orugeos! I
knolouds o people ho hue
sopped bylng onllne becuse o
hese churges, hlch mukes me sud.
I rese o uccep I lle ln u remoe
loculon, b een l I dld sch us on
he Shelund Islunds I oldn` expec
o puy more ln dellery hun someone
lllng ln leuy Srrey. Why shold I`
We`re ull pur o Brluln, uren` e`
I`mpleused hu he Goernmen ls
looklng u hls lsse, b I dob here`s
unyhlng hey cun reullslcully do.
s I`e nhupplly leurn oer he yeurs,
l somehlng doesn` uec people ln
London, hen he medlu und polllcluns
don` llnger on l or oo long.
Pa||ne |ar|dge
w
l
N
Map cf the remcte" |s|e cf W|ght
0lT k02014
Te wr|ter of the 5tar Letter |n th|s |sse w|ns a copy of
Mag|x's Mov|e Ld|t Pro 20J4 software, wh|ch makes |t
eas|er than ever to get started w|th v|deo-ed|t|ng. Us|ng
the storyboard mode and atomat|c opt|m|sat|on for |mage and
sond, yo can create |ncred|b|e mov|es |n no t|me at a||, even |f
yo're a comp|ete beg|nner. |t's ava||ab|e to by nowpr|ced E59.99.
Por more |nformat|on v|s|t www.mag|x.com/gb.
ry
slmllur
he UK
re
ml
se
cl
o b
phone
be qle
24December 2013 - 7 January 2014 11
STARLETTER
Deliverycharges toUKs islands
are outrageous
the reason, following your guidance, I
will have to upgrade to Windows 7.
Dr Dominic Fahr
MPs can infuence
Googles policy
Im slightly worried by Warren
Steadmans lack of faith in the
people who run our country (Politicians
dont understand the internet, Issue 412).
He seems to think that just because they
dont have brains like super-computers,
theyre not morally entitled to have an
opinion on what technology companies
get up to. What nonsense! I dont know
how Googles search algorithms work,
but I do know they should block images
of child abuse. To be fair to Google, they
are now taking this seriously but only
after pressure from the very politicians
Mr Steadman thinks shouldnt express an
opinion. Tats a success for persistent
parliamentary pressure, not sensationalist
tabloid headlines or lobby groups on
Facebook run by vigilantes.
Nigel Brooks
Stopforcingmeto
joinFacebook
Ive never had a Facebook account
(and never will). What incenses
me is the growing number of shops,
banks and other organisations that insist
you visit their Facebook page to nd out
information or enter competitions. And,
of course, that means you have to sign
up for a Facebook account. Aldi and
Halifax are just two examples Ive seen
recently. For competitions, some do give
alternative routes of entry, but these are
buried so deep in the terms and
conditions, only the truly determined
will nd it. Exactly what do these
businesses get out of acting as agents for
Facebook? I vote with my feet if youre
pressuring me to join Facebook, I dont
want to put my business your way.
AWilkinson
Nophonesignal only
20minutes fromLondon
I would like to support Ian
Sheppards letter (Issue 410) in
which he highlights mobile-phone
companies sketchy coverage. My home is
a 20-minute train journey from central
London and inside the M25, but I have no
mobile-phone signal in my house. I have
to go into the garden just to send and
receive text messages. My broadband
speed is 350Kbps and therefore too slow
to use Skype or any of the catch-up TV
services. While I have every
sympathy with people in similar
circumstances in rural
communities, I wish the
Government would wake
up to the fact that even if
you live near a city you
arent automatically
guaranteed a fast and
reliable service. Tis
needs to be addressed
before spending millions
on superfast broadband.
I also have a holiday property
approximately six miles outside
Bournemouth and I have no mobile-
phone signal anywhere close by. I have
an iPhone on contract with EE, and they
brag about 98-per-cent coverage across
the UK. Tis is probably
true, but its just as
misleading as the phrase
speeds up to used in
broadband adverts.
It would be interesting
to carry out a survey to
see how far from major
cities in the UK you need
to be before losing mobile-
phone signals. I think it could
be quite an eye opener.
Carol Carr
Im so glad you highlighted one
of the most blatant rip-os on
the internet in Issue 412 the scandal
of high delivery charges for people
living on islands. I live in the biggest
town on the Isle of Wight, Ryde, which
has a population of about 26,000. So,
not a backwater, about the same size as
Hertford, Didcot and Stalybridge, and
only seven miles from Portsmouth
(check for yourself. I enclose a
screenshot from Google Maps see
right). I dont call that remote. And
yet eBay deems it fair to categorise it
as a special domestic region, which
means sellers can legitimately ask for
a higher delivery fee. Outrageous! I
know loads of people who have
stopped buying online because of
these charges, which makes me sad.
I refuse to accept I live in a remote
location, but even if I did - such as on
the Shetland Islands - I wouldnt expect
to pay more in delivery than someone
living in leafy Surrey. Why should I?
Were all part of Britain, arent we?
Im pleased that the Government is
looking at this issue, but I doubt theres
anything they can realistically do.
As Ive unhappily learnt over the years,
if something doesnt aect people in
London, then the media and politicians
dont linger on it for too long.
Pauline Claridge
W
I
N
Map of the remote Isle of Wight
WINMOVIE EDIT PRO2014
Te writer of the Star Letter in this issue wins a copy of
Magixs Movie Edit Pro 2014 software, which makes it
easier than ever to get started with video-editing. Using
the storyboard mode and automatic optimisation for image and
sound, you can create incredible movies in no time at all, even if
youre a complete beginner. Its available to buy nowpriced 59.99.
For more information visit www.magix.com/gb.
ry
similar
the UK
true
mi
se
ci
to b
phone
be quite

2mbr 20J3 7 !anuary 20J

I boughI a copy of Windovs

MicrosofI Omcc 20I0 for 99
froman cBay scIIcr. Whcn I
aIIcmpIcd Io rcgisIcr Ihc sofIvarc, I
discovcrcd iI vas a counIcrfciI copy
IhaI had aIrcady bccn uscd on 64
occasions. MicrosofI said Ihcrc`s
noIhing iI can do and cBay isn`I
inIcrcsIcd in hcIping ciIhcr.
WhaI can I do nov?
n !ackson

un could reporI Ihls Io Ihe

pollce ugency cIlon Fruud
vvv.ucIlonruud.pollce.uk),
buI lI`s unllkely Io Iuke uny ucIlon over
u slngle cuse. DesplIe vhuI he vus Iold,
MlcrosoI cun do someIhlng Io help
hlm. In lIs nghI ugulnsI plrucy und
us u goodvlll gesIure, MlcrosoI
vlll someIlmes oer u
genulne copy o soIvure
ln exchunge or Ihe
counIerelI copy.
We conIucIed
MlcrosoI und usked
vhuI Brlun should do
nov. 1e compuny Iold
us IhuI Brlun needs Io
nle u counIerelI reporI
vvv.snlpcu.
comIU7U7), lncludlng
deIulls o hls order puge, emulls,
recelpIs, lnvolces und Ihe seller`s
nume. Brlun`s eBuy und FuyFul
IrunsucIlons vlll provlde Ihese.
MlcrosoI udded: We vlll use Ihe
lnormuIlon provlded Io lnvesIlguIe
und muy Iuke upproprluIe ucIlon
ugulnsI buslnesses vho sell counIerelI
soIvure. We muy conIucI Brlun
ubouIhls submlsslon Io ollovup
on speclnc deIulls.
I you suspecI you`ve boughI u
counIerelI copy o uny MlcrosoI
soIvure, you should emull Ihe compuny
uI ukplrucy@mlcrosoI.comor conIucI
Ihemon 1vlIIer @msIplrucy).
Brlun ulso usked us vhy eBuy
reused Io help. 1ls ls becuuse eBuy`s
Buyer FroIecIlon doesn`I cover
lnIunglble goods such us soIvure.
lso, eBuy cun`I glve hlmIhe
seller`s reul nume und
uddress becuuse o Ihe DuIu
FroIecIlon cI. 1o be ulr,
eBuy hus no vuy o knovlng
vho ls usklng or Ihese
deIulls, ulIhough lI vould
glve Ihese Io MlcrosoI
or Ihe pollce
l Ihere vus
u ormul
lnvesIlguIlon.
I bought a!ake copyo! Dmce
Z0i0- vhat canI do7

I`vc bccn paying

Trcc I0 a monIh
for a SIMonIy
conIracI for my son, vhich
had a IS spcnding cap IhaI
vas agrccd in sIorc aI Ihc Iimc
of purchasc. Hovcvcr, Ihis summcr my
son`s phonc biII rosc Io 288.SS in jusI a
day and a haIf. Trcc IoId mc IhaI Ihis
vas duc Io high daIa dovnIoads and
bccausc iIs sysIcmvas undcrgoing
mainIcnancc IhaI disabIcd Ihc spcnding
caps. Do I rcaIIy havc Io pay Ihis biII?
5|mon B|dd|ss

Slmon doesn`I huve Io puy lI

becuuse 1ree broke lIs conIrucI
by ulllng Io ensure Ihe spendlng
cup vus ln pluce or ulerIlng hlmIo Ihe
ucI IhuI lI vus Iemporurlly dlsubled.
lIhough 1ree clulms Io huve senI
IexI messuges Io Slmon`s son`s phone
ubouI Ihe mulnIenunce vork, lI dldn`I
check IhuI Ihe uccounI holder, vhlch ls
Slmon, ulso recelved Ihe lnormuIlon.
Hovever, uIer ve explulned Ihe
slIuuIlon Io Ihe compuny, lI hus ugreed
Io vulve Ihe puymenI.
1e lssue o chlldren runnlng up huge
bllls by uslng Ioo much duIu on IubleIs or
smurIphone or puylng or exIrus ln
gumes ls u serlous problem. In some
cuses, l you expluln Io u compuny IhuI
Ihls hus huppened lI vlll vulve or
reduce your blll us u goodvlll gesIure.
BuI ulIhough Slmon`s conIrucI vlIh
1ree lncluded u spendlng cup, ln
oIher cuses vhere Ihls proIecIlon
doesn`I exlsI you muy be legully lluble
Io puy uny bllls your chlld rlngs
up. So ensure IhuI you
use Ihe upproprluIe
purenIul conIrols.
DoI have topayabIll because Three's spendIngcap!aIled7

My conIracI viIh BT for

broadband and IandIinc
IcIcphonc cxpircs soon and I
can gcI a bcIIcr dcaI viIh anoIhcr ISP.
BuI BT von`I IcI mc kccp my currcnI
cmaiI addrcss. Is Ihcrc anyIhing I can do?
M|chae| Beba

Mlchuel cun keep hls exlsIlng B1

emull uddresses @bIlnIerneI or
@bIopenvorld) by slgnlng up Io
B1`s Yuhoo FremlumMull vvv.snlpcu.
comIU7US), buI lI`ll cosI hlmI.6U u
monIh. He musI do so vlIhln 8U duys
o hls conIrucI explrlng, buI lI`s vorIh
dolng l keeplng hls currenI emull
uddress ls lmporIunI Io hlm. OIhervlse
he should chunge Io u vebmull uccounI
such us Gmull or HoImull vhlch ls noI
dependenI on uny ISF.
n emull uddress ls purI o un ISF`s
broudbund servlce, und lsn`I llke u
lundllne phone number vhlch you cun
usuully Irunser vhen svlIchlng ISF,
buI sIuylng uI Ihe sume home uddress.
ISFs run und mulnIuln Ihelr ovn SMF1
servers und l Mlchuel`s noI puylng
B1 or mull supporI, he`s no
longer enIlIled Io use lIs
mull servers.
Whycan't I
keepmyemaIl
address vhen
changIngISP7
Consumeractive
12 24December 2013 - 7 January 2014
Q
I bought a copy of Windows
Microsoft Oce 2010 for 99
froman eBay seller. When I
attempted to register the software, I
discovered it was a counterfeit copy
that had already been used on 64
occasions. Microsoft said theres
nothing it can do and eBay isnt
interested in helping either.
What can I do now?
Brian Jackson
A
Brian could report this to the
police agency Action Fraud
(www.actionfraud.police.uk),
but its unlikely to take any action over
a single case. Despite what he was told,
Microsoft can do something to help
him. In its ght against piracy and
as a goodwill gesture, Microsoft
will sometimes oer a
genuine copy of software
in exchange for the
counterfeit copy.
We contacted
Microsoft and asked
what Brian should do
now. Te company told
us that Brian needs to
le a counterfeit report
(www.snipca.
com/10707), including
details of his order page, emails,
receipts, invoices and the sellers
name. Brians eBay and PayPal
transactions will provide these.
Microsoft added: We will use the
information provided to investigate
and may take appropriate action
against businesses who sell counterfeit
software. We may contact Brian
abouthis submission to followup
on specic details.
If you suspect youve bought a
counterfeit copy of any Microsoft
software, you should email the company
at ukpiracy@microsoft.comor contact
themon Twitter (@msftpiracy).
Brian also asked us why eBay
refused to help. Tis is because eBays
Buyer Protection doesnt cover
intangible goods such as software.
Also, eBay cant give himthe
sellers real name and
address because of the Data
Protection Act. To be fair,
eBay has no way of knowing
who is asking for these
details, although it would
give these to Microsoft
or the police
if there was
a formal
investigation.
I bought afake copyof Ofce
2010 what canI do?
Q
Ive been paying
Tree 10 a month
for a SIM-only
contract for my son, which
had a 15 spending cap that
was agreed in store at the time
of purchase. However, this summer my
sons phone bill rose to 283.55 in just a
day and a half. Tree told me that this
was due to high data downloads and
because its systemwas undergoing
maintenance that disabled the spending
caps. Do I really have to pay this bill?
Simon Biddiss
A
Simon doesnt have to pay it
because Tree broke its contract
by failing to ensure the spending
cap was in place or alerting himto the
fact that it was temporarily disabled.
Although Tree claims to have sent
text messages to Simons sons phone
about the maintenance work, it didnt
check that the account holder, which is
Simon, also received the information.
However, after we explained the
situation to the company, it has agreed
to waive the payment.
Te issue of children running up huge
bills by using too much data on tablets or
smartphone - or paying for extras in
games - is a serious problem. In some
cases, if you explain to a company that
this has happened it will waive or
reduce your bill as a goodwill gesture.
But although Simons contract with
Tree included a spending cap, in
other cases where this protection
doesnt exist you may be legally liable
to pay any bills your child rings
up. So ensure that you
use the appropriate
parental controls.
DoI have topayabill because Threes spendingcapfailed?
Q
My contract with BT for
broadband and landline
telephone expires soon and I
can get a better deal with another ISP.
But BT wont let me keep my current
email address. Is there anything I can do?
Michael Beba
A
Michael can keep his existing BT
email addresses (@btinternet or
@btopenworld) by signing up to
BTs Yahoo PremiumMail (www.snipca.
com/10708), but itll cost him1.60 a
month. He must do so within 30 days
of his contract expiring, but its worth
doing if keeping his current email
address is important to him. Otherwise
he should change to a webmail account
such as Gmail or Hotmail which is not
dependent on any ISP.
An email address is part of an ISPs
broadband service, and isnt like a
landline phone number which you can
usually transfer when switching ISP,
but staying at the same home address.
ISPs run and maintain their own SMPT
servers and if Michaels not paying
BT for mail support, hes no
longer entitled to use its
mail servers.
Whycant I
keepmyemail
address when
changingISP?

act us scwcanlnvstlgatycur cas

ma||: ccnsumractlvQccmputractlv.cc.uk
Wr|te: Ccnsumractlv, Ccmputractlv, 30 C|v|and Strt, Lcndcn WJ1 4!0
P|as lnc|ud bcth ycur phcn numbr and addrss.
Unfcrtunat|y, w can't rp|y tc a|| ycur |ttrs.
Westandupfo ou |ega| |ghts Wes
240cmbr 20J3 - 7 !anuary 20J4
arhene
Wareheuse sends
reader 20
|n |ssue 40B, we reported
on the prob|ems R|chard
Lvans was hav|ng try|ng to get a new
charger fromCarphone Warehouse after
buy|ng a new5amsung Ca|axy Ace. 1he
company has sent h|ma cheque for the
E20|t cost h|mto buy a charger. He a|so
asked us for c|ar|f|cat|on on warrant|es and
the 5a|e of Coods Act 5DCAI.
| thought | had a J2-month warranty
under th|s |aw," he sa|d. We exp|a|ned
that there's no such th|ng as a J2-month
warranty wr|tten |nto th|s statutory |aw.
5tatutory |eg|s|at|on, such as 5DCA, are
|aws that are made by an Act of Par||ament.
Warrant|es are |nsurance po||c|es w|th
spec|f|c terms and cond|t|ons
created by compan|es and
reta||ers. However, these
terms and cond|t|ons
can't formpart of a |aw.
Reader Ne|son Bowak
was a|so confused about 5DCA
and warrant|es. After read|ng 5teven
H|ndmarsh's case |n |ssue 4J0about fau|ty
speakers, he wrote say|ng he thought that
5DCAmade reta||ers respons|b|e for
manufacturer guarantees and
had to fu|f|| them. But
a warranty |s so|e|y
the manufacturer's
respons|b|||ty. |f you're
us|ng a warranty |nstead
of 5DCAto put r|ght a fau|t,
you have to dea| w|th the
manufacturer d|rect|y.
I needareceIpt toget arepaIr or replacement7

My daughIcr Pcnny soId a ncv

89S VicIoria Bcckhambag on
cBay Io a US buycr for SS0. Tc
buycr Ihcn conIacIcd my daughIcr saying
Ihc bag vas damagcd and a fakc. Shc
askcd for a rcducIion, buI my daughIcr
IoId hcr Io rcIurn Ihc bag for a rcfund.
Tc buycr scnI back a fakc Hcrmcs bag
insIcad (Io dcIibcraIcIy confusc Ihings
vc Ihink). DcspiIc Pcnny rcgisIcring a
compIainI viIh cBay, iI rcfundcd Ihc
buycr. Can Pcnny do anyIhing nov?
0av|d Lockwood

Yes, Fenny cun chullenge eBuy`s

declslon, buI she muy noI huve
much success. Hovever, Iuklng
Ihe buyer Io courI lsn`I un opIlon becuuse
she`s ln Cullornlu, so Fenny should sIlck
vlIh pursulng eBuy.
Fenny hus Io prove she
hud u conIrucI vlIh eBuy or
dlspuIe resoluIlon und IhuI lI
ucIed unulrly. We suggesI
lnlIlully sendlng u leIIer
beore ucIlon Io eBuy.
1ls suys you`re
conslderlng legul
ucIlon, seIs ouI vhuI
your complulnI ls und
hovyou vunI lI
resolved. In Fenny`s
cuse, she should usk
eBuy hovlI reuched
lIs declslon Io reund Ihe buyer, vhlle
menIlonlng IhuI Ihe buyer reIurned u
uke hundbug. I she`s unhuppy vlIh
eBuy`s reply, Ihe smull clulms courI
muy be un opIlon, buI she should
Iulk Io u sollclIor nrsI Io see l she
hus u legul conIrucI vlIh eBuy.
Fenny should send
Ihe leIIer by reglsIered
posI Io: eBuy, ComplulnIs
DepurImenI, HoIhum
House, I Heron Squure,
Rlchmond
upon
1umes,
Surrey,
1W9 IEJ.

I vas givcn an onboard car

camcra IasI Dcccmbcr vhich has
novsIoppcd vorking. I vanIcd a
rcpair or rcpIaccmcnI, buI Ihc company
MysIorc86S (mysIorc86S.com) askcd for a
rcccipI. I can`I providc Ihis bccausc Ihc
fricnd vho boughI iI has had a hcarI
aIIack. Is Ihcrc any vay you can hcIp?
Br|an McCreanor

Sudly, vlIhouI proo o purchuse

Ihere`s noIhlng ve cun do Io
help Brlun. 1ls ls becuuse Ihe
reIuller hus goI Ihe rlghI Io knovl und
vhen lI sold Ihe lIem. noIher obsIucle ls
IhuI Ihe conIrucI Ihe reIuller hus ls vlIh
Brlun`s rlend. So ulIhough muny sIores
vlll usuully help Ihe person vho goI Ihe
glI ln Ihese cuses, legully MysIore86S
cun reuse Io help Brlun.
Hovever, l Brlun belleves lI`s un lnherenI
uulI und he cun prove lI, he does huve up
Io slx yeurs ln vhlch he or hls rlend cun
muke u clulmor redress. When hls rlend
recovers, Ihey cun upprouch MysIore86S
uguln or u repulr or replucemenI.
lIernuIlvely, MysIore86S muy
oer Brlun u proruIu reund
bused on hovmuch use Brlun
hus hud romIhe cumeru.
anI challenge aneaydIspute-resolutIondecIsIon7
13
CASEUPDATES
Contact us sowecaninvestigateyour case
Email: consumeractive@computeractive.co.uk
Write: Consumeractive, Computeractive, 30 Cleveland Street, London W1T 4JD
Please include both your phone number and address.
Unfortunately, we cant reply to all your letters.
Westandupfor your legal rights Wes
24December 2013 - 7 January 2014
Carphone
Warehouse sends
reader 20
In Issue 408, we reported
on the problems Richard
Evans was having trying to get a new
charger fromCarphone Warehouse after
buying a newSamsung Galaxy Ace. The
company has sent hima cheque for the
20it cost himto buy a charger. He also
asked us for clarification on warranties and
the Sale of Goods Act (SOGA).
I thought I had a 12-month warranty
under this law, he said. We explained
that theres no such thing as a 12-month
warranty written into this statutory law.
Statutory legislation, such as SOGA, are
laws that are made by an Act of Parliament.
Warranties are insurance policies with
specific terms and conditions
created by companies and
retailers. However, these
terms and conditions
cant formpart of a law.
Reader Nelson Bowak
was also confused about SOGA
and warranties. After reading Steven
Hindmarshs case in Issue 410about faulty
speakers, he wrote saying he thought that
SOGAmade retailers responsible for
manufacturer guarantees and
had to fulfil them. But
a warranty is solely
the manufacturers
responsibility. If youre
using a warranty instead
of SOGAto put right a fault,
you have to deal with the
manufacturer directly.
DoI needareceipt toget arepair or replacement?
Q
My daughter Penny sold a new
895 Victoria Beckhambag on
eBay to a US buyer for 550. Te
buyer then contacted my daughter saying
the bag was damaged and a fake. She
asked for a reduction, but my daughter
told her to return the bag for a refund.
Te buyer sent back a fake Hermes bag
instead (to deliberately confuse things
we think). Despite Penny registering a
complaint with eBay, it refunded the
buyer. Can Penny do anything now?
David Lockwood
A
Yes, Penny can challenge eBays
decision, but she may not have
much success. However, taking
the buyer to court isnt an option because
shes in California, so Penny should stick
with pursuing eBay.
Penny has to prove she
had a contract with eBay for
dispute resolution and that it
acted unfairly. We suggest
initially sending a letter
before action to eBay.
Tis says youre
considering legal
action, sets out what
your complaint is and
howyou want it
resolved. In Pennys
case, she should ask
eBay howit reached
its decision to refund the buyer, while
mentioning that the buyer returned a
fake handbag. If shes unhappy with
eBays reply, the small claims court
may be an option, but she should
talk to a solicitor rst to see if she
has a legal contract with eBay.
Penny should send
the letter by registered
post to: eBay, Complaints
Department, Hotham
House, 1 Heron Square,
Richmond
upon
Tames,
Surrey,
TW9 1EJ.
Q
I was given an on-board car
camera last December which has
nowstopped working. I wanted a
repair or replacement, but the company
Mystore365 (mystore365.com) asked for a
receipt. I cant provide this because the
friend who bought it has had a heart
attack. Is there any way you can help?
Brian McCreanor
A
Sadly, without proof of purchase
theres nothing we can do to
help Brian. Tis is because the
retailer has got the right to knowif and
when it sold the item. Another obstacle is
that the contract the retailer has is with
Brians friend. So although many stores
will usually help the person who got the
gift in these cases, legally Mystore365
can refuse to help Brian.
However, if Brian believes its an inherent
fault and he can prove it, he does have up
to six years in which he or his friend can
make a claimfor redress. When his friend
recovers, they can approach Mystore365
again for a repair or replacement.
Alternatively, Mystore365 may
oer Brian a pro-rata refund
based on howmuch use Brian
has had fromthe camera.
CanI challenge aneBaydispute-resolutiondecision?
2mbr 20J3 7 !anuary 20J

Scams andthrats toao|d, p|us nscur|t too|s
e recenIly upduIed FhrozenSoI
Vlrus 1oIul Uplouder mukes lI eusy
Io uploud susplclous nles Io Google`s
ebslIe Vlrus1oIul .lrusIoIul.
com), hlch scuns nles Io see l Ihey
conIuln mulure. 1o send Ihe
poIenIlully dodgy nle Io Vlrus1oIul
jusI drug lI lnIo FhrozenSoI`s
lnIeruce, or rlghIcllck u nle und
cllck 'send Io Vlrus1oIul`. Useully,
Ihe Uplouder Iells you l Ihe slze
o Ihe nle ls greuIer Ihun huI
Vlrus1oIul cun hundle.
1o muke Ihlngs suer, you don`I
een need Io donloud u nle Io your
FC beore uploudlng lI. I you see u
nle on u ebslIe, jusI enIer Ihe URL
o Ihe nle und FhrozenSoI lll
submlI lI Io Vlrus1oIul.
II`s u greuI Iool Io udd Io
your securlIy urmoury, buI you
shouldn`I use lI us u replucemenI
or unIllrus soIure. InsIeud, use
lI heneer you`re unsure ubouI
openlng u nle. BoIh Ihe Uplouder
und Vlrus1oIul ure ree.
Netools
What haened7
UK pollce ugency cIlon Fruud .
ucIlonruud.pollce.uk) urned ubouI
u neemull spumuIIuck IhuI clulms Io
conIuln u Skype olcemull uIer lI us
spoIIed by securlIy reseurchers uI MX
Lub blog.mxlub.eu). InsIeud o u
olcemull, Ihe zlp nle uIIuchmenI
culled SkypeVolceMessuge
7776C242I2.zlp conIulns u erslon o
Ihe hlghly dungerous Zeus 1rojun. I you
donloud Ihe nle, Zeus lll Iry Io sIeul
personul lnormuIlon romyour FC,
such us bunklng logln deIulls.
1e crlmlnuls hue done Ihelr besI Io
muke Ihe emulls look genulne, uddlng
Ihe Skype logo und leglIlmuIe eb llnks
Io Skype. 1ey een lnclude Ihe messuge:
Skype sIu lll neer usk you or your
pussord lu emull. 1e only pluces you
ure usked or your pussord ure hen
you slgn lnIo Skype or on
our ebslIe l you unI
Io buy someIhlng or
check your uccounI.
1e messuges clulm
Io come romSkype
CommunlcuIlons und
Iyplcully hue Ihe
subjecI llne, You
receled u nemessuge
romSkype olcemull
serlce. 1ey Iell you Ihe
supposed Ilme und lengIh o Ihe cull.
1ere`s ulso Ihe opIlon Io
unsubscrlbe, so you don`I recele uny
more emull ulerIs ubouI olcemulls.
Don`I be IempIed Io cllck Ihls.
II`s noI Ihe nrsI Ilme crlmlnuls hue
explolIed Ihe populurlIy o Skype. In
OcIober 2UI2 securlIy compuny Sophos
spoIIed u mullclous ormbelng spreud
Ihrough lnsIunI messuges.
Cllcklng Ihe llnk ln Ihe
messuge donlouded u zlp
nle IhuI ulloed huckers
uccess Io your FC. noIher
scum, spoIIed ln Muy 2UI8,
Irled Io Irlck lcIlms lnIo
cllcklng u llnk Io clulmu
ree Skype Fremlum
uccounI or lle. Dolng so
gue huckers Ihe lcIlm`s
pussord und usernume,
Ihough Ihe messuge conIulned so muny
spelllng und grummuIlcul errors IhuI
lI`s unllkely muny people ere ooled.
What sheuld l de7
DeleIe Ihe emull und reporI Ihe
uIIuck uI .ucIlonruud.pollce.uk
scumemulls or rlng cIlon Fruud on
U8UU I28 2U4U.
ke Skype voIcemaIl spamattack

egus PayPal ema|l

I uderIlsed u bed on VlusIreeI
.lusIreeI.co.uk) und receled
u response udlslng me o u poIenIlul
buyer, homI emulled. 1e buyer
suld Ihey needed Io send puymenI,
lncludlng shlpplng cosIs, Io my FuyFul
uccounI, ouI o hlch I us Io puy Ihe
shlpper hose uddress us Nlgerlun.
I Ihen receled un emull supposedly
romFuyFul, suylng IhuI Ihe puymenI
us 'seuled` unIll I senI Ihe shlpplng
unds Io Ihe shlpper. 1e Engllsh
us uul, und lncluded u IhreuI IhuI
ullure Io ublde by Ihese lnsIrucIlons
ould lnlIe lnesIlguIlon by Ihe FBI.
I hue deleIed ull emulls rommy FC.
-Lod
Phozen5o V|
1oa| Up|oade
phozenp|oade.com
ScamWatch
RDR5WRNRDR5
Wan yo e||oeade abo cam a
|eeQcompeac|e.co.k
14 24December 2013 - 7 January 2014
ProtectYour Tech
Scams andthreats toavoid, plus newsecurity tools
Te recently updated PhrozenSoft
Virus Total Uploader makes it easy
to upload suspicious les to Googles
website VirusTotal (www.virustotal.
com), which scans les to see if they
contain malware. To send the
potentially dodgy le to VirusTotal
just drag it into PhrozenSofts
interface, or right-click a le and
click send to VirusTotal. Usefully,
the Uploader tells you if the size
of the le is greater than what
VirusTotal can handle.
To make things safer, you dont
even need to download a le to your
PC before uploading it. If you see a
le on a website, just enter the URL
of the le and PhrozenSoft will
submit it to VirusTotal.
Its a great tool to add to
your security armoury, but you
shouldnt use it as a replacement
for antivirus software. Instead, use
it whenever youre unsure about
opening a le. Both the Uploader
and VirusTotal are free.
Newtools
What happened?
UK police agency Action Fraud (www.
actionfraud.police.uk) warned about
a newemail spamattack that claims to
contain a Skype voicemail after it was
spotted by security researchers at MX
Lab (blog.mxlab.eu). Instead of a
voicemail, the zip le attachment
called Skype_Voice_Message-
7776C24212.zip contains a version of
the highly dangerous Zeus Trojan. If you
download the le, Zeus will try to steal
personal information fromyour PC,
such as banking login details.
Te criminals have done their best to
make the emails look genuine, adding
the Skype logo and legitimate web links
to Skype. Tey even include the message:
Skype sta will never ask you for your
password via email. Te only places you
are asked for your password are when
you sign into Skype or on
our website if you want
to buy something or
check your account.
Te messages claim
to come fromSkype
Communications and
typically have the
subject line, You
received a newmessage
fromSkype voicemail
service. Tey tell you the
supposed time and length of the call.
Teres also the option to
unsubscribe, so you dont receive any
more email alerts about voicemails.
Dont be tempted to click this.
Its not the rst time criminals have
exploited the popularity of Skype. In
October 2012 security company Sophos
spotted a malicious wormbeing spread
through instant messages.
Clicking the link in the
message downloaded a zip
le that allowed hackers
access to your PC. Another
scam, spotted in May 2013,
tried to trick victims into
clicking a link to claima
free Skype Premium
account for life. Doing so
gave hackers the victims
password and username,
though the message contained so many
spelling and grammatical errors that
its unlikely many people were fooled.
What should I do?
Delete the email and report the
attack at www.actionfraud.police.uk/
scam-emails or ring Action Fraud on
0300 123 2040.
Fake Skype voicemail spamattack
WATCHOUTFOR
Bogus PayPal email
I advertised a bed on Vivastreet
(www.vivastreet.co.uk) and received
a response advising me of a potential
buyer, whomI emailed. Te buyer
said they needed to send payment,
including shipping costs, to my PayPal
account, out of which I was to pay the
shipper whose address was Nigerian.
I then received an email supposedly
fromPayPal, saying that the payment
was sealed until I sent the shipping
funds to the shipper. Te English
was awful, and included a threat that
failure to abide by these instructions
would invite investigation by the FBI.
I have deleted all emails frommy PC.
John Frewen-Lord
PhrozenSoft Virus
Total Uploader
phrozenvtuploader.com
ScamWatch
READERSWARNREADERS
Warn your fellowreaders about scams at
letters@computeractive.co.uk
cmbr 20J3 - 7 !anuary 20J4

4
|f ycu'r brcwslng scngs
ycu hav stcrd ln th
c|cud, drag an a|bumcr
scng tc th bcttcmpart
cf th rlght-hand bcx tc
dcwn|cad lt tc ycur PC.
3
C|lck an a|bum, thn drag
scngs lntc th tcp part cf
th rlght-hand bcx tc start
bul|dlng a p|ay|lst. Tls wcrks
bcth fcr scngs cn ycur PC
and thcs stcrd cn|ln.
2
C|lck th shcpplng bag lccn tc
swltch tc th stcr and start
typlng stralght away tc sarch
fcr tracks ycu want tc buy.
C|lck th hadphcn lccn tc
rturn tc ycur |lbrary.
1
Us th C|cud and
Ccmputr buttcns tc
swltch btwn th muslc
cc||ctlcn cn ycur PCand
any muslc ycu hav stcrd
cn|ln - lnc|udlng utcRlp
C0s.
MU5| PLYR
Br||||ant newprograms that won't cost youanyth|ng
muzon nevCloud Fluye o FC l boIh u mulc
pluye und un onllne Ioe l you uleudy buy u loI o
MF8 ommuzon, Ihl povlde un euy vuy Io hop o
nevIune und dovnloud exlIlng puchue. You cun ue
Ihe Cloud Fluye pogumu un l1une o Wlndov Medlu
Fluye eplucemenI, lI vlll uuIomuIlcully nnd und lmpoI
uny exlIlng mulc nle on you FC und you cun llIen Io
you llbuy, ceuIe pluyllI und moe. II ceIulnly lmple
Io ue. BuI Ihe kllle euIue o u l lI lnIeguIlon vlIh
muzon Cloud Fluye onllne mulcIeumlng evlce.
1l vok llke pple l1une MuIch ong IhuI you
uleudy ovn cun be uplouded Io Ihe compuny onllne
Iouge, omvhee you cun Ieumo dovnloud IhemIo
muIphone und IubleI vlu epuuIe upp, und Io oIhe
compuIe unnlng Ihe Cloud Fluye o FC pogum.
1e Femlumvelon o Ihl evlce coI 22 pe yeu
und leI you uploud up Io 2SU,UUU ong compued Io
pple 2S,UUU). 1e ee velon only leI you uploud
2SU ong. BuI log lnIo Ihe pogumvlIh you uuul
muzon uccounI, Ihen cllck Ihe Cloud buIIon und you
muy be ln o u pleuunI uple. Hee you hould nnd
cople o mulc you huve puchued ommuzon ln Ihe
puI noI juI ong boughI Ihough Ihe MF8 Ioe, buI
ulo MF8 velon o phylcul CD und vlnyl LF you
huve boughI Ihough muzon lnce I999. 1ee vlll
huve been uuIomuIlcully udded Io you Iouge vlu
muzon uIoRlp evlce. Fuchue donI counI
ugulnI you 2SUong ullovunce.
www.sn|ca.cem/10825
What yeu need: Wlndcws XP, Vlsta, 7 cr B
zonCloudPlayer !or PC
1
2
3
4
16 24December 2013 - 7 January 2014
BestFreeSoftware
4
If youre browsing songs
you have stored in the
cloud, drag an albumor
song to the bottompart
of the right-hand box to
download it to your PC.
3
Click an album, then drag
songs into the top part of
the right-hand box to start
building a playlist. Tis works
both for songs on your PC
and those stored online.
2
Click the shopping bag icon to
switch to the store and start
typing straight away to search
for tracks you want to buy.
Click the headphone icon to
return to your library.
1
Use the Cloud and
Computer buttons to
switch between the music
collection on your PCand
any music you have stored
online including AutoRip
CDs.
MUSIC PLAYER
Brilliant newprograms that wont cost you anything
Amazons newCloud Player for PC is both a music
player and an online store if you already buy a lot of
MP3s fromAmazon, this provides an easy way to shop for
newtunes and download existing purchases. You can use
the Cloud Player programas an iTunes or Windows Media
Player replacement; it will automatically nd and import
any existing music les on your PC and you can listen to
your library, create playlists and more. Its certainly simple
to use. But the killer feature for us is its integration with
Amazons Cloud Player online music-streaming service.
Tis works like Apples iTunes Match songs that you
already own can be uploaded to the companys online
storage, fromwhere you can streamor download themto
smartphones and tablets via separate apps, and to other
computers running the Cloud Player for PC program.
Te Premiumversion of this service costs 22 per year
and lets you upload up to 250,000 songs (compared to
Apples 25,000). Te free version only lets you upload
250 songs. But log into the programwith your usual
Amazon account, then click the Cloud button and you
may be in for a pleasant surprise. Here you should nd
copies of music you have purchased fromAmazon in the
past not just songs bought through the MP3 store, but
also MP3 versions of physical CDs and vinyl LPs you
have bought through Amazon since 1999. Tese will
have been automatically added to your storage via
Amazons AutoRip service. Purchases dont count
against your 250-song allowance.
www.snipca.com/10825
What you need: Windows XP, Vista, 7 or 8
AmazonCloudPlayer for PC
1
2
3
4
40cmbr 20J3 - 7 !anuary 20J4

|| you what software to use
0c ycu nd cur advlc cn what scftwar tc us7
!ust mal| us at |ttrsQccmputractlv.cc.uk
What tools canI useto
managemyphotolIbrary7

I uscd Windovs Livc PhoIo CaIIcry for organising

my coIIccIion of famiIy phoIos. NoviI is noI
avaiIabIc I shouId bc graIcfuI if you couId suggcsI a
simiIar aIIcrnaIivc. I`mnoI vcry compuIcr IiIcraIc and am
vorricd IhaI by dovnIoading a ncvprogramI couId dcIcIc
PhoIo CaIIcry and Ihcrcby aII my picIurcs frommy Iibrary.
Pau||ne Ho|dway

lcrosoI repluced Wlndovs

Llve FhoIo Gullery vlIh
Wlndovs EssenIluls FhoIo
Gullery, u very slmllur Iool IhuI cun be
dovnlouded or ree us purI o Ihe
Wlndovs EssenIluls sulIe rom
vvv.snlpcu.comIUS82. I you don`I vunI Ihe oIher
EssenIluls uppllcuIlons, cllck 'hoose Ihe progrums you vunI
Io lnsIull` durlng seIup und deselecI everyIhlng excepI 'FhoIo
Gullery und Movle Muker`. FhoIo Gullery only vorks vlIh
Wlndovs 7 und S, so l you`re runnlng Wlndovs XF you could
use Flcusu plcusu.google.co.uk) lnsIeud.
In ull cuses, lnsIulllng nevsoIvure von`I deleIe uny
phoIos romyour F buI lI`s u vlse ldeu Io buck Ihemull up
beore muklng uny chunges Io your compuIer.
WlnFuIrol 2UI8 Free keeps un eye on Ihe lnner vorklngs
o your F und mukes you uvure o uny susplclous or
unvunIed behuvlour. 1e luIesI verslon lncludes some greuI
neveuIures, such us u SIurIup Frogrums MonlIor, vhlch leIs
you knovvhen unoIher progrumuIIempIs Io remove uny
uppllcuIlons IhuI ure seI Io run vhenever your compuIer
sIurIs, such us your unIlvlrus progrum. Some euIures ure
only uvulluble ln Ihe puyor verslon IS) und you`ll probubly
vunI Io Iurn o Ihe dogburklng ulerI sound cllck OpIlons
und unIlck Fluy Sounds), buI oIhervlse WlnFuIrol 2UI8 Free
ls u hlghly useul Iool.
natrel.cem/dewnlead.html
What yeu need: Wlndcws XP, Vlsta, 7 cr B
WInPatrol Z0i3Free
MND C|Y
www.|mgburn.cem
What yeu need: Wlndcws XP, Vlsta, 7 cr B
ImgurnZ.5.B.0
D|C BN|N
CH|V |L|Y
NevsecuredeleIlon Iools und spuceshreddlng euIures muke Ihe
luIesI verslon o Ihls ree urchlvlng und exIrucIlng progrumeven
more essenIlul. FeuZlp provldes u veulIh o Iools IhuI leI you
compress nles Io suve spuce or encrypI IhemIo keep senslIlve duIu
sue. II cun ulso open vlrIuully uny Iype o urchlve nle und nov
supporIs I77 dlerenI ormuIs. Use Ihe dlrecI llnk ubove Io lnsIull
u sIundulone verslon vlIhouI uny o Ihe IhlrdpurIy uddons.
www.sn|ca.cem/10833
What yeu need: Wlndcws XP, Vlsta, 7 cr B
PeaZIp
Wlndovs` bullIln
dlscburnlng Iools
ure reluIlvely
llmlIed buI you
don`I need un
expenslve burnlng
sulIe such us Nero
Io muke Ihe mosI
o your DDVD
or Bluruy drlve.
ImgBurn ls u smull
buI poverul ree
Iool IhuI provldes u slmple vuy Io creuIe muny dlerenI Iypes
o dlscs und reud or vrlIe dlsc lmuges such us ISOnles). 1e
luIesI verslon udds Ihe ublllIy Io creuIe booIuble dlscs IhuI
vork on never compuIers vlIh un UEFI BIOS. hoose usIom
InsIulluIlon durlng seIup und deselecI ull opIlons Io uvold
unvunIed brovser uddons.
24December 2013 - 7 January 2014 17
WHATSHOULDI DOWNLOAD?
We tell you what software to use
Do you need our advice on what software to use?
Just email us at letters@computeractive.co.uk
What tools canI useto
managemyphotolibrary?
Q
I used Windows Live Photo Gallery for organising
my collection of family photos. Nowit is not
available I should be grateful if you could suggest a
similar alternative. Imnot very computer literate and am
worried that by downloading a newprogramI could delete
Photo Gallery and thereby all my pictures frommy library.
Pauline Holdway
A
Microsoft replaced Windows
Live Photo Gallery with
Windows Essentials Photo
Gallery, a very similar tool that can be
downloaded for free as part of the
Windows Essentials suite from
www.snipca.com/10832. If you dont want the other
Essentials applications, click Choose the programs you want
to install during set-up and deselect everything except Photo
Gallery and Movie Maker. Photo Gallery only works with
Windows 7 and 8, so if youre running Windows XP you could
use Picasa (picasa.google.co.uk) instead.
In all cases, installing newsoftware wont delete any
photos fromyour PC but its a wise idea to back themall up
before making any changes to your computer.
WinPatrol 2013 Free keeps an eye on the inner workings
of your PC and makes you aware of any suspicious or
unwanted behaviour. Te latest version includes some great
newfeatures, such as a Startup Programs Monitor, which lets
you knowwhen another programattempts to remove any
applications that are set to run whenever your computer
starts, such as your antivirus program. Some features are
only available in the pay-for version (18) and youll probably
want to turn o the dog-barking alert sound (click Options
and untick Play Sounds), but otherwise WinPatrol 2013 Free
is a highly useful tool.
www.winpatrol.com/download.html
What you need: Windows XP, Vista, 7 or 8
WinPatrol 2013Free
SYSTEMAND SECURITY
www.imgburn.com
What you need: Windows XP, Vista, 7 or 8
ImgBurn2.5.8.0
DISC BURNING
ARCHIVE UTILITY
Newsecure-deletion tools and space-shredding features make the
latest version of this free archiving and extracting programeven
more essential. PeaZip provides a wealth of tools that let you
compress les to save space or encrypt themto keep sensitive data
safe. It can also open virtually any type of archive le and now
supports 177 dierent formats. Use the direct link above to install
a standalone version without any of the third-party add-ons.
www.snipca.com/10833
What you need: Windows XP, Vista, 7 or 8
PeaZip
Windows built-in
disc-burning tools
are relatively
limited but you
dont need an
expensive burning
suite such as Nero
to make the most
of your CD/DVD
or Blu-ray drive.
ImgBurn is a small
but powerful free
tool that provides a simple way to create many dierent types
of discs and read or write disc images (such as ISOles). Te
latest version adds the ability to create bootable discs that
work on newer computers with an UEFI BIOS. Choose Custom
Installation during set-up and deselect all options to avoid
unwanted browser add-ons.
Revev Newproducts testedby our experts
40cmbr 20J3 - 7 !anuary 20J4
Tc Moto G changcs cvcrything. UntiI
nowmost sub200 Android phoncs
havc bccn compIctc rubbish, with
sIow proccssors, mcagrc amounts of
mcmory, tcrribIc scrccns and poor
battcry Iifc. Tc Moto G bucks this
trcnd cntircIy, giving a Iic to thc
pIatitudc `you gct what you pay for`.

or u phone IhuI cosIs jusI I8U Ihe MoIo

G mukes surprlslngly ev compromlses.
1e only Ihlngs you`ll glve up ure 4G, un
SD curd sloI und Ihe umounI o bullIln
sIoruge. 1e SGB o sIoruge von`I be
enough or some, buI Ihe SUGB o Google
Drlve cloudsIoruge spuce lncluded ree
or Ivo yeurs) helps muke up or Ihls.
I you need more onbourd sIoruge
Ihe I6GB MoIo G cosIs I6U.
Unllke more expenslve phones
cruIed rom gluss und meIul, Ihe
MoIo G ls mude rom colourul
plusIlc, vhlch ls cheerul vlIhouI
eellng or looklng cheup.
selecIlon o mulIlcoloured
lnIerchungeuble covers culled
shells see lemon shell, rlghI) ure
sold sepuruIely or 9 euch vvv.
snlpcu.comIUSI4), vhlch meuns
you cun llven up Ihe phone vlIh u
splush o vhlIe, yellov, purple,
red or blue.
1e 4.Sln screen ls very brlghI, und
vhlle lIs 72Up resoluIlon lsn`I us hlgh us
Ihe IUSUp screens on more expenslve
phones, IexI ls sIlll crlsp, vhlle phoIos
und vldeos ure shurp und vlvld.
common complulnI ulmed uI cheup
ndrold phones ls Ihe deluy beIveen
Iupplng Ihe screen und unyIhlng

MRTPH0N 130 frcmsnlpca.ccm/J0BJ5

ll oelooknlo aea ode
ndodphone, oh nov
huppenlng. 1ls lsn`I Ihe cuse
vlIh Ihe MoIo G, vhlch ls
very responslve. II`s ulso
usI, ruclng ulong ln our
8D gruphlcs und vebpuge
loudlng benchmurk IesIs
Ihunks Io lIs quudcore
processor und IGB o memory.

1e responslveness o Ihe MoIo
G ls helped ulong by u luck o superuous
upps und uddons. Whlle oIher
munuucIurers slov Ihelr devlces dovn
vlIh polnIless cusIomlsuIlons you cun`I
remove, MoIorolu hus mude very ev
chunges Io ndrold 4.8 Jelly Beun on Ihe
MoIo G. n upduIe Io ndrold 4.4 KlIKuI
Ihe luIesI verslon hus been promlsed
or eurly 2UI4.
1e ev Iveuks MoIorolu hus mude
Io ndrold ure or Ihe beIIer. When you
Iurn on Ihe MoIo G or Ihe nrsI Ilme, u
servlce culled MoIorolu MlgruIe oers
Io vlrelessly Irunser ull your IexIs, cull
records, phoIos und seIIlngs rom your
old phone. 1ls only vorks l your old
phone runs ndrold und boIh phones ure
connecIed Io Ihe sume WlFl neIvork.
1unks Io MlgruIe ve vere up und
runnlng muchmore qulckly IhunexpecIed.
1e MoIorolu sslsI upp vorks vlIh
your culendur upp, uuIomuIlcully
sllenclng your phone vhen you`re busy
ln u meeIlng, or exumple so you`re
noI dlsIurbed. You cun ulso seI sslsI Io
uuIomuIlcully IexI uny cullers Io leI Ihem
knov IhuI you cun`I unsver Ihe phone
uI IhuI momenI. II cun ulso sllence Ihe
phone vhen you`re sleeplng unless lI`s u
cull rom conIucIs you specly, such us
your klds or elderly reluIlves. 1e ldeu ls
IhuI you cun sleep sue ln Ihe knovledge
IhuI your phone vlll only rlng l someone
urgenIly needed Io geI ln Iouch.
Flnully, MoIo Cure ls u brllllunI upp
nlled vlIh IuIorluls on hov Io use your
phone. II cun suggesI benenclul chunges
5PClFlCTl0N5
B0x720p|xe| screen J.2CHz Qua|comm
M5MBx26quad-core processor 450MHz dreno
305 graph|cs ch|p JCmemory BCstorage
3C m|cro 5|M ndro|d 4.3 !e||y ean J43g
J30x66xJ2mmHxWx0I Dne-year warranty
www.sn|pca.com/J092B

l excellen vale,
look ea andvok
ollanl
Reviews Newproducts testedby our experts
18 24December 2013 7 January 2014
Te Moto G changes everything. Until
nowmost sub-200 Android phones
have been complete rubbish, with
slowprocessors, meagre amounts of
memory, terrible screens and poor
battery life. Te Moto G bucks this
trend entirely, giving a lie to the
platitude you get what you pay for.
Hardware
For a phone that costs just 130 the Moto
G makes surprisingly few compromises.
Te only things youll give up are 4G, an
SD card slot and the amount of built-in
storage. Te 8GB of storage wont be
enough for some, but the 50GB of Google
Drive cloud-storage space (included free
for two years) helps make up for this.
If you need more on-board storage
the 16GB Moto G costs 160.
Unlike more expensive phones
crafted from glass and metal, the
Moto G is made from colourful
plastic, which is cheerful without
feeling or looking cheap. A
selection of multi-coloured
interchangeable covers (called
shells see lemon shell, right) are
sold separately for 9 each (www.
snipca.com/10814), which means
you can liven up the phone with a
splash of white, yellow, purple,
red or blue.
Te 4.5in screen is very bright, and
while its 720p resolution isnt as high as
the 1080p screens on more expensive
phones, text is still crisp, while photos
and videos are sharp and vivid. A
common complaint aimed at cheap
Android phones is the delay between
tapping the screen and anything
MotorolaMotoG
SMARTPHONE 130 fromsnipca.com/10815
If yourelookingfor agreat budget
Androidphone, buythis now
happening. Tis isnt the case
with the Moto G, which is
very responsive. Its also
fast, racing along in our
3D graphics and webpage-
loading benchmark tests
thanks to its quad-core
processor and 1GB of memory.
Android Jelly Bean
Te responsiveness of the Moto
G is helped along by a lack of superuous
apps and add-ons. While other
manufacturers slow their devices down
with pointless customisations you cant
remove, Motorola has made very few
changes to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean on the
Moto G. An update to Android 4.4 KitKat
the latest version has been promised
for early 2014.
Te few tweaks Motorola has made
to Android are for the better. When you
turn on the Moto G for the rst time, a
service called Motorola Migrate oers
to wirelessly transfer all your texts, call
records, photos and settings from your
old phone. Tis only works if your old
phone runs Android and both phones are
connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
Tanks to Migrate we were up and
running muchmore quickly thanexpected.
Te Motorola Assist app works with
your calendar app, automatically
silencing your phone when youre busy
in a meeting, for example so youre
not disturbed. You can also set Assist to
automatically text any callers to let them
know that you cant answer the phone
at that moment. It can also silence the
phone when youre sleeping unless its a
call from contacts you specify, such as
your kids or elderly relatives. Te idea is
that you can sleep safe in the knowledge
that your phone will only ring if someone
urgently needed to get in touch.
Finally, Moto Care is a brilliant app
lled with tutorials on how to use your
phone. It can suggest benecial changes
SPECIFICATIONS
4.5in 1280x720pixel screen 1.2GHz Qualcomm
MSM8x26quad-core processor 450MHz Adreno
305 graphics chip 1GBmemory 8GBstorage
3G micro SIM Android 4.3 Jelly Bean 143g
130x66x12mm(HxWxD) One-year warranty
www.snipca.com/10928
BUY IT!

Its excellent value,

looks great andworks
brilliantly
240cmbr - 7 !anuary 20J4 1
grate app w|re|ess|y transfers
everyth|ng frcmycur c|d phcne
7he ss|st app checks ycur ca|endar and
s||ences ycur phcne sc ycu're nct d|sturbed
Io Ihe seIIlngs und even muke Ihose
chunges or you. For exumple, lI Iold us
ve could lncreuse buIIery lle by seIIlng
Ihe screen brlghIness Io uuIomuIlc und
huvlng lI enIer sIundby uIer 8U seconds
ruIher Ihun Ivo mlnuIes. 1ere`s ulso u
ree IexIchuI servlce vhere you cun usk
or help romu rlendly MoIorolu
IechnlculsupporI udvlsor.
all and hete qualit
Cull quullIy on Ihe MoIo G ls lmpresslve.
We could cleurly heur Ihe person ve vere
speuklng Io, und recelved no complulnIs
o poor cull quullIy romumlly und
rlends vhen chuIIlng. BuIIery lle vus un
exemplury 4I hours vhen muklng culls,
Iuklng phoIos, brovslng Ihe veb und
uslng GFS. When pluylng vldeos
conIlnuously, lI lusIed nlne hours IS
mlnuIes, vhlch ls vhuI ve`d expecI.
1e MoIo G`s blggesI uvls lIs nve
meguplxel cumeru. 1e phoIos ve Iook
oIen looked Ioo durk vlIh lnuccuruIe
colours und uzzy deIulls. LovllI phoIos
vere especlully bud und more or less
unusuble. Uslng Ihe ush dldn`I help us lI
mude phoIos Ioo hursh und brlghI. 1ls ls
u shume, becuuse Ihe cumeru upp vorks
vell. 1ere`s no cumeru buIIon, so you
huve Io Iup Ihe screen Io Iuke plcIures.
Holdlng dovn on Ihe screen Iukes u bursI
o phoIos, vhlch ls hundy l you`re Irylng
Io geI Ihe perecI ucIlon shoI or cupIure
people smlllng nuIurully ruIher Ihun
grlnnlng uvkvurdly.
I you vunI more conIrol over ocus
und exposure you cun drug u smull green
IurgeI lcon uround Ihe screen. 1ese
seIIlngs ure Ihen udjusIed dependlng on
Ihe lcon`s poslIlon. 1ls vorks especlully
vell or mucro shoIs und scenes vlIh u
slgnlncunI conIrusI beIveen durk und
llghI. 1e cumeru upp ulso euIures un
eusyIouse punorumu mode or Iuklng
phoIos o eplc scenery.
Cenclusien
I I8U Ihe MoIo G ls excellenI vulue.
II looks greuI, vorks brllllunIly und
hus speclncuIlons compuruble Io
smurIphones cosIlng Ivlce us much.
In shorI, Ihe MoIo G ls un ubsoluIe sIeul.
I your budgeI von`I sIreIch Io Ihe
even beIIer H1C One Mlnl or Nexus S
see our revlevs, Issues 4U6 und 4I2
respecIlvely), Ihen Ihls ls vlIhouI u
doubI Ihe ndrold phone Io geI.
H0 T5T
Computercctive |s oned enn|s
|s|ng, | ons |-te f||t
for test|ng te test tenoog. o'
often red referenes to or enmrk
test|ng, | |s metod of ssess|ng
prodts s|ng te sme r|ter|. or
empe, e od test te speed of
eer nd te tter |fe of eer
tet |n et te sme . 1|s
mkes or re|es tor|tt|e,
r|goros nd rte.
enn|s |s|ng so ons te
mg|nes PCPro, Computer 5hopper,
Web User, Micro Mcrt nd MccUser,
nd te es|te pert e|es
.epertre|es.o.kI. 1|s
mens e n test tosnds of
prodts efore oos|ng te most
reent for Computercctive.
Flk NlMkTlL
r re|eers foostr|t g|de|nes to
ensre te op|n|ons epressed |n te
mg|ne re f|r nd |mprt|. 1e
mnftrer s no |noement |n
or tests nd |s neer tod te rest
of re|eefore p|t|on.
00k 0 lT k

e rd eer prodt
tt gets f|e-str
re|eor |t| stamp
of approva|. |f you see
the uy |t| |ogo you knowwe were
extreme|y |mpressed by the product
and we th|nk you w||| be too. 1urn to the
uy |t| sect|on after Rev|ews for our
gu|de to the best products you can buy.
kl5
Dur rev|ews conta|n a ||nk to the best
pr|ce we have been ab|e to f|nd on the
web. Pr|ces may change fo||ow|ng
pub||cat|on.
VRDlCT: etter than many phones that
cost tw|ce as much, the Moto C|s the best
budget ndro|d phone ava||ab|e

LTRNTlV5:
Huawe| scend WJ EJJ5
good-va|ue W|ndows
Phone Bmode| w|th great
ca|| qua||ty and |ong battery
||fe, but on|y ava||ab|e on D2
Coog|e Nexus 5 E299
Coog|e's
|atest 4C
phone has
an even
better screen
and |s very
powerfu|, but
|t's |et down
by a so-so
camera
and short
battery ||fe
24December - 7 January 2014 19
The Motorola Migrate app wirelessly transfers
everything fromyour old phone
The Assist app checks your calendar and
silences your phone so youre not disturbed
to the settings and even make those
changes for you. For example, it told us
we could increase battery life by setting
the screen brightness to automatic and
having it enter standby after 30 seconds
rather than two minutes. Teres also a
free text-chat service where you can ask
for help froma friendly Motorola
technical-support advisor.
Call and photo quality
Call quality on the Moto G is impressive.
We could clearly hear the person we were
speaking to, and received no complaints
of poor call quality fromfamily and
friends when chatting. Battery life was an
exemplary 41 hours when making calls,
taking photos, browsing the web and
using GPS. When playing videos
continuously, it lasted nine hours 15
minutes, which is what wed expect.
Te Moto Gs biggest awis its ve-
megapixel camera. Te photos we took
often looked too dark with inaccurate
colours and fuzzy details. Low-lit photos
were especially bad and more or less
unusable. Using the ash didnt help as it
made photos too harsh and bright. Tis is
a shame, because the camera app works
well. Teres no camera button, so you
have to tap the screen to take pictures.
Holding down on the screen takes a burst
of photos, which is handy if youre trying
to get the perfect action shot or capture
people smiling naturally rather than
grinning awkwardly.
If you want more control over focus
and exposure you can drag a small green
target icon around the screen. Tese
settings are then adjusted depending on
the icons position. Tis works especially
well for macro shots and scenes with a
signicant contrast between dark and
light. Te camera app also features an
easy-to-use panorama mode for taking
photos of epic scenery.
Conclusion
At 130 the Moto G is excellent value.
It looks great, works brilliantly and
has specications comparable to
smartphones costing twice as much.
In short, the Moto G is an absolute steal.
If your budget wont stretch to the
even better HTC One Mini or Nexus 5
(see our reviews, Issues 406 and 412
respectively), then this is without a
doubt the Android phone to get.
HOWWE TEST
Computeractive is owned by Dennis
Publishing, which owns a hi-tech facility
for testing the latest technology. Youll
often read references to our benchmark
testing, which is a method of assessing
products using the same criteria. For
example, we would test the speed of
every PCand the battery life of every
tablet in exactly the same way. This
makes our reviews authoritative,
rigorous and accurate.
Dennis Publishing also owns the
magazines PCPro, Computer Shopper,
Web User, Micro Mart and MacUser,
and the website Expert Reviews
(www.expertreviews.co.uk). This
means we can test thousands of
products before choosing the most
relevant for Computeractive.
FAIR ANDIMPARTIAL
Our reviewers followstrict guidelines to
ensure the opinions expressed in the
magazine are fair and impartial. The
manufacturer has no involvement in
our tests and is never told the result
of a reviewbefore publication.
OUR BUY IT! AWARD
BUY IT!

We award every product

that gets a five-star
reviewour Buy It! stamp
of approval. If you see
the Buy It! logo you knowwe were
extremely impressed by the product
and we think you will be too. Turn to the
Buy It! section after Reviews for our
guide to the best products you can buy.
PRICES
Our reviews contain a link to the best
price we have been able to find on the
web. Prices may change following
publication.
VERDICT: Better than many phones that
cost twice as much, the Moto Gis the best
budget Android phone available

ALTERNATIVES:
Huawei Ascend W1 115
Agood-value Windows
Phone 8model with great
call quality and long battery
life, but only available on O2
Google Nexus 5 299
Googles
latest 4G
phone has
an even
better screen
and is very
powerful, but
its let down
by a so-so
camera
and short
battery life
40cmbr 20J3 - 7 !anuary 20J4

re blg uns o compucI sysIem

cumerus Ss), vhlch oer Ihe lmuge
quullIy und lnIerchungeuble lenses o u
DSLR dlglIul slnglelens reex) cumeru
buI vlIhouI Ihe bulk. Hovever, even
Ihough Ihey`re Iyplcully hul Ihe velghI
o u DSLR, Ihey`re sIlll Ioo blg Io nI
lnIo mosI pockeIs.
1e GMI ls u cumeru IhuI bucks Ihls
Irend. IIs sIyllsh meIulllc body ls blg
enough Io uccommoduIe lIs lens mounI
und 8ln Iouchscreen buI only jusI. 1e
lens lIsel ls umuzlngly smull, reIrucIlng
Io jusI 24mm vhen noI ln use IhuI`s
less Ihun hul Ihe lengIh o mosI bundled
S lenses. 1ogeIher, Ihe cumeru, lens
und lens cup velgh 2SUg und ure SSmm
deep. 1uI`s smull enough Io nI lnIo uny
spuclous pockeI. 1ose hundy slze und
velghI meusuremenIs vlll obvlously
lncreuse should you use unoIher, lurger
compuIlble lens und Ihere ure dozens
o Ihese Io choose rom.
Funusonlc husn`I compromlsed
lIs euIures ln lIs drlve Iovurd
mlnluIurlsuIlon. 1ere`s sIlll room or u
popup ush, u mode dlul und u reur
conIrol vheel. 1e elegunIly orgunlsed
Iouchscreen lnIeruce provldes qulck
uccess Io lIs myrlud seIIlngs. WlFl ls bullI
ln, und Ihere ure upps or lFhone, lFud
und ndrold IhuI leI you brovse und
copy phoIos und vldeos, und conIrol
Ihe cumeru remoIely.
1e GMI ls usI, ruIIllng o Ivo shoIs
per second ln normul use, or nve per
second vhen bursI mode ls operuIlng.
II cun even reocus on movlng subjecIs
vhlle cupIurlng our shoIs per second
someIhlng ev oIher compucI sysIem
cumerus cun muIch.
WlIh Ihe sume sensor und lmuge
processlng chlp us Ihe conslderubly
more expenslve Funusonlc Lumlx GX7,
Ihere`s u loI Io udmlre vhen lI comes Io
lmuge quullIy. IIs I6meguplxel JFEGs
ure pucked vlIh deIull, vhlle colours
ure smooIh und llellke. II comes very
close Io muIchlng Sony`s superb NEX
runge o cumerus or lmuge quullIy ln
lov llghI, vlIh very llIIle evldence o
Ihe grulny nolse IhuI oIen bllghIs
lmuges Iuken on compucI cumerus
und smurIphones.
s vlIh oIher recenI Lumlx Gserles
cumerus, Ihe vldeo mode ls us good us
you`ll nnd on uny cumeru Ihls slde o
I,UUU. DeIulls ure lncredlbly crlsp und
cleun, colours ure rlch und Ihe uuIoocus
ls responslve und eusy Io conIrol uslng
Ihe Iouchscreen.
1ere ure u couple o dovnsldes Io Ihe
dlmlnuIlve dlmenslons. 1e 28UshoI
buIIery lle ls u leIdovn und people vlIh
lurge hunds muy nnd Ihe smull buIIons u
blI nddly. 1e lens IhuI comes vlIh lI nIs
perecIly, buI oIher compuIlble lenses ure
sllghIly Iuller Ihun Ihe cumeru so you`ll
need Io spend 8U on u pedesIulshuped
udupIer vvv.snlpcu.comIUSU8) l you
vunI Io use oIher lenses vlIh u Irlpod.
SIlll, ve`d ruIher puI up vlIh Ihese
lnconvenlences Ihun seIIle or Ihe
vorse lmuge quullIy o u convenIlonul
compucI cumeru. 1e GMI lsn`I cheup,
buI lI nnully dellvers on Ihe promlse
o u genulnely pockeIslzed cumeru vlIh
SLR quullIy und perormunce, und lI
does lI ln sIyle.
PClFlCTl0N5
J6.Jm|| snsr 3x oomJ2-32mmI 3|n
screen no eyep|ece |cro Pour 1h|rds |ens mount
accepts 50, 50HC, 50XCstorage cards 2Bg
3BxJx5BmmHxWx0I Dne-year warranty
www.sn|pca.com/J722
VRDlCT: Te h|ghest |mage qua||ty
we've ever seen froma pocket-s|ed
camera

LTRNTlV: Panason|c Lum|x

0C-CP6E329
Not qu|te as
sma||, but s|m||ar
|mage qua||ty
and features
to the CJ at a
|ower pr|ce

CMR 629 frcmwww.snlpca.ccm/J072J

LRqual!nanncedolsmall packae
lmaes aepacked
!hde!al, colous ae
smoo!handllelke

20 24December 2013 7 January 2014

Reviews
Were big fans of compact system
cameras (CSCs), which oer the image
quality and interchangeable lenses of a
DSLR (digital single-lens reex) camera
but without the bulk. However, even
though theyre typically half the weight
of a DSLR, theyre still too big to t
into most pockets.
Te GM1 is a camera that bucks this
trend. Its stylish metallic body is big
enough to accommodate its lens mount
and 3in touchscreen but only just. Te
lens itself is amazingly small, retracting
to just 24mmwhen not in use thats
less than half the length of most bundled
CSC lenses. Together, the camera, lens
and lens cap weigh 280g and are 58mm
deep. Tats small enough to t into any
spacious pocket. Tose handy size and
weight measurements will obviously
increase should you use another, larger
compatible lens and there are dozens
of these to choose from.
Panasonic hasnt compromised
its features in its drive toward
miniaturisation. Teres still roomfor a
pop-up ash, a mode dial and a rear
control wheel. Te elegantly organised
touchscreen interface provides quick
access to its myriad settings. Wi-Fi is built
in, and there are apps for iPhone, iPad
and Android that let you browse and
copy photos and videos, and control
the camera remotely.
Te GM1 is fast, rattling o two shots
per second in normal use, or ve per
second when burst mode is operating.
It can even refocus on moving subjects
while capturing four shots per second
something fewother compact system
cameras can match.
With the same sensor and image-
processing chip as the considerably
more expensive Panasonic Lumix GX7,
theres a lot to admire when it comes to
image quality. Its 16-megapixel JPEGs
are packed with detail, while colours
are smooth and lifelike. It comes very
close to matching Sonys superb NEX
range of cameras for image quality in
lowlight, with very little evidence of
the grainy noise that often blights
images taken on compact cameras
and smartphones.
As with other recent Lumix G-series
cameras, the video mode is as good as
youll nd on any camera this side of
1,000. Details are incredibly crisp and
clean, colours are rich and the autofocus
is responsive and easy to control using
the touchscreen.
Tere are a couple of downsides to the
diminutive dimensions. Te 230-shot
battery life is a letdown and people with
large hands may nd the small buttons a
bit ddly. Te lens that comes with it ts
perfectly, but other compatible lenses are
slightly taller than the camera so youll
need to spend 30 on a pedestal-shaped
adapter (www.snipca.com/10803) if you
want to use other lenses with a tripod.
Still, wed rather put up with these
inconveniences than settle for the
worse image quality of a conventional
compact camera. Te GM1 isnt cheap,
but it nally delivers on the promise
of a genuinely pocket-sized camera with
SLR quality and performance, and it
does it in style.
SPECIFICATIONS
16.1-megapixel sensor 3x zoom(12-32mm) 3in
screen no eyepiece Micro Four Thirds lens mount
accepts SD, SDHC, SDXCstorage cards 280g
38x100x58mm(HxWxD) One-year warranty
www.snipca.com/10722
VERDICT: Te highest image quality
weve ever seen froma pocket-sized
camera

ALTERNATIVE: Panasonic Lumix

DMC-GF6 329
Not quite as
small, but similar
image quality
and features
to the GM1 at a
lower price
PanasonicLumixDMC-GM1
CAMERA 629 fromwww.snipca.com/10721
DSLRqualityinanincrediblysmall package
Images arepacked
withdetail, colours are
smoothandlifelike
BUY IT!

Western Digital, WD and the WD logo are registered trademarks of Western Digital Technologies, lnc. in the U.S. and other countries; My Cloud and absolutely are trademarks of Western Digital Technologies, lnc.
in the U.S. and other countries. Other marks may be mentioned herein that belong to other companies. Product specifcations subject to change without notice. Picture shown may vary from actual product.
2013 Western Digital Technologies, lnc. All rights reserved.
You know every photo or video is worth saving. With My Cloud,
every precious moment stored on your computers, tablets and
smartphones is automatically and securely backed up to one
central place in your own home. And it's all instantly accessible
from anywhere, on any device, anytime. wd.com/myc|oud

"
Persona| O|oud Storage
Save everything. Access anywhere.
087008.13_WESDIG_2013_My_Cloud_Print_Accumulator_Computer_Active_UK_Dec_02_MECH ROUND #: MECH
Trim: 210mm W x 297mm H Bleed: 216mm W x 303mm H Live: 190mm W x 277mm H Color Space: CMYK Fonts: Helvetica Neue LT Std
Publication Name: DSLR Photography
TM: AS: AD: PA: Date: 10/28/13 Loaded Date: 12/10/13
Western Digital, WD and the WD logo are registered trademarks of Western Digital Technologies, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries; My Cloud and absolutely are trademarks of Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
in the U.S. and other countries. Other marks may be mentioned herein that belong to other companies. Product specications subject to change without notice. Picture shown may vary from actual product.
2013 Western Digital Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved.
You know every photo or video is worth saving. With My Cloud,
every precious moment stored on your computers, tablets and
smartphones is automatically and securely backed up to one
central place in your own home. And its all instantly accessible
from anywhere, on any device, anytime. wd.com/mycloud
My Cloud

Personal Cloud Storage

Save everything. Access anywhere.
087008.13_WESDIG_2013_My_Cloud_Print_Accumulator_Computer_Active_UK_Dec_02_MECH ROUND #: MECH
Trim: 210mm W x 297mm H Bleed: 216mm W x 303mm H Live: 190mm W x 277mm H Color Space: CMYK Fonts: Helvetica Neue LT Std
Publication Name: DSLR Photography
TM: AS: AD: PA: Date: 10/28/13 Loaded Date: 12/10/13
40cmbr 20J3 - 7 !anuary 20J4

PCFCT0N5
Qua|comm
5napdragon 6quad-core processor 2Cmemory
J6Cstorage 4C m|cro 5|M ndro|d 4.3 !e||y
ean 2J7g J65xB3xJmmHxWx0I Dne-year
warranty www.sn|pca.com/J79B
VRDCT: Te poor ca|| qua||ty |s
d|sappo|nt|ng, but otherw|se th|s |s a
good phab|et w|th a c|ever hngerpr|nt
sensor and great battery ||fe

LTRNTV: Coog|e Nexus 5 E299

|f you want a more sens|b|y s|ed
ndro|d phone, then the |atest Nexus
|s a good cho|ce thanks to |ts s||ck
performance and the |atest vers|on
of ndro|d
FhubleI ue muIphone
IhuI ue o blg Ihe ulmoI
quull u IubleI. 1e H1C
One Mux l one o Ihe luIeI
phubleI uvulluble und lI
ceIulnl u vhoppe, vlIh u
blg ln ceen und velghlng
ln uI u heI 2Ig. II Ihlck
und luge, even b phubleI
Iundud, due ln puI Io lI
cuved meIul buck und Ihe
Ieeo peuke uI Ihe Iop
und boIIom. II o Iull IhuI
vhen ve culed ln u jeun
pockeI, lI poked ouI ve
conplcuoul.
1e Mux l o luge und
unvleld IhuI lI lmpolble
Io hold und ue lngle
hunded unle ou huve
mulve hund uIIempIlng
Io IeIch ou nnge uco
Ihe vldIh o Ihe ln ceen
poved Io be un uvkvud puln.
We uIIempIed Ihl on u Iuln und ulmoI
dopped Ihe Mux u u eulI. Imuge quullI
l geuI Ihough. 1e ceen l ve blghI
vlIh vlvld colou. Reudlng l eu on Ihe
ee Ioo u Ihe hlgh I92UxIUSUplxel
eoluIlon muke IexI look ve clp.
I leuI Ihe ubIunIlul velghI und bulk
huve been puI Io good ue. 1e peuke
ue Ihe beI veve heud on un phone o
IubleI vlIh upllngl cleu und lch
ound. BuIIe lle l ulo lmpelve.
When ued o muklng cull, bovlng
Ihe veb, GFS und Iuklng phoIo, Ihe
Mux luIed 8I hou on O2 8G neIvok
ln cenIul London und juI unde 29
hou on 4G. MoI muIphone luI
o uound 24 hou uI beI.
One neveuIue IhuI no oIhe cuenI
ndold devlce hu l u bullIln nngeplnI
eude. II ued lnIeud o u pucode o
unlocklng Ihe phone, buI lI cun be
uvkvud Io euch und vlpe dependlng
on ou hund lze u lI locuIed juI
undeneuIh Ihe cumeu on Ihe buck o Ihe
Mux. We dld nnd lI Io be moe veuIlle
Ihun Ihe nngeplnI eude on Ihe
lFhone S ee ou evlev, Iue 4US) lI
ucceull ecognled ou nnge even
uIe Ihe kln hud been vlnkled uIe u
ouk ln Ihe buIh, omeIhlng Ihe S dldnI
do. Svlpe omdleenI nnge cun ulo
be ued Io open dleenI upp. Fo
exumple, unlocklng Ihe phone ulng
ou oennge cun Iuke ou IulghI lnIo
Chome, buI ulng ou mlddle nnge
cun Iuke ou Io Ihe cumeu.
1e oumeguplxel cumeu ound
plmlIlve, buI ln ou IeI Ihe luge
eno mude lovllghI hoI look cleue
und beIIe llI Ihun hoI Iuken on oIhe
muIphone cumeu. 1e lovmeguplxel
counI dld meun IhuI phoIo vee
noIlceubl le deIulled, Ihough,
epeclull vhen copped o zoomed ln.
Cull quullI on O2 neIvok ln London
WeI End vu dluppolnIlng. Culle
epoIed IhuI ve ounded mumed
und dlIoIed, epeclull vhen Ihe
buckgoundnole cuncelluIlon
klcked ln Io block ouI Ihe
umbllng o u neub
conIucIlon lIe und Iumc.
vlIh oIhe Oneele
phone lnIoduced ln 2UI8,
Ihe Mux come vlIh H1C
BllnkFeed. 1l uddlIlon Io
Ihe ndold 4.8 Jell Beun
lnIeuce hov ull ou nev
heudllne und oclulneIvok
upduIe ln one ceen, Io Ihe
leI o Ihe nI home ceen.
II u ueul uddlIlon, buI lI
cun be Iuned o l ou
donI llke lI. H1C hu
connmed Ihe Mux vlll be
upduIed Io ndold 4.4
KlIKuI ln Junuu 2UI4
o moe ubouI KlIKuI,
ee ou Google Nexu S evlev, Iue 4I2).
1e I.GHz quudcoe poceo dldnI
huve un Iouble vlIh ou demundlng
8Dguphlc und vebpugeloudlng
benchmuk IeI. 1e ndold lnIeuce
dld omeIlme eel lugglh, Ihough, vlIh
Ihe Iouchceen lugglng behlnd ou nnge
movemenI. 1e 4.4 KlIKuI upduIe, vlIh
lI numeou undeIhehood
peomunce Iveuk, hould lmpove Ihl.
1e lze o Ihe H1C One Mux meun lI
vonI be o eveone. Wed much uIhe
huve u epuuIe IubleI und u moe enlbl
lzed phone, buI l ou cun hundle Ihe
Mux glIh Ihen lI u good cholce u
lI one o Ihe beI phubleI uvulluble.
Thepeake ae
heoe veveheadon
anyphoneo aole

5MRTPH0N 567 w|theut centract frcmwww.snlpca.ccm/J079B

HTC pezedmaphonevhalnepn eade
22 24December 2013 7 January 2014
Reviews
SPECIFICATIONS
6in 1920x1080-pixel screen 1.7GHz Qualcomm
Snapdragon 600quad-core processor 2GBmemory
16GBstorage 4G micro SIM Android 4.3 Jelly
Bean 217g 165x83x10mm(HxWxD) One-year
warranty www.snipca.com/10798
VERDICT: Te poor call quality is
disappointing, but otherwise this is a
good phablet with a clever ngerprint
sensor and great battery life

ALTERNATIVE: Google Nexus 5 299

If you want a more sensibly sized
Android phone, then the latest Nexus
is a good choice thanks to its slick
performance and the latest version
of Android
Phablets are smartphones
that are so big they almost
qualify as tablets. Te HTC
One Max is one of the latest
phablets available and its
certainly a whopper, with a
big 6in screen and weighing
in at a hefty 217g. Its thick
and large, even by phablet
standards, due in part to its
curved metal back and the
stereo speakers at the top
and bottom. Its so tall that
when we carried in a jeans
pocket, it poked out very
conspicuously.
Te Max is so large and
unwieldy that its impossible
to hold and use single
handed unless you have
massive hands - attempting
to stretch our ngers across
the width of the 6in screen
proved to be an awkward pain.
We attempted this on a train and almost
dropped the Max as a result. Image quality
is great though. Te screen is very bright
with vivid colours. Reading is easy on the
eyes too as the high 1920x1080-pixel
resolution makes text look very crisp.
At least the substantial weight and bulk
have been put to good use. Te speakers
are the best weve heard on any phone or
tablet with surprisingly clear and rich
sound. Battery life is also impressive.
When used for making calls, browsing
the web, GPS and taking photos, the
Max lasted 31 hours on O2s 3G network
in central London and just under 29
hours on 4G. Most smartphones last
for around 24 hours at best.
One newfeature that no other current
Android device has is a built-in ngerprint
reader. Its used instead of a passcode for
unlocking the phone, but it can be
awkward to reach and swipe depending
on your hand size as its located just
underneath the camera on the back of the
Max. We did nd it to be more versatile
than the ngerprint reader on the
iPhone 5s (see our review, Issue 408) - it
successfully recognised our ngers even
after the skin had been wrinkled after a
soak in the bath, something the 5s didnt
do. Swipes fromdierent ngers can also
be used to open dierent apps. For
example, unlocking the phone using
your forenger can take you straight into
Chrome, but using your middle nger
can take you to the camera.
Te four-megapixel camera sounds
primitive, but in our tests the large
sensor made low-light shots look clearer
and better lit than shots taken on other
smartphone cameras. Te lowmegapixel
count did mean that photos were
noticeably less detailed, though,
especially when cropped or zoomed in.
Call quality on O2s network in Londons
West End was disappointing. Callers
reported that we sounded mued
and distorted, especially when the
background-noise cancellation
kicked in to block out the
rumblings of a nearby
construction site and trac.
As with other One-series
phones introduced in 2013,
the Max comes with HTCs
BlinkFeed. Tis addition to
the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean
interface shows all your news
headlines and social-network
updates in one screen, to the
left of the rst home screen.
Its a useful addition, but it
can be turned o if you
dont like it. HTC has
conrmed the Max will be
updated to Android 4.4
KitKat in January 2014
(for more about KitKat,
see our Google Nexus 5 review, Issue 412).
Te 1.7GHz quad-core processor didnt
have any trouble with our demanding
3Dgraphics and webpage-loading
benchmark tests. Te Android interface
did sometimes feel sluggish, though, with
the touchscreen lagging behind our nger
movements. Te 4.4 KitKat update, with
its numerous under-the-hood
performance tweaks, should improve this.
Te size of the HTC One Max means it
wont be for everyone. Wed much rather
have a separate tablet and a more sensibly
sized phone, but if you can handle the
Maxs girth then its a good choice as
its one of the best phablets available.
Thespeakers are
thebest weveheardon
anyphoneor tablet
HTCOneMax
SMARTPHONE 567 without contract fromwww.snipca.com/10798
HTCs supersizedsmartphonewithafngerprint reader
J3 - 7 !anuary 20J4
ody 1exI no lndenI) xxxxxxx xxx xxx
xx xxxx xx xxx xxx xxx xx xxxxxx xx
xxxxx xxxxxxx xxx xxx xx xxxx xx xxx
xxx xxx xx xxx xxx xx xxxxx xxxxxxx
xxx xxx xx xxxx xx xxx xxx xxx xx
xxxxxxx xxx xxx xx xxxx
xx xxx xxx xxx xx xxx
xxx xx xxxxx xxxxxxx
xxx xxx xx xxxx xx
xxx xxx xxx xx
xxxxxxx xxx xxx xx
xxxx xx xxx xxx xxx xx
xxx xxx xx xxxxx xxxxxxx
xxx xxx
Body IexI lndenI) xx xxxx xx xxx xxx
xxx xx xxxxxxx xxx xxx xx xxxx xx xxx
xxx xxx xx xxx xxx xx xxxxx xxxxxxx
xxx xxx xx xxxx xx xxx xxx xxx xx xxx

r Au x Cc
100frcmwww.sn|pca.ccm/10835

ced m|d-range and
natura| sound|ng voca|s. |t's |oud too.
attery ||fe was |engthy at 2hours
4Bm|nutes.
NudeAud|c
Mcve M
39frcm
www.sn|pca.
ccm/10836
esp|te be|ng a
mono speaker,
the Move Mhas
surpr|s|ng|y we||-ba|anced sound
w|th respectab|e bass. P|us, |t's water
res|stant, very sma|| and has |ong
battery ||fe at just under 2J hours.
DD5 -BDPZ
35 frcm
www.sn|pca.
ccm/10837 5ma||
enough to ht |n
your pa|m, yet |t's
water res|stant and has a
bu||t-|n suct|on cup so you
can st|ck |t anywhere. 5ound qua||ty |s
good for |ts sma|| s|e and the battery
|asted for just over J2 hours.
5ccsche BccmBctt|e
84 frcmwww.sn|pca.
ccm/10838
rugged and water-
res|stant stereo speaker
des|gned to ht |n a b|ke's
bott|e ho|der. 5ound qua||ty
was mere|y okay, but battery ||fe
was aston|sh|ng at an unprecedented
33 hours 24 m|nutes.

I nrsI glunce Ihe HF SpllI X2 uppeurs Io

be u chunky bluck und grey Wlndovs S.I
lupIop. II`s ucIuully Ivo compuIers ln one,
Ihough Ihe screen deIuches rom
Ihe keybourd so lI cun be
used us u IubleI.
lupIop und IubleI
ulllnone devlce
sounds ldeul und Ihere ure
lndeed some clever uspecIs ubouI Ihe
deslgn o Ihe SpllI X2. 1e I8ln screen
conIulns Ihe Core l8 processor und 64GB
SSD on vhlch Wlndovs, your progrums
und your mosI essenIlul nles ure sIored.
1e IubleI ulso hus u mlcroSD curd sloI und
heudphone porI o lIs ovn. Dock lI vlIh
Ihe keybourd und you noI only guln uccess
Io ull lIs porIs, buI u SUUGB hurd drlve
or sIorlng nles Ioo blg Io nI on Ihe SSD,
und u second buIIery Ioo.
BuIIery lle vus lmpresslvely long. 1e
IubleI lusIed jusI under elghI und u hul
hours ln our llghIusuge IesI, vlIh Ihe
keybourd dock uddlng unoIher nve hours
und 2U mlnuIes ulmosI I4 hours ln IoIul.
lIhough Ihe I.8GHz Core l8 48IUY
duulcore processor ls one o InIel`s
slovesI models, lI`s sIlll usI enough so IhuI
Ihe X2 cun be used us your muln compuIer.
1e cuIch ls IhuI Ihe SpllI X2 ls u llIIle
heuvy or u lupIop uI 2.8kg und very heuvy
us u IubleI uI jusI over Ikg. 1ls meuns
you`re less llkely Io use Ihe SpllI X2 ouI
und ubouI, muklng Ihe long buIIery lle
less o u benenI. DesplIe lIs velghI und
Ihlckness, Ihe X2 vusn`I us sIurdy us ve
expecIed. lIhough Ihe hlnge vhere Ihe
IubleI docks vlIh Ihe keybourd ls robusI,
Ihe plusIlc bulld ls oIhervlse u blI Ioo
creuky or our llklng. II ulso eels Iop heuvy
vhen docked vlIh Ioo much velghI
uround Ihe hlnge und screen, muklng lI
Ioo eusy Io Ilp Ihe X2 orvurds.
noIher dlsuppolnImenI ls Ihe
reluIlvely lovly I866x76S plxel resoluIlon
o Ihe I8ln screen. lIhough Ihls resoluIlon
ls common on budgeI lupIops, lI ls u
hlndrunce vhen you use Ihe SpllI us u
IubleI becuuse IexI ls noIlceubly uzzy,
muklng reudlng hurder. I leusI brlghIness
und colour uccurucy ure reusonubly good.
1e I8ln Iouchscreen ls very responslve,
ulIhough lIs lurge slze und I6:9 vldescreen
uspecI ruIlo muke uslng lI us u IubleI ln
porIrulI orlenIuIlon eel uvkvurd. In our
IesIs, Ihe Iouchscreen vus someIlmes Ioo
senslIlve, lnIerpreIlng Ihe llghIesI o
uccldenIul sIrokes us gesIures und screen
presses. I leusI Ihe keybourd ls good lI`s
lurge vlIh plenIy o Iruvel und eedbuck
muklng Iyplng usI und uccuruIe. 1e
uccuruIe Iouchpud ls ulso blg, buI Ihe
buIIons bullI lnIo Ihe boIIom o Ihe
pud eel Ioo sIl.
lIhough Ihere ure some good Ihlngs
ubouI Ihe SpllI X2, ulIlmuIely Ihese ure
oseI by lIs heuvy, uved deslgn. II`s noI
bud or use us u lupIop uround Ihe home,
buI lI`s ur Ioo cumbersome or regulur use
us u IubleI or us u lupIop vhlle Iruvelllng.

J3.3|n J366x76B-p|xe| touchscreen J.3 |nte|

ore |3 43JYdua|-core processor 4memory
J2B55 5hard dr|ve |nte| 42
|ntegrated graph|cs ch|p W|ndows B.J Jkg 2.3kg
when dockedI Jx34x23mm2x34x23mm
when dockedI xWxI Dne-year warranty
www.sn|pca.com/J7BB

frcmwww.snlpca.ccm/J07B7

c|umsy tab|et and a bu|ky,

heavy |aptop

pp|e |Pad |r E4Dur favour|te b|g-

screen tab|et |s ||ghter
than the |Pad 4, mak|ng
|t much
more
comfortab|e
to use
screen tab|et
than the |Pad
|t
mo
co
to
24December 2013 - 7 January 2014 23
Portable
bluetooth
speakers
Cambridge Audio Minx Go
100fromwww.snipca.com/10835
Agreat sounding stereo speaker with
pulsating bass, balanced mid-range and
natural sounding vocals. Its loud too.
Battery life was lengthy at 20hours
48minutes.
NudeAudio
Move M
39from
www.snipca.
com/10836
Despite being a
mono speaker,
the Move Mhas
surprisingly well-balanced sound
with respectable bass. Plus, its water
resistant, very small and has long
battery life at just under 21 hours.
QDOS Q-BOPZ
35 from
www.snipca.
com/10837 Small
enough to t in
your palm, yet its
water resistant and has a
built-in suction cup so you
can stick it anywhere. Sound quality is
good for its small size and the battery
lasted for just over 12 hours.
Scosche BoomBottle
84 fromwww.snipca.
com/10838
Arugged and water-
resistant stereo speaker
designed to t in a bikes
bottle holder. Sound quality
was merely okay, but battery life
was astonishing at an unprecedented
33 hours 24 minutes.
Thebest
At rst glance the HP Split X2 appears to
be a chunky black and grey Windows 8.1
laptop. Its actually two computers in one,
though - the screen detaches from
the keyboard so it can be
used as a tablet.
A laptop and tablet
all-in-one device
sounds ideal and there are
indeed some clever aspects about the
design of the Split X2. Te 13in screen
contains the Core i3 processor and 64GB
SSD on which Windows, your programs
and your most essential les are stored.
Te tablet also has a microSD card slot and
headphone port of its own. Dock it with
the keyboard and you not only gain access
to all its ports, but a 500GB hard drive
for storing les too big to t on the SSD,
and a second battery too.
Battery life was impressively long. Te
tablet lasted just under eight and a half
hours in our light-usage test, with the
keyboard dock adding another ve hours
and 20 minutes - almost 14 hours in total.
Although the 1.3GHz Core i3 4310Y
dual-core processor is one of Intels
slowest models, its still fast enough so that
the X2 can be used as your main computer.
Te catch is that the Split X2 is a little
heavy for a laptop at 2.3kg and very heavy
as a tablet at just over 1kg. Tis means
youre less likely to use the Split X2 out
and about, making the long battery life
less of a benet. Despite its weight and
thickness, the X2 wasnt as sturdy as we
expected. Although the hinge where the
tablet docks with the keyboard is robust,
the plastic build is otherwise a bit too
creaky for our liking. It also feels top heavy
when docked with too much weight
around the hinge and screen, making it
too easy to tip the X2 forwards.
Another disappointment is the
relatively lowly 1366x768 pixel resolution
of the 13in screen. Although this resolution
is common on budget laptops, it is a
hindrance when you use the Split as a
tablet because text is noticeably fuzzy,
making reading harder. At least brightness
and colour accuracy are reasonably good.
Te 13in touchscreen is very responsive,
although its large size and 16:9 widescreen
aspect ratio make using it as a tablet in
portrait orientation feel awkward. In our
tests, the touchscreen was sometimes too
sensitive, interpreting the lightest of
accidental strokes as gestures and screen
presses. At least the keyboard is good - its
large with plenty of travel and feedback
making typing fast and accurate. Te
accurate touchpad is also big, but the
buttons built into the bottom of the
pad feel too sti.
Although there are some good things
about the Split X2, ultimately these are
oset by its heavy, awed design. Its not
bad for use as a laptop around the home,
but its far too cumbersome for regular use
as a tablet or as a laptop while travelling.
SPECIFICATIONS
13.3in 1366x768-pixel touchscreen 1.3GHz Intel
Core i3 4310Ydual-core processor 4GBmemory
128GBSSD 500GBhard drive Intel HD4200
integrated graphics chip Windows 8.1 1kg (2.3kg
when docked) 10x340x230mm(20x340x230mm
when docked) (HxWxD) One-year warranty
www.snipca.com/10788
HPSplit X2
LAPTOP 650 fromwww.snipca.com/10787
Alaptopthat turns
intoatablet
VERDICT: Aclumsy tablet and a bulky,
heavy laptop

ALTERNATIVE
Apple iPad Air 400Our favourite big-
screen tablet is lighter
than the iPad 4, making
it much
more
comfortable
to use
screen tablet
than the iPad
it m
mo
co
to
- 7 !anuary 20J4
Revevs
4PlatInum
Nero`s excellenI CD,
DVD und BluruyvrlIlng soIvure,
culled Burnlng ROM, on lIs ovn or
bundled lnIo u sulIe o mulIlmedlu upps.
In Ihe pusI, Ihe sulIe`s oIher progrums
huven`I ulvuys muIched Ihe quullIy
o Burnlng ROM, buI ln Ihls luIesI
releuse Nero promlses uddlIlonul
rennemenIs und neveuIures. 1e
nrsI Ihlng you`ll noIlce ls IhuI Ihe sulIe`s
been decluIIered, lI conIulns ever
progrums Ihun lI dld u couple o yeurs
ugo, und Ihose vhlch remuln ure more
IlghIly ocused on orgunlslng und
munuglng vldeos, uudlo nles und
plcIures, or vrlIlng IhemIo dlsc.
1ls verslon hus u slmpllned sIurI
cenIre romvhlch you cun luunch Ihe
vurlous componenIs, or slmply nnd ouI
vhuI Ihey do. Dlsc burnlng ls hundled
by Nero Burnlng ROMund Nero Express
vhlch huven`I chunged uI ull ln Ihls
releuse und IhuI`s no bud Ihlng. 1e
ormer reIulns Ihe dlscspunnlng euIure
lnIroduced vlIh verslon I2. 1ls vrlIes u
lurge seI o duIu IhuI von`I nI on u slngle
dlsc on Io mulIlple dlscs.
Nero Recode leIs you Iuke exlsIlng
uudlo or vldeo nles und converI IhemIo u
dlerenI nle Iype so lI vlll pluy on u
dlerenI devlce. s un exumple lI cun
Iuke un VCHDvldeo us creuIed by mosI
modern cumerus und cumcorders und
converI lI Io H.264 or pluybuck on un
lFhone S. II`s hlghly exlble, vlIh preseIs
coverlng u runge o desIlnuIlon devlces,
und cun ulso converI vldeo or uudlo
sIrulghI romun opIlcul dlsc provlded
lI lsn`I copy proIecIed.
Nevln Ihls releuse ls 'Dlsc Io Devlce`,
u slmpler ulIernuIlve Io Recode or
converIlng nles vlIh ever opIlons.
II uppeurs ln Ihe uIopluy menu vhen
you lnserI u dlsc, or ln Ihe conIexI
menu vhen you rlghIcllck u nle,
und oers u llsI o desIlnuIlons lncludlng
uny phone or IubleI IhuI`s connecIed Io
your FC, us vell us uny lnsIulled cloud
sIoruge upps such us Dropbox. Once
selecIed, Ihe Irunser und uny necessury
converslon ls uuIomuIlcully compleIed
ln Ihe buckground.
1e Vldeo progrum vhlch leIs you
edlI movles ulso recelves neveuIures.
1ere ure nevIllIshlI ocul
eecIs, vhlch cun muke
subjecIs uppeur mlnluIurlsed
or Ioyllke, und u llbrury o
dynumlc muslc vhlch ls
uuIomuIlcully sculed Io muIch
Ihe lengIh o Ihe ooIuge you`re
vorklng on. On u slmllur
Iheme, RhyIhmSnup ls u nev
euIure Io deIecI rhyIhmln u
soundIruck und help you keep
oIher vldeo or uudlo cllps ln Ilme vlIh lI.
Verslon I2`s Kvlk Medlu hus been
repuckuged lnIo MedluHome. 1ls
remulns u ulrly undervhelmlng
progrumor munuglng und brovslng
phoIo, vldeo und uudlo nles, vlIh Ihe
key dlerence IhuI lI novhus un
embedded medlu server. 1ls ullovs
DLN or UFnF devlces on your neIvork
such us u smurI 1V or gumes console
Io dlspluy or pluy buck conIenI sIored
on Ihe FC, vhlch ls u very useul vuy
Io geI home vldeos or hollduy snups
lnIo Ihe slIIlng roomvlIhouI huvlng
Io drug Ihe compuIer Ihere.
Overull Ihe Nero sulIe hus lmproved
slnce Ihe prevlous verslon, buI mosI o
Ihe chunges ure reluIlvely mlnor some
neveuIures here und Ihere us vell us u
decluIIered, revumped lnIeruce. 1ere`s
noI enough here Io jusIly un upgrude
romverslon I2, buI l you`re nevIo
0FWR 80 frcmwww.snlpca.ccm/J0700
slmmed-dovn, sped-upsu!eol medapoams
phoIo und vldeoedlIlng und converIlng
und vunI u onesIop collecIlon o phoIo,
vldeo und dlsc burnlng progrums Ihen
lI`s reusonubly good vulue. II`s noI us
good vulue l you von`I use ull o Ihe
lncluded progrums, Ihough, so l you
ulreudy use u phoIo undor vldeo edlIor
IhuI you`re huppy vlIh, Ihen you`re
beIIer o sklpplng Nero 2UI4 FluIlnum.
YMRUlRMNT5



Rewr|tab|e opt|ca| dr|ve for burn|ng 0p|ayback
and ed|t|ng requ|res W|ndows V|sta 5P2 or |ater
www.sn|pca.com/J7
VRDlCT: Nero's d|sc-burn|ng
software rema|ns exce||ent, and |ts
accompany|ng med|a software |s better
than before. ut overa|| th|s |s qu|te a
pr|cey su|te that's on|y good va|ue |f
you need a|| of the |nc|uded programs

LTRNTlV: dobe Photoshop

and Prem|ere L|ements J2 und|e
Ld|t|on E9J |f you
want more powerfu|
and soph|st|cated
photo- and v|deo-
ed|t|ng, then th|s
bund|e |s great va|ue,
a|though you'|| need
separate d|sc-burn|ng
software


nvert f||es
and transfer
themtc var|cus
dev|ces
Nerc V|dec |s a reascnab|e v|dec-ed|t|ng app featur|ng
newt||t-sh|ft effects
24 24December 2013 - 7 January 2014
Reviews
Nero2014Platinum
You can buy Neros excellent CD-,
DVD- and Blu-ray-writing software,
called Burning ROM, on its own or
bundled into a suite of multimedia apps.
In the past, the suites other programs
havent always matched the quality
of Burning ROM, but in this latest
release Nero promises additional
renements and newfeatures. Te
rst thing youll notice is that the suites
been de-cluttered; it contains fewer
programs than it did a couple of years
ago, and those which remain are more
tightly focused on organising and
managing videos, audio les and
pictures, or writing themto disc.
Tis version has a simplied start
centre fromwhich you can launch the
various components, or simply nd out
what they do. Disc burning is handled
by Nero Burning ROMand Nero Express
which havent changed at all in this
release and thats no bad thing. Te
former retains the disc-spanning feature
introduced with version 12. Tis writes a
large set of data that wont t on a single
disc on to multiple discs.
Nero Recode lets you take existing
audio or video les and convert themto a
dierent le type so it will play on a
dierent device. As an example it can
take an AVCHDvideo - as created by most
modern cameras and camcorders - and
convert it to H.264 for playback on an
iPhone 5. Its highly exible, with presets
covering a range of destination devices,
and can also convert video or audio
straight froman optical disc - provided
it isnt copy protected.
Newin this release is Disc to Device,
a simpler alternative to Recode for
converting les with fewer options.
It appears in the Autoplay menu when
you insert a disc, or in the context
menu when you right-click a le,
and oers a list of destinations including
any phone or tablet thats connected to
your PC, as well as any installed cloud-
storage apps such as Dropbox. Once
selected, the transfer and any necessary
conversion is automatically completed
in the background.
Te Video program which lets you
edit movies also receives newfeatures.
Tere are newtilt-shift focal
eects, which can make
subjects appear miniaturised
or toy-like, and a library of
dynamic music which is
automatically scaled to match
the length of the footage youre
working on. On a similar
theme, RhythmSnap is a new
feature to detect rhythmin a
soundtrack and help you keep
other video or audio clips in time with it.
Version 12s Kwik Media has been
repackaged into MediaHome. Tis
remains a fairly underwhelming
programfor managing and browsing
photo, video and audio les, with the
key dierence that it nowhas an
embedded media server. Tis allows
DLNA or UPnP devices on your network
such as a smart TV or games console
to display or play back content stored
on the PC, which is a very useful way
to get home videos or holiday snaps
into the sitting roomwithout having
to drag the computer there.
Overall the Nero suite has improved
since the previous version, but most of
the changes are relatively minor some
newfeatures here and there as well as a
decluttered, revamped interface. Teres
not enough here to justify an upgrade
fromversion 12, but if youre newto
SOFTWARE 80 fromwww.snipca.com/10700
Aslimmed-down, spiced-upsuiteof mediaprograms
photo- and video-editing and converting
and want a one-stop collection of photo,
video and disc burning programs then
its reasonably good value. Its not as
good value if you wont use all of the
included programs, though, so if you
already use a photo and/or video editor
that youre happy with, then youre
better o skipping Nero 2014 Platinum.
SYSTEMREQUIREMENTS
2GHz processor or faster 1GBof memory 5GB
of hard-drive space Windows XPSP3 or later
Microsoft DirectX9-compatible graphics card
Rewritable optical drive for burning HDplayback
and editing requires Windows Vista SP2 or later
www.snipca.com/10700
VERDICT: Neros disc-burning
software remains excellent, and its
accompanying media software is better
than before. But overall this is quite a
pricey suite thats only good value if
you need all of the included programs

ALTERNATIVE: Adobe Photoshop

and Premiere Elements 12 Bundle
Edition 91 If you
want more powerful
and sophisticated
photo- and video-
editing, then this
bundle is great value,
although youll need
separate disc-burning
software
Recode makes
it simple to
convert files
and transfer
themto various
devices
Nero Video is a reasonable video-editing app featuring
newtilt-shift effects
cmbr 20J3 - 7 !anuary 20J4
obo ls besI knovn or lIs runge o
ereuders, buI Ihe compuny ulso mukes
ndrold IubleIs. IIs luIesI model ls Ihe
rc IU HDvhlch, desplIe lIs reluIlvely
lovprlce o jusI 299, hus u very hlgh
resoluIlon screen. I 2S6UxI6UU plxels,
Ihe resoluIlon ls hlgher Ihun IhuI o Ihe
lFud lr und muIches IhuI o Ihe Sumsung
Nexus IU see our revlevs, Issues 4II
und 8S9, respecIlvely).
1unks Io lIs hlghresoluIlon IexI looks
shurp, buI colours look u llIIle vushed ouI
und conIrusI ls medlocre especlully
vhen compured Io Ihe lFud lr. 1urnlng
o Kobo`s cusIomdlspluy seIIlngs
compensuIes or Ihese uulIs Io un exIenI,
buI uI Ihe cosI o reveullng unoIher u
noIlceuble blue IlnI. 1e responslveness o
Ihe Iouchscreen ls ulso uved uI Ilmes
durlng our IesI lI vus overly senslIlve,
mlsIuklng Ihe llghIesI o Iouches us screen
presses. I oIher Ilmes, lI vus Ioo luggy.
Hovever, Ihe rc IU HDls very usI uI
runnlng upps. 1e I.S GHz Nvldlu 1egru 4
quudcore processor und 2GB o memory
excelled ln our benchmurk IesIs, loudlng
deIulled 8Dgruphlcs und complex
vebpuges vlIh euse.
Less lmpresslve vus
Ihe buIIery lle. I
jusI over nlne hours
vhen pluylng
vldeos conIlnuously,
lI`s shorIer Ihun
oIher IUln IubleIs ve`ve seen.
1ere ure severul smuller uvs vhlch
uren`I Ioo bud on Ihelr ovn, buI vhen
Iuken IogeIher muke uslng Ihe rc IU HD
more clunky Ihun oIher IUln IubleIs.
1ere`s no SDcurd sloI or uddlng more
sIoruge Io Ihe exlsIlng I6GB. 1ere lsn`I u
reuruclng cumeru, buI Ihere ls u orvurd
uclng cumeru or vldeo chuIs. FooIuge vus
o u poor quullIy, Ihough, vlIh loIs o
nolse. 1e rc IU HDvelghs 68Ug vhlch
ls noIlceubly heuvler Ihun Ihe 47Ug lFud
lr Ihe luIIer ls ur more comorIuble Io
hold und use or long perlods. 1e oddly
ungulur deslgn o Ihe IubleI`s reur doesn`I
help elIher, buI lI dld glve our nngers
more grlp on Ihe sllppery reur.
1e cusIomlsed ndrold lnIeruce ls u
mlxed bug. 1e nrsI home screen ls un
uIIrucIlve Illed vlevo ull Ihe ebooks,
muguzlnes und oIher conIenI boughI rom
Kobo`s sIore, vlIh occuslonul popups
suggesIlng slmllur lIems you muy llke. 1e
second ls u sIundurd ndrold home screen
or your upps, buI oddly you cun`I orgunlse
upps lnIo olders. InsIeud you cun group
frcmwww.snlpca.ccm/J0779
FT0N5
e| touchscreen
J.BCHz Nv|d|a egra 4 quad-core processor
2Cmemory J6Cstorage ndro|d 4.2 63g
J72x253xJmmHxWx0I Dne-year warranty
www.sn|pca.com/J7B
VRT: reasonab|y |owpr|ce and
a h|gh-reso|ut|on screen, but severa|
aws make th|s an average tab|et

LTRNTV:
pp|e |Pad |r E4
b|t more
expens|ve,
but a|so far
super|or
IhemlnIo u lurge vlrIuul blnder vlIh u
numed splne vlslble on u vlrIuul bookshel
on u sepuruIe home screen. You cun orgunlse
ull your conIenI Ihls vuy, mlxlng und
muIchlng dlerenI Iypes o conIenI such us
ebooks, upps und phoIos ln Ihe sume
blnder. II`s noI u bud ldeu, buI Ihe vlrIuul
bookshel vusIes u loI o screen spuce.
1e Kobo rc IU HDlooks llke u greuI
budgeI IubleI on puper, buI numerous
uvs muke lI u merely uveruge one ln
reullIy. 1e lFud lr muy cosI IUU more,
buI lI`s u ur superlor IUln IubleI.

`min nccd of a brand ncv

compuIcr, probabIy anoIhcr
dcskIop PC, buI I can`I nd
onc IhaI has Windovs 7 on iI, raIhcr
Ihan Windovs 8.
I usc my currcnI Windovs XP
compuIcr for cmaiIing, inIcrncI
scarchcs, onIinc shopping, sIoring
phoIos, IisIcning Io MP8 music and
using Word 2008 Io vriIc documcnIs.
I don`I nccd a compuIcr for gamcs or
oIhcr fancy sIu.
5andra urr
an uyaasIc WInovs 77

lmosI ull nev

Wlndovs FCs und
lupIops novrun
Wlndovs S ruIher Ihun Wlndovs 7. 1e
only excepIlons ure compuIers ulmed uI
buslnesses vhlch oIen use progrums
IhuI uren`I yeI compuIlble vlIh Wlndovs
S) und FCs bullI Io order by smull und
medlumslzed munuucIurers. For your
buslc compuIlng needs, ve`d recommend
Ihe CCL lphu XM2. 1ls spucesuvlng
mlnl FC ls very smull und ls more Ihun
usI enough or your needs. I you do
need u more poverul FC or more
udvunced Iusks, ve`d recommend
Ihe 6SU Wlred2Flre Hul IUUU. WlIh
Wlndovs 7 lI cosIs jusI SIU vvv.
snlpcu.com968S).
wTSDULl UY7
0c ycu nd advlc cn what ycu shcu|d buy7
Fmal| us at |ttrsQccmputractlv.cc.uk
We so|ve your buy|ng d||emmas
Koborci0

V:
|r E4
24December 2013 - 7 January 2014 25
Kobo is best known for its range of
e-readers, but the company also makes
Android tablets. Its latest model is the
Arc 10 HDwhich, despite its relatively
lowprice of just 299, has a very high-
resolution screen. At 2560x1600 pixels,
the resolution is higher than that of the
iPad Air and matches that of the Samsung
Nexus 10 (see our reviews, Issues 411
and 389, respectively).
Tanks to its high-resolution text looks
sharp, but colours look a little washed out
and contrast is mediocre especially
when compared to the iPad Air. Turning
o Kobos customdisplay settings
compensates for these faults to an extent,
but at the cost of revealing another a
noticeable blue tint. Te responsiveness of
the touchscreen is also awed at times
during our test it was overly sensitive,
mistaking the lightest of touches as screen
presses. At other times, it was too laggy.
However, the Arc 10 HDis very fast at
running apps. Te 1.8 GHz Nvidia Tegra 4
quad-core processor and 2GB of memory
excelled in our benchmark tests, loading
detailed 3Dgraphics and complex
webpages with ease.
Less impressive was
the battery life. At
just over nine hours
when playing
videos continuously,
its shorter than
other 10in tablets weve seen.
Tere are several smaller aws which
arent too bad on their own, but when
taken together make using the Arc 10 HD
more clunky than other 10in tablets.
Teres no SDcard slot for adding more
storage to the existing 16GB. Tere isnt a
rear-facing camera, but there is a forward-
facing camera for video chats. Footage was
of a poor quality, though, with lots of
noise. Te Arc 10 HDweighs 630g which
is noticeably heavier than the 470g iPad
Air the latter is far more comfortable to
hold and use for long periods. Te oddly
angular design of the tablets rear doesnt
help either, but it did give our ngers
more grip on the slippery rear.
Te customised Android interface is a
mixed bag. Te rst home screen is an
attractive tiled viewof all the ebooks,
magazines and other content bought from
Kobos store, with occasional pop-ups
suggesting similar items you may like. Te
second is a standard Android home screen
for your apps, but oddly you cant organise
apps into folders. Instead you can group
TABLET 300 fromwww.snipca.com/10779
SPECIFICATIONS
10.1in 2560x1600-pixel touchscreen
1.8GHz Nvidia Tegra 4 quad-core processor
2GBmemory 16GBstorage Android 4.2 630g
172x253x10mm(HxWxD) One-year warranty
www.snipca.com/10780
VERDICT: Areasonably lowprice and
a high-resolution screen, but several
aws make this an average tablet

ALTERNATIVE:
Apple iPad Air 400
Abit more
expensive,
but also far
superior
theminto a large virtual binder with a
named spine visible on a virtual bookshelf
on a separate home screen. You can organise
all your content this way, mixing and
matching dierent types of content such as
ebooks, apps and photos in the same
binder. Its not a bad idea, but the virtual
bookshelf wastes a lot of screen space.
Te Kobo Arc 10 HDlooks like a great
budget tablet on paper, but numerous
aws make it a merely average one in
reality. Te iPad Air may cost 100 more,
but its a far superior 10in tablet.
Q
Imin need of a brand new
computer, probably another
desktop PC, but I cant nd
one that has Windows 7 on it, rather
than Windows 8.
I use my current Windows XP
computer for emailing, internet
searches, online shopping, storing
photos, listening to MP3 music and
using Word 2003 to write documents.
I dont need a computer for games or
other fancy stu.
Sandra Burr
CanI buyabasic Windows 7PC?
A
Almost all new
Windows PCs and
laptops nowrun
Windows 8 rather than Windows 7. Te
only exceptions are computers aimed at
businesses (which often use programs
that arent yet compatible with Windows
8) and PCs built to order by small- and
medium-sized manufacturers. For your
basic computing needs, wed recommend
the CCL Alpha XM-2. Tis space-saving
mini PC is very small and is more than
fast enough for your needs. If you do
need a more powerful PC for more
advanced tasks, wed recommend
the 650 Wired2Fire Hal 1000. With
Windows 7 it costs just 510 (www.
snipca.com/9635).
WHATSHOULDI BUY?
Do you need advice on what you should buy?
Email us at letters@computeractive.co.uk
We solve your buying dilemmas
KoboArc10HD
Akeenlypriced10inAndroidtablet
IVE:
Air 400
2cbr 2J3 7 !auary 2J
ees
L5Z05TvInack
ere ure bde r u
re 2S e ce
r, b u e ue edcre
ue u u be 226Vvm
cosIs jusI IIU, yeI desplIe lIs lovprlce
lI`s u surprlslngly good monlIor.
Imuge quullIy, overull, ls good. OuI o
Ihe box, vhlIes vere u llIIle yellovlsh,
buI udjusIlng Ihe monlIor`s seIIlngs
uslng Ihe onscreen conIrols correcIed
Ihls. Colours uren`I us vurmund rlch us
more expenslve monlIors ve`ve seen,
buI ln generul Ihey`re much beIIer Ihun
oIher monlIors uI Ihls prlce vhlch cun
huve vlldly lnuccuruIelooklng colours.
WhuI lmpressed us mosI ubouI Ihe
l226Vvmvus hovshurp lI ls IexI
1e Zyxel FLS2US ls u klI o Ivo
Foverllne udupIers und ure Ihe nrsI ve`ve
seen IhuI uses Ihe HomeFlug V2
speclncuIlon glvlng lI u IheoreIlcul
muxlmumspeed o 6UUMbps. Flus,
unllke muny oIher HomeFlug udupIers,
Zyxel`s FLS2US huve GlgublI EIherneI
porIs. In our IesIs, Ihe klI uchleved u
speed o I4UMbps. 1uI`s very qulck und
ls more Ihun usI enough or HDvldeo
sIreumlng, so you`ll huve no problem
brovslng Ihe veb.
ll you need Io do Io seI up Ihe klI ls
press Ihe EncrypI buIIon ound on Ihe
rlghI o euch HomeFlug vlIhln Ivo
mlnuIes o euch oIher und Ihey`ll pulr.
looks especlully crlsp.
1e lovprlce meuns IhuI
Ihere`s llIIle else Io geI exclIed ubouI.
1ere uren`I muny exIrus such us u
bullIln USB hub or helghI udjusImenI.
One hundy exIru euIure ls MHL supporI
l your smurIphone or IubleI supporIs
MHL, you cun connecI lI Io Ihe monlIor
uslng u slngle cuble Io boIh churge
lI und shovo conIenI sIored on
your moblle devlce.
1e sIund ls ulrly sIurdy und Ihere`s
u vlde runge o porIs lncludlng VG,
DlspluyForI und Ivo HDMI connecIors.
1ere ure bullIln speukers, buI Ihese
sounded Ilnny uI besI.
Overull Ihe l226Vvmls u very good
budgeI monlIor vlIh ur beIIer lmuge
quullIy or Ihe prlce Ihun oIher slmllurly
prlced screens und Ihere ure plenIy o
porIs Ioo. IIs shorI helghI meuns lI slIs
very lovvhlch, comblned vlIh Ihe
1o udd more udupIers Io your neIvork
lncludlng models romdlerenI
munuucIurers you use Ihe bundled
FL Serles ConnguruIlon 1ool. You`ll ulso
need Ihe nevudupIer`s pussvord, vhlch
Zyxel unhelpully prlnIs on Ihe slde uclng
Ihe vull vhen Ihe HomeFlug`s plugged
ln, so you should noIe Ihls dovn nrsI.
Sudly, Ihe ConnguruIlon 1ool ls umong
Ihe vorsI ve`ve ever used. You`re
conronIed vlIh un urruy o ucronyms
und jurgon, vlIh no lndlcuIlon o vhuI Io
do. 1e munuul ls helpul, excepI vhen lI
comes Io lnsIrucIlons or connecIlng
more udupIers, vhere lI vus rusIruIlngly
lncompleIe. In uny cuse, Ihe progrum
dldn`I vork, so ve hud Io use Ihe Iheros
Fover Fuck UIlllIy lnsIeud, vhlch ls
uvulluble Io dovnloud romIhe vebslIe
o rlvul HomeFlug muker Solvlse
vvv.solvlse.co.uk).
P0RLN DPTR5 55 frcwww.spca.cc/J72
as!, ou! !heaccopannsol!aes poo
5PCFCT0N5
creen J92JBp|e| reso|t|on
J:J contrast rat|o 25cd/m2 br|ghtness
2 H0M| 0|sp|aport and VCports 1o-ear
arrant .sn|pca.com/J795
5PCFCT0N5
6Mbps theoret|ca| ma|mmspeed J C|gab|t
Lthernet port B2642mmHW0I Dne-
ear arrant Part code PL525-C2JP
.sn|pca.com/J72
VRDCT: qa||t mon|tor |th p|ent
of ports at a |opr|ce

LTRNTV: Hanns CHW246H

EJ9b|gger 24|n mon|tor
|th the same
reso|t|on,
a|thogh |mage
qa||t |sn't as
good
VRDCT: pa|r of fast HomeP|g
adapters, bt the accompan|ng
softare |sn't ht for prpose

LTRNTV: 1P-L|nk 1L-P4Jk|1

Nano Poer||ne dapter 5tarter k|t
E3Not as fast, bt eas|er to
setp and sma||er
too, so the on't
b|ock an adjacent
socket
1ls klI cosIs SS vhlch ls vhuI ve`d
expecI or u pulr o usI HomeFlug V2
udupIers, buI Ihe burely uncIlonul
connguruIlon upp und lnuccuruIe user
gulde counI ugulnsI lI. We`d recommend
Ihe sllghIly slover, buI eusler Io seI up
1FLlnk 1LF4UIUKI1.
luck o helghI
udjusImenI,
meuns you
muy need Io sIuck some books
underneuIh so lI`s comorIuble Io look
uI. I you cun llve vlIh lIs nlggllng
uvs, Ihen Ihe l226Vvmls u good
vulue monlIor.
IZZ69Vvm
PC 0NT0R 111 frcwww.spca.cc/J79
Baan-oaseen! pceandoodaequal!
26 24December 2013 - 7 January 2014
Reviews
Zyxel PLA5205TwinPack
Tere are lots of budget monitors with a
resolution of 1920x1080 pixels to choose
from, but many of themhave mediocre
image quality at best. AOCs i2269Vwm
costs just 110, yet despite its lowprice
its a surprisingly good monitor.
Image quality, overall, is good. Out of
the box, whites were a little yellowish,
but adjusting the monitors settings
using the onscreen controls corrected
this. Colours arent as warmand rich as
more expensive monitors weve seen,
but in general theyre much better than
other monitors at this price which can
have wildly inaccurate-looking colours.
What impressed us most about the
i2269Vwmwas howsharp it is text
Te Zyxel PLA5205 is a kit of two
Powerline adapters and are the rst weve
seen that uses the HomePlug AV2
specication giving it a theoretical
maximumspeed of 600Mbps. Plus,
unlike many other HomePlug adapters,
Zyxels PLA5205 have Gigabit Ethernet
ports. In our tests, the kit achieved a
speed of 140Mbps. Tats very quick and
is more than fast enough for HDvideo
streaming, so youll have no problem
browsing the web.
All you need to do to set up the kit is
press the Encrypt button found on the
right of each HomePlug within two
minutes of each other and theyll pair.
looks especially crisp.
Te lowprice means that
theres little else to get excited about.
Tere arent many extras such as a
built-in USB hub or height adjustment.
One handy extra feature is MHL support
if your smartphone or tablet supports
MHL, you can connect it to the monitor
using a single cable to both charge
it and showo content stored on
your mobile device.
Te stand is fairly sturdy and theres
a wide range of ports including VGA,
DisplayPort and two HDMI connectors.
Tere are built-in speakers, but these
sounded tinny at best.
Overall the i2269Vwmis a very good
budget monitor with far better image
quality for the price than other similarly
priced screens and there are plenty of
ports too. Its short height means it sits
very lowwhich, combined with the
To add more adapters to your network
including models fromdierent
manufacturers you use the bundled
PLA Series Conguration Tool. Youll also
need the newadapters password, which
Zyxel unhelpfully prints on the side facing
the wall when the HomePlugs plugged
in, so you should note this down rst.
Sadly, the Conguration Tool is among
the worst weve ever used. Youre
confronted with an array of acronyms
and jargon, with no indication of what to
do. Te manual is helpful, except when it
comes to instructions for connecting
more adapters, where it was frustratingly
incomplete. In any case, the program
didnt work, so we had to use the Atheros
Power Pack Utility instead, which is
available to download fromthe website
of rival HomePlug maker Solwise
(www.solwise.co.uk).
POWERLINE ADAPTERS 55 fromwww.snipca.com/10720
Fast, but theaccompanyingsoftwareis poor
SPECIFICATIONS
21.5in widescreen 1920x1080pixel resolution
1000:1 contrast ratio 250cd/m2 brightness
2x HDMI Displayport and VGAports Two-year
warranty www.snipca.com/10795
SPECIFICATIONS
600Mbps theoretical maximumspeed 1x Gigabit
Ethernet port 82x60x42mm(HxWxD) One-
year warranty Part code PLA5205-GB0201F
www.snipca.com/10720
VERDICT: Aquality monitor with plenty
of ports at a lowprice

ALTERNATIVE: Hanns GHW246HBB

109Abigger 24in monitor
with the same
resolution,
although image
quality isnt as
good
VERDICT: Apair of fast HomePlug
adapters, but the accompanying
software isnt t for purpose

ALTERNATIVE: TP-Link TL-PA4010KIT

Nano Powerline Adapter Starter Kit
30Not as fast, but easier to
setup and smaller
too, so they wont
block an adjacent
socket
Tis kit costs 55 which is what wed
expect for a pair of fast HomePlug AV2
adapters, but the barely functional
conguration app and inaccurate user
guide count against it. Wed recommend
the slightly slower, but easier to set up
TP-Link TL-PA4010KIT.
lack of height
adjustment,
means you
may need to stack some books
underneath so its comfortable to look
at. If you can live with its niggling
aws, then the i2269Vwmis a good
value monitor.
AOCi2269Vwm
PC MONITOR 111 fromwww.snipca.com/10795
Bargain-basement priceandgoodimagequality
20cmbr 20J3 - 7 !anuary 20J
Revevs
Humux munuucIures Ihe oulev
DIUIU u very goo D vlIh uul
FreevlevHD Iuners u lurge hur rlve
ull Ihe onllne cuIchup servlces un
even u moblle upp Io remoIely scheule
recorlngs. eI blzurrely Ihe compuny ulso
mukes Ihe nevHD2UUU u DVR vlIh
only Ihe nrsI Ivo o Ihese our euIures.
1e reuson, us ever, ls money: even vlIh
Ivln FreevlevHDIuners, u SUUGB hurd
drlve und some upps, Ihe nevD1R2UUU1
ls 4U less Ihun Ihe SUUGB YouVlev
D1RIUIU1. 1e lover prlce ls due Io
Humux noI uslng YouVlev`s soIvure on
Ihe HDR2UUU1, Ihus uvoldlng cerIuln
llcence ees prlmurlly Ihe use o Adobe`s
Flush soIvure or bulldlng upps.
InsIeud, Humux hus creuIed Ihe
soIvure o Ihe HDR2UUU1 uslng H1MLS.
Hovever, ve von`I see H1MLS verslons
o 4oD, I1V Fluyer or even Lovenlmund
NeIlx uny Ilme soon. 1ls ls becuuse,
Humux clulms, H1MLS ls so nev IhuI lI`s
sIlll leurnlng hovbesI Io lmplemenI lI.
1ere ure currenIly only Ivo Iruly useul
upps: You1ube und BBC lFluyer. 1e
HDR2UUU1 doesn`I huve WlFl bullIln, so
you`ll need Io buy Ihe USB WlFl udupIer
29 romvvv.snlpcu.comIUSU4) or
connecI un EIherneI cuble romyour
rouIer Io Ihe box Io use Ihese servlces.
1e smull selecIlon o upps ls u shume,
especlully us vhuI ls uvulluble ls very
responslve und eusy Io use much more
so Ihun Ihe Flushbused equlvulenIs on
Ihe D1R1IUIU. 1e elecIronlc progrum
gulde EFG) ls ulso velldeslgned.
For exumple, lI uses u lurge, euslly reud
onI Io uld brovslng und seurchlng.
Surprlslngly, you cun conIlnue
vuIchlng your currenI chunnel even l
you`ve puused lI uI uny polnI us you
brovse Ihe EFG. I Ihe onellne progrum
descrlpIlon lsn`I enough, presslng Ihe 'l`
vork, buI our USB2 sIlck dld.
You cun use u DLNAcompuIlble
neIvork medlu pluyer or even Wlndovs
Medlu Fluyer on your FC Io vuIch
sIundurddennlIlon progrummes sIored
on Ihe HDR2UUU1, buI unnoylngly noI
hlghdennlIlon recordlngs. AI leusI
you cun vuIch recordlngs even vhlle
someone else uses Ihe HDR2UUU1.
We Irled copylng recordlngs Io und
romIhe HDR2UUU1 over our neIvork
uslng lIs F1F server euIure, buI ound
Ihls nddly und unrelluble.
As u DVR, Ihe HDR2UUU1 ls excellenI.
Humux`s YouVlevbox ls beIIer Ihough
becuuse lI hus ull Ihe cuIchup servlces,
upps Io remoIely schedule recordlngs und
HDMICEC supporI Io reduce Ihe need
or nddllng vlIh remoIes. DesplIe lIs
more slugglsh lnIeruce, Ihe SUUGB
D1R1IUIU YouVlevbox ls euslly
vorIh Ihe exIru 4U.

hard dr|ve 2x Preev|ewHtuners Jx HM|

Jx Lthernet 2x U5 Jx compos|te Jx 5R1
Jx opt|ca| 5/P|P 50x320x240mm Dne-year
warranty www.sn|pca.com/J0724
n exce||ent channe| gu|de,
but the ||m|ted support for apps and
constant remote-contro| swapp|ng
|et |t down

Humax1R-1J0J0
YouV|ewE2J9Te |nterface |sn't as
smooth, but |t's got a|| the 1Vcatch-up
serv|ces and a handy mob||e app for
schedu||ng record|ngs remote|y

frcmwww.snlpca.ccm/J072
cheape al!ena!ve!oYouVev
buIIon on Ihe comorIuble remoIe
opens u ull descrlpIlon ln u
dellghIully lurge onI.
You cun deleIe chunnels, reorder
chunnels und, mosI useully o ull, udd
chunnels Io u uvourlIes llsI und Ihen see
only Ihls llsI ln Ihe EFG. Hovever, you
cun`I reusslgn chunnel numbers or
qulck uccess romIhe remoIe, so you
huve Io remember IhuI BBC 1vo HDls
chunnel IU2 ruIher Ihun move lI Io
chunnel 2. AI leusI u smull noIlncuIlon
uppeurs l Ihere`s ever Ihe opIlon o
vuIchlng Ihe sume progrumln HD.
Annoylngly, once you svlIch Ihe
HDR2UUU1 on lI cun`I uuIomuIlcully
svlIch Ihe lnpuI o your 1V uvuy rom
your Bluruy pluyer or oIher devlce
us lI doesn`I supporI Ihe HDMICEC
Iechnology needed Io do Ihls. We
vere ulso lrrlIuIed uI huvlng Io ormuI
Ihe hurd drlve beore uslng Ihe
HDR2UUU1 or Ihe nrsI Ilme, buI
Ihls ls u oneo unnoyunce.
Frogrumme recordlngs ure eusy Io
munuge. WheIher you vunI Io record
jusI one progrumor u vhole serles,
u evpresses o Ihe remoIe ls ull IhuI`s
requlred. You cun ulso vuIch u
progrumme IhuI`s belng recorded rom
Ihe beglnnlng, even l Ihe recordlng
husn`I nnlshed yeI. Recordlngs ure
presenIed us u long ulphubeIlcul llsI, so
lI`s hundy IhuI you cun orgunlse Ihem
lnIo olders Io keep Ihls llsI munugeuble.
You cun copy recordlngs Io und rom
USB drlves uIIuched Io Ihe ronI porI,
our USB8 porIuble hurd drlve dldn`I
Theeaeonly!vo
uselul apps. YouTuoe
andBBCPlaye
28 24December 2013 - 7 January 2014
Reviews
Humax manufactures the YouView
DTR-T1010, a very good DVR with dual
FreeviewHDtuners, a large hard drive,
all the online TV catch-up services and
even a mobile app to remotely schedule
recordings. Yet, bizarrely, the company also
makes the newHDR-2000T a DVR with
only the rst two of these four features.
Te reason, as ever, is money: even with
twin FreeviewHDtuners, a 500GB hard
drive and some apps, the newDTR-2000T
is 40 less than the 500GB YouView
DTR-1010T. Te lower price is due to
Humax not using YouViews software on
the HDR-2000T, thus avoiding certain
licence fees primarily the use of Adobes
Flash software for building apps.
Instead, Humax has created the
software of the HDR-2000T using HTML5.
However, we wont see HTML5 versions
of 4oD, ITV Player or even Lovelmand
Netix any time soon. Tis is because,
Humax claims, HTML5 is so newthat its
still learning howbest to implement it.
Tere are currently only two truly useful
apps: YouTube and BBC iPlayer. Te
HDR-2000T doesnt have Wi-Fi built-in, so
youll need to buy the USB Wi-Fi adapter
(29 fromwww.snipca.com/10804) or
connect an Ethernet cable fromyour
router to the box to use these services.
Te small selection of apps is a shame,
especially as what is available is very
responsive and easy to use much more
so than the Flash-based equivalents on
the DTR-T1010. Te electronic program
guide (EPG) is also well-designed.
For example, it uses a large, easily read
font to aid browsing and searching.
Surprisingly, you can continue
watching your current channel even if
youve paused it at any point as you
browse the EPG. If the one-line program
description isnt enough, pressing the i
work, but our USB2 stick did.
You can use a DLNA-compatible
network media player or even Windows
Media Player on your PC to watch
standard-denition programmes stored
on the HDR-2000T, but annoyingly not
high-denition recordings. At least
you can watch recordings even while
someone else uses the HDR-2000T.
We tried copying recordings to and
fromthe HDR-2000T over our network
using its FTP server feature, but found
this ddly and unreliable.
As a DVR, the HDR-2000T is excellent.
Humaxs YouViewbox is better though
because it has all the catch-up services,
apps to remotely schedule recordings and
HDMI-CEC support to reduce the need
for ddling with remotes. Despite its
more sluggish interface, the 500GB
DTR-T1010 YouViewbox is easily
worth the extra 40.
SPECIFICATIONS
500GBhard drive 2x FreeviewHDtuners 1x HDMI
1x Ethernet 2x USB 1x composite 1x SCART
1x optical S/PDIF 50x320x240mm One-year
warranty www.snipca.com/10724
VERDICT: An excellent channel guide,
but the limited support for apps and
constant remote-control swapping
let it down

ALTERNATIVE: HumaxDTR-T1010
YouView219Te interface isnt as
smooth, but its got all the TVcatch-up
services and a handy mobile app for
scheduling recordings remotely
HumaxHDR-2000T
DVR 180 fromwww.snipca.com/10724
Acheaper alternativetoYouView
button on the comfortable remote
opens a full description in a
delightfully large font.
You can delete channels, reorder
channels and, most usefully of all, add
channels to a favourites list and then see
only this list in the EPG. However, you
cant re-assign channel numbers for
quick access fromthe remote, so you
have to remember that BBC Two HDis
channel 102 rather than move it to
channel 2. At least a small notication
appears if theres ever the option of
watching the same programin HD.
Annoyingly, once you switch the
HDR-2000T on it cant automatically
switch the input of your TV away from
your Blu-ray player or other device
as it doesnt support the HDMI-CEC
technology needed to do this. We
were also irritated at having to format
the hard drive before using the
HDR-2000T for the rst time, but
this is a one-o annoyance.
Programme recordings are easy to
manage. Whether you want to record
just one programor a whole series,
a fewpresses of the remote is all thats
required. You can also watch a
programme thats being recorded from
the beginning, even if the recording
hasnt nished yet. Recordings are
presented as a long alphabetical list, so
its handy that you can organise them
into folders to keep this list manageable.
You can copy recordings to and from
USB drives attached to the front port;
our USB3 portable hard drive didnt
Thereareonlytwo
useful apps: YouTube
andBBCiPlayer

DMlNGSDDN
NXTlSSU
5amsung
Ca|axy Note 3
Te phab|et you
can wr|te on
5ony Va|o Mu|t|-|p
A|aptop that turns
|nto a tab|et us|ng a
p|vot|ng screen
DNSAL
8an
sandmuchmcr
5bscrbeeCemperccec
gecemperccecek
APRlL 2014
Asus has conhrmed that |t w||| be
|aunch|ng Chromebooks equ|pped
w|th |nte|
Haswe||
processors.
MARCH2014
Tere's
specu|at|on
that 5amsung
w||| |aunch
the Ca|axy 55
smartphone w|th a 2560xJ440-p|xe|
screen and a meta| cas|ng |nstead of a
p|ast|c one such as the one shown |n
an art|st's mock-up hereI.
IANUAR/FRUAR2014
Acer has announced a budget
touchscreen Chromebook,
the C720P. |t w||| have an
JJ.6|n J366x76B-p|xe|
touchscreen, 2CBof
memory, a 32CB550and J00CB
of Coog|e 0r|ve space free for two
years. |t'|| cost around C299E24BI.
IANUAR2014
AnewH1CDne smartphone
w||| arr|ve |n the NewYear
w|th space for a second
5|Mcard, 64CBof storage
bu||t-|n and a m|cro50card
s|ot but no 4C. Lxpect |t to
cost around E500w|thout a contract.
VRDlCT: Performance |sn't top notch
and there are a fewother rough
edges, but th|s |s otherw|se a hne
budget |aptop

ALTRNATlV: 5ony Va|o P|t J4L

E479More
expens|ve,
but faster and
w|th a better
keyboard
240cmbr 20J3 - 7 !anuary 20J4
5PClFlCATl0N5
AM0J.5CHz AM0A4 5000quad-core processor
6CBmemory 500CBhard dr|ve AM0Radeon H0
B330|ntegrated graph|cs J5.6|n J366x76B-p|xe|
screen B02.JJb/g/n W|ndows B.J 2.3kg 2.5kg
w|th chargerI 34x3B0x242mmHxWx0I
Dne-year warranty Part Code: P5CCWL-
02Q00XLNwww.sn|pca.com/J07B4
e 1oshlbu SuIelllIe CSUDI8N looks
umlllur, IhuI`s becuuse lI uses u bluck
plusIlc consIrucIlon IhuI looks very
slmllur Io Ihe cuslng used by Ihe 1oshlbu
SuIelllIe Fro C7UIS9 see revlev, Issue
4I2). We veren`I expecIlng much ln Ihe
vuy o sIyle glven Ihe SuIelllIe CSUD`s
lovly prlce, und sure enough lI looks
pluln, buI lI`s ulso reusonubly sIurdy.
DesplIe lIs prlce,
Ihe SuIelllIe
does huve u
reusonubly
spuclous
SUUGB hurd
drlve, u generous 6GB o
memory und un MDlnIegruIed
gruphlcs chlp IhuI`s jusI ubouI poverul
enough Io pluy 8Dgumes smooIhly, buI
only l you cun llve vlIh less deIulled
gruphlcs. BuIIery lle ls surprlslngly good
Ioo, lusIlng seven hours ln our llghIusuge
IesI. 1ls ls very lmpresslve or u budgeI
lupIop, ulIhough lI`s unllkely you`ll Iuke lI
ouI und ubouI vlIh you regulurly becuuse
lI velghs u heIy 2.8kg.
1e dovnslde ls Ihe I.SGHz MD4
SUUU quudcore processor. lIhough
Ihe quudcore should curry u loI o
processlng muscle, lI vus ucIuully SU per
cenI less poverul ln our benchmurk
IesIs Ihun Ihe duulcore InIel processors
ve usuully see ln budgeI lupIops,
ulIhough Ihose compuIers do cosI uround
IUU more Ihun Ihe SuIelllIe. II`s usI
enough or omce vork und brovslng Ihe
veb, buI lI`ll sIruggle vlIh ull buI Ihe
mosI buslc vldeo und phoIoedlIlng.
s you`d expecI or u lupIop uI Ihls
prlce, Ihe ISln screen lsn`I Iouch senslIlve
und hus u reluIlvely lovresoluIlon o
I866x76S plxels. Vlevlng ungles uren`I
very vlde, so you huve Io slI dlrecIly ronI
und cenIre o Ihe screen or Ihe mosI
uccuruIe colours. 1e screen ls brlghI
hovever, vhlle Ihe conIrusI ls
surprlslngly good.
Even Ihough 1oshlbu hus squeezed ln
u numerlc keypud, Ihe keybourd ls sIlll
lurge vlIh Ihe excepIlon o Ihe spuce
bur vhlch ls nurrover Ihun ve`d llke.
1e keys ure u Iud spongy und don`I
huve enough eedbuck, buI ve dld
geI used Io lI und munuged Io Iype
comorIubly und qulckly.
1e Iouchpud ls uccuruIe und
reusonubly lurge, ulIhough ve ound lI ur
Ioo eusy Io lnudverIunIly brush up ugulnsI
lI und ucIlvuIe Ihe vurlous Wlndovs S
gesIures, such us svlplng ln romIhe
rlghI Io brlng up Ihe Churms bur.
lIhough Ihe 1oshlbu SuIelllIe
CSUDI8N lsn`I Ioo usI und Ihereore
noI sulIed or demundlng vork, lI`s
oIhervlse u good vulue budgeI lupIop.
ToshibaSatellIteC50D--i3N
LAPT0P 325 frcmwww.snlpca.ccm/J07B3

|
m
a
g

c
r

d
l
t
.
c
p

n
w
3
.
c
c
m
29
COMINGSOON
NEXTISSUE
Samsung
Galaxy Note 3
Te phablet you
can write on
Sony Vaio Multi-ip
Alaptop that turns
into a tablet using a
pivoting screen
ONSALE
8Jan
Teseandmuchmore
SubscribetoComputeractiveat
www.getcomputeractive.co.uk
APRIL 2014
Asus has conrmed that it will be
launching Chromebooks equipped
with Intel
Haswell
processors.
MARCH2014
Teres
speculation
that Samsung
will launch
the Galaxy S5
smartphone with a 2560x1440-pixel
screen and a metal casing instead of a
plastic one (such as the one shown in
an artists mock-up here).
JANUARY/FEBRUARY2014
Acer has announced a budget
touchscreen Chromebook,
the C720P. It will have an
11.6in 1366x768-pixel
touchscreen, 2GBof
memory, a 32GBSSDand 100GB
of Google Drive space free for two
years. Itll cost around 299(248).
JANUARY2014
AnewHTCOne smartphone
will arrive in the NewYear
with space for a second
SIMcard, 64GBof storage
built-in and a microSDcard
slot but no 4G. Expect it to
cost around 500without a contract.
VERDICT: Performance isnt top notch
and there are a fewother rough
edges, but this is otherwise a ne
budget laptop

ALTERNATIVE: Sony Vaio Fit 14E

479 More
expensive,
but faster and
with a better
keyboard
24December 2013 - 7 January 2014
SPECIFICATIONS
AMD1.5GHz AMDA4 5000quad-core processor
6GBmemory 500GBhard drive AMDRadeon HD
8330integrated graphics 15.6in 1366x768-pixel
screen 802.11b/g/n Windows 8.1 2.3kg (2.5kg
with charger) 34x380x242mm(HxWxD)
One-year warranty Part Code: PSCGWE-
02Q00XENwww.snipca.com/10784
If the Toshiba Satellite C50D-A-13N looks
familiar, thats because it uses a black
plastic construction that looks very
similar to the casing used by the Toshiba
Satellite Pro C70-A-159 (see review, Issue
412). We werent expecting much in the
way of style given the Satellite C50Ds
lowly price, and sure enough it looks
plain, but its also reasonably sturdy.
Despite its price,
the Satellite
does have a
reasonably
spacious
500GB hard
drive, a generous 6GB of
memory and an AMDintegrated
graphics chip thats just about powerful
enough to play 3Dgames smoothly, but
only if you can live with less detailed
graphics. Battery life is surprisingly good
too, lasting seven hours in our light-usage
test. Tis is very impressive for a budget
laptop, although its unlikely youll take it
out and about with you regularly because
it weighs a hefty 2.3kg.
Te downside is the 1.5GHz AMDA4
5000 quad-core processor. Although
the quad-core should carry a lot of
processing muscle, it was actually 50 per
cent less powerful in our benchmark
tests than the dual-core Intel processors
we usually see in budget laptops,
although those computers do cost around
100 more than the Satellite. Its fast
enough for oce work and browsing the
web, but itll struggle with all but the
most basic video- and photo-editing.
As youd expect for a laptop at this
price, the 15in screen isnt touch sensitive
and has a relatively lowresolution of
1366x768 pixels. Viewing angles arent
very wide, so you have to sit directly front
and centre of the screen for the most
accurate colours. Te screen is bright
however, while the contrast is
surprisingly good.
Even though Toshiba has squeezed in
a numeric keypad, the keyboard is still
large with the exception of the space
bar which is narrower than wed like.
Te keys are a tad spongy and dont
have enough feedback, but we did
get used to it and managed to type
comfortably and quickly.
Te touchpad is accurate and
reasonably large, although we found it far
too easy to inadvertantly brush up against
it and activate the various Windows 8
gestures, such as swiping in fromthe
right to bring up the Charms bar.
Although the Toshiba Satellite
C50D-A-13N isnt too fast and therefore
not suited for demanding work, its
otherwise a good value budget laptop.
ToshibaSatelliteC50D-A-13N
LAPTOP 325 fromwww.snipca.com/10783
Abig-nameno-frills laptop
I
m
a
g
e
c
r
e
d
i
t
:
o
p
e
n
w
3
.
c
o
m

Our plck cf prcducts that havwcnthBuy |t award

R
Y
240cmbr 20J3 - 7 !anuary 20J4
cook
Ir i3InId-Z0i3
949 fromwww.sn|pca.com/J0020
Tested: |ssue 402
PanasonicumIx-C6
329 fromwww.sn|pca.com/J0430
Tested: |ssue 405
PanasonicSmart VIeraL
TVTX-L3Z6
370 fromwww.sn|pca.com/J0739
Tested: |ssue 397
wiredZFireHal i000
650 fromwww.w|red2f|re.co.uk
Tested: |ssue 4J2
AsusNexus7
199 fromwww.sn|pca.com/9993
Tested: |ssue 407
App|e's |atest MacBook A|r |sn't cheap,
but |t's the best ||ghtwe|ght |aptop
ava||ab|e. |t has exce||ent battery ||fe,
a comfortab|e keyboard, a sens|b|y
s|zed screen, a sturdy and c|assy bu||d
and great bund|ed software.
ALTRNATlV: 5amsung 5er|es 5 Ultra
NP540U3C-A02UkAcheaper, more
storage, but |nfer|or screen and battery.
E500fromwww.sn|pca.com/J002J
T|s compact |nterchangeab|e |ens
camera |s sma|| and reasonab|y pr|ced,
yet |t has we||-des|gned contro|s, a w|de
range of ava||ab|e |enses and shoots
exce||ent qua||ty photos. Te CP6rea||y
|s unbeatab|e va|ue.
ALTRNATlV: Fuj|hlmXF1 |f you don't
need the ex|b|||ty of removab|e |enses,
th|s s||mcompact |s a great cho|ce. EJ50
fromwww.sn|pca.com/J0569
Acompact and co|ourfu| PCthat's a|so
fast, qu|et and reasonab|y pr|ced. P|us
you can order |t w|th W|ndows 7 |nstead
of W|ndows B|f don't ||ke M|crosoft's
|atest operat|ng system.
ALTRNATlV: CCL Alha XM-2 At|ny
space sav|ng desktop PCthat's |ess
powerfu|, but a|so good va|ue. E5J0
fromwww.sn|pca.com/9635
An exce||ent budget 7|n Andro|d tab|et
w|th a h|gh-reso|ut|on screen and good
battery ||fe. |t's not qu|te as cheap as
the or|g|na| Nexus 7 and Andro|d st|||
needs more h|gh-qua||ty tab|et apps,
but |t's st||| a fantast|c barga|n.
ALTRNATlV: Ale |Pad A|r A
||ghtwe|ght J0|n tab|et w|th an exce||ent
screen and peer|ess se|ect|on of apps.
E399fromwww.sn|pca.com/J0545
LAPT0P
PH0N
D5kT0P PC
DlClTAL CAMRA
TALT
5MART TV
|f |mage qua||ty rather than 1Vcatch up
serv|ces |s paramount, then th|s keen|y
pr|ced smart 1V|s the bee's knees.
|t's a|so got |ots of ports and a we||-
des|gned, respons|ve user |nterface.
ALTRNATlV: 5amsung U42F5500
|mage qua||ty |sn't as good as the
V|era's, but th|s smart 1Vdoes have
a|| the terrestr|a| 1Vcatch up serv|ces.
E449fromwww.sn|pca.com/J0B69
MotorolaMotoC
130 w|thout contract from
www.sn|pca.com/J0BJ5
Tested: |ssue 4J3
Motoro|a's budget Andro|d smartphone
|s a stea|. |t's respons|ve, we||-made,
fast and has a good screen. |t's better
than many phones at tw|ce the pr|ce.
ALTRNATlV: Ale |Phene 5s An
exce||ent smartphone w|th a hngerpr|nt
scanner, a great-qua||ty camera and
very fast performance. E549w|thout a
contract fromwww.sn|pca.com/J0J7J
30
BuyIt Our pick of products that havewontheBuy It award
N
E
W
E
N
T
R
Y
24December 2013 7 January 2014
AppleMacBook
Air 13inMid-2013
949 fromwww.snipca.com/10020
Tested: Issue 402
PanasonicLumixDMC-GF6
329 fromwww.snipca.com/10430
Tested: Issue 405
PanasonicSmart VieraLED
TVTX-L32E6B
370 fromwww.snipca.com/10739
Tested: Issue 397
Wired2FireHal 1000
650 fromwww.wired2fire.co.uk
Tested: Issue 412
AsusNexus7
199 fromwww.snipca.com/9993
Tested: Issue 407
Apples latest MacBook Air isnt cheap,
but its the best lightweight laptop
available. It has excellent battery life,
a comfortable keyboard, a sensibly
sized screen, a sturdy and classy build
and great bundled software.
ALTERNATIVE: Samsung Series 5 Ultra
NP540U3C-A02UKAcheaper, more
storage, but inferior screen and battery.
500fromwww.snipca.com/10021
Tis compact interchangeable lens
camera is small and reasonably priced,
yet it has well-designed controls, a wide
range of available lenses and shoots
excellent quality photos. Te GF6really
is unbeatable value.
ALTERNATIVE: FujilmXF1 If you dont
need the exibility of removable lenses,
this slimcompact is a great choice. 150
fromwww.snipca.com/10569
Acompact and colourful PCthats also
fast, quiet and reasonably priced. Plus
you can order it with Windows 7 instead
of Windows 8if dont like Microsofts
latest operating system.
ALTERNATIVE: CCL Alpha XM-2 Atiny
space saving desktop PCthats less
powerful, but also good value. 510
fromwww.snipca.com/9635
An excellent budget 7in Android tablet
with a high-resolution screen and good
battery life. Its not quite as cheap as
the original Nexus 7 and Android still
needs more high-quality tablet apps,
but its still a fantastic bargain.
ALTERNATIVE: Apple iPad Air A
lightweight 10in tablet with an excellent
screen and peerless selection of apps.
399fromwww.snipca.com/10545
LAPTOP
PHONE
DESKTOP PC
DIGITAL CAMERA
TABLET
SMART TV
If image quality rather than TVcatch up
services is paramount, then this keenly
priced smart TVis the bees knees.
Its also got lots of ports and a well-
designed, responsive user interface.
ALTERNATIVE: Samsung UE42F5500
Image quality isnt as good as the
Vieras, but this smart TVdoes have
all the terrestrial TVcatch up services.
449fromwww.snipca.com/10869
MotorolaMotoG
130 without contract from
www.snipca.com/10815
Tested: Issue 413
Motorolas budget Android smartphone
is a steal. Its responsive, well-made,
fast and has a good screen. Its better
than many phones at twice the price.
ALTERNATIVE: Apple iPhone 5s An
excellent smartphone with a ngerprint
scanner, a great-quality camera and
very fast performance. 549without a
contract fromwww.snipca.com/10171

P
R
l
C

D
R
0
P



hcat|on, |ts touchscreen and
outstand|ng ease of use make |t a good
cho|ce for techn|ca| nov|ces. You don't
have to comprom|se on performance
though - for the pr|ce, |t's a fast router.
ALTRNATlV Ntgr R6300|f ou're
read to |nvest |n B2.JJac and mone |s
no object, then th|s |s the router to get -
|t's stupendous| fast. EJ46from
www.sn|pca.com/J73B
Secuilond
70 fromwww.sn|pca.com/999
Tst |ssue 4
R0UTR
|though |ts apps are ||m|ted and |t's
a ||tt|e expens|ve compared to other
secur|t cameras, the Y-camjust|hes
|ts pr|ce w|th |ts ease of use and good-
qua||t footage stored conven|ent|
on||ne. |f ou want peace of m|nd wh||e
awa fromhome, then |t's a great cho|ce.
ALTRNATlV D-L|n W|rlss-NDy
N|ght Cmr good-va|ue secur|t
camera w|th exce||ent n|ght v|s|on. EJ
fromwww.sn|pca.com/J465
Y-camHoeMonItor
146 www.sn|pca.com/J737
Tst |ssue 39B
5CURlT CAMRA PC M0NlT0R
L|ghtroom|s a cons|stent| e|egant,
powerfu| and fast photo-management
programpacked w|th soph|st|cated
features. |f ou want to keep on top of
our photos and make them|ook great,
there's no better software to do |t w|th.
ALTRNATlV Ae Pheteshe
lmnts 12 fast and po||shed
photo-ed|t|ng programw|th exce||ent
advanced ed|t|ng too|s. E6J from
www.sn|pca.com/JB65
AdobePotosoLIgtroo
96 www.sn|pca.com/JB64
Tst |ssue 42
Te best ma|ware protect|on su|te
ava||ab|e a|so has ver good parenta|
contro|s, an exce||ent range of advanced
sett|ngs and the ab|||t to create a rescue
d|sc for emergenc|es. t th|s pr|ce ou
can |nsta|| the su|te on three computers.
ALTRNATlV 5T 5mrt 5ur|ty 6
T|s ant|-ma|ware programb|ocked
most of the ma|ware we threwat |t, but
a||owed |eg|t|mate software through.
E6fromwww.sn|pca.com/J327
Kapeky
Internet erIt0i3
22 www.sn|pca.com/J937
Tst |ssue 3B7
P0T0DlTlNC 5CURlT50FTWAR -RADR
great e-reader w|th an eas-to-read
||t touchscreen that can be tweaked
extens|ve| through |ts sett|ngs. Tere's
no 3Cvers|on for down|oad|ng books on
the go, but, un||ke the mazon k|nd|e,
ou can bu ebooks from|ndependent
reta||ers that use the ePub format.
ALTRNATlV: Amazen k|ndle
Paerwh|te (2013) n e-reader w|th a
br||||ant screen and some usefu| features.
EJ9fromwww.sn|pca.com/J532
Kobor
120 fromwww.kobo.com
Tested: |ssue 4J
Dell UltrrU4iM
210 fromwww.sn|pca.com/JB67
Tested: |ssue 37B
n exqu|s|te mon|tor w|th superb |mage
qua||t, an adjustab|e stand, a h|gh
reso|ut|on and even a bu||t-|n U5hub.
|t costs a ||tt|e more than other mon|tors,
but |t's mone we||-spent. |t's eas|| the
best va|ue mon|tor we've seen and |s
the one b wh|ch a|| others are judged.
ALTRNATlV: |ze Fer|s F52333
Pr|ce, but th|s mon|tor has even better
|mage qua||t and can be extens|ve|
tweaked too |f ou w|sh. E2B2 from
www.sn|pca.com/JB6B
31
BUY IT!

P
R
I
C
E
D
R
O
P
24December 2013 7 January 2014
Although this router doesnt have a lot of
extra features and has a comparatively
lowly specication, its touchscreen and
outstanding ease of use make it a good
choice for technical novices. You dont
have to compromise on performance
though for the price, its a fast router.
ALTERNATIVE: Netgear R6300If youre
ready to invest in 802.11ac and money is
no object, then this is the router to get
its stupendously fast. 146from
www.snipca.com/10738
SecurifAlmond
70 fromwww.snipca.com/9099
Tested: Issue 400
ROUTER
Although its apps are limited and its
a little expensive compared to other
security cameras, the Y-camjusties
its price with its ease of use and good-
quality footage stored conveniently
online. If you want peace of mind while
away fromhome, then its a great choice.
ALTERNATIVE: D-Link Wireless-NDay
&Night Camera Agood-value security
camera with excellent night vision. 100
fromwww.snipca.com/10465
Y-camHomeMonitor
146 www.snipca.com/10737
Tested: Issue 398
SECURITY CAMERA PC MONITOR
Lightroomis a consistently elegant,
powerful and fast photo-management
programpacked with sophisticated
features. If you want to keep on top of
your photos and make themlook great,
theres no better software to do it with.
ALTERNATIVE: Adobe Photoshop
Elements 12 Afast and polished
photo-editing programwith excellent
advanced editing tools. 61 from
www.snipca.com/10865
AdobePhotoshopLightroom5
96 www.snipca.com/10864
Tested: Issue 402
Te best malware protection suite
available also has very good parental
controls, an excellent range of advanced
settings and the ability to create a rescue
disc for emergencies. At this price you
can install the suite on three computers.
ALTERNATIVE: ESET Smart Security 6
Tis anti-malware programblocked
most of the malware we threwat it, but
allowed legitimate software through.
60fromwww.snipca.com/10327
Kaspersky
Internet Security2013
22 www.snipca.com/10937
Tested: Issue 387
PHOTOEDITING SECURITYSOFTWARE EREADER
Agreat e-reader with an easy-to-read
lit touchscreen that can be tweaked
extensively through its settings. Teres
no 3Gversion for downloading books on
the go, but, unlike the Amazon Kindle,
you can buy ebooks fromindependent
retailers that use the ePub format.
ALTERNATIVE: Amazon Kindle
Paperwhite (2013) An e-reader with a
brilliant screen and some useful features.
109fromwww.snipca.com/10532
KoboAura
120 fromwww.kobo.com
Tested: Issue 410
Dell UltraSharpU2412M
210 fromwww.snipca.com/10867
Tested: Issue 378
An exquisite monitor with superb image
quality, an adjustable stand, a high
resolution and even a built-in USBhub.
It costs a little more than other monitors,
but its money well-spent. Its easily the
best value monitor weve seen and is
the one by which all others are judged.
ALTERNATIVE: Eizo Foris FS2333
Pricey, but this monitor has even better
image quality and can be extensively
tweaked too if you wish. 282 from
www.snipca.com/10868

P
R
l

R
0
P

sktatonZ3|
160 ca.com/J0575
Tested: |sse 404
ebesgner 9
re
90 fromwww.sn|pca.com/J0046
Tested: |sse 39B
00
238 fromwww.sn|pca.com/J0B70
Tested: |sse 402
y
assort Utra
60 fromwww.sn|pca.com/J05B0
Tested: |sse 307, ompter 5hopper
V00ano
overneater tarter t
(L-P40i0KIT)
30 fromwww.sn|pca.com/J0742
Tested: |sse 395
PIxmaMC4Z50
50 fromwww.sn|pca.com/J0499
Tested: |sse 3B2
T|s N5 enc|osre has |t a|| - fast,
easy conhgrat|on and p|enty of extra
featres. |t's not perfect - |nsta||at|on |s
hdd|y and |t's a pr|cey - bt there are few
other N5 dev|ces we wo|d rather by.
LTRNTlV: Na T5-221 |sks are
eas|er to |nsta|| and |t has many featres,
bt |t's more expens|ve and not as fast.
E260fromwww.sn|pca.com/J0576
Tere are |ots of web des|gn programs,
bt Xara's |s easy to se and aordab|e
yet packed w|th |ots of featres as we||
as a good se|ect|on of h|gh-qa||ty
temp|ates and graph|cs.
LTRNTlV: I|mde Pre T|s browser-
based program|s featre packed, bt
|ack|ng |n h|gh-qa||ty temp|ates. E60a
year fromwww.j|mdo.com/pr|c|ng
b||nd|ng|y fast 55that's good va|e
and ava||ab|e |n a var|ety of capac|t|es
- J20, 240, 4B0and 960C. part
fromhtt|ng more memory, |t's the
s|ng|e best pgrade yo can do on yor
Por |aptop.
LTRNTlV: 5and|sk xtreme
ll 240CT|s fast 55was far too
expens|ve when we rev|ewed |t
or|g|na||y, bt |t's nowmch cheaper
EJ40fromwww.sn|pca.com/J0B7J
Te My Passport U|tra J1|s a very fast
U53 portab|e hard dr|ve that's very
keen|y pr|ced. |t comes bnd|ed w|th
backp software, a|thogh |t can be
c|nky to se.
LTRNTlV: Tesh|ba 5ter anv|e
500CNot as good va|e or as fast,
bt |t does come w|th better bnd|ed
software. E60fromwww.sn|pca.
com/J0B72
T|s bdget m|t|fnct|on pr|nter MPPI
|sn't the fastest ava||ab|e, bt |t's cheap
to by and |nexpens|ve to rn. !st as
|mportant|y, both pr|nts and scans |ook
great. Un|ess yo need faster pr|nt
speeds, th|s MPP|s the one to by.
LTRNTlV: sen Werkferce Pre
4015NT|s standa|one pr|nter |s an
exce||ent a|ternat|ve to a |aser pr|nter.
EJ45 fromwww.sn|pca.com/J0050
N5 W 5lCN
50Ll 5TT RlV XTRNL HR RlV H0MPLUC5
MULTlFUNTl0NPRlNTR
1P-L|nk's t|ny Homep|g adapters are a
great cho|ce, espec|a||y |f socket space
|s at a prem|mor yo don't want to
b|ock an adjacent socket. esp|te the|r
|owpr|ce, they're a|so very fast,
mak|ng themgreat va|e.
LTRNTlV: evele dLN500
VPls 5tarter k|t Tese fast Homep|g
adapters can b|ock adjacent sockets,
bt they do have a passthrogh socket.
E96fromwww.sn|pca.com/J0B73
32
BuyIt
BUY IT!

P
R
I
C
E
D
R
O
P
24December 2013 7 January 2014
SynologyDiskStationDS213j
160 fromwww.snipca.com/10575
Tested: Issue 404
XaraWebDesigner 9
Premium
90 fromwww.snipca.com/10046
Tested: Issue 398
Crucial M500SSD
238 fromwww.snipca.com/10870
Tested: Issue 402
WesternDigital My
Passport Ultra1TB
60 fromwww.snipca.com/10580
Tested: Issue 307, Computer Shopper
TP-LinkAV500Nano
PowerlineAdapter Starter Kit
(TL-PA4010KIT)
30 fromwww.snipca.com/10742
Tested: Issue 395
CanonPixmaMG4250
50 fromwww.snipca.com/10499
Tested: Issue 382
Tis NAS enclosure has it all fast,
easy conguration and plenty of extra
features. Its not perfect installation is
ddly and its a pricey but there are few
other NAS devices we would rather buy.
ALTERNATIVE: QNap TS-221 Disks are
easier to install and it has many features,
but its more expensive and not as fast.
260fromwww.snipca.com/10576
Tere are lots of web design programs,
but Xaras is easy to use and aordable
yet packed with lots of features as well
as a good selection of high-quality
templates and graphics.
ALTERNATIVE: Jimdo Pro Tis browser-
based programis feature packed, but
lacking in high-quality templates. 60a
year fromwww.jimdo.com/pricing
Ablindingly fast SSDthats good value
and available in a variety of capacities
- 120, 240, 480and 960GB. Apart
fromtting more memory, its the
single best upgrade you can do on your
PCor laptop.
ALTERNATIVE: Sandisk Extreme
II 240GBTis fast SSDwas far too
expensive when we reviewed it
originally, but its nowmuch cheaper
140fromwww.snipca.com/10871
Te My Passport Ultra 1TBis a very fast
USB3 portable hard drive thats very
keenly priced. It comes bundled with
backup software, although it can be
clunky to use.
ALTERNATIVE: Toshiba StorE Canvio
500GBNot as good value or as fast,
but it does come with better bundled
software. 60fromwww.snipca.
com/10872
Tis budget multifunction printer (MFP)
isnt the fastest available, but its cheap
to buy and inexpensive to run. Just as
importantly, both prints and scans look
great. Unless you need faster print
speeds, this MFPis the one to buy.
ALTERNATIVE: Epson Workforce Pro
4015DNTis standalone printer is an
excellent alternative to a laser printer.
145 fromwww.snipca.com/10050
NAS WEB DESIGN
SOLID STATE DRIVE EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE HOMEPLUGS
MULTIFUNCTIONPRINTER
TP-Links tiny Homeplug adapters are a
great choice, especially if socket space
is at a premiumor you dont want to
block an adjacent socket. Despite their
lowprice, theyre also very fast,
making themgreat value.
ALTERNATIVE: Devolo dLAN500
AVPlus Starter Kit Tese fast Homeplug
adapters can block adjacent sockets,
but they do have a passthrough socket.
96 fromwww.snipca.com/10873
x|res 7 Ianuary, 214 Turn te age 57 fer 6 mere meneysav|ng effers
F|nd these effers and mere at
htt://stere.cemuteract|ve.ce.uk
DFFRDFHFDRNlGH
N0W0NLY 17.99
av
55
Nermally 39.99

PClL
CHRl
DFFR
Expires 7 January, 2014 Turn to page 57 for 6 more money-saving offers
Find these offers and more at
http://store.computeractive.co.uk
OFFEROFTHEFORTNIGHT
NOWONLY 17.99
Save
55%
Normally 39.99
Reader Offer
SPECIAL
CHRISTMAS
OFFER!
J3 - 7 !anuary 20J4
TEP
I
ou cun use u bulldlng block u puge ln Word hu
conulns ex boxes und gruphlcs o creue un
uruclve openlng puge or your sory. 1o do hls, open
u nevWord documen hen cllck he nser ub u he op. n he
1ex group u he op rlgh, cllck Qulck Furs, hen 'Bulldlng
Blocks Orgunlzer.`. ere, you cun prevlevdleren bulldlng
block emplues by cllcklng hem. llck nser o udd he one
you vun o use. You cun modly he luyou o your chosen
bulldlng block by cllcklng vlhln ls seclons. llck und drug
he sldeburs l you vun o exend or reduce u seclon`s slze
by movlng he smull squure. Rlghcllck lnslde u seclon hen
cllck u l you vun o delee l compleely.
STEP
Z
you vun o chunge he ex on or syle ln u bulldlng
block, hlghllgh he ex you vun o chunge, hen
rlghcllck. You cun novchunge your on syle und
slze, us vell us ormulng und syllng oplons. reue chuper
lles by uslng eudlngs. 1ls mukes l eusler o generue un
uuomulc uble o conens u he end see Sep I). 1o do hls,
cllck he ome ub. n he Syles seclon, rlghcllck eudlng I
hen cllck 'Modly.`. hunge he ormulng o muke your
heudlng sund ou. llck OK vhen done. llck eudlng I
vhenever you vun o vrle u nevchuper lle.
Y
ou can usc MicrosofI Word
for many Ihings bcsidcs jusI
vriIing and formaIIing IcxI. You
can add aIIracIivc IayouIs, crcaIc
famiIy Irccs, add cccIs Io your
your imagcs, vriIc fooInoIcs and
auIomaIicaIIy add a IabIc of
conIcnIs. In Ihis Workshop,
vc`II shovyou hovIo crcaIc a
visuaIIy inIcrcsIing Iifc sIory
IhaI can bc cnjoycd for gcncraIions
Io comc using simpIc and casy
sIcps in Word.
rIt your lI story
Iord

J4pages of eastofo||oor|shops andexpert t|ps

35 rIt your lI story
Iord
38 SvItch!romIDS to
ndroId usIng a P
4Share huge !Iles
vIthout anaccount
4ZHack WIndovs XPto
make It run!aster
43Readers' TIps
44Tablet &Phone TIps
46Make WIndovs etter
47Make D!!Ice etter
48Secret TIps For...
dblock Plus

What yeu need: Mlcrcscft Wcrd 2007 cr 20J0 T|me requ|red: 50 mlnuts

s andexpert t|ps
P
U
L
L
0
U
T
&
k

P
l
s
s
u
e
4
I
3
1
2
1
2
24December 2013 7 January 2014 35
STEP
1
You can use a building block a page in Word that
contains text boxes and graphics to create an
attractive opening page for your story. To do this, open
a newWord document then click the Insert tab at the top. In the
Text group at the top right, click Quick Parts, then Building
Blocks Organizer. Here, you can previewdierent building
block templates by clicking them. Click Insert to add the one
you want to use. You can modify the layout of your chosen
building block by clicking within its sections. Click and drag
the sidebars 1 if you want to extend or reduce a sections size
by moving the small square. Right-click inside a section then
click Cut 2 if you want to delete it completely.
STEP
2
If you want to change the text font or style in a building
block, highlight the text you want to change, then
right-click. You can nowchange your font style and
size, as well as formatting and styling options. Create chapter
titles by using Headings. Tis makes it easier to generate an
automatic table of contents at the end (see Step 10). To do this,
click the Home tab. In the Styles section, right-click Heading 1 1
then click Modify. Change the formatting to make your
heading stand out. Click OK 2 when done. Click Heading 1
whenever you want to write a newchapter title.
Y
ou can use Microsoft Word
for many things besides just
writing and formatting text. You
can add attractive layouts, create
family trees, add eects to your
your images, write footnotes and
automatically add a table of
contents. In this Workshop,
well showyou howto create a
visually interesting life story
that can be enjoyed for generations
to come using simple and easy
steps in Word.
Write your life story
inWord
Workshops&Tips
14pages of easy-to-followworkshops andexpert tips
35 Write your life story
inWord
38 SwitchfromiOS to
Android using a PC
40Share huge files
without anaccount
42Hack Windows XPto
make it runfaster
43Readers Tips
44Tablet &Phone Tips
46Make Windows Better
47Make Office Better
48Secret Tips For...
Adblock Plus
PLUS
What you need: Microsoft Word 2007 or 2010 Time required: 50 minutes

s andexpert tips
P
U
L
L
O
U
T
&
K
E
E
P
I
s
s
u
e
4
1
3
1
2
1
2

lnserI phoIos romyour DeskIop lnIo Word, cllck

Ihe InserI Iub, FlcIure, Ihen doublecllck your lmuge.
Once lI`s lnserIed, cllck und hold u corner o Ihe lmuge
unIll you see Ivo urrovs polnIlng ln elIher dlrecIlon. Shrlnk
your lmuge vlIhouI vurplng lI by holdlng und drugglng lI
lnvurd lnIo lIsel. I you cllck Ihe lmuge und pull lI ouI romIhe
sldes , Ihls vlll dlsIorI lI.

1o modly your lmuge, cllck lI,

Ihen cllck FlcIure 1ools uI Ihe
Iop. You vlll nov see u llsI o Ihe
vuys you cun modly your lmuge. In
Word 2UIU, you cun shurpen your lmuge
und muke lI brlghIer ln CorrecIlons.
Color vlll glve you opIlons Io udjusI lIs
Ione und suIuruIlon. ArIlsIlc EecIs glve
you u runge o onecllck eecIs you cun
udd. Word 2UU7 hus ur ever opIlons Io
modly your lmuge, buI you cun sIlll
chunge lIs brlghIness und conIrusI.
You cun roIuIe your plcIure und crop lI
ln boIh verslons.

You cun lnserI churIs lnIo your lle sIory Io

demonsIruIe hov you spenI porIlons o
your lle. A ple churI vorks vell or u
breukdovn o your cureer, or exumple. Cllck Ihe
InserI Iub, Ihen ChurI ln Ihe IllusIruIlons secIlon.
1ls vlll open un Excel spreudsheeI. 1yplng over Ihe
dummy IexI, enIer your job IlIles und Ihe compunles
you`ve vorked or ln column A und Ihe yeurs o
servlce ln column B . 1e blue llne deIermlnes
hovmuny secIlons your churI vlll be dlvlded lnIo.
Drug Ihe blue llne up or dovn Io lnclude or exclude
jobs. Close Ihe Excel sheeI once you`ve nnlshed Io
see your ple churI vlIh your cureer deIulls.

1o udd u umlly Iree, cllck Ihe InserI Iub, Ihen cllck

SmurIArI ln Ihe IllusIruIlons secIlon, Ihen Hlerurchy
ln Ihe llsI o opIlons IhuI uppeur. SelecI u IempluIe
vlIh recIungulur cells und cllck OK. Cllck Ihe SmurIArI lcon Io
brlng up u IexI pune on Ihe leI . Use Ihls IexI pune Io enIer
IexI lnIo Ihe cells o your umlly Iree. I you need Io deleIe u cell,
cllck Ihe secIlon ln Ihe IexI pune reluIlng Io IhuI cell und press
Ihe Buckspuce key repeuIedly unIll Ihe cell dlsuppeurs. 1o udd u
cell, Iype nevduIu ln Ihe nexI uvulluble secIlon ln Ihe IexI pune
und rlghIcllck lI. Cllck FromoIe Io move Ihe box one level up
und DemoIe Io move lI one level dovn. 1e opIlons Move Up
und Move Dovn move Ihe cells Io Ihe leI und rlghI. 1o chunge
Ihe look o your umlly Iree, rlghIcllck ln uny blunk ureu o
your umlly Iree und selecI 'Chunge luyouI`.

cllck Ihe InserI I

36 24December 2013 7 January 2014

STEP
4
To insert photos fromyour Desktop into Word, click
the Insert tab, Picture, then double-click your image.
Once its inserted, click and hold a corner of the image
until you see two arrows pointing in either direction. Shrink
your image without warping it by holding and dragging it
inward into itself. If you click the image and pull it out fromthe
sides 1 , this will distort it.
STEP
5
To modify your image, click it,
then click Picture Tools 1 at the
top. You will nowsee a list of the
ways you can modify your image. In
Word 2010, you can sharpen your image
and make it brighter in Corrections.
Color will give you options to adjust its
tone and saturation. Artistic Eects give
you a range of one-click eects you can
add. Word 2007 has far fewer options to
modify your image, but you can still
change its brightness and contrast.
You can rotate 2 your picture and crop it
3 in both versions.
STEP
6
You can insert charts into your life story to
demonstrate howyou spent portions of
your life. A pie chart works well for a
breakdown of your career, for example. Click the
Insert tab, then Chart in the Illustrations section.
Tis will open an Excel spreadsheet. Typing over the
dummy text, enter your job titles and the companies
youve worked for in column A 1 and the years of
service in column B 2 . Te blue line 3 determines
howmany sections your chart will be divided into.
Drag the blue line up or down to include or exclude
jobs. Close the Excel sheet once youve nished to
see your pie chart with your career details.
STEP
3
To add a family tree, click the Insert tab, then click
SmartArt in the Illustrations section, then Hierarchy
in the list of options that appear. Select a template
with rectangular cells and click OK. Click the SmartArt icon to
bring up a text pane on the left 1 . Use this text pane to enter
text into the cells of your family tree. If you need to delete a cell,
click the section in the text pane relating to that cell and press
the Backspace key repeatedly until the cell disappears. To add a
cell, type newdata in the next available section in the text pane
and right-click it. Click Promote 2 to move the box one level up
and Demote 3 to move it one level down. Te options Move Up
and Move Down move the cells to the left and right. To change
the look of your family tree, right-click in any blank area of
your family tree and select Change layout.
1
2
3
click the Insert t
1
1
3
1
2
3
2

u hue
gulned seerul
uccoludes rom
Ihe orgunlsuIlons
IhuI o hue
sered or enjoed
or chlldren`s
uchleemenIs o`d
llke Io remember.
Yo cun lmporI u
pd scun o u
cerIlncuIe o`e
eurned or leIIer
o`e receled
dlrecIl
lnIo or Word
docmenI. 1o do Ihls, cllck Ihe InserI Iub, Ihen ln Ihe 1eI
secIlon o Ihe Rlbbon, cllck Ihe ObjecI dropdon men und
cllck ObjecI. SelecI Ihe nle ormuI o unI. For pd nles se
Ihe nrsI opIlon dobe crobuI DocmenI , Ihen cllck OK.
NeI, selecI Ihe nle o unI Io lnserI romor compIer und
cllck open. II lll lmporI or nle lIhln u border. 1ls nle
cunnoI be edlIed.
STEP
9
Yo cun udd borders Io or docmenI
und chunge lIs uppeurunce Io muke lI look
beIIer. Cllck Ihe Fuge LuoI Iub ln Ihe
Rlbbon und cllck Fuge Borders ln Ihe Fuge
Buckgrond secIlon. Cllck Ihe Fuge Border Iub ln Ihe
'Borders und Shudlngs` lndoIhuI uppeurs. SelecI
u puge border or or docmenI b selecIlng one o
Ihe opIlons und cllcklng OK. Cllck Ihe 1emes Iub
ln Ihe 1emes secIlon Io modl Ihe uppeurunce o
or docmenI. 1emes lll chunge or onIs und
Ihe colors o un lmuges o hue creuIed ln Word.
1e cun be eusll reseI b cllcklng 'ReseI Io 1eme
rom1empluIe`.
STEP
I0
dd Ihe nnlshlng Ioches Io or docmenI b gllng lI puge nmbers und
uddlng u conIenIs Iuble. 1o lnserI puge nmbers, cllck Ihe InserI Iub Ihen Fuge
Nmber ln Ihe Heuder &FooIer secIlon. SelecI 'BoIIomo Fuge` und choose
hoo`d llke or puge nmbers Io be ullgned. 1o generuIe un uIomuIlc 1uble o
ConIenIs, cllck Ihe puge on hlch o unI or Iuble o conIenIs Io uppeur. Ideull, Ihls
shold be Ihe second puge, ollolng or blldlngblock lnIro puge. NeI, cllck Ihe
Reerences Iub , 1uble o ConIenIs, Ihen IomuIlc 1uble I. ll or heudlngs lll uppeur
us IlIles neI Io Ihelr puge nmbers.
STEP
7
FooInoIes leI o eluboruIe on someIhlng lIhoI
hulng Io lnclde lI ln or cop. 1o lnserI u FooInoIe,
hlghllghI u ord, cllck Ihe Reerences Iub, Ihen selecI
InserI FooInoIe . nmber lll uppeur beslde Ihe ord o
hlghllghIed und Ihe sume nmber lll uppeur uI Ihe ooI o
or puge . Cllck Ihe rlghI o Ihe nmber IhuI uppeurs uI Ihe
ooI o or puge Ihen Ipe or ooInoIe.
\!e you lle s!oy n \od

37
STEP
8
During
your
lifetime
you may have
gained several
accolades from
the organisations
that you have
served or enjoyed
your childrens
achievements youd
like to remember.
You can import a
pdf scan of a
certicate youve
earned or letter
youve received
directly
into your Word
document. To do this, click the Insert tab, then in the Text
section of the Ribbon, click the Object dropdown menu 1 and
click Object. Select the le format you want. For pdf les use
the rst option Adobe Acrobat Document 2 , then click OK.
Next, select the le you want to insert fromyour computer and
click open. It will import your le within a border. Tis le
cannot be edited.
STEP
9
You can add borders to your document
and change its appearance to make it look
better. Click the Page Layout tab in the
Ribbon and click Page Borders 1 in the Page
Background section. Click the Page Border tab in the
Borders and Shadings windowthat appears. Select
a page border for your document by selecting one of
the options and clicking OK. Click the Temes tab 2
in the Temes section to modify the appearance of
your document. Temes will change your fonts and
the colours of any images you have created in Word.
Tey can be easily reset by clicking Reset to Teme
fromTemplate.
STEP
10
Add the nishing touches to your document by giving it page numbers and
adding a contents table. To insert page numbers, click the Insert tab then Page
Number 1 in the Header &Footer section. Select Bottomof Page 2 and choose
howyoud like your page numbers to be aligned. To generate an automatic Table of
Contents, click the page on which you want your table of contents to appear. Ideally, this
should be the second page, following your building-block intro page. Next, click the
References tab 3, Table of Contents, then Automatic Table 1. All your headings will appear
as titles next to their page numbers.
STEP
7
Footnotes let you elaborate on something without
having to include it in your copy. To insert a Footnote,
highlight a word, click the References tab, then select
Insert Footnote 1 . A number will appear beside the word you
highlighted 2 and the same number will appear at the foot of
your page 3. Click the right of the number that appears at the
foot of your page then type your footnote.
Write your life story in Word
24December 2013 7 January 2014
1
1
1
2
3
1
2
2
3
2

O yur r
v v
g I Ih yu
u I Ien on your lOS
devlce. You cun do Ihls by
cllcklng Ihe Fluy sIore lcon und
seurchlng or upps IhuI you vunI
Io dovnloud. Dovnloud Google
Drlve on your ndrold devlce
romvvv.snlpcu.comIU9SU
us you`ll use lI Io Irunser ull your
lmuges und vldeos luIer ln Ihls
IuIorlul. Use your Gmull uccounI
Io slgn lnIo Google Drlve. UpduIe
your lOS devlce Io lOS 7.U.4 or
ubove) by Iupplng Ihe SeIIlngs
upp, Ihen Generul und SoIvure
UpduIe .

Novgo Io your F. 1o Irunser

your onIucIs romlOS Io
ndrold, open your veb
brovser und go Io vvv.lcloud.com.
Slgn ln vlIh your pple IDund
pussvord. llck onIucIs Io see u llsI o
ull your conIucIs . SelecI Ihemull by
cllcklng Irl. llck Ihe cIlons Menu
cog lcon) ln Ihe boIIomleI o Ihe
lloud screen und selecI 'ExporI
vurd.`. vurd conIulns ull Ihe
conIucI lnormuIlon you huve selecIed us
u .vc nle. 1ls nle vlll novdovnloud Io
your F`s deuulI Dovnlouds older.

NexI, slgn lnIo your

Gmull uccounI on your
F. llck Ihe muln
Gmull menu on Ihe Iop leI und
selecI onIucIs. llck More und
selecI 'ImporI.`. llck hoose
Flle , selecI Ihe vurd you
dovnlouded und cllck ImporI .
ll your conIucIs vlll nov
uppeur ln your Gmull. 1o geI
Ihese conIucIs on your ndrold
devlce, open Ihe onIucIs upp on
your ndrold devlce, Iup Menu,
ccounIs, Ihen selecI your Gmull
uccounI. 1up OK. ll your lOS
conIucIs vlll novuppeur ln
Ihe onIucIs upp o your
ndrold devlce.

oogIc cxccuIivc chairman, Eric

SchmidI, rcccnIIy vroIc a guidc on
convcrIing fromiOS Io Android using a
Mac and a PC (vvv.snipca.comI098I),
buI you don`I nccd a Mac Io do Ihis. Wc`II
shovyou hovIo makc Ihc sviIch soIcIy
using a PC. In Ihis Workshop, you`II Icarn
Io Iransfcr aII your mosI imporIanI daIa,
such as conIacIs, imagcs, vidcos and
music Ics IhaI you`vc dovnIoadcd on
your iOS dcvicc Io your Android dcvicc.
AII you nccd Io gcI sIarIcd is a primary
CmaiI accounI. Pay carcfuI aIIcnIion as
vc svap bcIvccn iOS, Android and PC in
Ihc sIcps bcIov.
SvItch!romIDSto
ndroIdusIngaPC
t yeu need: XP, 7 cr B, lOS, ndrcld T|me requ|red: 45 mlnuts
1
2
3
240cmbr 20J3 - 7 !anuary 20J4
1
1
2
38
STEP
1
On your Android
device, download and
sign into the apps you
use most often on your iOS
device. You can do this by
clicking the Play store icon and
searching for apps that you want
to download. Download Google
Drive on your Android device
fromwww.snipca.com/10980
as youll use it to transfer all your
images and videos later in this
tutorial. Use your Gmail account
to sign into Google Drive. Update
your iOS device (to iOS 7.0.4 or
above) by tapping the Settings
app, then General and Software
Update 1 .
STEP
2
Nowgo to your PC. To transfer
your Contacts fromiOS to
Android, open your web
browser and go to www.icloud.com.
Sign in with your Apple IDand
password. Click Contacts to see a list of
all your contacts 1 . Select themall by
clicking Ctrl+A. Click the Actions Menu
(cog icon) 2 in the bottomleft of the
iCloud screen and select Export
vCard. A vCard contains all the
contact information you have selected as
a .vcf le. Tis le will nowdownload to
your PCs default Downloads folder.
STEP
3
Next, sign into your
Gmail account on your
PC. Click the main
Gmail menu on the top left and
select Contacts. Click More 1 and
select Import. Click Choose
File 2 , select the vCard you
downloaded and click Import 3.
All your contacts will now
appear in your Gmail. To get
these contacts on your Android
device, open the Contacts app on
your Android device, tap Menu,
Accounts, then select your Gmail
account. Tap OK. All your iOS
contacts will nowappear in
the Contacts app of your
Android device.
G
oogle executive chairman, Eric
Schmidt, recently wrote a guide on
converting fromiOS to Android using a
Mac and a PC (www.snipca.com/10981),
but you dont need a Mac to do this. Well
showyou howto make the switch solely
using a PC. In this Workshop, youll learn
to transfer all your most important data,
such as contacts, images, videos and
music les that youve downloaded on
your iOS device to your Android device.
All you need to get started is a primary
Gmail account. Pay careful attention as
we swap between iOS, Android and PC in
the steps below.
SwitchfromiOSto
AndroidusingaPC
What you need: XP, 7 or 8; iOS, Android Time required: 45 minutes
1
2
3
24December 2013 - 7 January 2014
1
1
2

e`ll sync your

phoIo und vldeo nles
beIveen lOS und
ndrold. On your lOS devlce,
dovnloud und slgn lnIo Ihe
Google Drlve upp vvv.snlpcu.
comIU97S) uslng your Gmull
uccounI. Luunch Google Drlve und
Iup Ihe IopleI purullel llnes. SelecI
Uplouds. NovIup Ihe '` slgn ln
Ihe Iop rlghI. SelecI 'Uploud FhoIos
or Vldeo`. Your lOS phoIos und
vldeos vlll novbe dlspluyed.
SelecI Ihe lIems you vunI Io uploud
by Iupplng Ihemlndlvlduully und
Ihen Iup Ihe blue Ilck lcon ln Ihe
Iop rlghI . Your nles vlll begln
uploudlng. NexI, on your ndrold
devlce, Iup Ihe Google Drlve upp Io
see your uplouded lOS nles.

I you vunI your phoIos und

vldeos Io uppeur ln your
ndrold Gullery upp, nrsI
dovnloud Google Drlve or your deskIop
FC romvvv.drlve.google.comund
slgn ln. ConnecI your ndrold devlce Io
your FC vlu u USB cuble. SelecI your
devlce und ln Ihe llsI o olders on your
FC, muke u nevone und nume lI. Copy
und pusIe Ihe phoIo und vldeo nles rom
Google Drlve lnIo Ihls older. Your
Gullery upp vlll novconIuln Ihe nev
older vlIh ull your nles.

1o lmporI muslc
you`ve boughI rom
l1unes Io your
ndrold devlce, nrsI slgn lnIo
l1unes on your FC. Novcllck
Ihe smull dropdovn menu
ln Ihe Iop leI, Ihen cllck
Freerences. Cllck Ihe SIore Iub
und ensure 'Shovl1unes ln
Ihe Cloud purchuses` ls Ilcked
. Cllck OK . In l1unes, cllck
Ihe lCloud lcon beslde Irucks or
ulbums Io dovnloud your
muslc. 1ls vlll dovnloud
uny l1unes muslc you`ve
boughI Io your FC.

On your FC, go Io pluy.google.commuslc und cllck 'Uploud muslc` nexI Io

Ihe IoprlghI seIIlngs lcon. Cllck Dovnloud Muslc Munuger und lnsIull lI.
Cllck NexI vhen Ihe opIlon 'Uploud songs Io Google Fluy` uppeurs. Muke
sure l1unes ls selecIed . Cllck NexI uguln Io dovnloud your muslc roml1unes.
Once Ihe uploud ls compleIe you`ll see ull your muslc nles ln Google Fluy Muslc.
Dovnloud Ihe upp on your ndrold devlce vvv.snlpcu.comIU9S2) und enjoy ull
your l1unes muslc or ree.

39
STEP
4
Nowwell sync your
photo and video les
between iOS and
Android. On your iOS device,
download and sign into the
Google Drive app (www.snipca.
com/10975) using your Gmail
account. Launch Google Drive and
tap the top-left parallel lines. Select
Uploads. Nowtap the + sign in
the top right. Select Upload Photos
or Video. Your iOS photos and
videos will nowbe displayed.
Select the items you want to upload
by tapping themindividually and
then tap the blue tick icon in the
top right 1 . Your les will begin
uploading. Next, on your Android
device, tap the Google Drive app to
see your uploaded iOS les.
STEP
5
If you want your photos and
videos to appear in your
Android Gallery app, rst
download Google Drive for your desktop
PC fromwww.drive.google.comand
sign in. Connect your Android device to
your PC via a USB cable. Select your
device and in the list of folders on your
PC, make a newone and name it. Copy
and paste the photo and video les from
Google Drive into this folder. Your
Gallery app will nowcontain the new
folder with all your les.
STEP
6
To import music
youve bought from
iTunes to your
Android device, rst sign into
iTunes on your PC. Nowclick
the small dropdown menu
in the top left, then click
Preferences. Click the Store tab
1 and ensure ShowiTunes in
the Cloud purchases is ticked 2
. Click OK 3. In iTunes, click
the iCloud icon beside tracks or
albums to download your
music. Tis will download
any iTunes music youve
bought to your PC.
STEP
7
On your PC, go to play.google.com/music and click Upload music next to
the top-right settings icon. Click Download Music Manager and install it.
Click Next when the option Upload songs to Google Play appears. Make
sure iTunes is selected 1 . Click Next 2 again to download your music fromiTunes.
Once the upload is complete youll see all your music les in Google Play Music.
Download the app on your Android device (www.snipca.com/10982) and enjoy all
your iTunes music for free.
1
1
2
24December 2013 - 7 January 2014
2
3
1
cmbr 20J3 - 7 !anuary 20J4

slI vvvoneIlmeboxorg und cllck 'reuIe your

Box` 1ere ure Ivo vuys Io uploud your nles You cun
elIher drug und drop nles dlrecIly romyour F or use
Ihe udvunced uplouder I you need Io uploud nles rom
dlerenI sources, sklp Io SIep 2 Io nnd ouI hovIo use Ihe
udvunced uplouder BuI l you vunI Io uploud nles romjusI
one source, lI`s beIIer Io drug und drop Ihem SIurI by drugglng
your nles vhere lI suys 'Drug nles here` Drug nles lndlvlduully
l Ihe order o Ihelr uploud ls lmporIunI Io you SelecIlng muny
nles und dropplng IhemlnIo One1lmeBox uplouds Ihemln
rundomorder 1e Uploud vlndov 1 shovs you Ihe progress
o Ihe uploud und your uplouded nles ure dlspluyed belov

You cun`I use Ihe udvunced uplouder l you

huve ulreudy drugged und dropped nles lnIo
One1lmeBox Use Ihe udvunced uplouder romIhe
sIurI l you need Io uploud nles romdlerenI sources For
exumple you cun uploud romsIoruge servlces llke Google
Drlve, Gmull, Dropbox, Box und SkyDrlve und soclul
neIvorks lncludlng Fucebook, InsIugrum, Fllckr und EvernoIe
You cun ulso seurch or veb lmuges, Iuke plcIures und
record vldeo romvlIhln Ihe servlce

pps rcquirc
you Io sign in and, ofIcn,
buy morc sIoragc for a fcc.
OncTimcBox is dicrcnI bccausc
iI IcIs you upIoad as many Ics as
you Iikc (up Io a maximumof ICB)
and sharc a Iink Io Ihc Ics viIhouI
having an accounI. AIso iI IcIs you
upIoad frommorc sourccs Ihan any
oIhcr scrvicc vc`vc sccn. n Ihc
sIcps bcIov, vc viII cxpIain hovIo
bcsI usc iIs various upIoad opIions.

1o uploud phoIos romFucebook, One1lmeBox

needs Io connecI Io your uccounI 1ls vlll only leI lI
uccess Ihe ulbums you uploud One1lmeBox doesn`I
sIore your lmuges und cun`I uccess oIher deIulls o your uccounI
Hovever, lI Ihen usks permlsslon Io posI prlvuIely on Fucebook,
vhlch lI doesn`I need Io do, so cllck Sklp Io prevenI Ihls Once
your phoIos huve louded, you`ll see ull your Fucebook ulbums
llck un ulbumund selecI Ihe lmuges you vunI Io uploud 1
llck Uploud lmmedluIely becuuse nuvlguIlng Io unoIher
ulbumvlll orgeI your eurller selecIlons
ht e need: ny wb brcwsr T|me req|red: 30 mlnuts
hare huge !Iles vIthout
anaccount !or !ree
1

40 24December 2013 7 January 2014

STEP
1
Visit www.onetimebox.org and click Create your
Box. Tere are two ways to upload your les. You can
either drag and drop les directly fromyour PC or use
the advanced uploader. If you need to upload les from
dierent sources, skip to Step 2 to nd out howto use the
advanced uploader. But if you want to upload les fromjust
one source, its better to drag and drop them. Start by dragging
your les where it says Drag les here. Drag les individually
if the order of their upload is important to you. Selecting many
les and dropping theminto OneTimeBox uploads themin
randomorder. Te Upload window 1 shows you the progress
of the upload and your uploaded les are displayed below 2 .
STEP
2
You cant use the advanced uploader if you
have already dragged and dropped les into
OneTimeBox. Use the advanced uploader fromthe
start if you need to upload les fromdierent sources. For
example you can upload fromstorage services like Google
Drive, Gmail, Dropbox, Box and SkyDrive and social
networks including Facebook, Instagram, Flickr and Evernote.
You can also search for web images, take pictures and
record video fromwithin the service.
M
ost le-sharing apps require
you to sign in and, often,
buy more storage for a fee.
OneTimeBox is dierent because
it lets you upload as many les as
you like (up to a maximumof 1GB)
and share a link to the les without
having an account. Also it lets you
upload frommore sources than any
other service weve seen. In the
steps below, we will explain howto
best use its various upload options.
STEP
3
To upload photos fromFacebook, OneTimeBox
needs to connect to your account. Tis will only let it
access the albums you upload. OneTimeBox doesnt
store your images and cant access other details of your account.
However, it then asks permission to post privately on Facebook,
which it doesnt need to do, so click Skip to prevent this. Once
your photos have loaded, youll see all your Facebook albums.
Click an albumand select the images you want to upload 1 .
Click Upload 2 immediately because navigating to another
albumwill forget your earlier selections.
What you need: Any web browser Time required: 30 minutes
Share huge files without
anaccount for free
1
2
1
2

RL conulns ull he nles you huve uplouded

o One1lmeBox. I One1lmeBox doesn` generue un
uuomulc URL u he boomo he puge, you cun
copy und puse your URL , vhlch serves us your shurlng llnk.
Emull hls llnk o us muny people us you vun. Reclplens
vlll see he llnk exucly us you huve sen l und vlll lnsunly
see uny uplouds or nle delelons unyone mukes. Dovnlouded
nles vlll uuomulcully be suved o he Dovnlouds older on
your Deskop. We sugges unllnklng every progrumyou`ve
gruned permlsslon o und delelng ull he nles uer you
und your reclplens huve nnlshed uslng One1lmeBox.

1o connec o Gmull, One1lmeBox

requess permlsslon o vlevund
munuge your emull uccoun. 1ls ls
perecly sue us One1lmeBox doesn` reud your
emulls or sore ls uuchmens on ls servers.
One1lmeBox ulso les you uploud nles dlrecly
romun F1F or WebDV server, u rure oplon no
provlded by muny oher servlces. 1o unllnk un
uccoun, cllck he X murk beslde l ln he Ink
Flle Flcker seclon.

1o record und shure u vldeo, scroll dovn he Ink Flle Flcker

seclon und cllck Record Vldeo . One1lmeBox vlll usk
permlsslon o uccess your mlcrophone und cumeru selngs. I you
huve u mullple cumeru und mlcrophone seup, you ge he oplon o
chunglng hese selngs lndlvlduully by cllcklng he Selngs spunner)
lcon u he boomrlgh o he screen. 1ls ls u greu oplon or recordlng
shor vldeo messuges, bu don` expec he sume quully us u dlglul cumeru
or Skype. You muy vun o conslder unoher sovure or proesslonul
oouge o uploud more lmporun oouge.

One1lmeBox ulso les you u run un lmuge seurch

romvlhln he servlce. Cllck Web Imuges und
ype u vord or ermyou vun o seurch or .
I doesn` huve us blg u duubuse us seurch englnes bu l`s u
good ulernulve l you need un lmuge qulckly. One1lmeBox
cun ulso uccess your Evernoe noes und noebooks .
Evernoe noes open sepuruely ln u vebpuge, unllke oher
nles vhlch dovnloud dlrecly o your sysem.

24December 2013 7 January 2014 41

STEP
7
Your URL contains all the les you have uploaded
to OneTimeBox. If OneTimeBox doesnt generate an
automatic URL at the bottomof the page, you can
copy and paste your URL 1 , which serves as your sharing link.
Email this link to as many people as you want. Recipients
will see the link exactly as you have sent it and will instantly
see any uploads or le deletions anyone makes. Downloaded
les will automatically be saved to the Downloads folder on
your Desktop. We suggest unlinking every programyouve
granted permission to and deleting all the les after you
and your recipients have nished using OneTimeBox.
STEP
4
To connect to Gmail, OneTimeBox
requests permission to viewand
manage your email account. Tis is
perfectly safe as OneTimeBox doesnt read your
emails or store its attachments on its servers.
OneTimeBox also lets you upload les directly
froman FTP or WebDAV server, a rare option not
provided by many other services. To unlink an
account, click the X mark 3 beside it in the Ink
File Picker section.
STEP
5
To record and share a video, scroll down the Ink File Picker
section and click Record Video 1 . OneTimeBox will ask
permission to access your microphone and camera settings. If you
have a multiple camera and microphone setup, you get the option of
changing these settings individually 2 by clicking the Settings (spanner)
icon 3 at the bottomright of the screen. Tis is a great option for recording
short video messages, but dont expect the same quality as a digital camera
or Skype. You may want to consider another software or professional
footage to upload more important footage.
STEP
6
OneTimeBox also lets you a run an image search
fromwithin the service. Click Web Images and
type a word or termyou want to search for 1 .
It doesnt have as big a database as search engines but its a
good alternative if you need an image quickly. OneTimeBox
can also access your Evernote notes and notebooks 2 .
Evernote notes open separately in a webpage, unlike other
les which download directly to your system.
1
1
1
1
2
2
3
3
2
40cmbr 20J3 - 7 !anuary 20J4

lngly, beore Wlndovs XF sIurIs, Ihere`s u vulI Ilme o

8U seconds seI by your compuIer. 1o chunge Ihls, cllck Ihe SIurI
menu, Ihen cllck Run. 1ype msconng ln Ihe box und cllck EnIer.
1ls vlll Iuke you Io Ihe SysIemConnguruIlon UIlllIy. Cllck Ihe BOO1.INI
Iub 1 . You vlll see u 1lmeouI box on Ihe boIIomrlghI. Chunge Ihls rom
8U Io 4 seconds 2 vhlch ls Ihe shorIesI Ilme you cun seI. Cllck pply.
When you sIurI your FC, some o your dovnlouded progrums ulso
luunch, lncreuslng lIs sIurIup Ilme. Cllck Ihe SIurIup Iub 3 ln SysIem
ConnguruIlon UIlllIy Io see ull Ihe progrums IhuI luunch durlng sIurIup.
UnIlck Ihe lIems you don`I vunI Io luunch uI sIurIup. Do noI unIlck
uny sysIemnles. Cllck pply und Ihen OK.

s you brovse Ihe lnIerneI, you`ll guIher u llsI o Iemporury

lnIerneI olders IhuI vlll slovXF dovn. DeleIlng Ihese nles vlll
help speed up your sysIem. 1o do Ihls, cllck Ihe SIurI menu, cllck
Run und Iype Iemp. Fress CIrl und deleIe ull Ihe Iemporury lnIerneI
nles ln Ihe older IhuI uppeurs. DerugmenIlng urrunges Ihe nles on your
sysIemund moves Ihemuround, muklng sure you geI Ihe besI perormunce
ouI o your FC. Cllck Ihe SIurI menu, Ihen nuvlguIe Io ccessorles, SysIem
1ools Ihen Dlsk DerugmenIer. Cllck nulyze 1 . Ier u brle unulysls, lI vlll
Iell you vheIher you need Io DerugmenI 2 Ihe nles. Ensure you
derugmenI your FC uI leusI once u monIh.

ing XP for a fcvycars, iI`s IikcIy

your sysIcmviII havc sIovcd dovn.
Tis is an unavoidabIc rcsuII of cvcryday
usagc and Ihc accumuIaIion of sofIvarc
Iaking iIs IoII on your PC. uI vhcIhcr you
usc a dcskIop or a IapIop, Ihcsc casy
mcIhods bcIovviII shovyou hovIo
makc your PC sIarI fasIcr, managc your
Ics and Ivcak iIs povcr scIIings Io
brcaIhc ncvIifc inIo your agcing machinc.
k WIndovs XPto
make It run!aster

HlbernuIlon closes und open progrums usIer Ihun usuul.

1o enuble HlbernuIlon, cllck Ihe SIurI menu und Ihen ConIrol
Funel. In Ihe IopleI ConIrol Funel Iub, cllck 'SvlIch Io Clusslc
Vlev`. Novcllck Fover OpIlons 1 und cllck Ihe HlbernuIe Iub 2
ln Ihe Fover OpIlons FroperIles vlndov. 1lck 'Enuble hlbernuIlon`
und cllck pply. Whlle ln Fover OpIlons FroperIles, cllck Ihe dvunced Iub
3. Fromhere you cun cusIomlse vhuI ucIlons you vunI your compuIer Io
Iuke every Ilme you press Ihe pover buIIon, press Ihe sleep buIIon und
close your lupIop lld. 1ls vlll ensure you don`I shuI dovn or hlbernuIe
your Wlndovs FC vlIhouI lnIendlng Io. Cllck pply und Ihen OK vhen
done.
ht yeu need: Wlndcws XP T|me requ|red: 20 mlnuts
lSSUE
utcmatlca||y updatycur PC's drlvrs
Mastr Mlcrcscft's nwscurlty sttlngs
UsLastPass 3's brl||lant nwtcc|s
St upca|ndar a|rts fcr 20J4
DSALE
8]an
scrbeCmpuerccvec subscrbe.cmpuerccve.c.uk
1
2
3
1
2
1
3
2
42 24December 2013 - 7 January 2014
STEP
1
Annoyingly, before Windows XP starts, theres a wait time of
30 seconds set by your computer. To change this, click the Start
menu, then click Run. Type mscong in the box and click Enter.
Tis will take you to the SystemConguration Utility. Click the BOOT.INI
tab 1 . You will see a Timeout box on the bottom-right. Change this from
30 to 4 seconds 2 , which is the shortest time you can set. Click Apply.
When you start your PC, some of your downloaded programs also
launch, increasing its startup time. Click the Startup tab 3 in System
Conguration Utility to see all the programs that launch during startup.
Untick the items you dont want to launch at startup. Do not untick
any systemles. Click Apply and then OK.
STEP
2
As you browse the internet, youll gather a list of temporary
internet folders that will slowXP down. Deleting these les will
help speed up your system. To do this, click the Start menu, click
Run and type %temp%. Press Ctrl+A and delete all the temporary internet
les in the folder that appears. Defragmenting arranges the les on your
systemand moves themaround, making sure you get the best performance
out of your PC. Click the Start menu, then navigate to Accessories, System
Tools then Disk Defragmenter. Click Analyze 1 . After a brief analysis, it will
tell you whether you need to Defragment 2 the les. Ensure you
defragment your PC at least once a month.
A
fter using XP for a fewyears, its likely
your systemwill have slowed down.
Tis is an unavoidable result of everyday
usage and the accumulation of software
taking its toll on your PC. But whether you
use a desktop or a laptop, these easy
methods belowwill showyou howto
make your PC start faster, manage your
les and tweak its power settings to
breathe newlife into your ageing machine.
Hack Windows XPto
make it runfaster
STEP
3
Hibernation closes and open programs faster than usual.
To enable Hibernation, click the Start menu and then Control
Panel. In the top-left Control Panel tab, click Switch to Classic
View. Nowclick Power Options 1 and click the Hibernate tab 2
in the Power Options Properties window. Tick Enable hibernation
and click Apply. While in Power Options Properties, click the Advanced tab
3. Fromhere you can customise what actions you want your computer to
take every time you press the power button, press the sleep button and
close your laptop lid. Tis will ensure you dont shut down or hibernate
your Windows PC without intending to. Click Apply and then OK when
done.
What you need: Windows XP Time required: 20 minutes
NEXTISSUE
Automatically updateyour PCs drivers
Master Microsofts newsecurity settings
UseLastPass 3s brilliant newtools
Set upcalendar alerts for 2014
ONSALE
8Jan
SubscribetoComputeractiveat subscribe.computeractive.co.uk
1
2
3
1
2
1
3
2
4cb 0 - !uy 04
Reades Tps
eb deslgner vho`s ulvuys
looklng Io lmprove Ihe user
experlence o my vebslIes. 1e
luIesI verslon o Google Mups ls
much cleuner Io look uI und eusler
Io nuvlguIe Ihun Ihe prevlous one.
II leIs you udd dlrecIlons und
embed mups euslly on Io your
vebslIe. 1o do Ihls, slgn lnIo your
Google uccounI und go Io Google
Mups. Cllck DlrecIlons under Ihe
seurch bur und, l you vunI Io,
enIer your sIurIlng polnI und
desIlnuIlon. NexI, cllck Ihe SeIIlngs
lcons cog) ln Ihe boIIomrlghI o
your screen und selecI 'Shure und
embed mup`. You vlll novgeI u
very long URL Io shure. Cllck
Ihe ShorI URL box Io geI u
shorIened verslon.
Cllck 'Embed mup` Io geI u llnk IhuI
you cun dlrecIly copy und pusIe lnIo
your vebslIe or blog. Cllck Ihe
dropdovn menu beslde Ihe embed code
Io selecI vheIher you vunI Io embed u
smull, medlum, lurge or cusIomslze
verslon o Ihe mup. I preer seIIlng
my cusIomslze Io 64Ux64U. 1o do
Ihls, cllck Ihe dropdovn menu und
selecI 'CusIomslze`. EnIer 64U ln
boIh boxes. Copy und pusIe Ihls
code on Io your vebslIe.
When vlevlng Ihls mup on u
vebslIe, you cun zoomln und ouI by
cllcklng Ihe mup und scrolllng up und
dovn on your mouse. Cllcklng 'More
opIlons` opens Google Mups ln your
brovser. You cun ulso svlIch beIveen
suIelllIe lmugery und u sIreeI mup rom
vlIhln your vebslIe`s mup by cllcklng
on Ihe squure ln Ihe boIIomleI
corner o Ihe mup.
v|n ar
bedthe nev-look Coogle Maps onyour vebsIte

|NN XL
ber|ng
yeur web act|v|ty
1e luIesI lssue o
puge 46, 4I2) helped me dovnloud
InIerneI Explorer II IEII) on my
Wlndovs 7 FC. Hovever, I noIlced IhuI
by deuulI IEII remembers my brovslng
hlsIory, vhuI I Iype lnIo onllne orms
und my vebslIe pussvords. I don`I llke
brovsers keeplng Iruck o my onllne
duIu, so I ngured ouI u vuy Io sIop Ihls.
WlIh IEII open, cllck 1ools Ihe cog
lcon ln Ihe IoprlghI o Ihe brovser).
NexI, cllck InIerneI OpIlons und selecI
Ihe ConIenI Iub. In Ihe uIoCompleIe
secIlon, cllck SeIIlngs Io vlev
uIoCompleIe SeIIlngs und unIlck
Ihe Ihree muln opIlons 'ddress bur`,
Forms, und 'User numes und pussvords
on orms`). NexI, cllck 'DeleIe
uIoCompleIe hlsIory`, Io brlng up u
DeleIe Brovslng HlsIory vlndovvlIh
ull Ihe brovslng opIlons Cookles,
HlsIory, 'FormduIu` und Fussvords)
Ilcked. Cllcklng DeleIe geIs rld o ull
Ihese suved opIlons. Dolng Ihls I mude
IEII orgeI ull my suved brovslng duIu,
uvourlIes, ormduIu und suved
usernumes und pussvords. Cllck OK, Ihen
OK uguln und Ihe chunges vlll Iuke eecI.
|na urrows
LD CM ND CM
Use eld regrams and lay
retre games en yeur PC
I ovned un pple II ubouI Ihree
decudes buck vhen lI vus nrsI
releused und lI vus one o Ihe besI FCs I
ovned or u long Ilme. s FCs und
progrums udvunced ln such u shorI spuce
o Ilme, I huve become used Io more
sophlsIlcuIed vuys o uslng FCs ln Ihe
modern eru. Hovever, I vus lnIrlgued Io
leurn romu rlend IhuI Ihe InIerneI
rchlve vvv.urchlve.org) recenIly
luunched Ihe HlsIory SoIvure CollecIlon
vvv.snlpcu.comIUS6I) und I vus
curlous Io Iry lI ouI. II vus pure nosIulglu
Io Iry ouI old pple soIvure such us
VlslCulc vvv.snlpcu.comIU926) rom
vlIhln my brovser. II vorks by runnlng
un lnbrovser emuluIlon o Ihe progrum
vhlch ls ucIlvuIed romIhe rlghI o Ihe
screen. 1e vebslIe ulso hus llnks Io
gumes romIhe I97Us und I9SUs. I spenI
un hour pluylng Ihe Iurl 26UU verslon
o FucMun vvv.snlpcu.comIU927)
und loved every mlnuIe o lI.
rank |tt|
|||X
Cet r|d ef 5earch Cendu|t
I recenIly dovnlouded soIvure IhuI
uuIomuIlcully seI my brovser`s
homepuge ln Flreox) Io Seurch CondulI
und my deuulI seurch englne Io Blng. I
normully seI my ovn homepuges und use
Google us my deuulI seurch englne. I
cleured my cuche und hlsIory Io no uvull.
I Ihen ngured ouI lI vus u slmple cuse o
Iveuklng my Flreox seIIlngs, vhlch Ihe
soIvure hud chunged. I cllcked Ihe
Flreox dropdovn menu uI Ihe IopleI o
Ihe puge. I Ihen nuvlguIed Io Ihe OpIlons
menu vlIhln Ihe OpIlons seIIlng. In Ihe
Generul Iub, I chunged my homepuge buck
Io vhuI I vunIed lI Io be und cllcked OK.
Chunglng my seurch englne vus
much eusler. I nuvlguIed Io Ihe seurch
Iub nexI Io Ihe URL bur), cllcked Ihe
Irlungulur dropdovn menu und
selecIed Google. I cllcked Ihe sume
dropdovn menu, Ihen Munuge Seurch
Englnes und removed Ihe oIher seurch
englnes romIhe llsI so Google
remulned us my only seurch englne.
omas
he w|nner of every 1|p of the Portn|ght w|ns th|s exc|us|ve Computeract|ve mug|

IomleI
rd
sl
rd
landy h|nts andt|ps fomyou fe||oweades
Lma|| us your t|ps: |ttrsQccmputractlv.cc.uk
24December 2013 7 January 2014 43
Readers Tips
Ima web designer whos always
looking to improve the user
experience of my websites. Te
latest version of Google Maps is
much cleaner to look at and easier
to navigate than the previous one.
It lets you add directions and
embed maps easily on to your
website. To do this, sign into your
Google account and go to Google
Maps. Click Directions under the
search bar and, if you want to,
enter your starting point and
destination. Next, click the Settings
icons (cog) in the bottom-right of
your screen and select Share and
embed map. You will nowget a
very long URL to share. Click
the Short URL box to get a
shortened version.
Click Embed map to get a link that
you can directly copy and paste into
your website or blog. Click the
dropdown menu beside the embed code
to select whether you want to embed a
small, medium, large or customsize
version of the map. I prefer setting
my customsize to 640x640. To do
this, click the dropdown menu and
select Customsize. Enter 640 in
both boxes. Copy and paste this
code on to your website.
When viewing this map on a
website, you can zoomin and out by
clicking the map and scrolling up and
down on your mouse. Clicking More
options opens Google Maps in your
browser. You can also switch between
satellite imagery and a street map from
within your websites map by clicking
on the square in the bottom-left
corner of the map.
Kevin Ward
Embedthe new-look Google Maps onyour website
TIPOFTHEFORTNIGHT
INTERNET EXPLORER
Stop IE11 remembering
your web activity
Te latest issue of Computeractive
(page 46, 412) helped me download
Internet Explorer 11 (IE11) on my
Windows 7 PC. However, I noticed that
by default IE11 remembers my browsing
history, what I type into online forms
and my website passwords. I dont like
browsers keeping track of my online
data, so I gured out a way to stop this.
With IE11 open, click Tools (the cog
icon in the top-right of the browser).
Next, click Internet Options and select
the Content tab. In the AutoComplete
section, click Settings to view
AutoComplete Settings and untick
the three main options (Address bar,
Forms, and User names and passwords
on forms). Next, click Delete
AutoComplete history, to bring up a
Delete Browsing History windowwith
all the browsing options (Cookies,
History, Formdata and Passwords)
ticked. Clicking Delete gets rid of all
these saved options. Doing this I made
IE11 forget all my saved browsing data,
favourites, formdata and saved
usernames and passwords. Click OK, then
OK again and the changes will take eect.
Jelena Burrows
OLD PROGRAMS AND GAMES
Use old programs and play
retro games on your PC
I owned an Apple II about three
decades back when it was rst
released and it was one of the best PCs I
owned for a long time. As PCs and
programs advanced in such a short space
of time, I have become used to more
sophisticated ways of using PCs in the
modern era. However, I was intrigued to
learn froma friend that the Internet
Archive (www.archive.org) recently
launched the History Software Collection
(www.snipca.com/10861) and I was
curious to try it out. It was pure nostalgia
to try out old Apple software such as
VisiCalc (www.snipca.com/10926) from
within my browser. It works by running
an in-browser emulation of the program
which is activated fromthe right of the
screen. Te website also has links to
games fromthe 1970s and 1980s. I spent
an hour playing the Atari 2600 version
of Pac-Man (www.snipca.com/10927)
and loved every minute of it.
Frank Little
FIREFOX
Get rid of Search Conduit
I recently downloaded software that
automatically set my browsers
homepage (in Firefox) to Search Conduit
and my default search engine to Bing. I
normally set my own homepages and use
Google as my default search engine. I
cleared my cache and history to no avail.
I then gured out it was a simple case of
tweaking my Firefox settings, which the
software had changed. I clicked the
Firefox dropdown menu at the top-left of
the page. I then navigated to the Options
menu within the Options setting. In the
General tab, I changed my homepage back
to what I wanted it to be and clicked OK.
Changing my search engine was
much easier. I navigated to the search
tab (next to the URL bar), clicked the
triangular dropdown menu and
selected Google. I clicked the same
dropdown menu, then Manage Search
Engines and removed the other search
engines fromthe list so Google
remained as my only search engine.
KTomas
The winner of every Tip of the Fortnight wins this exclusive Computeractive mug!
T
tom-left
rd
si
rd
Handy hints andtips fromyour fellowreaders
Email us your tips: letters@computeractive.co.uk
br 20J3 - 7 !anuary 20J4
r||||ant th|ng tdn ur d|c
NDRD|D






u cull, u
messuge or u Fucebook noIlncuIlon, or
exumple. BuI you cun ulso cusIomlse
vlbruIlon puIIerns or lndlvlduul conIucIs.
1o do Ihls, go Io your ConIucIs und
selecI Ihe conIucI you vunI Io creuIe u
personullsed vlbruIlon or. Scroll dovn
und Iup 'VlbruIlon puIIern` Io brlng up u
llsI o preseI puIIerns. 1up Ihe CreuIe
buIIon uI Ihe boIIomo Ihe screen. dlul
uppeurs und sIurIs Io roIuIe once you Iup
lI. Long, susIulned Iups denoIe sIronger
vlbruIlons. LlI your nnger Io creuIe u
breuk. Fluy uround unIll you`ve creuIed u
recognlsuble puIIern und hlI Suve vhen
you`re done. NexI Ilme, you`ll knov
vheIher you vunI Io unsver or sklp u cull
vlIhouI even looklng uI your phone.
NDRD|D
h a asswerd
You probubly huve Ions o upps on
your phone, buI some hold more
vlIul lnormuIlon Ihun oIhers,
und you`ll dennlIely vunI Io proIecI IhuI
duIu. er ull, someone vho geIs uccess Io
your Google Fluy sIore uccounI, plcIures,
cloud servlce or emull cun do ur more
dumuge Ihun l Ihey uccess your gumes
und enIerIulnmenI upps.
ppLock ree romvvv.snlpcu.
comIUSU9) ls Ihe perecI unsver Io
Ihls IhreuI us lI llsIs ull Ihe upps on
your devlce und glves you Ihe opIlon
Io lock ull or uny o IhemvlIh u
pussvord. s vell us Ihls, you cun
ulso pussvordproIecI lndlvlduul
plcIures und vldeos. You cun choose
beIveen uslng u puIIern or number
lock, und even block uncIlons llke
lnsIull, unlnsIull und lncomlng
culls vlIh u pussvord.
NDRD|D
Cet heme-screen as
ta|lered te eur lecat|en
One o ndrold`s blggesI
udvunIuges over lOS ls hov
much you cun cusIomlse Ihe
home screen, Ihough you oIen need Io
use luunchers Io curry ouI Ihe chunges.
Luunchers Iend Io modly Ihe uesIheIlcs
o your phone, buI evenhunce
lIs producIlvlIy und uncIlonullIy.
vluIe BeIu vvv.snlpcu.comIUSIU)
ls u luuncher IhuI does jusI IhuI by
cuIegorlslng your upps lnIo Spuces or
exumple home, vork or onIhego).
Cleverly, vluIe BeIu cun puI upps on
your home screen bused on vhere you
ure. You cun uccess Ihls by svlplng dovn
romIhe home screen. I you`re Iruvelllng,
or exumple, vluIe BeIu vlll uuIomuIlcully
ucIlvuIe Ihe Golng Somevhere Spuce,
vlIh qulck uccess Io upps such us Mups,
London 1ube Mup, Currency ConverIer
und Yelp. s long us Ihese ure lnsIulled on
your phone, Ihe Spuces ure cusIomlsuble
und you even geI recommenduIlons bused
on vhuI upps you use. vluIe BeIu ls
currenIly un lnvlIeonly upp so you cun
only use lI once you recelve un emull
lnvlIuIlon. 1ls usuully only Iukes u ev
duys Io come Ihrough.
|D5
C|ve as as g|fts
WhuI do you do vhen you`ve
orgoIIen Io buy someone u
glI` You could buy Ihemun
Mega
|ree
ndrc|d: www.sn|pca.ccm/10846
|D5: www.sn|pca.ccm/10847
Un|lk mcst c|cud-stcrag srvlcs,
Mga cnrs ycu 50Ccf fr stcrag
tc bgln wlth. Ycu
can scur|y up|cad
and sync mdla
btwn ycur phcn,
tab|t and Pvla
th c|cud. Wlth th
lOS app, ycu can
subscrlb tc rclv
500Ccf fr spac
and J,000Ccf
bandwldth pr mcnth
fcr arcund EB.40.

0era brewser
fer ndre|d
|ree
ndrc|d: www.
sn|pca.ccm/10848
Opra rcnt|y
undrwnt a
slgnlncant updat
tal|crd spclnca||y
fcr ndrcld tab|ts.
Navlgatlcn and
mnu buttcns hav bn p|acd whr ycur
nngrs natura||y rst cn a tab|t. |t rtalns
pcpu|ar faturs, frcmlts smartphcn
ccuntrpart, |lk th abl|lty tc rad wbpags
wlthcut an lntrnt ccnnctlcn uslng th
On-Rcad mcd. || ycur favcurlt wbslts
ar a c|lck away wlth th vlsua| spd dla|.
Memer leaner &5eed eester
|ree
ndrc|d: www.sn|pca.ccm/10850
Tls app wlps junk frcmycur dvlc,
maklng lt prfcrmfastr. |t a|sc
lncrass ycur dvlc's battry |lf
by autcmatlca||y
c|cslng ycur
backgrcund apps
and adjustlng
ycur dlsp|ay
sttlngs. part
frcmthls, lt a|sc
has antlvlrus
prctctlcn bul|t ln
and t||s ycu ycur
phcn's |ccatlcn lf
lt's |cst cr stc|n.
What uhu|d|nta|| th|frtn|ght
44 24December 2013 - 7 January 2014
PhoneandTabletTips Brilliant things todoon your device
ANDROID
Create customvibration
patterns for your contacts
You probably have your phone
on vibrate mode while youre
travelling or working. By now,
you may already recognise what certain
vibration patterns mean a call, a
message or a Facebook notication, for
example. But you can also customise
vibration patterns for individual contacts.
To do this, go to your Contacts and
select the contact you want to create a
personalised vibration for. Scroll down
and tap Vibration pattern to bring up a
list of pre-set patterns. Tap the Create
button at the bottomof the screen. A dial
appears and starts to rotate once you tap
it. Long, sustained taps denote stronger
vibrations. Lift your nger to create a
break. Play around until youve created a
recognisable pattern and hit Save when
youre done. Next time, youll know
whether you want to answer or skip a call
without even looking at your phone.
ANDROID
Lock your apps with a password
You probably have tons of apps on
your phone, but some hold more
vital information than others,
and youll denitely want to protect that
data. Afer all, someone who gets access to
your Google Play store account, pictures,
cloud service or email can do far more
damage than if they access your games
and entertainment apps.
AppLock (free fromwww.snipca.
com/10809) is the perfect answer to
this threat as it lists all the apps on
your device and gives you the option
to lock all or any of themwith a
password. As well as this, you can
also password-protect individual
pictures and videos. You can choose
between using a pattern or number
lock, and even block functions like
install, uninstall and incoming
calls with a password.
ANDROID
Get home-screen apps
tailored to your location
One of Androids biggest
advantages over iOS is how
much you can customise the
home screen, though you often need to
use launchers to carry out the changes.
Launchers tend to modify the aesthetics
of your phone, but fewenhance
its productivity and functionality.
Aviate Beta (www.snipca.com/10810)
is a launcher that does just that by
categorising your apps into Spaces (for
example home, work or on-the-go).
Cleverly, Aviate Beta can put apps on
your home screen based on where you
are. You can access this by swiping down
fromthe home screen. If youre travelling,
for example, Aviate Beta will automatically
activate the Going Somewhere Space,
with quick access to apps such as Maps,
London Tube Map, Currency Converter
and Yelp. As long as these are installed on
your phone, the Spaces are customisable
and you even get recommendations based
on what apps you use. Aviate Beta is
currently an invite-only app so you can
only use it once you receive an email
invitation. Tis usually only takes a few
days to come through.
iOS
Give apps as gifts
What do you do when youve
forgotten to buy someone a
gift? You could buy theman
Mega
Free
Android: www.snipca.com/10846
iOS: www.snipca.com/10847
Unlike most cloud-storage services,
Mega oers you 50GBof free storage
to begin with. You
can securely upload
and sync media
between your phone,
tablet and PCvia
the cloud. With the
iOS app, you can
subscribe to receive
500GBof free space
and 1,000GBof
bandwidth per month
for around 8.40.
Best NewApps
Opera browser
for Android
Free
Android: www.
snipca.com/10848
Opera recently
underwent a
signicant update
tailored specically
for Android tablets.
Navigation and
menu buttons have been placed where your
ngers naturally rest on a tablet. It retains
popular features, fromits smartphone
counterpart, like the ability to read webpages
without an internet connection using the
O-Road mode. All your favourite websites
are a click away with the visual speed dial.
Memory Cleaner &Speed Booster
Free
Android: www.snipca.com/10850
Tis app wipes junk fromyour device,
making it performfaster. It also
increases your devices battery life
by automatically
closing your
background apps
and adjusting
your display
settings. Apart
fromthis, it also
has antivirus
protection built in
and tells you your
phones location if
its lost or stolen.
What youshouldinstall thisfortnight
cmbr 20J3 - 7 !anuary 20J4
-5
|g |rd's Werds
5esame 5treet
62p www.sn|pca.ccm/10805 (ndrc|d}
69p www.sn|pca.ccm/10806(|D5}
Tls app alms tc gt ycur klds tc rccgnls
and rad wcrds a|| arcund thm. |t |ts ycu
us ycur phcn's camra tc scan and rad
wcrds ln th ra| wcr|d. T app h|ps tc
nccurag radlng by maklng lt a fun and
cc||abcratlv xprlnc.

t top|aytogether oyour phoeadtab|et

upp lI, ln lnIo Ie lune Ioe
vlI you pple I exI, nd Ie
upp you vunI Io lve u u lI, Iup
Ie ue opIlon, Ien Iup Ie lI
lcon You cun end Ie upp dlecIly
Io Ie peon emull You cun even
elecI Ie duIe on vlc you vunI Ie
upp Io be enI Beoe lIIln end,
emembe Io peonulle Ie lI vlI
u meue II un ldeul oluIlon o
luImlnuIe ClImu peenI o
lend o eluIlve
|D5
Turn hand abbrev|at|ens |nte
full hrases fer faster t|ng
Inl 7, you cunudd ubbevluIlon
culled oIcuI) IuI, ven
Iyped, poduce u lone pue
l vlll peed up Iypln on lud und
lone up eIIln, Ien eneul
coll dovn und Iup Keyboud, Ien
Iup Ie oIcuI ecIlon uI Ie boIIom
ype you oIcuI bb, o exumple)
und Ie exIended pue be lI buck)
you vunI IemIo epeenI up uve
ven youe nled oIcuI
cunnoI conIuln puce
ovevey Ilme you Iype you
oIcuI, you lone vlll lve you
Ie opIlon o Ie exIended velon
|D5 &NDRDD
H|ghl|ght and greu eur
saved art|cles autemat|call
evupp uve Ie
ublllIy Io lnIeuIe u
leek vebllke lnIeuce
vlI moblle conIenI IuI youve uved
o u euI eudln expelence, buI
IuI exucIly vuI Ie luIeI velon
o Ie ee upp ockeI ndold
vvvnlpcucomIUSII, lOS vvv.
snlpcu.comIUSI2) does.
FockeI uuIomuIlcully hlghllghIs
conIenI bused on your reudlng hublIs
und preerences lnIo loglcully
orgunlsed cuIegorles und secIlons.
1e buslc premlse o FockeI ls slmple
lI leIs you suve veb conIenI lmuges,
IexI und vldeos) rom uny upp on your
phone Io reud luIer on your devlce.
1e greuI Ihlng ubouI Ihe upp ls IhuI
lI doesn`I need uccess Io un ucIlve
lnIerneI connecIlon Io uncIlon.
FockeI uuIourrunges your conIenI
lnIo cuIegorles or eusy brovslng. 1ese
lnclude Qulck Reuds, Long Reuds,
'BesI o` und 1rendlng.
C5 6-10
lums N|nja
|ree www.sn|pca.ccm/10807 (|D5}
Whl| gams a||cwfcr lntractlcn, C|umsy
Nlnja ls th nrst app that |ts ycu traln th
nlnja charactr tc rspcnd tc sltuatlcns.
1ach ycur nlnja trlcks and spcla| mcvs
and hav fun by tcsslng hlmarcund,
tlck|lng hlmand gttlng hlmtc bcunc
cn a trampc|ln.
C5 11-16
Teuchgr|nd 5kate 2
4.99www.sn|pca.ccm/10808(|D5}
Tls ls a skatbcardlng gam ycu ccntrc|
thrcugh gsturs wlth ycur nngrs.
Tr ar fcur gam mcds and ycu can
cha||ng ycur frlnds wlth th turn-basd
mu|tlp|ayr gam mcd. Pu|| cna|| th
darlng skatbcardlng trlcks |lk c||ls,
klcklps, h|lps and mcr.
24December 2013 - 7 January 2014 45
AGES 05
Big Birds Words
A Sesame Street App
62p www.snipca.com/10805 (Android)
69p www.snipca.com/10806(iOS)
Tis app aims to get your kids to recognise
and read words all around them. It lets you
use your phones camera to scan and read
words in the real world. Te app helps to
encourage reading by making it a fun and
collaborative experience.
GamesWithKids
What toplaytogether onyour phoneandtablet
app. First, sign into the iTunes Store
with your Apple ID. Next, nd the
app you want to give as a gift, tap
the share option, then tap the Gift
icon. You can send the app directly
to the persons email. You can even
select the date on which you want the
app to be sent. Before hitting Send,
remember to personalise the gift with
a message. Its an ideal solution for
last-minute Christmas presents for
friends or relatives.
iOS
Turn handy abbreviations into
full phrases for faster typing p
IniOS 7, you canadd abbreviations
(called shortcuts) that, when
typed, produce a longer phrase.
Tis will speed up typing on iPads and
iPhones. Tap Settings, then General.
Scroll down and tap Keyboard, then
tap the Shortcuts section at the bottom.
Type your shortcuts (brb, for example)
and the extended phrases (be right back)
you want themto represent. Tap Save
when youre nished. Shortcuts
cannot contain spaces.
Nowevery time you type your
shortcut, your iPhone will give you
the option of the extended version.
iOS &ANDROID
Highlight and group your
saved articles automatically
Fewapps have the
ability to integrate a
sleek web-like interface
with mobile content that youve saved
for a great reading experience, but
thats exactly what the latest version
of the free app Pocket (Android
www.snipca.com/10811; iOS www.
snipca.com/10812) does.
Pocket automatically highlights
content based on your reading habits
and preferences into logically
organised categories and sections.
Te basic premise of Pocket is simple
it lets you save web content (images,
text and videos) fromany app on your
phone to read later on your device.
Te great thing about the app is that
it doesnt need access to an active
internet connection to function.
Pocket auto-arranges your content
into categories for easy browsing. Tese
include Quick Reads, Long Reads,
Best of and Trending.
AGES 610
Clumsy Ninja
Free www.snipca.com/10807 (iOS)
While games allowfor interaction, Clumsy
Ninja is the rst app that lets you train the
ninja character to respond to situations.
Teach your ninja tricks and special moves
and have fun by tossing himaround,
tickling himand getting himto bounce
on a trampoline.
AGES 1116
Touchgrind Skate 2
4.99www.snipca.com/10808(iOS)
Tis is a skateboarding game you control
through gestures with your ngers.
Tere are four game modes and you can
challenge your friends with the turn-based
multiplayer game mode. Pull oall the
daring skateboarding tricks like ollies,
kickips, heelips and more.

Maknovs B
cun
seurch Fllckr lmuges vlIhln
Wlndovs Explorer, so you
don`I need Io open u brovser dlrecIly
romWlndovs Explorer. 1o do Ihls,
you nrsI need Io dovnloud u Fllckr
seurch connecIor. Go Io vvv.snlpcu.
comIU7U und cllck 'Dovnloud
Ihe connecIor` ln Ihe boIIomrlghI.
lckr.osdx nle vlll dovnloud
Io your Dovnlouds older. Upon
cllcklng lI, you`ll be usked vheIher
you vunI Io udd Ihe seurch connecIor
Io Wlndovs. llck dd.
You`ll novsee u nevFllckr Seurch
opIlon udded Io your FuvorlIes ln
Wlndovs Explorer. 1ype u Ierm
ln Ihe seurch box on Ihe Iop rlghI Io
begln seurchlng ln Fllckr. Seurches Iuke
u vhlle Io loud becuuse Fllckr lmuges
ure usuully lurge nles. Double cllcklng
uny lmuge vlll open lI ln your deuulI
phoIovlevlng progrum. 1e seurch
resulIs uppeur on Ihe leI. SelecI
uny lmuge you vunI Io prevlev
und lI vlll uppeur ln your Explorer
prevlevvlndovon Ihe rlghI. I you
don`I huve u prevlevvlndov, cllck
'ShovIhe prevlevpune` belovIhe
seurch box on Ihe Iop rlghI. llcklng
uny o Ihe Fllckr llnks ln Ihe prevlev
vlndovvlll Iuke you dlrecIly Io Ihe
relevunI Fllckr puge ln your brovser.
llck Ihe 'More opIlons` Iub belov
Ihe IoprlghI seurch bur Io cusIomlse
hovyou vunI Io vlevIhe nles.
We ound IhuI cllcklng onIenI
Ihe lusI opIlon) under 'More opIlons`
guve us Ihe mosI lnormuIlon
lI llsIs Ihe nle nume, cupIlon,
uuIhor und lmuge Iugs. Slmllurly
you cun cllck ExIru Lurge Icons
l you vunI Io vlevIhe Fllckr
lmuges us lurge nles.
NDDW5 7
earchFlIckr Images!rom
WIndovsExplorer
XP, V|57, 7
|de yeur les and felders
Wlndovs hus leI you hlde nles
und olders ln Explorer or yeurs,
buI Ihe process lsn`I obvlous.
1o do lI, nrsI open Explorer und cllck
ompuIer, Ihen cllck Ihe Open onIrol
Funel Iub uI Ihe Iop. llck 'ppeurunce und
FersonullsuIlon`. Under Folder OpIlons,
cllck 'Shovhldden nles und olders`. In
Ihe Folder OpIlons vlndovIhuI pops
up, cllck Ihe VlevIub und selecI 'Don`I
shovhldden nles, olders, or drlves`.
llck pply Ihen OK.
NexI, nnd Ihe nle or older you vunI Io
hlde, rlghIcllck lI und cllck FroperIles
Ihe lusI opIlon). In Ihe IIrlbuIes secIlon
o Ihe Generul Iub IhuI opens, selecI
Hldden. llck pply und Ihen OK. Your
nle or older vlll novbe lnvlslble. 1o
vlevIhls nle or older, go buck lnIo
Explorer, cllck ompuIer, selecI Open
onIrol Funel, cllck 'ppeurunce und
FersonullzuIlon`, und cllck 'Shovhldden
nles, olders und drlves` under Folder
opIlons. llck pply Ihen OK. Your older
vlll novuppeur vlIh u ulnI ouIllne. 1o
muke lI ully vlslble, rlghIcllck Ihe older,
cllck FroperIles und unIlck Hldden. llck
pply Ihen OK Io vlevlI ln Ihe sume vuy
us you vlevyour normul olders.
W|NDDW5 8, 8.1
5et a |cture asswerd
w|th gestures
Wlndovs S und S.I leIs you seI u
plcIure pussvord IhuI cun be
unlocked vlIh Ihree dlerenI
mouse und Iruckpud gesIures. On Ihe
SIurI screen, move your mouse Io Ihe
IoprlghI corner Io uccess Ihe hurms
menu und cllck Ihe SeIIlngs churm. llck
'hunge F seIIlngs` uI Ihe boIIomo Ihe
pune. llck ccounIs und Ihen 'Slgnln
opIlons`. NuvlguIe Io Ihe plcIure
pussvord secIlon und cllck dd. I your
F ls locked vlIh u pussvord, you`ll be
usked Io enIer lI. EnIer lI Ihen cllck OK.
SelecI Ihe lmuge you vunI Io use us your
plcIure pussvord und cllck Open.
rrunge Ihe plcIure on Ihe screen und
cllck 'Use Ihls plcIure`.
'SeI up your gesIures` vlndovvlll
novuppeur und you`ll be usked Io enIer
Ihree gesIures. 1ese cun lnclude druvlng
u llne vlIh your mouse und Iruckpud,
cllcklng u purIlculur polnI or druvlng u
clrcle. onnrmIhese gesIures by
repeuIlng Ihemund cllck Flnlsh. You`ll
novbe usked Io use Ihese gesIures Ihe
nexI Ilme you log lnIo your F.
XP, V|57, 7, 8, 8.1
Have en-screen text read te yeu
One o Wlndovs`
lesserknovn euIures ls
lIs ublllIy Io speuk
onscreen IexI und error messuges, und
ulso Iell you vhen you`ve opened
progrums. 1o ucIlvuIe Ihe NurruIor
progrum, cllck Ihe SIurI menu, go Io ll
Frogrums, Ihen cllck ccessorles. In XF,
VlsIu und 7 cllck 'Euse o ccess` Ihen
NurruIor. In Wlndovs S und S.I, hold
dovn Ihe Wlndovs logo key und hlI
EnIer, Ihen go Io 'Euse o uccess` und
choose NurruIor. llck Volce SeIIlngs Io
cusIomlse Ihe speed, volume und plIch o
Ihe nurruIor`s volce. We Ihlnk Ihe besI
Volce SeIIlngs ure S or Speed, 6 or
Volume und S or FlIch. NurruIor vlll reud
IexI us you Iype lI ln MlcrosoI Omce und
ulso reud your OuIlook emulls Io you.
Ensure nnounce SysIemMessuges ls
Ilcked Io geI NurruIor Io noIly you o
uny errors on your sysIem.
|ever t|ps for every vers|on
46 24December 2013 7 January 2014
MakeWindows Better
In Windows 7, you can
search Flickr images within
Windows Explorer, so you
dont need to open a browser directly
fromWindows Explorer. To do this,
you rst need to download a Flickr
search connector. Go to www.snipca.
com/10970 and click Download
the connector in the bottomright.
A ickr.osdx le will download
to your Downloads folder. Upon
clicking it, youll be asked whether
you want to add the search connector
to Windows. Click Add.
Youll nowsee a newFlickr Search
option added to your Favorites in
Windows Explorer. Type a term
in the search box on the top right to
begin searching in Flickr. Searches take
a while to load because Flickr images
are usually large les. Double clicking
any image will open it in your default
photo-viewing program. Te search
results appear on the left. Select
any image you want to preview
and it will appear in your Explorer
previewwindowon the right. If you
dont have a previewwindow, click
Showthe previewpane belowthe
search box on the top right. Clicking
any of the Flickr links in the preview
windowwill take you directly to the
relevant Flickr page in your browser.
Click the More options tab below
the top-right search bar to customise
howyou want to viewthe les.
We found that clicking Content
(the last option) under More options
gave us the most information
it lists the le name, caption,
author and image tags. Similarly
you can click Extra Large Icons
if you want to viewthe Flickr
images as large les.
WINDOWS 7
SearchFlickr imagesfrom
WindowsExplorer
XP, VISTA, 7
Hide your les and folders
Windows has let you hide les
and folders in Explorer for years,
but the process isnt obvious.
To do it, rst open Explorer and click
Computer, then click the Open Control
Panel tab at the top. Click Appearance and
Personalisation. Under Folder Options,
click Showhidden les and folders. In
the Folder Options windowthat pops
up, click the Viewtab and select Dont
showhidden les, folders, or drives.
Click Apply then OK.
Next, nd the le or folder you want to
hide, right-click it and click Properties
(the last option). In the Attributes section
of the General tab that opens, select
Hidden. Click Apply and then OK. Your
le or folder will nowbe invisible. To
viewthis le or folder, go back into
Explorer, click Computer, select Open
Control Panel, click Appearance and
Personalization, and click Showhidden
les, folders and drives under Folder
options. Click Apply then OK. Your folder
will nowappear with a faint outline. To
make it fully visible, right-click the folder,
click Properties and untick Hidden. Click
Apply then OK to viewit in the same way
as you viewyour normal folders.
WINDOWS 8, 8.1
Set a picture password
with gestures
Windows 8 and 8.1 lets you set a
picture password that can be
unlocked with three dierent
mouse and trackpad gestures. On the
Start screen, move your mouse to the
top-right corner to access the Charms
menu and click the Settings charm. Click
Change PC settings at the bottomof the
pane. Click Accounts and then Sign-in
options. Navigate to the picture-
password section and click Add. If your
PC is locked with a password, youll be
asked to enter it. Enter it then click OK.
Select the image you want to use as your
picture password and click Open.
Arrange the picture on the screen and
click Use this picture.
A Set up your gestures windowwill
nowappear and youll be asked to enter
three gestures. Tese can include drawing
a line with your mouse and trackpad,
clicking a particular point or drawing a
circle. Conrmthese gestures by
repeating themand click Finish. Youll
nowbe asked to use these gestures the
next time you log into your PC.
XP, VISTA, 7, 8, 8.1
Have on-screen text read to you
One of Windows
lesser-known features is
its ability to speak
onscreen text and error messages, and
also tell you when youve opened
programs. To activate the Narrator
program, click the Start menu, go to All
Programs, then click Accessories. In XP,
Vista and 7 click Ease of Access then
Narrator. In Windows 8 and 8.1, hold
down the Windows logo key and hit
Enter, then go to Ease of access and
choose Narrator. Click Voice Settings to
customise the speed, volume and pitch of
the narrators voice. We think the best
Voice Settings are 5 for Speed, 6 for
Volume and 5 for Pitch. Narrator will read
text as you type it in Microsoft Oce and
also read your Outlook emails to you.
Ensure Announce SystemMessages is
ticked to get Narrator to notify you of
any errors on your system.
Clever tips for every version

or every program
FverFlI ls greuI r
preseIuIls, buI uIher
Ihlg lI speclulses l ls
sldeshvs. Yu cu eusly udd ud
shure plcIures ryur usI blrIhduy
purIy r uly vucuIl vlIhuI I
uch erI. Uder Ihe serI Iub, clc
FhI bu, Ihe NevFhI bu.
I vl prpI yu I lserI plcIures
ru desIluIl yur FC. NuvlguIe
I Ihe lbrury yu vlsh I upud
plcIures rud udd Ihe. dd
uIlpe plcIures by hdlg dv
CIr ud seecIlg Iheldlvlduuy.
DI vrry ubuI Ihe rder r eve l
yu lsIuey udd luges yu dI
vuI. Oce yure de, clc serI.
Yu vgeI u FhI buprevlev
vlIh u Ihe luges yu huve udded.
Frhere yu cu ue eusy
udusIeIs such us chuglg Ihelr
rder clc Ihe urrvs), revlg Ihe
ud udusIlg Ihelr cIrusI ud
brlghIess clc upprprluIe lc).
Oce yure huppy, clc CreuIe. Yu
cu ue urIher udusIeIs I yur
sldeshv, le
chuglg yur
plcIure uyuI ud
uddlg Ihees. 1
d Ihls, seecI u
yur sldes rIhe
sldes pue CIr),
Ihe rlghIclc
Iheud clc
FhI bu. Ihe
FlcIure OpIls, yu
cu cverI u yur
luges I buc ud
vhlIe ud udd
cupIls vlIh u
slge Ilc. y
deuuI, yur
plcIures vl be
cupIled vlIh Ihe ues Ihey vere
sIred us, buI yu cu edlI Ihese
ldlvlduuy. Clc UpduIe I see yur
evchuges.
7
hotoslIdeshovInmInutes
DNND7
-retect
yeur r|vate netes
ecuuse lIs slpe user
lIeruce, OeNIe serves us
u ldeu puce I sIre persu
cIeI such us dlurles, bu uccuIs
ud pussvrds. 1 eep Ihese prlvuIe
OeNIe eIs yu pussvrdprIecI
secIls u NIeb. 1 seI u pussvrd
r u secIl, rlghIclc Ihe secIl
Iub uI Ihe Ip ud seecI Fussvrd
FrIecI 1ls SecIl. Ihe Fussvrd
FrIecIl pue Ihe rlghI, clc SeI
Fussvrd. Yu be used I seI ud
cnryur pussvrd. 1e exI Ile
yu pe IhuI NIeb, yu be used
I eIer yur pussvrd I uccess lI.
rder I chuge yur pussvrd, clc
Chuge Fussvrd l Ihe Fussvrd
FrIecIl pue. 1 dlsube pussvrd
prIecIl, slpy clc Reve
Fussvrd ud eIer yur pussvrd l
Ihe sue pue vhe prpIed.
DU7LDDk
Use advanced ma|l
search et|ens
Uess yu rgulse u yur
eul yur OuI lbx vl
s sIurI geIIlg luduIed.
1ugh Ihe seurch ucIl vrs
ulIe emclenIly, Ihere ure oIher vuys
you cun sIreumllne OuIlook`s seurch
cupublllIles. Cllck Ihe seurch bur
CIrlE) und you`ll geI u llsI o opIlons
ln Ihe Renne group. In Ihe OpIlons
group, Seurch 1ools helps you sorI und
dlg urIher lnIo Ihe urchlves o your
mull. Cllck dvunced Flnd Io look or
vords ln speclnc nelds, your locuIlon
on Ihe sender`s llsI und oIher deIulls.
Cllck Ihe More Cholces und dvunced
Iubs Io nnd even more nuunced
emull seurch resulIs.
D|||C
Take a qu|ck screenshet
ef yeur les
1o Iuke u screenshoI ln Omce,
selecI Ihe InserI Iub und look or
Ihe ScreenshoI opIlon Ihe
cumeru vlIh u squure border). 1upplng
Ihls vlll glve you u smull prevlevo ull
Ihe Iubs you huve open uI Ihe Ilme.
Cllck Ihe one you vunI u screenshoI o.
RlghIcllck Ihe screenshoI or u llsI o
opIlons you cun perorm. 1ese lnclude
buslc edlIlng opIlons such us cropplng
und roIuIlng), lnserIlng cupIlons und
ormuIIlng Ihe plcIure. You cun ulso
suve your screenshoI us u plcIure ln
dlmculI nle ormuIs.
XCL
Make qu|ck calculat|ens
MlcrosoI Excel ls Ihe ulIlmuIe
muIhemuIlcul Iool once you
geI Io grlps vlIh lI, buI Ihere
ure u evbuslc culculuIlons you cun
perormvlIhouI knovlng much ubouI
Ihe progrum. For exumple, l you huve
u llsI o numbers llned up udjucenI
Io euch oIher, perormlng buslc
culculuIlons Ihrough euslly uccesslble
opIlons cun be done vlIhouI Ihe help
o u culculuIor. HlghllghI Ihe rovs
columns you vlsh Io culculuIe und
cllck Ihe Formulus opIlon under Ihe
InserI Iub. 1e nrsI opIlon ls uIoSum
vhlch cun udd, vork ouI un uveruge
und IoIul numbers vlIh jusI one
cllck. Cllck More FuncIlons or more
udvunced opIlons such us degrees,
slne o un ungle und loun
puymenI culculuIlons.
24December 2013 7 January 2014 47
MakeOfficeBetter
Expert tips for every program
PowerPoint is great for
presentations, but another
thing it specialises in is
slideshows. You can easily add and
share pictures fromyour last birthday
party or family vacation without too
much eort. Under the Insert tab, click
Photo Album, then NewPhoto Album.
It will prompt you to insert pictures
froma destination on your PC. Navigate
to the library you wish to upload
pictures fromand add them. Add
multiple pictures by holding down
Control and selecting themindividually.
Dont worry about the order or even if
you mistakenly add images you dont
want. Once youre done, click Insert.
Youll nowget a Photo Albumpreview
with all the images you have added.
Fromhere you can make easy
adjustments such as changing their
order (click the arrows), removing them
and adjusting their contrast and
brightness (click appropriate icon).
Once youre happy, click Create. You
can make further adjustments to your
slideshow, like
changing your
picture layout and
adding themes. To
do this, select all
your slides fromthe
slides pane (Ctrl+A),
then right-click
themand click
Photo Album. In the
Picture Options, you
can convert all your
images to black and
white and add
captions with a
single tick. By
default, your
pictures will be
captioned with the names they were
stored as, but you can edit these
individually. Click Update to see your
newchanges.
POWERPOINT
Create aphotoslideshowinminutes
ONENOTE
Password-protect
your private notes
Because of its simple user
interface, OneNote serves as
an ideal place to store personal
content such as diaries, bank accounts
and passwords. To keep these private
OneNote lets you password-protect
sections of a Notebook. To set a password
for a section, right-click the section
tab at the top and select Password
Protect Tis Section. In the Password
Protection pane on the right, click Set
Password. Youll be asked to set and
conrmyour password. Te next time
you open that Notebook, youll be asked
to enter your password to access it. In
order to change your password, click
Change Password in the Password
Protection pane. To disable password
protection, simply click Remove
Password and enter your password in
the same pane when prompted.
OUTLOOK
Use advanced mail
search options
Unless you organise all your
email your Outlook inbox will
soon start getting inundated.
Tough the search function works
quite eciently, there are other ways
you can streamline Outlooks search
capabilities. Click the search bar
(Ctrl+E) and youll get a list of options
in the Rene group. In the Options
group, Search Tools helps you sort and
dig further into the archives of your
mail. Click Advanced Find to look for
words in specic elds, your location
on the senders list and other details.
Click the More Choices and Advanced
tabs to nd even more nuanced
email search results.
OFFICE
Take a quick screenshot
of your les
To take a screenshot in Oce,
select the Insert tab and look for
the Screenshot option (the
camera with a square border). Tapping
this will give you a small previewof all
the tabs you have open at the time.
Click the one you want a screenshot of.
Right-click the screenshot for a list of
options you can perform. Tese include
basic editing options (such as cropping
and rotating), inserting captions and
formatting the picture. You can also
save your screenshot as a picture in
dicult le formats.
EXCEL
Make quick calculations
Microsoft Excel is the ultimate
mathematical tool once you
get to grips with it, but there
are a fewbasic calculations you can
performwithout knowing much about
the program. For example, if you have
a list of numbers lined up adjacent
to each other, performing basic
calculations through easily accessible
options can be done without the help
of a calculator. Highlight the rows/
columns you wish to calculate and
click the Formulas option under the
Insert tab. Te rst option is AutoSum
which can add, work out an average
and total numbers with just one
click. Click More Functions for more
advanced options such as degrees,
sine of an angle and loan
payment calculations.

ck Pus
btrus|veds on
soc|| med| nd|ncrese
thebtter ||feof our lC
cebeek age
k hus u llsI o Recommended und
Sponsored messuges on Ihe rlghI o Ihe
Ilmellne und nevseed. BuI lI`s llkely
Ihese llnks ure o llIIle lnIeresI Io you.
1o remove Ihem, dovnloud Ihe dblock
Flus exIenslon or Flreox vvv.snlpcu.
comIUS84) or Chrome vvv.snlpcu.
comIUSSS). Once lI`s lnsIulled, vlslI
vvv.snlpcu.comIU76U und udd vhlch
o Ihe Fucebook 'unnoyunces` you vunI Io
block. In Flreox, cllck 'udd`, Ihen 'dd
subscrlpIlon` rom Ihe puge IhuI uppeurs.
I Fucebook lsn`I lmmedluIely udree,
cllck Ihe BF llnk uI Ihe boIIomleI o your Flreox sIuIus bur und cllck 'ReporI
lssue on Ihls puge`. 1ls vlll ldenIly
und unblock uny brovser seIIlngs IhuI
ure prevenIlng dblock Flus rom
vorklng. I Ihe Ilme o vrlIlng, Ihls
Fucebook euIure doesn`I vork ln
Chrome. lso, none o Ihese Ilps vork
ln InIerneI Explorer, vhlch ls u shume.
BuI you cun sIlll use dblock Flus Io
remove udverIs ln IE.
leck unwanted
YeuTube elements
You1ube suggesIs reluIed vldeos youmuy
be lnIeresIedln. SomeIlmes, Ihese cun be
helpul ln dlrecIlng you Io slmllur
conIenI. BuI l younnd Ihese dlsIrucIlng,
you cun remove Ihem ln Flreox und
Chrome uslng dblock Flus vvv.
snlpcu.comIU76I). Choose Ihe
unnoyunces you vunI Io hlde, such
us commenIs, ln Ihe sume vuy you
cun on Fucebook.
Unde the changes yeu've
made te yeur restr|ct|en sett|ngs
Undolng uny o Ihe chunges you`ve mude
vlu dblock Flus ls sIrulghIorvurd.
Cllck Ihe BF logo uI Ihe boIIomleI
o your Flreox sIuIus bur und cllck 'FllIer
preerences`. In Chrome, rlghIcllck Ihe
BF logo ln your brovser bur und cllck
OpIlons. UnIlck Ihe opIlons you vunI
Io resIore. 1ey cun be ucIlvuIed by
Ilcklng Ihem uguln. Muke sure Ihe BF
logo ls red, vhlch lndlcuIes Ihe chunges
huve been ucIlvuIed.
Pretect yeurself frem
malware and enl|ne threats
common problem or FC users ls
sIumbllng upon u vebslIe or cllcklng u
llnk IhuI lnsIulls nusIy soIvure on Ihelr
sysIem vlIhouI you reullslng lI.
Go Io vvv.snlpcu.comIUS89 vhere
you`ll nnd u llsI o dblock Flus`s
cupublllIles. Cllck 'open Ihls dlulogue`
under Dlsuble Mulvure Domulns ln Ihe
Ihlrd purugruph. 1ls vlll Iuke you Io u
Dlsuble Mulvure subscrlpIlon puge.
Cllck 'dd subscrlpIlondd` und
dblock Flus vlll nov block vebslIes
knovn Io spreud mulvure.
Flush conIenI on
vebslIes cun be
unnoylng, purIlculurly
vhen lI pluys vlIhouI
your upprovul. II ulso
drulns lupIop buIIery
lle. 1o block Ihese Flush
conIenI ln Flreox, cllck
Ihe dblock Flus logo uI
Ihe boIIomleI o your
sIuIus bur und cllck
'FllIer preerences`. Cllck
Ihe 'CusIom nlIers`
heudlng Ihen 'dd nlIer group`. On Ihe rlghIhund pune o your nev nlIer group,
cllck 'dd nlIer`. In Chrome, rlghIcllck Ihe BF logo ln Ihe sIuIus bur o your URL
und cllck OpIlons, Ihen 'dd your ovn nlIers`. 1ype .sv und cllck 'dd nlIer`.
You cun Iuke Ihls u sIep urIher by blocklng everyIhlng IhuI mlghI druln your
buIIery lle. Slmply enIer $objecI und cllck 'dd nlIer`.
dd f||ters tc b|cck unwanted ccntent
Use db|cck P|us tc remcve Ycu7ube d|stract|cns fcr a better v|ew|ng exper|ence
5e|ect wh|ch |acebcck 'anncyances'
ycu want tc b|cck

Sece! Tps o.
xt issu crt ips cr.cuv 48 24December 2013 7 January 2014
Adblock Plus
Block obtrusiveads on
social media andincrease
thebattery lifeof your PC
Tidy up your Facebook page
Facebook has a list of Recommended and
Sponsored messages on the right of the
timeline and newsfeed. But its likely
these links are of little interest to you.
To remove them, download the Adblock
Plus extension for Firefox (www.snipca.
com/10834) or Chrome (www.snipca.
com/10858). Once its installed, visit
www.snipca.com/10760 and add which
of the Facebook annoyances you want to
block. In Firefox, click +add, then Add
subscription fromthe page that appears.
If Facebook isnt immediately ad-free,
click the ABP link at the bottom-left of your Firefox status bar and click Report
issue on this page. Tis will identify
and unblock any browser settings that
are preventing Adblock Plus from
working. At the time of writing, this
Facebook feature doesnt work in
Chrome. Also, none of these tips work
in Internet Explorer, which is a shame.
But you can still use Adblock Plus to
remove adverts in IE.
Block unwanted
YouTube elements
YouTube suggests related videos youmay
be interestedin. Sometimes, these can be
helpful in directing you to similar
content. But if yound these distracting,
you can remove themin Firefox and
Chrome using Adblock Plus (www.
snipca.com/10761). Choose the
annoyances you want to hide, such
as comments, in the same way you
can on Facebook.
Undo the changes youve
made to your restriction settings
Undoing any of the changes youve made
via Adblock Plus is straightforward.
Click the ABP logo at the bottom-left
of your Firefox status bar and click Filter
preferences. In Chrome, right-click the
ABP logo in your browser bar and click
Options. Untick the options you want
to restore. Tey can be activated by
ticking themagain. Make sure the ABP
logo is red, which indicates the changes
have been activated.
Protect yourself from
malware and online threats
A common problemfor PC users is
stumbling upon a website or clicking a
link that installs nasty software on their
systemwithout you realising it.
Go to www.snipca.com/10839 where
youll nd a list of Adblock Pluss
capabilities. Click open this dialogue
under Disable Malware Domains in the
third paragraph. Tis will take you to a
Disable Malware subscription page.
Click Add subscription/+Add and
Adblock Plus will nowblock websites
known to spread malware.
Flash content on
websites can be
annoying, particularly
when it plays without
your approval. It also
drains laptop battery
life. To block these Flash
content in Firefox, click
the Adblock Plus logo at
the bottom-left of your
status bar and click
Filter preferences. Click
the Customlters
heading then Add lter group. On the right-hand pane of your newlter group,
click Add lter. In Chrome, right-click the ABP logo in the status bar of your URL
and click Options, then Add your own lters. Type *.swf and click Add lter.
You can take this a step further by blocking everything that might drain your
battery life. Simply enter *$object and click Add lter.
Add filters to block unwanted content
Use Adblock Plus to remove YouTube distractions for a better viewing experience
Select which Facebook annoyances
you want to block
Block Flashcontent onwebsites
Secret Tips For
Next issue Secret Tips ForRecuva
What are they7



Ihem belng ordered onllne. 1e servlce
vlll be culled Frlme lr und Ihe drones
culled OcIocopIers. In un lnIervlev vlIh
US 1V sIuIlon CBS muzon`s CEO Je
Bezos udmlIIed lI sounds llke sclence
ncIlon, buI suld IhuI Ihe drones cun
curry objecIs, ve Ihlnk, up Io Slbs, vhlch
covers S6 per cenI o Ihe lIems ve
dellver. muzon hopes Io huve Ihe
drones vorklng by 2IS, und Ihls vldeo
vvv.snlpcu.comISS2) cerIulnly
mukes lI seem pluuslble.
lt's tee early fer r|l Feels
heaxes, se |sn't |t just a
shameless ubl|c|ty stunt7
Muny people Ihlnk so, und Bezos dld
muke Ihe clulm on Ihe eve o Cyber
Monduy 2 December), Ihe yeur`s buslesI
onllne shopplng duy. II generuIed u loI o
hype vorldvlde, und ensured muzon
hogged Ihe heudllnes, buI once Ihe
exclIemenI hud dled dovn muny medlu
commenIuIors dlsmlssed Ihe ldeu.
Jumes Bull ln Tc Codon suld lI vus
ull hoI ulr und buloney vvv.snlpcu.
comIS6). II vouldn`I be Ihe nrsI
Ilme compunles huve used Ihe nevs
generuIlng poIenIlul o drones or
publlclIy sIunIs. In June 2I8, Domlno`s
suld lI vus vorklng on Ihe 'DomlCopIer`
Io dellver plzzus vuIch
Ihe vldeo uI vvv.
snlpcu.comIS62).
ut are mazen's
drenes techn|cally
ess|ble7
Frobubly yes, buI Frlme
lr uces loIs o hurdles
beore becomlng reullIy,
ctcccpter takes tc the sky, but scept|cs suspect |t's a pub||c|ty stunt
n's
delIverydrones
s nseus ou! deven!es ondnes s ! us! en!es/
Ihe blggesI belng IhuI Ihe commerclul use
o drones ls currenIly bunned by Ihe
Federul vluIlon dmlnlsIruIlon F) ln
Ihe US. 1e F ls due Io upduIe Ihe luv
ln 2IS, buI lI`s generully uccepIed Ihey
von`I ullov such lovylng devlces yeI.
Hewsafe are they7
FoIenIlully Ihey`re very dungerous,
vhlch vlll be Ihe muln concern vhen
uvluIlon uuIhorlIles revlev Ihe luv.
colllslon beIveen u plune und u drone
could leud Io hundreds o deuIhs.
1ere huve ulreudy been neurmlsses.
In Murch 2I8, u plune ev vlIhln
2 eeI o u smull drone ylng over
u nelghbourhood ln Nev York.
nIldrone
cumpulgners ure vorrled
by Ihe luck o humun
conIrol over drones.
Chrls Cole, vho runs Ihe
unIldrone vebslIe
Drone Wurs UK
dronevurs.neI), Iold Tc
Indccndcnt: CurrenIly
plloIs, vhlle Ihey huve
rudur und oIher sensors, sIlll rely
prlmurlly on Ihelr eyeslghI Io see dunger
close Io Ihem. Drones slmply don`I huve
Ihls cupublllIy.
re drenes allewed |n the Uk7
Only l Ihey`re operuIed by remoIe
conIrol, und only l Ihe conIroller cun
vuIch lI us lI les. 1e Clvll vluIlon
uIhorlIy suys IhuI I9I operuIors ure
ulloved Io use UVs ln Ihe UK, Ihough
mosI ure lovkey mupplng, nlmlng or
phoIogruphy projecIs.
5e when de yeu th|nk we'll
see these drenes7
NoI or u long Ilme yeI. slde rom Ihe
securlIy und Iechnologlcul problems,
muzon`s pluns prompI loIs o oIher
quesIlons, such us hov Ihe devlce vlll
nnd Ihe buyer und vhuI`s Io sIop
someone sIeullng Ihe drone beore Ihe
buyer uccepIs Ihe lIem. Cleurly muzon
hus some clever people vorklng on Ihls,
buI Ihe reul genlus ls Ihe murkeIlng
person vho IhoughI o publlclslng lI u
ev hours beore Cyber Monduy.

!s !e uss ou!...
cm|nc's P|zza shcwed cff |ts
cm|cpter cn Ycu7ube |n June
What are they?
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) that,
Amazon says, will be able to deliver items
to your doorstep within 30 minutes of
thembeing ordered online. Te service
will be called Prime Air and the drones
called Octocopters. In an interviewwith
US TV station CBS Amazons CEOJe
Bezos admitted it sounds like science
ction, but said that the drones can
carry objects, we think, up to 5lbs, which
covers 86 per cent of the items we
deliver. Amazon hopes to have the
drones working by 2018, and this video
(www.snipca.com/10852) certainly
makes it seemplausible.
Its too early for April Fools
hoaxes, so isnt it just a
shameless publicity stunt?
Many people think so, and Bezos did
make the claimon the eve of Cyber
Monday (2 December), the years busiest
online shopping day. It generated a lot of
hype worldwide, and ensured Amazon
hogged the headlines, but once the
excitement had died down many media
commentators dismissed the idea.
James Ball in Te Guardian said it was
all hot air and baloney (www.snipca.
com/10860). It wouldnt be the rst
time companies have used the news-
generating potential of drones for
publicity stunts. In June 2013, Dominos
said it was working on the DomiCopter
to deliver pizzas (watch
the video at www.
snipca.com/10862).
But are Amazons
drones technically
possible?
Probably yes, but Prime
Air faces lots of hurdles
before becoming reality,
Amazons Octocopter takes to the sky, but sceptics suspect its a publicity stunt
Amazons
deliverydrones
Is Amazonserious about deliveringitems byfyingdrones, or is it just pieinthesky?
the biggest being that the commercial use
of drones is currently banned by the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in
the US. Te FAA is due to update the law
in 2015, but its generally accepted they
wont allowsuch low-ying devices yet.
Howsafe are they?
Potentially theyre very dangerous,
which will be the main concern when
aviation authorities reviewthe law. A
collision between a plane and a drone
could lead to hundreds of deaths.
Tere have already been near-misses.
In March 2013, a plane ewwithin
200 feet of a small drone ying over
a neighbourhood in NewYork.
Anti-drone
campaigners are worried
by the lack of human
control over drones.
Chris Cole, who runs the
anti-drone website
Drone Wars UK
(dronewars.net), told Te
Independent: Currently
pilots, while they have
radar and other sensors, still rely
primarily on their eyesight to see danger
close to them. Drones simply dont have
this capability.
Are drones allowed in the UK?
Only if theyre operated by remote
control, and only if the controller can
watch it as it ies. Te Civil Aviation
Authority says that 191 operators are
allowed to use UAVs in the UK, though
most are low-key mapping, lming or
photography projects.
So when do you think well
see these drones?
Not for a long time yet. Aside fromthe
security and technological problems,
Amazons plans prompt lots of other
questions, such as howthe device will
nd the buyer and whats to stop
someone stealing the drone before the
buyer accepts the item. Clearly Amazon
has some clever people working on this,
but the real genius is the marketing
person who thought of publicising it a
fewhours before Cyber Monday.
24December 2013 7 January 2014 49
Whats All the Fuss About...
Dominos Pizza showed off its
DomiCopter on YouTube in June
t's sytoccss your PCon
your phonntblet. ames
Tempertonreveals thebest
!reevays tocontrol your
computer remotely

T
se duys Ihere`s no need Io
Iuke your F vlIh you vherever
you go. Fhones und IubleIs
ure novpoverul enough Io
connecI dlrecIly Io your compuIer,
glvlng you uccess Io your nles, progrums
und everyIhlng else ln Wlndovs no
muIIer vhere you ure.
In Ihls euIure ve`ll shovyou Ihe besI
Iools Io conIrol your compuIer romyour
phone, IubleI und lupIop und ull Ihe
exclIlng Ihlngs you cun do once you`re
connecIed. You`ll be uble Io uccess nles
sIored on your compuIer romIhousunds
o mlles uvuy, use your phone us u
remoIe conIrol or muslc und vldeo, und
even run your uvourlIe Wlndovs
progrums on your IubleI. So regurdless o
vhere you ure und vhuI devlce you huve
vlIh you, ull your preclous nles und
progrums vlll be u Iup or cllck uvuy.
1uI suld, conIrolllng your compuIer
remoIely does come vlIh u evcuveuIs
und some Iusks ure besI done uslng
cerIuln devlces. For exumple,
smurIphones ure jusI Ioo smull Io use l
you vunI Io uccess Ihe ull verslon o
Wlndovs vlu upps llke MlcrosoI RemoIe
DeskIop und 1eumVlever. Hovever,
smurIphones vork brllllunIly us remoIe
conIrols or pluylng muslc on your F or
cuIchlng up on Ihe luIesI 1V on lFluyer
romIhe comorI o u sou.
II`s lmporIunI Io knovvhuI you
uIIempI on your phone or
IubleI. I you vunI Io use your IubleI Io
open Ihe ull verslon o FhoIoshop ln
Wlndovs 7 und edlI phoIogruphs Ihen
you`ll be dlsuppolnIed. Whlle Ihe
soIvure vlll loud, lI vlll llkely cruvl
ulong so slovly IhuI lI von`I be useuble.
BuI you cun und should use remoIe
conIrol Io muke Ihlngs more convenlenI
und uccesslble. Here`s hov.
KEYPDINTS
h|es on any
ndrod or D5 devce
Run Wndows programs on
your tab|et
Use your phone and tab|et as
a PCremote contro|
Remote|y prnt romndrod
and D5
1urn your PCwebcamnto a
securty camera and contro| t
romanywhere
0NIk0L
Y0k P
k0MNY Vl
Its easytoaccess your PCon
your phoneandtablet. James
Tempertonreveals thebest
freeways tocontrol your
computer remotely
50 24December 2013 7 January 2014
T
hese days theres no need to
take your PC with you wherever
you go. Phones and tablets
are nowpowerful enough to
connect directly to your computer,
giving you access to your les, programs
and everything else in Windows no
matter where you are.
In this feature well showyou the best
tools to control your computer fromyour
phone, tablet and laptop and all the
exciting things you can do once youre
connected. Youll be able to access les
stored on your computer fromthousands
of miles away, use your phone as a
remote control for music and video, and
even run your favourite Windows
programs on your tablet. So regardless of
where you are and what device you have
with you, all your precious les and
programs will be a tap or click away.
Tat said, controlling your computer
remotely does come with a fewcaveats
and some tasks are best done using
certain devices. For example,
smartphones are just too small to use if
you want to access the full version of
Windows via apps like Microsoft Remote
Desktop and TeamViewer. However,
smartphones work brilliantly as remote
controls for playing music on your PC or
catching up on the latest TV on iPlayer
fromthe comfort of a sofa.
Its important to knowwhat you
shouldnt attempt on your phone or
tablet. If you want to use your tablet to
open the full version of Photoshop in
Windows 7 and edit photographs then
youll be disappointed. While the
software will load, it will likely crawl
along so slowly that it wont be useable.
But you can and should use remote
control to make things more convenient
and accessible. Heres how.
KEYPOINTS
Access your PCles on any
Android or iOS device
Run Windows programs on
your tablet
Use your phone and tablet as
a PCremote control
Remotely print fromAndroid
and iOS
Turn your PCwebcaminto a
security camera and control it
fromanywhere
CONTROL
YOUR PC
FROMANY DEVICE


hange sett|ngs and
udate yeur PC remetely
I you`re uvuy romyour compuIer und
vunI Io keep everyIhlng up Io duIe und
ln vorklng order, dovnloud oluIo
vvv.soluIo.com). llck reuIe y ree
AccounI, enIer your emull uddress und
u pussvord, Ihen cllck reuIe y ree
AccounI uguln. llck ovnloud und Ihen
open Ihe lnsIuller. Ignore Ihe requesI
Io udd more devlces und oluIo vlll
sIurI scunnlng your sysIem.
You cun ulso conIrol seIIlngs und
upduIes on lO und Androldvvdevlces
by uddlng IhemIo your oluIo uccounI.
o Io vvv.soluIo.comhome und cllck
Ihe green Add F1ubleIFhone buIIon
und ollov Ihe lnsIrucIlons. 1o udd un
Androld devlce you`ll need Io lnsIull Ihe
oluIo upp vvv.snlpcu.comIUSSI).
On lO you`ll need Io udd u speclul
munugemenI Fronle, vhlch ls done
uuIomuIlcully by oluIo. llck Ihe llnk ln
Ihe emull or IexI messuge senI Io your
devlce Io geI sIurIed. henever you udd
unoIher F you`ll need Io lnsIull Ihe
oluIo soIvure onIo IhuI compuIer.
You cun conIrol upduIes und muke
chunges Io seIIlngs on your compuIer
romunyvhere uslng Ihe slmple oluIo
lnIeruce. o Io vvv.soluIo.comlogln,
enIer your emull uddress und pussvord
und cllck Logln. You`ll see u llsI o ull
devlces conIrolled by your uccounI. hlle
you cun`I uccess devlces dlrecIly you cun
perormbuslc mulnIenunce. I you`re
uccesslng u lndovs F you cun upduIe
soIvure und your operuIlng sysIem,
chunge securlIy seIIlngs und even see
vhuI soIvure ls cuuslng your compuIer
Io crush. 1ls meuns IhuI l you`re noI uI
home you cun sIlll keep Ihe umlly F up
Io duIe und secure. On Androld und lO
you cun remoIely lnsIull nevupps,
chunge securlIy seIIlngs und nnd ouI
vhuI upps ure drulnlng your buIIery.
hen you slgn up Io oluIo you geI u
ree Iduy Irlul o Ihe premlumverslon
uIer IhuI you geI ree use o Ihe LlIe
verslon. lIh Ihls you cun remoIely
conIrol Ihree devlces, buI only log ln Io
conIrol IhemIhree Ilmes u veek. I you
vunI Io conIrol more devlces, or log ln
more oIen, you`ll need Io puy Io upgrude
prlces sIurI uI uround S u monIh).
Use M|creseft Remete
Deskte te access yeur PC
I you vunI ull conIrol over your
compuIer romyour phone or IubleI Ihen
you should use Ihe omclul lcrosoI
RemoIe eskIop upp or Androld vvv.
snlpcu.comIU777) und lO vvv.
snlpcu.comIU77S). II`s ree und vorks
on uny lndovs compuIer IhuI runs
Ihe Froesslonul verslon o Ihe operuIlng
sysIem. 1o nnd ouI vhlch verslon you`re
runnlng press Ihe lndovs keyR, Iype
cmd, press nIer und Iype vlnver.
Beore uslng Ihe upp you`ll need Io
enuble remoIe uccess on your compuIer.
llck IurI, Ihen rlghIcllck ompuIer or
y ompuIer ln lndovs S press
lndovs, Ihen Iype und selecI
ysIem). In lndovs 7 und S, cllck
'RemoIe seIIlngs`, selecI 'Allov
connecIlons romcompuIers runnlng
RemoIe eskIop vlIh NeIvork Level
AuIhenIlcuIlon more
secure)`, Ihen cllck O.
In lndovs XF cllck
Ihe RemoIe Iub, selecI
'Allov users Io connecI
remoIely Io Ihls compuIer`,
Ihen cllck OK.
Dovnloud und open
MlcrosoI RemoIe DeskIop
Io your Androld or lOS
devlce. Beore you cun muke
Ihe connecIlon you`ll need
Io supply some lnormuIlon
ubouI your compuIer. Fress
WlnR, Iype cmd, press EnIer und Iype
lpconng. Scroll up Io Ihe Iop o Ihe resulIs
und look or IFv4 Address, muklng u noIe
o Ihe number ln Ihe ormuI I92.I6S.x.xx.
1ls ls your compuIer`s IF uddress und ls
hovyou`ll connecI Io lI uslng your phone
or IubleI. You ulso need Ihe nume o your
compuIer, vhlch ls dlspluyed uI Ihe Iop
o Ihe SIurI menu.
NexI, open Ihe upp on your devlce und,
under RemoIe DeskIops, Iup or Nev
RemoIe DeskIop. Glve Ihe connecIlon u
nume Home FC, or exumple. In FC
Nume enIer Ihe IF uddress o your
compuIer und ln 'User nume` enIer Ihe
nume o your compuIer und Ihe pussvord
you use Io log lnIo lI l you don`I use u
pussvord Io uccess your compuIer you`ll
need Io seI one). Leuve ull oIher nelds
blunk und Iup Suve or Done. A messuge
vlll vurn you ubouI un UnIrusIed
CerIlncuIe, Iup 1rusI Alvuys.
1e deuulI seIIlngs meun you conIrol
Ihlngs by drugglng u cursor uround Ihe
screen, vhlch cun be nddly. 1o chunge
Ihls seIIlng, Iup Ihe nume or IF uddress o
your compuIer uI Ihe Iop o your screen,
Ihen selecI Ihe pencll und llne lcon ln Ihe
IopleI corner lOS) or Ihe boIIomrlghI
Androld). NovWlndovs vlll be eusler
Io conIrol und vlll respond Io Iups, ruIher
Ihun you huvlng Io drug u mouse polnIer
PRDLEMSUSNCYDURPHDNEDRTLET
cntrc settngs cn cr cmpter frcm
nhere th ctc
Use emcte estcp tc cntrc cr W|ndcws
P frcmycur |D5 cr ndrc|d dev|ce
nter ycur ccmputer's deta||s |ntc the Remcte esktcp app
tc access W|ndcws cn ycur ndrc|d phcne cr tab|et
keep scftware and secur|ty sett|ngs up
tc date us|ng 5c|utc

51 24December 2013 7 January 2014

Control your PC fromany device
Change settings and
update your PC remotely
If youre away fromyour computer and
want to keep everything up to date and
in working order, download Soluto
(www.soluto.com). Click Create My Free
Account, enter your email address and
a password, then click Create My Free
Account again. Click Download and then
open the installer. Ignore the request
to add more devices and Soluto will
start scanning your system.
You can also control settings and
updates on iOS and Androidwwdevices
by adding themto your Soluto account.
Go to www.soluto.com/home and click
the green Add PC/Tablet/Phone button
and followthe instructions. To add an
Android device youll need to install the
Soluto app (www.snipca.com/10851).
On iOS youll need to add a special
management Prole, which is done
automatically by Soluto. Click the link in
the email or text message sent to your
device to get started. Whenever you add
another PC youll need to install the
Soluto software onto that computer.
You can control updates and make
changes to settings on your computer
fromanywhere using the simple Soluto
interface. Go to www.soluto.com/login,
enter your email address and password
and click Login. Youll see a list of all
devices controlled by your account. While
you cant access devices directly you can
performbasic maintenance. If youre
accessing a Windows PC you can update
software and your operating system,
change security settings and even see
what software is causing your computer
to crash. Tis means that if youre not at
home you can still keep the family PC up
to date and secure. On Android and iOS
you can remotely install newapps,
change security settings and nd out
what apps are draining your battery.
When you sign up to Soluto you get a
free 14-day trial of the premiumversion
after that you get free use of the Lite
version. With this you can remotely
control three devices, but only log in to
control themthree times a week. If you
want to control more devices, or log in
more often, youll need to pay to upgrade
(prices start at around 5 a month).
Use Microsoft Remote
Desktop to access your PC
If you want full control over your
computer fromyour phone or tablet then
you should use the ocial Microsoft
Remote Desktop app for Android (www.
snipca.com/10777) and iOS (www.
snipca.com/10778). Its free and works
on any Windows computer that runs
the Professional version of the operating
system. To nd out which version youre
running press the Windows key+R, type
cmd, press Enter and type winver.
Before using the app youll need to
enable remote access on your computer.
Click Start, then right-click Computer or
My Computer (in Windows 8 press
Windows+S, then type and select
System). In Windows 7 and 8, click
Remote settings, select Allow
connections fromcomputers running
Remote Desktop with Network Level
Authentication (more
secure), then click OK.
In Windows XP click
the Remote tab, select
Allowusers to connect
remotely to this computer,
then click OK.
Download and open
Microsoft Remote Desktop
to your Android or iOS
device. Before you can make
the connection youll need
to supply some information
about your computer. Press
Win+R, type cmd, press Enter and type
ipcong. Scroll up to the top of the results
and look for IPv4 Address, making a note
of the number in the format 192.168.x.xx.
Tis is your computers IP address and is
howyoull connect to it using your phone
or tablet. You also need the name of your
computer, which is displayed at the top
of the Start menu.
Next, open the app on your device and,
under Remote Desktops, tap + or New
Remote Desktop. Give the connection a
name Home PC, for example. In PC
Name enter the IP address of your
computer and in User name enter the
name of your computer and the password
you use to log into it (if you dont use a
password to access your computer youll
need to set one). Leave all other elds
blank and tap Save or Done. A message
will warn you about an Untrusted
Certicate, tap Trust Always.
Te default settings mean you control
things by dragging a cursor around the
screen, which can be ddly. To change
this setting, tap the name or IP address of
your computer at the top of your screen,
then select the pencil and line icon in the
top-left corner (iOS) or the bottomright
(Android). NowWindows will be easier
to control and will respond to taps, rather
than you having to drag a mouse pointer
FIXPROBLEMSUSINGYOURPHONEORTABLET
Control settings on your computer from
anywhere with Soluto
Use Remote Desktop to control your Windows
PC fromyour iOS or Android device
Enter your computers details into the Remote Desktop app
to access Windows on your Android phone or tablet
Keep software and security settings up
to date using Soluto

hlng you cun do on your
Wlndovs compuIer you`ll novbe uble Io
do on your ndrold or lOS devlce, us long
us boIh devlces ure connecIed Io Ihe
lnIerneI und your compuIer ls Iurned on.
Whlle you`re uslng RemoIe DeskIop on
your phone or IubleI Ihe compuIer you`re
uccesslng vlll be locked, so no one else
vlll see vhuI you`re dolng.
entrel yeur cemuter
remetely w|th TeamV|ewer
I you don`I huve u Froesslonul edlIlon
o Wlndovs you cun use 1eumVlever
vvv.Ieumvlever.com) Io conIrol your
compuIer remoIely or ree.
InsIull 1eumVlever und vhen you
reuch u screen IlIled 'SeIup unuIIended
uccess`, cllck NexI. Glve your compuIer u
nume und seI u pussvord. 1o creuIe u ree
1eumVlever uccounI enIer your deIulls
und cllck NexI, Ihen Flnlsh.
NovlnsIull Ihe ree 1eumVlever
RemoIe ConIrol upp on your ndrold
vvv.snlpcu.comIU7SI) or lOS vvv.
snlpcu.comIU7S2) devlce. Once you`ve
dovnlouded lI, open 1eumVlever on your
compuIer, Ihen nnd Ihe Your IDnumber
und Fussvord, und Ihen enIer IhemlnIo
Ihe upp. screen vlll uppeur explulnlng
hovIo conIrol Wlndovs uslng Ihe
1eumVlever upp. s vlIh oIher upps,
you cun plnch Io zoomund scroll vlIh
your nngers. Unllke MlcrosoI RemoIe
DeskIop, unyIhlng you do ln 1eumVlever
ls mlrrored on your compuIer und
vlceversu. 1ls mukes lI un ldeul vuy
Io help rlends und umlly resolve
problems vlIh Ihelr FC.
You cun ulso use 1eumVlever Io conIrol
one Wlndovs compuIer romunoIher.
You`ll need Io lnsIull Ihe 1eumVlever
soIvure on boIh compuIers Io do Ihls.
Once lI`s lnsIulled on boIh compuIers,
enIer Ihe logln deIulls romIhe compuIer
you vunI Io conIrol lnIo Ihe compuIer
you vunI Io conIrol lI rom. s vlIh Ihe
ndrold und lOS upps, you`ll novbe uble
Io compleIely conIrol your compuIer.
1eumVlever ulso hus u bullIln chuI
uncIlon, so you cun Iype messuges Io
someone vhlle you`re helplng Ihemnx
u problemon Ihelr compuIer. Beur ln
mlnd, Ihe compuIer you vunI Io conIrol
needs Io be svlIched on und connecIed Io
Ihe lnIerneI or 1eumVlever Io vork.
One clever Ihlng you cun do uslng
remoIe uccess ls schedule BBC lFluyer
dovnlouds or vhen you geI home. So l
Ihere`s u progrumme someone menIlons
IhuI you llke Ihe sound o, you cun log
lnIo 1eumVlever und sIurI dovnloudlng
lI or vhen you geI home luIer IhuI duy.
In Ihe sume vuy you use u remoIe conIrol
or your 1V, you cun ulso use u phone or
IubleI Io conIrol your compuIer. Hovyou
do Ihls depends on vheIher you use un
ndrold or lOS devlce. Uslng u remoIe
conIrol or your FC ls reully hundy l you
pluy muslc or vuIch cuIchup 1V on lI.
Here`s hovIo seI Ihlngs up on boIh
Iypes o devlce.
ndre|d
Dovnloud und lnsIull Ihe ree verslon o
Unlned RemoIe vvv.snlpcu.comIU744)
on your devlce. On your Wlndovs
compuIer go Io vvv.unlnedremoIe.
comdovnloud und cllck InsIull Verslon
2.II. Once lI`s lnsIulled, cllck OK und
Ihe soIvure vlll creuIe u connecIlon
on your compuIer IhuI your ndrold
phone or IubleI cun uccess. I you see u
DURPHDNEDRTLETSPREMDTEDNTRDL
vurnlng romWlndovs Flrevull usklng
you Io leI Unlned RemoIe Ihrough, cllck
'llovuccess`. NexI, go Io your ndrold
devlce und selecI your compuIer rom
Ihe llsI o servers und Iup RemoIes Io see
ull Ihe conIrollers uvulluble. 1e Buslc
InpuI remoIe Iurns your phone or IubleI
lnIo u Iruckpud und keybourd or your
compuIer.
Where Unlned RemoIe reully comes
lnIo lIs ovn ls us u conIroller or your
muslc und vldeos. 1e ree verslon
lncludes remoIe conIrols or VLC Medlu
Fluyer, Wlndovs Medlu CenIer, Wlndovs
Medlu Fluyer, SpoIly und You1ube. Use
Ihe Buslc InpuI remoIe Io open your
vldeo or muslc soIvure und Ihen open
Ihe relevunI remoIe conIrol. 1ere ure
conIrols or puuslng und pluylng muslc
und vldeo, sklpplng Irucks und Iurnlng
Ihe volume up or dovn jusI llke on
u 1V or hln remoIe.
|05
I you use lOS, you should dovnloud
HlppoVNC. On your compuIer go Io
vvv.snlpcu.comIU746 und cllck Ihe
blue Dovnloud HlppoVNC llnk. Once lI`s
a||s frcmycur 7eamV|ewer acccunt tc access
a ccmputer runn|ng a ncn-Prcfess|cna| vers|cn cf W|ndcws
|nsta|| Un|f|ed Remcte cn ycur P and ndrc|d
dev|ce tc ccntrc| W|ndcws w|th ycur dev|ce
Use ccmmcn tcuchscreen gestures tc remcte|y ccntrc| ycur
W|ndcws P v|a the 7eamV|ewer app
52 24December 2013 7 January 2014
around. Anything you can do on your
Windows computer youll nowbe able to
do on your Android or iOS device, as long
as both devices are connected to the
internet and your computer is turned on.
While youre using Remote Desktop on
your phone or tablet the computer youre
accessing will be locked, so no one else
will see what youre doing.
Control your computer
remotely with TeamViewer
If you dont have a Professional edition
of Windows you can use TeamViewer
(www.teamviewer.com) to control your
computer remotely for free.
Install TeamViewer and when you
reach a screen titled Setup unattended
access, click Next. Give your computer a
name and set a password. To create a free
TeamViewer account enter your details
and click Next, then Finish.
Nowinstall the free TeamViewer
Remote Control app on your Android
(www.snipca.com/10781) or iOS (www.
snipca.com/10782) device. Once youve
downloaded it, open TeamViewer on your
computer, then nd the Your IDnumber
and Password, and then enter theminto
the app. A screen will appear explaining
howto control Windows using the
TeamViewer app. As with other apps,
you can pinch to zoomand scroll with
your ngers. Unlike Microsoft Remote
Desktop, anything you do in TeamViewer
is mirrored on your computer and
vice-versa. Tis makes it an ideal way
to help friends and family resolve
problems with their PC.
You can also use TeamViewer to control
one Windows computer fromanother.
Youll need to install the TeamViewer
software on both computers to do this.
Once its installed on both computers,
enter the login details fromthe computer
you want to control into the computer
you want to control it from. As with the
Android and iOS apps, youll nowbe able
to completely control your computer.
TeamViewer also has a built-in chat
function, so you can type messages to
someone while youre helping themx
a problemon their computer. Bear in
mind, the computer you want to control
needs to be switched on and connected to
the internet for TeamViewer to work.
One clever thing you can do using
remote access is schedule BBC iPlayer
downloads for when you get home. So if
theres a programme someone mentions
that you like the sound of, you can log
into TeamViewer and start downloading
it for when you get home later that day.
In the same way you use a remote control
for your TV, you can also use a phone or
tablet to control your computer. Howyou
do this depends on whether you use an
Android or iOS device. Using a remote
control for your PC is really handy if you
play music or watch catch-up TV on it.
Heres howto set things up on both
types of device.
Android
Download and install the free version of
Unied Remote (www.snipca.com/10744)
on your device. On your Windows
computer go to www.uniedremote.
com/download and click Install Version
2.11. Once its installed, click OK and
the software will create a connection
on your computer that your Android
phone or tablet can access. If you see a
USEYOURPHONEORTABLETASAPCREMOTECONTROL
warning fromWindows Firewall asking
you to let Unied Remote through, click
Allowaccess. Next, go to your Android
device and select your computer from
the list of servers and tap Remotes to see
all the controllers available. Te Basic
Input remote turns your phone or tablet
into a trackpad and keyboard for your
computer.
Where Unied Remote really comes
into its own is as a controller for your
music and videos. Te free version
includes remote controls for VLC Media
Player, Windows Media Center, Windows
Media Player, Spotify and YouTube. Use
the Basic Input remote to open your
video or music software and then open
the relevant remote control. Tere are
controls for pausing and playing music
and video, skipping tracks and turning
the volume up or down - just like on
a TV or hi- remote.
iOS
If you use iOS, you should download
HippoVNC. On your computer go to
www.snipca.com/10746 and click the
blue Download HippoVNC link. Once its
Enter the login details fromyour TeamViewer account to access
a computer running a non-Professional version of Windows
Install Unified Remote on your PC and Android
device to control Windows with your device
Use common touchscreen gestures to remotely control your
Windows PC via the TeamViewer app

Reme ucce ln j ub mllng
Wlnd n y hne, uble lu
Smelme ull y un d l en nle
ed n y Wlnd cme und
y cun d hl lng u lmle u, u
lng u bh delce ue cnneced he
ume Wll nek Hee h d l
n y hne uble

Dnlud S lle le lle Munuge

ndld nlcucmU7,
enhe u, u LN, henScun Selec
y cme mhe ln hu
ueu, hen ene he enume
und ud y e ucce y
cme 1e u cun nly hhe
bulc Wlnd nle ce, hlch
muy lk u bl cnlng u n 1 nnd
he dcmen y need, u Ue,
hen y enume Yll nee
he Dek, Dcmen, Dnlud,
Mlc und Flce lde, umng
he 1ee u bllln u eudlng
dcmen und luylng lde und
mlc, y cun en j ub uny
nle ed n y cme my
hne uble, u lng u l ned n
und cnneced he lnene

On y cme,
dnlud he ee ue
Ynly geynly
cm Dlng lnulluln
yll be uked egle
1 d hl, cllck Ynly
emullud, ene
y emull udde und
ud, hen cllck Ceue
ccn Yll need lg
ln y emull ely
y uccn Cllck he luge
ble Vely y Delce
llnk, hen en he lnulluln
ce und cllck mull Velnculn
Cmlee Wlnd leull muy dlluy
u meuge blcklng Ynly, cllck
llucce gun l emlln
u hgh y neull
By deul Ynly lnclde y hle
C dle, hlch meun y cun ucce
unyhlng n y cme I y un
ucce unhe lculn, ch u un
eenul hud dle hu cnuln ull y
mlc, cllck dl Lculn, dd Lculn,
elec hu y un udd hen cllck
OK, Cnlne und Cnlne uguln
Ny cun dnlud Ynly y
ILESDNYDURPCNDMTTERWHEREYDURE
be Dnlud lde Nulgue
hee, en he HlVNC lde und
dblecllck WlnVNC Wlnd leull
muy un y hu Hl l eelng
ucce, cllck llucce cnnm
On he ne ceen he nly ln y
need chunge l he VNC Fud
ne u memuble ud hen cllck
OK 1e WlnVNC lcn lll nueu
ln y ukbu He y c e
hl und muke u ne he IF udde
hu ueu
Ne, muke e y lOS delce l
cnneced y Wll nek hen
dnlud und lnull he HlReme
LI1 u nlcucmU7S 1u
dd u Cnnecln, elec he VNC ln
und ene y IF udde und ud,
hen u Dne uckud lll ueu n
y ceen, hlch y cun eue u
y ld y FC uckud
1l eue l eeclully geu
nulgulng BBC lFluye Y1be Y
cun ul e he keybud ye eb
uddee een k n dcmen
1u 1uckudKeybud en he
keybud 1e F eln
HlReme c und hu lud
me eue cnlllng ue,
ch u un euye eme cnl
Wlnd Medlu Cene
ccss a ycur Wndcws s and cdrs cn ndrcd wth th
xpcrr app
s utn rcts cr ndrcd tc ccntrc
pcty, Mda ayr and cthr prcras
|nsta cunty cn ycur tc accss ycur usc,
vdcs and dccunts cn ycur hcn cr ad
|nsta ppcN cn ycur ccputr tc
us ycur dvc as a rct ccntrc
|nsta ppcct L| cr and ccntrc
Wndcws wth an cnscrn tracpad

dnluded yll need euc he
lnulle By deul hl l luced ln y

53 24December 2013 7 January 2014

Remote access isnt just about mirroring
Windows on your phone, tablet or laptop.
Sometimes all you want to do is open les
stored on your Windows computer and
you can do this using a simple app, as
long as both devices are connected to the
same Wi-Fi network. Heres howto do it
on your phone or tablet.
Android
Download ES File Explorer File Manager
for Android (www.snipca.com/10752),
openthe app, tap LAN, thenScan. Select
your computer fromthe options that
appear, then enter the username
and password you use to access your
computer. Te app can only showthe
basic Windows le structure, which
may look a bit confusing at rst. To nd
the documents you need, tap Users,
then your username. Youll nowsee
the Desktop, Documents, Downloads,
Music and Pictures folders, among
others. Teres a built-in app for reading
documents and playing videos and
music, so you can open just about any
le stored on your computer fromyour
phone or tablet, as long as its turned on
and connected to the internet.
iOS
On your computer,
download the free software
Younity (www.getyounity.
com). During installation
youll be asked to register.
To do this, click Younity
e-mail/password, enter
your email address and
password, then click Create
Account. Youll need to log
into your email to verify
your account. Click the large
blue Verify your Device
link, then return to the installation
process and click Email Verication
Complete. Windows Firewall may display
a message blocking Younity, so click
Allowaccess to grant it permission to
pass through your rewall.
By default Younity includes your whole
C drive, which means you can access
anything on your computer. If you want
to access another location, such as an
external hard drive that contains all your
music, click Edit Locations, Add Location,
select what you want to add then click
OK, Continue and Continue again.
Nowyou can download Younity to your
ACCESSFILESONYOURPCNOMATTERWHEREYOUARE
browsers Downloads folder. Navigate
to there, open the HippoVNC folder and
double-click WinVNC. Windows Firewall
may warn you that Hippo is requesting
access, so click Allowaccess to conrm.
On the next screen the only option you
need to change is the VNC Password.
Enter a memorable password then click
OK. Te WinVNC icon will nowappear
in your taskbar. Hover your cursor over
this and make a note of the IP address
that appears.
Next, make sure your iOS device is
connected to your Wi-Fi network then
download and install the HippoRemote
LITE app (www.snipca.com/10785). Tap
Add a Connection, select the VNC option
and enter your IP address and password,
then tap Done. A trackpad will appear on
your screen, which you can operate as
you would your PCs trackpad.
Tis feature is especially great for
navigating BBC iPlayer or YouTube. You
can also use the keyboard to type web
addresses or even to work on documents.
Tap Trackpad+Keyboard to open the
keyboard. Te Pro version of
HippoRemote costs 2.99 and has loads
more features for controlling software,
such as an easy-to-use remote control
for Windows Media Center.
Access all your Windows files and folders on Android with the
ES File Explorer app
Use built-in remotes for Android to control
Spotify, Media Player and other programs
Install Younity on your PCto access your music,
videos and documents on your iPhone or iPad
Install HippoVNC on your computer to
use your iOS device as a remote control
Install HippoRemote LITE for iOS and control
Windows with an onscreen trackpad
Control your PC fromany device
downloaded youll need to extract the
installer. By default this is placed in your

p
'Logln vlIh YounlIy`, Ihen enIer
your emull uddress und pussvord
rom eurller. 1e muln YounlIy
screen dlvldes your nles lnIo
Muslc, Vldeos, FhoIos und Flles
cuIegorles und lncludes everyIhlng
on your compuIer. 1e compuIer
you ure uccesslng vlll need Io be
svlIched on und connecIed Io Ihe
lnIerneI or you Io uccess lI.
1e soIvure vlll Iuke some Ilme
Io produce un lndex o everyIhlng
on your compuIer, und unIll lI`s
nnlshed Ihls process noIhlng vlll
uppeur ln Ihe upp. popup messuge
vlll Iell you vhen Ihe process ls
compleIe, buI lI muy Iuke 8U mlnuIes
or more l you huve loIs o phoIos,
muslc, vldeos und oIher documenIs.
1ere ure bullIln documenI
reuders or ulmosI ull nle Iypes und
YounlIy cun ulso sIreum muslc und
vldeo rom Ihe upp. I you vunI Io
dovnloud unyIhlng rom your F Io
your devlce Iup Ihe boIIomleI
urrov lcon, Ihen Dovnloud. 1ls leIs
you uccess u documenI, vldeo or
song even l Ihe compuIer lI`s sIored
on ls Iurned o.
You muy noI huve un expenslve nev
prlnIer, buI IhuI doesn`I meun you
cun`I seI lI up Io prlnI rom uny o your
devlces. Google loud FrlnI ls u brllllunI
ree servlce IhuI breuIhes nev lle lnIo
your ugelng prlnIer by hooklng lI up Io
your neIvork so you cun prlnI over Ihe
lnIerneI. 1uI vuy l you vunI Io prlnI
someIhlng rom your IubleI, phone or
unoIher compuIer unyvhere ln Ihe vorld
you cun do so vlIh jusI u couple o cllcks.
You`ll need Ihe hrome brovser
lnsIulled on Ihe compuIer your prlnIer
ls ulreudy connecIed Io und u Google
uccounI you`ll ulreudy huve one l
you use Gmull). For Ihls Io vork, your
prlnIer und Ihe compuIer your prlnIer
ls connecIed Io vlll boIh need Io be
svlIched on.
1o enuble loud FrlnI on your F,
open hrome, cllck Ihe IoprlghI menu
lcon und selecI SeIIlngs. In Ihe 'Seurch
seIIlngs` box Iype prlnI und cllck Munuge
Ihen 'dd prlnIers` you muy huve Io
log lnIo your Google uccounI Io do
Ihls). You`ll nov see u llsI o uvulluble
prlnIers. Muke sure Ihe Ilckbox ls selecIed
nexI Io Ihe muke und model o Ihe
prlnIer connecIed Io your F und
cllck 'dd prlnIers)`.
1o prlnI rom uny oIher
compuIer open hrome, slgn
lnIo your Google uccounI und
go Io vvv.google.com
cloudprlnI. llck FRIN1,
'Uploud nle Io prlnI`, Ihen
'SelecI u nle rom my
compuIer`. SelecI Ihe nle you
vunI, cllck Open, selecI your
prlnIer, chunge uny relevunI
seIIlngs or prlnI slze, colour or
number o coples, Ihen cllck
FrlnI. WlIhln u ev mlnuIes
your prlnIer vlll sprlng lnIo
lle und sIurI prlnIlng.

1o prlnI rom un ndrold phone or IubleI

you need Io lnsIull Ihe ree Google loud
FrlnI upp vvv.snlpcu.comIUS4S).
Open Ihe upp und Iup Ihe IoprlghI
prlnIer lcon Io selecI u nle Io prlnI. ny
upps you cun prlnI rom vlll be uvulluble
Io selecI, lncludlng Google Drlve,
Dropbox und your phoIo upp. SelecI
Ihe nle you vunI Io prlnI, Iup SelecI
Ihen choose your prlnIer und Iup SelecI
uguln. hunge uny seIIlngs or colour,
orlenIuIlon und number o coples und
Ihen Iup Ihe IoprlghI urrov lcon Io prlnI.

On lOS you cun euslly uccess your prlnIer

vlu Ihe Google hrome or Google Drlve
upps. In hrome, open Ihe vebpuge you
vunI Io prlnI, Iup opIlons, FrlnI, Google
loud FrlnI, selecI your prlnIer, chunge
uny prlnI opIlons und Iup FrlnI. In Google
Drlve, nuvlguIe Io Ihe relevunI documenI
sIored on Drlve, Ihen Iup Ihe smull 'l`
lcon. NexI, Iup FrlnI, Google loud FrlnI,
selecI your prlnIer, chunge uny prlnI
seIIlngs und Iup FrlnI.
CDNRDLDRPRINERRDMNEICE
Cccg|e |cud Pr|nt sc
ycu can pr|nt frcm|t wherever ycu are
Remcte|y pr|nt any dccument stcred cn Cccg|e r|ve
by us|ng the |D5 Cccg|e r|ve app
Use Cccg|e |cud Pr|nt tc pr|nt web pages
and dccuments frcmhrcme cn |D5
Remcte|y pr|nt dccuments cr phctcs stcred
cn ycur ndrc|d dev|ce w|th |cud Pr|nt
5treammus|c and v|decs stcred cn ycur ccmputer
w|th the Ycun|ty app fcr |D5

54 24December 2013 7 January 2014

Control your PC fromany device
iOS device. Once its installed tap
Login with Younity, then enter
your email address and password
fromearlier. Te main Younity
screen divides your les into
Music, Videos, Photos and Files
categories and includes everything
on your computer. Te computer
you are accessing will need to be
switched on and connected to the
internet for you to access it.
Te software will take some time
to produce an index of everything
on your computer, and until its
nished this process nothing will
appear in the app. A pop-up message
will tell you when the process is
complete, but it may take 30 minutes
or more if you have lots of photos,
music, videos and other documents.
Tere are built-in document
readers for almost all le types and
Younity can also streammusic and
video fromthe app. If you want to
download anything fromyour PC to
your device tap the bottom-left
arrowicon, then Download. Tis lets
you access a document, video or
song even if the computer its stored
on is turned o.
You may not have an expensive new
printer, but that doesnt mean you
cant set it up to print fromany of your
devices. Google Cloud Print is a brilliant
free service that breathes newlife into
your ageing printer by hooking it up to
your network so you can print over the
internet. Tat way if you want to print
something fromyour tablet, phone or
another computer anywhere in the world
you can do so with just a couple of clicks.
Youll need the Chrome browser
installed on the computer your printer
is already connected to and a Google
account (youll already have one if
you use Gmail). For this to work, your
printer and the computer your printer
is connected to will both need to be
switched on.
To enable Cloud Print on your PC,
open Chrome, click the top-right menu
icon and select Settings. In the Search
settings box type print and click Manage
then Add printers (you may have to
log into your Google account to do
this). Youll nowsee a list of available
printers. Make sure the tickbox is selected
next to the make and model of the
printer connected to your PC and
click Add printer(s).
To print fromany other
computer open Chrome, sign
into your Google account and
go to www.google.com/
cloudprint. Click PRINT,
Upload le to print, then
Select a le frommy
computer. Select the le you
want, click Open, select your
printer, change any relevant
settings for print size, colour or
number of copies, then click
Print. Within a fewminutes
your printer will spring into
life and start printing.
Android
To print froman Android phone or tablet
you need to install the free Google Cloud
Print app (www.snipca.com/10845).
Open the app and tap the top-right
printer icon to select a le to print. Any
apps you can print fromwill be available
to select, including Google Drive,
Dropbox and your photo app. Select
the le you want to print, tap Select
then choose your printer and tap Select
again. Change any settings for colour,
orientation and number of copies and
then tap the top-right arrowicon to print.
iOS
On iOS you can easily access your printer
via the Google Chrome or Google Drive
apps. In Chrome, open the webpage you
want to print, tap options, Print, Google
Cloud Print, select your printer, change
any print options and tap Print. In Google
Drive, navigate to the relevant document
stored on Drive, then tap the small i
icon. Next, tap Print, Google Cloud Print,
select your printer, change any print
settings and tap Print.
CONTROLYOURPRINTERFROMANYDEVICE
Add your printer to Google Cloud Print so
you can print fromit wherever you are
Remotely print any document stored on Google Drive
by using the iOS Google Drive app
Use Google Cloud Print to print web pages
and documents fromChrome on iOS
Remotely print documents or photos stored
on your Android device with Cloud Print
Streammusic and videos stored on your computer
with the Younity app for iOS

et answers te aII yeur tech prebIems in

eur new Itimate 0uidel
0rder yeur cepy fremmazen at
www.snipca.cemI0849
ONLY
7.20
Get answers to all your tech problems in
our new Ultimate Guide!
Order your copy fromAmazon at
www.snipca.com/10849
40cmbr 20J3 - 7 !anuary 20J4
s long us your compuIer ls Iurned
on, you cun uccess lIs vebcumrom
unyvhere. FlrsI, you need Io lnsIull
soIvure on your F IhuI vlll Iurn
your vebcumlnIo u securlIy cumeru.
Dovnloud Ihe ree soIvure Yuvcum
vvv.yuvcum.com). Once lI`s lnsIulled
cllck SeIIlngs, 'DeIecI vebcum`, selecI
your vebcumromIhe dropdovn box
und cllck OK. Novcllck SeIIlngs, EdlI
SeIIlngs und selecI Fussvord romIhe
menu on Ihe leI. llck dd und creuIe u
usernume und pussvord or your cumeru,
Ihen cllck dd. NexI, cllck SIurIup und
Ilck Ihe box nexI Io 'SIurI SIreumouIpuI`,
Ihen cllck OK.
ReIurn Io Ihe muln Yuvcumpuge und
cllck 'enuble` nexI Io SIreum. llck
SeIIlngs, EdlI SeIIlngs, onnecIlon, Ihen
'WhuI`s my URL`. 1ls vlll open u puge
ln your veb brovser vlIh our URLs
Ihe one you`ll need Io vlevyour vebcum
ls Ihe nnul one nexI Io Ihe vord SIreum.
1ls URL cun only be IesIed on u devlce
IhuI lsn`I connecIed Io your home
neIvork u smurIphone uslng moblle
broudbund vould do Ihe Irlck.
Open Ihe brovser on your phone or
IubleI und Iype Ihe URL. logln puge
vlll uppeur. EnIer Ihe usernume und
pussvord you seI eurller und Ihe ooIuge
romyour vebcumvlll sIurI sIreumlng Io
HEDNYDURDMPUTER'SEMRDMNYHERE
XTSSU
Cut ycur PC's pcwr
andsavmcny
Runc|dvrslcns cf
Wlndcws cn|ln
DnsaleednesdayB|anuary
veryfreeapp
you'll ever need


DSA
8an
Our blggst vr rcund-upcf nw
apps fcr ycur phcnandtab|t



your devlce. You cun novlog ln und vlev
your cumeru romuny compuIer ln Ihe
vorld vlu Ihls veb uddress. 1ls vlll
ulvuys vork so long us your compuIer ls
on und Yuvcumls runnlng on lI.


s e |ps we've cvere ere
requ|re yu cec yur cpuer
ver e |ere u | yu ve
r| ev|ce c s use ue
cr yur .
yur cpuer www.
r|reepc.c/ws
c|c e p p| 'Remoe P
5erver vJ.04 |nsa||a|on packageI'.
|nsa|| he sofware. |f your hrewa||
aemps o b|ock | c||ck '||ow
access'. Use he |ueooh se|ngs |n
ndro|d o pa|r your dev|ce w|h your
compuer and hen down|oad he free
|ueooh Remoe Papp www.
sn|pca.com/J07B6I. Dpen he app and
ap |ueooh when asked o se|ec
a connec|on. 5e|ec your compuer
fromhe ||s of pa|red dev|ces.
CDNTRDLYDURCDMPUTERwlTHBLUETDDTH
Te app has four op|ons:
Mouse, Mu||med|a,
Presena|on and Power. Te
wo mos usefu| are Mouse
and Mu||med|a. Mouse
|es you use your phone or
ab|e as a rackpad for your
compuer, wh||e Mu||med|a
|es you conro| your med|a
p|ayer. y defau| h|s |s se o
W|ndows Med|a P|ayer, bu
you can change h|s. ap he
op-r|gh se|ngs |con, hen
Mu||med|a 5e|ngs, 'hoose
a p|ayer' and se|ec your med|a
p|ayer fromhe ||s.
a


56 24December 2013 7 January 2014
As long as your computer is turned
on, you can access its webcamfrom
anywhere. First, you need to install
software on your PC that will turn
your webcaminto a security camera.
Download the free software Yawcam
(www.yawcam.com). Once its installed
click Settings, Detect webcam, select
your webcamfromthe dropdown box
and click OK. Nowclick Settings, Edit
Settings and select Password fromthe
menu on the left. Click Add and create a
username and password for your camera,
then click Add. Next, click Startup and
tick the box next to Start Streamoutput,
then click OK.
Return to the main Yawcampage and
click enable next to Stream. Click
Settings, Edit Settings, Connection, then
Whats my URL?. Tis will open a page
in your web browser with four URLs
the one youll need to viewyour webcam
is the nal one next to the word Stream.
Tis URL can only be tested on a device
that isnt connected to your home
network a smartphone using mobile
broadband would do the trick.
Open the browser on your phone or
tablet and type the URL. A login page
will appear. Enter the username and
password you set earlier and the footage
fromyour webcamwill start streaming to
CHECKONYOURCOMPUTERSWEBCAMFROMANYWHERE
NEXTISSUE
Cut your PCs power
andsavemoney
Runoldversions of
Windows online
OnsaleWednesday8January
Everyfreeapp
youll ever need
Plus
SubscribetoComputeractiveat www.getcomputeractive.co.uk
ONSALE
8Jan
Our biggest ever round-upof new
apps for your phoneandtablet
Control your PC fromany device
Set a password in Yawcamso that only you can
see video streamed fromyour webcamonline
your device. You can nowlog in and view
your camera fromany computer in the
world via this web address. Tis will
always work so long as your computer is
on and Yawcamis running on it.
Enable the Streamoption in Yawcamto
viewyour webcamover the internet
Most of the tips weve covered here
require you to connect to your computer
over the internet, but if you have an
Android device can also use Bluetooth
to control your PC.
On your computer go to www.
androidremotepc.com/downloads
and click the top option, Remote PC
Server v1.04 (Installation package).
Install the software. If your rewall
attempts to block it click Allow
access. Use the Bluetooth settings in
Android to pair your device with your
computer and then download the free
Bluetooth Remote PCapp (www.
snipca.com/10786). Open the app and
tap Bluetooth when asked to select
a connection. Select your computer
fromthe list of paired devices.
CONTROLYOURCOMPUTERWITHBLUETOOTH
Te app has four options:
Mouse, Multimedia,
Presentation and Power. Te
two most useful are Mouse
and Multimedia. Mouse
lets you use your phone or
tablet as a trackpad for your
computer, while Multimedia
lets you control your media
player. By default this is set to
Windows Media Player, but
you can change this. Tap the
top-right settings icon, then
Multimedia Settings, Choose
a player and select your media
player fromthe list.
a
Control your mouse, media player and more
with the Bluetooth Remote PC Android app

ll effrs x|r 31 anuary, 2014
|nd ths effrs and mer at:
htt://ster.cemutract|v.ce.uk

Turn te ag 33 fer 0ffr ef th ertn|ght

Reader Offer
All offers expire 31 January, 2014
Find these offers and more at:
http://store.computeractive.co.uk
SOFTWAREDISCOUNTSFORREADERS
Turn to page 33 for Offer of the Fortnight

Make eve!hn
(no! mecanl)

s reus Ie osI vdey

spoe uuue o Ie pueI.
II douIes Ie vord o
Iecooy, vI u uber o
usIcs experIs esIuI IuI us
uc us SU per ceI o u eecIrocuy
sIored duIu s s. BuI, uoyy
or us BrIs, FCs, poes ud IubeIs
see Io ussue IuI everyoe uses
ercu or IeruIou` s.
1s s`I jusI u cuuse or or rrIuIo
I cu uve u serousy deIreIu
pucI o Ie vuy ve vor, cuus
spececers Io ucIo correcIy or
ey presses Io be correcIy recosed
becuuse o Ie vuy U ud US eybourd
uyouIs der. 1uuy, you cu recIy
Iese d o probes. Here ve expu
ov Io eI u your devces Iu Ie
sue uuue.
|ndews XP
Noruy, you v coure dovs
F`s uuue preereces ud eybourd
uyouIs dur Ie Iu seIup. BuI you
uve`I coured IecorrecIy or
Iey`ve bee uccdeIuy cued sce
seIup, cc SIurI, CoIro Fue. NexI,
cc DuIe, 1e, uuue, ud Reou
OpIos`, Ie Reou ud uuue
OpIos`. O Ie Reou OpIos Iub o
Ie vdov IuI opes, seecI s
UIed do) ro Ie SIudurds
ud oruIs` dropdov eu. so, cc
UIed doro Ie ocuIo eu
uI Ie boIIo o Ie box. Cc ppy,
Ie seecI Ie uuues Iub ud cc
Ie DeIus buIIo ue sure s
UIed do) s seI us Ie DeuuI
puI uuue` ere ud cc O.
uy, cc Ie dvuced Iub ud
ue sure IuI Ie uuue or
oUcode prorus` s seI Io s
Fedupv!hmecanspellns o loenkeooadlaou!s/
onathanParkyneplans hov!ose! all ou devces !oB!shEnlsh
UIed do), Ie cc O ud
resIurI your FC. You uy be used Io
serI your oru dovs CDIo
sIu sysIees.
W|ndews 7
I dovs 7, cc SIurI, Iype reo
Ie seurc box ud press Ier. Uder
Ie oruIs Iub, ue sure you seecI
s UIed do) us Ie oruI
Is v seI u duIes, Ies, currecy
ud ubers e vI BrIs
coveIos. Uder Ie ocuIo Iub,
cec IuI UIed do s seI us
your curreI ocuIo, Ie cc Ie
eybourds ud uuues` Iub, Ie Ie
Cue eybourds` buIIo. 1e DeuuI
puI uuue` ere soud be s
UIed do) I s`I, seecI I
ro Ie dropdov eu.
I Iere`s o s UIed do)
Ie dropdov eu, Is eus U
s vus`I sIued correcIy ve
dovs vus seI up. 1o x Is, cc Ie
dd buIIo ud Ie vdov IuI
opes, scro dov ud cc Ie pus )
sybo exI Io s UIed do),
Ie Ie pus s exI Io eybourd. 1c
Ie box exI Io UIed doud
cc O. You cu ov seecI s
UIed do) ro Ie DeuuI
puI uuue` dropdov eu.
Cc O Io s.
uy, cc Ie dsIruIve Iub
Ie Reo ud uuue` seIIs box
ud cec IuI s UIed do)
s sIed uder uuue or oUcode
prorus`. I I s`I, cc Ie Cue
sysIe ocue` buIIo, seecI s
UIed do) ro Ie dropdov
eu ud cc O, Ie O uu.
W|ndews 8
osIud rrIuIo uo
oercus vI dovs us bee
Ie ucI IuI Ie copuy`s operuI
sysIes uve bee resouIey ercu
uI Ier core. usI cec your dspuy
seIIs dovs 7 or F, or exupe,
ud you` d Coor uueeI`.
Oe o Ie beeIs o dovs S or
U users s IuI I uy IreuIs BrIs
s us u uuue Is ov rI.
I your dovs S FC does`I use
BrIs s us Is u dspuy
uuue, rIcc uyvere Ie
W|ndcws 7, ycu can set dates, t|mes and
currency tc match Br|t|sh ccnvent|cns
|f ng||sh (Un|ted k|ngdcm} |sn't shcwn |n
W|ndcws 8, add |t v|a cntrc| Pane|
58 24December 2013 - 7 January 2014
Make everything
(not American!)
E
nglish remains the most widely
spoken language on the planet.
It dominates the world of
technology, with a number of
linguistics experts estimating that as
much as 80 per cent of all electronically
stored data is in English. But, annoyingly
for us Brits, PCs, phones and tablets
seemto assume that everyone uses
American or international English.
Tis isnt just a cause for minor irritation
it can have a seriously detrimental
impact on the way we work, causing
spellcheckers to function incorrectly or
key presses to be incorrectly recognised
because of the way UK and US keyboard-
layouts dier. Tankfully, you can rectify
these kind of problems. Here we explain
howto get all your devices talking the
same language.
Windows XP
Normally, you will congure Windows
XPs language preferences and keyboard
layouts during the initial setup. But if you
havent congured themcorrectly or if
theyve been accidentally changed since
setup, click Start, Control Panel. Next,
click Date, Time, Language, and Regional
Options, then Regional and Language
Options. On the Regional Options tab of
the windowthat opens, select English
(United Kingdom) fromthe Standards
and formats dropdown menu. Also, click
United Kingdomfromthe Location menu
at the bottomof the box. Click Apply,
then select the Languages tab and click
the Details button make sure English
(United Kingdom) is set as the Default
input language here and click OK.
Finally, click the Advanced tab and
make sure that the Language for
non-Unicode programs is set to English
FedupwithAmericanspellings or foreignkeyboardlayouts?
JonathanParkynexplains howtoset all your devices toBritishEnglish
(United Kingdom), then click OK and
restart your PC. You may be asked to
insert your original Windows CDto
install systemles.
Windows 7
In Windows 7, click Start, type region
in the search box and press Enter. Under
the Formats tab, make sure you select
English (United Kingdom) as the Format
this will set all dates, times, currency
and numbers in line with British
conventions. Under the Location tab,
check that United Kingdomis set as
your current location, then click the
Keyboards and Languages tab, then the
Change keyboards button. Te Default
input language here should be English
(United Kingdom) if it isnt, select it
fromthe dropdown menu.
If theres no English (United Kingdom)
in the dropdown menu, this means UK
English wasnt installed correctly when
Windows was set up. To x this, click the
Add button and in the windowthat
opens, scroll down and click the plus (+)
symbol next to English (United Kingdom),
then the plus sign next to Keyboard. Tick
the box next to United Kingdomand
click OK. You can nowselect English
(United Kingdom) fromthe Default
input language dropdown menu.
Click OK to nish.
Finally, click the Administrative tab in
the Region and Language settings box
and check that English (United Kingdom)
is listed under Language for non-Unicode
programs. If it isnt, click the Change
systemlocale button, select English
(United Kingdom) fromthe dropdown
menu and click OK, then OK again.
Windows 8
A long-standing irritation among
non-Americans with Windows has been
the fact that the companys operating
systems have been resolutely American
at their core. Just check your display
settings in Windows 7 or XP, for example,
and youll nd Color management.
One of the benets of Windows 8 for
UK users is that it nally treats British
English as a language in its own right.
If your Windows 8 PC doesnt use
British English as its main display
language, right-click anywhere in the
In Windows 7, you can set dates, times and
currency to match British conventions
If English (United Kingdom) isnt shown in
Windows 8, add it via Control Panel

le`s IubleIs und smurIphones

someIlmes deuulI Io merlcun Engllsh
us Ihelr muln lunguuge, vhlch resulIs ln
ull klnds o problems und lnconslsIencles.
1o chunge Ihls ln lOS 7, Iup SeIIlngs,
Ihen Generul, Ihen InIernuIlonul. Muke
sure BrlIlsh Engllsh ls seI us Ihe lunguuge
here. I lI lsn`I, selecI BrlIlsh Engllsh rom
Ihe llsI. I you use u Slrlenubled devlce,
Iup Volce ConIrol here Io check IhuI Ihls
ls seI Io Engllsh UnlIed Klngdom). Muny
upps Iuke Ihelr lunguuge seIIlngs romIhe
lOS keybourd, so Iup keybourds und muke
sure IhuI Engllsh UK) ls llsIed us your
deuulI keybourd. nd, under Reglon
FormuI, muke sure IhuI UnlIed Klngdom
ls selecIed here Ioo.
boIIomleI o Ihe screen und selecI
ConIrol Funel romIhe menu, Ihen cllck
'dd u lunguuge`. I Engllsh UnlIed
Klngdom) lsn`I llsIed here, cllck 'dd u
lunguuge` uguln, Ihen scroll dovn und
doublecllck Engllsh, cllck Engllsh
UnlIed Klngdom) Ihen Ihe dd buIIon.
ReIurn Io Ihe Lunguuge seIIlngs screen,
hlghllghI Engllsh UnlIed Klngdom),
Ihen cllck 'Move up` so IhuI lI lles uI Ihe
Iop o Ihe llsI. You muy see u messuge
suylng: 'Wlndovs dlspluy lunguuge: reudy
Io dovnloud` nexI Io Engllsh UnlIed
Klngdom) l so, cllck OpIlons, Ihen
'Dovnloud und lnsIull lunguuge puck`.
I you vunI Io muke ubsoluIely sure
Wlndovs von`I rundomly deuulI buck Io
US Engllsh, you cun deleIe ull oIher
lunguuges romIhe Lunguuge conIrol
punel by hlghllghIlng Ihemund cllcklng
Remove. NexI, cllck 'dvunced seIIlngs`
on Ihe leI Io muke sure IhuI 'Use
lunguuge llsI recommended)` ls selecIed
or boIh Overrlde seIIlngs here. Cllck
Buck, Ihen 'Chunge duIe, Ilme or number
ormuIs`. NexI, muke sure IhuI 'MuIch
Wlndovs dlspluy lunguuge` ls selecIed
under FormuI, Ihen cllck OK.
ft 0mce
I you`re consIunIly belng correcIed
vhen uslng BrlIlsh spelllngs ln Omce
progrums such us Word, Ihen you should
chunge your edlIlng lunguuge. Beore
dolng Ihls you should seI your Wlndovs`
lunguuge Io UK Engllsh. I you don`I,
Omce muy reverI Io unoIher lunguuge
even uIer chunglng Ihe edlIlng lunguuge.
1e besI vuy Io chunge your Omce
progrums so Ihey ull use BrlIlsh Engllsh ls
Io press Ihe Wlndovs key und Iype omce
or ln XF, cllck SIurI, ll Frogrums,
MlcrosoI Omce), Ihen cllck Omce
Lunguuges Freerences Ihe preclse
numlng depends on your verslon o
Omce). In Ihe vlndovIhuI opens,
Engllsh UnlIed Klngdom) should uppeur
us Ihe deuulI or prlmury edlIlng lunguuge.
I lI doesn`I, udd lI romIhe llsI o uvulluble
lunguuges und seI lI us Ihe deuulI.
You cun udd oIher edlIlng lunguuges
here buI, unless you reully need oIher
lunguuges, ve recommend you only
lnsIull Engllsh UnlIed Klngdom). 1ls
vlll prevenI Omce romsuddenly
svlIchlng Io unoIher verslon o Engllsh
or no uppurenI reuson. HlghllghI uny
oIher lunguuges llsIed und cllck Remove.
In Omce 2UIU und 2UI8, you cun ulso
choose vhlch lunguuge ls used ln Ihe
Ioolburs, buIIons, menus und Help nles.
Look under 'Choose Dlspluy und Help
Lunguuges` und muke sure Ihese ure boIh
seI Io muIch MlcrosoI Wlndovs. 1ls
vlll only vork l Ihe Wlndovs lunguuge
seIIlngs ure seI Io UK Engllsh see XF, 7
und S secIlons).
ndre|d
s long us ndrold`s sysIemlunguuge
ls seI Io UK Engllsh, your devlce`s oIher
lunguuge seIIlngs should ollovsulI. BuI
someIlmes nondeuulI seIIlngs creep ln.
In ndrold 4.4 lnsIrucIlons vlll be
slmllur or eurller verslons), Iup SeIIlngs,
Ihen 'Lunguuge &lnpuI`. Check IhuI
Engllsh UnlIed Klngdom) ls uI Ihe Iop o
Ihe llsI under Lunguuge l noI, Iup lI und
selecI Engllsh UnlIed Klngdom) rom
Ihe llsI IhuI uppeurs. 1o seI Ihe deuulI
keybourd us Engllsh UK), Iup Ihe sllder
lcon nexI Io Google Keybourd, Ihen
'InpuI lunguuges`, und selecI 'Use sysIem
lunguuge`. ReIurn Io 'Lunguuge &lnpuI`,
Iup Ihe sllder lcon nexI Io 'Spell checker`,
Ihen Ihe globe lcon nexI Io Google Spell
Checker, und muke sure IhuI 'Use sysIem
lunguuge` ls selecIed. ReIurn Io 'Lunguuge
&lnpuI` und Iup Volce Seurch. 1e
lunguuge here should novbe llsIed us
Engllsh UK). I lI lsn`I Iup Volce Seurch,
Ihen selecI Engllsh UK) romIhe llsI.
dc|d make ng||h (Un|ted k|ngdcm} the
defau|t |n the 'Language &|nput' ett|ng
|n Dff|ce 2010 and 2013, cu can chcce Uk
ng||h fc buttcn, tab and He|p f||e
|n |D5 , tap 5ett|ng, Cenea|, |ntenat|cna|,
then chcce B|t|h ng||h
24December 2013 - 7 January 2014 59
Make everything UK English
iOS
Apples tablets and smartphones
sometimes default to American English
as their main language, which results in
all kinds of problems and inconsistencies.
To change this in iOS 7, tap Settings,
then General, then International. Make
sure British English is set as the language
here. If it isnt, select British English from
the list. If you use a Siri-enabled device,
tap Voice Control here to check that this
is set to English (United Kingdom). Many
apps take their language settings fromthe
iOS keyboard, so tap keyboards and make
sure that English (UK) is listed as your
default keyboard. And, under Region
Format, make sure that United Kingdom
is selected here too.
bottom-left of the screen and select
Control Panel fromthe menu, then click
Add a language. If English (United
Kingdom) isnt listed here, click Add a
language again, then scroll down and
double-click English, click English
(United Kingdom) then the Add button.
Return to the Language settings screen,
highlight English (United Kingdom),
then click Move up so that it lies at the
top of the list. You may see a message
saying: Windows display language: ready
to download next to English (United
Kingdom) if so, click Options, then
Download and install language pack.
If you want to make absolutely sure
Windows wont randomly default back to
US English, you can delete all other
languages fromthe Language control
panel by highlighting themand clicking
Remove. Next, click Advanced settings
on the left to make sure that Use
language list (recommended) is selected
for both Override settings here. Click
Back, then Change date, time or number
formats. Next, make sure that Match
Windows display language is selected
under Format, then click OK.
Microsoft Oce
If youre constantly being corrected
when using British spellings in Oce
programs such as Word, then you should
change your editing language. Before
doing this you should set your Windows
language to UK English. If you dont,
Oce may revert to another language
even after changing the editing language.
Te best way to change your Oce
programs so they all use British English is
to press the Windows key and type oce
(or in XP, click Start, All Programs,
Microsoft Oce), then click Oce
Languages Preferences (the precise
naming depends on your version of
Oce). In the windowthat opens,
English (United Kingdom) should appear
as the default or primary editing language.
If it doesnt, add it fromthe list of available
languages and set it as the default.
You can add other editing languages
here but, unless you really need other
languages, we recommend you only
install English (United Kingdom). Tis
will prevent Oce fromsuddenly
switching to another version of English
for no apparent reason. Highlight any
other languages listed and click Remove.
In Oce 2010 and 2013, you can also
choose which language is used in the
toolbars, buttons, menus and Help les.
Look under Choose Display and Help
Languages and make sure these are both
set to match Microsoft Windows. Tis
will only work if the Windows language
settings are set to UK English (see XP, 7
and 8 sections).
Android
As long as Androids systemlanguage
is set to UK English, your devices other
language settings should followsuit. But
sometimes non-default settings creep in.
In Android 4.4 (instructions will be
similar for earlier versions), tap Settings,
then Language &input. Check that
English (United Kingdom) is at the top of
the list under Language if not, tap it and
select English (United Kingdom) from
the list that appears. To set the default
keyboard as English (UK), tap the slider
icon next to Google Keyboard, then
Input languages, and select Use system
language. Return to Language &input,
tap the slider icon next to Spell checker,
then the globe icon next to Google Spell
Checker, and make sure that Use system
language is selected. Return to Language
&input and tap Voice Search. Te
language here should nowbe listed as
English (UK). If it isnt tap Voice Search,
then select English (UK) fromthe list.
In Android make English (United Kingdom) the
default in the Language &input settings
In Office 2010 and 2013, you can choose UK
English for buttons, tabs and Help files
In iOS 7, tap Settings, General, International,
then choose British English
uayaayus yash!cu!s \vs, u! yuvyucaus
!hyu avu!vs!s !/ vas !hs! s

Gl e blc
ebd c b
de, b ge cce he ge
hc eed cle he
lc he elg cg lc l he
lgh, he clc elg c d,
eec he b e he ebd
hc l, he c he
b he ge d clc e hge
Gl e bbed lece he
dllded l e, b eebd
hc c e l ele lge
elg he lde e e hlt) vlll
move Ihrough euch o your Iubs ln Iurn.

In onversuIlon Vlev, Ihese keys leI

you nuvlguIe beIveen messuges vlIhln
Ihe conversuIlon n moves Io Ihe neI
messuge, vhlle p Iukes you buck Io
Ihe prevlous one.

Murks your messuge us 'reud` und sklps Io

Ihe neI never messuge.

1ls ls one o Gmull`s 'ombo keys`. Fress

und releuse g, Ihen press l Io reIurn Io Ihe
lnbo romvherever you ure.
Murks u messuge us spumund removes lI
romyour conversuIlon llsI.
Fress Ihe quesIlonmurk key ShlI) Io
open u llsI o ull Ihe keybourd shorIcuIs
uvulluble ln Gmull. Fress Esc Io go buck
Io your lnbo or cllck 'Open ln nev
vlndov` Io keep Ihe llsI onscreen ln u
sepuruIe vlndov.

1e BB uses Ivo
dlerenI medlu pluyers
on lIs lFluyer slIe. 1e pluyer or cuIchup
1V supporIs only buslc keysIrokes you
cun press Iub vvv.snlpcu.comIU962) Io
move beIveen Ihe dlerenI conIrols und
press EnIer Io use Ihem, buI IhuI`s ubouI lI.
Hovever, Ihe never pluyer IhuI shovs llve
1V oers more shorIcuIs. llck u sIuIlon ln
Ihe 1V hunnels llsI on Ihe leI, Ihen cllck
WuIch Llve. You`ll Ihen need Io cllck Ihe
progrumme pluylng Io ocus on Ihe pluyer
ruIher Ihun Ihe vebpuge us u vhole Io
muke Ihe ollovlng shorIcuIs vork.
SvlIches Ihe pluyer Io ullscreen mode.
Fress Esc Io svlIch lI o uguln.
MuIes or unmuIes Ihe sound.
Fuuses pluybuck press spuce uguln Io
resume Ihe progrumme.
1ukes you buck Io Ihe beglnnlng o Ihe
progrumme currenIly pluylng.

Fress Ihe number keys Io sklp

orvurds Ihrough Ihe progrumme
ln lncremenIs o IU per cenI,
dependlng on vhlch number you
press 2 ls 2U per cenI, 8 ls 8U
per cenI und so on.

Google oers u number o hundy
shorIcuIs or Google Mups und
SIreeI Vlev. 1e shorIcuIs belovulso vork
ln Ihe brund nevverslon o Google Mups,
vhlch you cun Iry by golng Io vvv.
snlpcu.comIUS66 und cllcklng '1ry lI
nov`. In ull cuses you`ll need Io cllck once
on Ihe mup Io ocus on lI.
Use Ihese Io move uround u mup. 1e up
urrovmoves norIh, Ihe dovn urrov
moves souIh, rlghI ls eusI und leI ls vesI.

Use Ihe plus ) or mlnus ) keys Io

zoomln or ouI o u mup.

us yash!cu!s \vs, u! yuvyucaus us yash!cu!s \vs u! yuvyucaus

uayaayu
!hyu avu
uu

5e|ect the buttcn next tc 'keybcard shcrtcuts

cn' tc enab|e the fu|| range cf shcrtcuts
Press f tc sw|tch the BB|P|ayer tc fu|| screen,
then scape tc return tc ncrma|
Youmayalreadyusekeyboardshortcuts inWindows, but didyouknowyoucanuse
theminyour favouritewebsites too? JonathanParkynreveals thebest ones
GMAIL
Gmail oers basic support
for keyboard control by
default, but to get access to the full range
of shortcuts you need to activate them.
Click the settings (cog) icon in the top
right, then click Settings. Scroll down,
select the button next to the Keyboard
shortcuts on option, then scroll to the
bottomof the page and click Save Changes.
Gmails newtabbed interface may have
divided its users, but a newkeyboard
shortcut can make it easier to navigate.
Pressing the tilde key (press shift+#) will
move through each of your tabs in turn.
or
In Conversation View, these keys let
you navigate between messages within
the conversation n moves to the next
message, while p takes you back to
the previous one.
+
Marks your message as read and skips to
the next newer message.
then
Tis is one of Gmails Combo keys. Press
and release g, then press i to return to the
inbox fromwherever you are.
Marks a message as spamand removes it
fromyour conversation list.
Press the question-mark key (Shift+/) to
open a list of all the keyboard shortcuts
available in Gmail. Press Esc to go back
to your inbox or click Open in new
window to keep the list on-screen in a
separate window.
BBC iPLAYER
Te BBC uses two
dierent media players
on its iPlayer site. Te player for catch-up
TV supports only basic keystrokes you
can press tab (www.snipca.com/10962) to
move between the dierent controls and
press Enter to use them, but thats about it.
However, the newer player that shows live
TV oers more shortcuts. Click a station in
the TV Channels list on the left, then click
Watch Live. Youll then need to click the
programme playing to focus on the player
rather than the webpage as a whole to
make the following shortcuts work.
Switches the player to full-screen mode.
Press Esc to switch it o again.
Mutes or un-mutes the sound.
Pauses playback press space again to
resume the programme.
Takes you back to the beginning of the
programme currently playing.
-
Press the number keys to skip
forwards through the programme
in increments of 10 per cent,
depending on which number you
press 2 is 20 per cent, 3 is 30
per cent and so on.
GOOGLE MAPS
Google oers a number of handy
shortcuts for Google Maps and
Street View. Te shortcuts belowalso work
in the brand newversion of Google Maps,
which you can try by going to www.
snipca.com/10866 and clicking Try it
now. In all cases youll need to click once
on the map to focus on it.
Use these to move around a map. Te up
arrowmoves north, the down arrow
moves south, right is east and left is west.
or
Use the plus (+) or minus (-) keys to
zoomin or out of a map.
24December 2013 - 7 January 2014
BEST
usekeyboardshortcuts inWindows, but didyouknowyoucanuse usekeyboardshortcuts inWindows but didyouknowyoucanuse
60
Youmayalreadyu
theminyour favou
uu
FORWEBSITES
Select the button next to Keyboard shortcuts
on to enable the full range of shortcuts
Press f to switch the BBCiPlayer to full screen,
then Escape to return to normal

r
n k n o
n. F o o o o o
k o n l n o n .

opo no ko
o p o n
ol o n.
nl l o o on n o
mn o on n.
k o o l o
o o o n p ko n p
n o o n mo.
N ll o l n ol n
p on l n o k
o l m p n k o
opn l l o ol.
nm n l o ol o
l pn pn
nnm n pn n.
+
Opn ll l o o
ll on p o on.
F o lo l n n o
mn n.
L00k.0M
Olook.om n
ko o nl
l o
n p o o pnn
on o ponl pn. o
om ml o oo Ml o
mpl o n mk non o
Olook.om n o
ok on o. lk op
n o) n l Mo ml
n om mn. N lk
o o n lk
on n o p o o o
n o . nll lk .
Opn lnk ml m.
+
F o pl o n ml. Fn
l o o n ml n.
Mk n ml pmn mo o
o Jnk ol.
Mo o o ml
o. p ko n p n
o .
+
Opn o Fopl on) l.
Opn l o ll ko o
ll n ll o l o
o nl. F o o k
o mn n.
YH00ML
oo Ml
n
ko o nl
l. o n kl mn
on pn on o ko.
F o n o mn n.
+ and +
o no lon
oo Ml n n
mo. lk n n ln
n l o o
k o n m
l| und CIrl] respecIlvely.
1oggles Ihe prevlev pune on und o.
then -
WlIh un emull or conversuIlon
hlghllghIed, press und releuse d nrsI,
Ihen press u number key Io send Ihe
hlghllghIed lIem Io u speclnc older.
+
HlghllghI u conversuIlon, press spuce Io
selecI lI, Ihen press ShlIu Io udd Ihe
sender Io your conIucIs llsI.
then
When you`re ln 'ConversuIlon vlev`,
hlghllghI u messuge press Ihe commu key
Io move up und Ihe ullsIop key Io move
dovn Ihe llsI), Ihen press und releuse z
olloved by r Io reply Io Ihe messuge.
+
Sends Ihe emull you ure vrlIlng.
Y0UTU
You cun conIrol
You1ube by uslng
shorIcuIs, buI you need Io move Ihe ocus
Io Ihe vldeo vlndov lIsel, ruIher Ihun Ihe
muln brovser vlndov press Ihe Iub key
vvv.snlpcu.comI962) Ihree Ilmes.
Fress Ihe spuce bur Io puuse pluybuck.
Fress lI uguln Io resume.
+
Revlnds Ihe lusI I seconds o Ihe vldeo.
Fresslng CIrlrlghI urrov usIorvurds lI.
ReIurns you Io Ihe beglnnlng o Ihe vldeo
Ihe End key vlll Iuke you Io Ihe end.
-
Use Ihe number keys ulong Ihe Iop o Ihe
keybourd noI Ihe numerlc pud on Ihe
rlghI) Io sklp Ihrough Ihe vldeo I Iukes
you Io I per cenI o Ihe IoIul pluybuck
Ilme, 2 Iukes you Io 2 per cenI, S Io S
per cenI und so on.





Dut|cck.ccm
|n Yahcc Ma|| press 5h|ft+a tc add the
sender tc ycur ccntacts ||st
Press|ng 5 takes ycu tc 50 per cent cf
the way thrcugh a v|dec
, ,
or
In Street View, these keys can be used to
navigate. Press wto go forwards, s to go
back, a to turn left and d to turn right.
DROPBOX
Dropbox introduced keyboard
shortcuts as part of a recent
overhaul to its web interface. Teyre
enabled by default, so you dont need to
activate themin your account settings.
Takes your cursor directly to the Search
box so you can type a keyword then press
Enter to search without using the mouse.
Navigate all your les and folders using
the up, down, left and right cursor keys
to select them; press the Enter key to
open the selected le or folder.
Rename any le or folder youve
highlighted by pressing F2, typing the
newname, then pressing Enter.
+
Opens a full list of the shortcuts
available on the page youre browsing.
Press Esc to close the list and return to
the main interface.
OUTLOOK.COM
Outlook.coms standard
keyboard shortcuts are enabled
by default, but the service oers
dierent types of shortcuts, depending
on your personal preferences. If youre a
former Gmail or Yahoo Mail user, for
example, you can make the transition to
Outlook.comeasier by using shortcuts
that work on those. Click the top-right
settings (cog) and select More email
settings fromthe menu. Next, click
Keyboard shortcuts, then click the
button next to the type of shortcuts you
want to use. Finally, click Save.
Opens a blank email message.
+
Press this to reply to an email. Pressing
Shift+f lets you forward an email instead.
Marks an email as spamand moves it to
your Junk folder.
Moves the cursor to the Search emails
box. Type a keyword and press Enter
to search.
+
Opens your People (contacts) list.
Opens a list of all the keyboard shortcuts
available and tells you which style of
shortcuts is enabled. Press Esc to go back
to the main interface.
YAHOOMAIL
Yahoo Mails
extensive
keyboard shortcuts are enabled by
default. You can quickly viewthe main
ones by pressing ? on your keyboard.
Press Esc to return to the main interface.
+ and +
Tis shortcut was introduced along
with Yahoo Mails newRecent view
mode. Click Recent in the left-hand
sidebar, then cycle forwards or
backwards through recent items with
Ctrl+[ and Ctrl+] respectively.
Toggles the previewpane on and o.
then -
With an email or conversation
highlighted, press and release d rst,
then press a number key to send the
highlighted itemto a specic folder.
+
Highlight a conversation, press space to
select it, then press Shift+a to add the
sender to your contacts list.
then
When youre in Conversation view,
highlight a message (press the comma key
to move up and the full-stop key to move
down the list), then press and release z
followed by r to reply to the message.
+
Sends the email you are writing.
YOUTUBE
You can control
YouTube by using
shortcuts, but you need to move the focus
to the video windowitself, rather than the
main browser window press the tab key
(www.snipca.com/10962) three times.
Press the space bar to pause playback.
Press it again to resume.
+
Rewinds the last 10 seconds of the video.
Pressing Ctrl+right arrowfast-forwards it.
Returns you to the beginning of the video
the End key will take you to the end.
-
Use the number keys along the top of the
keyboard (not the numeric pad on the
right) to skip through the video 1 takes
you to 10 per cent of the total playback
time, 2 takes you to 20 per cent, 5 to 50
per cent and so on.
61 24December 2013 - 7 January 2014
Best keyboard shortcuts for websites
Press the / key to move your cursor directly
to the Search box
You can use your old Gmail and Yahoo Mail
keyboard shortcuts in Outlook.com
In Yahoo Mail press Shift+a to add the
sender to your contacts list
Pressing 5 takes you to 50 per cent of
the way through a video

hac a Samsung NCI0 IapIop

IhaI runs WindovXP. I`d Iikc
Io upgradc buI I rcaIIy don`I
vanI Windovs 8 or 8.I. Is iI possibIc Io
upgradc Io Windovs 7? If so, vhcrc
do I gcI iI?
rtwr|ght

Yr usg NU ls bIIr
srlb us u Ib bus
lIs r busl slnuIls
llg u II Irssr u
Ul sr u jsI GB r
1uI sul Wlvs 7 sh r lI
vlIhI u rbs Ihgh `
rbub b v uls I gru
r uI`s r
Hvr br s u
vu u r MlrsI`s
Wlvs 7 Ugru lsr u r
vu rvvvsluUS6
I Ihls lluIs IhuI r NU ls slIub
r u gru I Wlvs 7 Ih
u sIl b lI Hvr u
gr b Wlvs 7 rMlrsI
bus lI s`I s lI lrI I
srs u r B lI rIh
ls uz lsIu
lu us `r bI uvur r
NU s`I hu u blIl DVDrl
s ss hu u Iru rl
` I brrvr b I lsIu
Wlvs 7 rls sh rls ur
r hu vuus IruIl
u s u rl`s I ruI u In
rIh Wlvs 7 DVDu Ih s
MlrsI`s r Wlvs 7 UBDVD
vu I I Ir IhuI lI u
bIub UB sIl
CanI upgrade
toWIndovs 7,
not B7

I boughI a IapIop Io usc vhiIc

on hoIiday. II has a S00CB
hard drivc and runs Windovs
8. Tc hard drivc is dividcd inIo C and
D, vhich I knovis common, buI I
don`I undcrsIand vhy Ihc Ddrivc has
morc capaciIy (269CB) Ihan Ihc C drivc
(I86CB), as aII Ics arc by dcfauII scnI
Io Ihc C drivc by Windovs. I`mIIing
up Ihc C drivc vhiIc Ihc Ddrivc is
hardIy uscd. I`d Iikc Io makc Ihc C
drivc Iargcr aI Ihc cxpcnsc of spacc on
Ihc Ddrivc. Is Ihcrc a vay Io do Ihis
viIhouI Iosing my daIa? I do havc
abouI 26CB of sIu on drivc D.
M|chae| Luckett

Dlllg rl su l Ihls
vu ls v us urIlIllg
II`s su I gl Ih s
urIlIl Drl l r us r
su Ihu bus uuIrrs
I I s rl r
Wlvs u Ihlr uluIls u D
rl r rsu uIu Whl lI`s Ir
u rgrus uI I sulg sI
rl l usI u uss lI`s
sslb I hug Ihls I rl D
Y u s Wlvs `s blIl
urIlIllg I I rurIl Ih
su l u vu vuI II`s u us
u su rss bI I b Ih su
sl sh bu r uIu
br bgllg
W` us sggsI urlg rIhlg
rl D 1ls ls`I ssIlu bI u
bu rl vl gl r
lbllI vh lI s I rslzlg Ih
urIlIl s hu 6GB
uIu rl Du I r
su r sI rrl
DlI u Irur r rl
Y u Ihls vlIh l Err
rss Ih Wlvs E I uh
lI 1 sl rug u r r
sI rDI
NI s Wlvs` Dls
MuugI I I I r rslz
Ih rl DurIlIl Ilg lI v
uv I usslg u Ih su I
rl l IhuI`s vhuI vuI
Luh Ih Wlvs DsI l
lIs Il rlghIl l Ih bII
Ihu rr u hs Dls
MuugI rIh
lghIl Ih rl DrIug l
Ih vr u u hs lIhr
DI V r hrl V I
hs I I lI Ih l Ys I
nru Ih su vl b ur
us 'uuI` Ihrvls l b
hvh vlsh I shrl rl D
l gubIs vhr
U4MB qus
glgubI u l
hrl I ruI Ih
uuI su
lu rlghIl
Ih rl rIug
u l EI
V rIh

l NI u
'I Ih uI
su l MB` u uI
Ih ulIh
l NI v
b llsh Drl
vl vu I
n u Ih su r
b shrllg r
Ilg D
HovdoI enlarge myCdrIve7
Management tcc| tc de|ete cr res|ze the
part|t|cns cf ycur hard dr|ve
Run the W|ndcws 7 Upgrade dv|scr tc see |f
ycur P |s su|tab|e fcr M|crcscft's D5
64
ProblemsSolved
PROBLEMOFTHEFORTNIGHT
24December 2013 - 7 January 2014
Q
I have a Samsung NC10 laptop
that runs WindowXP. Id like
to upgrade but I really dont
want Windows 8 or 8.1. Is it possible to
upgrade to Windows 7? If so, where
do I get it?
Alan Cartwright
A
Your Samsung NC10 is better
described as a netbook because
of its very basic specications,
including an Intel Atomprocessor, a
10.1in screen and just 1GB of memory.
Tat said, Windows 7 should run on it
without any problems, though youd
probably be well advised to upgrade
your laptops memory.
However, before you spend any
money download and run Microsofts
Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor a free
download fromwww.snipca.com/10563.
If this indicates that your NC10 is suitable
for an upgrade to Windows 7 then you
can still buy it. However, you can no
longer buy Windows 7 fromMicrosoft
because it doesnt sell it directly to
consumers any more. Buy it fromthe
likes of Amazon instead.
Finally, as youre no doubt aware, your
NC10 doesnt have a built-in DVDdrive,
so unless you have an external drive
youll need to borrowor buy one to install
Windows 7 fromdisc such drives are
very cheap nowadays. Alternatively, you
can use a friends PC to create an ISOle
fromthe Windows 7 DVDand then use
Microsofts free Windows 7 USB/DVD
download tool to turn that into a
bootable USB stick.
CanI upgrade
toWindows 7,
not 8?
Q
I bought a laptop to use while
on holiday. It has a 500GB
hard drive and runs Windows
8. Te hard drive is divided into C and
D, which I knowis common, but I
dont understand why the Ddrive has
more capacity (269GB) than the C drive
(186GB), as all les are by default sent
to the C drive by Windows. Imlling
up the C drive while the Ddrive is
hardly used. Id like to make the C
drive larger at the expense of space on
the Ddrive. Is there a way to do this
without losing my data? I do have
about 26GB of stu on drive D.
Michael Luckett
A
Dividing drive space in this
way is known as partitioning.
Its usual to give the second
partition (Ddrive in your case) more
space than C because manufacturers
expect people to use C drive for
Windows and their applications, and D
drive for personal data. While its true
many programs default to saving stu
on drive C, in almost all cases its
possible to change this to drive D.
You can use Windows 8s built-in
partitioning tool to reapportion the
space in any way you want. Its an easy
and safe process but to be on the safe
side you should back up your data
before beginning.
Wed also suggest clearing everything
o drive D. Tis isnt essential but a
blank drive will give you more
exibility when it comes to resizing the
partition. As you have only 26GB of
data on drive Dand plenty of free
space on C, copy your stu fromdrive
Dinto a temporary folder on drive C.
You can do this with File Explorer
(press the Windows key+E to launch
it). Ten simply drag and drop your
stu fromDto C.
Next, use Windows Disk
Management tool to delete or resize
the drive Dpartition (deleting it would
allowyou to assign all the space to
drive C, if thats what you want).
Launch the Windows Desktop (click
its tile), right-click in the bottom
left-hand corner and choose Disk
Management fromthe pop-up menu.
Right-click the drive Drectangle in
the lower pane and choose either
Delete Volume or Shrink Volume. If you
choose to delete it then click Yes to
conrmand the space will be marked
as unallocated. Otherwise, decide by
howmuch you wish to shrink drive D
in megabytes where
1,024MB equals one
gigabyte and click
Shrink to create the
unallocated space.
Finally, right-click
the drive C rectangle
and click Extend
Volume fromthe
pop-up menu.
Click Next, leave
Select the amount of
space in MB value at
the maximumthen
click Next followed
by Finish. Drive C
will nowexpand to
ll all the space freed
up by shrinking or
deleting D.
HowdoI enlarge myCdrive?
Use Windows Disk Management tool to delete or resize the
partitions of your hard drive
Run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor to see if
your PC is suitable for Microsofts OS

perts so|vea|| our tech prob|ems

a y ba w y h ncprc|mQccmputrctl.cc.uk
Whon' mIdos plonmDVDplayer7
HovdoI dIsable
SkyDrIve In
WIndovs B.i7

o crcaIcd on my PC Io a
VRW disc using Windovs
7. Whcn Iry Io pIay Ihis on my ncv
Sony VpIaycr iI dispIays a mcssagc
IhaI rcads: Tc currcnI vidco formaI is
noI supporIcd by Ihis pIaycr. ov do
ovcrcomc Ihis probIcm?
na|d Lee

l lllll
h I ll h u
DD l l lncmll
lh DDlc buI us lI`s u brund
nevpluyer Ihls seems very unllkely.
You cun IesI Ihls Iheory, hovever, by
burnlng your vldeo Io u DVDR
vrlIeonce) dlsc lnsIeud.
Much more llkely ls IhuI you slmply
burned u vldeo nle onIo Ihe dlsc und
expecIed Ihe DVDpluyer Io knovvhuI
Io do vlIh lI. Whlle muny modern DVD
pluyers cun lndeed hundle ruvvldeo
nles, u vldeo nle IhuI u compuIer cun
undersIund und pluy ls noI Ihe sume us
u DVDmovle dlsc pluyed by domesIlc
DVDpluyers. Ruvnles
requlre 'uuIhorlng` uslng
sulIuble soIvure.
ForIunuIely, Wlndovs 7
comes vlIh soIvure
Wlndovs DVDMuker
IhuI solves Ihls problem.
Flnd lI by cllcklng SIurI,
Ihen ll Frogrums.
1ere`s loIs you cun do
Io muke your DVDmovle
dlsc look lnIeresIlng buI
here`s Ihe buslc process:
drug und drop your vldeo
nle lnIo Ihe progrum
vlndov, cllck NexI, use
Ihe 'Menu IexI` und
'CusIomlze menu`
buIIons ubove Io upply u
DVDmenu opIlonul) und
vhen you`re reudy, cllck Burn. 1e
resulIlng dlsc should pluy ln uny
domesIlc DVDpluyer.

havc updaIcd Io Windovs 8.I

and rcgrcI iI. I docsn`I sccm
much dicrcnI from Windovs 8
and vhcrc `vc noIiccd a dicrcncc
don`I Iikc Ihc changc. Tcrc`s onc ncv
aspccI don`I Iikc aI aII. I savcs Ics Io
Skyrivc by dcfauII. ov can sIop Ihis?
havc noIhing againsI Ihc cIoud buI
prcfcr ropbox and aIso prcfcr Io dccidc
for myscIf vhcrc Io puI Ics.
! R|chard 1odd

UnorIunuIely Ihere`s no slmple

vuy Io dlsuble SkyDrlve
MlcrosoI novconslders lI un
lnIegrul purI o lIs operuIlng sysIem.
Hovever, l you huve Ihe Fro edlIlon o
Wlndovs S.I Ihen you cun use Ihe Group
Follcy EdlIor Io prevenI SkyDrlve`s use,
vhlch umounIs Io Ihe sume Ihlng. II vus
Wlndovs S Fro IhuI vus dlscounIed
vhen Ihe OS luunched lusI yeur, so lI`s
llkely IhuI you boughI Ihls verslon.
1o luunch Group Follcy EdlIor, press
Ihe Wlndovs keyR, Iype gpedlI.msc ln
Ihe Run box und press EnIer. NexI,
nuvlguIe Ihrough Ihe Locul CompuIer
Follcy pune on Ihe leIhund slde vlu
CompuIer ConnguruIlon, dmlnlsIruIlve
1empluIes und Wlndovs ComponenIs Io
SkyDrlve. Cllck Ihe 'FrevenI Ihe usuge
o SkyDrlve or nle sIoruge` enIry Ihen
cllck Ihe 'EdlI pollcy seIIlngs` llnk on
Ihe leI. SelecI Ihe Enubled rudlo buIIon,
Ihen cllck OK. ResIurI Wlndovs. 1o
reenuble SkyDrlve luIer repeuI Ihese
sIeps, selecIlng Ihe Dlsubled rudlo
buIIon lnsIeud.
I you don`I huve Wlndovs S.I Fro Ihen
you`ll need Io muke chunges ln Ihe
ReglsIry. You should buck up beore
proceedlng und do so uI your ovn rlsk).
Fress Ihe Wlndovs keyR Ihen Iype
regedlI und press EnIer. I u User ccounI
ConIrol dlulog box uppeurs, cllck Yes.
Novuse Ihe leIhund pune Io NuvlguIe:
HKFYIOCAIMACHINFSOFTWARF
PIicicsMicrsftWindsSkDric.
I Ihe SkyDrlve key doesn`I exlsI
here, rlghIcllck Ihe Wlndovs key,
cllck NevIhen Key und nume lI
'SkyDrlve`. NovrlghIcllck on Ihe
SkyDrlve key und choose Nev
olloved by 'DWORD82blI) Vulue`
und nume lI 'DlsubleFlleSync`. Flnully,
doublecllck DlsubleFlleSync und seI
lIs vulue Io I. ResIurI Wlndovs. 1o
reenuble SkyDrlve luIer, repeuI Ihese
sIeps buI seI Dlsuble FlleSync Io U, or
deleIe Ihe SkyDrlve key.
Cv y v c wh Ww DD Maker tc
p|ay themcn any DVD p|ayer
Use the Crcup Pc||cy d|tcr |n W|ndcws 8.1
Prc tc prevent sav|ng tc 5kyDr|ve by defau|t
24cmr 20 nur 204 65
Our experts solveall your tech problems
Email us your problemand well try to help: noproblem@computeractive.co.uk
Whywont myvideos playonmyDVDplayer?
HowdoI disable
SkyDrive in
Windows 8.1?
Q
I have recently burned a
video created on my PC to a
DVD-RWdisc using Windows
7. When I try to play this on my new
Sony DVDplayer it displays a message
that reads: Te current video format is
not supported by this player. Howdo I
overcome this problem?
Ronald Lee
A
Tere are several possibilities
here. Its possible that your
DVDplayer is incompatible
with DVD-RWdiscs but as its a brand
newplayer this seems very unlikely.
You can test this theory, however, by
burning your video to a DVD-R
(write-once) disc instead.
Much more likely is that you simply
burned a video le onto the disc and
expected the DVDplayer to knowwhat
to do with it. While many modern DVD
players can indeed handle rawvideo
les, a video le that a computer can
understand and play is not the same as
a DVDmovie disc played by domestic
DVDplayers. Rawles
require authoring using
suitable software.
Fortunately, Windows 7
comes with software
Windows DVDMaker
that solves this problem.
Find it by clicking Start,
then All Programs.
Teres lots you can do
to make your DVDmovie
disc look interesting but
heres the basic process:
drag and drop your video
le into the program
window, click Next, use
the Menu text and
Customize menu
buttons above to apply a
DVDmenu (optional) and
when youre ready, click Burn. Te
resulting disc should play in any
domestic DVDplayer.
Q
I have updated to Windows 8.1
and I regret it. It doesnt seem
much dierent fromWindows 8
and where Ive noticed a dierence I
dont like the change. Teres one new
aspect I dont like at all. It saves les to
SkyDrive by default. Howcan I stop this?
I have nothing against the cloud but I
prefer Dropbox and I also prefer to decide
for myself where to put les.
J Richard Todd
A
Unfortunately theres no simple
way to disable SkyDrive
Microsoft nowconsiders it an
integral part of its operating system.
However, if you have the Pro edition of
Windows 8.1 then you can use the Group
Policy Editor to prevent SkyDrives use,
which amounts to the same thing. It was
Windows 8 Pro that was discounted
when the OS launched last year, so its
likely that you bought this version.
To launch Group Policy Editor, press
the Windows key+R, type gpedit.msc in
the Run box and press Enter. Next,
navigate through the Local Computer
Policy pane on the left-hand side via
Computer Conguration, Administrative
Templates and Windows Components to
SkyDrive. Click the Prevent the usage
of SkyDrive for le storage entry then
click the Edit policy settings link on
the left. Select the Enabled radio button,
then click OK. Restart Windows. To
re-enable SkyDrive later repeat these
steps, selecting the Disabled radio
button instead.
If you dont have Windows 8.1 Pro then
youll need to make changes in the
Registry. You should back up before
proceeding (and do so at your own risk).
Press the Windows key+R then type
regedit and press Enter. If a User Account
Control dialog box appears, click Yes.
Nowuse the left-hand pane to Navigate:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\
Policies\Microsoft\Windows\SkyDrive.
If the SkyDrive key doesnt exist
here, right-click the Windows key,
click Newthen Key and name it
SkyDrive. Nowright-click on the
SkyDrive key and choose New
followed by DWORD(32-bit) Value
and name it DisableFileSync. Finally,
double-click DisableFileSync and set
its value to 1. Restart Windows. To
re-enable SkyDrive later, repeat these
steps but set Disable FileSync to 0, or
delete the SkyDrive key.
Convert your video-file discs with Windows DVD Maker to
play themon any DVD player
Use the Group Policy Editor in Windows 8.1
Pro to prevent saving to SkyDrive by default
24December 2013 - 7 January 2014
Poolems Solved

M|crcscft bug that resu|ts |n
the appearance cf a fa|nt watermark message cn the screen
cwn|cad the Prcgram|nsta|| and
Un|nsta|| trcub|eshccter tc re|nsta|| |

v S782Z
IapIop. OriginaIIy vhcn
Ihc Caps Lock kcy vas
prcsscd a mcssagc vouId appcar in
Ihc boIIomrighI of Ihc scrccn,
sIaIing `Caps ono`. Tis mcssagc
has novccascd Io shov, vhich
makcs Ihings dimcuII vhcn
cnIcring passvords viIh boIh
uppcr and Iovcrcasc IcIIcrs. Any
idcas on hovIo gcI Ihis mcssagc
back? Or is Ihcrc somc oIhcr
indicaIor I couId usc?

lupIop doesn`I huve un

lndlcuIor llghI on Ihe ups Lock
buIIon, us some do, vhlch ls vhy
lI hus u popup messuge lnsIeud. 1ls ls
drlven by u uIlllIy lncluded vlIh Ihe
lupIop, culled cer Luunch Munuger. 1ere
lsn`I u speclnc conIrol or lI, so us Ihe
messuge hus sIopped vorklng ve`d
suggesI relnsIulllng Luunch Munuger you
cun dovnloud lI ree romcer`s supporI
vebslIe uI vvv.snlpcu.comIUSSU cllck
Ihe ppllcuIlons heudlng Io nnd lI).
I Ihls doesn`I nx Ihe problem, use
Wlndovs` uccesslblllIy opIlons Io heur
vhen Ihe ups Lock key ls pressed. In
Wlndovs 7, cllck SIurI olloved by
onIrol Funel, Ihen cllck 'Euse o ccess`
olloved by 'hunge hov your keybourd
vorks`. 1lck Ihe '1urn on 1oggle Keys`
box und cllck OK.
r' ypp' p
IIr Ippr

I havc an HP
PaviIion C6
IapIop IhaI
originaIIy camc viIh
Windov8 insIaIIcd,
vhich I`vc nov
updaIcd Io 8.I.
Hovcvcr, sincc doing
so, a vcry fainI mcssagc
appcars on Ihc boIIom
righI of Ihc DcskIop,
vhich rcads: Windovs
8.I SccurcBooI isn`I
congurcd corrccIIy.
BuiId 9600. ShouId I
bc conccrncd by Ihis
mcssagc? If so, vhaI acIion shouId I Iakc?
b|e

1ls ls u bug, und one IhuI hus

generuIed u loI o emulls Io Ihe
Froblems Solved lnbox. 1ere ls
noIhlng Io vorry ubouI becuuse MlcrosoI
hus ucknovledged Ihe problem und
lssued u ree securlIy puIch vhlch you cun
dovnloud rom vvv.snlpcu.comIUS44.
Once Ihe nle hus dovnlouded, double
cllck Io luunch Ihe puIch und ollov Ihe
prompIs. ResIurI your F und Ihe messuge
shouldn`I uppeur uguln. For Ihe benenI o
oIher reuders vho usked ve cun reussure
you IhuI no dumuge hus been cuused by
Ihls messuge lI`s slmply un elecIronlc
vuIermurk IhuI MlcrosoI`s progrummers
orgoI Io remove. 1e sume nx ulso vorks
or Wlndovs Server 2UI2 edlIlon.
yI' Iv B ur
urrry

Somc Iimc ago I dcIcIcd

InIcrncI ExpIorcr (IE) and
dccidcd Io usc Chromc.
RcccnIIy, I vanIcd Io Iry IE again and
Iricd Io insIaII iI, buI I vas mcI viIh
an crror mcssagc IhaI said iI vas
aIrcady insIaIIcd, and Ihus iI vouId
noI procccd. I havc Iricd Io nd IE on
my IapIop, buI iI docsn`I sccm Io bc
Ihcrc. Hovcan I x Ihis?
5tephen Robertson

We Ihlnk your prevlous

uIIempI Io unlnsIull IE ulled
Io compleIe properly so,
even Ihough Ihe progrum`s nles und
olders huve been removed rom your
F, us ur us Ihe Wlndovs ReglsIry ls
concerned, IE remulns lnsIulled.
MlcrosoI nxed Ihls vlu Ihe Frogrum
InsIull und UnlnsIull IroubleshooIer.
Dovnloud lI or ree romvvv.
snlpcu.comIUSS8 Ihen cllck Ihe Run
Nov buIIon und luunch lI by double
cllcklng Ihe dovnlouded nle. II oers
Ihe opIlon Io nx problems
uuIomuIlcully or munuully choose
Ihe luIIer 'DeIecI problems und leI me
selecI Ihe nxes Io upply`). Nov cllck
InsIulllng und Ihe Frogrum InsIull und
UnlnsIull IroubleshooIer vlll scun
your F or problems. SelecI InIerneI
Explorer rom Ihe llsI olloved by 'Yes,
Iry unlnsIull`. Reud Ihe dlugnosls puge
Io see vhuI Ihe IroubleshooIer Ihlnks
ls vrong und Ihen ollov lIs udvlce
Iyplcully you`ll Ilck boxes or
unlnsIulled elemenIs und Ihen cllck
NexI Io remove Ihem once und or ull.
When nnlshed, relnsIull IE.
y'
I r
xprr
Ycu can set W|ndcws 7 tc make a nc|se when the aps
Lcck key's been pressed |n the 'ase cf ccess enter'
Problems Solved
66 24December 2013 - 7 January 2014
You can download a fix for a Microsoft bug that results in
the appearance of a faint watermark message on the screen
Download the ProgramInstall and
Uninstall troubleshooter to reinstall IE
Q
I have an Acer Aspire 5732Z
laptop. Originally when
the Caps Lock key was
pressed a message would appear in
the bottom-right of the screen,
stating Caps on/o. Tis message
has nowceased to show, which
makes things dicult when
entering passwords with both
upper- and lower-case letters. Any
ideas on howto get this message
back? Or is there some other
indicator I could use?
Alan Butcher
A
Your laptop doesnt have an
indicator light on the Caps Lock
button, as some do, which is why
it has a pop-up message instead. Tis is
driven by a utility included with the
laptop, called Acer Launch Manager. Tere
isnt a specic control for it, so as the
message has stopped working wed
suggest reinstalling Launch Manager you
can download it free fromAcers support
website at www.snipca.com/10550 (click
the Applications heading to nd it).
If this doesnt x the problem, use
Windows accessibility options to hear
when the Caps Lock key is pressed. In
Windows 7, click Start followed by
Control Panel, then click Ease of Access
followed by Change howyour keyboard
works. Tick the Turn on Toggle Keys
box and click OK.
Wheres mylaptops Caps Lock
indicator disappearedto?
Q
I have an HP
Pavilion G6
laptop that
originally came with
Window8 installed,
which Ive now
updated to 8.1.
However, since doing
so, a very faint message
appears on the bottom
right of the Desktop,
which reads: Windows
8.1 SecureBoot isnt
congured correctly.
Build 9600. Should I
be concerned by this
message? If so, what action should I take?
Gordon Crosbie
A
Tis is a bug, and one that has
generated a lot of emails to the
Problems Solved inbox. Tere is
nothing to worry about because Microsoft
has acknowledged the problemand
issued a free security patch which you can
download fromwww.snipca.com/10544.
Once the le has downloaded, double-
click to launch the patch and followthe
prompts. Restart your PC and the message
shouldnt appear again. For the benet of
other readers who asked we can reassure
you that no damage has been caused by
this message its simply an electronic
watermark that Microsofts programmers
forgot to remove. Te same x also works
for Windows Server 2012 edition.
Whyisnt Windows 8.1 SecureBoot
confguredcorrectly?
Q
Some time ago I deleted
Internet Explorer (IE) and
decided to use Chrome.
Recently, I wanted to try IE again and
tried to install it, but I was met with
an error message that said it was
already installed, and thus it would
not proceed. I have tried to nd IE on
my laptop, but it doesnt seemto be
there. Howcan I x this?
Stephen Robertson
A
We think your previous
attempt to uninstall IE failed
to complete properly so,
even though the programs les and
folders have been removed fromyour
PC, as far as the Windows Registry is
concerned, IE remains installed.
Microsoft xed this via the Program
Install and Uninstall troubleshooter.
Download it for free fromwww.
snipca.com/10553 then click the Run
Nowbutton and launch it by double-
clicking the downloaded le. It oers
the option to x problems
automatically or manually choose
the latter (Detect problems and let me
select the xes to apply). Nowclick
Installing and the ProgramInstall and
Uninstall troubleshooter will scan
your PC for problems. Select Internet
Explorer fromthe list followed by Yes,
try uninstall. Read the diagnosis page
to see what the troubleshooter thinks
is wrong and then followits advice
typically youll tick boxes for
uninstalled elements and then click
Next to remove themonce and for all.
When nished, reinstall IE.
Whycant I
install Internet
Explorer?
You can set Windows 7 to make a noise when the Caps
Lock keys been pressed in the Ease of Access Center

Restcre spreadsheet |ccns |n Dff|ce 2010 by us|ng M|crcscft Dff|ce C||ent V|rtua||zat|cn Hand|er

fc and busincss sccm o

rcvoIvc around a highspccd
brcopic broadband scrvicc.
I`II bc moving shorIy o a ruraI idyII
vhcrc hc broadband scrvicc varics
from sIovo dcad sIov. If moncy vcrc
no objcc couId I gc an ISP o providc a
commcrciaI sacIIicbroadband scrvicc
o a IocaI communiy buiIding and hcn
scII o hc avaiIabIc bandvidh o
rcsidcns in hc viIIagc? ObviousIy, I
vouId nccd o dig rcnchcs and Iay in
brcopic cabIcs. Or is hcrc a morc
pracicaI soIuion?

We ee u dee
eue
u cued nbe
c ece ecee
Hee, e deu u budbud
ece u u uee d e
ee be
cu cued 1u
uc, eue, e
Mb ueebudbud ece
e , ube u
G dud cu F e
, cd b u Ge
cu u cde ed
e e Hee, ud eed
ue e Mb
1ee ue euc nbec eed
b ue u ceu ue u
u budbud Y d u be
uue uec, c e e
ue ee u ue
beee e ud e uee
1 cu be u u ecd, c
de d c b uec
cu be u e e u e
ue, eue I e u
be uce c u de
eu ud dud
N e e eed b
eed u uee d bed e de
e Y cu u e,
u e 1u eceded
db d e b
doI get !ast
broadbandout In
the stIcks7

I`m coming o hc cnd of my

Microsof Omcc 20I0 Homc &
Sudcn Iiccncc and vas Iooking
for an aIcrnaivc omcc suic. I dccidcd o
ry Opcn Omcc (vvv.opcnomcc.org),
so I insaIIcd i. Hovcvcr, afcr I`d donc
his a numbcr of my sprcadshcc icons
changcd and I couIdn` Ioad hcm by
doubIccIicking hc Ics. SrangcIy, hcy
can bc Ioadcd via FiIcOpcn. Word
coninucs o vork as i aIvays did, vih
no icon changcs. Wha`s happcncd?

Wu ueed u due
Oce u cued u b
1u, Mc u
dened Y uu Oe
Oce u bud u
d be
1ee ue u ce be
F, e Wd Ee WE
ud uue e ueced ne
Ne, cc, eec Oe e
eec Mc Oce Ce Vuu
Hude d ee e cec
ne ucu ud c
I d ee e
d ce Mc cu
Vuu DDE Luce eud
I u n e bee
Mc eced Oce
eu Cc Su ed
b C Fue, e cc Uu u
u de e Fu eud
Sc e u nd
ud eec e Mc Oce
He & SIdenI enIry und cllck Ihe
Chunge bIIon uboe. FolloIhe prompIs
selecIlng Ihe Repulr opIlon, muklng sre
yo don`I selecI 'Remoe ull Omce ser
seIIlngs reluIed Io Ihls prodcI` opIlon.
ResIurI yor FC l prompIed.
What's happened
tomyDmce Icons7
Ccmpan|es such as 7ccway prcv|de sate|||te brcadband serv|ces tc rura| ccmmun|t|es
67 24December 2013 - 7 January 2014
Restore spreadsheet icons in Office 2010 by using Microsoft Office Client Virtualization Handler
Q
My life and business seem to
revolve around a high-speed
bre-optic broadband service.
Ill be moving shortly to a rural idyll
where the broadband service varies
from slow to dead slow. If money were
no object could I get an ISP to provide a
commercial satellite-broadband service
to a local community building and then
sell o the available bandwidth to
residents in the village? Obviously, I
would need to dig trenches and lay in
bre-optic cables. Or is there a more
practical solution?
Neil Morley
A
We sense that your desire to
furnish your fellowvillagers
with a cottage-industry bre-
optic service is tongue-in-cheek.
However, the idea of rural broadband
service via a satellite dish is no joke it
is entirely possible.
A company called Tooway (www.
tooway.co.uk), for example, oers
20Mbps satellite-broadband services
from29.99 per month, albeit with a
10GB download cap. For 74.99 per
month, you could buy a 50GB-per-
month cap that includes unlimited
overnight use. However, upload speeds
are slower just 6Mbps.
Tese arent exactly bre-optic speeds
but are almost certainly faster than
rural broadband. You should also be
aware of latency, which is the time it
takes for internet signals to travel
between your home and the satellite.
Tis can be up to half a second, which
doesnt sound much but poor latency
can be a killer when playing online
games, for example. Its less of a
problemfor activities such as video
streaming and downloads.
No phone line is required but youll
need a satellite dish bolted to the side of
your house. You can install this yourself,
or pay one of Tooways recommended
distributors to do the job for you.
HowdoI get fast
broadbandout in
the sticks?
Q
Im coming to the end of my
Microsoft Oce 2010 Home &
Student licence and was looking
for an alternative oce suite. I decided to
try Open Oce (www.openoce.org),
so I installed it. However, after Id done
this a number of my spreadsheet icons
changed and I couldnt load them by
double-clicking the les. Strangely, they
can be loaded via File/Open. Word
continues to work as it always did, with
no icon changes. Whats happened?
Terry Gilmour
A
Whats happened is an update
to Oce that contained a bug.
Tankfully, Microsoft has
identied it. Your installation of Open
Oce was just bad timing it has
nothing to do with this problem.
Tere are a couple of possible solutions.
First, open Windows Explorer (Win+E)
and navigate to one of your aected les.
Next, right-click, select Open with then
select Microsoft Oce Client Virtualization
Handler this should restore the correct
le association (and thus your icons).
If you dont see this option then you
should choose Microsoft Application
Virtualization DDE Launcher instead.
If this fails to x the problemthen
Microsoft recommends using Oce
2010s repair option. Click Start followed
by Control Panel, then click Uninstall a
program under the Programs heading.
Scroll through the programlist to nd
and select the Microsoft Oce 2010
Home &Student entry and click the
Change button above. Followthe prompts
selecting the Repair option, making sure
you dont select Remove all Oce user
settings related to this product option.
Restart your PC if prompted.
Whats happened
tomyOfce icons?
Companies such as Tooway provide satellite broadband services to rural communities
Poolems Solved

VD Dr|ve by ccnnect|ng |t tc a
d|fferent 57 ccnnectcr cn ycur mctherbcard

I insIaIIcd Windovs 8
IasI ycar and iI ran nc viIh
my LC DVDdrivc (modcI
numbcr CSA HSSN). Tis vcck, I had
Io rcinsIaII Windovs and did a `cIcan`
insIaII, formaIIing Ihc hard drivc
(drivc C). Tis sccmcd Io vork. Tc
ncxI day I found IhaI Ihc DVDdrivc
vas no Iongcr shovn in Dcvicc
Managcr and noIhing happcns if I
inscrI a disc. Scarching Ihc vcb I sav
IhaI Ihis has bccn a probIcmviIh
Windovs 8 cIcan insIaIIs (and on
prcvious vcrsions of Windovs)
buI I can`I nd an obvious vay Io
rcmcdy Ihc probIcm.
If I povcr on and booI fromdrivc C
viIh Ihc Windovs 8 disc in Ihc DVD
drivc Ihcn iI shovs Ihc DVDdrivc Io
bc prcscnI. II`s sIiII Ihcrc vhcn I
sviIch froman adminisIraIor Io
sIandard uscr accounI, buI oncc I
povcr o and rcsIarI iI`s IosI again.
My originaI updaIc vas fromWindovs
XP Scrvicc Pack 8, vhich I sIiII havc on
anoIhcr parIiIion.
|ckyJ0J, Computeract|ve Porums

I hu Ihls su probl
h I nrsI lsIull
Wlos . IlIlully I
sol Ihls by lul u booIubl lsc
l Ih Vrl. or uIr
uskl uboI Ih probllshr I
lscor IhuI
Ih solIlo
us Io pl Ih
Vrl lIo
u lrI spur
cocIor
o Ih
oIhrbour.
My copIr
hus ork
n l Ihls
ss) u hus srl u pru
hll sIlll rcolsl Ih V.
o lI ork or u ls
slpl Io o u Ihror
orIh u Iry.
nt|mony , Computeract|ve Porums
Where's myDVDdrIve gone7

Rece|ve phctcs v|a We7ransfer cver 5afar| by ccmpress|ng phctc f||es |n |Z|p

I rcccnIIy rcIurncd from

hoIiday and vanIcd Io scnd
somc of my phoIos of Ihc
Irip Io my daughIcrs. I did Ihis viIh
WcTransfcr (vvv.vcIransfcr.com)
and aIIhough Ihcy boIh rcccivcd my
mcssagc, Ihcy vcrc boIh IoId by Safari
IhaI Ihcy couIdn`I dovnIoad Ihc imagcs
Io Ihcir iPads. Is Ihcrc any vay IhaI
WcTransfcr and Safari can bc
madc compaIibIc?
!ames Matheson

No lI ls`I posslbl Io l
nls sI lu Wrusr Io
u lFu sl uurl. ls ls
bcus llk Wlos u rol
ppl lO os`I prol u nl sysI
IhuI cu b lrcIly uccss u
ulpluI by srs.
or Ihr ls u uy Io uchl huI
yo uI. Wh yo Irusr lIlpl
phoIos sl Wrusr lI uIouIlcully
corIs IhlIo u coprss zlp)
nl. Yor uhIrs cu Ih lsIull u
upp o Ihlr lFu IhuI lll lI Ih
op u lIh lus coIul
lIhl Ih zlp nls.
FlrsI Ill yor uhIrs Io olou
u lsIull Ih r Iool lZlp
.slpcu.coIU68). NxI s
Ihso o yor zlpp phoIos lu
Wrusr. Yo cu u Ihs o uI u
Il lu Ih Wrusr lIruc u lI
Ih bslI zlp Ihp. lIruIlly
zlp p u buIch yorsl. o o Ihls l
Wlos rlhIcllck u slcIlo o
nls l Wlos Explorr Ih cllck
o ollo by 'oprss
zlpp) Folr`).
Wh Ihy rcl yor ull lu
Wrusr Ihy shol Iup Ih
olou bIIo. ls lll op
uurl us bor bI Ihls Il Ihy`ll b
or Ih opIlo Io 'Op l lZlp`.
y shol slcI IhuI opIlo. lZlp
upp lll luch u or Io xIrucI
Ih lu nls coIul l Ih zlp
Ihy shol Ih Iup OK.
y cu olIh phoIos by
Iuppl Ih lllul nl us. I
Ihy uI Io su o or or Io Ihlr
o lFu phoIo ulbs Ihy shol
Iup Io slcI Ih lus u Ih Iup Ih
u bIIo o Ih boIIoIoolbur.
Whycan't mydaughters dovnloadmyphotos7
Ih
r.
Problems Solved
68 24December 2013 - 7 January 2014
Restore your DVD Drive by connecting it to a
different SATA connector on your motherboard
Q
I installed Windows 8
last year and it ran ne with
my LG DVDdrive (model
number GSA H55N). Tis week, I had
to reinstall Windows and did a clean
install, formatting the hard drive
(drive C). Tis seemed to work. Te
next day I found that the DVDdrive
was no longer shown in Device
Manager and nothing happens if I
insert a disc. Searching the web I saw
that this has been a problemwith
Windows 8 clean installs (and on
previous versions of Windows)
but I cant nd an obvious way to
remedy the problem.
If I power on and boot fromdrive C
with the Windows 8 disc in the DVD
drive then it shows the DVDdrive to
be present. Its still there when I
switch froman administrator to
standard user account, but once I
power o and restart its lost again.
My original update was fromWindows
XP Service Pack 3, which I still have on
another partition.
Ricky101, Computeractive Forums
A
I had this same problem
when I rst installed
Windows 8. Initially, I
solved this by leaving a bootable disc
in the DVDdrive. However, after
asking about the problemelsewhere I
discovered that
the solution
was to plug the
DVDdrive into
a dierent spare
SATA connector
on the
motherboard.
My computer
has worked
ne (in this
sense) and has survived an upgrade
while still recognising the DVD.
So, it worked for me and is
simple to do and therefore
worth a try.
Antimony , Computeractive Forums
Wheres myDVDdrive gone?
READERTOTHERESCUE
Receive photos via WeTransfer over Safari by compressing photo files in iZip
Q
I recently returned from
holiday and wanted to send
some of my photos of the
trip to my daughters. I did this with
WeTransfer (www.wetransfer.com)
and although they both received my
message, they were both told by Safari
that they couldnt download the images
to their iPads. Is there any way that
WeTransfer and Safari can be
made compatible?
James Matheson
A
No, it isnt possible to view
les sent via WeTransfer to
an iPad using Safari. Tis is
because unlike Windows and Android
Apple iOS doesnt provide a le system
that can be directly accessed and
manipulated by users.
However, there is a way to achieve what
you want. When you transfer multiple
photos using WeTransfer, it automatically
converts theminto a compressed (zip)
le. Your daughters can then install an
app on their iPad that will let them
open and viewthe images contained
within the zip les.
First, tell your daughters to download
and install the free tool iZip
(www.snipca.com/10683). Next, send
themsome of your zipped photos via
WeTransfer. You can add these one at a
time via the WeTransfer interface and let
the website zip themup. Alternatively,
zip up a batch yourself. To do this in
Windows, right-click a selection of
les in Windows Explorer, then click
Send To, followed by Compressed
(zipped) Folder).
When they receive your email via
WeTransfer, they should tap the
Download button. Tis will open
Safari as before, but this time theyll be
oered the option to Open in iZip.
Tey should select that option. Te iZip
app will launch and oer to extract
the image les contained in the zip
they should then tap OK.
Tey can nowviewthe photos by
tapping the individual le names. If
they want to save one or more to their
own iPad photo albums, they should
tap to select the images and then tap the
Save button on the bottomtoolbar.
Whycant mydaughters downloadmyphotos?
the
r.

cst les jc.Wnucs 8.1
h error messages andstop|t fromcrash|ng

F|x t 'W|news xerr

s ste wer|n' rrer
lnos Explo ls nmnl p
o yo F ls yo l mng n
yo y o nlglng yo omps
sog. ly h lnos xplo
hs sopp oklng o ls ommon
oss ll slons o h oplng
sysm. n s y nm o
ln nlylng polms mklng
l ll o . o h
nm o hlngs yo n y. lss
n oh ml n on o
lm. n ls sn o yo F o
mk s yo on h n lnlon.
onlo n n Mlys nl
Ml F .snlp.omIU)
o son oplnlon.
Ct t tst r|s r|vrs
O ls n lso h
sllly o lnos Explo so opn
l Mng ln lnos ls
o F y llklng lghllklng
omp n sllng Mng hn
llklng l Mng. n lnos
lghllk ln h y oom lhn
on o h sk n sl l
Mng om h mn. llk lsply
ps hn lghllk h l
lls ln hls goy n sl
p l o ollo y
h omllly o p
l so.
lnos osn n n p
h o .snlp.omIU nl)
.snlp.omIU Nll) o
.snlp.omIU M) o
onlo h ls ls mnlly.
n eur emutr fer
m|ss|n er errut sstms
lnos Explo n sop oklng l
yo Fs sysmls h somho
om mg llln ool
ll lnos so Folon
n hk n x hls. Fss h
lnos ky yp m hn lghllk
h m o ommn Fomp lon
h pps n sl n s
mlnlso. n lnos F mk
s yo logg ln s n mlnlso
hn llk ll Fogms ssols
n sl ommn Fomp. n ll
ss yp snno h pomp
n pss En on yo kyo.
poss n k hll. mg
o mlsslng ls lll omllly
pl l nssy. F ss my
sk o lns hl olglnl
lnslllon .
C eur sstmmmer
Fly mmoy n s lnos
Explo o sh. n lnos
o ls pss h lnos ky hn
yp msh hn pss En on
yo kyo o lnh h Mmoy
lgnosl ool. n h lnoh
opns llk s non hk o
polms ommn). o F
lll oo n h Mmoy lgnosl
ool lll n. ny polms lll
po on lnos hs s.
ny on yo my n o y
nmmoy mols o yo F.
lnos F osn om lh h
Mmoy lgnosl ool F ss n
onlo llly ll Mms
.mms.om) lns.
Rster eur PC te
wer|n stt
ysmso n n yo F
o lm o lnos Explo
s shlng. n lnos o ls
llk lghllk omp n
sl Fopls. n lnos lgh
llk ln h oom lhn on
o h sn n sl ysm. n ll
ss llk ysm polon ln h
lnoh opns ollo y ysm
so hn sl so poln n
olloh sps o yo F o
plos s.
F ss n g o ysmso y
llklng hn ll Fogms hn
ssols hn ysmools.
lnos ss n lso pl
hl nl lnos lnslllon. Fss
h lnos ky llk hng F
slngs hn llk p n oy
ollo y oy hn llk h
s on n sh yo F
lho lng yo ls. oll n
o lnsll som pogms s
lls o pplllons lll l
on yo skop.
utat apc v ca cau xp
pb upat tva Dvc aa
xp p ca ca yu w
taat aa yt
Cc yu C auty y u
w but y Datc t
69
Fast Fixes
Next issue Fast Fixes forWindows 8.1 24December 2013 - 7 January 2014
Banish error messages andstopit fromcrashing
WindowsExplorer
Fix the Windows explorer
has stopped working error
Windows Explorer is a fundamental part
of your PC its your le manager and
your way of navigating your computers
storage. Sadly, the Windows explorer
has stopped working error is common
across all versions of the operating
system. It can be caused by a number of
dierent underlying problems, making
it dicult to cure. However, there are a
number of things you can try. Viruses
and other malware can often be to
blame. Run a virus scan of your PC to
make sure you dont have an infection.
Download and run Malwarebytes Anti-
Malware Free (www.snipca.com/10826)
for a second opinion.
Get the latest graphics drivers
Outdated drivers can also aect the
stability of Windows Explorer, so open
Device Manager in Windows 7, Vista
or XP by clicking Start, right-clicking
Computer and selecting Manage, then
clicking Device Manager. In Windows 8,
right-click in the very bottom, left-hand
corner of the taskbar and select Device
Manager fromthe menu. Click Display
adapters then right-click the device
listed in this category and select
Update Driver Software followed by
Search automatically for updated
driver software.
If Windows doesnt nd an update,
head to www.snipca.com/10772 (Intel),
www.snipca.com/10773 (Nvidia) or
www.snipca.com/10774 (AMD) to
download the latest drivers manually.
Scan your computer for
missing or corrupt systemles
Windows Explorer can stop working if
your PCs systemles have somehow
become damaged, but a built-in tool
called Windows Resource Protection
can check and x this. Press the
Windows key, type cmd then right-click
the cmd or Command Prompt icon
that appears and select Run as
administrator. In Windows XP, make
sure youre logged in as an administrator,
then click Start, All Programs, Accessories
and select Command Prompt. In all
cases, type Sfc /scannowat the prompt
and press Enter on your keyboard. Te
process can take a while. Damaged
or missing les will automatically be
replaced if necessary. XP users may
be asked to insert their original
installation CD.
Check your systemmemory
Faulty memory can cause Windows
Explorer to crash. In Windows 7, 8
or Vista press the Windows key, then
type mdsched, then press Enter on
your keyboard to launch the Memory
Diagnostic tool. In the windowthat
opens, click Restart nowand check for
problems (recommended). Your PC
will reboot and the Memory Diagnostic
tool will run. Any problems will be
reported once Windows has restarted.
If any are found, you may need to buy
newmemory modules for your PC.
Windows XP doesnt come with the
Memory Diagnostic tool, but XP users can
download a free utility called MemTest86
(www.memtest86.com) instead.
Restore your PC to a
working state
SystemRestore can return your PC
to a time before Windows Explorer
started crashing. In Windows 7 or Vista,
click Start, right-click Computer and
select Properties. In Windows 8, right-
click in the bottomleft-hand corner
of the screen and select System. In all
cases, click Systemprotection in the
windowthat opens, followed by System
Restore, then select a restore point and
followthe steps to revert your PC to
a previous state.
XP users can get to SystemRestore by
clicking Start, then All Programs, then
Accessories, then SystemTools.
Windows 8 users can also repair
their entire Windows installation. Press
the Windows key+I, click Change PC
settings then click Update and recovery
followed by Recovery, then click the Get
started button under Refresh your PC
without aecting your les. Youll need
to re-install some programs afterwards
a list of aected applications will be left
on your Desktop.
Outdated graphics drivers can cause Explorer
problems, so update themvia Device Manager
If Explorer keeps crashing, scan your Windows
installation for damaged or missing systemfiles
Check your PC for faulty memory using
Windows built-in Memory Diagnostic tool

Oa|| 0800 542 4709 to sw|tch your broadband today

Call 0800 542 4709 for impartial switching advice.
Terms & 0ood|t|oos app|y - see |SP s|tes Ior deta||s
* First-]ear cost does not include line rental. Cost is calculated at monthl] price x12 with all introductor] offers suotracted. Additional charges incurred
outside of free inclusive calls not included in frst-]ear cost.
** Fair-usage or restriction polic] applies.
*** EE - 2.5O for G months (5 thereafterj onl] for existing EE/0range/T-Nooile customers.
| TalkTalk - 8O connection fee applies.
Data supplied o] www.oroadoandgenie.co.uk. Correct as of O9/12/18.
Broadoand 0enie's helpline
is powered o] 8implif]
Digital, the 0fcom-
accredited switching service
revider ackage Name
Menthly
rice
Centract
Length
readband
5peed
llewance
First-year
Cest

&
a||s
9.99 l2 l6Mbps =
E33.
(E2.75 fcr
J2 mcnthsl
mcnths max spd un|lmltd
2
Prlmus. rcadband &
a||s
4.00 l2 l5Mbps = E36.
(HL PR|
fcr 6 mcnthsl
mcnths max spd un|lmltd
``
3
1a|k1a|k. rcadband
2.50 l2 l6Mbps = E6.
pr mcnth mcnths max spd un|lmltd
1
4
. rcadband &a||s
l0.00 l2 l6Mbps = E6.
(HL PR|
fcr J2 mcnthsl
mcnths max spd un|lmltd``
```
5
1a|k1a|k. 1V, rcadband
&a||s
7.50 l8 l6Mbps = E9.
pr mcnth mcnths max spd un|lmltd
6
Sky. rcadband &a||s
l0.00 l2 l6Mbps = EJ2.
pr mcnth mcnths max spd un|lmltd
7
Prlmus. lbr rcadband
&a||s
l6.00 l8 38Mbps = EJ6B.
(HL PR|
fcr 3 mcnthsl
mcnths max spd un|lmltd
``
B
P|usnt. lbr rcadband
&a||s
l9.99 l8 76Mbps =
E2J.92 (EJ2.75 fcr
4 mcnthsl
mcnths max spd un|lmltd
9
Sky. lbr rcadband &
a||s
20.00 l2 38Mbps = E24.
pr mcnth mcnths max spd un|lmltd
J
Vlrgln. rcadband
25.00 l8 30Mbps = E2B5.
(E2. fcr
3 mcnthsl
mcnths max spd un|lmltd
``

72 24cmbr 2J3 - 7 !anuary 2J4

BroadbandDeals
Call 0800 542 4709 to switch your broadband today
Call 0800 542 4709 for impartial switching advice.
Terms & Conditions apply - see ISP sites for details
* First-year cost does not include line rental. Cost is calculated at monthly price x12 with all introductory offers subtracted. Additional charges incurred
outside of free inclusive calls not included in frst-year cost.
** Fair-usage or restriction policy applies.
*** EE - 2.50 for 6 months (5 thereafter) only for existing EE/Orange/T-Mobile customers.
TalkTalk - 30 connection fee applies.
Data supplied by www.broadbandgenie.co.uk. Correct as of 09/12/13.
Broadband Genies helpline
is powered by Simplify
Digital, the Ofcom-
accredited switching service
Provider Package Name
Monthly
Price
Contract
Length
Broadband
Speed
Allowance
First-year
Cost*
1
Plusnet: Broadband &
Calls
9.99 12 16Mbps
33.00
(2.75 for
12 months)
months max speed unlimited
2
Primus: Broadband &
Calls
4.00 12 15Mbps 36.00
(HALF PRICE
for 6 months)
months max speed unlimited
**
3
TalkTalk: Broadband
2.50 12 16Mbps 60.00
per month months max speed unlimited

4
EE: Broadband &Calls
10.00 12 16Mbps 60.00
(HALF PRICE
for 12 months)
months max speed unlimited**
***
5
TalkTalk: TV, Broadband
&Calls
7.50 18 16Mbps 90.00
per month months max speed unlimited
6
Sky: Broadband &Calls
10.00 12 16Mbps 120.00
per month months max speed unlimited
7
Primus: Fibre Broadband
&Calls
16.00 18 38Mbps 168.00
(HALF PRICE
for 3 months)
months max speed unlimited
**
8
Plusnet: Fibre Broadband
&Calls
19.99 18 76Mbps
210.92 (12.75 for
4 months)
months max speed unlimited
9
Sky: Fibre Broadband &
Calls
20.00 12 38Mbps 240.00
per month months max speed unlimited
10
Virgin: Broadband
25.00 18 30Mbps 285.00
(20.00 for
3 months)
months max speed unlimited
**
CHEAPEST
FASTEST
72 24December 2013 - 7 January 2014
0cmbr 20J3 - 7 !anuary 20J4
|aonBus!e
I00p Of th ccmmcn typs cf
hlgh-dnnltlcn vldc, thls ls th
bst qua|lty. J920xJ0B0plx|s.
720pAccmmcn rsc|utlcn cf hlgh-
dnnltlcn vldc. J2B0x720plx|s.
spt rto Amasurmnt cf
th shap cf a dlsp|ay. 1radltlcna|
PCscrns ar 4.3. Wldscrn
dlsp|ays ar J6.9 cr J6.J0.
VCHDAdvancd vldc ccdlng
hlgh dnnltlcn. Astandard fcr
stcrlng hlgh-dnnltlcn vldc.
AVCH0dlscs can b p|ayd by
mcst B|u-ray p|ayrs.
BIOS Baslc lnput-cutput systm.
Fssntla| scftwar bul|t lntc
vry PCthat ccnncts th vlta|
ccmpcnnts.
BootabIc A0V0wlth systmn|s
cn lt sc lt can b usd tc start up
ycur ccmputr.
Burstshooting modc Acamra
mcd fcr taklng svra| plcturs
vry qulck|y.
CSC Ccmpact systm
camras. Acamra that uss
lntrchangab| |nss, but dcsn't
hav a vlwnndr that uss a
mlrrcr. Onrs many cf th bnnts
cf a 0SLRwlthcut th slz and ccst.
Dcfragmcnt 1c rcrganls th
data stcrd cn a hard drlv sc n|s
ar stcrd ln cn plc and can b
accssd qulck|y.
DispIayPort Anwscckt fcr
ccnnctlng mcnltcrs that's stl||
r|atlv|y rar.
DINA0lglta| |lvlng ntwcrk
a||lanc. Atchnc|cgy that nab|s
dvlcs such as 1Vs, ntwcrk
mdla p|ayrs and NAS dvlcs tc
ccmmunlcat wlth ach cthr and
dlsp|ay mdla n|s.
DSIR0lglta| slng| |ns rx. A
dlglta| camra that uss a mcvlng
mlrrcr sc lts vlwnndr |ccks
cut thrcugh th |ns. 0SLRs us
lntrchangab| |nss and |arg
snscrs fcr hlgh-qua|lty phctcs.
DuaI corc Whn twc prccsscrs
ar ccmblnd lntc a slng| chlp.
DVDR Ab|ank 0V0dlsc that can
b rccrdd tc cn|y cnc.
DVR0lglta| vldc rccrdr. A
vldc rccrdr that uss hard
drlvs lnstad cf taps cr dlscs.
Fxposurc T amcunt cf |lght
cc||ctd by a dlglta| camra's
snscr.
Fccdback T tactl| rspcns
that th kys cn a kybcard glv
whn thy'v bn prssd.
FTPPl| transfr prctccc|. A
systmfcr transfrrlng n|s
btwn ccmputrs. Oftn usd
whn up|cadlng wbslts.
Gigabit Fthcrnct Avry fast
ntwcrklng standard that can
transfr data at up tc J,000Mbps.
H.264 Atyp cf MPFC4 vldc
that ls usd cn B|u-ray dlscs and
rccrdd by many camras and
camccrdrs.
HDMI Hlgh dnnltlcn mdla
lntrfac. Atyp cf ccnnctlcn
that transmlts hlgh-dnnltlcn
vldc and audlc slgna|s.
HDMICFCAtchnc|cgy
that a||cws mu|tlp| hcm
ntrtalnmnt dvlcs, such as
1Vs, B|u-ray p|ayrs and st-tcp
bcxs, tc ccmmunlcat wlth and
ccntrc| ach cthr cvr H0M|.
HTMIS T |atst vrslcn cf th
Hyprtxt Markup Languag usd
tc crat mcst wb pags. H1ML5
lnc|uds xtra ccmmands that
a||cwfcr mcr ccmp|x dslgns.
Intcgratcd graphics chip
Advlc that has a chlp fcr
prccsslng graphlcs data bul|t cn
tc lts mcthrbcard, rathr than
havlng a sparat graphlcs card.
IP Addrcss |ntrnt prctccc|
addrss. Aunlqu st cf numbrs,
sparatd by fu|| stcps, usd tc
ldntlfy ccmputrs and wbslts
cn th lntrnt.
ISOAtyp cf lmag n| that
ccntalns data frcma C0cr 0V0.
ISP|ntrnt srvlc prcvldr.
T ccmpany that prcvlds ycur
lntrnt ccnnctlcn.
JPFG!clnt phctcgraph xprts
grcup. Accmmcn typ cf lmag n|
cratd by mcst dlglta| camras.
Iaunchcr An app that changs
hcwth Andrcld hcm scrn
|ccks and wcrks, spcla||y fcr
managlng and cpnlng apps.
Macro Asttlng cn dlglta| camras
that |ts ycu gt vry c|cs tc
cbjcts sc thy appar blggr
whn phctcgraphd.
Mbps Mgablts pr sccnd. A
masur cf data transfr spd,
cftn usd tc masur th spd cf
brcadband ccnnctlcns.
McgapixcI Amasur cf th
amcunt cf dtal| that can b
rccrdd by a dlglta| lmag.
MHI Mcbl| hlgh-dnnltlcn |lnk. A
tchnc|cgy that |ts ycu ccnnct
a smartphcn cr tab|t tc a 1Vfcr
shcwlng ccntnt, as w|| as charg
lts battry, uslng a cab|.
Micro SDAsma|| typ cf mmcry
card. Can b ccnvrtd tc S0slz
uslng an adaptr.
Noisc Vlslb| dust-|lk spck|s
that appar ln scm camra and
1Vlmags.
Partition A|arg hard drlv
can b sp|lt lntc twc cr mcr
partltlcns cr 'vlrtua|' drlvs. Onc
partltlcnd, ach sctlcn ls tratd
by Wlndcws as thcugh lt wr a
sparat, sma||r hard drlv.
PowcrIinc Atchnc|cgy that
|ts ycu us th |ctrlca| cab|lng
ln ycur hcus tc ntwcrk ycur
ccmputrs.
Proccssor T prccsscr - cr
cntra| prccsslng unlt - ls th
braln cf a ccmputr.
Quad corc Accmputr that
has fcur prccsscrs cn a slng|
chlp, whlch a||cws lt tc cprat
fastr than standard (slng|-ccrl
ccmputrs.
RawAfcrmat fcr dlglta| phctcs
that stcrs th lmag xact|y as
th camra capturd lt, wlthcut
ccmprsslcn cr cptlmlsatlcn.
Rcgistry An| lntgratd lntc
Wlndcws that stcrs lnfcrmatlcn cn
a|| hardwar and scftwar lnsta||d
cn ycur PC. T Rglstry can b
dltd, but lnccrrct changs can
damag th PC.
RcsoIution T amcunt cf dtal|
shcwn ln an lmag, whthr cn
scrn cr prlntd.
SATASrla| A1A. An lntrfac fcr
ccnnctlng mcdrn hard drlvs
and cptlca| dlscs tc a ccmputr.
SDcard Scur dlglta| card. A
pcpu|ar typ cf mmcry card.
Scnsor T part cf th camra that
capturs ach lmag. Ana|cgcus
tc a plc cf n|mcn a n|mcamra.
SMPT Slmp| mal| transfr
prctccc|. Astandard fcr mal|
mssags whlch ls ncw|arg|y
rsrvd fcr sndlng mssags
rathr than rclvlng thm.
SSDSc|ld-stat drlv. Stcrag that,
un|lk a hard drlv, uss nc mcvlng
parts. Pastr but mcr xpnslv
than ccnvntlcna| drlvs.
TiIc T rctangu|ar |mnts that
mak up Wlndcws BStart scrn.
TravcI T dlstanc th kys cf
a kybcard hav tc b prssd
bfcr th kystrck ls rccgnlsd.
Tro|anAma|lclcus ccmputr
prcgramthat's dlsgulsd as a
dlnrnt, harm|ss prcgram.
UFFI Unlnd xtnslb| nrmwar
lntrfac. Amcdrn rp|acmnt
fcr th B|OS, dslgnd tc gt a PC
lntc a stat whr lt can |aunch an
cpratlng systm.
UPnP Unlvrsa| p|ug and p|ay.
Astandard fcr sharlng mdla
btwn PCs and ntwcrk dvlcs.
USB Unlvrsa| srla| bus. A
standard that a||cws qulck and asy
ccnnctlcn cf xtrna| prlphra|s
such as stcrag dvlcs tc ycur PC.
USB2 Pastr succsscr tc USB
that's usd by such thlngs as
xtrna| dlsk drlvs.
USB8 Afastr vrslcn cf th USB
standard usd tc ccnnct dvlcs
tc a ccmputr.
VGAVldc graphlcs array. A
standard scckt fcr ccnnctlng a
mcnltcr tc a ccmputr.
Zip Ic Ccntalns a numbr cf
ccmprssd dccumnts cr n|s.
24December 2013 7 January 2014 73
JargonBuster
1080p Of the common types of
high-denition video, this is the
best quality: 1920x1080pixels.
720pAcommon resolution of high-
denition video: 1280x720pixels.
Aspect ratio Ameasurement of
the shape of a display. Traditional
PCscreens are 4:3. Widescreen
displays are 16:9 or 16:10.
AVCHDAdvanced video coding
high denition. Astandard for
storing high-denition video.
AVCHDdiscs can be played by
most Blu-ray players.
BIOS Basic input-output system.
Essential software built into
every PCthat connects the vital
components.
Bootable ADVDwith systemles
on it so it can be used to start up
your computer.
Burst-shooting mode Acamera
mode for taking several pictures
very quickly.
CSC Compact system
cameras. Acamera that uses
interchangeable lenses, but doesnt
have a viewnder that uses a
mirror. Oers many of the benets
of a DSLRwithout the size and cost.
Defragment To reorganise the
data stored on a hard drive so les
are stored in one piece and can be
accessed quickly.
DisplayPort Anewsocket for
connecting monitors thats still
relatively rare.
DLNADigital living network
alliance. Atechnology that enables
devices such as TVs, network
media players and NAS devices to
communicate with each other and
display media les.
DSLRDigital single lens reex. A
digital camera that uses a moving
mirror so its viewnder looks
out through the lens. DSLRs use
interchangeable lenses and large
sensors for high-quality photos.
Dual core When two processors
are combined into a single chip.
DVD-R Ablank DVDdisc that can
be recorded to only once.
DVRDigital video recorder. A
video recorder that uses hard
drives instead of tapes or discs.
Exposure Te amount of light
collected by a digital cameras
sensor.
Feedback Te tactile response
that the keys on a keyboard give
when theyve been pressed.
FTPFile transfer protocol. A
systemfor transferring les
between computers. Often used
when uploading websites.
Gigabit Ethernet Avery fast
networking standard that can
transfer data at up to 1,000Mbps.
H.264 Atype of MPEG4 video
that is used on Blu-ray discs and
recorded by many cameras and
camcorders.
HDMI High denition media
interface. Atype of connection
that transmits high-denition
video and audio signals.
HDMI-CECAtechnology
that allows multiple home
entertainment devices, such as
TVs, Blu-ray players and set-top
boxes, to communicate with and
control each other over HDMI.
HTML5 Te latest version of the
Hypertext Markup Language used
to create most web pages. HTML5
includes extra commands that
allowfor more complex designs.
Integrated graphics chip
Adevice that has a chip for
processing graphics data built on
to its motherboard, rather than
having a separate graphics card.
IP Address Internet protocol
address. Aunique set of numbers,
separated by full stops, used to
identify computers and websites
on the internet.
ISOAtype of image le that
contains data froma CDor DVD.
ISPInternet service provider.
Te company that provides your
internet connection.
JPEGJoint photograph experts
group. Acommon type of image le
created by most digital cameras.
Launcher An app that changes
howthe Android home screen
looks and works, especially for
managing and opening apps.
Macro Asetting on digital cameras
that lets you get very close to
objects so they appear bigger
when photographed.
Mbps Megabits per second. A
measure of data transfer speed,
often used to measure the speed of
broadband connections.
Megapixel Ameasure of the
amount of detail that can be
recorded by a digital image.
MHL Mobile high-denition link. A
technology that lets you connect
a smartphone or tablet to a TVfor
showing content, as well as charge
its battery, using a cable.
Micro SDAsmall type of memory
card. Can be converted to SDsize
using an adapter.
Noise Visible dust-like speckles
that appear in some camera and
TVimages.
Partition Alarge hard drive
can be split into two or more
partitions or virtual drives. Once
partitioned, each section is treated
by Windows as though it were a
separate, smaller hard drive.
Powerline Atechnology that
lets you use the electrical cabling
in your house to network your
computers.
Processor Te processor or
central processing unit is the
brain of a computer.
Quad core Acomputer that
has four processors on a single
chip, which allows it to operate
faster than standard (single-core)
computers.
RawAformat for digital photos
that stores the image exactly as
the camera captured it, without
compression or optimisation.
Registry Ale integrated into
Windows that stores information on
all hardware and software installed
on your PC. Te Registry can be
edited, but incorrect changes can
damage the PC.
Resolution Te amount of detail
shown in an image, whether on
screen or printed.
SATASerial ATA. An interface for
connecting modern hard drives
and optical discs to a computer.
SDcard Secure digital card. A
popular type of memory card.
Sensor Te part of the camera that
captures each image. Analogous
to a piece of lmon a lmcamera.
SMPT Simple mail transfer
protocol. Astandard for email
messages which is nowlargely
reserved for sending messages
rather than receiving them.
SSDSolid-state drive. Storage that,
unlike a hard drive, uses no moving
parts. Faster but more expensive
than conventional drives.
Tile Te rectangular elements that
make up Windows 8Start screen.
Travel Te distance the keys of
a keyboard have to be pressed
before the keystroke is recognised.
TrojanAmalicious computer
programthats disguised as a
dierent, harmless program.
UEFI Unied extensible rmware
interface. Amodern replacement
for the BIOS, designed to get a PC
into a state where it can launch an
operating system.
UPnP Universal plug and play.
Astandard for sharing media
between PCs and network devices.
USB Universal serial bus. A
standard that allows quick and easy
connection of external peripherals
such as storage devices to your PC.
USB2 Faster successor to USB
thats used by such things as
external disk drives.
USB3 Afaster version of the USB
standard used to connect devices
to a computer.
VGAVideo graphics array. A
standard socket for connecting a
monitor to a computer.
Zip le Contains a number of
compressed documents or les.
|s |ssueSturt Andrews grow|s bh humbug t

, `s eury e b duy. Feuce

Eur, d u e,
u ed u e uders ud
reCrsus ye. 1e s be
rued, eerybdy be uy,
ud e cu u e c, erus
se ey, ud u e recs rs
r eures ud deures. Fr u bre e,
ee e s uucu ude cu
s ub u e e, u e
ube, u ecueru, cse, Be
seuer r 1V, ud s ey reu e
ud reu ee r u duy.
Or uybe .
Lus yeur, e credcurd exers u
Exeru rered recrd sed
Crsus Duy, U7 e
ss reu ebses 7 er ce
U. u us see Crsus Duy
sues creuse by er ce er
e us ne yeurs ud execs s
Crsus be e bses ye.
I U, e cser reseurc
cuy, Ierserece, sreyed ,UUU
ee ued S e UK. O se,
7 er ce eded se u sure
r ube dr Crsus Duy, ud
er ce ued se e dr
Crsus c. dedy, er ce
eded se er dece r u e
scu er sreud e 'd
ds` be, b 7 er ce ere s
u sur er Bx Duy sues
s eury. Reeber e e
sed u ub eYeur sues
e`re s bere e crucers ue
bee ed ud e rey eue.
I cu` erey bue sures ud
ubes r s ues rese dcu
Crsus`s cercusu,
b ey ceruy ue` eed. G
buc ne yeurs ud e s d ue
dured uder e buc bedr
ud sur brs u r deus, e
ue u u e e ud
nd u Cure Wurese us
us r u e Fe s. Ye u
sure r ube y cu d
uscu. 1ey`re s
e reuers ure cs us ud
be ses bs sues. I`sre I`
e y e ced er
e us yeur s cec e
s buc e, I rse ud d u
uss eus r Crsus ud
Bx Duy sues, euc e uced
re ec ers u e us. Oe
e y`re u e eur eur ud
e, e ex y`re suu er
urce 1Vs.
1ecy uys u re eery
ur r es, ud `s reusube
u`s s u Crsus.
1ere`s r sur u
e yr duy reds ud uy
Fuceb, ud y`e u e
ube r e, e `s y uru
y` u e , by se us,
r uy e ues ry Brds. Ye d`
be ce s r e duy e r
uscu r ese deces e buc
brer, sress e re csuy
rude, ud ey u e ue ud
se e sure . Wd reuy
r e reuers deuy e rs
Bx Duy, ud e s ue e s
u cu s be u ucu e
cuc, s dscree, s bs, u
bdy s ce. bdy cu reuy
dde er ue beee reu
eruy ud sed e ud
, b u ube y cu ue .
1u`s y Les execs s
Crsus Duy be e e ere
be e sues erue FCbused
e sues r e nrs e. urey,
rumc eus s uer Crsus
Duy, e e Queen hus nnlshed
speuklng und Ihe esIlve 1V specluls huve
yeI Io sIurI. II`s ulso vhy muny o Ihe blg
gree w|th 5tuart7
Let us knowat |ettersQcomputeract|e.co.uk
oe vhenve
used!o!alk aoou! Nev
Yea sales/ Novvee
shoppnoeloe!he
cackes haveoeen
pulled
|s
omputercctive's Mr ngry
Q51ndrews
TheFnal S!av
40cmbr J - 7 !anar J4 Nex ie 5c cge cgcin iu ech ncme
Tis issueStuart Andrews growls bah humbugat. . .
Christmas Dayshopping
S
o, its nearly the big day. Peace
on Earth, goodwill to all men,
an end to all the advertising and
pre-Christmas hype. Te gifts will be
unwrapped, everybody will be happy,
and we can all get on with lunch, perhaps
some telly, and a fewprecious hours with
our nearest and dearest. For a brief time,
even the most fanatical gadget nut can
stop thinking about a newphone, a new
tablet, a newcamera, console, Bluetooth
speaker or TV, and just enjoy real life
and real people for a day.
Or maybe not.
Last year, the credit-card experts at
Experian reported record spending on
Christmas Day, with 107 million online
visits to retail websites up 71 per cent on
2011. Amazon has seen Christmas Day
sales increase by 236 per cent over
the last ve years and expects this
Christmas to be the busiest yet.
In 2012, the consumer research
company, Intersperience, surveyed 1,000
people aged 18-65 in the UK. Of those,
75 per cent intended to use a smartphone
or tablet during Christmas Day, and 22
per cent planned to use one during
Christmas lunch. Admittedly, 61 per cent
intended to use their device for a little
social networking to spread the good
tidings vibe, but 27 per cent were just
planning to start their Boxing Day sales
shopping early. Remember when we
used to talk about NewYear sales? Now
were shopping before the crackers have
been pulled and the turkey eaten.
I cant entirely blame smartphones and
tablets for this latest gruesome indication
of Christmass ongoing commercialisation,
but they certainly havent helped. Go
back ve years and fewof us would have
dared to wander o to the back bedroom
and start browsing Amazon for deals, let
alone pull a laptop out in the lounge and
nd out what Carphone Warehouse was
asking for a newiPhone 5s. Yet on a
smartphone or tablet you can do it
without looking anti-social. Teyre so
online retailers are focusing on apps and
mobile sites to boost sales. Imsure Im
not the only one who picked up their
phone last year just checking on the
folks back home, I promise and found a
mass of emails promoting Christmas and
Boxing Day sales, each one packed with
more enticing oers than the last. One
minute youre at the heart of hearth and
home, the next youre salivating over
half-price TVs.
Technology nowplays a role in every
part of our lives, and its unreasonable to
think thats going to stop at Christmas.
Teres nothing wrong with sharing a
little of your day with friends and family
on Facebook, and if youve got a new
tablet or phone, then its only natural
youll want to get it out, buy some apps,
or play the latest Angry Birds. Yet wouldnt
it be nice if just for one day we put our
fascination for these devices on the back
burner, suppress the urge to constantly
upgrade, and enjoy what we have and
those we share it with. Would it really
hurt the retailers to delay the promotions
until Boxing Day, and let us make the most
of what can still be a magical time?
compact, so discrete, so ubiquitous, that
nobody looks twice. Nobody can really
divide their attention between retail
therapy and spending time with kith and
kin, but with a tablet you can fake it.
Tats why John Lewis expects this
Christmas Day to be the one where
mobile online sales overtake PC-based
online sales for the rst time. Apparently,
trac peaks just after 3pmon Christmas
Day, when the Queen has nished
speaking and the festive TV specials have
yet to start. Its also why many of the big
Do you agree with Stuart?
Let us knowat letters@computeractive.co.uk
Remember whenwe
usedtotalk about New
Year sales? Nowwere
shoppingbeforethe
crackers havebeen
pulled
STUARTANDREWSis
Computeractives Mr Angry
@SATAndrews
TheFnal Straw
74 24December 2013 - 7 January 2014 Next issue Stuart rages against stupid tech names
www.qnap.cem
Sfore phofo olbums on
your personol olouo
Book up, shore & enjoy
your musio oolleofion
Browse & sfreom your
meoio from NAS fo !v
Phofo Sfofion - Eosily monoQe ono
shore phofos vio emoil, sooiol
nefworkinQ sifes or seoure shorinQ links.
AirPloy / DLNA supporf - Sfreom
vioeo & phofos vio Apple !v &
DLNA-oomplionf oevioes.
Musio Sfofion - Creofe ono enjoy
your personol musio oenfer in fhe
olouo onywhere.
RS-210
Silenf NAS for fhe LivinQ Poom
uN|OuE fonless oesiQn.
Perfeof for your home fheoferI
RiQh performonoe wifhouf unwonfeo noise.
Over 100 opps for exfenoinQ NAS obilifies.
512
MB PAM
1.GRz
CPu
Fonless
Privofe Clouo of Your FinQerfips
Cross-plofform file shorinQ for Winoows, Moo ono Linux users.
Ensure fhe sofefy of your oofo wifh PA|D 1 mirrorinQ.
Aooess ono shore your oofo seourely onywhereI
Supporfs hof-swoppoble.
!S-230
2GB
DDP3 PAM
1.GRz
Doul-oore
RDM|
Ycur Hcme lu|l|mec|c Slcrcge
Exfremely Eosy fo use, Greof Solufion for Bookup, SforoQe, ono Meoio ShorinQI
www.qnap.com
Store photo albums on
your personal cloud
Back up, share & enjoy
your music collection
Browse & stream your
media from NAS to TV
Photo Station - Easily manage and
share photos via email, social
networking sites or secure sharing links.
AirPlay / DLNA support - Stream
video & photos via Apple TV &
DLNA-compliant devices.
Music Station Create and enjoy
your personal music center in the
cloud anywhere.
HS-210
Silent NAS for the Living Room
UNIQUE fanless design.
Perfect for your home theater!
High performance without unwanted noise.
Over 100 apps for extending NAS abilities.
512
MB RAM
1.6GHz
CPU
Fanless
Private Cloud at Your Fingertips
Cross-platform file sharing for Windows, Mac and Linux users.
Ensure the safety of your data with RAID 1 mirroring.
Access and share your data securely anywhere!
Supports hot-swappable.
TS-230
2GB
DDR3 RAM
1.6GHz
Daul-care
HDMI
Your Home Multimedia Storage
Extremely Easy to Use, Great Solution for Backup, Storage, and Media Sharing!