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Search the web for ‘quotes about mistakes’ and you’ll find loads of motivational mantras about how making mistakes is an essential part of being successful. Without mistakes you never improve, they say. Or, it’s not the mistakes that matter, but how you respond to them. My own motto is to never be embarrassed by mistakes if you’re doing something new. It’s particularly true in computing, which can be brutally complex and rife with conflicting advice. I’ve committed many of the mistakes we highlight in our Cover Feature (page 50), but never felt bad because I didn’t know any better at the time. These are the interesting mistakes: the ones you don’t realise you’re making. Eradicate them, learn what to do instead, and you should get better. I’ll be fascinated to…

The inventor of the USB standard has said he regrets the awkward design that makes it infuriatingly easy to plug sticks in the wrong way round. Ajay Bhatt (pictured), who led the team at Intel that created USB in the 1990s, admitted that its biggest failing is its lack of “reversibility”. Talking to National Public Radio’s website in the US, he said USB could have been reversible, but it would have required more wires and circuits, doubling the cost. He said Intel realised how much frustration the design would cause, but still opted for rectangular connector and a 50-50 chance of plugging it in correctly, rather than a round connector with less room for error. Bhatt told the website: “In hindsight, based on all the experiences that we all had,…

The competition watchdog has told eBay and Facebook to do more to stop people selling fake reviews through their sites. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it found proof that there’s a “thriving marketplace” of people offering to positively review items they’ve never tested. It identified over 100 eBay listings and 26 Facebook groups selling fake reviews during research between November 2018 and June 2019. Some of the Facebook groups were run by businesses recruiting people to write and post fake reviews on shopping sites such as Amazon. The CMA said that an estimated 75 per cent of people online read reviews to help them choose which products to buy, influencing “billions of pounds of people’s spending” every year. CMA chief executive Andrea Coscelli said: “It is important that…

Happy for May Update to be ‘forced’ on my PC Thanks for the news story in Issue 557 (page 6) telling us the May Update will soon be “forced” on to PCs running last year’s April Update (version 1803). My PC runs 1803, so the information was relevant to me. But I think the word “forced” gives a needlessly negative impression of what Microsoft is trying to do. I bet most people running 2018’s April Update don’t realise that Microsoft will stop supporting it in November. I certainly didn’t until reading your story. In that case, I’m quite happy for Microsoft to “force” the May Update on to my computer. Presumably it’s either that or run the risk of having an unsafe PC come November. I accept that Microsoft doesn’t…

A few years ago I bought a Chillblast PC which has been an excellent machine. At the time of purchase it came with a 120GB SSD, but over time it filled up so I decided to contact Chillblast about either a replacement or an additional SSD. Their customer service representative, Josh Newman, was extremely helpful and sent me a quotation for a 500GB SSD, which I could add to my PC. He also sent a photo of the open case showing where to install the new drive. When I later explained that I wanted to switch my C drive to the new SSD, he again came up trumps by suggesting Samsung’s migration software. The new SSD is now up and running, as is my C drive thanks to Josh at…

How do I find out why my computer restarted? Q When downloading large files, I leave my PC on overnight. However, in the morning I often find my PC has shut down or restarted, meaning I have to start the download from scratch. I’ve tried using Event Viewer to find out why this happens, but can’t make head nor tail of it. Is there an easier tool I can use? Brian Mathers A NirSoft’s TurnedOnTimesView is ideal for your needs. It’s a tiny program (under 100KB) and requires no installation - simply download the ZIP file from www.snipca.com/32059 (scroll down to the download link just below the Feedback heading), extract the contents to a folder on your computer, then run the EXE file. You’ll see various entries showing when your…

PC | £900 from Overlockers UK www.snipca.com/31963 Room for improvement Finished in white and, behind the large glass side window, dazzlingly illuminated by two strips of multi-coloured LEDs, this could be a Eurovision Song Contest stadium for fleas. It isn’t, though. It’s a PC, and at £900 a roughly average one. Maybe, it turns out, a little bit too average. “A powerful PC with upgradability, but rivals provide better value” There’s nothing disappointing about the Ryzen 5 2600 processor, a six-core chip that’s in the same class as Intel’s latest i5 CPUs until you push its multitasking abilities, at which point it shows some extra muscle on top. To make that all the more feasible, it’s served here by a generous 16GB of RAM, so this would be an adequate…

Q My printer suddenly gave up the ghost, so I need to get a new one. It’s an Epson Expression Home XP-335. Could you suggest some current models that would meet the same needs? David Hucklesby A An obvious choice would be the Expression Home XP-452, which we review on page 25. It’s a successor to your model, a compact allin-one printer/scanner/copier with Wi-Fi and the ability to print photos from an SD card. It even uses the same inks. You could pay less for refills with other inkjets, though. Canon’s Pixma TS3150 (see our review, Issue 519) also costs just under £50 to buy, but exactly half as much to run (based on XL ink cartridge prices). It slightly spoils things by combining three of its four inks into…

HEADPHONES | £120 from Amazon www.snipca.com/32073 Active noise-cancelling (ANC) headphones from the likes of Bose are a boon to the bus, train or plane traveller, creating an oasis of silence for your music or audiobooks so you don’t have to turn up the volume. At around 300 quid, though, they’re a major investment. We’ve recommended Lindy’s BNX-60 (£73) as a budget alternative, and although this new premium version isn’t quite as cheap, it’s another bargain. The design gets an upgrade from a functional black finish to something reminiscent of fashionable audiophile brands. The metal headband is sturdy, and the red lining is an elegant touch, even if nobody will see it. “Active noise-cancelling headphones with refined sound, these are a bargain” While the circular cups look elegant, our ears are…

Firefox Preview Free Android www.snipca.com/32009 Mozilla’s open-source Firefox app has a couple of nifty new stablemates: private browser Firefox Focus, and the new Firefox Preview, which lets you test new features that you can give feedback on. These include fast page-loading tech GeckoView and Collections, which lets you create groups of bookmarks, notes, history and logins. Pixaloop* Free Android, iOS www.snipca.com/32012 Turn your photos into timelapse-style animations using this AI-powered tool. Load a photo, adorn it with ‘arrows’ and ‘anchors’, then tap Play to see it in action. You can export the finished video to your device or the web. Pixaloop Pro adds special effects and high-res export for £3.79 a month. Fuel Bee £2.99 Android www.snipca.com/32011 Need to fill up the car when you’re in the middle of nowhere?…

MICROSOFT OUTLOOK Get Outlook.com notifications on your desktop Outlook.com (the online version of Microsoft’s email program) now lets you see desktop notifications when you receive new emails, but you’ll need to switch the feature on. The feature is currently only available in Chrome and Firefox, but we expect it to be rolled out to other browsers soon. To turn notifications on, log into your email account at www.outlook.com, click the cog at the top right, then ‘Desktop notifications’ to turn them on (see screenshot). At this point, your browser may ask whether you want to allow Outlook.com to send notifications – click Allow. You should now see a ‘Success!’ notification in the bottom-right corner of your desktop. If not, it could be because you have notifications turned off in your…

1 Create your own stop-motion video What you need: Action figures (or other props), smartphone, tripod Stop-motion animation is a great way to introduce kids to film-making, and getting started is easy thanks to great mobile apps like Stop Motion Studio (Android www.snipca.com/31972; iOS www.snipca.com/31981). Find a clear space to film. As you work, it’s important to keep your smartphone in exactly the same place, so it’s best to use a tripod. If you don’t have a tripod, you can improvise using everyday items – see www.snipca.com/31973 for some ideas. Stick some Blu-tack on your tripod’s feet to hold it in place. Next, set up your figures in front of the camera, then run Stop Motion Studio, tap Get Started, then the plus sign (+) icon. To make your film,…

The Church of England has issued ‘digital commandments’ to tackle abuse on social-media sites, and promote a “positive” atmosphere online. One commandment echoes Christianity’s “golden rule” by urging followers to speak to others on the web as you would speak to them face to face. Another asks people to “be respectful” by not posting or sharing content that is “sexually explicit, inflammatory, hateful, abusive, threatening or otherwise disrespectful”. It’s asking Christians to sign its Digital Charter (www.snipca.com/32020), which contains nine “community guidelines” based on truth, kindness, welcome, inspiration and togetherness. People can promise to stick to the guidelines by posting a link online. The guidance acknowledges that social media provides “many joys”, such as being an “immediate, interactive, conversational and open-ended” way to discuss issues. But it warns about the…

You can now switch mobile-phone network by sending a text message, after new rules came into effect in early July. Telecoms regulator Ofcom introduced the new method, called ‘text-to-switch’, to make switching mobile provider quicker and easier. To begin the process, you first have to request a switching code from your current network (you can also ask for this online and over the phone). If you want to keep your existing number, text PAC to 65075. Your network will then send you a PAC (Porting Authorisation Code). If you don’t want to keep your number, text STAC to 75075. You’ll then receive a Service Termination Authorisation Code. Requesting a code won’t end your current contract - that won’t happen until you pass on the code to your new network. Codes…

LEAD CASE Can customers return goods using EU guarantees directive? Q I felt compelled to write after reading about how Samsung charged Brian Stockely to inspect and repair his faulty TV (Issue 556). I’ve successfully replaced two Microsoft Xboxes and a Sony PlayStation using the two-year EU consumer sales and guarantees directive. Shouldn’t Brian try to use this regulation to get a free replacement? Martin Roe A No, Brian won’t be able to use this directive to seek redress from Samsung, even though Martin has found success with it. There remains a lot of confusion about the directive. Some customers think it gives them the right to demand a full refund for faulty goods up to two years after purchase. This isn’t the case. An EU directive isn’t regulation; instead…

The GEDCOM data format is the closest genealogy has to a digital standard. This simple text-based file can be read in a text editor, and lets you easily upload or move your research from one platform to another. However, as standards go, it’s rather loose: the latest official version (5.5.1) is 20 years old, and few programs use it. It means you have to export your files in the GEDCOM format, which the programs then convert into their own format. This conversion process isn’t perfect, and usually results in some information from your tree being lost in transit. Worse still, some exported GEDCOM files might refuse to open at all. If the file is rejected for being too large try re-exporting it while removing all media links, or exporting just…

You can’t beat a good shortcut. Only the other day I discovered pressing Windows key+I opens the Settings app. By my rough calculations, that’ll save me at least an hour every year. It’s therefore no surprise that I often make use of AutoHotkey (AHK, www.autohotkey.com). AHK lets you create scripts (a list of instructions within a text file), then run them using a key combination of your choice. For a quick guide, take a look at this tutorial on AHK’s website at www.snipca.com/32034. One of my favourites is a script that lets me control my PC’s volume using my keyboard. Most keyboards have dedicated keys for volume control, but not my trusty (but very basic) Dell L100 that’s served me well for nearly 10 years. Using the script to the…

TABLET | £50 from Amazon www.snipca.com/31962 The Fire 7 is Amazon’s cheapest device, and about the cheapest general-purpose tablet you can buy anywhere. Delivering anything for this price means paring the hardware specs to the bone, so we don’t expect much from its annual update. Last time only the software changed. The 2019 model is still almost identical at first glance, but a few tweaks make it even more tempting for the money. “It’s a compromise, no doubt, but it does a lot for the price” Like other Fire tablets, this runs Amazon’s Fire OS, a version of Google’s Android operating system that doesn’t have the Google Play Store and supports a more limited range of apps. There’s still a lot to choose from, including essentials like BBC iPlayer and…

What is it? There have been several revivals of 1980s home computers, and the latest is the C64 (pictured), a full-size working replica of the Commodore 64 from Retro Games Ltd, which previously released the C64 Mini (see www.snipca.com/31996). This time it’s full size, with a working keyboard. Again, it has modern USB ports and comes with a joystick resembling the original Competition Pro 5000. What does it do? Both models emulate the Commodore 64, creating a virtual environment in which programs written for it can run. A collection of classic games is included. The computing industry has moved on a long way since 1982, when the C64 was launched, but emulation bridges the gap. The C64 runs Vice (the Versatile Commodore Emulator) under a Linux operating system on an…

SECURITY CAMERA | £20 from Neos www.snipca.com/32065 There’s not much you can get these days for 20 quid, and a fully functional standalone Wi-Fi security camera seems an unlikely example, but here it is. The Neos SmartCam is a plain plastic affair, but its design looks minimalist rather than cheap, with the matt white camera unit mounted on a hinged magnetic stand that gives you some tilt adjustment whether on a countertop or fixed to the wall. Not only does it record 1080p video, but it’ll save it to the cloud at no extra cost. It also works with Alexa, so you can ask to see live video in the Alexa app or an Amazon Fire Stick connected to your TV. There are some catches. Like BT’s Smart Home Cam…

What was it? Launched by Microsoft in 2010, this wasn’t a phone but an operating system for smartphones made by other firms. Its predecessor, Windows Mobile, had been conceived for pocket computers, but with the arrival of the iPhone in 2007 it was clear that mobile computing was going in a different direction. Why did it die? Windows Phone – which came with a tiled home screen similar to Windows 7 – made little impression against Apple and Android. Its greatest achievement was to be adopted by Nokia for their Lumia phones. In 2013 Microsoft tried to consolidate that foothold by buying Nokia’s phone division. Attempting to unify its mobile and desktop operating systems, it then rebranded Windows Phone as Windows 10 Mobile. Despite decent hardware, Lumia sales dropped, and…

What you need: Android or iOS device Time required: 60 minutes Internal storage is one of the most expensive specifications that distinguish otherwise identical tablets and phones. The iPhone XS with 6.5in screen starts at £1,099 with 64GB of storage. That’s a pretty paltry amount in such an impressive phone, but increasing this to 512GB hikes the price to an eye-popping £1,449. Android phones aren’t much better. An additional 64GB of space for the 6.3in Google Pixel 3 costs an extra £100, when 64GB USB sticks cost less than £8 on Amazon (www.snipca.com/31937). What a rip-off! Fortunately, you don’t need to worry about space limitations the next time you buy a phone, and neither do you need to upgrade when internal storage starts to get tight. Here, we’ll show you…

TIP OF THE FORTNIGHT Turn off ‘Fast Startup’ to make your PC sleep For many months my laptop was behaving like a newborn baby. It refused to go to sleep, and kept waking up at unexpected times. Something was clearly wrong, though I had no idea what. My first tactic when faced with any PC problem is to dive into the settings to see if I need to tweak anything. I looked at the Power Options settings within Control Panel. These are the settings ‘Turn off the display’ and ‘Put the computer to sleep’, but they were set up to do what I wanted them to. It wasn’t the source of the problem. I then remembered some advice I read ages ago about turning off Fast Startup if you were…

GeaCron History Maps £3.19/£3.99 Android www.snipca.com/32018 iOS www.snipca.com/32019 Go back to any point in history since 3000BC to see how the world and its borders looked at that time. If your device is powerful enough you can also map detail like battles and expeditions. There’s no free version but you can get an idea from the free website (http://geacron.com). Best For National borders over time Old Maps* Free Android www.snipca.com/32013 iOS www.snipca.com/32015 Get a centuries-old bird’s eye view of your home town using this app version of Old Maps Online (www.oldmapsonline.org). Go to your location, then scroll through the thumbnails of historical maps going back to the 1600s and beyond. Best For Tracking local changes Soviet Military Maps Free Android www.snipca.com/32016 This fascinating tool digitises maps created in the 1980s…

Organising cake sales, knocking on doors and shaking tins are all good ways to raise money for your local club, but they can take a lot of time and effort. In contrast, fundraising online takes minutes to set up and lets you reach a much wider audience. And although BT closed down its popular MyDonate fundraising service last month, there are still plenty of options available. Your club doesn’t have to be a registered charity to raise money online, but you’ll benefit from reduced fees if it is, in some cases your club will get 100 per cent of all donations (including Gift Aid). JustGiving Being one of the best-known fundraising sites, there’s a good chance your potential doners will already have a JustGiving account (www.justgiving.com), making it easier for…

The phone rings late at night, with a recorded message grimly informing you that your BT broadband will be disconnected unless you press ‘1’ to speak to an advisor. Except that BT doesn’t send automated disconnection messages - especially not to people who aren’t even BT customers. While scam calls like this can seem laughably unconvincing, others can sound scarily authentic and either way they are an irritation we could all do without. If you’re experiencing a surge in such calls, or simply want to take back control of your number, here are the steps you need to take. Identify websites that hold your details First thing to do is to search for your mobile and landline phone numbers on Google. If your numbers are held on a website somewhere,…

Got a box of old Lego or Duplo stashed in your garage or loft? Well, it could be worth more than you think. Ask your kids or grandkids to hunt down any non-standard pieces and note down the tiny ID printed on the back. Next, search for the number at www.bricklink.com, click the result, then the ‘Item appears in X sets’ link (top right). You’ll now see which sets the brick is used in. It’s now up to your kids to locate the rest of the set among your collection. Once you’ve got a complete set (or near enough), search for similar items on eBay to get an idea of their value, then list it for sale with a suitable reserve price. Even small sets can sell for over £30,…

Why does my CrystalDiskInfo look different? Q I followed the ‘Stop Your Hard Drive Killing Your PC’ cover feature in Issue 555 and downloaded CrystalDiskInfo as requested (www.snipca.com/31595). The installation went OK, or so I thought. However, what I see displayed on my screen is different from your feature’s screenshots. I have similar menus but all the information is ‘bigger’ than your images suggest. I looked for a way to change the way it’s displayed but I remain at a loss as to how to proceed. Can you explain where I’m going wrong? Mark Fotheringham A The program you describe sounds suspiciously like CrystalDiskMark, not CrystalDiskInfo. The trouble is that both programs are available for download on the same page. Compounding the possibility for confusion is that there are multiple…

Set up a new router for better Wi-Fi I dream of living in a shack in the woods with no human neighbours (a 10-mile radius should do it), a space telescope and 400Mbps Wi-Fi. I recently edged closer to that dream by moving to a house with a new router and some nearby trees. The new router certainly isn’t 400Mbps, but it works. And when you’ve just moved house and you’re living out of boxes, you are deliriously grateful for working Wi-Fi, whatever its speed. A few weeks on, I have reverted to shouting at my PC when Wi-Fi is anything less than supersonic. So it’s time to get the best out of my new router with a few settings tweaks. “I went for Channel 36 partly because it’s supposed…

Mozilla is launching a version of Firefox that removes adverts for a monthly fee. It’s working with ad-blocking firm Scroll on Firefox Ad-free Internet (www.snipca.com/32088), saying it’ll cost $4.99 a month (likely to be £4.99 in the UK). Adverts will be blocked only on sites that Mozilla has partnered with. It says it has teamed up with “some of the world’s greatest publishers to bring you a better journalism experience”. Mozilla says that payments are shared “directly with the sites you read”. It adds: “They make more money, which means they can bring you great content without needing to distract you with ads just to keep the lights on”. Subscribers will also get audio versions of articles, synced bookmarks across devices, and an app that helps you “find and finish…

VIRGIN PRICES RISE BY DOUBLE INFLATION Virgin Media is increasing its broadband, TV and phone prices by an average of 4.9 per cent, even though the rate of inflation is only 1.9 per cent. Most customers will see a rise of between £2.50 and £4.50 a month, starting in either their September or October bill. Prices won’t increase for elderly and disabled customers on the Talk Protected package. UPDATE MALWAREBYTES TO FIX WINDOWS FLAW Malwarebytes users should check that the software has been updated to fix a problem with Windows 10. The antivirus program was disabling Windows Defender in PCs that had installed the May Update (version 1903). Malwarebytes updates automatically, but confirm by clicking the updates option and checking you have version 3.8.3 or later. Alternatively, download the latest…

It can sometimes be difficult to get a positive response from a company if you can’t prove your identity, as reader Dave Smith found out when he tried to reactivate his Sony PlayStation account (see Issue 555). The trouble began when his email provider Fastmail (www.fastmail.com) closed the email account linked to his PlayStation. He knew his password, and so should have been able to update his details to include his new email address. He was unable to do so, however, nor could he prove his identity to Sony over the phone because he doesn’t have a passport or driving licence. This may not have been enough anyway because Sony claims Dave has broken its terms and conditions in “various ways”, including changing his email address and IP address too…

FILE EXPLORER Altap Salamander 4 www.snipca.com/32067 What you need: Windows 7, 8.1 or 10 Windows File Explorer is fine for simple tasks, but if you need to move large numbers of files between folders, you’ll probably find yourself opening up two separate windows, which is a hassle. Altap Salamander helps out by providing two file manager views, letting you view your source and destination folders within the same window. It means you can quickly drag files between the two. As well as providing basic file-transfer tools, the program comes with plug-ins that let you perform tasks such as batch renaming, file encryption, screen capture and file recovery. There are specialist programs for these tasks - PicPick (https://picpick.app), for example, is a more comprehensive screenshot tool than the one in Salamander…

WARNING: JUNK AHEAD Junk offender: Foxmail Ever since Microsoft killed off the late, great Windows Live Mail, I’ve been searching for the perfect email program. I don’t really get on with Windows 10’s simplistic Mail app and I’m reluctant to use Thunderbird, because I find it clunky and suspect that Mozilla isn’t fully committed to supporting it. eM Client is pretty good, but only if you have fewer than two email accounts (more and you’ll need to pay £36 for the Pro version). And then there’s Foxmail (www.foxmail.com). At first glance, Foxmail seems like a promising option – it’s free and offers a simple, clean design similar to Windows Live Mail. It also includes a handy, built-in note-taking tool and was recently updated with new features, demonstrating that it’s still…

LAPTOP-TABLET | £1,918 from Dell www.snipca.com/31983 Latitude is one of Dell’s long-established business computing ranges. Like Toshiba’s Satellite (see our review, Issue 557) or the IBM ThinkPad, now made by Lenovo (see Issue 537), it conjures up chunky black plastic cases. This new machine breaks the mould. It’s all aluminium and, for a 14in machine with a 360-degree hinge that lets you fold back the touchscreen and use it as a tablet (as pictured below), impressively slim and light. “16-hour battery life, full set of ports and an exceptionally accurate screen” A metal case doesn’t automatically mean high build quality, but the Latitude’s industrial finish isn’t just for show: typing feels as firmly supported as on a desktop PC keyboard, and the twin hinges adjust smoothly and solidly. The only…

PHONE | £649 from OnePlus www.snipca.com/32046 With no shops, salespeople or TV adverts, OnePlus can spend more of your money on hardware. That’s how it releases a new phone every year for under 500 quid with features matching or beating pricier rivals. Up to now. For 2019, it held back the £499 model to launch a £649 Pro version, and although both are now out, neither quite feels like a blockbuster. “A stunning phone with nice touches but irritating flaws” The problem with the OnePlus 7 (£499 from www.snipca.com/32047) is that it’s basically the OnePlus 6T, which wasn’t the most different thing in the world from the OnePlus 6. It does have a new Snapdragon 855 processor with Adreno 640 graphics, which is very fast and ideal for more ambitious…

SECURITY CAMERA | £50 from Amazon www.snipca.com/32063 Wi-Fi home security cameras (see Issue 527, page 24) use the internet-connected technology now found in most homes and pockets to make what used to be a complicated job – setting up cameras to monitor remotely – very simple. But they usually cost £150-£250, and a hidden extra is the annual fee for the cloud subscription without which many offer very limited storage. So it’s good to see a more affordable option from a big name like BT. This is an indoor camera, for desktop or wall mounting, that uses a mains adapter and only records 720p HD, less sharp than 1080p and noticeably fuzzy in nightvision mode. And while rivals shoot 30 frames per second, like your phone camera, the Smart Home…

Find out what other products we liked. Buy our new 2018 Back Issue CD: £15 from www.snipca.com/30307 LAPTOP HP Envy 13 £799 from www.snipca.com/29555 Tested Issue 539 The combination of an eighth-generation quad-core i5 chip and MX 150 graphics makes this an excellent all-round laptop, let down only by the poor colour reproduction of its Full HD touchscreen. Seven-hour battery life is adequate, and it’s nicely made. ALTERNATIVE Dell XPS 13 This premium laptop starts at £1,200, but the best deal is with the brand new quad-core i7-8550 and QHD touchscreen. £1,450 from www.snipca.com/26796 ANDROID TABLET Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 9.7 £390 from www.snipca.com/30707 Tested Issue 501 Now discounted and with a stylus included, this full-size HDR tablet is a better deal than the new Tab S4 (see Issue 540).…

ANDROID & iOS Create an Excel spreadsheet by taking photos Inputting data into a spreadsheet is one of the more tedious tasks known to man, so Microsoft has come up with a shortcut. The Excel app (Android www.snipca.com/31997, iOS www.snipca.com/31998) can now recognise data in a photo (of, say, your bus timetable or old Computeractive issues), then automatically turn it into a spreadsheet that you can edit and export as a PDF. The tool uses OCR (optical character recognition) to convert words in a photo to digital text, and that part works quickly and accurately. But it isn’t intelligent enough (yet) to know quite what to do with the converted text. When we took a photo of the entire Jargon Buster page (page 73), Excel scattered its words and paragraphs…

WINDOWS 7, 8.1, 10 Get a cleaner desktop In this issue’s Cover Feature, we explain how storing lots of files on your desktop can slow your computer (see page 51). If you do like to keep files on your desktop, but also want the option of swiping them out the way in an instant (ensuring an unobstructed view of your desktop wallpaper), there are ways to quickly hide their icons. Right-click an empty section of the desktop, then select View. You’ll see the ‘Show desktop icons’ option is ticked - click this to hide your icons. To get them back, simply repeat the process. Alternatively, you can use the free AutoHideDesktopIcons (www.snipca.com/32072) to do it for you. This small tool hides all desktop icons after five seconds of inactivity (you…

What is it? A cryptocurrency that Facebook hopes will revolutionise how people spend money. Sorry, what’s a cryptocurrency again? It’s a digital currency, without physical elements like notes or coins. Payments are encrypted, making them almost impossible to hack, and recorded in a blockchain, which is a peer-to-peer database. It’s not linked to a bank, so you can send money anonymously. Why does Facebook want its own cryptocurrency? It claims Libra (logo pictured above right) will “empower” the 1.7 billion people globally who don’t have bank accounts, promoting the currency as some kind of social crusade. But really it’s about attracting even more people to the social network, and getting those who already use it to do so more frequently. The idea is to let people send Libra ‘coins’ by…

The steps covered here will help prevent nuisance calls in the future, but if you’re already receiving them, you can still do something about it. Adding all your mobile and landline numbers to the Telephone Preference System (www.snipca.com/32068) is a good start and will stop most sales calls, but it won’t block scammers. One option is to block all callers that withhold their number. BT landline customers can use the free Call Protect service to do this. It also lets you block any numbers you specify (see screenshot) and any on BT’s list of known nuisance callers – check your settings at www.snipca.com/32054. Sky has a similar free service called Sky Talk Shield (www.snipca.com/32055). Virgin Media customers can use its Anonymous Caller Rejection service, but this costs £3 per month…

32bit/64bit A measure of how much data a PC can process at once. Most older computers are 32bit, more modern ones are 64bit. 3G/4G/5G Technologies that deliver faster mobile broadband. 4K Video with a resolution of at least 3840x2160 pixels. 720p/1080p/1440p Common types of high-definition video of 1280x720, 1920x1080 and 2560x1440 pixels respectively. Actuator An electronic device controlled by a motor that moves the hard-drive head arm. Adware Unwanted adverts that come with software. AES Advanced Encryption Standard. Encryption that scrambles information so it can only be read with the correct password. AMOLED Technology for creating flat-panel screens. ANSI American National Standards Institute. Oversees the standards for products and systems. APK Android Package Kit. The file format Android uses to install apps. aptX A codec used to compress audio so…