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My lasting memory of my first day as Computeractive editor was how many emails I received from readers. Some were requests for technical help, others made thoughtful comments on the magazine, but most of them contained ingenious tech tips. From the start I learnt that our readers are just as keen to share their computing knowledge as they are to boost their own. Indeed, many readers have told me that they love being the recognised ‘PC expert’ among their family and friends. So it wasn’t surprising that hundreds of you emailed me when I mentioned recently we were planning a special issue of readers’ tips. I was impressed not only by the breadth of topics covered, but also the clarity with which you explained the tips (our plain-English ethos must…

Printer manufacturer Epson has been criticised for asking eBay to take down cartridges made by other manufacturers and sold by retailers. These third-party cartridges are compatible with Epson’s printers and usually cheaper than those sold by the company. But it claims that they violate eBay’s VeRO (Verified Rights Owner) Programme, which lets firms report items that infringe their intellectual property, such as trademarks. Epson’s specific claim is about abuse of its patents, which applies only in the EU, leaving US customers still able to buy the cartridges. EBay agreed to remove the listings, angering Open Rights Group (ORG), which campaigns for privacy and free speech online. It said eBay previously stated that items would be removed only after a court order, but has removed printer cartridges solely on Epson’s “say-so”,…

Vodafone, EE and Three have been accused of ripping off customers by continuing to charge them for phones even after the cost has been paid off. Research from Citizens Advice found that customers who don’t sign up to a new contract are paying an average £22 extra a month. People aged over 65 were the most likely to be hit, with 23 per cent staying on their contract after the fixed period ends. Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: “The cost of handsets are hidden within some mobile-phone contracts giving phone providers a way to exploit their customer”. The majority of those whose contract includes the cost of the phone pay it off over two years. Citizens Advice called on phone providers to reduce monthly bills for customers…

WARNING: JUNK AHEAD Junk offender: Free YouTube Downloader I could waste hours (and frequently have) on YouTube. There are literally billions of videos to discover and enjoy, from amusing shorts to fascinating documentaries. Unfortunately, it’s not great for keeping you chuckling/absorbed on long journeys, because it requires a constant internet connection. Thankfully, there are tools that can ride to the rescue. One of the most popular is Free YouTube Downloader (www.snipca.com/26052), a no-nonsense little program that can copy any YouTube video to your PC for your offline pleasure. Strictly speaking, you’re not supposed to do this, but no one’s going to haul you over the coals for downloading the odd (perhaps very odd) video for personal use. There is, however, a darker side to YouTube Downloader. The installer walks you…

In Issue 513 (News, page 7) you ask for readers’ views on how technology should be used to help elderly people requiring social care. It’s a vital question, and I’m glad that my favourite magazine is raising it. The most important point I want to make is that we shouldn’t dismiss technology as simply cost-cutting. Your news story suggests that Essex County Council is using Skype rather than face-to-face visits as a way to save money. I don’t know whether that’s the case, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing. We all know how expensive it is to care for our ageing population, so spending money wisely is imperative. Also, think of the time a care worker could save by contacting patients on video, rather than driving to their house.…

Q I bought a Nexus 5X (pictured) phone from Carphone Warehouse in February 2016. It’s now stuck in a boot loop, which a repair shop has told me is a known fault with the 5X’s motherboard. Various online articles support this claim. But Carphone Warehouse says too much time has passed for me to return the phone for a refund. Is that right? Clare Edwards A No that isn’t correct. We think Carphone Warehouse is confusing Clare’s rights under the Consumer Rights Act (CRA) with the various policies it has on exchanging phones – these depend on which mobile network you’re signed up to. Some network providers, including Virgin and O2, let you exchange a phone within 14 days, though you have to pay any charges used on the SIM.…

I wish to come to the defence of Vodafone, which is frequently cited for its poor customer service. I’ve been a customer of Vodafone for 20 years and I stay with it because I’ve had nothing but excellent service for all that time. For example, some years ago I received a new phone which had a faulty battery. It was replaced via a courier within 24 hours. A year ago I was ready to upgrade to a new model and was offered a 10 per cent reduction on the monthly contract price without any prompting. My most recent experience was when a short text to my sister in Italy was charged four times on one bill – a quick phone call to customer services resulted in a credit for all…

Amazon scam ‘improves privacy’ I can usually spot scams quickly, but the headline in a recent email from ‘Amazon’ claiming to be about improving privacy seemed worth opening. It said that Amazon would in future hold my details for no more than six months. Then came the tell-tale signs, asking me to ‘Click here to verify now your details’ and a misplaced apostrophe: ‘Additional Information’s’. So I checked the email’s Properties, and saw it was from ‘44130203@notifications.com’, not Amazon.co.uk. I then added the sender to my Blocked list. Gerry Jones Warn your fellow readers about scams at letters@computeractive.co.uk…

www.snipca.com/25987 What you need: Windows 7, 8.1 or 10 AllDup is one of very few duplicate-finders that doesn’t make you pay to remove the replicated files it discovers. The basics are easy: click Source Folder, select a destination, then click Start Search. But there are dozens of search filters to wrestle with, and the scan results are initially baffling. The new version of AllDup lets you save your search criteria when you exit, and that’ll help speed things up next time you use it. The Save button lets you export a TXT or CSV file of the results, so you can go through the list carefully before removing files. To get the installable version, click Download on the left, then click ‘Server #1’ or ‘Server #2’. Tick ‘Add AllDup to…

Q My eight-year old Pentium PC is fine for general use, but I can’t run astronomy programs such as Gaia and NASA’s Eyes. I feel it’s time for an upgrade to a Windows 10 laptop. Can you advise on suitable processor and graphics specifications? John Fraser A NASA’s Eyes doesn’t require a very powerful PC, just Windows 7 or higher. Some astronomy programs may need a faster processor, while others may benefit from a graphics card supporting OpenGL. Intel’s top-end i7 U-series laptop processors, with their built-in graphics, could be ideal. Dell’s well-made XPS 13 (www.snipca.com/ 25963, see our review, Issue 496) costs £1,299 with a brand new i7 chip. This has a Full HD screen, giving a clear display that accommodates detailed interfaces. More affordable options are available from…

Floppy disk WHAT WAS IT? When computers first became affordable in the 1970s, their most common type of mass storage consisted of a flexible plastic disk, coated with magnetic material, inside a plastic sleeve. These were literally floppy. Early 8in floppies were replaced by 5.25in disks, for which drives were available. Initially storing 160K, users would keep each project on a different floppy. Soon, 3.5in disks in sturdier cases with a sliding metal cover took over, storing up to 1.44 megabytes. HOW HAVE THINGS CHANGED? The floppy disk’s various roles have been usurped by other technologies. Operating systems and files are stored on hard drives or SSDs. A typical desktop PC has a 1TB hard drive, equivalent to six million 160K 5.25in floppies. Laptops have smaller SSDs, but if more…

Want to write for the UK’s best-selling technology magazine? We’re looking for an outstanding Deputy Editor who has the pride, vision and dedication to produce exceptional features every fortnight. You’ll need to share our readers’ passion for computing. They expect excellent advice written in plain English – it will be your job to deliver that every fortnight. You’ll be commissioning, writing and editing in-depth, well-researched articles that our loyal readers read and keep, not 50-word snippets online that are instantly forgotten. For more details on the job and to apply visit www.snipca.com/26041. To contact the Editor (Daniel Booth) directly email editor@ computeractive.co.uk.…

ANDROID & iOS Listen to YouTube audio with your screen switched off Some YouTube content in which audio is all important – for example, music, interviews and podcasts – can be enjoyed even with your screen off. However, the YouTube app stops playback when this happens. There is a way to continue listening to audio from YouTube videos on Android and iOS even after turning off your screen. If you use an Android device, launch the Chrome browser and go to the YouTube website. Next, tap the three dots at the top right, then tap ‘Request desktop site’. Now search for the YouTube video you want to listen to and play it. Press the home-screen button on your phone to exit the app – playback will now stop. Swipe down…

WINDOWS 7, 8, 10 Open files and folders with a single click By default, you need to click a file/folder in Windows/File Explorer to select it and double-click to open it. With a simple settings tweak, you can select an item by pointing your cursor at it, then single-click it to open it. Open Windows/File Explorer, click the File tab (in Windows 7 and 8.1, click the Organize dropdown menu), then click Options or ‘Change folder and search options’. In the pop-up window that appears, select ‘Single-click to open an item (point to select)’, click Apply, then OK. WINDOWS 7, 8, 10 Restore your PC to an earlier state Whenever you carry out an activity that may put your PC at risk (for example, downloading a program or updating to…

There’s an easy way to compare two columns of similar data in an Excel sheet to see which data matches. In our example, we’ll explain which formula to use to show in a third column which values match and which don’t. In our example, there are two columns (1 and 2) with almost identical data. In order to compare the two sets of data, we’ve created a third column, called Comparison. Click inside cell D2 (the first cell in the Comparison column). Next, click inside the Function field at the top, then type IF(B2=C2, “Match”, “No match”), then press Enter (see screenshot). You’ll see Match in cell D2 because cells B2 and C2 are a match. This formula tells Excel to compare both columns. If the cells in Column 1…

Back up Thunderbird settings In your Cover Feature on email (Issue 511), you provided instructions on how to back up your Thunderbird settings. To do this, I use the program MozBackup (http://mozbackup.jasnapaka.com). It backs up my settings, address book and emails. I also use it for backing up Firefox settings and bookmarks. Works a treat in Windows 10! David Jolly Scan anything quickly and easily I’d like to recommend the program Not Another PDF Scanner 2 (NAPS2, www.naps2.com). When I first saw its name I was highly dubious. But I haven’t been so pleased with a program for ages. I am using a Canon Pixma MP800 to digitise a lot of my stuff: paperwork and photos. The camera’s scanning software is pretty decent with plenty of options, but when it…

Use black card when scanning to avoid ghost images When scanning newspaper pages and the like, the captured image often has the ‘ghost’ of the printed content on the reverse of the page, and even of the page above it. Try placing a sheet of black card behind the page to be scanned. With no light-dark contrast on the reverse of that page, the print on the reverse will no longer be visible or at the very least will be minimal. If the scanned image looks a bit dull, use the basic adjustments in a free photo-editing program like PhotoFiltre (www.photofiltre-studio.com, see screenshot below) to tweak it. H J Hill Keep USB sticks cool using a heat sink I have noticed that when transferring large files to a USB stick…

Q I have recently removed my HP Photosmart printer from my computer using Revo Uninstaller, but now every time I turn my laptop on I get an error message about a missing DLL file. I can click on the OK button to remove the warning, and everything seems fine after that — but how do I stop it appearing at all? Is there now a problem with my system? Steve Shaw A There’s no problem with your system but Revo Uninstaller evidently didn’t remove every last remnant of your HP printer’s drivers. We reckon this is probably just a redundant entry in the Startup folder that tries to load the now-missing software. To check, press Windows key+E to launch File Explorer, then navigate to C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\ Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup. Look for the…

Q My Windows 10 PC has recently started presenting the date incorrectly. If I’m not mistaken it has switched to the American format of month/day/year. So far as I can see this cannot be changed in Settings, or have I missed something simple? Interestingly, when I hover the mouse pointer over the bottom corner, the day and date appear in what I would call the correct format for the UK (day/month/year). I’d really like all my dates to display the UK way. Mike Alcock A You are missing something simple but that’s because it’s simple to miss. First, click Start followed by the Settings cog, and then ‘Time & language’ followed by ‘Date & time’. It’s not obvious here that you can scroll down to see more options, which is…

Q I’ve been looking for a new PC. I’ve seen processors like Intel Core i3, i5, i7 and i9. I get that the higher numbers are probably better, but even looking at just one type, there are loads more numbers attached (‘Core i5-6300U’ and ‘Core i5- 7300U’, for example). I’m a bit bamboozled. Can you explain the differences in a way that a normal human might understand? Oliver Parsons A Intel’s processor names can seem impenetrable. For an easy life you should indeed just focus on the first bit. Intel describes ‘Core’ as the ‘brand’. The two-digit alphanumeric code right after that (i3, etc) is the ‘brand modifier’. You’re broadly right in your assumption that a higher brand modifier means a better processor. However, there’s information concealed in the seemingly…

Recommendations are part and parcel of online shopping. I’m sure you’ve experienced them. Add a tube of Polos to your basket and you’re likely to be informed that customers who bought mints also bought a dozen different types of cure for halitosis and a copy of Dating after 50 for Dummies (which is actually a real book, £15.99 on Amazon: www.snipca.com/25905). “Boots’ latest moneymaking wheeze is an app that buzzes your phone with offers when you walk in” These recommendations are sometimes useful, sometimes amusing and sometimes downright embarrassing. Here’s something that happened to me last winter. I went Amazon shopping for a matching woolly hat and scarf. Innocuous enough, you might think. But at some point I made the mistake of clicking a picture of a balaclava that popped…

News The top stories in the world of technology Social-media giant Facebook has once again denied it listens to users’ conversations in order to show relevant adverts. Many users have reported seeing adverts related to recent real-life conversations, suspecting they were triggered by Facebook listening to them through the microphone on their computer, phone or tablet. But in a message on Twitter Rob Goldman, the company’s vice-president of ads, wrote: “We don’t – and have never - used your microphone for ads. Just not true”. He was responding to a tweet by PJ Vogt, who presents the technology podcast Reply All (https://gimletmedia.com/ reply-all): “Call us if you believe that Facebook uses your mic to spy on you for ad reasons”. Vogt received many replies from people who think Facebook might…

Microsoft has slammed Google for not immediately fixing a security flaw in its Chrome browser, in the latest clash between the two tech rivals. In a blog post (www.snipca.com/26009) Microsoft says it found a flaw in Chrome, and notified Google on 14 September, receiving a ‘bounty’ payment of $15,837 (£12,000). Google fixed it within a week in the beta version of Chrome, which Microsoft acknowledged was “impressive”. But Microsoft criticised Google for publishing details of the fix on GitHub (https:// github.com) – where software developers release source code for others to use – before fixing the full version of Chrome, which it failed to do for almost a month. Microsoft said this gave hackers “more than enough time” to exploit it. The company’s comments come after heavy criticism this year from…

Young offenders should have their social-media profiles monitored to prevent crime, a probation watchdog report has said. It warned that some of the vilest crimes, including sexual offences, are planned online in ways that were “inconceivable” a few years ago. After examining 115 cases, HM Inspectorate of Probation found that a quarter of the crimes were “directly related” to the perpetrator’s use of social-media sites. Its report said crimes were now “planned in bedrooms rather than on street corners”. In some cases arguments online escalated into physical assaults, while others saw victims blackmailed using indecent images they were pressured to upload. Rival gangs regularly threaten each other in videos online. Offenders often use codes when chatting online, including NIFOC (‘nude in front of the computer’) and POS (‘parents over shoulder’).…

What they say Google designer Ivy Ross (www.snipca.com/26053): “The mission was to create a design language that reflects something that we believe is very Google and really sets the tone and develops a unique point of view - we want to be cohesive as a family of products and do what’s best for each product, never sacrificing the individual form and function of a singular product.” What they mean Google wants its products to have a recognisable style, but ease-of-use is its priority.…

Tell us what’s on your mind Email: letters@computeractive.co.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/computeractive Twitter: @ComputerActive www.twitter.com/computeractive BBC is a ‘national institution’; Netflix isn’t Does Martin Cartwell know something we don’t (Letters, Issue 513)? He seems oddly certain that the BBC will soon be stripped of the TV Licence because it’s irrelevant in the era of TV streaming. Like Mr Cartwell, I think a lot about the BBC’s future, but have come to a different conclusion. What he’s not acknowledging is that the BBC is a national institution in a way that Netflix, YouTube and others could never be. The BBC represents the UK around the world, and shouldn’t be seen simply as just another TV service. Just think of all the great shows and people the BBC has given us. It needs to…

Is an unregistered warranty invalid? Q I bought a Samsung vacuum cleaner in July 2015, with a warranty card stating a twoyear warranty period. It broke in August 2017. Samsung have no record of my registering the warranty, so say I’ve no claim. If you fail to register an appliance does this invalidate the warranty? Leon Williams A Yes it does in the majority of cases. You typically have between 28 and 30 days to register free warranties that manufacturers and retailers offer. These are voluntary - companies don’t have to provide them. In effect it’s a way for companies to say ‘we stand by the quality of our product and if it fails we’ll repair or replace the goods’. They must stick to the terms and conditions in the…

Contact us so we can investigate your case Email: consumeractive@computeractive.co.uk Please include both your phone number and address. Q I believe I’ve been misled into buying an HP ProBook 440 G4 laptop from Laptops Direct (www.laptopsdirect.co.uk). I bought it because HP claims it has up to 15.5 hours of battery life, but I’m lucky if I get anywhere near 10. Laptops Direct has told me to take it up with HP. But HP won’t provide any proof of battery life to me. Can you tell me what my rights are? James Lung James can sue Laptops Direct, thanks to a change in the law in 2014, which allows consumers to sue traders directly over misleading claims. Previously, they’d had to go through a consumer body such as Trading Standards or…

PHOTO TOOL IrfanView 4.50 www.irfanview.com What you need: Windows 7, 8.1 or 10 There are only two non-Microsoft programs I use every day: Chrome and IrfanView. Neither is perfect – Chrome bullies my PC with its slew of background processes, and IrfanView used to bundle a PUP in its installer. But they’ve both managed to make themselves indispensable, and IrfanView is now better than ever – and it’s finally gone junk-free. IrfanView’s Image menu is packed with quick creative tricks such as panorama and slideshow creation, greyscale conversion and photo effects. It also incorporates a superb Explorer-style library tool called Thumbnails. But where it really excels is in quick image file tasks: converting between formats (dozens of them, including iPhone PNG in the new version); resizing (dimensions and resolution); cropping,…

How can I make scanned documents easier to read? Q I volunteer for a family history society. We transcribe old documents that have been scanned to PDF, then enter the data into spreadsheets. Some of our elderly volunteers have difficulty reading the faint scans, so I’m wondering is there software that enhances text in a PDF? Keith Griffiths A Adobe’s popular Acrobat Reader (get.adobe.com/uk/reader) has great text-enhancing tools. Its Accessibility Setup Assistant (click Edit, then Accessibility) lets you customise settings to make all scanned documents easier to read. For example, you can select ‘Use high-contrast colours for document text’ (see screenshot); choose a readable colour combination such as bright green on black; disable text scrolling for higher contrast; and set the zoom level to a whopping 6,400 per cent. The…

Computeractive readers test the… Earlier this year devolo teamed up with Computeractive to offer readers the chance to review the GigaGate Wi-Fi Bridge. Comprising a base and satellite units, it can boost your speed by up to 2Gbps (2,000Mbps), potentially improving your multimedia experience. Playing games, streaming TV and listening to music could become lightning fast. Up to eight satellite devices can be connected, not only from one room to another for a complete home-network solution. Our readers were impressed by it, as these reviews testify… Devolo’s GigaGate Starter Kit (modelled by my son Josh, below) transforms a lacklustre broadband experience into a satisfactory and stable communication environment. When you are in the garden trying to upload nature pics to cloud storage and the service times out or just stops,…

Find out what other products we liked. Buy our new 2016 Back Issue CD: £15 fromwww.snipca.com/23209 LAPTOP Dell Inspiron 15 5000 £780 from www.snipca.com/24851 Tested: Issue 459 Now featuring Intel’s seventh-generation Kaby Lake processors, the Inspiron 15 is great value for a full-size laptop with i7 CPU, anti-glare Full HD screen, 4GB AMD R7 graphics and a 1TB hard drive. More basic models start at £429. ALTERNATIVE: Asus ZenBook UX310UA This sleek (if slightly plasticky) 13in adds a super-sharp 3200x1800-pixel screen to i5 performance with a 256GB SSD. £815 from www.snipca.com/24852 ANDROID TABLET Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 9.7 £600 from www.snipca.com/24140 Tested: Issue 501 Samsung’s new mid-sized tablet has a wonderful HDR screen and comes with a pen included, unlike Apple’s iPad Pro. But its processor isn’t the fastest and it’s disappointingly…

The 2018 version of MAGIX Movie Edit Pro Plus uses hardware acceleration to process videos five times faster than before. Previews for 4K resolutions are smoother too. Also new are 200 multimedia tracks to enhance your videos (the Standard version has 32), improved 360-degree editing and additional effects worth £39.95. To enter, email your address to cacomp@dennis.co.uk with ‘movie edit’ in the subject line by midnight 21 November. MAGIX Movie Edit Pro Plus is available from www.magix.com/gb priced £79.99. There are also Standard and Premium versions available, priced £59.99 and £99.99 respectively. For more information on MAGIX products follow @ MAGIX_INT on Twitter.…

Microsoft Launcher Free Android: www.snipca.com/26021 Microsoft has renamed its Arrow Launcher and added new features. The best of these is the option to view documents, edit photos and browse websites, then continue doing these tasks where you left off on your PC. You need to update your PC to the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update for this to work. Boomerang Mail Free Android: www.snipca.com/26019 iOS: www.snipca.com/26020 New to iOS, Boomerang lets you add all your Gmail and Outlook accounts and offers features those apps don’t. For example, you can pause email notifications, schedule emails to be sent later and swipe left across any email for options to move, mark as read, add a star or delete it. Split-screen creator Free Android: www.snipca.com/26022 One of the best features of the Samsung…

There are several ways you can take screenshots without installing non-Microsoft programs. The easiest is to press the Print Screen (PrtSc) key, or the Windows key+Print Screen (depending on your PC). Now open File Explorer to see your screenshot in the ‘Recent files’ section at the bottom. A useful tool that’s often overlooked is the Snipping Tool. Go to the screen you want to take a screenshot of, press the Windows key, type snipping tool, then open it. Click New, then click and drag your mouse over the area of the screen you want to include. Next, press Ctrl+S then rename and save the file wherever you want. You may need a screenshot of your lock screen (the login screen that requests your PC’s password) to get help for errors…

YOURTOP TIPS FOR... WINDOWS Get more vertical desktop space In magazines I always see references to the Windows taskbar “at the bottom of the screen”. Today’s monitors often have very wide, shallow aspect ratios, which are designed to show films widescreen. Using these screens for tasks such as document writing, on A4 portraitorientated paper, means a limited vertical view and a lot of scrolling. This is made worse by wide toolbars such as the Microsoft Office ribbon. One very easy way to give yourself more vertical viewing space is to move the taskbar to one side. Right-click the taskbar, select Properties, ‘Taskbar location on screen’. I set mine to be on the left in Windows 7 (see screenshot below left). In Office, you can hide the ribbon using the small…

In your Cover Feature on converting and restoring old videos, photos and music (Issue 512) you mentioned colourising black-and-white photos using Algorithmia’s website (www.snipca.com/25662). However, I found that it didn’t always work. I could have tried refining the colouring process using Paint.net (www.getpaint.net), but instead I used ColorizePhoto (www.colorizephoto.com/converter). What this lets me do is load the photo to be refined in both the main window and in the image to be used for the colourization (it doesn’t have to be the same picture in each, if you have a better choice of colours in a different picture). You can then click your colour of choice on one and use that to paint on the other picture until it’s just right. To give you an example here is my Great…

I’ve been buying bits of tech for many years – from wireless mice to pocket media players. A lot of this kit comes covered in a thin layer of soft rubber, which eventually becomes sticky and covered in fluff and dust. I’ve tried several household cleaning products without success. Then one day while sorting through my garage I found an old bottle of methylated spirit and thought I would give it a go. Hey presto! It got rid of this horrible stuff. In fact it left my kit in the kind of condition it should have been in when first bought. George Crosbie…

Did McVitie’s sit back and rest on its laurels when it created the digestive biscuit? Of course not. It dipped one side of its biscuit in chocolate and – hey presto! – the chocolate digestive was born. You might think that your favourite programs are perfectly fine as they are. But there are always plug-ins, add-ons and extensions (let’s call them extras) that can make them even better. Here we’ll show you how to improve the most popular office software; the best video, audio and photo-editing programs; and other tools you use every day. VIDEO, AUDIO & PHOTOSi Kodi You might have added your videos, music and photos to Kodi, but there’s much more to it. To add an extra tool (add-on) hover the cursor over Add-ons on the Kodi…

Email us your problem and we’ll try to help: noproblem@computeractive.co.uk Q I have been using Office for almost as long as I can remember. I am currently using Office 2010 but my contacts data, stored in Outlook, goes back to Office 97 or possibly even 95. In fact, the details it contains are older still, with many entries dating back to the 1960s and 1970s — but made digital with Outlook. I have contact details for family, friends, medical services and many businesses. I have recently pruned the database to about 400 contacts but I’m wondering what happens in 2020, when Office 2010’s support ends. If I don’t update to a newer version of Office what will happen to my data? Is there an easy way of retaining it outside…

Q I’ve just been given a hand-medown iPhone 6s, which came without a box so I don’t have instructions. I’ve worked out most of the things I want to do but the notifications are annoying me — or rather, the inability to dismiss them all at once. I’ve worked out that I can swipe right to left on a notification to clear it, or tap the little cross followed by Clear, but it’s a slow process. Is there a way to clear them all at once? Clare North A Yes. Your iPhone 6s has a pressure-sensitive screen, which enables a feature Apple calls 3D Touch. All you need to do is tap that little cross and then press the Clear button a little more forcefully, as though pushing into the…

A Google employee has exposed a security flaw in iOS that lets some apps take secret photos and videos of the owner. Felix Krause said hackers could use an iOS privacy setting to take control of apps that are allowed to use the device’s camera. They could even run facial-detection tools to read the owner’s expression, and stream live online what is being recorded. The device would give no indication that it’s being used, leaving its owner unaware of any intrusion. Krause revealed the flaw in his blog (www.snipca.com 26067), saying he has contacted Apple about it. He said users could protect themselves by buying a webcam cover (such as these on Amazon www.snipca.com/26068), or revoking apps’ access to the camera, though this would make it generally harder to take…

WEBSITES PLEDGE TO REMOVE TERROR CONTENT Tech giants – including Facebook, Twitter and Google – have vowed to do more to remove terrorist content online following a meeting with the G7 nations on the Italian island of Ischia. Officials said the aim was to take down extremist content within two hours of it being posted. This was the time limit recommended by Theresa May in September, when she urged tech companies to go “further and faster” to tackle hateful propaganda online. BT SLASHES LANDLINE RENTAL BILLS One million BT customers will pay less for their landline bills after the company bowed to pressure from Ofcom. The regulator has been concerned about a lack of competition in the landline market. The price cut – from £18.99 a month to £11.99 –…

CCLEANER ADDS AUTO-UPDATE TOOL CCleaner has added an Emergency Updater to its free version, following a major hack in September. The tool will “force a software update” in a “worst-case scenario” – for example, should another hack leave users vulnerable. Previously, only the paid-for version of CCleaner was updated automatically. To get this new version (5.36) click ‘Check for updates’ at the bottom right of CCleaner. Read more at www.snipca.com/26050. HOTEL-BOOKING SITES INVESTIGATED Hotel-booking sites such as Expedia and Booking.com are to be investigated over concerns they mislead customers. The Competition and Markets Authority will examine whether sites prioritise hotels they get a commission from. It will also look into claims sites pressurise customers by giving a “false impression of room availability”.…

IRAN BLAMED FOR HACKING MPs’ EMAILS Iran has been blamed for the hack on Parliament in June that accessed 90 email accounts, including 30 used by MPs. An unpublished intelligence report seen by The Times points the finger at the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, set up in 1979 to defend Iran against foreign interference. The attack, previously attributed to Russia and North Korea, is believed to be Iran’s first significant act of cyberwarfare against Britain. CHROME WARNING INCREASES HTTPS SITES Browsing online is becoming safer according to Google, which says the number of websites using HTTPS encryption has risen sharply. The company said on its Transparency Report site (www.snipca.com/26030) that 66 per cent of all web traffic on Chrome is protected by HTTPS, up from 50 per cent a year ago.…

Amazon & eBay I love to shop online, and I’m always eager to save money. So it came as a punch in the solar plexus to find some of my favourite shopping sites are complicit in some very dodgy business. A parliamentary report has found that foreign traders are selling goods on marketplace sites like Amazon and eBay without the required VAT being added. That means they can offer low prices up front – but as taxpayers we all end up paying ultimately. And it’s not just the small-time crooks who profit from this little scam. Amazon and eBay get commission on every sale, raking in billions. MPs estimate that our communities and public services may have been cheated out of as much as £1.5bn. Think how many nurses and…

I was in the same predicament as Jean Coogan (Letters, Issue 513), who felt she had to buy a smartphone to do the basic things in modern society, like paying for parking. Unlike some people in my family, I didn’t want to spend a fortune on an iDevice, so I bought a Vodafone Smart E8 for just £49 (www.snipca.com/25999, pictured). My grandchildren couldn’t believe I got it so cheaply, which made me feel rather proud. I have no idea whether it’s considered a good phone, but I’m happy with it. I would recommend it to anyone who needs a modern phone, but hasn’t got money to burn – particularly if they want to earn the respect of their tech-obsessed grandchildren! Heather Whitehouse CA says Heather’s right that the Vodafone Smart…

Q I was in Canada for three weeks and told my network provider TalkTalk so I could use my phone there. But it didn’t work. TalkTalk can’t give me a reasonable explanation as to why but won’t let me cancel my contract (which has seven months left) because it says my SIM card was free. Why is this? Gavin Robinson A We’re not sure why TalkTalk has given this excuse because it’s total nonsense. The company can’t stop Gavin cancelling his contract and moving to another provider. But to avoid TalkTalk’s early-cancellation fee (typically whatever amount is left on his contract) he may need a better reason than his phone not working in Canada. One valid reason could be if Gavin has an ‘acceptable network coverage guarantee’ from TalkTalk, such…

Reader takes on case and gets a brand new camera We’re happy to contact companies on your behalf, explaining what rights you have, and badgering them into taking the correct action. But equally we enjoy clarifying your rights so you can talk to the company yourself, and arm yourself for future battles. That’s what reader Frank Dean did, after contacting us about a faulty Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400v camera (pictured) he bought in 2014 for £400 from London Camera Exchange (see Issue 511). The retailer wanted to charge Frank for a second repair, having already clobbered him for £105 to fix the camera in 2016. It should not have done this because the camera had an inherent fault, showing the error code ‘E:62:10’, which has been widely reported online (www.snipca.com/25953) and…

Chrome’s extensions warning www.google.com/chrome Malicious extensions like AdBlock Plus (see above) can change your Chrome user settings without your consent – often a sign that it’s up to no good. Google has updated Chrome to detect this behaviour, offering to restore your original settings in a warning message (see screenshot). It says this option has helped millions of users reclaim their settings recently. Google has also bolstered its free Chrome Cleanup tool (www.snipca.com/25972), which scans and removes software that cause problems with Chrome, such as “crashes, unusual startup pages or toolbars, and unexpected ads you can’t get rid of”. It is now using the antivirus engine built by highly respected Slovakian security company ESET, meaning it will detect “more unwanted software than ever before”. In addition, a redesign to Cleanup…

What does it do? The higher the resolution of a screen, the more pixels it contains, and the more detail it can show you. Comparing screens that are the same physical size, the one with higher resolution (A) has smaller pixels packed closer together, giving higher ‘pixel density’ than (B). A The more pixels, the easier to read The fewer pixel the harder to read Why would I want it? More pixels means you can see more stuff at once, which is why the typical PC screen grew from 7-10in to 23- 27in. But we don’t want phones and tablets to keep getting bigger, so manufacturers are miniaturising LCD cells further to pack more detail in. What’s the catch? Beyond a certain point, you can’t see any more detail within…

Reviews PHONE | £499 from Nokia www.snipca.com/25968 This is the fanciest model of a new range of phones launched by Nokia, now under new management again after the brand was bought back from Microsoft by former Nokia executive Jean-Francois Baril. We liked the look of it when we first saw it, and when we found out it was selling for £499 – still pricey but over £100 less than other brands’ top models – we liked it even more. Various colours have been announced, but the only one readily available is Steel, an odd name considering it’s made from a single block of aluminium. The back feels lovely and is comfortable to hold, and the front is even better, with a very sharp 5.3in screen under Gorilla Glass 5. It…

PHONE | £49 from Vodafone www.snipca.com/25984 There are budget smartphones, and then there are smartphones so cheap that, factoring in the cost of putting them in a box and paying someone to hand you the box, they’re practically free. This one runs the current Android 7.1 Nougat, includes a microSD card slot to expand its tiny 8GB of storage, and has cameras on the back and front. Of course you don’t get advanced stuff like a fingerprint scanner. The slate-blue plastic case is mercifully plain and looks quite decent. “A basic phone that works and costs £49 – just don’t expect a quality screen” The 5-megapixel main camera takes rather dull and grainy pictures, but the HDR mode helps, and you can play with manual exposure. The front camera is…

EBOOK READER Amazon Kindle (2016) £57 from www.snipca.com/21901 Tested: Issue 483 Amazon’s basic ebook reader is now good enough to be our first choice. It’s plasticky, but slim and lightweight, with a decent 4GB storage and good battery life. Consider the £110 Paperwhite if you want backlighting or (for £60 extra) 3G. ALTERNATIVE Kobo Glo HD Competing with the Kindle Paperwhite, Kobo’s compact model has a clear screen with controllable lighting. £130 from www.snipca.com/21905 Aura H2O (2017) This premium waterproof reader from Amazon’s main rival can’t load Kindle books, but it’s very pleasant to use. £150 from www.snipca.com/24473 PC MONITOR PRICE DROP AOC Q2778VQE £228 from www.snipca.com/21902 Tested: Issue 468 It comes with no extras, such as built-in speakers or a USB hub, but this 2560x1440 panel gives you a full 27in screen…

What you need: Android phone or iPhone; Windows 10 PC Time required: 20 minutes Microsoft has launched a Preview version of its Edge browser for Android phones and iPhones, which is well worth trying. It automatically syncs web pages you save to your Favourites and online articles you add to your Reading List across your phone and PC’s Edge browser. Its Reading View feature makes articles easier to read and lets you search the web using your voice. There’s also a ‘Continue on PC’ button that lets you send articles from your phone to your PC. STEP 1 Search for Microsoft Edge Preview in the Google Play Store (Android) or Apple’s App Store (iOS). If you can’t find it, open any browser app, go to www.snipca.com/25994, select your phone type…

AGES 0-5 Om Nom Toons Free www.snipca.com/26023 (Android) Free www.snipca.com/26024 (iOS) This is an entertaining game for toddlers in which your child can watch short cartoons about Om Nom the frog and play games that involve joining the dots, matching items and tapping a tile to find where Om Nom is hiding. AGES 6-10 How It Works? £2.99 www.snipca.com/26025 (iOS) This educational game teaches your kids about natural phenomena through animated videos. After each video, they can carry out activities that help them memorise the concepts they’ve learned. One of our favourites involves dragging and dropping images into the correct boxes. AGES 11-16 Snake VS Block* Free www.snipca.com/26026 (Android) Free www.snipca.com/26027 (iOS) Similar to Nokia’s popular Snake game, Snake VS Block is easy to play once you’ve mastered it. Make…

WORD Insert a table of contents in longer documents If you are working on a longer document (for example, a book or business plan containing many chapters and sub-sections), it’s a good idea to insert a table of contents at the beginning of your document. To do this, highlight the first chapter title, then click Heading 1 in the Styles section of the Home tab (top right). Now highlight the first section title within this chapter, then click Heading 2 in the Styles section. Repeat this process for all chapter titles (Heading 1) and section titles (Heading 2) in your document. Click a point at the start of your document. Next, click the References tab, then the ‘Table of Contents’ dropdown menu at the top left to see the different…

You can also use Plex to stream your audiobooks. First, move all your audiobooks to their own folder (C:/ Audiobooks, for example). Next, hover the cursor over Libraries, click the ‘+’, Music, then give this library the name Audiobooks. Click next, ‘Browse for Media Folder’, select your Audiobooks folder, then click Add. Before you click next, click Options and select ‘Create a basic music library’. Next, click Advanced, tick ‘Include in dashboard’ and ‘Store track progress’ (see screenshot), then choose Personal Media Artists from the Agent dropdown menu. To add artwork, hover the cursor over an audiobook, click the pencil (bottom left), Poster, then drag and drop the artwork you want (or click ‘enter a url’ and paste the URL of an image you’ve found online).…

I got so fed up with my HP Pavilion DV6 laptop (which I upgraded to Windows 10) that I just wanted to sledgehammer it and buy a new one. But I decided to give it one last chance. First, I would like to point out that I had tried all the CCleaners of this world and to be honest my personal experience is that they don’t help a slowing PC in the slightest, and certainly not mine. I decided that as I don’t really need all the years of software installs on my laptop I would do a Windows 10 reset, but keep the data files. I clicked the ‘Reset your PC’ button (instructions at www.snipca.com/26005, see screenshot) and let Windows 10 go on its way. I didn’t hold much…

Scan downloads using 40 antivirus programs My friends always tell me I’m a bit paranoid, which is probably why I’ve switched between numerous antivirus programs over the years (Kaspersky, Bitdefender, Avira, F-Secure and many more). I always suspect that I’m not getting the full protection. One of my long-suffering friends suggested I use the Chrome extension Metadefender (www.snipca.com/26048). When you download something, Metadefender scans it using the antivirus engines of more than 40 security companies, including those mentioned above. It feels like I’m being protected by 40 bodyguards, each with a particular skill. You can right-click the extension to manually run a scan, but I’ve set it to do this every time I download something (did I mention I was paranoid?). You can do this by clicking the Metadefender icon…

Why is my drive access denied? Q I have over 1TB of files stored on my portable hard drive that, for no apparent reason, I can no longer reach. When I try to open the drive in File Explorer, I get a message that says says: ‘G:\ is not accessible. Access is denied’. Online forums suggest missing permissions might be the problem. As Windows 10 has two administrator levels I have been advised it is not a simple process to add the missing permissions. What recovery software should I use to retrieve the files from this hard drive? Alistair Maitland A Hold your horses! Datarecovery software would be the last resort, and we very much doubt it’ll come to that. First, have you tried simply attaching this drive to another…

Q I have purchased a brandnew desktop PC from Chillblast, running Windows 10 Pro and with all the latest hardware and updates. On my Windows 8 laptop, I can insert a shop-bought DVD and it’ll work. On my super-duper new computer literally nothing happens. Please help! John Gregory Welcome to Microsoft’s attitude to DVD playback — which is to say that Windows 10 can’t, as standard, play these discs. The company decided that people who want to do what they always used to be able to do with earlier versions of Windows now have to pay for the privilege. The firm’s official solution is Windows DVD Player app (www.snipca.com/25876, see screenshot), which is an £11.59 purchase from the Windows Store. Remarkably, though, this paid-for tool doesn’t enable playback of Blu-ray…

Q Because I need to access files on both my Windows 10 PCs, I store everything on a USB stick. Not long ago Windows started showing a notification that I should ‘Scan and fix’ the stick. I agreed to do so, but Windows froze before any progress was made. Can I make Windows stop telling me to scan the drive? Ryan Bester A Windows prompts you to scan and fix a removable drive (such as a USB stick) if it believes it has previously been unplugged without being properly ejected. This can corrupt it, so it’s a sensible precaution, but we agree it’s annoying. The best way to avoid being nagged is to always right-click the drive letter and select Eject before physically unplugging the stick. The fact that your…

Why can’t I install Kaspersky Battery Life? QI wanted to use Kaspersky Battery Life (KBL) as featured in Issue 512 (page 40), but my phone – a Samsung Galaxy S8, running Android 7 – tells me it’s not compatible. A little online research suggests KBL may not be compatible with some Android 7 and 8 devices. I can’t see any disclaimers in your article about this. Any comments? Howard L Smith AYou’re right, KBL won’t work with all Android 7 and 8 phones – despite being available on Google Play Store (www.snipca.com/26002), where its requirements are described as ‘Android 4.1 and up’. Further digging in the Play Store entry did reveal that ‘Currently Android 7.0 and 8.0 are not supported’. However, it did work on our Android 7 phone (a…

Bust more jargon in our A-Z book: www.snipca.com/21616 32bit A measure of how much information a computer can process at once. Most older computers are 32bit. 4K Video with a resolution of at least 3840x2160 pixels. 64bit A technology that processes information in larger chunks. Most modern computers are 64bit. 720p A resolution of highdefinition video: 1280x720 pixels. ACE An old file format for compressing data, overtaken by RAR in popularity. Add-in Microsoft’s name for tools that can be added to Office software. Add-on A program that adds extra features to programs and browsers. AMOLED Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode. An alternative technology to LCD for creating flat-panel displays. Antivirus engines The core component of an antivirus program that detects malware. Aspect ratio A measurement of the shape of a display.…