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People tend to forget how stunningly useful websites can be. Software, apps, browsers and Windows tools grab all the headlines, while websites just work quietly in the background, providing valuable information and performing clever tasks. They’re reliable too: you never need to update or re-install them. This issue’s Cover Feature is an attempt to stop taking them for granted. Our emphasis is on ‘usefulness’ (though page 57 does stray into fun territory), so you’ll find digital rulers, floor planners, calculators, route makers and tools for editing photos and music. You can create word clouds and flip books, see how much sun your garden gets, and learn how to tie the Gnat Hitch knot (it’s bound-literally - to prove handy). I hope we’ll direct you to sites you’ve never visited before,…

You may see fewer requests to accept cookies in future after the Government announced plans to replace parts of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), which came into effect in the UK three years ago. The regulations force websites to ask users permission to store some of your personal data, but many people find the pop-up messages intrusive and annoying. The core principle of GDPR is that businesses must have appropriate legal grounds for collecting your data, and must always seek your consent to use it. But critics say the rules are restrictive red tape that stifle the UK’s digital economy, while doing little to protect people’s privacy. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has outlined plans to replace “pointless” data regulations with “light-touch” rules that will help the British…

KINDLE UPDATE ADDS LARGE SEARCH BAR Amazon has replaced the toolbar on Kindle home screens with a large search bar (pictured) as part of a major update (version 5.13.7). There are two new buttons at the bottom - Home and Library - while an arrow at the top offers easier access to ‘quick’ settings such as Airplane Mode. You’ll need a 7th-generation Paperwhite or 8th-generation Kindle or Oasis (or later). Connect the device to Wi-Fi to download the update. SAMSUNG CUTS ADS ON PHONES & TABLETS Samsung is set to remove adverts from its apps that come installed on its Galaxy phones and tablets, including Samsung Weather, Samsung Pay and Samsung Theme. It said the ads will be cut in an update later this year, adding that it wanted to…

Messages about fake product deliveries are now the most common text scam in the UK, accounting for more than half of threats. Millions of phone users have received the scams, as criminals continue to exploit the rise in online shopping triggered by the Covid lockdowns. Security firm Proofpoint conducted a study from mid-April to mid-July, and found that 53 per cent of fraudulent texts claimed to be from a delivery firm. This compared with 23 per cent of messages claiming to be from a bank or financial organisation. In the 30 days to mid-July the proportion of delivery scams rose to 67 per cent. Typically the scams urge you to make a small payment to ensure the item is delivered. Other scams ask you to tap a link to track…

Don’t ‘verify’ NatWest account I switched my bank account from Lloyds to NatWest last year, so perhaps that’s why I was targeted by scammers warning me that someone from a “different computer” had tried to access my account (see the email at www.snipca.com/39202). It looked convincing enough (with a logo, and no obvious mistakes), so I was half-tempted to click the link to verify my account. But something made me think twice, so I phoned NatWest to check. They confirmed it was fraudulent. Looking back at the email, I saw that it began ‘Dear Valued Customer’, which is a dead giveaway. Warn your fellow readers about scams at letters@computeractive.co.uk…

I was delighted to read Issue 613’s ‘Question of the Fortnight’ about the demise of Amazon’s crazy project to fly delivery drones. I’m no great fan of Amazon, but I would have objected to any retailer’s plans to drop items by air. One of the arguments for drone deliveries was that it would mean fewer delivery vans clogging up the roads, but this is naive. If you gave shoppers a new delivery option (such as drones), it would encourage even more people to shop at Amazon, leading to more deliveries of every kind - vans, drones, and other Bond-style gimmicks. Maybe Amazon would eventually invent cars that turn into speedboats so they can deliver to oil rigs. Online deliveries are a blight of modern life. I live in a little…

☑ Initially I was underwhelmed by my Lenovo IdeaCentre PC because effectively it’s a laptop in a metal box, without room for expansion. This was confirmed when I considered adding an SSD and discovered there appeared to be no space for it, despite the specification stating there’s space for two drives. Some time later I contacted Lenovo support because the HDMI port was not working. Their support was excellent and reasonably quick. After the first email the issue was not resolved, so the engineer tried to phone me, but I missed the call so they emailed instead. When it was still not resolved the engineer phoned again, but I was out. When it was all finally resolved the engineer phoned to check I was happy, and asked whether I had…

OFFICE SUITE www.libreoffice.org What you need: Windows 7, 8.1 or 10, macOS or Linux LibreOffice has just been updated with a long list of improvements, making our favourite free office suite even more useful. Many of the tweaks affect background processes, boosting the suite’s speed and stability, while others make it work better when you import Microsoft Office files such as DOCX (Word) and XLSX (Excel). It’s still not perfect, though, and if you open and save complex documents between Office and LibreOffice, you may occasionally encounter formatting errors. Version 7.2 adds a new dark theme, a pop-up list of menu commands and a new List View for browsing templates. The word processor, Writer, now lets you add links in tables of contents and indices, which is useful when creating…

Junk offender: Andy Android emulators are tools that let you run a virtual Android device on your Windows PC. It’s useful to have access to all your favourite apps – such as WhatsApp and Viber – on your computer’s desktop, or try lots of free apps without worrying about filling up your phone’s storage. But before you rush to install such a tool, let me warn you about Andy. It sounds friendly (like a reliable plumber), and the website (www.andyroid.net) boasts that it’s “the best Android Emulator”. My personal experience, however, would suggest otherwise. During the setup process, Andy will attempt to trick you into installing unwanted software on not one, but two occasions. The first test of your wits is a screen with an ‘optional offer’ for a tool…

Smashes through Windows This striking PC has tempered safety glass on its front and left sides. Three fans light up the front fascia with a pulsating rainbow effect, but you can configure this – we ended up choosing a subtle white glow. This compliments the view through the side window, which displays the glowing light from the PC’s two most important components: the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X processor, which comes with a water-cooling system; and the huge RTX 3060 graphics card. A speedy Windows machine with striking looks and potential for upgrades Those who know their graphics cards may have been expecting a newer RTX 3070 in a desktop PC costing £1,500, so it’s a slight disappointment to see the older RTX 3060 here. It’s a great choice for games…

What does it do? Wi-Fi security protects your router from interlopers who try to connect their devices to your Wi-Fi network. It also encrypts the data that’s sent between devices once they’re connected. Security has always been a part of the Wi-Fi Alliance’s Wi-Fi standards, but early devices that use the original WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) and WPA (Wireless Protected Access) protocol are no longer considered secure. How does it work? The router that manages a Wi-Fi network secures it with a password. You can connect a device, such as a PC or smartphone, to a Wi-Fi network by typing in this password when prompted. Alternatively, if you have physical access to the router, you may be able to connect by pressing the WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) button. The latest…

A right touch We’re used to seeing apps on our phones, but apps on our printers is still a novelty. This colour laser printer puts its generous 5in touchscreen to great use here, with a library of apps that provide customisable tools that are easily accessible. The apps include options for one-touch scanning to particular destinations (such as your email or computers on your home network), and there are templates you can use if you often print the same thing, such as blank to-do lists or standard forms. The one thing it lacks is direct printing from online storage services such as Google Drive or Dropbox. The scanner has a 50-page duplex sheet feeder, so you can copy and scan two-sided documents automatically. At the bottom, there’s a 250-sheet paper…

What is it? Tech analysts Wedbush (www.wedbush.com) are predicting that the iPhone 13, due in September, will be the first smartphone to come with 1TB of storage. iPhones currently max out at 256GB, though some Android phones offer 512GB, such as the new £1,699 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G. What does it do? A 1TB smartphone can store much more of everything – 250,000 12-megapixel photos or 500 hours of 1080p video (that’s almost 21 days). What’s the catch? Only that it’ll be expensive. The iPhone 12 Pro costs £1,299 for 512GB, so you can add a couple of hundred pounds to that for a 1TB model. However, once it appears on the iPhone, it shouldn’t be long until cheaper Android phones also also offer 1TB of storage. So can…

What you need: RSPB Nature Camera (or similar); SD card reader Time required: 60 minutes Are you curious to find out which animals use your garden as a play area at night? Want to keep an eye on nesting birds? A wildlife camera lets you do all this, but with lots of different models available, knowing which to buy isn’t easy. Here, we explain the different types, how you can reuse old memory cards with them and which settings you should tweak to achieve the best results. 1 Choose wired or portable There are two main types of wildlife camera: wired models, which work like CCTV cameras and stream live footage directly to your TV or computer, and portable cameras, which run off batteries and record video when they detect…

☑ I know Audacity’s new owners (Muse Group) have insisted they won’t gather data from users (Issue 611, page 7), but you can’t blame me, and thousands of others, for being suspicious. Also, independent programs have a habit of deteriorating when bought by bigger companies (just look at CCleaner). And what I use instead… For my money, feature by feature, WavePad (www.nch.com.au/wavepad) is just as good as Audacity Since switching I’ve been astonished by how many audio effects you can add to your recordings. The telephone effect (see screenshot right) has quickly become a favourite of mine. Echo is good too. I often have to edit hour-long audio files, but WavePad makes it easy because you can bookmark sections. I’ve also noticed that you can edit the audio from a…

Chess Puzzle Adventure 89p iOS: www.snipca.com/39300 This is chess, but not as you know it. You control a wizard who uses the rules of chess to capture enemy pieces, some of which can hide behind rocks. You’ll have to use all your chess knowledge to improvise tactics across the 100 levels. Beginners will also find it a fun way to learn the principles of the game. Google Data Restore Tool Free Android: www.snipca.com/39301 Already buried in Android’s settings, the Data Restore Tool is now available as an app, which makes it easier for Google to update. It lets you move data, such as apps, contacts, photos and your Google account, from an old phone to a new one over a cable or the internet. Download this app and keep it…

Microsoft has just added a new feature to OneDrive that lets you edit photos stored in your account without having to download them. To use it, open OneDrive in your browser by going to https://onedrive.live.com. Log into your Microsoft account (if you don’t have one, first go to www.snipca.com/39291 and click ‘Create a Microsoft account’), then navigate to the folder containing your photos. Double-click the one you want to edit, then click the new Edit button in the top toolbar. You can now crop the photo by dragging the four corners to select the part you want. If your photo is lopsided, click and drag the horizontal bar located just under your photo (see screenshot). As you rotate the image, OneDrive will zoom in to prevent black edges appearing around…

If you want to talk with club members on Zoom while walking them through an on-screen document or demonstrating how to do something, you should install OBS Studio (https://obsproject.com, OBS stands for Open Broadcaster Software). This free program lets you add multiple sources as ‘cameras’, including any open program window, such as a PowerPoint presentation or web page. Add your virtual cameras When you first run OBS Studio, select the third option (‘I will only be using the virtual camera’), then click Next and you’ll see the recommended settings for recording quality, resolution, and frame rate. Leaving these as they are should be fine, but you might want to lower the resolution or frame rate if you’re on a slow internet connection. Click ‘Apply Settings’ to close the box. Once…

Most printers have a built-in scanner and if this is the only thing stopping you getting rid of yours, you should consider downloading Microsoft Lens for Android (www.snipca.com/39169) or iOS (www.snipca.com/39170). This lets you turn printed documents into PDFs using your phone or tablet. As well as allowing you to ditch a bulky piece of kit, it’s actually much quicker than using a traditional scanner because it automatically detects the document edges and crops it accordingly. Simply frame each page on the screen, press the white, circular shutter button, then the red circle to produce your PDF. To turn multi-page documents into a single PDF, scan each one before pressing the red button (this will show how many pages you’ve scanned – see screenshot). Microsoft Lens will store your PDFs…

Q I use my smartphone only away from home. Conversely, my Panasonic KX-TGA856E landline is always connected, and supports SMS. Years ago, both my doctor and dental surgeries used to send text reminders to my home number. However, they now tell me they can send texts only to mobile numbers. The same applies to most of my online accounts, which only accept mobile numbers. Is there perhaps a security issue involved or is there a technical reason? John R Varley A At the core, there’s no difference between an SMS text message sent to and received by a mobile phone and one that’s sent to and received by a traditional landline phone. However, there are good reasons why some companies refuse to send text messages to landlines. First, it’s important…

NOW CHEAPER THAN EVER! We’re delighted to announce an outstanding new Reader Offer for the antivirus software Norton 360 Premium. For just £24.99, you’ll protect 10 devices for two years WHAT YOU GET ✔ Real-time malware protection ✔ Secure VPN ✔ 75GB PC Cloud Backup ✔ Webcam hack alerts PLUS Monitors the dark web for your personal information Norton is made by NortonLifeLock Inc – a standalone company dedicated to consumer cyber safety. It has always performed strongly in Computeractive antivirus tests, so we highly recommend it. 10 devices for two years NOW ONLY £24.99* Normally £179.99 Buy it from our Software Store at www.snipca.com/33247…

ADOBE ADDS MAGIC WAND TO IPAD APP Adobe has added the Magic Wand tool to its Photoshop app for iPads, making it easier to select, adjust and remove elements of an image (pictured). It has also added the Healing Brush, which lets you ‘paint’ over parts of an image to correct them. Read more at www.snipca.com/39265. TURN ON GOOGLE SEARCH DARK MODE Google is finally releasing a dark theme for its search results, after months of testing. To activate it, click the sun icon in the top right of a results page. To switch back, click the moon icon. It’s not yet available everywhere or in all browsers, so keep checking.…

Pub apps aren’t allowed to ask customers for “excessive” information when confirming drink orders, the UK’s privacy watchdog has said. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) warned that customers are so excited to be back in pubs and restaurants that they’re unwittingly handing over too much data. It stated that businesses should collect only details that were “necessary, relevant and not excessive”. Many pubs introduced online ordering when they were restricted to table service only. However, it’s remained popular even though bar service is now allowed in England, Scotland and Wales (not Northern Ireland), and now process millions of pounds worth of transactions every day. Many of the UK’s largest chains, including Wetherspoons, Greene King and Mitchells & Butlers are continuing to use their own apps alongside traditional bar service. They…

I’m sticking with random-character passwords I use the KeePassXC password manager (https://keepassxc.org), which generates both random-character passwords and passphrase passwords. I’ve never used passphrases, so I tested the claim made by the National Cyber Security Centre (Issue 613, page 8) that three random words are safer than “complex” passwords. I asked KeePass to generate a password containing 15 random characters, and it reported its strength as ‘Good’. It then created a three-word passphrase, using title case, and came up with ‘Exporter Squeezing Speech’, which is 25 characters including the two spaces. It judged this to be a ‘Poor’ password. I then generated a password with 25 random characters, and got an ‘Excellent’ result (see screenshot above right). On the basis of this admittedly unscientific test, I’ll be sticking with my…

Can I get more expensive replacement under warranty? LEAD CASE Q I bought a £249.99 Wi-Fi-enabled ‘smart’ microwave from Currys’ website in 2014, paying £49.99 for a five-year extended warranty that offered repair or replacement. I renewed this in December 2019, and since then the microwave has stopped working. Currys said it was beyond repair, so I looked for a replacement, but there were none available. I’ve now found one, but it costs £349.99 – £100 more than the original price. Am I entitled to this under the warranty? David Bulford A The warranty’s wording says that if a repair isn’t possible, any replacement must be of the same specifications. Therefore, if David has found the same model online, he’s entitled to ask for it as a replacement, regardless of…

Reader Barry Mansfield has used Family Tree Maker (FTM) to trace his family line back to 1600, and now wants to build a visual timeline of his own life, incorporating global events from the past 75 years. Use your family history program Barry should start in FTM because, like most genealogy programs, it has a timeline option. Select the person you want to be the centre of the timeline, then switch to the Publish tab. Choose ‘Person Reports’ in the ‘Publication Types’ pane on the left, then select ‘Timeline Report’ from the list of reports and click ‘Create Report’ on the right. You can configure the report using the options in the right-hand pane. Barry should tick ‘Include historical events’ (see screenshot below left) to add these to the report.…

Q I’ve been looking for a secure program for writing a diary. I’ve looked in the Microsoft Store, but none were suitable. Others online claimed to be free, but then asked for a fee. Can you help? Hugh Rogers A Most decent diary programs come with a price tag, but a good free option is RedNotebook from https://rednotebook.sourceforge.io. It’s been around since 2008, but is still being improved and updated. Its creator asks you to make a donation if you like the software, but you can get it for free by clicking the Windows logo at the bottom of the page, then clicking the blue rednotebook-2.22.exe link. To add an entry, click a date in the calendar (1 in screenshot) and then start typing in the pane on the right…

Parents will do anything to help their children in times of need. Just ask 53-year-old nurse Toni Parker (pictured), from Wolverhampton, who didn’t hesitate to lend her son, currently serving in the RAF, almost £2,500 when he sent WhatsApp messages (also pictured) claiming he needed to pay a bill. Except that the cries for help weren’t from her son, but from an imposter. One of the reasons she was fooled is that the scammer first sent several friendly messages claiming he was using an unfamiliar phone number because he’d dropped his old phone down the toilet. She realised she’d been fleeced when she checked WhatsApp later to discover that the messages had been deleted. The moral here is make sure you call anyone who asks for money to check it’s…

Not too bright If the compact HP Envy 13 (see page 22) is too small for your needs, consider Huawei’s latest offering instead. This is a larger laptop (17x358x230mm, HxWxD) with a 15in screen weighing 1.56kg, but is still light enough to carry around. For the very reasonable price you get an 11th-generation Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. A solid Windows machine, but the screen is dull and the battery life lacking The keyboard is spacious and quiet, even if the key action lacks a little feedback. Another irritation here is that it retains Huawei’s standard hidden webcam, which pops out of the keyboard between the F6 and F7 buttons. It’s positioned too low, providing an odd angle on your face that points up your…

Up the resolution 4K webcams are still fairly rare because 1080p cameras are perfectly sufficient for most video chats and cost significantly less. This 4K webcam from Dell costs £180, while a decent 1080p webcam is unlikely to set you back more than £100. Most people won’t be seeing your image at full screen on a 4K monitor, so the extra pixels aren’t really necessary. However, there are a few reasons why this webcam’s extra pixels aren’t wasted. First, the camera can digitally zoom into your face, so no matter where you’re sitting (and even if you’re moving around) the camera will crop the video and follow your face, while your contact will still receive a clear, high-resolution image. You may also need a high-res camera if you record presentations…

Screened out This HP monitor won’t set your pulse racing with amazing features, but it’s a dependable 27in model that, with its resolution of 2560x1440 pixels, would make a very welcome upgrade for anyone currently using a 24in 1080p model. To connect to your PC you can choose from DisplayPort, HDMI and D-SUB connectors, so it should be compatible with most desktop PCs, including fairly old ones. However, it doesn’t have a USB-C port, so won’t connect to a laptop that doesn’t have a standard video-out port. The monitor has a built-in four-port USB hub, though, which is handy for connecting peripherals such as keyboards and mice. The base smoothly pivots 90 degrees, making it easier to access these ports. It also has 150mm height adjustment. Colour accuracy was excellent…

Find out what other products we liked. Buy our new 2020 Back Issue CD: £15 from www.snipca.com/38164 LAPTOP Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 (256GB) £749 from www.snipca.com/38429 Tested Issue 601 Weighing just 1.16kg, this is an excellent lightweight laptop with a great screen and an AMD processor faster than many Intel rivals. It has two USB-C ports, two USB 3.0 ports and a microSD card reader. Battery lasts nearly 16 hours. ALTERNATIVE Dell XPS 13 New Intel CPUs and a taller screen make this a more powerful, all-round slim laptop. Prices start at £1,399 from www.snipca.com/36642 DESKTOP PC Palicomp Intel Mercury £600 from www.snipca.com/34223 Tested Issue 576 If you don’t need advanced gaming, your money’s well spent here on a six-core Intel i5-9600K processor overclocked to 5GHz. 16GB of memory and…

Earlier this year, I carefully created a nesting opportunity for hedgehogs by dumping a bag full of Red Robin hedge clippings at the bottom of my garden (at least that’s what I told my wife - I was mainly just avoiding a trip to the local tip). After hearing some odd snuffling noises during the day, I trained my RSPB Nature Camera on the mess of leaves in the hope of capturing something. Overall, I’m very happy with the camera. It can’t produce anywhere near the same video quality as my Samsung Galaxy S20 phone, but its night-vision is excellent. My only complaint is that the menu system is horribly fiddly, and despite having used it for more than a month, I still press the wrong buttons at times. So…

CruiseMapper Free Android www.snipca.com/39195 iOS www.snipca.com/39196 This app is designed primarily for tracking commercial vessels such as cruise ships. Select a vessel to show its recent movements, then tap its name at the top of the screen to view detailed info about the ship and recent itineraries. You can also view the deck plan, right down to individual cabin numbers. Best for: Tracking cruise ships MarineTraffic Free* Android www.snipca.com/39192 iOS www.snipca.com/39193 MarineTraffic provides real-time positions for over 100,000 vessels worldwide. As well as browsing the full-screen map, you can also search for specific marine items – the latest version lets you filter the results by category, including vessels, ports, stations and lighthouses. Tap a vessel to get a photo along with basic information. For full vessel details, you’ll need to…

MICROSOFT EXCEL Forecast trends based on data Excel (version 2016 onwards) includes a Forecast Sheet tool that lets you predict future trends based on existing data. To use it, first select your data – in this example, we’ve selected data showing club merchandise sales over a period of a couple of months. Next, select the Data tab at the top of the Excel window, then click the Forecast Sheet button (you’ll find this in the Forecast section at the right-hand side of the toolbar). Excel will now display a graph showing your existing data in blue and predicted data in orange. If you want to adjust how far in the future the prediction goes, click the Forecast End box (see screenshot below) and select the date you want it to…

What is it? New technology from Apple that enhances the “multidimensional sound and clarity” of audio so that it appears to be coming from all around you. The system adjusts the frequencies each ear hears so that sounds can move virtually anywhere in 3D space. The result is that sounds seem to come from all around you – in front, the sides and even above. See the main image for Apple’s rather sinister attempt at visualising this. So is it like being in the cinema? Yes. It supports the same Dolby Atmos technology that produces surround-sound in cinemas but recreates it for use with headphones. It arrived in September 2020 as part of iOS (for iPhones) and iPadOS 14, but only for films and TV. Then in June, Apple added…

Drive & Listen www.snipca.com/39258 Remind yourself what a foreign holiday feels like by taking car journeys in cities all over the world, complete with local radio playing in the background. Shark Tracker www.snipca.com/39259 It’s not only planes and trains that you can track online in real time (see p55). With this website you can also keep tabs on what GPS-tagged sharks are up to. T-Rex Illusion www.snipca.com/39260 Download, print and assemble this dinosaur illusion, then marvel as its head follows you around the room. This is Sand www.snipca.com/39261 You don’t need to travel to The Needles on the Isle of Wight to create tubes of multicoloured sand. This website lets you pour and stack sand of every colour, right on your desktop. Pink Trombone www.snipca.com/39262 Discover how your vocal tract…

Q I bought Norton 360 Deluxe antivirus for five devices, and set it up on a Windows 10 laptop and my two Samsung tablets – an SM-T280 from 2016 (pictured right), and a more recent SM-T290. This initially worked fine, but recently Norton stopped working on the older tablet. I tried reinstalling it but the Google Play Store says my device isn’t compatible with this version (see screenshot below). It’s still working fine on the SM-T290. However, this does not give me much confidence to renew Norton next year, so I’ve installed a McAfee product instead. I’d appreciate your thoughts on this problem. Roger Stacey A The simple problem here is that the latest version of Norton 360 now requires Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) or later, but your 2016-vintage SM-T280 runs…

Can I move Brave to a secondary drive? Q In Issue 611 (page 53) you recommended Brave for web browsing, which I’m impressed with. However, you didn’t point out that you can’t install it on a secondary drive. Instead, it defaults to the main drive. In my case that’s a 250GB SSD that’s running out of space. I’d like to install it on my secondary hard drive, as this has loads of free space. Can it be moved once installed? Clive Brown A Windows 10 does have an option to move programs – click Start followed by the Settings cog. Next, click Apps followed by the relevant app then the Move button. However, not all programs support this function, and Brave is one of them. In hindsight, we should’ve have…

We’ve already put 20 October, 7.11pm (UK time) in our calendar, because we’re confident that’s when Windows 11 will officially arrive on new PCs. But we’ve a growing hunch that its availability as a free upgrade will be delayed beyond next spring, as Microsoft responds to criticism of the design. Don’t rule out delays caused by Covid, either. While you wait for the upgrade, installing the ISO file to a spare or virtual PC is a great way to test the system without risking your main computer.…

Sky looks set to launch a Sky Q TV box that connects to the internet rather than through a satellite dish. It would let you watch all of Sky’s channels and content without needing to get a dish installed. The company has already launched the Sky Q IP Box (pictured) in Germany, which requires a minimum internet speed of 6Mbps - enough to stream HD programmes. Sources told the Express that the service is now being tested by selected customers in the UK, with a launch “imminent”. Feedback from viewers will allow Sky to recommend minimum speeds. The report also claims that the service will offer 4K programmes, and that you’ll be able to save 1,000 hours of shows, as well as pause and rewind live content. However, the service…

A woman has admitted accessing her former boyfriend’s Amazon Echo smart speaker to talk to his new girlfriend from 100 miles away, saying she should leave the house. A court heard that Philippa Copleston-Warren (pictured), 46, also accessed remote CCTV cameras to spy on the couple, and turned the bedside lamps on and off using an Alexa app. Copleston-Warren, from Chelsea, London, was charged when she uploaded to Facebook a naked photo of her ex partner with the caption: “Do I look fat??? My daily question”. Christian Meikle, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Phillipa Copleston-Warren carried out a grave invasion of privacy. She left her victim feeling completely violated in his own home and online.” He added: “Posting naked images online in an act of revenge is illegal and…

NEW EE PAYG DEALS FROM £5 A MONTH EE is offering new pay-as-you-go (PAYG) packages, ranging from £5 a month for 250MB of 4G data to £30 for 100GB. Every deal priced £15 or above per month comes with unlimited calls and texts. Customers on £10 packs or higher get a free 500MB data boost every two months on their second purchase for a full year. Read more on EE’s site: www.snipca.com/39205. ‘SILVER STREAMERS’ FLOCK TO NETFLIX Covid lockdowns have sparked a big jump in the number of Brits aged 65 to 75 subscribing to TV-streaming services, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. Figures from consultancy firm Deloitte show an increase from 36 per cent in 2020 to 57 per cent now. Deloitte said this surge in “silver streamers” was…

https://brave.com When you browse in Chrome or Edge, websites asking for permission to know your location or access your webcam give you the options of ‘Forever’ or ‘Never’. These extremes don’t reflect normal life, where you may want Google Maps to know your location while you’re on the site, but to ask permission again next time. Brave now offers such time-specific settings. When you’re next on a website that requests permission, it’ll give you four options (as shown in our screenshot): 24 hours, one week, forever, or ‘until I close this site’ (which is the best balance of convenience and privacy). These options have been added by default, so you don’t need to activate them. Just make sure you’re on version 1.25 or higher – click the top-right menu icon…

A few issues ago, you recommended Auslogics Duplicate File Finder (www.snipca.com/38540). This did a good job of removing duplicates, but I’m sure you also recommended a tool with a better search feature. What was it? Stephen Newton CA SAYS It was AllDup (www.snipca.com/38541). We suggested both programs to reader Andrew Walker in Issue 608, page 19. I seem to recall you helping a reader find drivers for old Epson printers. I’m now in the same predicament, so can you direct me to the relevant issue? Liz Poulter CA SAYS Yes, it was Issue 604’s ‘Problem of the Fortnight’, on page 64. A little while ago, you published an article explaining how to create a list of the contents of USB sticks. I tried this and was very happy with the…

When deciding to pursue a case some readers decide that the potential reward isn’t worth the hassle. That’s what Keith Seed concluded. As we explained in Issue 613, he wanted a refund from an eBay seller after the secateurs he bought for £7.50 started to fall apart. The seller agreed to a refund, but only if Keith paid to return the secateurs. We advised him to avoid this by signing up to PayPal’s offer to cover up to £15 of return postage costs a year (www.snipca.com/39050). He would have had to sign up, return the item, then fill in a form and add a postage receipt. Faced with this, he decided to drop the complaint. Keith’s case is a reminder that while large retailers can ignore your rights, it’s much…

Online records for Greece are primarily housed at the General State Archives (www.snipca.com/39190), but most births, marriages and deaths records aren’t online. Instead, look at the Family Search Wiki pages for both Greece (www.snipca.com/39108) and Cyprus (www.snipca.com/39107), which provide expert advice on where records are likely to be kept. Have a genealogy question for Nick? Email letters@computeractive.co.uk with ‘Grow Your Family Tree’ in the subject line.…

I mostly use Google Docs when jotting notes, not least because I don’t have to worry about saving them (Google Docs diligently saves as I type). However, there are still times when I use Notepad – it loads in a flash and has a distraction-free design. As with other Microsoft tools, however, Notepad lacks one thing in particular: tabs. Consequently, I often end up with multiple Notepad windows open, meaning I have to hop between them using Alt+Tab (wading through all my other open apps in the process). That’s why I recently ditched Notepad for the similarly named, but much more powerful, Notepad++ (www.snipca.com/39288). This lets me open as many tabs as I like, then switch between them using the same Ctrl+Tab shortcut as my browser. Although Notepad++ is designed…

Lucky for some The Envy 13 follows a familiar pattern of recent HP laptop designs – an angular body, a slightly raised palm rest and engraved detailing on the lid. It has a silver finish that looks and feels very upmarket. At 1.3kg, it isn’t the lightest laptop we’ve ever reviewed, but it does feel reassuringly robust and the lid is very rigid. Measuring 17x306x194mm (HxWxD), it’s a small laptop that will easily slide into a backpack. Solid design, a decent screen, and graphics that can take on most games One casualty of its compact dimensions is the Enter key, which is wide but the same height as a standard key. We prefer Enter keys to be double-height so that it’s easy to hit without requiring precise keyboard skills. Another…

Tri, tri and tri again Most routers that conform to the latest Wi-Fi 6 standard are dual-band models, with a 5GHz radio that works with your fastest Wi-Fi devices, and a 2.4GHz radio that communicates with older devices that aren’t compatible with 5GHz networks. However, if you have a busy family network, and want to ensure that you keep some fast networking bandwidth clear for important home working or uninterrupted media streaming, a tri-band router with a third radio is one way to do it. The downside is that they generally cost more. The tri-band Netgear Nighthawk AX12, for example, costs £340 (www.snipca.com/39201), while Netgear’s cheapest dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router costs less than £100 (www.snipca.com/39218). A versatile and affordable router for busy households With the Archer AX90, TP-Link has come…

Q I currently have a six-year-old iPad Air 2, which still works extremely well, but I’m not a fan of iPadOS and the screen is fairly small (9.7in). I am very tempted to replace it with a Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ tablet (pictured), mainly because it has a larger screen. I’m a musician and this would let me see my music more easily. If I traded in my iPad Air 2 and bought the S7+ do you think I would end up regretting it? Paul Sparks A The main problem with switching from an iPad to an Android device is that you can’t take your apps with you. If you have any paid-for apps, you’ll have to buy them again to run them on your new Android tablet. However, the…

Call of nature Competition among mobile-phone manufacturers is fierce, with Chinese firms such as Xiaomi producing exceptional phones at affordable prices, which are proving hard for other companies to beat. In an attempt to break the cycle, Nokia has taken a different direction with its new X10 model, appealing to our ecological consciences rather than our desire to get the latest phone at the best price. It does this with a compostable case, the promise to plant a tree and the presumption that you can use the charger from your last phone instead of supplying a superfluous new one. It’s a nod to more sustainable products, but this isn’t an impressive example. Its green credentials can’t disguise its poor performance Weighing 210g and measuring 9.1mm thick, this is a fairly…

This powerful extender, which won a ‘Recommended’ award in Issue 611 (page 24), is one of the first to work with Wi-Fi 6 routers, pushing your signal into the furthest corners of your home, eliminating blackspots from basement to loft. It also works with older Wi-Fi 4 and 5 routers. It’s a dual-antenna, dual-band extender, delivering speeds of up to 300Mbps over Wi-Fi 4 on the 2.4GHz band, and 1,200Mbps over Wi-Fi 6 on 5GHz. It also has a Gigabit Ethernet port, so can double up as a wired access point if you want to connect a PC, smart TV, NAS drive or games console. Setting it up is easy. It plugs into a wall socket and shows its status using four LED indicators: a power light that blinks green…

I spend much of my spare time working with PNG files, which for those who don’t know are ideal for online logos and icons. What makes them so valuable is that they have transparent backgrounds, so you can easily add your own. For years I’ve gone through the hassle of making my own PNG files transparent using a variety of expensive editing tools, but I’ve now found an online database of PNGs that are ready to download and use. This magical treasure trove is called CleanPNG (www.cleanpng.com). I don’t know how many images there are to choose from, but searching for ‘Wi-Fi’ (see screenshot) brought up 12 pages. I searched for ‘Computer’ and got 60 pages. If the results are too much of a mish-mash, click the top-left All Filters…

ANDROID Enhance your images in Google Photos Modern phones take amazingly high-quality photos, but sometimes even the best shots need a little touching up. The latest version of Google Photos includes two new tools that let you sharpen and remove noise from your photos. Make sure you have the latest version of Google Photos installed (check for updates in the Play Store app), then launch it. Open the photo that you want to enhance, then tap it once and select the Edit option that appears at the bottom. Swipe the bar just above the Cancel and Save buttons to reveal the Adjust option. Tap this, then swipe the bar above this until you reach the new Sharpen and Denoise options. To use one, select it, then swipe your finger along…

WINDOWS 10 Restrict scrolling Windows lets you scroll any window on your desktop without having to click it first. This means you can be browsing a website, then hover over a Word document and use your mouse’s scroll wheel to move up and down through its pages. While this is sometimes useful, it also means you can end up scrolling the wrong window by accident – particularly if you’ve got lots of windows open. If you’d rather limit scrolling only to the window you’re currently using, open Settings (press the Window key+I), select Devices, then Mouse from the list on the left. Now move to the right-hand side of the window, locate the ‘Scroll inactive windows…’ section, then click the slider so that it reads Off (see screenshot below). WINDOWS…

Microsoft has launched a tool in Excel that provides suggestions on how to illustrate your data. To use it, you’ll either need to be running Excel 2019 or the online version of Excel at www.snipca.com/39295 (it works with free accounts – click ‘Create one’ to set one up). Select the data you want to illustrate, then click the Home tab at the top, followed by the Analyze Data button on the toolbar (you may need to maximise the Excel window to see this button). Excel will now open a panel on the right-hand side of the window, showing different charts and graphs for your data. If you spot one you like, you can add it to your spreadsheet by clicking Insert Chart at the bottom-left corner of the graphic (see…

Chrome or Edge, Brave or Vivaldi - no matter which browser you use, the most important thing is the websites you load on them. And with 1.88 billion websites at the last count (www.snipca.com/39278), there’s an awful lot of choice. Over the next few pages, we’ll remind you just how fantastically helpful the web can be. Don’t worry, we won’t bore you with big-name websites you’ve already heard of (and probably already use). Instead, we’ve scoured the internet to uncover less well-known sites that let you perform genuinely useful tasks - all for free. As there’s so much to cover, we’ve divided our selection of websites into six categories. Here you’ll find everything from clever online calculators that let you measure, convert and number crunch, through to powerful websites for…

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. Accelerometer A sensor that detects movement. Typically used in smartphones to decide whether or not to display a portrait or landscape screen, control games or even work as a spirit level. AMOLED Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode. An alternative technology to LCD for creating flat-panel displays. Most commonly used in smartphones, tablets and smartwatches. Antivirus engine The core component of an antivirus program that detects malware. Bandwidth A measure of how much data can be transferred through a connection at one time. Benchmarking Comparing software and products with an accepted standard. Beta A version of software that’s being tested. Beta versions…