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I came across Himalayan-sized mountains of junk when I moved house recently: books I don’t remember reading, clothes I don’t remember wearing, gadgets I don’t remember using. It reminded me of the state of my desktop, which is crammed with software I don’t remember installing. The result is a colourful mess of icons I don’t recognise and never click. It’s come to this because whenever I need to perform a task my first thought is always ‘there must be a program for that’, not ‘I wonder if Windows can do it’. I’ll take Will Stapley’s Cover Feature as a cue to change my approach. He’s unearthed 30 Windows features that do jobs you may have thought required third-party software (I did, anyway). I’ve since uninstalled seven programs that were surplus…

BT will release a firmware update to fix problems with its Smart Hub 2 router that’s frustrating thousands of users. The Smart Hub 2 is a dual-band router, which means it transmits on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies. Both frequencies have advantages: 5GHz is faster but has a smaller range, while 2.4GHz is much slower but reaches further. However, numerous customers have complained on BT’s forums that devices are able to communicate with each only when they’re connected to the same frequency. The problem occurs most frequently when users try to connect streaming devices, such as speakers, to their Wi-Fi network. One forum member, called sl_strachan, said he could only connect his iPhone 11 to his Sonos speakers by turning off 5GHz and using 2.4GHz. Other users have done…

BT is to offer fibre broadband at less than half price to people on benefits. Those eligible for the new BT Home Essentials package will pay £15 a month for speeds of around 36Mbps, much cheaper than the normal price of £32.99. It comes with 700 minutes of phone calls. They can also choose the more expensive £20 package, giving average speeds of 67Mbps and unlimited calls. Both deals include the cost of a router, and come as rolling contracts, so there’s no minimum term. You can choose to be billed monthly or quarterly. The new tariffs, available from the end of June, are available to people receiving universal credit, the guarantee credit element of pension credit, jobseeker’s allowance, income support, and employment and support allowance. BT estimates that 4.6…

What’s the threat? Criminals are tricking victims into installing malware by advertising a range of fake downloads, including a chess game, Spotify apps and a PDFconversion tool. The malware is spread through online adverts that look convincing. The chess game, for example, is promoted in a black banner, with a green Play Now button (see screenshot 1). Clicking it takes you to a fake Microsoft Store page 2 that looks even more authentic, offering a game called ‘xChess 3’. The Spotify advert says you can sign up to the service and get YouTube Premium free for 90 days (see it at www.snipca.com/38064), while the PDF tool markets itself as a “PDF, DOC, XLS, JPEG converter” (see www.snipca.com/38065). Installing any of the tools infects your computer with the Russian Ficker malware,…

LEAD CASE Can retailer force me to pay return costs? Q I ordered a coat from an online retailer for my wife, but it turned out to be too small. The site told me to return it using Royal Mail, and the postage cost me £29. However, when I bought the coat the site didn’t tell me that returning it would cost so much. Can I get a refund for this delivery cost? Allan Rae A Allan’s rights depend on why he’s returning the coat. If goods are faulty, then no retailer is allowed to charge you for returning them. If the goods aren’t faulty and you’re simply rejecting them (which is your right within 30 days when bought online), then you do have to pay for postage. Allan says…

Discover your RAF ancestors Reader Les Barnes got in touch to ask about tracing ancestors who served in the RAF, as his late father did during World War II. He wondered whether he could use his father’s service number to find out more about his life in the force without having to pay a subscription fee. The answer is yes and no. There’s certainly plenty of information online, but not all of it is free. Obtain your ancestor’s service record The obvious place to start is with your ancestor’s service record, which can be obtained from the Ministry of Defence (follow the guide at www.snipca.com/37992). You’ll find links to forms you can download, print and return by post, along with the required £30 administration fee. If your ancestor died less…

www.snipca.com/38225 What you need: Windows 7, 8.1 or 10 SoundSwitch is a wonderfully simple tool that lets you switch between audio outputs on your PC – such as a set of headphones and a pair of speakers. Right-click the SoundSwitch icon in your system tray (see 1 in our screenshot), then select Settings, followed by the Playback tab. Tick the speakers you want to switch between, then choose a keyboard shortcut in the box at the bottom 2 that triggers the switch. Select the Recording tab to do the same for any microphones attached to your computer. You can also create profiles that, for example, let you switch to a headset from your laptop’s built-in speaker and microphone. Click the Profiles tab in the Settings window to create and edit…

WARNING: JUNK AHEAD Junk offender: Mobee-K USB C earbuds I’m well aware that certain tech companies are always seeking innovative ways to shovel unwanted software in our direction. Here’s a startling example from music-streaming platform Deezer and South Korean manufacturer Mobee-K. The two companies’ ‘exclusive partnership’ will see Mobee-K’s new earphones (the snappily named ‘USB C Earphones HiFi Stereo Wired Earbuds with Mic and Volume Control’ – pictured right) come with Deezer’s music-streaming software preinstalled on them, whether you want it or not. Yes, you read that right: someone has actually found a way to pre-install junk on a pair of earphones. Not only that, but if you plug Mobee-K’s earbuds into a Samsung Galaxy device, they’ll happily add piles of other potentially unwanted items, including Deezer-related themes, wallpapers, playlists,…

SMART WATCH | £179 from OnePlus www.snipca.com/38166 Clock off We’re very familiar with OnePlus’s attractive, top-quality, reasonably priced smartphones, but this is the company’s first foray into watches. Unsurprisingly, then, its design and construction makes it among the most attractive and well made smartwatches that we’ve seen. It has a large, sharp 1.39in 454x454 resolution AMOLED touchscreen, mounted in a chunky, polished stainless steel frame that’s topped with hard, scratch-resistant glass. It has a thick silicone strap and is waterproof to 50m. OnePlus has included all the features a smart watch needs, with plenty of sensors packed in. There’s a combined optical heart-rate and blood-oxygen monitor on the rear, GPS, an accelerometer, and a barometer. Perhaps most impressive, however, is the OnePlus Watch’s battery life, which extends to a claimed…

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 £799 from www.snipca.com/37348 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 £1,249 from www.snipca.com/36642 ANDROID TABLET PRICE DROP Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite £260 from www.snipca.com/35795 Tested Issue 582 Competing with Apple’s cheapest 10.2in iPad, this slim aluminium tablet comes with an S Pen stylus and a generous 64GB of storage…

I enjoy using YouCut to edit and enhance videos I’ve shot on my Samsung Galaxy S8 phone. Most recently, I used it to share a video of a Lego mosaic that I’d created with the kids (using the excellent Brickaizer tool www.snipca.com/38180, which lets you import a photo then provides instructions on how to build it using Lego). To make the video more dramatic, I added the theme from the film 2001: A Space Odyssey (an MP3 of which I found on the Internet Archive at www.snipca.com/38181). I also used YouCut to slow down the footage, timing it so the soundtrack’s crescendo coincided with the mosaic coming into full view. It turned what was already an interesting clip into a masterpiece worthy of an Oscar. How do you edit videos…

Handy hints and tips from your fellow readers Email us your tips: letters@computeractive.co.uk SOFTWARE Sort USB files into alphanumeric order In Issue 603 (page 65), you told Roger Currie why his CD files appeared to be out of order on the USB stick that he was plugging into his car. Your suggestions make perfect sense, but there might be an additional factor. Standard operating systems such as Windows, MacOS and Linux know how to sort files correctly in directory listings. But an embedded operating system, such as those in cars, are not always as intelligent. The car’s system might simply read the music files in the sequential order that they appear on the USB stick and will be unable to play the tracks in the logical order. That’s what happens…

£299 from www.snipca.com/38023 I read Will Stapley’s How To on using Freesat in Issue 604 (page 35) and was surprised he didn’t mention that some TVs now have a satellite receiver built in, such as the LG 43LM6300, which I bought in February. It works with Freeview and Freesat, and cost £279 - similar to other TVs – though I notice it has now gone up to £299. I’ve connected a hard drive (removed from an old laptop) and installed it in an enclosure, which cost less than £5 on eBay. This lets me record programmes while watching previously recorded shows or catch-up TV. It’s a great set-up that I recommend to anyone. I’ve also now cancelled my Sky subscription. Malcolm France Want to recommend hardware or software to fellow…

Environments £2.79 (Android) £2.99 (iOS) Android www.snipca.com/38105 iOS www.snipca.com/38086 This app is a digital collection of relaxing analogue field recordings from the 1960s and 70s. It contains 23 recordings, including titles like ‘Wood-Masted Sailboat’, ‘Alpine Blizzard’ and more. You can listen offline and recordings are long-form (around 30 minutes each), rather than short, repetitive loops. Best For Those who need longer to nod off White Noise Lite Free Android www.snipca.com/38087 iOS www.snipca.com/38088 If natural noises don’t get you off to sleep, you could try this app’s selection of low mechanical droning sounds, including a wide variety of fan noises, dishwashers, tumble dryers, vacuum cleaners, trains and more. White noise can be particularly effective for tuning out tinnitus. Best For Those who suffer from tinnitus Atmosphere Free* Android www.snipca.com/38089 iOS www.snipca.com/38090…

LIBREOFFICE CALC Save selected data When you’re working with a large spreadsheet, you may find yourself repeatedly selecting the same group of cells. LibreOffice Calc makes this easier by letting you save your selections, then quickly access them in a dropdown menu. First, click the down arrow in the cell-selection box (to the left of the formula box – see screenshot below), then click ‘Manage Names…’. In the window that opens, click the Add button at the bottom, then give a name to the selection you want to save. Now click and drag your mouse to select the cells you want, then click Add. By default, the saved selection will be accessible across the entire spreadsheet, regardless of which sheet you’re viewing. If you want to only make it available…

What is it? Eco Mode is a new feature in Windows 10’s Task Manager. It makes your PC more energy efficient by preventing programs and apps from consuming excessive system resources. Greta Thunberg strikes again, eh? Well, we’re sure she approves of Microsoft’s Sustainable Software initiative (www.snipca.com/38074). But Eco Mode’s main benefit is that it stops background processes slowing your PC, by freeing up power and memory for apps and programs that need them. Microsoft says Eco Mode makes Windows tools such as the Start menu, Edge and Task Manager load up to four times faster (www.snipca.com/38072). Blimey. So how do I use it? It’s actually very simple, and isn’t tucked away like some Windows ‘modes’. First, open Task Manager by right-clicking the taskbar and choosing Task Manager or by…

Q I’ve got an iPhone 8, which I know is getting on a bit but I keep it fully up to date. Recently, I’ve noticed that the clock area at the top sometimes turns blue. It seems to happen randomly and, just as randomly, the colour will go back to normal (so white text on a black background). My iPhone seems to otherwise be in working order. Do you know what might be causing this? Max Gray A Yes, this is intended to serve as a visual notification (and reminder) that another app is currently using your iPhone’s location information. So, for example, if you’ve recently shared your location in a chat tool like WhatsApp, then the clock area will turn blue (see screenshot below) to let you know that…

Q In most Windows programs I can copy stuff by using the keyboard shortcut Control (Ctrl)+C. However, in Word 365 I have to press that same shortcut twice to put something into the Clipboard pane. Could you explain why this one Microsoft program seems to work differently to many other Microsoft programs, not to mention from Windows 10 itself? Derek Millen A Let’s start with the basics. Once, Windows Clipboard and Office Clipboard were distinct tools, albeit with some overlap. The Office Clipboard could store 24 items, the most recent of which was also held in the Windows Clipboard – as the latter could store only the one item. Today, there’s considerably more overlap. Indeed, they’re largely interchangeable. However, while the Office Clipboard stores a maximum of 24 items, the…

You should check whether you have an update for Windows Defender to fix a bug that was dumping thousands of files on to Windows 10’s system drive. Each file is tiny, and they’re all harmless, but together they can devour a large amount of storage space. The problem, which began with the release in late April of version 1.1.18100.5 of Defender, causes files to clog up the C:\ProgramData\ Microsoft\WindowsDefender\ Scans\History\Store folder. To check whether you’ve been affected, open File Explorer then click the View tab at the top and make sure the ‘Hidden items’ box is ticked (1 in main screenshot). Next, type C:\ProgramData\ Microsoft\ into the address bar, then scroll down and click the Windows Defender folder. Click ‘Continue’ if the folder requests administrator privilege, then click Scans, History,…

DON’T TRUST CALLER ID ON YOUR PHONES Ofcom has warned the public not to rely on Caller ID to avoid fraud because scammers are increasingly faking their phone numbers. Huw Saunders, an Ofcom director, told BBC Radio 4’s Money Box that the UK is behind other countries in tackling the problem. He added that it will be easier to stop ‘number spoofing’ once VoIP replaces the old phone network (Public Switched Telephone Network), which is planned for the end of 2025. GOOGLE TURNS ON DEFAULT TWO-FACTOR Google has said it will soon turn on two-factor authentication for all accounts by default. This means that you’ll need to tap “a simple prompt” on your phone (pictured) whenever you try to sign into your account on another device, such as your computer.…

The UK’s digital divide narrowed during lockdown, Ofcom says, as the proportion of homes without internet access fell from 11 per cent in March 2020 to six per cent 12 months later. Its annual report on online habits shows that adults with “previously limited digital skills embraced online shopping, digital banking and video calling friends and family”. Younger people offered support, helping “older or less digitally confident friends and relatives get connected”. However, it also says that remaining offline was likely to be “more disempowering than ever” because so much of modern life requires good internet skills. The six per cent of households that don’t use the web amounts to 1.5 million homes. This group is more likely to include over-65s, lower income households, and the most “financially vulnerable”. Ofcom…

SAMSUNG TV PLUS ARRIVES ON GALAXY Samsung’s free TV-streaming service, called TV Plus, is now available on compatible Galaxy smartphones. It offers over 90 channels, including CNN and Euronews, plus plenty of drama, documentaries and comedies. It works on the Samsung Galaxy S10, S20, S21, Note 10 and Note 20. Read more on Samsung’s site (www.snipca.com/38113) and install it from Google’s Play Store (www.snipca.com/38117). GOOGLE ADDS VIDEO SETTINGS TO CHROMECAST Google has added a new ‘Advanced Video Controls’ section to its ‘Chromecast with Google TV’, giving you more control over HDR settings, as well as resolution, refresh rate and colour formats. It’s part of a 166MB update being rolled out to the device (pictured). You’ll find the section by clicking ‘Display & Sound’ in the menu. ROKU REMOVES YOUTUBE FROM…

There are two ways to see all your passwords in Edge – by typing edge://settings/passwords into the address bar (1 in our screenshot), or by clicking the top-right menu button (three dots), followed by Settings, then Passwords. That’s pretty simple, but until recently you’ve not been able to delete more than one password simultaneously (in computer lingo, altering multiple files in one go is usually called a ‘batch’ or ‘bulk’ change). Microsoft added this option to Edge 90, released in mid April. All you need to do is tick the box next to each password you want to erase 2, then click the blue Delete button 3 in the box that appears. Deciding whether to delete a password depends on you knowing what that password actually is. For security reasons,…

Iwas interested to read the letter from Michael Albin in Issue 604 about his recollections using a small cabinet computer based on the VAX 11/780. It reminded me of the KDF9 computer (pictured) I operated in 1970, when I worked for International Computers Limited (ICL) in Kidsgrove, Staffordshire. It was built by English Electric Computers, who developed the KDF9 computer. It was a mainframe housed in a large suite, running 24 hours a day, with a memory of just 32 kilobytes. Progress was very slow, with one particular program taking around 36 hours. We ran many scientific jobs, as well as searching huge catalogues of information, in order to produce reports. Some jobs required rapid changing of multiple reels of magnetic tape and with practice changing a tape could be…

One of your secret weapons when complaining to a company is emailing the CEO. No boss likes to hear about poor customer service. This tactic may have worked when reader Peter Inglis emailed the head of delivery giant Hermes. As we reported in Issue 600, Peter had bought a stud finder wall scanner from a Chinese site, but it never arrived. He had no luck contacting the site for a refund, so instead asked Hermes what had happened to the delivery. Hermes said it had a tracking number, and we advised Peter to send this to the website. When the site failed to respond to his emails, Peter had no choice but to contact Hermes again. Now, it’s important to point out that his contract was with the website, not…

PASSWORD MANAGER KeePass 2.48 www.snipca.com/38219 What you need: Windows 7, 8.1 or 10 Our favourite password manager is Bitwarden (www.bitwarden.com) – it’s free, open source and syncs your passwords across all your devices. However, not everyone is keen on entrusting their various account details to an online password manager. Like Bitwarden, KeePass is open source, but instead of storing your passwords online it saves them to a database on your PC, so you’re in complete control of them. When using KeePass for the first time, you need to create your password database – click File, New, choose where to save it, then secure it by creating a master password. KeePass will then prompt you to print an Emergency Sheet, on which you jot down where your database backups are stored…

What can I use to get traffic alerts? Q I used to enjoy using the free INRIX traffic app, but it closed down on the 28 April. Can you please suggest a free replacement. Mike Woolmington A Our favourite traffic app is Waze (available for free on Android and iOS from www.snipca.com/38226 – click the ‘Send this link to my phone’ link in the blue box). Purchased by Google in 2013, Waze provides traffic updates using data supplied by its community of users – and with over 130 million users worldwide, that’s a lot of data. To plot a new route, enter your destination in the search box at the top, then tap Go. Waze will then map out the fastest route, avoiding any known troublespots and guiding you to…

With a summer free of lockdowns ahead of us (touch wood!), you may be thinking of booking a holiday. If so, make sure you book through a respectable travel company, or you could end up out of pocket – like one of Brooke Reay’s victims. The 25-year-old from Newcastle tricked people into paying her for non-existent holidays by posing as a fake travel broker on Facebook. She posted bogus ads for bargain breaks in Mexico and Spain as well as destinations within the UK, pocketing more than £2,000 over a four-week period. Her crimes provide a reminder that scammers don’t just use emails and texts to hook their victims – they stalk social networks too. Reay was recently convicted of three fraud offences and is due to be sentenced. It…

What do they do? An SSD (solid-state drive) replaces or sits alongside the mechanical hard drive in your computer. SSDs are significantly quicker than traditional drives because they use memory chips to store their data, rather than spinning disks. How does they work? Because they use these components, SSDs are more like RAM memory than traditional hard drives, except they can retain information even after you’ve switched off your PC. And as they don’t need to rotate physical disks to the correct place to access information, the data stored on these chips can be found much faster. What are the specs? To find out what type of SSD you can install, check the hard-drive specification of your laptop or the motherboard in your desktop PC. There are two main types…

VIDEO DOORBELL | £179 from Amazon www.snipca.com/38174 Pressing the right buttons You’d expect a video doorbell to let you see who’s at the door, talk to visitors and record motion-triggered video clips. However, the new Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 improves on previous models with a wider field of view, higher-resolution video and much more sophisticated motion detection. However, there are a few things worth knowing before you consider buying one. Firstly, this model is only available as a wired doorbell, so needs to be connected to mains power. If you don’t have wiring in place, Ring provides everything an electrician will need to install it for you. Alternatively, if you have an electric socket close to your front door, you can buy the Ring Plug-in adapter (an extra £20)…

Made by German firm Technaxx, the MusicMan LED SoundBlaster is a portable Bluetooth speaker with a unique feature called True Wireless Stereo that delivers pure stereo sound without needing cables or wires if you use two speakers. It weighs just 1.7kg, so you can take it anywhere, while the two seven-watt speakers ensure punchy sound. It supports Google Assistant and Siri voice control, making it easy and convenient to use. The sound is excellent, with a strong bass that doesn’t distort even at the highest volume, while the play time of four hours on 50 per cent volume and three hours on maximum volume means you won’t get bored. The RGB lights on the sides help to create a party atmosphere, while its IPX6 splash-proof rating means it’s suitable to…

In response to the letter by Delme Jones (‘Boo to Google’s music restrictions’, Issue 603), I’ve used a method for several years to listen to my own music, using my iPhone anywhere that I have an internet connection. I bought a WD My Cloud hard drive (pictured), then installed the WD app on my phone and loaded over 100 digitised albums on to the My Cloud drive. I can now stream from the My Cloud drive anywhere around my home and connect my phone to a Bluetooth speaker for a better experience. It works similarly in my car or in fact anywhere with an internet connection. I sometimes also use an Amazon Echo Dot for Amazon music, but connected to a much more reasonably priced Bluetooth speaker. I’ve almost never…

ANDROID Get price-drop notifications on items you’re interested in Ever bought something online only to kick yourself a day or so later, when the same item suddenly drops in price? Well, a new feature in Google’s Chrome browser for Android could help to make sure you never pay over the odds. You’ll need to be running Chrome version 90 to take advantage of this new tool (update Chrome via Google Play if necessary). It tracks prices for items you have open in tabs and sends you an alert whenever it notices a price drop. Launch Chrome and tap the number in the box at the top of the screen to open the tab view. Next, tap the menu button (three dots). If you don’t see a ‘Track prices’ option here,…

WINDOWS 10 Take screenshots in Edge When you want to take a screenshot of a website (such as to keep a record of a transaction or copy an image to a Word document), don’t waste time installing a separate screenshot-capture tool. Instead, use the one built into Edge. To launch it, click the menu button (top-right corner), then ‘Web capture’ (or press Ctrl+Shift+S). You can then use your mouse to select a specific part of the web page. To save the capture to your Windows clipboard, select Copy. Alternatively, to save it as a file, click ‘Add notes’, apply annotations as you see fit, then click the Save button (floppy-disk icon, top right). You can also save entire pages, no matter how long they are. Capture the page as explained…

In Issue 600 (page 18) we explained how to use the new physics-based animations feature in Impress, LibreOffice’s presentation tool. While PowerPoint doesn’t have the same feature, the 2019 version does let you create simple yet effective animations between two slides with its Morph transition. First, select the slide you want to animate in the slide thumbnail section on the left, then press Ctrl+C to copy it, followed by Ctrl+V to paste. A duplicate of your slide will now appear. Select this duplicate, then move the items within it – you can make as many adjustments to as many items as you like. In our example, we have an image of Earth, which we want to zoom into and move to one corner of the slide. To do this, we…

Q Sometimes when I sign up for something or buy something online I find details like my name, phone number, address, credit card number and other details are already known by the websites, as they already have the information in the boxes on their forms. Is there a way of getting my details permanently removed from the internet? Mike Humphreys A While some websites will, usually with your permission, store a few personal details, what you’re describing here is actually more likely to be the work of your web browser’s autofill function. This records information you’ve entered online and saves it within the browser. The next time you encounter a form with fields that appear to match, then those boxes may be automatically filled in, or you’ll be offered to…

Q Recently, I’ve lost my Windows 10’s IP address, although I still have a Wi-Fi internet connection. I need the IP address for use in the Spacedesk app (https://spacedesk.net) I use with my Samsung tablet. However, the app is saying it cannot find the IP address and nor can I when I look. I am not sure but I think it disappeared after I installed Oculus Rift S virtual-reality headset. Could this be part of the problem? John Howard A We’re not entirely sure what you mean by having ‘lost’ the IP address, but we suppose an IP address you were using that was once assigned to the PC’s Wi-Fi adapter could’ve changed – and that can indeed be a result of adding new stuff to your network. Regardless, a…

How do I launch OSK without typing? Q I was intrigued by your advice on using the Windows On-Screen Keyboard (OSK) app, as mentioned on Issue 604’s Make Windows Better page. In your instructions you state: “If your keyboard fails or its batteries get drained, you won’t be able to type anything”. That’s obviously correct. However, you then go on to say that OSK can be launched by clicking the Start button, typing osk and pressing Enter. Please could you explain how, if the keyboard has failed, one would be able to type this and then press ‘Enter’? Brian Windsor A Well, it’s easy. You just have to… ah, um. Okay, there’s no escaping it: we messed up here. We blame our excitement over the gradual easing of lockdown for…

CHECK IF EMOTET BOTNET STOLE YOUR EMAIL More than 4.3 million email addresses stolen by the Emotet botnet have been added to Have I Been Pwned? (https://haveibeenpwned.com), which lets you check whether your address has been part of a data breach. However, in this case you must register for a notification alert at www.snipca.com/38104 (read more at www.snipca.com/38102). Emotet was removed from all infected computers in April after an international police operation. SPOTIFY INCREASES SUBSCRIPTION FEES Music-streaming service Spotify is increasing its subscription fees. Individual accounts will rise from £9.99 to £10.99, while Duo accounts will rise from £12.99 to £13.99. Family accounts (up to six people) will increase by £2 to £16.99. The £9.99 Premium subscription stays the same. These increases already apply for new subscribers, while Existing subscribers…

Microsoft wants you to help it choose the new default font for its Office software. Calibri has been Microsoft’s default since 2007, when it replaced Times New Roman. It’s what appears when you start typing in Word or Excel, unless you’ve set another font as your default. Calibri has subtly rounded stems and corners that are visible at larger sizes, but Microsoft says it’s “time to evolve” and choose a replacement. It named the five potential replacements in a blog post (www.snipca.com/38135): Bierstadt, Grandview, Seaford, Skeena or Tenorite (pictured). All five fonts are sans-serif, which means – unlike the serif fonts Times New Roman, and Acta Book used in Computeractive - they don’t have extending features at the top or bottom. The simplicity of sans-serif fonts is widely considered to…

Never underestimate the power of raising a sceptical eyebrow. As we wrote in January (Issue 596, page 6), that was our response to sources close to Microsoft claiming that Windows 10X would launch by June. We doubted why happy Chromebooks users would want to switch to a “half-baked version of Windows”, and argued that the “millions of people who use Windows do so because of its wide range of settings and features”. There have been plenty of rumours since then about which tools Windows 10X would have and what it would look like, but nothing official from Microsoft. But now, with June almost here, those mysterious sources have spoken again – this time to tech site https://petri.com – and everything’s changed. Windows 10X will definitely not arrive in 2021, and…

‘Missing info’ from 2021 Census A couple of weeks after filling in the Census I received a text telling me there was information missing from it, and that I would be fined £1,000 unless I added these details. My first thought was a sarcastic “yeah, right”, and a quick search online confirmed my suspicions. The Census is such a big operation that I guess it was always going to be exploited by scammers. I didn’t click the link (which looked pretty dodgy anyway) and just deleted the message. You can see it for yourself at www.snipca.com/38024. Wouldn’t surprise me if the scam persists all year. Warn your fellow readers about scams at letters@computeractive.co.uk…

I can understand Jackie Weaver’s desire to continue council meetings by video (News, Issue 605, page 7), but I wonder what she’d make of the case of a long-serving elderly councillor who was removed from his role because he was unable to use video. It happened in Strensall Parish Council, which is six miles north of York, and not too far from a Yorkshire village where I live. One of the councillors, named Dennis Baxter, had served as a councillor for over 50 years. He’s now 91, and according to newspaper reports (www.snipca.com/38142) doesn’t have a computer, so was unable to switch from physical to video when Covid struck. The rules state that councillors must be “disqualified” if they don’t attend a meeting for six months “without a good reason”.…

Here’s a sad tale of my attempt to connect a Humax Aura Freeview box (pictured), which I bought from Richer Sounds, to a Samsung 55in 7400 TV. I got no automatic setup response, then complete failure following a firmware upgrade. Richer Sounds told me the box was faulty, replacing it the next day. But the problem recurred. I had a long chat with Samsung, who checked everything – TV, HDMI leads, Freeview reception etc. Richer Sounds suggested I replace it with the cheaper 5000T Humax box. This time it worked, though the interface is clunky compared with Sky Q, and the apps are useless. I’d applaud Richer Sounds, whose service was excellent, plus the staff at Humax and Samsung. But I suspect Humax has simply pushed out a device that’s…

www.snipca.com/38223 What you need: Windows 7, 8.1 or 10 This new tool from NirSoft (scroll to the bottom of the page at URL above for the download links) lets you view bookmarks from all your browsers in one place. It supports all Chromium-based browsers (including Chrome, Edge and Brave) as well as Firefox. Using the column headings, you can order your bookmarks by name, creation date, the browser they belong to and more. You can also display QR codes for each bookmark (click View, then ‘Display QR code’ – see screenshot), letting you quickly open them on your phone or tablet (see page 57 for more on QR codes). We’d like to see an option to open bookmarks in your PC’s browser (instead, you have to press Ctrl+U to copy…

When I passed my grade 2 piano in 1992 (with merit, I’ll have you know), I had high hopes of a glittering musical career. Shortly after, I got my first PC (a 486 SX25 – back then, a 25MHz processor was considered lightning fast) and my piano practice ground to a shuddering halt. I’ve tried to pick it up numerous times since – even purchasing a fancy Yamaha DGX-205 keyboard in 2006 – but it was only during the recent lockdowns that I found time to put in serious practice. Having heard it played in The Undoing (the 2020 TV series starring Hugh Grant that, much like my piano skills, started well and went rapidly downhill), Bach’s Prelude in C Major was to be my first challenge. Keen to involve…

DESKTOP PC | £999 from PC Specialist www.snipca.com/38131 Give it a whirl We’re not sure that Vortex is a suitable name for this PC because its performance is neither noisy nor chaotic. Instead, it’s more statesmanlike, doing a solid, reliable job without any fuss. We’re happy with that, especially since the chunky PC Specialist-branded cooling system that’s built into the case ensures that its 11th-generation Intel Core i5-11400 processor stays cool without making a sound. With only one other near-silent fan for company, this is a quiet-running desktop PC. “Quiet and fast, it’s an excellent choice for Windows use and gaming” The front-mounted fan is also the main generator of the PC’s coloured lighting, which shines through the logo carved on the front of the case (pictured below). This case…

Q The Freeview signal in my area is weak and, as a result, the picture constantly breaks up. Are the internal signal amplifiers I’ve seen online any good? I can’t find any professional and impartial reviews anywhere. Robert Adam A We’ve had similar problems with Freeview and have found One For All’s signal amplifiers have done the trick. We’ve used a single port model (available from Amazon for £9.99 at www.snipca.com/38101, pictured) to boost the signal to a single TV. You simply plug a cable from your TV into a socket underneath and connect your aerial’s cable to the port on the front. If you have more than one TV aerial point in your home, you’ll often find these are connected to a single box hidden away in your loft.…

PHONE | £160 from Amazon www.snipca.com/38154 Get the Moto running Eagle-eyed readers will remember that we reviewed the Moto G10 (www.snipca.com/37980) in Issue 605. This G30 is another new Moto and a small step up the price ladder, with Amazon selling it for £160, £30 more than the G10. So what do you get for that extra money? First, the processor has been upgraded from a Snapdragon 460 to a Snapdragon 662. This gives the G30 a small but significant speed advantage, scoring higher in all our benchmark tests. This makes it feel smoother to use, which was our biggest gripe with the G10. Second, its main camera has a higher resolution – 64 megapixels rather than 48 – and comes with twice the storage space at 128GB. And finally,…

What is it? Sony has just announced a new lossless 4K streaming service for its TVs called Bravia Core, which can supply subscribers with 4K films rendered in much greater detail. How does it work? Services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and BBC iPlayer all support some 4K content, but streams are digitally compressed, which reduces the quality to ensure you don’t experience any buffering or jerkiness. Lossless streaming removes this compression to ensure a perfect high-quality stream. What’s the catch? There are two. First, it’s only available to customers with a Sony Bravia TV from the Bravia XR range (starting at around £1,250 for a 55in X90J, pictured). Second, while a 4K stream from Netflix only needs a 25Mbps internet connection, Bravia Core requires a minimum of 43Mbps,…

What you need Phone or tablet; YouCut (Android) or iMovie (iOS) app Time taken One hour Thanks to the high-quality cameras and generous storage space of modern smartphones, we no longer need camcorders to film home movies. But what about when it comes to editing and sharing your clips? One option is to transfer them to your PC, whip them into shape using a tool such as Shotcut (https://shotcut. org), then transfer the finished video back to your phone to share with friends and family using apps like WhatsApp. Alternatively, save time and effort by editing the video directly on your phone or tablet. Don’t be worried that your phone’s small screen will make it impossible to edit video. The two video-editing apps we use here are designed to make…

SyncToy I’ve used Microsoft SyncToy for many years to back up my hard drive to portable USB drives. However, following a recent Windows update, the drive letters of folder pairs started to be randomly altered, rendering it unusable. And what I use instead… I tried reinstalling SyncToy but it’s no longer available for download from Microsoft. I now use FreeFileSync (freefilesync.org/download.php, pictured) instead. This free tool is faster, and lets you create folder pairs to sync drives, with options of Two-way, Mirror, Update or Custom. After being shown a comparison of files in left and right folders, you’re shown which files are about to be processed, with associated actions. This lets you check nothing untoward is going to happen before clicking ‘Start synchronization now’. David Bickell Tell us why you…

Opera Browser Free iOS www.snipca.com/38082 Opera has relaunched its browser for iOS. Now known simply as Opera (dropping the ‘Mini’ from its previous name), the app retains its privacy features and one-handed approach to browsing, but introduces a cleaner, more modern design. Opera has promised that further layout and tool improvements are on their way in the coming weeks. Time Rise Free Android www.snipca.com/38091 Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. Time Rise basically turns your device into a digital hourglass. Tap to set a timer, then flip your device 180 degrees to start the countdown, as your screen slowly fills up with colour. The app is currently in development, but it was very stable when we tested it. Phocus Free* Android www.snipca.com/38083 iOS www.snipca.com/38084 Recent smartphone cameras feature a…

Don’t let those moments of inspiration go to waste – record them as voice memos using Windows’ built-in voice recorder. To load the tool, click the Start button, type voice recorder, then press Enter. Make sure your microphone is connected to your computer, then click the large, blue microphone button to start your recording. While you’re recording, you can mark specific sections by clicking the flag button (or pressing Ctrl+M). If you need to take a break, press the Pause button, then press it a second time to continue the recording. When you’ve finished, press the Stop button. You can now listen back to the recording by pressing the Play button. Any flags you added will be shown with a vertical line on the timeline at the bottom, and you…

Hold online meetings using Chat and Rooms Last year, Google added two new instant-messaging tools – Chat and Rooms – to the paid-for version of Gmail. Thanks to an update last month, both tools are now free to all Gmail users, and they’re perfect for sending club communications and hosting online meetings. To use the new features, you first need to change a setting in your club’s Gmail account. Log in at www.gmail.com, then click the Settings button (cog icon, top right), followed by ‘See all settings’. In the Settings window that opens, click the ‘Chat and Meet’ tab at the top, then select Google Chat in the Chat section (see screenshot below). Click ‘Save Changes’ to return to your inbox. Click the menu button (three horizontal bars, top left)…

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When you plug a USB stick into your PC to transfer files, the last thing you want is an error message saying ‘Access is denied’ or ‘The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable’. Don’t panic, though, because it’s usually possible to repair the corruption without reformatting. Open ‘This PC’ in File Explorer, then right-click your USB stick and choose Properties. Select the Tools tab, then click the Check button to scan your USB stick for errors. Click ‘Repair drive’ when prompted to fix these problems and gain access to your files. If you can’t see the files on your drive, you may need to use a recovery tool to find them (they’re not deleted, just hidden). Install and run the free version of Recuva (www.snipca.com/38059), select your USB stick…

NEW! In this new Reader Offer we’re selling Adobe Photoshop Elements 2021 for just £77.99 – which is £9 off the full price. Buy the Windows version from www.snipca.com/38179 Buy the Mac version from www.snipca.com/38198 Just click the red Buy Now button on the right. On the next page, enter your email at the top right then choose your payment method. Your code to download Photoshop Elements 2021 will be emailed to you. If you have any questions about your purchase, please email Computeractive Editor Daniel Booth: editor@computeractive.co.uk JUST SO YOU KNOW… This is a lifetime offer for two computers. It can be used by one person only, and expires at midnight on 1 June 2021…

32bit/64bit A measure of how much data a PC can process at once. Most older computers are 32bit, more modern ones are 64bit. 3GP A type of video file recorded by many mobile phones. 4K Video with a resolution of at least 3840x2160 pixels. 802.11ax Wi-Fi standard with speeds up to 10 times faster than 802.11ac. Also called Wi-Fi 6. Accelerometer A sensor that detects movement. Used in smartphones to decide whether or not to display a portrait or landscape screen, control games or even work as a spirit level. Active noise cancelling Method for reducing unwanted sound by adding a second sound specifically designed to cancel the first. 720p/1080p/1440p Common types of high-definition video of 1280x720, 1920x1080 and 2560x1440 pixels respectively. Administrator Someone who can make changes to a…