Table of contents for Vol. 449 in Computeractive

Superfish may sound like the world’s worst superhero (great in water, less so on land), but it’s actually a shocking piece of adware that Lenovo pre-installed on some laptops it made between September 2014 and January 2015. Its trick was to force adverts into your Google search results that Lenovo wanted you to see. A nice little earner for Lenovo (up to $250,000 apparently), but a right pain in the hard drive for you. The adverts were bad enough, but Superfish also left you vulnerable to being hacked. After dragging its feet, Lenovo eventually released a tool to remove Superfish (see our Cover Feature), but the depressing affair highlighted just how much junk gets added to computers before you buy them. Most aren’t as damaging as Superfish, but many are…

Online scammers are trying to con pensioners out of money using a fake website that claims to be the official National Savings & Investments (NS&I) site and offer the opportunity to apply for a 65+ Bond. Action Fraud said that some Google searches for the NS&I website are producing fake results. If a person clicks one and submits their personal information, the scammers will follow up with an email and/or phone call asking for proof of ID and their bank details. Many of the emails seen by Action Fraud are addressed “To whom it may concern” and signed “Best Regards, Kevin Archer”. You can see what the fake website looks like on the official NS&I site at www.snipca.com/16384, although its appearance is likely to change as people become wise to…

SEARCH FOR NESSIE IN STREET VIEW Google has joined the search for the Loch Ness Monster by photographing the famous lake for Street View. You can see a Nessie’s-eye-view of nearby landmarks, including Urquhart Castle and Fort Augustus Abbey, plus some stunning images of the sun shining on the Loch. To see the photos visit www.snipca.com/16323. DOWNLOAD NEW VERSION OF UBUNTU Ubuntu 15.04, also called Vivid Vervet after the East African monkey, is now available to download from http://releases.ubuntu.com/15.04. The developers of the open-source operating system said that the focus of the release was to fix bugs and make “incremental” improvements, rather than add significant new features. You can read what’s new at www.snipca.com/16290.…

Contact us so we can investigate your case Email: consumeractive@computeractive.co.uk Write: Consumeractive, Computeractive, 30 Cleveland Street, London W1T 4JD Please include both your phone number and address. Unfortunately, we can’t reply to all your letters. Is your advice about refunds correct? Q I was surprised to hear your advice to Chris Newbon in Issue 447, when you said he’s not entitled to a full refund for his faulty motherboard. Are you sure? I thought there was some sort of EU directive that states you can demand a full refund if the item is not fit for purpose. James Mellitas A Yes, we’re sure about this. You’re only legally entitled to a full refund for a faulty item within a “reasonable” time – usually considered to be within the first 30…

Don’t ring fake Kaspersky number I was having trouble renewing Kaspersky, so searched on Google for a sales number. I found one beginning 0020. I rang it, and they took control of my laptop with my permission. He said Kaspersky had let dangerous files on to my computer. I was increasingly suspicious, but when challenged he said I had phoned him not the other way round. When he wanted to charge me £65 to ‘fix’ some problems, I asked him to stop accessing my laptop. He told me to switch off the computer, but when I switched it on again the remote access was still live, so I ran a Kaspersky scan. By the way, the correct Kaspersky number is 0871 789 1631. H Mulgray £50 from Amazon? Sadly not…

How can I get my lost photos back? Q I – or my laptop – has managed to lose hundreds of digital photos belonging to me and my partner. The laptop still works, but the photos we stored on it have disappeared. Is it possible to retrieve them? If so, what software would you recommend? Rik East A We don’t envy you – but we hope we can help. Free program Recuva (www.piriform.com/recuva) can retrieve many types of lost file and has a clear, easy-to-use wizard, plus a ‘Scan for deleted files’ rightclick tool. If your laptop’s operating system is older than Windows 7, download the portable version of Recuva (www.snipca.com/16286) using a newer PC, then run it on the laptop from a USB stick. Unlike many “free” recovery tools,…

How can I improve my living-room Wi-Fi? Q I’ve bought a Sony smart TV and a Samsung PVR, but I’m having trouble getting a reliable Wi-Fisignal on both in my living room. I’m certain the problem is with my rickety old router because my laptop, which gets a strong enough signal in other rooms, also struggles to connect in my living room. What should I buy to solve this? Petra Tonge A Assuming that your existing router really is at fault, there are two ways to improve the reliability of the internet connection in your living room. The first is to replace your router. If you have an ADSL connection, we’d recommend the TPLink TD-W8980 (£55 from www.snipca.com/16347). If you have a cable or fibre connection, we’d recommend the Asus…

Win 1 of 4 Asus RT-AC52U routers The Asus RTAC52U, which won a Great Pick award in Issue 446, is one the cheapest routers we’ve ever tested that’s 802.11ac compatible. It even comes with an 802.11ac adapter for your PC. In 802.11n mode the router is dualband capable, reaching fast speeds on both the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands. It also lets you remotely access files when you’re away from your PC. To enter, email your address to cacomp@dennis.co.uk by midnight 26 May 2015. The Asus RT-AC52U router is available now priced £58 from www.snipca.com/16242. For more info visit www.snipca.com/15711. You can also follow Asus on Twitter (@ASUS_ROGUK).…

A little-known feature of Google Earth lets you explore space, including the Moon and Mars. We’ll show you how to navigate to constellations, view the biggest known volcano in the Solar System and see where each of the Apollo missions landed. In the last step, we’ll tell you how to print high-resolution images from your interplanetary explorations using the ‘Pro’ version of Google Earth, which was made free earlier this year. STEP 1 To download and install Google Earth Pro for free (it was £260 until recently) go to www.snipca.com/15715 and click the blue ‘Agree and Download’ button. Click the setup file that downloads to your PC, Run, Yes, then wait for the program to install. If you’re downloading it for the first time, you’ll see a login window. Enter…

ANDROID Disable annoying app notifications Some apps – in particular those that come preinstalled with your device – have an annoying habit of bombarding you with notifications. While you can turn these off within the app’s setting, the method is different for each one. A faster way to permanently turn off notifications for a particular app is to tap and hold a notification the next time it appears in your notification screen. What you do next depends on which version of Android you use. If you’re using the latest version (5.0, also called Lollipop), tap the ‘i’ symbol on the notification, then tap the Block slider beside ‘Never show notifications from this app’. If you’re using an older version of Android, tap ‘App info’, then untick ‘Show notifications’. ANDROID Move…

WINDOWS VISTA, 7, 8, 10 Change the sensitivity of your mouse’s scroll wheel If you find that moving your mouse’s scroll wheel takes you up and down a page too quickly for your liking, you can easily tweak its sensitivity. Before doing this, you should open a Word document (ideally one with multiple pages) so you can test the mouse-wheel sensitivity that works best for you. Now open Control Panel, click ‘Hardware and Sound’, Mouse (in the ‘Devices and Printers’ section), then click the Wheel tab in the Mouse Properties window (see screenshot). By default, the Vertical Scrolling option is set to 4, meaning scrolling your mouse wheel once moves the document by around four lines. If you find this is too much, then decrease the number to 2. Conversely,…

FlightGear is a vast, volunteer-run project that takes some getting used to. Every plane works differently, and many functions require certain PC configurations (a modern graphics card and processor will help). Be prepared – there will be times when you’ll want to put your foot through the screen. To get though this forest of controls (and occasional bugs) without ruining your screen, turn to the amazing ‘FlightGear wiki’ (http://wiki.flightgear.org). It’s second only to Wikipedia as the most impressive user-maintained site we’ve ever seen. Browse the menu, or go straight to the most linked-to pages to find out what everyone else is reading (www.snipca.com/16273). If you’re an experienced FlightGear user and want to get involved with writing and editing the site, create an account at the ‘wiki editing portal’ (www.snipca.com/16271). As…

It’s not just you. Here are the 20 programs most commonly removed from PCs by users of the free program PC Decrapifier. As you can see, most are unnecessary ‘utilities’ pre-installed by PC manufacturers, with HP being the biggest offender. For the full top 50, which also includes WinZip and Spotify, go to www.pcdecrapifier.com/removes. 1 Drive Encryption (with HP ProtectTools) 2 Face Recognition (with HP ProtectTools) 3 MyWinLocker Suite 4 PDF Complete 5 HP Device Access Manager 6 Lenovo Solution Center 7 Babylon Toolbar (with IE) 8 HP Device Access Manager 9 Free Ride Games Player 10 Conduit Search Protect 11 HP Device Access Manager 12 System Optimizer Pro 13 Savings Bull 14 HP Device Access Manager 15 HP Drive Encryption 16 WildTangent Games 17 Xobni 18 Lenovo SimpleTap 19…

Mobile data, such as 3G and 4G, is very useful when you’re away from home, because it lets you stay connected to the internet when you can’t get access to Wi-Fi. Most mobile contracts include a free data allowance – but this allowance can run out in no time, after which it quickly gets very expensive indeed. So if you’re travelling or sending photos and videos to someone abroad, don’t use mobile data. To be on the safe side, switch it off in your device settings. With mobile data switched off, your phone or tablet will only use Wi-Fi, which is often free, even when you’re far from home. If you have an Android device, go to the main Settings menu and look for a mobile data setting (usually called…

Whatever’s going wrong... For any Flash problem, the first thing to do is check that you’ve got the latest version installed by visiting the plug-in’s home page (www.snipca.com/15769). Look in the Version Information box to find out your installed version, then check the table underneath it to see if it’s up to date. If it’s not, click the Player Download Center link and follow the prompts. Video or audio aren’t working Missing video or weird audio can be caused by lots of things. Start by clearing your browser’s cache. In Internet Explorer 11 (IE11) click the cog icon, point to Safety, then click ‘Delete browsing history’. In Chrome, click the menu button (three lines) then click History followed by ‘Clear browsing data’. In Firefox, click Tools then Clear Recent History.…

Amazon has doubled the minimum amount you typically need to spend in order to qualify for free delivery. You now have to spend £20 to receive your purchase by Amazon’s Free Super Saver Delivery service. However, any order under £20 that includes a book will still be eligible for free delivery. The website explained the reasons behind the increase in an online statement (www.snipca.com/16395). Amazon hopes the move will encourage more customers to pay £79 a year for its Prime service (www.amazon.co.uk/prime), which includes free next-day delivery on thousands of items. Prime members also get access to Prime Instant Video streaming services (which will soon start streaming in 4K), cloud storage, the Kindle lending library and other Amazon-related services. This isn’t the first time Amazon has increased its delivery prices.…

Over 35,000 computers used by the Metropolitan Police are still running Windows XP, despite Microsoft ending public support for the operating system last year. The force signed a Custom Support Agreement (CSA) with Microsoft last year. This is a paid-for service that lets organisations continue receiving security patches and other crucial updates. A deal to renew this agreement for a further 12 months is being negotiated, the Met confirmed, even though the machines running XP are likely to be less secure than those running Windows 7 or 8. The figures came from news website Motherboard (www.snipca.com/16324), after it submitted a Freedom of Information request. The response to the request read: “We have currently got 35,640 Desktop and Laptop computers running windows XP across all departments within the MET [Metropolitan Police]”.…

Tell us what’s on your mind Email: letters@computeractive.co.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/computeractive Twitter: @ComputerActive www.twitter.com/computeractive PC brigade ‘want to be offended’ Stuart Andrews is right to say that the epicentre of political correctness has moved to the internet (The Final Straw, Issue 448). Twenty years ago it was rife in councils and schools, where workers tried to out-do each other inventing stupid rules to keep people in check. Now we have a PC brigade (mostly people under 30) who patrol the internet ready to shout down voices they don’t agree with. The whole ‘feeling fat’ non-controversy is a case in point. I often ‘feel’ fat, and I certainly look it (as you would if you weighed 17 stone). Last night I had a huge steak dinner, followed by double helpings of my…

We’re happy to report that Ebuyer has decided to fully refund reader John Shorter, who had problems with a faulty graphics card (Issue 446). Initially, Ebuyer said it wouldn’t refund the full price, which was £238. Instead, it was prepared to give him a credit note for that amount, or a pro-rata refund of £189, reduced because John had used the graphics card for two years. Ebuyer also said it would refund John the £30 he spent to get the graphics card independently examined, to prove it was faulty. John was unhappy with these offers because he felt Ebuyer had messed him around too much. We sympathised and suggested he should email Ebuyer to tell them what he was prepared to accept. He told the company he wanted the choice…

New products tested by our experts Most PCs are large, hefty beasts wrapped in plain black casings, but the Acer Revo One RL85 is the polar opposite. This mini Windows 8.1 PC is about the size of a large mug. It could easily sit unobtrusively beside your TV or on a bookshelf because it comes in a striking, minimalist, white curvy casing. Performance The RL85 is available in several configurations. The model we reviewed is fitted with 4GB of memory, a 2.1GHz Intel Core i3 dual-core processor and a 2TB hard drive. This processor is much faster than the Intel Celeron 2957U, which comes in the cheapest version of the Revo One (£230), and makes the £350 configuration quick enough for use as your main computer – although the integrated…

Proporta Kindle Paperwhite Leather-style Cover £20 from www.snipca.com/16352 A clever and smart-looking leather-effect pouch for Kindle e-readers. Te clasp doubles up as a pull-string-tug it gently and your Kindle pops out for easy removal. SanDisk iXpand 16GB £42 from www.snipca.com/16349 This USB stick also has a Lightning connector, so you can share fles between your iOS device and your computer. It’s not overly fast, copying large fles at 12MB/s and small ones at 5.7MB/s, but it’s sturdy and comes with a well-designed file-manager app. Nomad ChargeCard £13 from www.snipca.com/16350 A compact cable the size and shape of a credit card with a fold-out USB connector for charging your smartphone while on the go. It comes in Lightning and micro USB versions. Griffin Wired Keyboard for iOS £42 from www.snipca.com/16351 The…

SUMMER 2015 The Asus Chromebit is a Chrome OS PC the size of a USB stick that plugs into your monitor’s HDMI port. It will cost $100 in the US with UK pricing still to be confifirmed. AUTUMN 2015 The Dell Venue 10 7000 is the 10in version of the Venue 8 7000 Android tablet (see our review, Issue 447). Its ‘barrel edge’ will house a bigger battery and a magnetic connection for its optional Bluetooth keyboard. AUTUMN 2015 The iPhone 6s is rumoured to have an improved camera, waterproofing and the Force Touch pressure-sensitive screen technology, first seen in the Apple Watch. AUTUMN/WINTER 2015 The next generation of Windows Phones running Windows 10 will be able to act as full-blown PCs when connected to amonitor or TV.…

NightCap Pro £1.49 iOS: www.snipca.com/16294 Smartphone cameras are still poor at taking photos in the dark, but the four modes in this app should help. The Long Exposure mode takes clear photos even in low-lit conditions, while the Light Trails mode lets you capture lights from moving vehicles as coloured lines (see image). Any.Do Free Android: www.snipca.com/16295 iOS: www.snipca.com/16296 The new version of this popular list-writing app has a plethora of exciting features and a completely redesigned interface. You can now set a default format (numbers, bullet points, and so on), share your lists with others and sort them by date or priority. It also includes new themes for your lists. Adobe Slate Free iOS: www.snipca.com/16297 Adobe Slate is a stunning new iPad app that lets you merge text and…

MICROSOFT SWAY Compare two images using a slider Microsoft is adding features to Sway all the time. Sway is the latest member of the Office family that works online. It’s great for creating scrolling presentations, which Microsoft calls ‘sways’ (see our ‘Make presentations using Microsoft Sway’ Workshop in Issue 442). The latest feature is the ability to compare two images by dragging a slider across a composite image of the two (see screenshot). This is useful if you need to evaluate the respective merits of two similar images or make a before-and-after comparison. For convenience, you should first save both the images you want to compare to your Desktop. Now go to www.sway.com., click ‘Sign in’ at the top right and log in with your Microsoft (Outlook or Hotmail) account.…

What is it? A collection of Amazon services and devices that the company hopes will make it easier for you to order items through the site. The Amazon Dash itself (https://fresh.amazon.com/dash) is a ‘scanning wand’ that reads barcodes, letting you add grocery items to an online shopping list. You can also speak the items you’d like to add. Amazon then delivers those items to your door using its AmazonFresh service, though this is currently available only in Seattle, New York and some parts of California. It’s an intriguing part of Amazon’s plan for world domination. But since launching last year Amazon Dash had fallen out of the headlines – that was until the company announced the Dash Buttons (www.amazon.com/oc/dashbutton) in late March. What are they? Small buttons that you stick…

Your PC may have come with an antivirus suite built in. McAfee Internet Security, for example, is built into many Asus Notebook PCs (www.snipca.com/16363) and normally costs £28.99. Windows Defender (www.snipca.com/16364, see screenshot) is made by Microsoft and included with Windows. Great, right? Actually these tools can do more harm than good, especially if you don’t realise they’re there. If you go ahead and install your own choice of antivirus, it will conflict with the pre-installed antivirus. They’ll effectively cancel each other out. Choose just one antivirus Use the tools we’ve described in this feature to research your PC’s built-in programs and check whether they’re antivirus suites. If you do have more than one antivirus installed, make sure only one is enabled. Disable Windows Defender (here’s how: www.snipca.com/16365) - it’s…

Windows 8.1 comes with a selection of TTS voices, including a female voice with a UK accent, called Hazel. You can switch from the default to the more natural-sounding Hazel by going to ‘Ease of Access’ in the Control Panel and clicking Speech Recognition, then ‘Text to Speech’ and choosing Hazel from the ‘Voice selection’ dropdown menu. If you’re using Windows 7, you’ll find you’re stuck with the dreaded Microsoft Anna unless you buy extra voices – or employ a trick to get less grating voices (including Hazel) for free. First, download the Microsoft Speech Platform Runtime (www.snipca.com/16171). Click Download, then tick the x86 box or, if you’re running a 64bit version of Windows 7, tick x64. Click Next and download the installer. Next, download Runtime Language (www.snipca.com/16172). After clicking…

Email us your problem and we’ll try to help: noproblem@computeractive.co.uk How do I stop Run’s history being erased? QI frequently work through Computeractive’s Workshops and hints where the Run dialogue box is used for executing commands like ‘regedit’ an so on. These typed instructions used to be remembered by Run, so I could save time later by calling up previous commands. However, it seems this history has been erased, perhaps after I’ve used CCleaner or some other clean-up tool. It keeps happening, so I no longer have a Run history – and I’d like it back. I guess it amounts to me knowing what box not to click when initiating the clean-up procedure, if you know what I mean! Sid Denney A Yes, we do know what you mean. CCleaner…

1080p Of the common types of high-definition video, this is the best quality: 1920x1080 pixels. 4K Video with a resolution of at least 3840x2160 pixels 64bit A technology that processes information in larger chunks. Most modern computers are 64bit. 802.11ac A standard for wireless networks that allows for higher transfer speeds than 802.11n. 802.11n A standard for wireless networks that allows for high transfer speeds. ADSL Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. A technology that converts a standard phone line into a broadband internet connection. Aperture An opening that controls the amount of light entering a camera lens. Backend server See Server Bandwidth A measure of how much information can be transferred through a connection at one time. Bookmarklet A small, very simple program stored as a bookmark in your web browser.…

Microsoft will be happy that its decision to make apps easier to build for Windows grabbed the headlines, and that’s certainly welcome news. But we raised a bigger cheer when Solitaire’s return was revealed. We know many of you were left flabbergasted by its absence in Windows 8. Yes, you can still download it from the Windows Store, but Microsoft’s assumption that people didn’t want it built in was a mistake. We’re less excited by Spotlight. Don’t we get enough personal recommendations already?…

UPDATE WORDPRESS WITH CRITICAL FIX WordPress has issued a “critical” security update to fix a vulnerability that let hackers take over websites simply by leaving a comment. Finnish security researcher Jouko Pynnönen went public with the flaw in a blog post (www.snipca.com/16379) after, he claims, trying to contact WordPress about it since November 2014. WordPress responded two days later by releasing the fix, which you can install at www.snipca.com/16378. FREE VIDEO CALLS ON FACEBOOK Facebook has added videocalling to its Messenger app, providing another alternative to services such as Skype and Apple’s FaceTime. You can start a free video call simply by pressing the video-camera icon while chatting online. The two people talking don’t need to be using the same mobile platform, so an iPhone user can talk to an…

I’ve been very interested in all the recent articles about the threat posed to humanity by the rise of robots. However, it feels like a distant threat, one that future generations will have to face (I’m 83 now, and really have more important things to worry about!). Besides, how can we build robots with enough intelligence to enslave us when we can’t even make phones that last more than a day on a single battery charge? A more immediate danger to our wellbeing is the increase in communicating by email and on video. A couple of months ago you featured a news story about reporting crime online, and in Issue 448 the Lib Dems said that more people should talk to their doctor by Skype. I can’t see how either…

WATCH OUT FOR… The rising threat of ransomware What happened? Antivirus company F-Secure warned that the threat posed by ‘extortion malware’ is growing. Through these attacks, hackers try to get money from people by infecting their computers, phones and tablets. The most common form of extortion malware is ransomware. In its Threat Report for the second half of 2014 (www.snipca.com/16280), which was published in late April, F-Secure said that ransomware is the “most prominent” danger people face today, and it shows no sign of diminishing. The report said that criminals are increasingly finding ransomware to be the most profitable and efficient mode of attack, partly because the rise of virtual currencies such as Bitcoin have made it easier for them to extort money Hackers are also targeting devices other than…

DESKTOP LAUNCHER LaunchBar Commander www.snipca.com/16282 What you need: Windows XP, Vista, 7 or 8 De-clutter your Desktop by moving your shortcuts and documents to this ‘launcher’. At first glance, it looks like the world’s smallest program window, but it’s actually a customisable dock (called My First Dock by default) and a powerful gateway to whatever files, folders, programs, Windows settings and other PC links you want it to contain. Click one of the little arrows in the dock, and a dropdown menu of items will unfurl before your eyes. To make the menu disappear again, click your Desktop. You can either stick with the default menus, which include My Control Panel and My Documents, or configure the menus to better suit your needs. You could create a menu of most-used…

MEDIA-CENTRE SOFTWARE Media-centre software is designed for use on a TV screen, so everything can be seen from a distance. It has an interface that’s customised for browsing and playing your media files. Microsoft’s Windows Media Center is available as an add-on for Windows 8.1 (£7 from www.snipca.com/16326) and works with TV tuners. Free alternatives such as Plex are available, but don’t work with TV tuners. REMOTE CONTROL Various Windowscompatible remotes are available. This cheap and cheerful Maplin model (pictured left) costs just £20 (from www.snipca.com/16328). Partner it with a wireless keyboard with a built-in touchpad, such as the Logitech K400 (£28 from www.snipca.com/16332), and you’re all set to go. TV TUNER The Hauppauge PCTV Systems DVB-T2 292e nanoStick is a tiny TV tuner that works with Freeview, but not…

Almost all of the mobile networks have their own-brand smartphones and tablets and Vodafone is no different. The Smart Tab 4G is Vodafone’s budget 8in 4G-connected Android tablet. As well as the pay-as-you-go price listed above, it’s also available on contract where its total cost of ownership (around £500 on a two-year contract) is almost the same as EE’s Eagle (also known as the Huawei MediaPad M1, see our review in Issue 429). The Smart Tab 4G may be cheap, but the plain grey plastic casing feels sturdy. However, despite the soft-touch rubbery back, we had difficulty getting a firm grip on it. This was due to the thin borders on the left- and right-hand sides of the screen (when held in portrait orientation), which also made it a little…

The DiskStation DS215j might be one of Synology’s cheapest NAS devices, but this two-drive model isn’t lacking in either features or flexibility. Like its predecessor the DS213j (see our review, Issue 404), it has room for two desktop hard drives for a maximum capacity of 12TB (if you use a pair of 6TB drives which are the largest available) and will also accept SSDs too. Installing hard drives takes slightly more effort than in other, admittedly more expensive NAS devices. You have to slide open the casing and screw the drives into a cage. Although this might sound intimidating, it’s very straightforward to do. All NAS devices are effectively small computers, but dedicated to network storage rather than for general use, and thus have their own operating systems. The DS215j…

Find out what other products we liked in 2014. Buy our Back Issue CD now: www.snipca.com/14981 LAPTOP Asus X555LA-XX290H £300 from www.snipca.com/16158 Tested: Issue 446 Asus has made all the right choices with this budget Windows 8.1 laptop. Its comfortable keyboard, fast performance, respectably lengthy battery life and bright screen are all the more impressive given its low price. ALTERNATIVE Asus Chromebook C200 A cheap Chrome OS ultra-portable laptop with a bright screen, lengthy battery life and a great keyboard. £200 from www.snipca.com/16353 PHONE Motorola Moto G 4G (second generation) £150 (without contract) from www.snipca.com/16160 Tested: Issue 436 Moto G 4G has been updated with a 5in screen, 4G and a microSD card slot. The 3G version has dual SIM slots. ALTERNATIVE: Apple iPhone 5s An excellent smartphone with a…

Email us your tips: letters@computeractive.co.uk TIP OF THE FORTNIGHT ✓ Add search options to your browser’s right-click menus I mainly browse the internet using Chrome, but sometimes switch to Firefox if Chrome acts up. Recently, I realised that if you highlight a word or phrase in any of the browsers, then right-click it, you see an option to search Google for it. That got me wondering if there was any way I could add other search options. For example, searching on Bing or Wikipedia because I like using Bing’s image search, while Wikipedia is great for learning more about people and places. This, it turns out, is relatively easy to do in both browsers with the help of free extensions (Firefox calls them ‘add-ons’). Both Chrome and Firefox have extensions…

AGES 0-5 Little Digits – Finger Counting £2.29 www.snipca.com/16299 (iOS) Your child will love this app, which makes optimum use of the iPad’s touchscreen. When they place their fingertips on the iPad the app will display (and tell them) how many fingers. They then need to correctly answer simple maths problems using the correct number of fingers. AGES 6-10 Escargot Escape Artistes Free www.snipca.com/16300 (Android) Free www.snipca.com/16301 (iOS) This game was designed by the winner of the CBBC Appsolute Genius competition. Your kids need to help ‘Escargot’ the snail escape the chef by climbing up the Eiffel Tower. They have to tap the screen at the right time to avoid obstacles and collect green coins to get additional lives. AGES 11-16 Peak – Brain Training Free www.snipca.com/16302 (Android) Free www.snipca.com/16303…

Preview planes in 3D Open-source flight simulator FlightGear (www.flightgear.org) is a huge program (‘At least 1,782.5MB of free disk space is required’ says the setup wizard, ominously), but it only takes a few minutes to install. Ignore the safe and unnecessary instruction to disable your antivirus. There’s another setup wizard waiting to meet you when you run FlightGear. It’s variously called the FlightGear Wizard, FlightGear Launch Control and FGRun (www.snipca.com/16259). Whatever it’s called, it looks confusing at first glance, but you can whiz through it quickly by clicking an aircraft in the first list and a take-off airport in the second list, then clicking Run to launch the simulator. We recommend lingering for a few minutes while you choose an aircraft. Click a plane to load it (eventually) in the…

Rumours of the death of pre-installed Samsung apps are exaggerated. In March, tech websites reported that Samsung’s new Galaxy S6 Edge phone would let its users delete pre-installed apps. Unfortunately the stories had to be corrected a day later (here, for example: www.snipca.com/16383). As it turns out, you’ll merely be able to ‘hide’ apps – which you can do already, by removing their icons and ignoring them. We can’t blame the websites for getting excited. The fact that you still can’t remove pre-installed apps without breaking your phone or tablet is, frankly, ludicrous.…

You may have read recently that one of our readers was dismayed that a salesman working at a major electronics store thought the Raspberry Pi was a dessert (Letters, Issue 447). This doesn’t surprise me. You’d think that with so many young people interested in technology, our retail outlets would be packed with smart employees, bursting with knowledge and determined to share it with the world. Instead there are still plenty of dimwits who’d struggle to remember their name if it wasn’t printed on a tag. Or worse, sharp-dressed sales-fiends with their minds on targets, not satisfied customers. In the past few years I’ve heard many sorry tales. Some are just regular idiocy, like punters being told to buy one laptop over another because it had a solid-state drive, which…