Table of contents for 534 in Computeractive

I’ve always liked the name Control Panel. It makes tweaking Windows feel as important as monitoring a nuclear power station or (more excitingly) the Star Trek bridge. Launch Windows Firewall, Captain Sulu! It’s also easy to use. Everything you need is there. But it’s unlikely to survive much longer – in Windows 10 at least – because Microsoft wants you to use the Settings app instead. Nothing wrong with that in principle, but it has meant getting used to a new nerve centre for your computer. In this Missing Manual (page 50) we take you on a guided tour of the Settings app, explaining what you’ll find in each section, and recommending changes to make. Spock would probably find many of Microsoft’s decisions “highly illogical”, but we’re here to help,…

Traffic information such as speed limits, roadworks and delays will be beamed to car dashboards using 5G in a trial of new technology. Highways England says that if the trial is successful, it could eventually lead to the overhead gantries on motorways being pulled down, because the signs they display will be transmitted inside cars instead. It’s been announced four months after a report from the Department for Transport found the number of road signs had doubled in 20 years to 4.3 million, with many so pointless they assume an “insulting degree of stupidity on the part of drivers”. The £20m trial will run from the end of 2018 until 2020 on the busy A2 and M2 roads between London and Dover. It will be powered by a 5G broadband…

Avast has pulled the most recent update of CCleaner (5.45) after users complained they couldn’t stop the software monitoring how they used it. The security company, which bought CCleaner’s developers Piriform last year, says any data it collects is “anonymised”. However, it has faced a backlash from users who said that after they turned off Active Monitoring, it was automatically switched back on when they restarted their computer. Previous versions of the program had let you turn off the Active Monitoring tool. Avast initially threatened to reverse this change in the next version of CCleaner, but as anger grew it decided to revert the program to 5.44. An administrator on Piriform’s forums (www.snipca.com/28732) thanked users for their feedback, and said it was working on a new version of CCleaner that…

The NHS is backing a campaign to urge people to take a month’s break from social media in order to limit its “negative impact” on their life. Scroll Free September (www.scrollfreeseptember.org), which is being run by health-education charity Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), will challenge phone addicts to cut down personal use of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat for 30 days. The RSPH was inspired by the success of other health campaigns that encourage people to set targets for a particular month, such as Movember (grow a moustache to promote men’s health), and Dry January (to give up drinking after Christmas). Research by the charity found that half of 18-34 year olds thought it would be hard or impossible to give up social media for 30 days. But they…

I was amused to read in Issue 532 (page 7) that Tesco intends to trial a mobile app enabling customers to scan items as they put them in their trolley and then pay automatically, avoiding the need to queue at a till. This means that “hundreds of cameras and electronic sensors” will be used to identify and track what customers select. The reason I found this funny was that I had just returned from Tesco where, buying just six items, I thought it might be easy to use their self-scan machines. Well, it wasn’t. The brainless device called for the attendant’s help three times for these few items. First I used my own bags, but the machine hysterically called for human aid to ensure I was telling the truth (and…

PayPal and eBay’s buyer-protection schemes can be useful for getting redress when dealing with shoddy goods or rogue traders. But it can be a nightmare for customers when either or both dismiss a legitimate claim, as Theresa Coll found (see Issue 531). Theresa bought a sunlounger from an eBay seller, paying £21.99 via PayPal. But the sale was a scam. eBay told her the real seller’s account had been hijacked, and warned her not to pay. Sadly, this advice came too late. Even though eBay knew the sale was a scam, it wasn’t interested in helping Theresa, saying the seller wasn’t responding to its emails. We’re baffled why eBay would expect a scammer to correspond with it. In the end, though, eBay saw sense, and has refunded Theresa through PayPal.…

Here’s something that won’t surprise you - there are lots of rogue traders online. An effective way to avoid them is to search for companies on Trustpilot, one of the world’s biggest consumer-review sites. This is much easier thanks to a recent redesign that places the search bar front and centre. Type a company name, click Search, and you’ll see how many reviews it has, as well as the average rating. For example, we’re glad to see Mesh – makers of our current favourite PC (see page 30) – scores highly: 8.4 out of 10 (www.snipca.com/28555, see screenshot). Other UK manufacturers we recommend regularly, including Palicomp, Wired2Fire and Chillblast, are also popular with customers. If you don’t have a company in mind, it’s better to browse the categories (you’ll find…

What can I use to turn sketches into floor plans? Q I’m buying a house that needs some renovation. It would be helpful to scan rough sketch plans that can then be manipulated to decide what walls to take out, etc. Can you recommend free software to do this? Paul Draper A There are a few options to convert sketches into floor plans that you can try. One of the easiest is the online Floorplanner tool (https://floorplanner.com). It’s free, but you’ll need to create an account (only your name and email is required). Once that’s done, click the ‘Create new project’ option. Give your project a name, then choose how many floors your property has. Next to each floor, you’ll see an ‘add background’ option. Click this, then upload your…

Ring’s main competitor is the Nest Hello (see www.snipca.com/28583), which requires a low-voltage AC supply of at least 16 volts. In most cases that will mean paying for professional installation, adding £100 to the base price of £229. You’ll also need a subscription for recording and some other features, starting at £40 a year. That seems steep, but we’ll review the Hello in an upcoming issue. Another option is the Netatmo Presence (£228 from Amazon www.snipca.com/28584, pictured), which doesn’t include a doorbell but records in a similar way. Built into a floodlight, it requires mains wiring.…

What should I replace my EE router with? Q I have fibre broadband from EE, giving me 27Mbps in my house and 14Mbps in my garden using EE’s Bright Box 2 Wi-Fi router (pictured). These are acceptable speeds, but if I wanted to replace the Bright Box 2, am I correct in thinking that I need an ADSL router? The TP Link Archer C3200 you’ve recommended seems to be only for cable broadband. Bob Stewart A EE’s cheapest fibre option averages 36Mbps, so 27Mbps suggests the Bright Box 2’s Wi-Fi isn’t quite keeping up, and 14Mbps could certainly be improved. For fibre you need a VDSL modem, which the C3200 lacks. You might consider the 1300Mbps-rated TP-Link AC1900 (£110 from Amazon www.snipca.com/28591). In our tests its worst results, with older…

PC SPEAKERS | £150 from Amazon www.snipca.com/28679 To us, Razer ‘Nommo’ Chroma sounds more like a minor character from an East End gangster film than a tech product, but these unique desktop speakers are rather more upmarket than that. Their 3in drivers are mounted in biscuit-tin-sized cylinders with a bass reflex port on the back, set horizontally on stands with heavy, flat bases. It’s all plastic, but the austere matt black finish, including the minimalist bass and volume knobs on the right-hand unit, makes it look like pretty expensive hi-fi equipment. “Stunning looks may make you forgive their lack of bass instincts” It’s not quite all black, because under each speaker is a circular strip of LED lights that can be customised in software to glow in a colour pattern…

KitSound’s BoomDAB Radio Speaker is a digital radio for the home that does it all, with 20 Watts of powerful sound. Using either DAB or FM, you can listen to your favourite radio stations with ease, saving 20 as preset stations (no need to worry about re-tuning!). It also plays music from your phone through Bluetooth, charging your device as it does so. KitSound’s beautiful tuning and tinkering guarantees that each song sounds clear and rich. Using the dual alarm clock you can set two different alarms, one for early rises on weekdays, another for lazy weekend lie-ins. To enter, email your address to cacomp@dennis.co.uk with ‘boom’ in the subject line by midnight 28 August. You can buy the BoomDAB Radio Speaker for £99.99 from Amazon (www.snipca.com/28653). For updates on…

What you need: Chrome or Firefox browser; Windows 10 Time required: 15 minutes Windows Timeline was, in our opinion, the most useful addition in the Windows 10 April 2018 Update. It lets you scroll through a list of all the Microsoft programs you’ve used previously and any websites you visited in Edge, making it easy to find something you’ve been working on or viewed online. Windows Timeline Support is a new browser extension for Chrome and Firefox that logs websites you visit using these browsers and adds them to your Windows timeline. STEP 1 If you use Firefox, skip to Step 3. If you use Google Chrome, ensure that you’re running the latest version. To do that, click the three dots at the top right 1, move your cursor to…

VLC MEDIA PLAYER Download YouTube videos using VLC ✓ VLC (www.snipca.com/28726) is my favourite program for watching videos and playing music on my PC, but the program does so much more that’s hidden beneath the surface. Reader Adrian Terry offered a very useful tip for listening to radio stations (see Issue 531) on VLC, so I thought I’d add my own tip for the program that lets you download YouTube videos to watch offline. First, go to YouTube and copy the URL of the video you want to download. Next, open VLC, press Ctrl+N, paste the URL into the field provided and click Play at the bottom. Now press Ctrl+J and copy the long link in the Location field at the bottom. Next, open Google Chrome, paste the copied URL…

Notes by Firefox Free Android: www.snipca.com/28700 This is a great app (in beta at the time of writing) if you like to make notes on your phone and use Firefox on your PC. Any notes you take down are encrypted and you can even dictate voice notes if you’re in a hurry. Your notes are automatically synced when you log into Firefox on your PC. Driving Detective Free Android: www.snipca.com/28699 Responding to a call or text while driving is illegal and hazardous. This app automatically senses when you’re in a moving vehicle and turns your phone’s Do Not Disturb mode on. The mode switches off automatically at the end of your journey. Moment - Pro Camera* £1.79 (Android)/Free (iOS) Android: www.snipca.com/28701 iOS: www.snipca.com/28702 This popular iOS camera app has finally…

Import walking routes Using the GPX file format, you can download GPS route maps created by others (see screenshot right) and import them into an app that supports them. On Android, the GPS Compass Explorer app (www.snipca.com/28081) imports GPX files, while iPhone users can use the free Gaia GPS app (www.snipca.com/28575). There are plenty of sites that let you download walking routes for free, including Walking Englishman (www.walkingenglishman.com) and Ramblers (www.snipca.com/28572). Add missing location data If your phone has built-in GPS, it will store location data for any photos you take with it. To make sure this feature is activated on Android devices, tap Settings in the Camera app, then make sure ‘Save location’ (or similar) is switched on. In iOS, go to Settings, Privacy, Location Services, then set Camera…

We don’t enjoy having a go at Microsoft - honest. After all, without Windows we’d all be forced to use either a more restrictive operating system or one that requires a degree in software engineering just to run a program. But when it comes to the settings in Windows, Microsoft is getting itself in one heck of a muddle. It might not look pretty, but changing settings in Windows 7 is at least reasonably consistent – most are housed in the Control Panel, and those that aren’t have a similar look and feel. But it’s clear Microsoft’s long-term plan is to kill off the Control Panel, with each Windows 10 update shifting more and more settings to the Settings app. As long as there’s no reduction in the ability to…

Q I smashed the screen of my Android phone. It still just about functions but, because it’s ancient, I’ve been scouting around for a replacement, with the Samsung Galaxy S8 high on my list. Looking through the specs, one thing I noticed that got me wondering was the inclusion of Bluetooth 5. I have my Android phone paired to a cheap Bluetooth speaker that I use in the garden. It’s as decrepit as my old phone but still works, and serves my needs. The instructions state that this uses Bluetooth 2.1. Is it safe to assume that a phone with Bluetooth 5 will work with this older standard? And what’s the difference anyway? Would there be any advantage in buying a Bluetooth 5 speaker? Daniel Martin A Yes, a Bluetooth 5 smartphone…

1080p Of the common types of high-definition video, this is the best quality: 1920x1080 pixels. 32bit/64bit A measure of how much information a computer can process at once. Most older computers are 32bit, more modern ones are 64bit. 4K Video with a resolution of at least 3840x2160 pixels. 5G The next (fifth) generation of mobile networks. 720p Common resolution of high-definition video: 1280x720 pixels. 802.11ac A standard for wireless networks that allows for much higher transfer speeds than 802.11n. 802.11n See above. ADSL Asymmetric digital subscriber line. A technology that converts a standard phone line into a broadband internet connection. Architecture A set of rules and language that govern how hardware and software work. Bandwidth A measure of how much data can be transferred through a connection at one time.…

Dixons Carphone has confirmed that a data breach last year may have affected 10 million customers, a huge increase on the first estimate of 1.2 million. The company, which owns Carphone Warehouse and Currys PC World, has been investigating the hack since discovering it in June. It said hackers may have access to customers’ names, addresses and email addresses, which could be used to launch mass phishing attacks. The records of 5.9 million payments cards were also accessed, but most were protected by the chip and pin system. Around 105,000 cards issued outside the EU are at risk because they don’t use chip and pin. There was no evidence that fraud had resulted from the breach, the company said, which means it’s unlikely any compensation will be paid. It plans…

Google Maps now zooms out to show a globe, rather than a flat map of Earth, depicting the planet more realistically. Until now Google Maps used the Mercator projection of Earth, showing the planet on a flat surface. While this makes it easy to understand the geography of Earth, it distorts images so those nearer the poles appear larger than they are. On a Mercator map Greenland (836,300 square miles) is larger than Africa. In reality, Africa is 14 times larger, at 11.73 million square miles. Google acknowledged this well-known distortion in a tweet announcing the launch of Globe Mode (www.snipca.com/28731): “With 3D Globe Mode on Google Maps desktop, Greenland’s projection is no longer the size of Africa. Just zoom all the way out”. To turn on Globe Mode visit…

WARNING: JUNK AHEAD Junk offender: Mini Radio Player I love the radio. Actually, let me qualify that. I love radio stations that don’t churn out annoying adverts every few minutes. Thankfully, we live in a country where there’s still so much choice when it comes to ad-free radio content. All the BBC’s national and local radio stations, for example, are mercifully free of the hard sell. And these days there’s a wealth of excellent free podcast content you can stream direct to your PC, phone or tablet. But there is a problem. Unless you listen to radio on an actual radio set, you could find yourself having to endure adverts even when the broadcast was free of them in their original form. Here’s what I’m talking about. The other day…

Dash cam saved me money after fake accident I was delighted to see your review of the latest dashcams in Issue 533 (pages 24-25) because I believe they can help avoid scams that may be of interest to Computeractive readers. I bought a dashcam (the Nextbase 512GW that gets a ‘Great Pick’ in your review, pictured) after reading about ‘cash for crash’ scams in the paper. It seemed scarcely believable that fraudsters would stage crashes just to get a few thousand pounds of insurance money. But then I became a victim of this phenomenon. I was driving down a residential street at no more than 20mph when the motorcyclist in front of me suddenly stopped, then jumped backwards on to my bonnet. It was the kind of theatricial ‘dive’ more…

Can I get a refund because my tablet doesn’t work with WhatsApp? Q On 6 July, I bought a Samsung Galaxy Tab A 6, running Android 7, from PC World, specifically saying three times to the sales assistant that I needed the ability to use WhatsApp. But I’ve found it doesn’t work on this tablet. Can I get my money back or change it for a tablet that is compatible with WhatsApp? Andy Mattison A The sales assistant should have known that the app version of WhatsApp isn’t available by default on tablets, and can be added only by sideloading. This means that although the tablet isn’t inherently faulty, Andy is still entitled to a full refund by stating that it’s “not as described”. It’s unlikely PC World deliberately misled him, but…

I would like to nominate Novatech Support for their quick and wonderful service when I was in desperate need. I bought a new PC from them two months ago because the hard drive on my old one (Windows 7) decided to go into retirement. But when my new Windows 10 PC updated to the April 2018 Update (version 1803) I was faced with a white screen. There was nothing I could do except shut down and scream help! So I contacted MS support who blamed the ‘fault’ on Novatech. I contacted Novatech who assured me the problem was with the update, which they said had ‘bugs’ when used with an SSD. I went back to Microsoft, who tried to reinstall Windows using an ISO file. But it didn’t work. I…

Prime scam - a coincidence? I mistakenly applied for Amazon Prime, but cancelled it within minutes. I was surprised therefore to receive an email a few days later saying my Prime account was being activated. It looked like an excellent copy of an Amazon email. Only when I was asked for my credit-card details did I close the site and as a precaution change my Amazon password. I cannot accept that this was sent coincidentally a few days after I’d signed up for and cancelled a Prime application. I’ve sent all details to Amazon’s fraud department (www.snipca.com/28529). Warn your fellow readers about scams at letters@computeractive.co.uk…

What does it do? SD cards have been around for years as the standard form of removable storage in digital cameras and other gadgets, but version 7.0 of their official specification takes them into a different league. Not only are much faster speeds made possible by a new interface, but capacities of up to 128 terabytes (128,000 gigabytes) are supported. Why would I want it? More space is always handy. At the moment, the SDXC class allows up to 2TB, but the biggest SD cards you can actually buy are 512GB (half a terabyte), costing around £300 for a decent speed of 95 megabytes per second (MB/s), though up to 624MB/s is possible. The SD Express interface (which has two rows of contacts, see image above), based on similar technology…

SOLID-STATE DRIVE | £97 from Amazon www.snipca.com/28671 For a while, SSDs were faster than hard drives but pricier, so they competed to offer even more speed to justify the outlay. It’s now got to the point where every decent SSD can reach speeds of over 500 megabytes per second (MB/s), which is about as fast as the SATA III interface can handle. That leaves only two options for manufacturers: switch to a new interface and offer even higher speeds, or compete on price. Sure enough, many desktop PCs now come with M.2 sockets for NVMe SSDs, mini circuit boards that often go five or six times faster than the black SATA slabs. If that’s not an option for you, you’ll still be shopping for SATA, and this Ultra 3D unit…

Photoshop 1.0 What was it? Released in February 1990, Photoshop was the first commercial image-editing program for computers. It had a very basic user interface with a limited set of features, but at the time it was revolutionary. Within a few years, photographers and graphics professionals were using it to manipulate images in ways that would previously have required multiple stages of highly skilled work. Photoshop’s original minimum system requirements included 2MB of memory and a floppy drive, the latter storing a maximum file size of 1.4MB – enough for one high-res photo. It ran initially only on Macs with Photoshop itself priced at $895 ($1,725 today, or £1,315). Systems for serious work typically cost upwards of £3,000. How have things changed? In 2018, a £319 iPad can run Affinity…

What you need: Any Android phone Time required: 20 mins Google recently updated its Phone app with a new feature that automatically diverts nuisance calls to voicemail. This treats calls like spam emails, so you’ll never notice they’re being sent to voicemail. The app is only available on Android 8.0 (Oreo) and later. If you’re using an older version, we’ll show you how to install the free app Truecaller, which also automatically diverts spam calls. STEP 1 To install Google’s Phone app, go to www.snipca.com/28680, then click Install. If you see a message saying your device isn’t compatible with this version, skip to Step 5. If your phone isn’t made by Google (ie, a Nexus or Pixel), you need to set the Phone app as your default calling app. To…

Last year, I bought an HP laptop-tablet for my wife, thinking it would make life easy and convenient for her. However, it soon became obvious that the 32GB hard drive was woefully inadequate. Over the years, I’ve come to realise that most PCs often need at least 8GB of free space to work smoothly, and the Windows operating system itself takes up around 4GB. Fast forward to last month, when I read your ‘Best New Portable Software’ feature (Issue 532, page 60), which led to a Eureka moment. On previous PCs I added portable apps to a USB stick, so I wouldn’t have to install them on to my PC. My wife’s device has an SD card permanently attached. Could I install the Portable Apps program (portableapps.com) on that also?…

AGES 0-5 Papumba Academy* Free www.snipca.com/28703 (Android) Free www.snipca.com/28704 (iOS) This app teaches young children all about letters, numbers, music, drawing, animals and more through a selection of simple games. These include puzzles, and memory and tracing challenges, accompanied by animations and videos. AGES 6-10 Build a Bridge!* Free www.snipca.com/28705 (Android) Free www.snipca.com/28706 (iOS) In this physics-based puzzle game, your child needs to construct bridges using different materials (wood, metal, cables) and by connecting dots. Various vehicles (cars, buses and trucks) then drive across the bridge to test its strength. AGES 11-16 Alto’s Odyssey* Free www.snipca.com/28707 (Android) £4.99 www.snipca.com/28708 (iOS) This popular snowboarding game is now available for free on Android (with in-app purchases) after its iOS release earlier this year. Tap the screen at the right time to jump,…

LIBREOFFICE CALC Add or change currency symbols within a column It’s easy to add currency symbols to all numbers in a column in Calc (changing 500 to £500, for example). You can also use this method to change currency formats from one to another (for example, from £500 to $500 or 500 USD). To do this, first highlight the relevant cells, right-click inside this selection, then click the Format Cells option (or press Ctrl+1). In the window that opens, select Currency in the Category list on the left, click the Format dropdown menu in the middle, then set the currency you want to add/change to. The middle row lists the various formats you can use (red font, with decimal points, and more - see screenshot below left). Select the option…

Although most commonly found in sat navs and phones, there are other devices that make use of GPS technology. Dedicated units for hiking are more robust than phones, have longer battery life and can include added extras, such as integrated Ordnance Survey maps. They’re not cheap, though. Even with the current £100 discount, the Satmap Active 12, which comes with 1:50k scale OS maps, costs £299 (www.snipca.com/28574). Golfers looking to improve their game can make use of GPS to give them accurate distance to the green - Garmin’s Approach S10 watch (£140 from www.snipca.com/28573) comes preloaded with data for over 40,000 golf courses. You can even use GPS to keep tabs on a pet dog or cat. The Kippy Vita S GPS unit (£50, plus monthly subscription starting at £7.99,…

As well as the cog shortcut on the Start menu, there are several other ways to bring up the main Settings app. The Windows+i shortcut will take you straight to Settings, as will clicking the Action Centre icon (the square speech-bubble icon located at the right edge of the taskbar), then clicking the ‘All settings’ button. Within the Settings app, you can create a shortcut to a section by right-clicking it, then selecting ‘Pin to Start’. This shortcut will appear in your Start menu. For even more control, you can create desktop shortcuts to a wide range of settings. For example, to create a shortcut to the Default Apps settings page, right-click an empty area of your desktop, click New, then Shortcut. In the window that appears, type the shortcut…

If you fancy sharing your device’s screen to an even bigger display, you might consider connecting to your TV instead of your PC. The simplest way to do this is via a straightforward cable connection. Most laptops (and some tablets) feature an HDMI socket that will let you use practically any TV as a second screen. Some devices may require an adapter for the HDMI connection to work. If you have an iPhone or iPad, for example, you’ll need Apple’s expensive Lightning Digital AV Adapter (£49 from www.snipca.com/28633). Cheaper, non-Apple versions are available on sites like Amazon, but unlike chargers (see page 58) none are made by Apple-certified companies, so don’t take the risk With Android, HDMI support varies massively depending on your model. Some models support a standard called…

Why does CCleaner want to charge? Q In Issue 531’s Make Windows Run Like New Cover Feature you suggest downloading CCleaner, from www.snipca.com/26366. On visiting this website it carried out a search of my PC, but I was then asked to pay $9.99 per month. I decided not to purchase but the website told me that it had found 11 issues relating to TalkTalk. How can this be when I closed my contract with TalkTalk three years ago? George Gilbert A There are two separate aspects to this. First, the free version of CCleaner is free and will not try to get you to pay a monthly fee – so we know for certain this is not what you were actually using. While the published website address (URL) is correct (as is…

Back up your laptop Remember the heady days of Issue 533, when it seemed like a good idea to sit with my laptop in the garden, soaking up rays of strong, fast Wi-Fi thanks to a homeplug? A joyful, stress-free time. A lost time. Fast-forward two weeks and I’m writing this in conditions you wouldn’t wish on a sausage. My home office now cooks quicker than a microwave, and that Wi-Fi-ful garden is a no-go area like something out of Threads (or Fallout 4 for those readers who, for some reason, prefer computer games to classic BBC docu-dramas about nuclear war). “If your PC is nobbled by ransomware, stolen by a burglar or vaporised by extreme weather, your loss is infinitely minimised by having a backup” So I’ve decided to…

Microsoft aims to “alleviate the pain” caused by Windows updates by using machine learning to determine whether it’s a convenient time to install. The latest Preview versions of Windows 10 will postpone an update if it detects that your computer is being used, waiting until it’s switched off, or you take a break. In a blog post (www.snipca.com/28719) the company said it has responded to complaints by training its update process to “accurately predict when the right time to restart the device is”. In machine learning, computer systems learn through experience the best way to perform tasks, without further human input. The new method should mean fewer instances of your computer restarting suddenly to install an update while you’re using it. If trials are successful, it’s likely to be added…

WEB SAFETY COUNCIL PROTECTS ADULTS The Government is expanding its internet safety council to cover adults as well as children. The UK Council for Internet Safety (UKCIS) will prioritise tackling cyber-bullying and sexual exploitation, hate speech, extremism, and violence against women and girls. It will encourage collaboration between 200 organisations. Read Gov.uk for more details: www.snipca.com/28688. GOOGLE ‘MADE YOUTUBE SLOWER ON FIREFOX’ Mozilla, which makes Firefox, has accused Google of slowing down YouTube in all browsers except its own Chrome. Firefox’s Chris Peterson said on Twitter that a redesign of YouTube (owned by Google) means pages on the video site load five times slower in Mozilla’s browser and Microsoft’s Edge. To fix this, he suggests installing the Firefox extension YouTube Classic (www.snipca.com/28689), or Tampermonkey extension (www.snipca.com/28690) in Edge. BBC WEBSITES…

The Government has pledged to help fund full-fibre broadband in “the most difficult-to-reach areas” of the UK as part of a £30bn plan to make 1Gbps (1,000Mbps) speeds available to every home and business by 2033. It acknowledged that in some parts of rural Britain the Government would have to step in when it wouldn’t be profitable for broadband companies to provide services. The target is part of a new national telecoms strategy drawn up by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). It has also set itself a goal of delivering full-fibre broadband to 15 million premises by 2025, and is recommending legislation to force housebuilders to provide it in all new homes. Currently, only four per cent of the UK has a full-fibre service, which provides…

Hacking apparently runs in the van den B family. Last month, brothers Melvin (25) and Dennis (21) from Hoogland in the Netherlands were found guilty of attacking more than 1,200 computers with the Coinvault ransomware between 2014 and 2015, though security researchers estimate the actual number of victims was more like 14,000. The siblings managed to blackmail PC users into paying more than €10,000 (£9,000) in bitcoin to decrypt their files. Amazingly, though, the pair avoided the one-year prison sentence suggested by Dutch prosecutors. Instead, the judge sentenced them to just 240 hours of community service because they had cooperated with the investigation. So, who are the real villains here? Is it the hackers themselves, who are guilty of putting thousands of people through so much grief? Or is it…

It was difficult to suppress a cynical chuckle when I read about Norfolk County Council’s trial to show a road sign (pictured) warning drivers not to use their phone. I think it will fail for two reasons. One, the sign isn’t clear enough, and would be easy to miss or misinterpret when driving at, say, 40mph. Two, the only thing that will stop drivers using phones is social pressure, meaning it needs to be stigmatised more. I remember the days when everyone knew you shouldn’t drink and drive, but we all did it because there wasn’t enough shame attached to it. By my estimation, it took about 20 years of relentless campaigning for the message to hit home. If history repeats itself, it’ll take another 15 years before motorists feel…

Q My son paid Driveme.co.uk (www.driveme.co.uk) £51.91 for a voucher to test-drive a Tesla sports car. Although the voucher is still valid, when I tried to book my drive in June, I was told this test drive wasn’t available any longer. I was offered an alternative car which I don’t want, but the company says I can’t have a refund. Could you advise me of my rights? Graham Hele A As always, voucher cases rely on the terms and conditions agreed to when it was bought. However, we believe that Graham’s son may be entitled to a full refund under the section of the Consumer Rights Act dealing with contract terms. While companies are allowed to set their terms, they must be fair and clear. Driveme’s terms are clearly laid out on…

WATCH OUT FOR… ‘You’ve been watching porn’ scam What’s the threat? Criminals are emailing victims their own passwords hoping to trick them into believing they’ve been filmed on their computer watching porn online. The ‘sextortion’ email contains your computer password in the subject line and the opening sentence (see screenshot). It claims to have used this to gain access to your PC, then install malware that captures you doing “nasty things” while watching porn. It also boasts about gathering “every one of your contacts from your Messenger, Facebook, and email”, and threatens to send the video to them (“including relatives, coworkers, and so forth”) unless you pay $1,400 in Bitcoin within 24 hours, which it calls a “fair price for our little secret”. The scammer promises to erase the video…

PASSWORD MANAGER Dashlane 6 www.dashlane.com What you need: Windows 7, 8/8.1, 10 Originally little more than a password manager (albeit a very capable one), Dashlane has grown over the years and this latest version adds some impressive new security features. One of the most interesting is the new Identity Dashboard, which generates a health report by examining your stored email addresses and passwords. You’ll be told how many are considered safe, how often you use the same password, and how many are too basic to be secure. You can also find out whether account information associated with your email address has been compromised by a security breach. Although you won’t see whether your personal data has actually been used maliciously, it’s worth changing any password that may have been stolen.…

SMART WATCH | £220 from Amazon www.snipca.com/28673 As smart watches from Chinese brands you’ve never heard of go, the TicWatch Pro is over three times the price of the Amazfit Bip (see our review, Issue 532). Compared with an Apple Watch or Samsung Gear, though, it’s reasonable. And it’s a proper watch, with a round stainless steel bezel that makes a virtue of its chunkiness. The strap, in silicone with leather detailing, also feels right. The watch is waterproof, but don’t wear it while you’re swimming. On closer inspection the engineering is more BTEC than Breitling, but enhanced by some nice classic chronograph faces. These appear on the circular screen, which has a unique dual-layer construction aimed at resolving the problem of short smart-watch battery life. The time and date…

LAPTOP Asus ZenBook UX410UA £590 from www.snipca.com/26789 Tested: Issue 518 With a dual-core Intel i3 processor, 4GB of memory and 128GB SSD, this slim aluminium 14in has just enough power to make Windows 10 feel smooth – and unlike Asus’s cheaper models it has a very good Full HD screen. ALTERNATIVE: Dell XPS 13 This premium laptop starts at £1,149, but the best deal is with the brand new quadcore i7-8550 and QHD touchscreen. £1,400 from www.snipca.com/26796 DESKTOP PC MeshRyzenGamingPCCS £600 from www.snipca.com/27705 Tested: Issue 528 With a six-core Ryzen 5 1600 processor and 4GB GeForce GTX 1050 Ti graphics card, this is a brilliant all-round desktop PC for the money, completed by 8GB of memory, 120GB SSD and 1TB hard drive. ALTERNATIVE: Lenovo IdeaCentre 620s A laptop i5 CPU…

ANDROID & iOS Video-chat with up to four people using WhatsApp Over the last few years, WhatsApp (Android www.snipca.com/28691; iOS www.snipca.com/28692) has expanded its toolkit by adding several voice- and video-calling features to rival those in Apple’s FaceTime and Microsoft’s Skype. The latest update to the app now ups the ante even further by letting you make group video and voice calls with up to four people. Even better, all calls are end-to-end encrypted (E2EE), just like your WhatsApp text messages. To start a voice/video group call, open WhatsApp, select the first contact to include in your group, then tap the phone icon (for a voice call) or the videocam icon (for a video call). Once the contact answers, tap the ‘Add participant’ icon at the top right, then repeat…

WINDOWS 7, 8, 10 Measure the strength of your Wi-Fi signal There’s a little-known way to check your PC’s Wi-Fi signal strength using a simple command in Command Prompt. Press the Windows key, type cmd, then press Enter to open Command Prompt. Now type the following into it: netsh wlan show interface, then press Enter. You’ll see information, including your Wi-Fi network’s name, SSID, radio type and connection mode. Look for the Signal field (see screenshot below). You’ll see a percentage indicating the current strength of your signal. If you often work on a laptop you can use this method to determine which areas of your home offer the best Wi-Fi coverage. You can then position yourself in those areas when carrying out tasks that require a consistently strong Wi-Fi…

What is it? Microsoft’s rumoured project to build a folding device with two touchscreens, like a small laptop but with a virtual keyboard, not a physical one - or like an iPad, but with two hinged screens. Leaked documents from the company say it aims to “bring together innovative new hardware and software experiences to create a truly personal and versatile computing experience”. But you may never get to experience this ‘experience’. Why not? Well, for one thing, Microsoft has never officially confirmed the existence of Andromeda. However, there have been enough rumours and leaks to suggest it’s working on something interesting (and potentially ground-breaking). Moreover, Microsoft has filed patents in the US for a “mobile computing device having a flexible hinge structure”. When did the rumours start? Around the…

I did all the usual eBay checks when I saw a Japanese seller offering my most-wanted Nikon camera lens, brand new, for half the price I would have paid in the UK. Feedback, photos, shipping fees and so on. All great. So I handed over my £200. Two weeks later, I received an HMRC bill for £57.41, including £46.16 import VAT (see image). Oops. I was lucky that the fees didn’t wipe out the overall saving, but I should have remembered to take them into account. VAT and/or customs duty is levied on all goods from outside the EU over a certain price - including gifts (here’s how they are worked out: www.snipca.com/28588). Make sure you don’t get stung.…

PROBLEM OF THE FORTNIGHT Can I change colour of an email subject line? Q Could you please tell me how to change the font colour in a message subject line, when writing emails with Outlook 2013 Professional? I want to do this for effect, but can’t figure it out. I have seen suggestions on internet help forums but, alas, the information is not clear enough for me to follow. Yours is a splendid magazine, incidentally. Jim Mitchell A Thanks for the compliment. Sadly, though, on this occasion we have to be the bearers of bad news: what you want to do is not actually possible, at least not in any practically useful way. It seems obvious that one should be able to format an email’s subject line but, unfortunately, it can’t be…