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WELCOME
EDITORIAL
Content Director Marc Chacksfield
Group Editor Daniel Booth
From the Editor
Deputy Editor Robert Irvine
Production Editor Graham Brown Forget invisibility, teleportation or X-ray advice and never again will your desk be
Art Editor Katie Peat vision. If I could have one superpower it mistaken for a model of the Spaghetti
Contributors Keumars Afifi-Sabet, Judith Batchelor, Dinah
Greek, Jonathan Parkyn, Nik Rawlinson, Andy Shaw would be untangling cables just by looking Junction.
ADVERTISING
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PRODUCTION I should’ve gone wireless a long time New Year.
Head of Production Stephen Catherall ago, so I’m using Robert Irvine’s superb Daniel Booth
Senior Production Manager Lawrence Brookes
Cover Feature as the motivation I need. He [email protected]
INTERNATIONAL LICENSING AND SYNDICATION
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THIS ISSUE IN NUMBERS HOW TO USE
Distributed by Marketforce
£360 4 hours, SNIPCA URLs
Average sales, Jan-Dec 2023 52,670
copies per issue. How much 20 mins We use snipcas to turn long URLs
BT is charging Average time that are hard to type into ones that
one customer spent online are short and simple. They aren’t
to cancel his contract by UK adults in websites themselves, which means
early – p14 2024 – p49 they won’t be recognised if you type
them into Google. Instead, you need to
07398 875 447 type them into your browser address
Phone number being used by ‘Winter living bar, then press Enter. Doing this will
welfare’ scam – p11 take you to the correct website.

Issue 699 • 18 December – 2 January 2025 3

 Contents
18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699

6 News Microsoft: no U-turn on strict

Windows 11 requirements

10 Question of the Fortnight Are Chinese

hackers reading your text messages?

11 Protect Your Tech

‘Winter living welfare’ payment texts

12 Letters M y phone bill is rising by 26 per

cent – thanks Ofcom!

14 Consumeractive Can BT really charge

me £360 to leave early?
p10
16 Grow Your Family Tree
Search new World War 2 records China crisis

18 Best Free Software

Files 3.8 Asus ProArt PZ13
21 Named & Shamed p22
Microsoft’s latest ‘Switch to Edge’ trick

Reviews
22 Asus ProArt PZ13
Laptop-tablet splits the difference

23 Dell Inspiron 14 Plus (7441)

Sleek laptop takes the AI road

24 Netgear Nighthawk RS200

Wi-Fi 7 router fails to cover all bases

25 Motorola Edge 50 Fusion

Well-balanced phone answers the call Motorola
Edge 50
26 Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Camera Fusion
pxx
Security camera reveals inside story
p25
28 Anker MagGo Power Bank
Wireless charger is a gripping option
Logitech H570e
Headset speaks volumes

29 Panasonic SC-HTB100
Soundbar causes raised voices

30 Buy It/Competition Win a Majority

D40X Active Bookshelf Speaker

4 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699

 SAVE
Subscribe now! 35%
See page 58 for our special subs offer

Workshops & Tips Play it by ear

p35
35 
How to… Set up hearing aids for
your PC and phone

38 
Diagnose RAM problems using
Glow’s new tools

40 R
 eaders’ Tips Send to multiple
people using LocalSend

42 Browser Tips Customise Chrome

with colourful new themes

44 Phone and Tablet Tips Use AI to

generate titles in Google Photos

46 Make Windows Better Create mini

DITCH YOUR
God Modes for sections of Windows

47 Make Office Better

CABLES
Use your voice to ‘write’ emails
CO
48 In the Club FEATVER
UR
Collaborate with others using OneNote P50 E

49 What’s All the Fuss About?

Four hours, 20 minutes

50 COVER FEATURE
Ditch your cables in 2025
Why it’s time to unplug your devices’ cables
in
2025
Go wireless on ALL your
and make your tech wireless and tangle-free devices – PC, laptop, phone,
TV, speaker and printer
60 New Year, new email
Sort your inbox, manage your notifications
better or get a new email service

What’s being
62 What’s being axed in 2025
We reveal the online services and devices
that will shut down or stop working in the
next 12 months
axed in
2025
64 Problems Solved Why does System
Configuration miscount my cores?

71 Reader Support Does Brave require

uBlock Origin to block adverts?

72 Jargon Buster
p62
74 Easy When You Know How
Robert Irvine downloads YouTube videos Closing time
on his phone

Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 5

 News The top stories in the world of technology

Microsoft: no U-turn on strict

Windows 11 requirements
M
icrosoft has said it In a new blog post aimed
won’t relax the at IT managers (www.snipca.
strict technical com/53135), it said TPM 2.0
requirements for computers was “a necessity for a secure
running Windows 11, insisting and future-proof Windows 11”
they will always need a and that forcing computers to
Trusted Platform Module have it sets a “non-negotiable
(TPM) 2.0 chip. standard for the future of
Windows”.
WHAT WE THINK TPM 2.0 is a security Windows Security on the left. security fixes Microsoft
processor necessary for Next click ‘Device security’ releases for Windows.
We’re not surprised Microsoft advanced features such as in the centre followed by Microsoft reiterated
has doubled down on its encryption, Secure Boot and ‘Security processor details’ this danger recently by
strict requirements, but it has identity protection. It also under the ‘Security processor’ updating the disclaimer
a problem. After months of works with the security tools heading. Look for ‘2.0’ next to on its page ‘Installing
Windows 11 market share BitLocker and Windows Hello. ‘Specification version’ (see Windows 11 on devices that
increasing, it actually fell in Microsoft introduced the screenshot above). don’t meet minimum system
November – while Windows requirement for TPM 2.0 requirements’ (www.snipca.
10 increased (see www. when it launched Windows 11 Microsoft updates com/53140).
snipca.com/53145). Almost in 2021, frustrating millions of warning The disclaimer has always
two-thirds of Windows PCs users whose computers don’t Several independent warned that computers not
run the latter, which is many have TPM 2.0. developers have created tools compatible with Windows 11
hundreds of millions. A big It’s estimated that 40 per that let you trick Windows 11 might “malfunction” and that
chunk of those won’t be able cent (around 600 million) of into thinking you’ve got “damages to your PC due to
to upgrade. And many of all Windows computers lack TPM 2.0 installed. The most lack of compatibility aren’t
their owners won’t want to TPM. Most of these were made prominent are Flyby11 (see covered under the
(or can’t afford to) splash before 2016. Issue 698, page 35) and Rufus manufacturer warranty”.
out on a new computer – Check whether your (Issue 693, page 51). It has now added at the
particularly a £1,000-plus computer has it by opening However, using them can bottom: “By selecting Accept,
Copilot+ laptop. Something Settings (press Windows be risky because there’s no you are acknowledging that
will have to give. key+I), then clicking ‘Update guarantee their developers you read and understand this
& Security’ followed by will update them to add new statement.”

WINDOWS 11 24H2 COMING TO MORE PCs

M icrosoft has started

making the 24H2 update
available for more Windows
Previously, the update was
available only on PCs that had
the ‘Get the latest updates as
to download and install it.
Version 24H2 was released
in early October as the second
having to open the Control
Panel (see page 46).
However, the update has
11 computers. It confirmed on soon as they’re available’ option major Windows 11 update of caused problems on some
its ‘Release health’ website activated in Settings. 2024. PCs, making them crash and
(www.snipca.com/53142) that To check if you can install Among its new tools are show the Blue Screen of Death.
24H2 has “now entered a new it open Settings then click options in File Explorer for Microsoft has acknowledged
stage of availability” and is ‘Update & Security’ followed compressing files in the TAR this and has now blocked the
being “offered to a wider range by click ‘Click for updates’. If and 7z formats, and pausing update on two Asus laptops:
of eligible devices”. it’s ready, you’ll see the option print jobs in Settings rather than X415KA and X515KA.

You’ll like this… but not this…

Google Photos lets you ‘undo’ photo and Cyber chiefs say UK ‘widely underestimates’
video backups (www.snipca.com/53141) risk of attack (www.snipca.com/53134)

6 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699

Sky launches new £15 Essential IN BRIEF

TV package WHATSAPP TO STOP

WORKING ON OLD PHONES
You’ll need iOS 15.1 or later

S ky has launched a budget

TV package for £15 a
month that comes with Sky
to use WhatsApp from 5
May, 2025.
This means
Atlantic, Netflix (with adverts) it will stop
and Discovery+. working on
Called Sky Essential iPhones that
(www.snipca.com/53119), it’s can’t upgrade
available on the company’s to this, such as iPhone 5s,
Glass and Stream devices, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus,
which deliver TV through all released over 10 years
broadband. ago. Update WhatsApp
It also includes over 100 by opening the Settings
channels you get on Freeview, Cinema and Kids. 55in and 65in cost £19 and app, then tapping General,
plus Sky Arts and Sky News. Essential is available on £24 respectively (see www. followed by Software
However, it lacks channels Sky’s Stream box on loan, sky.com/glass – all three Update.
available in the £22-a-month though you’ll need to return sizes pictured below left).
Ultimate package, such as Sky the device if you leave. Both Essential packages GB NEWS, QVC & PBS
Max, Sky Comedy and Sky It’s also available on Sky are cheaper than the COMING TO FREELY
Documentaries, as well as Glass, which is a UHD TV equivalent offer on Sky’s own GB News, QVC, PBS America
Comedy Central and with a Dolby Atmos soundbar. NOW TV deals (www.nowtv. and True Crime are among
National Geographic. A 43in TV costs £14 a month com), which cost £9.99 a eight new live channels
The £15 cost is for viewers on a four-year contract, while month for Entertainment (or coming to Freely in early
who subscribe on a £6.99 if you commit to six 2025. It’s also getting four
24-month contract, months), £4.99 for Netflix new catch-up services for
though you can pay £18 a and £6.99 for Discovery+ those channels. The service,
month for a rolling 31-day Standard. which is the long-term
contract. Prices are likely However, NOW TV has the replacement for Freeview,
to go up for both every benefit of letting you cancel at comes built into selected
April. You can pay to add any time, and you can watch Amazon Fire TVs, as well as
Sky extras like Sports, it on phones and tablets. Bush, Hisense, Panasonic,
Sharp, TCL and Toshiba sets.
Read more at www.snipca.
Openreach’s app ‘cuts missed com/53110.

appointments by 30%’ TOMORROW’S

WORLD

O penreach has claimed

a new app that lets
customers change the time of
Appointment’ app (pictured),
which was launched last
April, lets customers pick a
Optimus, the robot made by
Elon Musk’s firm Tesla, has
engineer visits has cut missed date on Openreach’s live learnt how to catch tennis
appointments by 30 per cent. calendar. balls. It even nods smugly
Previously, customers could It allows for bookings up to afterwards as if to say ‘look
only change appointments by three months in advance and what I can do’ (watch at
sending their preferred date cancellation up to a day before. www.snipca.com/53113).
by text message, and then The company said the Wonder whether it would be
wait for a confirmation text. app is “the key innovation any good in the slips?
Openreach’s research in a customer experience
showed that this process programme” that has increased
frustrated many users, leading full-fibre sign-ups by reducing
them to miss appointments, missed appointments.
avoid rescheduling or cancel An estimated 20,000
their order. customers have been connected advice on what they should
More than half of customers to full fibre since the program do to prepare. Read more at
whose appointments are launched, it added. www.snipca.com/53115.
missed end up cancelling Openreach also now sends
Have you used the app to
their orders, it said. texts to customers seven days change your appointment? Let
In contrast the ‘Change My before an appointment giving us know: [email protected]

Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 7

 News
IN BRIEF ‘Brain rot’ beats ‘dynamic
CREATE YOUR OWN
AI CHESS SET
pricing’ as Word of the Year
Google has launched a tool
called GenChess that lets you
create your
A phrase that means a
failing of mental alertness
after bingeing on “trivial and
own online unchallenging” online content
chess set has been voted Word of the Year.
using AI. It came top in the annual
Visit www. public poll run by Oxford
snipca. University Press (OUP).
com/53087 then Lexicographers placed it on
choose a classic or creative the shortlist because it had
design and type your request “gained new prominence this
– we chose a classic Doctor year as a term used to capture
Who set (pictured). Next, concerns about the impact of
click Generate Opponent at consuming excessive amounts
the bottom followed by ‘Play of low-quality online content, online prices in real time It comes as new Ofcom
chess’. especially on social media” based on supply and demand. research shows Brits on
(www.snipca.com/53093). It came to prominence in average spend four hours, 20
SIGN UP TO PARAMOUNT+ Usage increased by 230 per August after Ticketmaster minutes online a day – up 39
THROUGH EE TV cent between 2023 and 2024, used the strategy to increase minutes from the 2023 average
EE TV customers can now the OUP said. US author prices for rock band Oasis’s (see page 49).
sign up for the Paramount+ Henry David Thoreau coined reunion tour, causing prices This jump has been partly
streaming app on their TV the phrase in his 1854 book for some tickets to rise from driven by young people
Box Pro and TV Box Mini Walden, but it has gained £135 to £355. spending more time on social-
devices. Paramount+ is fresh significance in the The OUP began announcing media sites and forums,
available in three packages: internet age. words of the year in 2004, particularly Quora, Reddit
‘Basic (with ads)’ (£4.99 a The only other technology- and in 2015 named the winner and TikTok.
month), Standard (£7.99) related phrase on the shortlist as the ‘crying face’ emoji. It Do you suffer from ‘brain rot’?
and Premium (£10.99) – was ‘dynamic pricing’, in opened up the award to a Let us know: letters@
though the latter will only be which companies adjust public vote in 2022. comuteractive.co.uk
available to EE customers
“at a later date”.

THE WORLD’S
Three men die after ‘Google Maps
GONE MAD! sends car off bridge’
This photo shows Llanberis
Mountain Rescue Team
helping a climber in
P olice in India are
investigating whether
three men who died by
stating that the bridge
was unfinished.
Police have included
Snowdonia. They posted it driving off an unfinished an unnamed Google
online to discourage social- bridge were following Maps employee, as
media influencers from incorrect instructions well as four engineers
taking videos of dangerous from Google Maps. from the state’s road
climbs. But they were then They were travelling in a department, in a dam, while last year two
criticised for showing the taxi, which crashed on to a complaint on charges young doctors died after they
climber being “walked on a riverbed in the northern of culpable homicide. drove their car into a river.
lead like a dog”. How absurd. state of Uttar Pradesh in late The incident has reignited “Our deepest sympathies
Would they rather the climber November. a debate about whether online go out to the families,” a
was left stranded to die? Locals knew that parts of maps can be held responsible Google spokesperson said.
the bridge had collapsed for accidents. It follows several “We’re working closely with
earlier this year during floods. other accidents in India the authorities and providing
Credit Llanberis MRT

But it’s thought the three involving drivers reportedly our support to investigate
men were from outside the following directions on the issue.”
area and so weren’t aware of Google Maps.
How accurate are Google Maps’
the damage. In 2021, a man drowned directions? Let us know:
There were no signs nearby after he drove his car into a [email protected]

8 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699

Google users could get £100 IN BRIEF
each as lawsuit proceeds BELKIN RECALLS
‘FIRE RISK’ CHARGER

G oogle faces paying

billions to UK users
after the Competition
result of Google’s
anti-competitive actions”.
She said it abused its search
Belkin has recalled its
‘BoostCharge Pro Fast
Wireless Charger for Apple
Appeal Tribunal (CAT) advantage by “raising the Watch + Power Bank’
rejected the company’s prices advertisers pay for (pictured) after discovering
appeal against a class action the sponsored links you see a manufacturing fault that
lawsuit proceeding. when you use Google to means it could catch fire. To
The case alleges that Google search for something”. claim a refund for the charger,
blocked rival search engines Google called the case which has a model name of
on phones, leading to “speculative and BPD005, customers should
companies paying more for opportunistic” and vowed fill in the form at www.snipca.
adverts “than they would to fight it “vigorously”. com/53038. Read more
in a competitive market”. “People use Google because on Gov.UK: www.snipca.
Companies then passed on it is helpful; not because
the cost to UK shoppers in there are no alternatives,” a Consumer Voice’s website,
higher prices for services and spokesperson said. co-founded by Stopford, for
products, it claims. Stopford said the £7 billion more details: www.snipca.
Google has 90 per cent she’s seeking in compensation com/53041.
share of general search was a “conservative estimate”, Google’s parent company
queries, which increases and could mean affected Alphabet made $307 billion
to around 95 per cent on consumers receiving almost in 2023, of which $238 billion
phones and tablets. £100 each. came from advertising. com/53037.
The lawsuit is being You don’t have to have seen The tribunal’s ruling MANHATTAN WON’T ADD
brought by consumer rights the adverts to be eligible for follows the US government’s FREELY TO RECORDERS
campaigner Nikki Stopford, potential compensation. The proposal in November Manhattan has confirmed it
who said it’s the “first step case is opt out, so you’re that Google sell Chrome to won’t add the Freely streaming
in ensuring consumers get automatically included unless weaken its search dominance service to its popular T4-R
back what they are owed as a you choose not to be. Visit (Issue 698, page 7). DVD recorder. It said it’s a
“fan” of Freely, but added
there’s no way to record
‘Sextortion’ scammers send photos programmes on the service.

of victims’ homes
The T4-R, which costs £170
2 from www.snipca.com/52009,
lets you record shows from

C yber-criminals are using

photos of their potential
victims’ homes and work
1 all Freeview channels. Read
its announcement at
www.snipca.com/53039.
locations in a new spate of
‘sextortion’ email scams. PLEX REDESIGNS
They also include the PHONE & TV APPS
person’s full name, phone Plex has redesigned its app
Credit: Barracuda

number and address in order for phone and tablet, with

to make the threat appear a new-look TV app coming
more credible. soon. It’s part of a major
The scammers claim that if redesign that will “bring
you don’t pay a fee in Bitcoin everything you love into
they’ll publish sexually They said most emails I’m capable of in [city].” one seamless interface”.
explicit content of you. start with a threat such as: “I Barracuda added that the A preview version of the
Researchers at US firm know that calling [telephone payment demands have mobile app is currently
Barracuda said the photos are number] or visiting [street increased in recent years from available, which the
usually taken from Google address] would be a better $500 (about £395) up to $2,000, company says is “easier to
Maps 1 . They added that way to have a chat with you in and now include QR codes for explore with one hand on
sextortion scams now make case you don’t cooperate. you to send the money 2 . the phone”. For details visit
up three per cent of all Don’t even try to escape from Read Barracuda’s report at www.snipca.com/53042.
phishing attempts worldwide. this. You have no idea what www.snipca.com/53040.

Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 9

 Questionof
Question ofthe
theFortnight
Fortnight
Are Chinese hackers reading
your text messages?
They’ve broken into US networks and could target the UK next

W
hen the FBI issues a
security warning, it’s THE FACTS
not just US citizens
that need to pay attention. In • The FBI has warned all
early December the agency Americans to stop sending
revealed that the China- text messages after
backed group Salt Typhoon is revealing that China-backed
hacking US phone networks hackers had intercepted US
with a view to steal sensitive phone networks
information from text • It advised the public to
messages (SMS), including switch to messaging
political communications and apps that use end-to-end
national security data. encryption, like Signal,
The attack, one of the Their actual messages may not being intercepted – and Telegram and WhatsApp –
biggest in US history, began be of interest to Salt Typhoon therefore encryption wasn’t advice that the UK’s NCSC
earlier this year and has or other groups, but their data a priority. has given previously
targeted dozens of companies, certainly is. Anything they The UK’s National Cyber • WhatsApp has 2.6 billion
including the three biggest can use to compromise Security Centre agrees with users worldwide, but it
networks in the US: AT&T, people’s privacy is useful. the FBI that people should shares data with Meta,
T-Mobile and Verizon. And what’s true for US switch to messaging apps. It’s which owns Facebook
FBI officials, backed by the citizens usually applies here a danger we reported in Issue
CISA (Cybersecurity and too. Our networks also lack 667 (page 60 – read it on our
Infrastructure Security full encryption, so sending Back Issue CD: www.snipca. encryption by creating a ‘secret
Agency), said the attacks are texts is just as risky. Although com/48860). We recommended chat’. In contrast, Signal
the same apps approved by applies encryption by default,
SMS was created in the 1980s, the FBI: Signal (https://signal.
org), Telegram (https://
for one-to-one and group
chats, as well as voice and
when little thought was given telegram.org) and WhatsApp
(www.whatsapp.com).
video calls. The catch is you’re
limited to talking with other
to the threat of messages being WhatsApp is the best choice Signal users, and it’s thought
for most people, mainly there are only 40 million of
intercepted because it’s so popular (2.6 them worldwide.
billion users worldwide, 40 If you’re not keen on
ongoing and it’s not known 4G and 5G networks encrypt million in the UK). It’s also installing apps, you can
how much data has been stolen texts between your phone regularly updated with clever activate RCS on your phone.
– though they confirmed texts and the nearest base station, features and privacy tools. This is a form of messaging
sent by both the Democrat and your messages are then But many people don’t that’s safer than SMS,
Republican campaigns during unencrypted before being sent trust WhatsApp because it though doesn’t provide full
the November Presidential to the recipients. This means requires you to share data encryption – turn it on for
election were infiltrated. they can be intercepted and with Facebook-owner Meta. Android (www.snipca.
The FBI issued advice to read by third parties. They prefer Telegram, which com/53158) and iOS (www.
stop sending texts and switch The vulnerability is down lets you contact people snipca.com/53159).
to messaging apps that use to the old communication without knowing their phone These options offer different
end-to-end encryption, such protocol SS7 (Signalling numbers. You can search for degrees of privacy, but they’re
as Signal, Telegram and System No 7), used by most their usernames or message all safer than sending texts.
WhatsApp. Crucially, it said all major networks around the them directly if they are You should take heed of the
Americans should switch to world, including the US and existing contacts and have the FBI’s advice, whether you’re a
these apps, not just those UK. It was created in the app installed. top-ranking diplomat in
working in sensitive areas like 1980s, when little thought was However, in Telegram you Washington or a retired
politics and national security. given to the threat of messages need to opt into end-to-end electrician in Wolverhampton.

10 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699

Protect your tech
Scams and threats to avoid, plus new security tools
WATCH OUT FOR...

‘Winter living welfare’ payment texts

What’s the threat? of a dash 3 .
Scammers are sending text messages These errors make it far less credible
claiming a “liaison officer” from than the text message we warned
Winter Living Welfare has tried and about in Issue 696 urging you to
3
failed to get in touch with you. It says claim a “government living expenses
you need to “update your information” subsidy” to get through the winter.
by a certain date in order to receive a
payment, adding that “new applications How can you stay safe?
will not be accepted after the expiration As we’ve said previously, ignore all
date”. Tapping the link in the text emails, texts and online adverts about
takes you to a fake Government site claiming the Winter Fuel Payment. 1
asking for your details. If you’re entitled to it, you’ll receive
The text message is the latest attempt it automatically. Visit Gov.UK to find
by fraudsters to exploit the controversy out if you’re eligible: www.snipca.
surrounding the Government’s decision com/52471. 2
to axe the Winter Fuel Payment for Scammers will continue to try
millions of pensioners. several versions of this scam during
It’s poorly written, without spaces the winter, experimenting with
between words and commas ( 1 in different phrases to see what’s most
our screenshot) and lower-case letters effective – so be on guard.
at the start of sentences 2 . It also They’re also impersonating officials
cites 2023-2024 instead of 2024-2025, in phone calls, with the number 07398
and for some reason uses a tilde 875 447 being reported on ‘Who called
symbol (~) to connect the years instead me?’ (www.snipca.com/53015).

New tools Brave Search’s

follow-up questions
ScamWatch
Readers warn readers

The rise of AI has triggered a revolution

Virgin finds
1 ‘dangerous viruses’
in online search, as tools learn to
I got an email supposedly from Virgin
respond to our questions with more
Media saying ‘immediate action’ was
relevant answers. The imminent
required because ‘potentially
launch of ChatGPT Search could
dangerous viruses’ had been detected.
transform the web as dramatically as
It used the Virgin logo and the spelling
Google did 25 years ago, but there are
plenty of other AI tools to try in the
2 was spot on. But it was obviously a
scam because since when did Virgin
meantime – including Brave Search’s 3 start acting as a security company? It
new ‘chat mode’.
named four viruses that were
This works by offering you follow-up
apparently on my PC and said the
questions to refine your results. In our quickly with accurate results.
only way to disinfect it was to click a
example, we asked whether to upgrade Brave claims this “bridges this gap”
purple ‘Activate Protection Now’
to Windows 11 or pay for extended between a traditional search (like
button (see an image at www.snipca.
support ( 1 in our screenshot). It showed Google) and more “conversational
com/52992). I am a Virgin customer,
pros and cons from various sources 2 , interactions” like the chat-based results
so can understand why I was targeted.
then gave us the chance to dive deeper promised soon by ChatGPT. To use it
But it was never going to fool me.
with another question 3 . We then visit https://search.brave.com and ask a
Ron Goody
asked about options for extending question. As with all Brave’s results,
support, how much it costs and how you won’t see adverts based on your Warn your fellow readers about scams
long they last. Each time it responded personal details or browsing history. at [email protected]

Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 11

 Letters
Tell us what’s on your mind

Crazy to compare Microsoft is guilty of I remember when Google was the

Fire Stick hackers fooling the public on a innovative upstart among search engines
to Robin Hood grand scale. Instead of such as AltaVista and Lycos. It offered
I’m glad the judge charging us £30 for more relevant results and looked less
rejected Jonathan extended support, it cluttered. But these days it’s stuffed with
Edge’s ludicrous defence should be working with sponsored links (adverts, to you and me),
that selling hacked Amazon manufacturers to build and the results are often way off target.
Fire TV Sticks makes him a discounted computers for Google is now the kind of dinosaur it
modern-day Robin Hood (‘Question of people who feel they were lied to. once wanted to make extinct.
the Fortnight’, Issue 698, pictured). But Tony Bowen Paul Morecambe
I’m not surprised Edge’s defence team
used this justification, because it’s I know of two elderly people who What happens when
worryingly popular among the public. aren’t computer experts and who Freesat ends?
I have relatives who run a newsagent, can’t fathom Windows 11. They’ve had to I was reassured to read that Sky Q
and several times in the past few years call out software engineers to get their and Freesat will survive until at
they’ve confronted shoplifters who pride computers working after Windows 10 least 2029 (Issue 696, page 9), but what
themselves on being ‘Robin Hoods’. It’s updates made their machines happens then? Thankfully, we no longer
complete nonsense of course. These are unbootable. You could say Microsoft isn’t live in a remote area, but 14 years ago we
just selfish reprobates who like to their favourite company. And now those couldn’t even receive Freeview through
intimidate shopowners. If they really unfortunates are being offered the chance an aerial. We chose Freesat instead and
wanted to help society they’d volunteer to cough up a further £30 each for the bought a satellite dish and Humax
in a charity shop or at a food bank. privilege of risking the same trauma all Freesat recorder. It still works today.
Some people think shoplifting is a over again. I’d say that since Microsoft Relying on streaming is a bad move,
victimless crime, but again that’s owns its operating systems, it should be especially for those who still can’t get
nonsense. It forces shopowners to pay for paying us to sort out its messes, not the reliable broadband. What’s more, with
more protection, which feeds back into other way around. live streaming you can’t fast-forward past
higher prices. It also creates a sense of Carl Hughes the adverts, which is one of my main
feeling unsafe, and that bending the rules annoyances when watching ITV and
is okay as long as nobody gets hurt. Google is the very dinosaur it Channel 5.
Lisa Glover once wanted to make extinct I was surprised to read that only 2
I hope the US Government follows million people watch Freesat. I presume
Microsoft should be paying us through with its threat to force that many people are unaware they can
to stick with Windows 10 Google to sell Chrome (Issue 698, page 7). use their old dish to receive it. I prefer
I can’t agree with Clive Oliver’s It’s clearly not healthy that Chrome has Freesat to Freeview, mainly because it
view that paying Microsoft £30 to been the market-leading browser for so updates channel lists automatically.
extend Windows 10 support for one year long – or rather, it’s not healthy that the When I use Freeview at my parents’
is a “bargain” (Letters, Issue 698). When I company which dominates online house, their TV often nags me to update
bought my PC about seven years ago, searches should also dominate the the channel list when I switch it on.
I did it in the expectation that Windows browser market. Andrew Chandler
10 would be the final version of the
operating system and I’d never need to
What’s the Issue…?
?
upgrade to a new system. I know
Microsoft never officially stated this,
but it was often hinted at, and the I noticed that my Microsoft Start CA SAYS In Issue
company never denied it. It was happy to app is now called MSN. When 683, page 38. Buy a
let people think this because it knew it did you explain how to use all its tools? back issue from
was encouraging people to upgrade Nick Deakins www.snipca.com/53001.
from Windows 7.
CA SAYS In Issue 690, page 62. Buy a I want to create an ebook that
Computeractive is a member back issue from www.snipca. works on different platforms
of the IPSO (Independent Press
Standards Organisation) which com/53000. and devices. When did you give those
regulates the UK print and digital
news industry. We abide by the instructions?
Editors’ Code of Practice and are committed to upholding When was your Workshop Sheila Hawke
the highest standards of journalism.
on using a router to check
If you think that we have not met those standards and
want to make a complaint, please contact editor@ whether your neighbours are stealing CA SAYS In Issue 672, page 35.
computeractive.co.uk. If we are unable to resolve your
complaint, or if you would like more information about IPSO
your Wi-Fi? Read it on our 2023 Back Issue CD:
or the Editors’ Code, contact IPSO on 0300 123 2220 or Michael Goodwin www.snipca.com/48860.
visit www.ipso.co.uk.

12 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699

 Email: [email protected]
Facebook: www.facebook.com/computeractive
@ComputerActive
www.x.com/ComputerActive

1 2
STAR LETTER
My phone bill is rising by 26 per cent
– thanks Ofcom!
When I read that Ofcom was
AI thinks WW1 Scottish banning companies from linking
soldiers were female annual price rises to the rate of
AI has some great capabilities, inflation, I thought it might backfire.
such as searching through This has come to pass with news of
cervical screening tests faster and more Virgin Media O2’s price rises for April
accurately than any human. But it doesn’t 2025 (Issue 698, page 8).
understand things a human can, and that I’m an O2 customer and currently
will always be its weak spot. pay £7 a month. Under the old system
For example, I asked Bing’s AI Image of tying increases to inflation (the RPI
Creator (www.snipca.com/52985) to in O2’s case), I’d stand to pay an extra through the consequences. The
generate images of Scottish soldiers in 7.3 per cent next year. That’s roughly advantage of the inflation policy
World War 1. The results were laughable, 51p more. It’s still a big increase, but at was that it set a limit on the price
though someone who doesn’t know least it’s tied to something external increases companies could charge.
military history might not notice. such as the rate of inflation. Sure, that limit was extremely
Obviously, a female combat soldier isn’t But O2’s new policy of a ‘pounds and high in the years after Covid, but for
correct (see screenshot 1 above), and the pence’ increase gives them licence to those of us on a cheap deal, a
headgear reminds me of St Trinian’s. The conjure a figure out of thin air. That percentage increase is always better
rifle is somewhat close to a Lee-Enfield and figure of £1.80 means I’ll be paying than a fixed monetary increase.
the uniform isn’t far off, but the webbing £8.80 a month. I remember enough of Still, perhaps I should thank Ofcom
is wrong: including modern ammunition my O-Level maths to work that out as a and O2. I’ve been meaning to switch
pouches. The second soldier 2 is wearing percentage: a shocking 26 per cent. to an eSIM for several years, and your
a kilt, but the tartan on the sleeve of his When inflation was sky-high a few recent feature on them (Issue 697, page
uniform is ridiculous. AI obviously thinks years ago Ofcom came under a lot of 62) encouraged me further. I’ll use
it has to add tartan to make an image pressure to do something. But like so this price rise as an excuse to
Scottish. At least the rifle is a bolt action many of our institutions, it took a finally make the leap.
model, but it’s certainly not correct. short-term approach without thinking Richard Groom
I’m not sure AI will ever be discerning
enough that we can rely on it to create The Star Letter writer wins a Computeractive mug!
accurate historical images. Also, Bing
refuses to create an image with a fixed
bayonet, which is ridiculous censorship. used MP3 players, which had limited off automatically after a set time (15, 30
Gavin Hay battery life but if fully charged would last or 60 minutes) so you can fall asleep
a day. The Holy Grail was a player with listening to it. It’s not like Amazon to
CA SAYS Gavin’s right that the images long battery life (over 50 hours), and miss a trick but I feel that’s the case here.
AI creates can be inaccurate, but the enough memory that would hold a Allan Palmer
technology is still young and is couple of books.
improving all the time. He might have EBay was a good source of audiobooks, Fir your eyes only
more luck with Adobe Firefly (www. but the latest best-sellers were almost Here’s my contribution to photos
snipca.com/53043), Canva (www.snipca. never available. Then came Audible from of phone masts disguised as
com/53044) or Midjourney (www. Amazon! With a Platinum membership, I something more pleasing to the eye. It’s
midjourney.com). The photo of the could get 24 books for just over £4.50 a a plastic fir at Webber’s Post on Exmoor,
female soldier is probably a result of book (try getting a pint for that!). near Minehead in Somerset.
tech companies trying too hard to However, Audible doesn’t make an PJ Rorson
produce diverse images, which has led to audiobook player, whereas I can read
some bizarre and downright offensive ebooks on any Kindle device. As you’d
pictures, such as black Nazis from expect, the Audible file format (AAX) is
Google’s AI – see www.snipca.com/53045. protected, so one has to find a player that
will play this format as well as MP3 files.
Why doesn’t Amazon make Why doesn’t Amazon make a player
audiobook players? that will play its audiobooks? It would
I started listening to audiobooks need an 80-hour battery life, support for
over 20 years ago to entertain every popular audio format and a
myself while I was fishing. Back then I ‘bookmark’ option. It should also switch

Views expressed don’t necessarily reflect those of Computeractive Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 13
 Consumeractive
We stand up for your legal rights

Can BT really LEAD Is Google legally

charge me £360 CASE obliged to recover
my Gmail?
to leave early? I’m trying to regain access to

I want to leave BT because I was

Q my old Gmail account, but
the online recovery process is
Q being charged £67 a month for a
service that I could get for £33
useless. Every time Google says it’s going
to send a text message to my phone,
with Vodafone. I was horrified to be told it it sends it to the Gmail address that I
would charge me more than £360 as a can’t access. Do I have any legal rights
cancellation fee. It’s an outrageous against Google?
amount. Is BT allowed to do this? Darla Wilson
Peter Trayner
We understand Darla’s
Yes, internet providers are A frustration and know that many
A allowed to charge fees if you
want to cancel your contract cancellation charges. Ofcom says fees
readers are stuck in similar
catch-22 situations where companies
early. How much this is depends how are more acceptable now, but continues send codes and links to email accounts
many months you have left on your to monitor the situation. they can no longer access. Sadly though,
contract and what type of subscription Peter had tried to take his complaint companies aren’t legally obliged to provide
you have. to the Communications Ombudsman access to free accounts. We’ll still ask
However, providers must state this (www.commsombudsman.org), but his Google whether it can do anything for
information clearly and transparently search for ‘BT Internet’ produced no Darla, though it’s a long shot.
when you sign up. It can’t be buried in results. Instead he should have searched It would be a different story if she were
the small print, or written in language for ‘BT Consumer’, which delivers the paying Google for a Workspace account
that’s hard to understand. right result (see screenshot). (https://workspace.google.com), which
Peter hasn’t told us how long he has If you can’t find your provider there, gives you more storage. If Google didn’t
left on his contract, but if he wasn’t told look instead at CISAS (Communication & find a way to unlock her account, it
about any fees – or believes what BT is Internet Services Adjudication Scheme), would be breaking its contract with her.
charging is unfair – he should report the which is the other Ofcom-accredited It’s possible that Google has deactivated
company to Ofcom. In 2019, it fined EE ombudsman. If your provider isn’t listed her account if she hasn’t signed in for
(owned by BT) and Virgin Media for at either, report it to Ofcom (www.snipca. over two years (see www.snipca.
ripping off customers with exorbitant com/52954). com/52959).
CASE ONGOING CASE ONGOING

CASE UPDATE

HP sends new printer to reader after we explain the law

HP has refunded reader Alan have to refund him, or offer a replacement
Ingrey for a faulty printer (see or repair (but not both).
Issue 689), but only after HP should have taken the printer back to
we intervened to inform the examine it, but instead it refused to help,
company how UK consumer law works. simply dismissing Alan’s complaint. It was
Alan bought the Smart Tank 7005e after receiving such terrible customer
(pictured) for £199.99 in April, but it never service that he contacted us. We explained
printed properly. He told HP it was inherently to HP that he had been badly treated and it
faulty, and because he did this within six agreed. The company has now apologised not knowing this six-month rule. It’s frustrating
months of purchase he didn’t have to prove to Alan and sent him a replacement printer. that your chances of being dealt with
it. Instead, the onus was on HP to prove The law isn’t complicated, but we still see correctly come down to whether the person
otherwise. If it couldn’t do this then it would many examples of customer-service teams you speak to has been trained properly.

14 18 January 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699

 Contact us so we can investigate your case
Email: [email protected]
Please include your name, phone number and address.

Is Argos right to fob us off to Motorola?

Argos has refused to help us It certainly is, and Will’s correct For Will to have to deal with this so
Q with a faulty Motorola G54
phone (pictured)
A that Argos, not Motorola, should
be handling this problem.
soon after buying the phone suggests
there’s an inherent fault with the battery
we bought in July. The We’ll also point out to Sainsbury’s, or connection.
battery keeps draining to which owns Argos, that at least To summarise the CRA for the store’s
zero and needs recharging one of its managers needs a crash manager: within the first six months
at least twice a day. What course in basic consumer law. customers don’t have to demonstrate a
annoys us most is the Argos Batteries on mobile phones fault is inherent – it’s up to the retailer to
manager saying he’d never are notorious for draining prove otherwise (see also Case Update
heard of the Consumer Rights quickly towards the end of below left). After the first month, retailers
Act (CRA), and that we had to their life, but this doesn’t can offer one repair or replacement
take up the matter with usually become a problem (but not both) instead of a refund. Will
Motorola. Isn’t this wrong? until several years after should educate the manager in the law
Will Clements purchase. and hope they listen.
CASE ONGOING

Have I got a case A

No, Eugene doesn’t
have a case against
without warning, with
one saying Virgin’s
against Virgin for Virgin – for similar
reasons why Darla Wilson
“incompetence has cost me
my business and my holiday”
ntlworld mess? hasn’t against got one against Google (see
opposite). Companies are allowed to close
(www.snipca.com/48431).
Virgin should have told Eugene that
Virgin told me I had to change free services without offering compensation. closing his old account meant the
Q my @ntlworld.com email to a
new address. I thought it was a
But Virgin has handled the closure of
ntlworld emails appallingly, and several
information needed to access his Virgin
Media account might also change.
scam, so I got in touch with the company annoyed users have contacted us for help. He’s been using his @ntlworld email
to verify it wasn’t. Virgin did forward all To recap, Virgin has stopped letting address for many years and it formed
my emails to another email address I new and existing customers link their ntl part of his login details. We’ve asked
gave it, but soon after I couldn’t access and blueyonder email addresses as a sign- Virgin to apologise to Eugene.
my Virgin media account. I finally in to their Virgin Media accounts. It’s also With the company increasing prices by
realised I needed to use the new email. stopped them creating secondary ntl/ more than its rivals (Issue 698, page 8), it
Have I got a case against Virgin? blueyonder addresses. Many customers really should start paying more attention
Eugene Doherty complained their accounts were closed to customer service.
CASE CLOSED

CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUE

Amazon and Post Office sorted out my return quickly

One often sees brickbats and
criticism aimed at Amazon, Contact
although I have had mainly good
experiences over the years.
Amazon
My latest involved their returns service via Customer service
saying it had received the notification of a
www.snipca.com/52932
Royal Mail. I took the returned items to my return. Two days later, the credit was in my
local Post Office, with no special packaging bank account. I call that good service from
required. The staff scanned the returns QR Amazon and the Post Office. Contact
code on my phone (as explained at www. John Freedman Post Office
snipca.com/52931), then put the item in a Has a company impressed you with its Customer service
bag – and that was it. When I got home 45 customer service? Please let us know: www.snipca.com/52933
minutes later there was an email from Amazon [email protected]

Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 15

 Grow Your
Family Tree
Most of us have ancestors who served in the armed forces
between 1939 and 1945. Judith Batchelor explains how to…
Search new World War 2 records 3

M
edal cards, awarded for service in Judith found her distant
World War 2, are now available cousin’s medal cards
on Ancestry
online at Ancestry. They were
released at the same time as the first
batch of over 10 million service records 1
being digitised by the Ministry of Defence
(MoD). When finished, this ambitious
project will contain details on individuals
born before 1 January 1939 – including where I knew Kingsley 2
the “vast majority” of people who served lived in later life.
in World War 2. Read more at www. Clicking ‘View Record’ I learnt that
snipca.com/52851. Kingsley had been in the RASC (Royal View REME and
Army Service Corps), his service number corps records
Browse Medal Cards was 124030 and he had been awarded his One of the first records in the MoD’s
at Ancestry medals on 1 November, 1949. These are digitisation project cover 12 smaller corps,
I knew that a distant cousin, Kingsley readable in a thumbnail image of the including the Royal Veterinary Corps and
Franklin Batchelor, served in the Army record, but to see the original you’ll need the Royal Military Police – you’ll find
during World War 2, but had no other to search at Fold3 3 , which Ancestry them in Ancestry’s ‘UK, Selected Smaller
information. I typed his name into charges a separate subscription for. Units Service Records, 1921-1959’ (www.
Ancestry’s ‘UK, British Army World War This costs $7.95 a month (£6.29, www. snipca.com/52853). Most relate to the
II Medal Cards, 1939-1945’ collection snipca.com/52876), but you can buy discharge of overage personnel who
(www.snipca.com/52850), which single images for $3.50 (£2.77). served between 1939 and 1945.
contains over 1.7 million records, and left Note that medals weren’t automatically Also included are records for the Royal
all other fields blank. It produced 14 sent out to eligible veterans, only if they Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
candidates, most recorded only with their or family members applied for them. In Corps (REME), founded in 1942 to maintain,
initials. However, there was only one K.F. addition, medal index cards have not repair and recover tanks, vehicles,
Batchelor ( 1 in our screenshot above survived for certain regiments – these are weapons and equipment – you’ll find it
right) and the delivery address for his listed at the bottom of Ancestry’s Medal at www.snipca.com/52854. Note that
medals was in Tenby, south Wales 2 , Cards search page. only records of personnel born over 100
years ago are included, meaning it will be

Your Genealogy Problems Solved

updated every year. Officers are excluded
too. I found the records for James Edward
Ablett (pictured below), which showed
I’ve been told that my grandmother spent You may even find your grandmother he was transferred to the REME on 1
several years in a workhouse as a child. recorded in the workhouse in census October, 1942.
How can I find out if this is true? returns. Click ‘Workhouse Locations’ in
Ruth Edwards the menu on the left to find the relevant
workhouse.
Peter Higginbotham’s website is the best Each workhouse page describes the
source of information on workhouses: surviving records and their location, along
www.workhouses.org.uk. with other historical information. Some
In 1834, parishes were organised into workhouse records are also available
poor law unions, so you’ll need to first online on Ancestry and Findmypast.
identify the workhouse that covered the Have a genealogy question for Judith?
area where your grandmother’s family Email [email protected] with Ancestry’s records show that James Edward
were living. ‘Grow Your Family Tree’ in the subject line. Ablett was transferred to the REME on 1
October, 1942

16 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699 Next issue: Write your own family-history blog
 Best Free Software
Robert Irvine recommends new programs that won’t cost you a thing
FILE MANAGER

Files 3.8
www.snipca.com/53064
What you need: Windows 10 or 11

The fantastic free file manager Files has made several The most useful new action provides
appearances in this section in 2024, and with good reason. direct access to the Storage Sense feature in
It’s regularly updated with clever features and interface Windows, which lets you free up space on your
improvements that leave File Explorer in Windows looking PC by deleting junk files. When viewing the contents
dated and dull. of your main hard drive, launch the Command Palette,
Files 3.8 rounds off the year with another raft of new tools type storage and select ‘Open the Storage Sense page in
and tweaks that make it even easier to manage your files Windows Settings’. Alternatively, right-click the drive in
and folders. These include a more efficient way to customise Files’ side panel and choose Cleanup to open Storage Sense.
the coloured category tags you assign to items. Right-click It’s an option Microsoft should really add to File Explorer,
the Tags heading in the sidebar and choose ‘Manage tags’ which still uses the old Disk Clean-up tool.
to open the Settings panel. Here you can change the names Another interesting addition saves your settings for
and colours of tags, create new ones and delete those you compressing files and folders into archives. Rather than
no longer need. specify a compression format (such as ZIP or 7z) and level
Files has also added new ‘actions’ that let you perform (from Low to Ultra) each time you create an archive, you
tasks faster from its Command Palette – press Ctrl+Shift+P can now simply apply your saved settings by choosing that
to open this feature. For example, you can now close all option in the Compress menu.
or selected tabs by choosing the relevant action, and copy As always with Files, click the ‘classic installer’ link to
the path of the current tab to jump straight to that sub-folder download it for free, rather than the Download Files button,
in future. which directs you to buy the app from the Microsoft Store.

1
3

1 Right-click ‘Tags’ in the 2 Files 3.8 adds new actions 3 If your PC is running out 4 Files now saves your settings
sidebar and choose ‘Manage to the Command Palette, of space, you can now open for creating compressed
tags’ to edit your category which you access by Storage Sense directly from archives in ZIP or another
labels. You can change the pressing Ctrl+Shift+P. Type Files to remove junk files and format, so you don’t need to
names and colours from a keyword or two to display uninstall unwanted programs. configure them each time.
the defaults of Home (blue), a list of matching actions Simply right-click your main Right-click a folder or set of
Work (red), Photos (orange) – such as the new ‘Close hard drive in the Drives section files, choose Compress and
and Important (green), as well all tabs’ command – then of the sidebar and select select an archive option in
as create and delete tags. select one to perform it. Cleanup. the side menu.

18 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699

WEB BROWSER
SHOULD I PAY FOR…?
Mullvad Browser 14.03 Choose the right version of software
www.snipca.com/53066
What you need: Windows 10 or 11, macOS or Linux
AdGuard Ad Blocker
Developed in www.snipca.com/53067
collaboration with Price: £23.88 per year or £59.99 lifetime licence
the Tor Project, Free trial: 14 days
Mullvad Browser What you need: Windows 10 or 11, macOS or Linux
offers many of the
privacy benefits of Many ad blockers became less effective in 2024, as tech
Tor Browser without companies found new ways to weaken and bypass them.
using the Tor network. AdGuard managed to combat the rise in ads and trackers,
This means you can’t by constantly updating its software to shield you from
access the so-called new online annoyances.
dark web, but can use Although AdGuard’s browser extensions are free, its
the browser with a VPN to increase your anonymity online. paid-for software blocks even more adverts, not just in
The latest version of Mullvad Browser restores a more private your browser, but in Windows programs and the operating
version of the screenshot-capture tool, which was previously system itself. These include the ‘recommendations’
disabled to stop it making the browser “uniquely identifiable”. Microsoft shows in the Start menu.
As in Firefox (which Mullvad Browser is based on), either It achieves
right-click a page and choose Take Screenshot (see screenshot) this extra
or press Ctrl+Shift+S. You can capture a full web page or just protection by
the visible area. Mullvad has also re-enabled picture-in-picture working at a
mode, but has removed the Security Levels button from the DNS level and
toolbar to prevent anyone from changing your security settings. through HTTPS
filtering, which
SYSTEM CLEANER blocks ads
and trackers
PrivaZer 4.0.96 delivered by
www.snipca.com/53085 data packets
What you need: Windows 7, 8.1, 10 or 11 over encrypted
connections.
This powerful HTTPS filtering
free tool for requires installing a ‘root certificate’, which AdGuard offers
wiping traces to do when you set it up.
of your PC The Windows software’s extensive but simply presented
and internet settings let you block malicious and phishing websites,
activities has been third-party cookies and hidden tracking elements in
regularly updated search engines and URLs. You can also hide your location
throughout 2024. and IP address, stop Microsoft and your ISP spying on
PrivaZer has you, and enable additional filters (see screenshot) to block
rounded off the further nuisances.
year by adding support for further programs to its software- AdGuard also offers apps for phones, tablets and Android/
usage clean-ups, including the Beta and Canary builds of Google TVs, which are covered by your subscription. A
Microsoft Edge (which let you try new features before Personal plan covers up to three devices and a Family one
everyone else) and DuckDuckGo Browser. You don’t need to (which costs £71.76 a year or £180 for life) up to nine.
select these manually, because they’re automatically included
when you tick the ‘Internet activity’, Cookies and ‘Software OUR VERDICT: Pay for it
use’ boxes before performing an in-depth system scan. If you’re determined to avoid ads and trackers on all
PrivaZer has also improved its clean-up of Firefox’s telemetry your devices, there’s no better option than AdGuard. Its
data following recent changes Mozilla made to the browser Personal plan is good value considering how many features
(see Browser Tips in Issue 696, page 42). Additionally, it has it includes, and you can try it for free for two weeks to
strengthened its secure deletion of large folders and multiple ensure it meets your expectations.
files in its ‘Delete without a trace’ section (see screenshot).

Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 19

 Best Free Software

What should I download?

We advise you which software and apps to use
What can I use
What’s the best instead of QuickPic?
1

genealogy PC program? Q
I’ve used the QuickPic photo
app for my Android phone
2

I know that you can subscribe to online genealogy and tablets for years, but I’ve
Q services, but I’m actually looking for a Windows
program I can use to help build my family tree.
just bought a new Samsung phone
and discovered it doesn’t run on new
It must be free or relatively cheap. What are my options? Android devices. Is there something
K Wilson that can take its place?
David Maurice
One area where Windows users are well served
A these days is free genealogy software. No longer Yes, try Fossify Gallery (free
do you have to make a choice between free but
complicated (Gramps, www.snipca.com/52979) or cut-
A from www.snipca.com/52963),
which is based on QuickPic, 3
down versions of full programs (RootsMagic Essentials, so looks similar and has the same
www.snipca.com/52961). Nowadays the choice is almost features and user interface. You can
bewildering. access photos and images regardless of where they’re stored on
One possible option is Legacy Family Tree (www.snipca. your phone. You can also view detailed infomation about photos,
com/52980), which is now completely free, but it’s slightly rename them ( 1 in our screenshot), move them to another
dated and its fussy user interface can be fiddly to use. folder 2 and make basic edits, such as changing orientation 3 .
Instead, our choice for new users is the excellent My Family
Tree (www.snipca.com/52962), which makes it easy to get
your tree up and running. You can also import an existing Can I see my history across
tree using the GEDCOM format.
If you’re starting from scratch, you’ll be prompted to all the browsers I use?
enter the details of your first family member. You’ll then I use several browsers every day: Brave, Chrome, Edge
see a basic tree with their details on the right ( 1 in our
screenshot). Simply click an entry to add more information
Q and Firefox. I often need to check my browsing history,
but I find it annoying having to go into each browser’s
about the person or attach photos. It’s very straightforward settings to do so. Is there a program that can save and show my
to use, and it won’t be long before your tree starts to take history across all four browsers?
shape 2 . The program also provides access to a selection Reg Saville
of charts 3 and reports to help visualise and share your
tree with others. Yes, install NirSoft’s BrowsingHistoryView (version
A 2.59) – visit www.snipca.com/52964 then click the
‘Download BrowsingHistoryView 64-bit’ download
3
link toward the bottom of the page. Select which browsers you
want to view 1 then click OK. You’ll see sites visited in the past
10 days, with the browser listed in the Web Browser column 2 .
1 To open a page in your default browser, select it from the list
and press F6.

2
2

20 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699 Email us your questions at [email protected]
Named & Shamed
Keumars Afifi-Sabet puts the boot into tech villains,
jargon-spouting companies and software trying to trick you

SOFTWARE WARNING!
Microsoft’s latest ‘Switch to Edge’ trick

I
n recent years, the only trick
Microsoft hasn’t tried to get
users to switch to Edge is to 1 4
break into their homes while
they’re sleeping, then hack into
their computer and download the
browser – then uninstalling Chrome 2

Credit: Richard Lawler/The Verge

for good measure.
Its latest attempt feels almost as
intrusive. It’s a message that appears
when you boot your computer urging
you to ‘Enhance your browsing
experience with Copilot in Microsoft 3
Edge’ ( 1 in our screenshot). The option to
move your data from other browsers is
pre-ticked 2 , while the most obvious Microsoft’s latest attempt to trick you into using Edge is a masterclass in deception
button to click is ‘Confirm and continue’
3 . You can close it by clicking the ‘x’ top Give that spokesperson a truth drug come back. I might at least understand
right 4 , but spotting that requires eyes and they’d say instead: “This a desperate these tricks if they were actually working,
sharper than an eagle’s. and shameless attempt to dupe people but just five per cent of people were using
The message was first seen by tech site into using Edge – there is an option to Edge at the end of 2024 – exactly the
The Verge, which asked Microsoft turn it off, but we deliberately made it same as 12 months before that.
for a response. A spokesperson said: hard to spot.” All Microsoft has managed to do is
“This is a notification giving people the Microsoft’s attempts to win over Chrome successfully alienate its prospective users
choice to import data from other users remind me of a fruitfly buzzing and force people like me to take a
browsers. There is an option to turn it over your drink in a dingy pub. You can principled stance against using Edge,
off.” So that’s fine then. swat it away all you like, but it will always regardless of how good it might be.
Credit: Microsoft

WHAT ARE THEY KEUMARS’ VILLAIN OF THE FORTNIGHT

TALKING ABOUT?
Raymond McDonald
WHAT THEY SAY
Frank X Shaw, Microsoft We don’t know why targeting one
www.snipca.com/52936 Raymond McDonald victim while on
“We know that the threat landscape looks so smug. He’s day release from
is rapidly evolving, and it’s imperative currently serving four prison. He lied about a
that we stay ahead of bad actors. At and half years behind distinguished career in
Microsoft we believe that security is a bars for defrauding the Army and owning a
team sport, and we are stronger when women he met on dating villa in Cyprus or a log
we partner as a security community to sites. He had only been cabin in the Lake District.
share information, collaborate and stop released in December In reality, he had no fixed
Credit: Northumbria Police

bad actors.” 2023 after serving over abode, and was interested
seven years for previous only in stealing money
WHAT THEY MEAN dating scams. from his dates.
We need to work harder to stop hackers, It’s thought this 51-year-old wined, His mother told the BBC that he’s
even if that means throwing rotten fruit dined and conned hundreds of got “naff all” and is “a bloody big
in theatres. women across the North East, even liar”. Can’t argue with that.

Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 21

 Reviews
New products tested by our experts New products tested by our experts

LAPTOP-TABLET | £1,200 from Currys www.snipca.com/52834

Asus ProArt PZ13

Preaching to the converted

This Copilot+ laptop-tablet is powered

by the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus
X1P-42-100 processor, which uses ARM
architecture, not Intel or AMD. This
means it runs a version of Windows that
doesn’t work with some security programs,
games and professional creative software,
including Adobe Premiere Pro. To check,
visit https://windowsonarm.org and the keyboard 180 degrees and fold it which is an excellent result. What really
look in the second column from the left. under the screen. This means that in stands out about the screen, however, is
Anything other than ‘Not supported’ tablet mode, the keys are tucked up the surface. It’s glossy but doesn’t give
means it’ll work fine. against the underside of the screen rather off too many reflections. It also has
than facing downwards, which is what good viewing angles, so more than one
you usually have with 2-in-1 devices that person can sit around the screen and
A versatile device have the keyboard permanently attached. still see it clearly.
The design means that, unlike a regular Battery life is very durable. When we
that’s lightweight, laptop, the hinge between the keyboard used it for writing and editing documents
and screen is free moving. When it’s on a and browsing the web, it lasted more
robust and has a vibrant table you can open it up like a laptop and than 10 hours. More intensive tasks, such
and accurate screen the stand will support the monitor, but
it’s trickier to balance if you want to use
as image and video editing, would reduce
this to between four and six hours.
it on your lap. If you’re seriously considering a Copilot+
If you can get past these, its performance Because of its tablet capabilities, there device, and would like the flexibility of
is pretty impressive. The X Plus processor are fewer connections than many rival both a laptop and a tablet, this is an
isn’t as powerful as the Snapdragon X laptops. In fact there are only two USB-C excellent choice. That versatility does
Elite chips we’ve seen in most of the ports and – when the device needs make it more expensive than a similarly
Copilot+ PCs we’ve reviewed recently – the charging – you’ll need to connect one specified standard laptop, though.
best of these was in the Asus Vivobook S to a power supply.
15 (£899 from www.snipca.com/51051, One upside of this is that the PZ13 is SPECIFICATIONS
reviewed in Issue 688). It also can’t quite slim and light, measuring just 203x298x Eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-
match our current favourite laptop’s chip, 9mm (HxWxD) and weighing only 850g. 42-100 processor • 45 TOPS • 16GB of memory •
the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H in the Dell It also has an IP52 rating, which means Qualcomm Adreno graphics • 13.3in 2880x1800-
pixel OLED screen • 1TB SSD • Wi-Fi 7 • Bluetooth 5.4 •
Inspiron 14 Plus (£699 from www.snipca. it’s dust-resistant and splash-proof. This 2x USB-C ports • Windows 11 Home • 203x298x9mm
com/51831, see page 30). robust design and portability make it a (HxWxD) • 850g • One-year warranty www.snipca.
However, neither of those laptops can great device to take on your travels. com/52834
transform into a tablet. To this end the Its 13.3in screen has a 3K resolution
ProArt PZ13 comes with a removable (2880x1800 pixels) and being an OLED
keyboard that’s sleek and slim, and panel is bright, vibrant and has brilliant VERDICT A sleek and portable
doubles as a protective case and stand. A contrast. In our tests it recreated 100 per Copilot+ laptop with a clever design
clever feature of the design lets you rotate cent of the DCI-P3 colour standard, that lets you convert it into a tablet by
removing or flipping its keyboard
★★★★★
ALTERNATIVE Asus Vivobook S 15
£899 A cheaper
Copilot+ laptop with
a more powerful
processor, but it can’t
be used as a tablet

22 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699

 HOW WE TEST
Computeractive is owned by Future PLC,
LAPTOP | £849 from Dell www.snipca.com/52857 which employs a team of specialist
technical reviewers. You’ll often read

Dell Inspiron 14 Plus (7441) references to our benchmark testing,

which is a method of assessing products
using the same criteria. For example, we
Spot the difference test the speed of every PC and the battery
life of every phone and tablet in exactly
the same way. This makes our reviews
authoritative, rigorous and accurate.
If this machine looks and sounds Future PLC also owns the magazines
familiar, that’s because it’s a variation on Maximum PC, PC Pro and T3, and the
our current favourite laptop. Confusingly, websites Laptop Mag (www.laptopmag.
it has the same name and uses a similar com), TechRadar (www.techradar.com)
case (though this has an extra pair of and Windows Central (www.windows
speaker grilles flanking the keyboard) central.com). This means we can test
– but it is at least different on the inside. thousands of products before choosing
In an attempt to distinguish the two the most relevant for Computeractive.
further, each has a different product run. It runs most things remarkably well,
code. This release is the Dell Inspiron 14 but can’t run some games, security FAIR AND IMPARTIAL
Plus 7441, while our favourite laptop is software and Adobe creativity programs. Our writers follow strict guidelines to
the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 7440 (£699 from For a 14in laptop, it has a decent ensure the reviews are fair and impartial.
www.snipca.com/51831, see page 30). selection of connections with two USB-C, The manufacturer has no involvement in
and a microSD card slot on the left while our tests.
on the right there’s a USB 3.2 port and a
An upgrade on our 3.5mm audio jack (all pictured below). OUR AWARDS
Wireless protocols are bang up to date We award every product
favourite laptop, but with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 built in. that gets five stars our
The screen is different to the 7440 Buy It! stamp of approval.
but doesn’t work with version, adding touchscreen functionality It means we were
extremely impressed by the product, and
some software while still relying on IPS technology. It
has a higher resolution of 2560x1600 we think you will be too.
pixels and is better at reproducing
Every product that gets a
The 7441 has been branded as a colours. In our tests it achieved 99 per
four-star review is given the
Copilot+ PC because it uses a Qualcomm cent of the sRGB standard and 70 per cent
Recommended award. We
Snapdragon X Plus X1P-64-100 processor. of DCI-P3. That’s decent for an IPS screen
highly recommend these
This is a 10-core chip that has AI- but the OLED panel on the ProArt is
products, although they just fail to meet the
processing hardware built in and which definitely superior.
high standard of our Buy It! winners.
operates at 45 TOPS. The older 7440 All these upgrades make it £150 more
model has an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H expensive than the 7440. For some users PRICES
processor that isn’t as nifty at AI tasks. the extra money will be worth it for the Our reviews contain a link to the best price
The Snapdragon is slightly more accurate screen and faster processor. But we found online at the time of press.
powerful than the processor in the more we don’t think it offers enough to knock
expensive Asus ProArt PZ13, reviewed the 7440 – with its bargain price and full
opposite. As a result, the Inspiron Plus software compatibility – off our top spot.
7441’s general Windows performance is VERDICT A Snapdragon X Plus
superior, but it only works as a laptop SPECIFICATIONS version of our current favourite laptop,
and lacks a tablet mode. Like the ProArt, Ten-core Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-64-100 which is better at AI tasks, but might not
it uses the ARM architecture, which means processor • 16GB RAM • Nvidia Qualcomm Adreno be compatible with all your Windows
graphics • 14in 2560x1600-pixel IPS screen • 512GB
it’s not compatible with all software. SSD • 2x USB-C ports • 1x USB 3.2 port • 1x SD card
software
Look at https://windowsonarm.org and reader • Windows 11 Home • 16.9x314x224mm (HxWxD)
anything listed as Native or Emulated will • 1.4kg • One-year warranty www.snipca.com/52857
★★★★★
ALTERNATIVE Dell Inspiron 14 Plus
LEFT EDGE (7440) £699 Our current favourite
laptop is superb value for money,
with an Intel
processor that
RIGHT EDGE runs Windows
extremely well

Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 23

 Reviews
ROUTER | £200 from Amazon www.snipca.com/52867

Netgear Nighthawk RS200

At sixes and sevens

Netgear’s Nighthawk brand used to sit at Ethernet ports to provide a faster

the more expensive end of its range of connection if required.
routers, but it has recently included more Setting up the router is best done
affordable models. This new offering, the via the Nighthawk app. There’s a
RS200, is a Wi-Fi 7 router, similar in QR code printed on top of the router
appearance to the RS300 (£290 from that you scan with your device’s
www.snipca.com/51974, reviewed in camera, then you just leave the app
Issue 693), albeit at a lower price and to set everything up automatically.
with inferior specifications. You can simply use the default
network name and password if you
want, but the app also allows you to
Wi-Fi 7 technology create a new name and password for
extra security.
ensures fast speeds To keep everything simple, the app
combines the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands
right across your home, into a single network, and automatically
but it lacks features connects your computers and other
devices to the fastest band available
and a 6GHz band at any particular time.
While the app is easy to use, it doesn’t
offer many additional features. You can
The main change is that this is a create a guest network, and there are
dual-band rather than a tri-band tools for running a speed check and immediately hit the 150Mbps speed limit
router, so only uses the traditional monitoring network traffic to ensure without problems when connecting to
2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies, and that everything is working properly. devices in the same room.
therefore can’t access the 6GHz band However, the free parental controls are That speed dipped slightly when we
available on some Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 very basic, simply allowing you to pause took our laptop along the hall to the
devices. That limitation positions it internet access for individual devices. back office, but the RS200 only took a
closer to the TP-Link Archer BE3600 If you want more control, you need few seconds to get the speed back up to
(£110 from www.snipca.com/52252, to subscribe to Netgear’s Smart Parental 150Mbps, eliminating the need for the
reviewed in Issue 695). Controls service, which costs £7 a month Powerline adapters.
Like the RS300, the RS200 has or £50 a year. There’s also a service
an upright design and stands called Armor, which offers SPECIFICATIONS
Dual-band Wi-Fi 7 • Supports Wi-Fi speeds up to
249mm tall. This allows internet security for £85 per
6.5Gbps • 2x 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports • 3x
the router’s four internal year. That’s a significant extra Gigabit Ethernet ports • 1x USB 3.0 port •
antennas to transmit the cost for features that some rival 249x101x150mm • 680g • Two-year warranty
Wi-Fi signal in every router manufacturers include www.snipca.com/52867
direction. It offers a for free.
generous range of We tested the RS200 with a
connectivity options (all 150Mbps broadband connection. VERDICT Decent speeds for the price,
pictured right), with a Our old ISP router normally but it lacks a 6GHz network and some
2.5Gbps Ethernet port that manages a top speed of features are hidden behind expensive
links to your incoming 120Mbps, even when connecting subscriptions
broadband connection, and to devices that are close by and
another 2.5Gbps port that in the same room. We also have
★★★★★
can pass through to your PC. an office at the back of our test ALTERNATIVE TP-Link Archer
Besides these, there are house that our current router BE3600
three more Gigabit Ethernet struggles to reach, forcing us to £120 A more
ports for additional rely on Powerline adapters to affordable
connections. It’s also provide a wired network dual-band
possible to ‘aggregate’ – or instead. Wi-Fi 7 router
combine – two of those In contrast, the RS200

24 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699

PHONE | £280 from Argos www.snipca.com/52997
CHOOSE THE RIGHT SPECS
Motorola Edge 50 Fusion 2nd-generation
All the right calls Intel Core Ultra
processors
Motorola has launched a few phones in What are they?
its Edge 50 range, including the Neo Intel’s first generation of Core Ultra
(£330 from www.snipca.com/52504) – processors combined a decent level
see Issue 696, page 25. The range has of performance with efficient battery
made quite a name for itself going head life. However, these don’t qualify for
to head with Samsung and Google in the Microsoft’s Copilot+ standard because
mid-range market (£200-£500), and the their NPU component, which is
Edge 50 Fusion is the cheapest one so far. designed to speed up AI tasks, had too
And while it can’t quite dislodge the low a specification. Meanwhile, rival
Google Pixel 7a (£340 from www.snipca. Qualcomm stole a march on Intel by
com/46332, reviewed in Issue 660) as our launching its Snapdragon X processors,
favourite Android phone, it’s a decent which were powerful enough to be
alternative if you want to stay below £300. branded Copilot+. These new second-
generation Core Ultra chips surpass the
Snapdragon X and have the advantage
Offers surpringly camera, which performed admirably in of being fully compatible with all
most conditions, offering a wider field of Windows software.
good cameras, screen view that allowed us to do justice to
landscape and group shots. Most casual How do they work?
and battery life photographers will find nothing to They offer improved graphics hardware
disappoint them with this camera. (called Intel Xe2) and an NPU of 48
Where it lags behind the Pixel 7a is in Battery life is also excellent. Motorola TOPS – enough to qualify for Copilot+
performance. In our benchmark tests the claims its 5,000mAh battery will last for and run AI tasks faster than the
Fusion’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 over 30 hours of light use, and our tests Snapdragon X.
processor ran at around 85 per cent of more or less backed up that claim.
the 7a, and fell further behind when Streaming Netflix for two hours lost just What are their specs?
attempting to run resource-hungry eight per cent charge, while four hours of We’ve reviewed plenty of laptops
graphic apps such as games. However, it YouTube video streaming took it from 73 with first-generation Ultra processors
works perfectly well in everyday tasks, to 53 per cent. Better yet, it comes with a – most recently the MSI Prestige 16
such as browsing and emailing. 68W fast-charger that takes it from zero AI Studio (£1,200 from www.snipca.
Cheaper phones are often let down by to full in under 50 minutes, and provides com/52708) in Issue 698. This has the
the quality of their screens, but Motorola enough charge for the day in just 15 Core Ultra 7 155H – the 1xx segment
has gone all-in here with a 6.7in POLED minutes. of its name indicates first generation.
panel with a decent 2400x1080-pixel The Fusion’s stylish, sleek design gives We’ve only tested
resolution and 144Hz refresh rate, and it a premium feel and it’s a great choice one laptop with a
goes even brighter than the 7a’s screen. for those wanting a reliable, well-featured second-generation
Cameras are also sometimes phone without paying top-end prices. chip – the Intel Core
compromised on budget phones, but Ultra 5 226V in the
again we were pleasantly surprised here. Asus ExpertBook
The main 50-megapixel camera delivers VERDICT An affordable Android phone P5 (£1,000 from
consistently sharp and vibrant images, with very few compromises, but it’s www.snipca.
making good use of optical image not powerful enough to replace our com/52564, reviewed in Issue 697,
stabilisation to reduce blur. We also favourite (see below) pictured). There are nine second-gen
enjoyed using the 13-megapixel ultrawide Ultra processors, including Ultra 5, Ultra
★★★★★ 7 and Ultra 9 – all use the 2xx format in
SPECIFICATIONS ALTERNATIVE their names. All second-gen chips for
Eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor Google Pixel 7a £349 laptops have eight cores.
• 12GB RAM • 256GB storage • 6.7in 2400x1080- More expensive, but
pixel 1440Hz POLED screen • 50-megapixel rear has a more powerful Can I change them later?
camera • 13-megapixel ultrawide camera •
32-megapixel front-facing camera • Wi-Fi 5 •
processor that runs No. Laptop processors are usually
Bluetooth 5.2 • Android 14 • 162x73x8.1mm (HxWxD) Android apps faster soldered into place.
• 175g • One-year warranty www.snipca.com/52997

Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 25

 Reviews
SECURITY CAMERA | £70 from Amazon www.snipca.com/52967

Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Camera

Eye roll

Ring’s Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam is at the top The camera can be used without a Ring
end of the indoor-security camera price subscription, but only to check in on the
range. But it’s worth looking out for it at live feed, receive notifications when
sale times, because we saw its price drop movement is detected, and to access the
to £45 during Amazon’s recent Black two-way talk feature. There’s no built-in
Friday sales. storage, so to record footage you can look
It justifies its price tag with a range of at later you’ll need to pay for the online- thanks to the 1080p HD resolution.
features you won’t find on cheaper models, storage service – this costs £4.99 a month Unlike some cheaper cameras, the Ring
including the ability to move up, down and for a single camera, or £7.99 a month if Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam had no problem
sideways at your command, providing a you have more than one. handling movement, with no visible
comprehensive view of what’s happening Setting it up is quick and simple – pixelation or lag, but it’s a real shame
in your home, thanks to its 360-degree simply install the free Ring app on a it’s missing motion tracking. We were
rotation and 169-degree tilt. mobile device and use it to scan the also disappointed by the colour night
One thing it won’t do, however, is barcode on the back of the camera. It vision, which lacks sharpness.
automatically follow people around the connects via Bluetooth, so you just enter The audio wasn’t exceptional, but
room if they walk out of the current your Wi-Fi password and it starts conversations were easy to decipher
viewing area – and that’s something you working straight away. It has a couple of and the sound and images were always
will find on at least one cheaper camera, placement options, either sitting on a flat in sync.
the Imou Rex 3D (£45 from www.snipca. surface or attached to the wall or ceiling
com/51815, reviewed in Issue 692). using the included mounting plate.
As well as using the app, you can also VERDICT A high-quality indoor camera,
view the camera’s feed through any but doesn’t follow people around the
Amazon devices with a screen you may room unlike some cheaper models
own, such as an Echo Show.
When we tested it, the pan and tilt
★★★★★
functions worked well, and in daylight ALTERNATIVE
hours the footage had impressive clarity Imou Rex 3D £45 An
indoor camera that
SPECIFICATIONS can also pan and tilt,
1080p HD resolution • Colour night vision • and will even follow
143-degree diagonal field of view • 360-degree pan
• 169-degree tilt • Privacy cover • 147x60x60mm
people as they move
(HxWxD) • One-year warranty www.snipca. around a room
com/52967

WHAT SHOULD I BUY? We solve your buying dilemmas

What’s the best replacement for my Pixel 4a phone?

I bought a Google Pixel 4a in doesn’t mean your phone will definitely security updates five years after it was
Q October 2021. It still does
everything I want, but Google
be hacked and it doesn’t mean newer
operating systems are totally safe, but it
launched, which will be May 2028.
The Pixel 8 and 9 series promise
stopped security updates more puts your device at greater risk. seven years of security updates that
than a year ago. Does this mean We’d recommend switching to a will take you into 2031. We think the
that I need a new phone? new phone. Sticking with a Pixel best-value model is the Pixel 8a (£499
Bill Schardt is a reasonable idea, but it’s worth from www.snipca.com/52975), because
thinking about the security lifespan it has an impressive camera and some
Operating systems that of any new phone you’re considering. handy AI features.
A are no longer updated
are vulnerable to
You could save money by opting for
a Pixel 7a (£449 from www.snipca.
Find out more about Google’s Pixel
updates at www.snipca.com/52971.
security flaws that can be com/52973, reviewed in Issue 660, Do you need advice on what you should buy?
exploited by hackers. That pictured), but it will stop receiving Email us at [email protected]

26 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699

 Reviews
WIRELESS POWER BANK | £90 from Amazon www.snipca.com/52909

Anker MagGo Power Bank

Take charge

If you use your mobile devices while We tested it with an iPhone and the
you travel, you may already carry around magnetic grip was very strong – so
a portable power bank. These external much so that we could mount our phone
battery packs usually connect to your horizontally or vertically even when it running time – or, when charging the
device via a charging cable, but the Anker was supported on its foldable stand, bank itself, how long it will take to fully
MagGo is different because it offers a which lets you prop it up at an angle charge.
wireless charging option, which is (pictured).
compatible with Qi2 and MagSafe It has a 10,000mAh capacity and
devices. Qi2 is the universal wireless provides 27W of wired charging power VERDICT High-quality portable phone
charging standard, while MagSafe is the and 15W of wireless. In our wireless charger with some great features, but
Apple version, compatible with iPhone 12 tests it charged an iPhone 13 Pro from currently most useful to iPhone owners
and beyond. 50 to 100 per cent in about two hours. only
There aren’t many Qi2 Android phones In the process, it depleted the power
yet, but it’s backwardly compatible with bank’s level to around 73 per cent. Wired
★★★★★
Qi1, so it will also charge older phones, charging is done via its one USB-C port, ALTERNATIVE Anker
though it won’t cling to them magnetically. and it took just over an hour to fully 621 Magnetic Battery £40
replenish a Google Pixel 7a from 50 per A cheaper and slimmer
SPECIFICATIONS cent. Charging the bank itself takes wireless iPhone charger,
10,000mAh capacity • Qi2/MagSafe-compatible •
27W wired charging • 15W wireless charging • USB-C
around two hours 40 minutes. but it has half the
port • 107x70x20mm (HxWxD) • 249g • Two-year It has a screen on one edge that shows capacity
warranty www.snipca.com/52909 the bank’s charge level and remaining

HEADSET | £50 from Amazon www.snipca.com/52910

Logitech H570e
All talk

We live in an increasingly wireless world, headphone jack allows for the inclusion
but there are times when cables make more of a remote control (pictured right),
sense. To that end the Logitech H570e which is conveniently located on the
headset avoids the need for fiddling around cable, so you’ll never lose it. You can
with Bluetooth setup or worrying about use this to accept incoming calls, adjust option, which was impressively effective
battery levels. Instead you simply plug the volume and mute yourself at the in our tests.
the device in and it works immediately. push of a button. On the Teams version,
The H570e comes with a choice of there’s also a button to launch the
standard USB or USB-C connectors, and Microsoft software. VERDICT A no-fuss wired headset for
is a simple headset designed for anyone The headset is comfortable, even over making calls from your PC or laptop
who makes regular video calls. If you use long periods. The plastic headband feels
them for work in Microsoft Teams calls, sturdy and the replaceable fake leather
★★★★★
there’s a version that’s certified to work earpads rest snugly on your ears. ALTERNATIVE Logitech H111 £15
with that, too. When it comes to audio quality, these If you’re on a tight
Using USB rather than a 3.5mm are definitely designed for voice calls budget, this cheaper
rather than music, so you don’t get much alternative works
SPECIFICATIONS bass output. Voice calls, on the other fine, but they’re not
30mm drivers • Noise-cancelling mic • Standard
USB or USB-C option • 1.9m cable • 171x157x50mm
hand, come through with pristine clarity. as comfortable over
(HxWxD) • 115g • Two-year warranty www.snipca. The microphone captures your voice well, longer periods
com/52910 and there’s a background-noise removal

28 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699

 Reviews
SOUNDBAR | £79 from Amazon www.snipca.com/53005
DO I REALLY NEED...
Panasonic SC-HTB100 A laptop with
Doesn’t speak volumes Office 2024?
What is it?
We’re getting very familiar with low-cost Taiwanese company MSI has launched
sound equipment from little-known two new laptops that come with the
Chinese brands, but it’s good to latest version of Microsoft Office
know that more recognisable Home & Business 2024 and a year’s
companies are keeping up. This subscription to Microsoft 365 Basic.
soundbar from Japanese brand one another. True, some of the
Panasonic isn’t the cheapest way layered instruments weren’t elegantly What does it do?
to boost your TV’s audio, but it separated or perfectly true to their Users can use all Office’s business tools
still looks like good value for money – intended sound, but audio wasn’t too (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint
at least on the surface. tinny, making for an adequate listening and Outlook) without paying anything
experience. You should be careful not to extra, both on and offline. Microsoft 365
crank it up too much though – with some Basic also offers 100GB of OneDrive
It handles dialogue distortion creeping in at higher volumes. storage. The laptops – the 15in Modern
Connectivity is good, with a decent 15 H B13M 5039JP (pictured) and 14in
well, but it lacks bass, selection of ports including digital Modern 14 H D13MG 5029JP –
optical, USB, AUX and HDMI ARC are powered by an Intel Core
while its remote and (pictured below left). We mainly used the i7-13602H processor.

display are basic latter and it worked well and allowed us

to use our TV remote control to adjust What’s the
volume levels. It also has Bluetooth 5.0 if catch?
Its standout feature is its ability to you want to connect it wirelessly to a The deal is only available in
enhance the clarity of speech. It brings mobile device for music playback. Japan, where the Modern 15 is on sale
dialogue right to the forefront in the Its own remote is a bit underwhelming, for 148,800 Yen (around £770).
overall sound mix when watching films mostly because the buttons aren’t as
and TV series. If you like drama, current responsive as we’d like. The information So can I do without it?
affairs, and documentaries with lots of screen on the device was basic to say the Yes, but we like the idea of having
talking heads, this really hits the spot. least, consisting of a single light that Office installed with Windows, and
You won’t get the kind of advanced changes colour according to which mode getting the full package for free is a
three-dimensional sound of Dolby you’ve applied (Movie, News or Music). real bonus. Let’s hope MSI brings them
Atmos, and because it only has two And it’s impossible to know what each to the UK.
speakers, you may miss the deeper colour means without referring to the
rumbling sensation of a subwoofer. manual.
However, the stereo setup is very NEXT ISSUE
effective. In our tests the speakers SPECIFICATIONS
2.0 speaker channels • 1x HDMI ARC port • 1x USB
successfully pushed sound to the left or port • 1x auxiliary port • 1x digital optical port • On Sale Friday 3 Jan
right of the screen to provide a fairly Bluetooth 5.0 • 70x762x58mm (HxWxD) • One-year
immersive experience. warranty www.snipca.com/53005
Our main complaint is with the bass Amazon Kindle (2024)
output. We weren’t expecting miracles at New version of the
popular ebook reader
this price, but the lower frequencies were VERDICT A decent soundbar that will
gets significant update
weak, offering barely any improvement enhance dialogue on your TV, but falls
on our TV’s built-in speakers. short when handling deep rumbling
Despite the disappointing bass, listening sound effects and bass-heavy music CyberPowerPC
to music wasn’t a total disappointment. Ultra BFD R57
Most instruments came through with
★★★★★
Affordable desktop PC
clarity and were easy to distinguish from ALTERNATIVE Sony HT-S2000 with GeForce RTX
£287 A vastly superior soundbar in 4060 graphics card
every respect, but it’s significantly
more expensive These and much more...
Subscribe to Computeractive at
www.getcomputeractive.co.uk

Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 29

 Buy It Find out which other products we liked.
Buy our 2023 Back Issue CD:
£18 from www.snipca.com/48860

Our pick of products that have won the Buy It award

LAPTOP DESKTOP PC APPLE iPAD

Dell Inspiron 14 Plus Palicomp AMD Cobra Apple iPad 10.9in

£699 from www.snipca.com/51831 £400 from www.snipca.com/43515 £329 from www.snipca.com/51839
Tested Issue 683 Tested Issue 643 Tested Issue 646

This laptop has the same processor

(Intel Core Ultra 7 155H) as our previous The price of the 10th-generation iPad,
favourite (Acer Swift Go 4), but manages This fast PC is a mouth-watering released in 2022, has fallen far enough
to squeeze more speed out of it. It also bargain, with 16GB of RAM, a 2TB SSD to make it better value than earlier
comes with 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD and a six-core processor – though it models. If the Amazon price above has
and a 14in 2240x1400-pixel screen. lacks USB-C ports and built-in Wi-Fi. expired, get it for £349 on Apple’s site.
Excellent value overall.
ALTERNATIVE Wired2Fire Ultima WS ALTERNATIVE iPad mini 7 The 2024
ALTERNATIVE Acer Swift Go 14 Still a Home Office Workstation Blisteringly version of the mini improves the colour
fast and powerful laptop, with a great fast PC, powered by an overclocked accuracy on the 8.3in screen and has a
14in screen. £1,099 from www.snipca. eight-core processor and 1TB SSD. more powerful processor. £499 from
com/49733 £656 from www.snipca.com/41500 www.snipca.com/52573

ANDROID TABLET APPLE iPHONE ANDROID PHONE

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Apple iPhone 16 Google Pixel 7a

£799 from www.snipca.com/50039 £799 from www.snipca.com/52317 £342 from www.snipca.com/46332
Tested Issue 667 Tested Issue 695 Tested Issue 660

With a much brighter screen than our

previous favourite – the Galaxy Tab S8
– this is perfect for watching TV. It also
has a faster processor, so tasks feel This is the best new iPhone for years, A cheaper version of Google’s flagship
smoother, even with several windows boosted by a processor that’s as fast as phone, this uses AI to add clarity to
open. £799 will get you the 128GB more expensive models. The screen is photos, and lasts an impressive 10
version. If you want 256GB you’ll need excellent, while the new Camera Control hours. Has a fast processor and 8GB
to spend around £100 more. button gives lots of ways to take photos. RAM to supercharge performance.

ALTERNATIVE Lenovo Tab P11 Pro It’s ALTERNATIVE iPhone 14 Now ALTERNATIVE Nothing Phone 2a Don’t
slower than the Tab S9 and the screen discounted to £599 (128GB), this be put off by the odd name. This has a
is duller, but has a detachable keyboard remains a speedy phone with great distinctive design, superb camera and
so you can use it as a laptop. £349 from features and an impressive camera. decent battery life. From a UK company
www.snipca.com/45244 £599 from www.snipca.com/52411 too. £319 from www.snipca.com/49930

30 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699

 Buy It
Our pick of products that have won the Buy It award
MINI PC EBOOK READER SECURITY SOFTWARE

Geekom A8 Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Norton 360 Premium

£899 from www.snipca.com/51157 £160 from www.snipca.com/52730 £19.99 from www.snipca.com/33247
Tested Issue 689 Tested Issue 698 Tested Issue 629

This tiny machine (37x112x112mm) Norton has always performed

doesn’t have much room for ports, strongly in our antivirus tests,
but makes up for it with a 2TB SSD, a The sixth version of the Paperwhite regularly making the top three.
fast processor and an SD card slot for has a larger screen (7in), faster page Owned by US firm NortonLifeLock,
adding storage. It comes with 32GB turns and longer battery life (12 weeks it’s available at a discount on our
RAM, as does a slightly slower model – up from 10). Its glare-free finish Software Store. Use the link above
that’s around £250 cheaper and has mean you can easily read it in bright for a 10-device, two-year licence.
only a 1TB SSD. Take your pick. sunlight, and its 300ppi resolution Other versions are available, including
makes text a joy to read. Norton 360 for Gamers.
ALTERNATIVE GMKtec NucBox M7 Pro
Has an older processor, but comes with ALTERNATIVE Amazon Kindle Kobo’s first ALTERNATIVE Bitdefender Total
plenty of ports and room to add a colour e-reader, with over 4,000 tones to Security Another top performer that
graphics card. £440 from www.snipca. make illustrations and photos leap out. we’re offering at a discount. £19.99
com/52858 £199 from www.snipca.com/50192 from www.snipca.com/41141

WEBCAM PC MONITOR SOLID-STATE DRIVE

Logitech C925e Business Philips 27E1N1600AE Corsair MP600 Pro LPX 1TB
Webcam £224 from www.snipca.com/51687 £77 from www.snipca.com/52658
£53 from www.snipca.com/50751 Tested Issue 692 Tested Issue 630
Tested Issue 608

Despite the name, this webcam is also An affordable 27in monitor with a In our tests, this M.2 SSD hit speeds
great for home users. Its standout sharp resolution, impressive image of 7,364MB/s and 6,870MB/s when
feature is automatically adjusting itself quality and a sturdy build. It has an reading and writing data – astonishingly
to keep your picture looking sharp. It HDMI port, a USB-C port and two USB fast scores. It’s compatible with the
offers a 78-degree field of view, which 3.0. The hefty base means you can new PCIe 4.0 standard, which is twice
is fine for everyday video chats with one raise and tilt the monitor easily using as fast as PCIe 3.0. The 1TB model
person in front of the camera. just one hand. costs £77; 2TB costs £135.

ALTERNATIVE Creative Live Cam Sync 4K ALTERNATIVE Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS ALTERNATIVE Crucial MX500 500GB
Affordable 4K webcam with high- Another excellent 27in monitor with As fast as an SSD can get in the
quality video that can also capture 1440p resolution and a fast refresh rate traditional 2.5in SATA format, this
voice from a distance. £38 from aimed at gamers. £228 from is a great-value upgrade. £70 from
www.snipca.com/51577 www.snipca.com/49898 www.snipca.com/37304

32 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699

 Buy It

COMPETITION

Win 1 of 4…
Majority D40X Active
Bookshelf Speakers
As bookshelf hi-fi speakers Bluetooth 5.3 active speaker
and an active speaker system. You can manage your
system, Majority’s D40X audio experience effortlessly the question at www.snipca.
houses its own built-in from the comfort of your seat com/52965 and submit your details
amplifiers, eliminating with the included remote. by midnight Thursday 2 January.
the need for a separate With a rigid Kevlar cone, Good luck!
setup. Boasting a powerful the Majority D40X delivers
70 Watts of total power output, they an enriched and authentic sound You can buy the Majority D40X
deliver robust sound performance for experience by reducing dampening Active Bookshelf Speakers
movies, music and gaming. and increasing audio quality. It has for £94.95 from www.snipca.
The 2.0 audio channels ensure a plenty of ports to connect to all your com/52966. For more Majority
precise and balanced soundstage, favourite devices, including AUX, products, including DVD players,
immersing you in every detail. Stream Optical/RCA, USB and SD cards. radios and soundbars, visit www.
your music wirelessly through the To enter this competition, answer majority.co.uk.

PRINTER SMART TV ROUTER

Epson EcoTank ET-2830 Amazon Fire TV 50in Asus RT-AXE7800

£250 from www.snipca.com/51715 Omni QLED £240 from www.snipca.com/52957
Tested Issue 676 £650 from www.snipca.com/52542 Tested Issue 665
Tested Issue 694

This has recently risen in price from A fantastic 50in QLED screen with 4K This router has Wi-Fi 6E, so will be
£180, but it’s still better value than the resolution that produces vibrant tones in capable of the fastest possible speeds
ET-1810 because it adds copying and bright, sunlit images and pale, subtle on the 6GHz network over the next
scanning to its functions for £79 more. shades in more atmospheric scenes. It few years. It has five Ethernet ports and
Print quality is great, especially for provides access to all the streaming also a USB 3.0 port to connect a hard
photos, which have crisp details, vivid services you need, and offers voice drive or NAS drive.
colours and realistic skin tones. control through Alexa.
ALTERNATIVE Synology WRX560
ALTERNATIVE Epson EcoTank ET-1810 ALTERNATIVE Samsung Q60B Our previous favourite remains an
Not the fastest printer, but comes with Excellent colour reproduction in excellent choice, delivering speeds of
enough ink for 4,500 mono and 7,500 well-lit scenes and the picture is up to 791.5Mbps. Add more units to
colour pages. £160 from www.snipca. wonderfully sharp, especially in 4K. set up mesh Wi-Fi. £211 from
com/52191 £490 from www.snipca.com/51020 www.snipca.com/52051

Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 33

Computeractive 2023
Back Issue CD & USB Stick
Both the CD and Stick contain all 26 issues from 2023

LE NOW!
ON SA

SOLD
OUT!

Buy the CD from us at Buy the Stick from us at

www.snipca.com/48860 www.snipca.com/48861
 Pull Out
& Keep

Workshops & Tips Issue 699

14 pages of easy-to-follow workshops and expert tips

35 Use hearing aids with 40 Readers’ Tips PLUS
phones and Windows 44 Phone & Tablet Tips 47 M
 ake Office Better
42 Browser Tips:
38 D
 iagnose RAM Customise Chrome 46 M
 ake Windows 48 In the Club: Collaborate
problems with new themes Better using OneNote

HOW TO...
Use hearing aids with
phones and Windows by Nik Rawlinson

What you need: A smartphone or PC; hearing aid or earbuds Time required: Two hours

A
third of the UK population is that has the volume turned up can be
living with hearing loss. It’s uncomfortable – and could even be As an alternative, you could try to find
around half for those aged 55 or putting the hearing of the non-impaired out whether the tech you already own
higher, and 80 per cent for the over-70s viewer at risk. could do the job. Here, we’ll explain how
(see www.snipca.com/52872). The most obvious solution would be you can connect standard hearing aids
Impairments of this kind can have for the hearing-impaired family member directly to a smartphone or computer.
profound effects on sufferers. When it’s to use a hearing aid. These are available Then we’ll explore the features that
hard to hear what’s going on in noisy for free if an NHS hearing assessment, are built into earbuds, computers and
surroundings, it’s also difficult to join in which is available via a GP referral, smartphones that mimic many of the
with conversations. You might miss out shows it would be helpful (www.snipca. features of a hearing aid.
on important information, or choose not com/52873). Naturally, if you already own such a
to socialise so often, which can ultimately If you qualify, repairs are also free, and device, or you’re intending to buy one,
lead to being cut off and feeling isolated. you’ll receive a free, ongoing supply of you could use it without having first had
It can also be hard work for those batteries. The kind of hearing aid funded a hearing assessment, although we
living with someone with hearing loss. by the NHS is usually a behind-the-ear wouldn’t advise it. An assessment may
Saying things several times over gets (BTE) putty-coloured device, with a reveal a more serious underlying condition
tiring, while being forced to share a TV transparent tube feeding into the ear canal. than hearing loss due to ageing.

Try hearing aids that Energy (LE) your phone. On an iPhone

1 work with smartphones
In the US, government regulator
Audio, which will
allow it to remain
X or later, swipe down from
the battery icon at the top
the Federal Communications Commission connected to a of the screen to open the
(FCC) requires phones to be compatible compatible phone Activity Centre – or, on
with hearing aids. Although that for extended iPhone SE, and iPhone 8 or
requirement doesn’t apply in the UK, the periods without drawing huge earlier, swipe up from the
fact that phones are made for international amounts of power. bottom edge of the screen
markets means any smartphone you If Bluetooth isn’t yet turned – then tap the small cluster
buy has a very good chance of being on, you’ll need to enable it on of icons in the lower-right
compatible with hearing aids. corner of the large group at
On an iPhone, the Bluetooth control
If you’re buying a new hearing aid, is in the small cluster of icons at the the top left of the screen (see
look for one that supports Bluetooth Low top left of the Activity Centre screenshot). This opens the

Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 35

 full set of connectivity controls. If the
Bluetooth icon half way down the screen
is white, tap it to turn on Bluetooth. How I cured my temporary deafness
On Android, the process varies
depending on the phone model and I’ve had my hearing tested several times, but don’t use hearing
manufacturer, but typically you need to aids. Neither do I use earbuds for anything other than listening
swipe down from the top of the screen to music and podcasts, so in that respect I consider myself lucky.
and tap the Bluetooth button. However, I did suffer temporary deafness several years ago, which
To connect a hearing aid to an iPhone was fixed by a professional syringing (not as unpleasant as it
or iPad, put it into pairing mode by sounds). The blockage felt like it came on surprisingly quickly,
following the instructions that were but the difference, after treatment, was so dramatic that it was
supplied with the device. Then, on obvious in retrospect that my hearing had been degrading over
your iPhone or iPad, open Settings and time. If you’re suffering something similar, have your ears checked by a professional
tap Accessibility followed by Hearing before splashing out on assistive technologies.
Devices. Your phone will start searching Nik Rawlinson
for your hearing aid. When its name How do you use hearing aids with your tech?
appears on the screen, tap it, then tap Please let us know: [email protected]
Pair when the box appears.
There are two ways to achieve the same
thing on Android. The best one for you appears on the screen. your hearing aid in a crowded and noisy
depends on the kind of hearing aid you Now that you’ve paired your hearing environment as it can reduce the amount
have, and the precise steps may vary aid and your phone, you should be able of background audio captured so you can
depending on the version of Android to use its associated app to make changes. better participate in conversations with
you’re running. Here, we’ll walk through Again, the exact range of changes you can those directly around you.
the steps for the version of Android found make depends on the make and model of Your audiologist should be able to
on Google-branded phones. your hearing aid, and the features within direct you to the appropriate app for your
First, check whether your hearing the app itself. hearing aid. However, some common
aid is compatible with Google’s ‘Audio Common functions offered by options recommended by the NHS
Streaming for Hearing Aids’ (ASHA) hearing-aid apps include broadening or include BeMore for Danalogic hearing
standard. This allows direct streaming narrowing the area in which the hearing aids (www.snipca.com/52891) and the
of high-quality audio from compatible aid is picking up sounds, changing the Oticon app for Oticon-branded hearing
Android devices to hearing aids without tone of the audio being delivered, and aids (www.snipca.com/52892), which
the need for intermediary devices like adjusting the volume. The first of these is also available for Apple Watch. Also
streamers or neck loops. Visit the website can be particularly useful if you’re using consider the Amplifon app for its own
of your hearing aid's manufacturer, hearing aids (www.snipca.com/52893).
or read its manual, and look for A paired set of hearing aids can also
terms like ‘ASHA compatibility’, perform several useful functions without
‘Android streaming’ or ‘Direct audio needing apps. These include streaming
streaming’. directly from your phone so you can
Now open Settings on your use them to listen to music, podcasts or
Android device and, if your hearing TV shows, or making phone calls, just
aid is ASHA compatible, tap like you would with a pair of Bluetooth
Accessibility, followed by ‘Hearing earbuds.
aids’ or ‘Hearing devices’. Put your
hearing aid in pairing mode and, on Pair Windows to
your phone, tap ‘Pair new device’
(see screenshot right) and wait for
2 Bluetooth earbuds
You might not be surprised to
your hearing aid to appear on the discover you can also pair Windows to
screen. When it does, tap its name in Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids, so you
the list of available devices. can stream directly from your computer,
If your hearing aid isn’t as long as you’re running Windows
compatible with ASHA, you can 11 (Microsoft specifies a Windows 11
connect it as a regular Bluetooth device with Bluetooth LE support as the
device by opening Settings and minimum system requirement for using
tapping ‘Connected devices’. Put the Windows and hearing aids together).
hearing aid into pairing mode, then Press Windows key+I to open Settings,
tap ‘Pair new device’ on your phone. then click ‘Bluetooth & devices’ on the
Tap the hearing aid’s name when it left. Now click ‘Devices’ on the right,
then scroll down to the ‘Device settings’
Tap ‘Pair new device’ on your Android
device then wait for your hearing aid to section. Here, look for the setting ‘Use LE
be listed on your screen Audio when available’ and turn it on (see

36 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699

 Use hearing aids with phones and Windows

example, can now perform at-home

hearing tests. They can also reduce
very loud sounds while on the go to
reduce the likelihood of damaging a
user’s hearing.
Perhaps most interesting, though, is
that AirPods Pro 2 also have assistive
technologies that can help users with
hearing loss to hear better. Designed for
users with mild to moderate hearing loss,
the buds use the results of its hearing-test
to build a personalised profile for their
owner (see phone screen pictured below).
These make dynamic adjustments to
the sounds around them and feed these
directly into their ears – much like a
1 clinical hearing aid would do.
The idea is to make it easier for the
wearer to interact with people around
them in a more natural way. To take
the hearing test and use the dynamic
2 adjustment features, you’ll need to have
at least iOS 18.1 installed on your iPhone.
Having this data to hand also means
the iPhone to which the AirPods Pro 2
Windows 24H2 gives you more settings for controlling your hearing aids are paired can apply similar adjustments
to streamed media, including music, TV
then click System followed by About. and phone calls without you having to
The version will be shown in the tweak its settings at the beginning of a
‘Windows specifications’ section. If session.
you’re not running the latest release, At £229 (www.snipca.com/52900),
launch Windows Update and check for AirPods Pro 2 are one of the more
any available downloads. expensive options if you’re shopping for
When you’re running Windows 11 earbuds, but when you consider their full
24H2 or later, click the taskbar’s Wi-Fi set of features and compare them with
icon, then the right-pointing arrow on the price of a clinical hearing aid, they
the Bluetooth button, then ‘Manage represent good value for money.
Bluetooth devices’. Click your previously The price of a hearing aid naturally
paired hearing aid in the list of connected depends on the manufacturer, range of
devices, then click Properties. You can features, and the severity of your hearing
now change how sensitive the hearing aid impairment, but if you don’t qualify for
Turn on ‘Use LE Audio when available’ in the is to ambient noise ( 1 in our screenshot a free hearing aid on the NHS, expect
Devices section of Windows Settings above), and change its audio presets 2 . to pay around twice the price of a set
These will differ between different makes of AirPods Pro 2 for a basic device, and
screenshot above). If it’s not there, your and models of hearing aid. several thousand pounds for a high-end
computer doesn’t support Bluetooth LE. option.
To pair your hearing aid with Use Apple AirPods Pro 2
Windows, click the Wi-Fi icon at the
far-right of the Windows 11 taskbar, then
3 You could be forgiven for
thinking that a lot of the features
Apple’s AirPods
Pro 2 test your
hearing to build
click the right-pointing arrow (‘>’) to the we’ve discussed above – streaming audio, an audio profile
right of the Bluetooth icon. Click ‘Manage connecting directly to smartphones, and for you
Bluetooth devices’ on the menu that so on – sound just like the kind of things
appears. Put your hearing aid into pairing that you’d do with a regular set of
mode and wait for Windows to detect earbuds. That’s no coincidence. In many
them. When it does, click the hearing respects, hearing aids are just very
aid’s name to pair it with your computer. specialised earbuds tailored to help with
If you’re running Windows 11 24H2, hearing loss.
you can make adjustments to the way So, it makes sense that high-end earbud
the operating system works with your manufacturers are starting to add features
hearing aids. To check which version of designed to tackle hearing loss. Apple’s
Windows you’re running, open Settings AirPods Pro 2 (pictured right), for

Next issue: Declutter your PC desktop for 2025 Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 37
 Workshop
Diagnose RAM problems
using Glow’s new tools
What you need: Glow
Time required: 30 minutes

H aving a thorough understanding of

your PC and its components can help
you diagnose problems, compare it with
whole process quicker by using system-
analysis tool Glow instead, which is easy to
use and has recently been updated to a
other machines when it’s time to buy a new version (24.20) with improved tools to
replacement, or select compatible check your RAM. We’ll explain those, and
components if you want to give it an also reveal how to check the condition of
upgrade. Most of this information is your hard drive, processor and network
available through Windows, but only if you connection, so you have accurate
know where to look. You can make the information to resolve any problems.

STEP Download Glow for free by visiting www. 1

3
1 snipca.com/52993 and clicking the Download
button top left. If your PC is running slowly,
start by checking how much RAM is installed and how
much is being used. If you don’t have enough RAM,
Windows will move the workload from your faster 2
RAM to your slower SSD or hard drive. Click Memory
in the sidebar 1 and check how much RAM is installed
2 and how much is in use next to ‘Amount of RAM
used’ 3 or in the graph on the right-hand side 4 .
4

1
3
4 2
1
4

5 2

STEP Check how many memory slots your motherboard STEP A sluggish hard drive can also slow your PC when

2 has and how many are free. Ours only has one slot
that’s being used 1 so if we want to upgrade we’d have
3 reading or saving files. To diagnose yours, click Storage
1 on the left and check the amount of free space 2 on
to replace the current RAM stick with a larger one. Scroll down your primary hard drive (which should be pre-selected in the
the page to check which kind of memory you’re using so you Disk Name dropdown menu 3 ). If free space equates to less
can replace it with compatible RAM. Particularly important than 10 per cent of the Disk Size 4 your system might be
here is the type 2 , frequency (speed) 3 , voltage 4 and slot struggling to manage your files. Consider upgrading your drive
type 5 . or adding an external drive and moving some of your files there.

38 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699

 1
1
4 5

2
3
2 4

STEP If your drive isn’t too full, it may have a more serious, STEP A problem with your processor is more serious, so you

4 underlying problem. To find out, run the disk-

benchmark tool, which you’ll find in the Tools menu 1
5 can test it using the CPU benchmark tool, which is
more powerful after the recent update. Press Ctrl+E or
or by pressing Ctrl+T. To ensure the test doesn’t take too long, launch it from the Tools menu 1 , then choose a test duration 2
leave the test size set to 12GB 2 and click Start Test 3 . This will and mode 3 . Compulsive and Lethal modes provide a better test
scan your drive then display the average and maximum write of the processor. Click Start Test 4 and click Yes to continue.
speeds 4 , and the same for read speeds 5 in the boxes to the Take a note of the results and repeat the test regularly to see if
right. To see whether your drive is performing as expected, your processor is running consistently.
compare these with the manufacturer’s specifications.

STEP If you suspect your network connection is running

6 slowly, you can measure its speeds in the Network

section 1 , which has been upgraded in this new 2
version to deal with faster network adapters. Taking a note of
the download and upload speeds 2 when your connection
seems to be stalling then comparing these over time may help
you to determine whether there’s a pattern, which could be
caused by other devices connecting to your network or
transmitting/receiving a lot of data.

1 2

STEP Finally, if you ever need a full rundown of your

7 system’s components, so you can compare them

against a potential new purchase or share with
the buyer if selling your machine, click Export in the
sidebar 1 . Here, click Create Report 2 , then Yes in the box
that appears warning you that the process can take some
time. Fortunately, it took just a few seconds on our
2 machine.

Next issue: Download BBC iPlayer videos to keep Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 39
 Readers’ Tips
TIP OF THE FORTNIGHT

Send to multiple people using LocalSend

I was glad to see you give so much that often happens because we have 3
space to the new update for LocalSend physical club meetings once a week. But
(Issue 697, page 18 – https://localsend. to do this I have to change the default
org). I use it a lot because of how easily from ‘Single recipient’. First, tap or click
it sends files between different types of Send ( 1 in our screenshot) then the cog 2
device. I need to do this often for the icon 2 and tick ‘Multiple recipients’ 3 .
club I run. It means from my Android It’s not a world-beating tip, but I
phone I can send to all Apple devices thought it’s worth highlighting
and any computers running macOS, because I bet many users 1
Linux or Windows. wouldn’t think of selecting
It only works when all recipients are that cog icon.
on the same network of course, but Simon Grant

Simon wins a copy of our 2023 Back Issue CD Buy it from us at www.snipca.com/48860

SOFTWARE Windows Better (page 46). APP

Remove precise areas from It’s not perfect, but it’s Make free phone calls
images in Paint worth trying as a way of through Viber
I’ve been using Microsoft’s new removing unwanted items In Issue 697 (page 62) you
Generative Erase tool in Paint, as from a picture. You mentioned recommended using eSIMs
you recommended in Issue 698’s Make using your mouse to ‘brush’ to make cheaper phone calls
over the parts that need when abroad. But why use those
removing, but to choose a when you can make calls and
2
more precise area you can send texts for free through Wi-Fi
place a rectangle over it. using Viber (www.viber.com,
Open Paint then click the pictured left)? My wife, who has
Eraser icon ( 1 in our most of her family in Vietnam
1 screenshot left) followed by the and others in France, Belgium,
Selection icon at the top left. the US and Canada, uses the
3 Now choose Rectangle 2 and Viber network. I’ve used it to
place it on the image so it covers what contact her when I was on holiday and
you want to remove 3 . Finally, click the she was at home. You can also use it to
eraser icon that appears below 4 . The send photos and documents. The only
borders of the box will now glow as the proviso is that everybody must be signed
4 erasure takes place. up to use it for free.
Kevin Warner John C Kent

Why I stopped using…

Plusnet’s home router has a SIM card slot and I’ve
broadband bought a Lebara 50GB sim (www.
In Issue 697’s Problems Solved lebara.co.uk), which I got for £9.95 a
(page 64), Alan Bell asked month through a comparison site. You
whether he could ditch home can also get unlimited data for around
broadband for mobile data. I recently £22 to £27 a month if needed. I’m getting
did just this, moving from Plusnet after around 65Mbps in Welling on the
they kept increasing their price and outskirts of London just using the rabbit-
trying to tie me to a long contract. ear antennas supplied with the router.
My SIM is a rolling one-month contract need to use his phone as a hotspot,
And what I use instead... with no price increases and you can leaving it free for calls.
I bought an unlocked Huawei B535-232 leave at any time if you find a better deal David Flett
router (pictured) from eBay for around elsewhere. This would be a good option Tell us why you stopped using a website, app
£65 (www.snipca.com/52911). This for Alan because it means he doesn’t or program: [email protected]

40 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699

 Handy hints and tips from your fellow readers
Email us your tips: [email protected]

2
Reader recommends…
Acer Vero B7 B277E PC monitor
£180 from Acer www.snipca.com/50262

I was interested in many spreadsheets!).

buying the Iiyama I didn’t buy it for the
ProLite XU2492HSU-B2 connections, but I’ve found
2 monitor, which was your a use for the four USB 3.0
‘Buy It!’ choice for many ports, and the DisplayPort
issues. But even though it and HDMI sockets make it
SOFTWARE was reasonably priced at a versatile monitor. Full
Use XMedia Recode to increase £120, its 24in screen was marks to Acer also for including
volume of videos too small. I wanted at least cables for DisplayPort and
After reading your How To about 27 inches, but was hoping to HDMI and a decent pair of
increasing the volume of video files pay less than £200. headphones. I also like the physical
without distortion (Issue 697, page 35), I found a strong contender in your joystick for changing settings – so
I’d like to suggest another program to use review of the Acer Vero B7 B277E much easier than fiddly on-screen
instead of Clipchamp, OpenShot and monitor (Issue 684, page 24), which at buttons.
VideoLouder. It’s called XMedia Recode £180 met my budget. The screen is Gerry Franklin
and is updated regularly. You can save sharper and brighter than anything Want to recommend hardware or software
profiles for quicker editing of specific file I’ve had before, and means I no longer to fellow readers?
formats, and also downgrade the sample squint when using Office tools (too Email [email protected]
rate and boost the resolution. I’ve been
using it for years and would recommend
it to anyone who wants to convert their Android browser to the bottom of the
videos or increase volume levels. screen.
To download it, visit www.xmedia- If you’ve not installed the Android
recode.de, click English top right, then browser, do so from www.snipca.
click Download at the top and choose com/52852. Now tap the three vertical
Windows 64bit or 32bit ( 1 in our dots at the top right followed by Settings,
screenshot above). On the next page click then Appearance. Next, tap ‘Address Bar’,
the green download link 2 . Be careful to then select Bottom (see screenshot 1
avoid clicking any adverts showing below left) and Save. Open the browser the speed is 10 pages per minute rather
download buttons. and the search bar will have moved to the than the ET-2862’s 15 pages, but that’s
Barry Tew very bottom 2 . I’m not sure why, but I not an issue for me.
prefer it here. Perhaps it’s because I like Peter Grainge
BROWSER seeing the autocomplete suggestions
Move DuckDuckGo search bar appear above what I’m typing, not below. TV
to the bottom Robert Bryant Save your shows to
As a recent convert to DuckDuckGo a DVD recorder
I’ve been trying the new features PRINTERS Following your feature on
you recommended in Issue 698 (page 60), Buy Epson ET-2862 recording and saving TV shows
and they’re all very useful. Another new instead of ‘Buy It’ model (Issue 693, page 62), I’ve started recording
option you perhaps didn’t have room to Since Issue 676 your ‘Buy It!’ using a Panasonic DMR-EX97 DVD recorder
explain is moving the search bar in the printer has been the Epson (£280 from www.snipca.com/52849,
EcoTank ET-2830 (£190 from pictured below). I simply save shows to
1 2 www.snipca.com/51715, see its hard drive and play back whenever I
page 33). I phoned Printerland like. I then transfer any programmes I
intending to buy one, but they consider special to recordable DVDs.
recommended the ET-2862 Each one holds over three hours of TV in
instead (pictured above right) HD. I bought a second recorder while I
as it had £40 cashback and a still could, and it waits in my ‘spare parts’
five-year extended warranty. cupboard to bring out on the day my
This came to a net cost of only existing machine dies.
£136 (www.snipca.com/52906). Tom Boyd
It has all the same
functionality in terms of
printing, copying and scanning.
The only real difference is that

Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 41

 Browser Tips
CHROME artists’ tile to browse the 24 new themes,
Customise Chrome with then click one to apply it to the browser.
colourful new themes You can also automatically display a
At the start of 2024, Google added different theme every day by switching
an AI option to Chrome that lets on the ‘Refresh daily’ option (see screenshot
you create your own themes for the below). To return Chrome to its usual
browser by specifying a subject, mood, appearance, click ‘Default Chrome’ on
visual style and colour. Sadly – like the Themes page.
several other new AI tools in Chrome – If you’d prefer more seasonal designs,
as we reach the end of the year it’s still visit the ‘Winter wonderland’ section
not available in the UK (nor anywhere of the Chrome Web Store (www.snipca.
else outside the US). com/52919) to install snowy and Firefox 133, which was released on
Google has, however, added a new Christmas themes. 26 November and will be the last new
set of (non-AI) themes that let you version of 2024, failed to add a tab-
customise Chrome with colourful FIREFOX grouping option. But it does include an
designs. Created by “rising artists”, these Organise tabs into experimental hidden setting that lets you
decorate the browser’s ‘New tab’ page themed groups try an early version of the feature (see
and toolbars to make it look more One of the most requested features screenshot above) before it’s officially
vibrant and interesting. for Firefox, which has long been introduced in 2025.
To apply the new themes, click the available in Chromium browsers, is the See our Workshop below to find out
Customise Chrome button in the ability to organise your tabs into groups. how to use Firefox’s new Tab Groups
bottom-right corner of a ‘New tab’ page, This prevents the browser from becoming option. Remember that it’s still a work
then click the ‘Change theme’ button cluttered with too many tabs, and lets you in progress, so is less polished than
under Appearance. Select the ‘Rising sort related web pages into themed groups. equivalent features in other browsers.

VIVALDI
Add a weather widget
to your Dashboard
In Issue 697 (page 42), we wrote
about the new Dashboard feature
in Vivaldi 7, which you can customise
using widgets. Vivaldi has now introduced
a weather widget, which was its most-
frequently requested Dashboard tool.
Click the ‘Add a Widget’ button at the
bottom of your Vivaldi Dashboard ( 1 in
our screenshot below right), and you
should see the new Weather option in the
strip of widgets that opens. Select it to
add the Weather widget to the page, then
search for and set your location. You

WORKSHOP Try the new Tab Groups feature in Firefox

1 2
2
1
2

1 Type about://config into the Firefox

address bar, press Enter and click
‘Accept the Risk and Continue’. Search
2 This will activate the experimental Tab
Groups feature in Firefox. Right-click a
tab and you’ll see a new ‘Add Tab to New
3 You can now add further tabs to the
group by right-clicking them and
choosing ‘Add Tab to Group’ 1 then the
for the preference browser.tab.groups. Group’ option. Select this, give the tab group name of the group. Alternatively, select
enabled 1 , and double-click it to change a suitable name and assign it a colour 1 , New Group 2 to create a new tab group
its value from ‘false’ to ‘true’ 2 . then click Done 2 . with a different theme, name and colour.

42 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699

 Secret settings and the best extensions

BEST EXTENSION FOR… Auto-filling data across devices

Bitwarden Password Manager personal information including your full

Chromium name, phone number and address.
www.snipca.com/52923 Click the Vault tab in the extension and
Firefox select Identity (see screenshot) then ‘Add
www.snipca.com/52924 item’ to enter the details you want to save.
On 14 December, Microsoft retired its Autofill Click a box on an online form and choose
extension for Chrome. This automatically Bitwarden, then the relevant ‘Auto-fill’
filled in your passwords, contact details option. Bitwarden also syncs your data
and payment information on websites, with its free app for Android and iOS
and synced this data with the Microsoft (www.snipca.com/52927).
Authenticator app on your phone or tablet.
Microsoft wants you to use the built-in If you don’t like that, try…
Autofill in Edge instead, but if you’d prefer Chrome Auto-fill
to stick with Chrome, you should consider chrome://settings/autofill
switching to Bitwarden’s extension. As You can use Chrome’s ‘Autofill and
well as securely storing your usernames passwords’ feature to store passwords,
and passwords, Bitwarden can be used contact info and payment-card details, and
to auto-fill payment-card details and sync your data with the mobile browser.

can also specify whether to show the OPERA

temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit, Stream ad-free music 3
the wind speed in miles or kilometres with Spotify Premium
per hour, and precipitation (rain, snow As we explained in our
etc) in millimetres or inches 2 . Workshop in Issue 697
Click ‘Done’ and the Weather widget (page 38), Opera now has lots of
2
will provide a summary of the current useful features other browsers
weather conditions for your location 3 lack. Its latest version, Opera
and a forecast for the next week 4 . You One R2, has been updated to let
can change your weather settings by you play free music and podcasts
1
clicking the three-dot icon in the from Spotify without having to
top-right corner of the widget. install an extension. ‘Player’ button in the sidebar now bears
At the time of writing, the Weather Spotify was already one of the the Spotify logo.
widget was available in the latest Snapshot streaming services available through Opera says the new partnership is a
(preview) build of Vivaldi (www.snipca. Opera’s built-in music player, along with “Scandinavian collaboration” between
com/52921), but should be in the stable Apple Music, YouTube Music, Deezer, the Norwegian browser company and the
version of the browser by the time you Tidal and SoundCloud. It’s now the Swedish streaming service (www.snipca.
read this. default music option, which means the com/52912). What’s more, the first time
you click the new Spotify button ( 1 in
our screenshot above), you’ll be offered
a free three-month subscription to
Spotify Premium 2 – usual price £11.99
a month – to enjoy ad-free streaming in
the browser.
3 2 You need to enter your payment-card
details, but can cancel before the trial
ends to avoid paying anything – the
4 promotion lasts until 11 January 2026.
If you don’t see the offer, visit www.
snipca.com/52913 in Opera to sign up
1 (it’s not available to existing Spotify
Premium subscribers).
The other music-streaming options
are still available if you’re not a Spotify
fan. Just click the dropdown menu in the
top-left corner of the Player panel 3 to
switch to a different service.

Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 43

 Phone and Tablet Tips
ANDROID & iOS in our screenshot below left).
Use AI to generate titles Select ‘See suggestions’
in Google Photos and Google Photos will use AI
Google Photos has added an AI to analyse the content of the
feature that suggests titles for pictures and generate three
your ‘memories’ in the app. This is useful appropriate titles 2 . Press
when you can’t decide what to call a set your favourite suggestion to
of photos from a particular day, to make apply it to the memory, or tap
the memory easier to find and share. the Edit button to change a
To try the new AI tool, press the word or two. You can also tap
Memories tab at the bottom of the Google ‘Add hint’ to specify a detail
Photos app, then tap ‘Help me title’ next to include in the title, or
to a memory. Alternatively, tap ‘Add a choose ‘More ideas’ 3 to
title’ and press the glowing pencil icon ( 1 generate a new set of
suggestions.
Once you’ve tried the AI
feature, Google Photos should the message you typed, it will be moved
automatically suggest titles below the to the top of your Chats list and
‘Add a title’ box of all your memories. highlighted with a green ‘Draft:’ label
1 If you can’t get the option to work, tap (see screenshot above) so it’s easy to spot.
your profile icon in the top-right corner You can then either finish and send the
of the app and select ‘Google Photos message, or delete the draft and not
settings’ then Preferences. Press ‘AI bother. On the downside, you’ll no longer
features by Labs’ and switch on the be able to use the excuse of writing a
‘Help me title’ setting. reply but forgetting to press Send.
2 1
ANDROID & iOS iOS
Save drafts of your Reduce travel sickness
WhatsApp messages in moving vehicles
WhatsApp has introduced a One of the lesser-known but
handy ‘message drafts’ feature, undoubtedly useful new features in
which automatically saves what you type. iOS 18 is designed to alleviate travel
This highlights messages you started sickness when you’re using your iPhone
writing, but never finished or forgot to or iPad in a moving vehicle. Many car
send, and stores them on your Chats tab passengers experience motion-related
3 so you can pick up where you left off. nausea while trying to read on journeys,
When you exit a chat without sending because the movement of the vehicle

BEST NEW APPS What you should install this fortnight

Android Switch PixelShot Signal

Free Free Free
iOS www.snipca.com/52934 Android www.snipca.com/52930 Android www.snipca.com/52928
Google has renamed and redesigned its PixelShot brings features from the iOS www.snipca.com/52929
app for switching from an iPhone or iPad Screenshots app on Google Pixel 9 phones This popular messaging app has added
to an Android phone or tablet. Formerly to other Android devices. It uses AI to a Calls tab, which makes it easier to start
called ‘Switch to summarise the group video calls. Tap
Android’, it helps contents of your the new tab, select
you move your screenshots, so you ‘Create a Call Link’
contacts, photos can quickly find and share the link
and videos, and specific images by with up to 50 people
swap iMessage searching for you want to chat to,
for RCS/SMS keywords. The app then press ‘Join’ to
messages. The also lets you add start the video call.
updated app has notes to organise Signal also now
a streamlined screenshots and sort lets you use emoji
interface and them into themed reactions and a raise-
simpler wording. collections. hand button in chats.

44 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699

 Brilliant things to do on your device

when you’re spending too screenshot left) and choose

long in a particular app. (by ticking their boxes)
The new option is part of which apps you want to
the Digital Wellbeing Suite on see ‘gentle reminders’ for
Android phones and tablets after you’ve spent a long
1 – though not on Samsung time viewing them.
Galaxy devices, which have Google doesn’t specify
their own Digital Wellbeing what it considers to be a
features. To turn it on, open long time, but we’ve
the Settings app, then swipe seen reminders after 25
down to and press ‘Digital minutes. These appear
Wellbeing and parental in small bubbles at the
controls’. top of the app, saying
Swipe down on this screen ‘Used for [length of time]’,
to find and switch on the which you can swipe
2 new ‘Screen time reminders’ setting (see off-screen to ignore.

BEST APPS FOR... Streaming free films

Tubi
Free
Android www.snipca.com/52945
transmits different signals to your brain iOS www.snipca.com/52944
from what your eyes are seeing. While many streaming services upped their
The usual advice for reducing travel prices in 2024, Tubi launched in the UK with
sickness is to stop reading and stare a huge catalogue of free films. Notable titles
straight ahead at a fixed point, but in include the 2006 remake of King Kong, biblical
iOS 18 you can try a different solution epic Noah and Ali starring Will Smith as the
called Vehicle Motion Cues. This uses titular boxer. You don’t even need to register to
sensors in your device to detect vehicle stream its free, ad-supported content.
movement and displays animated dots Best For Free Hollywood films
on the edges of your screen that match
your direction of travel. These black dots Pluto TV
don’t interfere with what you’re doing, Free
but help your brain align what it feels Android www.snipca.com/52946
with what it sees, and potentially take iOS www.snipca.com/52947
the edge off your nausea. Tap the Movies tab in Pluto TV’s On Demand
To activate this new feature on your section to browse and stream thousands of
iPhone or iPad, open the Settings app free films. These are organised into helpful
and select Accessibility then Motion. categories such as Disaster Movies, British
Press ‘Show Vehicle Motion Cues’ Movies, Comedy, Sci-Fi and Westerns, and
( 1 in our screenshot above) and switch can be watched on your phone or tablet
on the option. Black dots 2 will now with a single tap. Pluto also has a dozen ‘live’
appear on the edges of your screen and (meaning scheduled) movie channels.
move in tandem with the car, bus or Best For Eclectic choice of films
other vehicle you’re travelling in. You
can turn them off and on again via the BBC iPlayer
Control Centre. Free
Android www.snipca.com/52949
ANDROID iOS www.snipca.com/52950
Get reminders to Many people forget that, in addition to TV
take a screen break shows, BBC iPlayer has an impressive
It’s easy to become so engrossed in selection of films you can watch for free.
watching YouTube videos, browsing These are regularly updated and currently
social media or doomscrolling news include Paddington, Citizen Kane, The Third
stories that you can lose track of time, Man and the original King Kong. Most can
and strain your eyes in the process. be downloaded to your mobile device to
To stop this happening, Google has watch offline.
introduced a feature called Screen Time Best For Classic and British films
Reminders, which gently notifies you

Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 45

 Make Windows Better Expert tips for every version

WINDOWS 10 & 11
WINDOWS 10 & 11
Change video brightness
based on lighting conditions
If your computer has a Create mini God Modes for
light sensor you can
tell Windows to
specific sections of Windows
automatically adjust the brightness of You may know that www.snipca.com/52937). This
videos based on the lighting conditions you can create the changes the folder to the GodMode
around you. To check, search for and so-called ‘God Mode’ icon. Clicking it shows you all the
open Device Manager on your computer, for Windows by creating a new folder settings and options in Windows.
then under Sensors look for a light sensor. on your desktop, right-clicking it then But you can also create mini God
If it has one, now press Windows key+I calling it GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54- Modes for specific sections in
to open Settings, then click Apps followed 465E-825C-99712043E01C} (copy and Windows, which are handy if you
by ‘Video playback’ ( 1 in our screenshot paste this from our Pastebin page: need to repeatedly open them. You
below, showing Windows 10 – in create them in the same
Windows 11 the option is on the right). way, and the folder icon
Now activate ‘Adjust video based on 2 changes to represent the
lighting’ 2 , then see the difference it section.
makes to the video above 3 . We don’t have room to
publish all the codes you
1 need to type, but we’ve
added the most useful to
our Pastebin page at www.
snipca.com/52938.
3 In our screenshot we’ve
created God Mode folders for
3 Power Settings, Network and
‘Icons and Notifications’ ( 1 in
2 our screenshot), sitting below
1 the main God Mode folder 2 .

WINDOWS 11 click ‘Printer properties’ followed by Snipping Tool in Windows, then click
Pause print jobs in Settings Pause 2 . Click ‘Resume’ to carry on the three horizontal dots at the top right
Released on 1 October, Microsoft’s printing. You’ll notice there’s also an followed by Settings.
24H2 update for Windows 11 lets option to rename your printer 3 . Like Now click the ‘Add border to each
you pause print jobs from within pausing, you could only do this screenshot’ so the slider turns blue
Settings. This gives you an alternative to previously in the Control Panel ( 1 in our screenshot below), then the
finding the print queue in the ‘Devices dropdown arrow. Click the colour square
and Printers’ section of the Control Panel. WINDOWS 11 at the bottom then click in the box 2 and
To use the new method, press Windows Add borders to screenshots move the slider to choose the colour of
key+I to open Settings, then click You can activate a setting in your border 3 . There’s another slider
‘Bluetooth & devices’ ( 1 in our screenshot Snipping Tool so that every further down for changing the thickness
below) followed by ‘Printers & scanners’ screenshot it takes is framed by a of the border. You’ll see what it looks like
on the right. Select your printer then border. To do this, search for and open in the centre 4 .

1
3
2

2 3

46 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699

Make Office Better Top tips for the best office programs

MICROSOFT OUTLOOK ON THE WEB

Use your voice to ‘write’ emails

One of the reasons we don’t 1
like the new version of
Outlook (as explained in
Issue 686, page 62) is that Microsoft
has based its design on the online
version of Outlook. This is an odd
look for a downloadable program, and 2
so we wouldn’t blame you for taking
Microsoft’s hint and switching entirely 3
to the free ‘Outlook on the web’ (which
is the company’s official name for the
online tool).
It’s free at www.outlook.com and
has a decent selection of features that 4
don’t clutter the design. One of these
is a dictation tool that lets you speak
rather than type your email. Open a
new email or start replying to one,
then click Message in the top toolbar. should recognise what you’re saying. auto-punctuation’ 3 .
Now place your cursor in the body By default, you’ll need to add You might also want to turn off ‘Filter
of the email then click the microphone punctuation, but you can make sensitive phrases’ 4 , which censors
icon at the top right ( 1 in our Outlook do this for you by clicking the swear words and other offensive terms.
screenshot). Start talking and Outlook cog icon 2 and turning on ‘Enable Click ‘Save’ to confirm.

MICROSOFT WORD numbers rather than separate numbers Alt+F12). Now click the plus sign next to
Find numbers in documents themselves. So if you have both 12345 and LibreOffice Calc on the left ( 1 in our
using wildcards 678 in your document, [0-9]{3} will find screenshot below left), followed by View
You may know that you can use 123, 234 and 345, as well as 678. To make 2 , then tick ‘Edit cell highlighting’ 3 .
wildcard search terms to replace sure it only finds 678 you need to frame Click OK to confirm, then start editing a
letters in order to broaden your your wildcard with <>. So, typing cell and its background will turn blue 4 .
results. For example, searching for b?t in <[0-9]{3}> 2 will find only separate
a Word document finds all three-letter three-digit numbers 3 , and ignore others. ONLYOFFICE
words beginning with b and ending with Add signature boxes to
t (bat, bet, bit, bot and but). LIBREOFFICE CALC PDF forms
You can do something similar with Add colour background Version 8.2 of OnlyOffice,
numbers, but first press Ctrl+H to open to the cell you’re editing released in October, lets you add
Word’s ‘Find and Replace’ box. Now click The latest version of LibreOffice a box for inserting signatures
the More button and tick ‘Use wildcards’ Calc (24.8.2, released in late into PDF forms. Click ‘PDF Form’ at the
( 1 in our screenshot below). Next, in the September) adds the option to top left of OnlyOffice’s main page then
‘Find what’ box type [0-9] and click Find colour a spreadsheet cell if you’re editing Signature Field in the toolbar ( 1 in our
Next. Word will now find all examples of it. This helps you see which one you’re screenshot below). Now drag the box that
single-digit numbers in your document. changing. Turn this on by clicking Tools appears into the size and dimensions you
Type [0-9]{3} instead and Word will find at the top, followed by Options (or press want 2 and click outside it when you’re
all three-digit numbers (replace 3 with done. There are options on the right for
any number you like). 4 stating who should sign the box, and for
This is useful, but it finds strings of changing the border and background
colour 3 . Save the PDF and you’re done.
3
2
2

1 1 1
3 3
2

Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 47

 In The Club
Run a club or society? Here's how your tech can make it easier

Collaborate with others using OneNote

M icrosoft’s OneNote is one of the Click File, Share,
then enter the email
best tools for sharing notes with addresses of people
others, helping you to collaborate when you want to share
organising events, meetings and so on. your notebook with
It’s available online, as a free app and 2
as part of a paid-for Microsoft 365
subscription.
Features and options vary depending
on the version, but our instructions 1
should apply whichever one you use –
but be aware that the precise wording,
icons and options might differ. Here, 3
we’ll explain how to use the OneNote
app to work with others.

Install OneNote and create

your notebook See changes made by
First, download the OneNote app from specific people
the Microsoft Store (www.snipca. When a recipient receives your notebook,
com/52935). Install and launch it, then they can open it and start making
click Create Notebook on the home page comments. You’ll see their initials
and give it a name. If you already have appear next to any entry they add (see
OneNote installed, open it then click screenshot right). Hover your cursor
File, followed by New. over one to see their full name and when
Now create your notebook, using it was added. If you don’t want to see
OneNote’s options. For example, click these initials, click History on the top
Insert on the top toolbar to add images, toolbar then Hide Authors.
Any changes made will be indicated by the
videos, audio, website links and meeting To search for changes made by specific recipients’ initials
details. The Draw option (to the right of people, open History, then click ‘Find by
Insert) lets you write and draw with your Author’. On the right a Search Results range. To see previous versions of your
finger, stylus or mouse. Click ‘View’ on panel will open. Now choose how much notebook – ie, before each change was
the right to change the background of the notebook to search, then click made – click Recent Versions, then look
colour and add ‘rule’ lines. ‘Sort by Author’ to see all editors listed in the panel on the right ( 1 in our
alphabetically. Click their name to see screenshot below).
Send invitations to edit changes they've made. Click one and you’ll see a message
Once you’ve created a notebook to Another handy option in the History saying: ‘This is an older version of the
share, click File, then Share (or click the section is Recent Edits. Click this to see page that will be deleted over time…’ 2 .
speech-bubble icon top right). Now changes made since a specific point in If you want to revert to it, click the
add the email addresses you want to time. You can also set your own date message then select Restore Version.
send it to ( 1 in our screenshot above
right), making sure that the ‘Anyone with
the link can edit’ option 2 is selected.
When your recipients open the notebook
they’ll see what you’ve added to it.
If you don’t want to email the notebook 1
directly to people, click the Copy button
instead 3 . This lets you paste the link 2
wherever you like, such as in an email,
newsletter, text message or WhatsApp.
Note that if someone forwards this link
to another person they’ll also be able to
see your notebook. See previous versions of your notebook and revert to one

48 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699 Next issue: Centre yourself in video calls
What’s All the
Fuss About...
Four hours, 20 minutes
We’re all (mis)spending much more time on the internet

What is it?
The amount of time on average UK adults
spent online every day across all types of
devices in 2024.

Isn’t that rather a lot?

Yes it is. But what’s more significant is
that it’s a big jump (39 minutes) from
the three hours, 41 minutes adults spent
online in 2023 – especially when you
consider the jump from 2022 to 2023
was only eight minutes.

Where do the figures come from?

They’re in Ofcom’s annual Online
Nation report for 2024 (www.snipca.
com/53068), which it releases every year
to show how the UK uses the internet.
It conducted surveys of over 2.7 million (www.reddit.com) is like the world’s Was most of this time online
people, and also took results over 10 days biggest online forum, with over 130,000 spent on a computer?
in May and June from a “nationally active ‘subreddit’ pages where people No – on phones. And it’s not even close.
representative sample” of 7,280 internet can chat – again, on almost any subject Those aged 18 to 24 spent over four-and-
users aged between 13 and 84. imaginable. TikTok (www.tiktok.com) a-half hours on their phone, compared
is where millions of people post and with 46 minutes on a computer. The
Does it say what drove watch short videos, many of them smallest gap between phone and
the big increase? humorous (or attempting to be) – similar computer was in the over-65 group –
A big factor is 18 to 24-year-olds spending to YouTube Shorts. one hour, 47 minutes on the former, 35
more time online – up from four hours, minutes on the latter. Interestingly, this
36 minutes to six hours and one minute. Are all ages spending age group spent longer on their tablets
In particular, there have been big jumps more time online? (48 minutes) than their computer.
in their time spent on the sites Quora, Yes, though as you might expect the
Reddit and TikTok. average pensioner still finds other ways to Does Ofcom measure how
amuse themselves. The time spent online many people don’t use the
I’ve heard of them, falls steadily across the ages, with the internet?
but what are they again? over-65s using the internet least often Yes, it’s fallen year on year from seven
They can all be loosely classified as (three hours, 10 minutes every day). to five per cent. This is highest among
social-media sites. Quora (www.quora. over-65s, with 13 per cent lacking
com) lets you ask and answer questions What sites are they internet access at home. Two per cent say
on almost any subject imaginable. Reddit spending more time on? they have access but don’t use it.
Mostly YouTube and Facebook. In fact,
these are by far the two most popular So they’re living without
sites across all age groups. People spent the charms of Quora, Reddit
an average of 47 minutes a day watching and TikTok?
YouTube, and that’s only on phones, Yes, and missing out on such gems as
tablets and computers (ie, not TVs), while Quora’s ‘Is it true that rubbing Vicks on
91 per cent visited Facebook or used its your belly will reduce belly fat?’ (www.
Messenger app. Other popular sites across snipca.com/53072); Reddit’s forum
the generations include Amazon and the showing photos of chairs underwater
BBC. More than a third (35 per cent) (www.snipca.com/53073, pictured left);
visited Amazon every day in May 2024, and puerile pranks from TikTok ‘star’
Water a waste of time: there’s a subreddit while the BBC was the most popular Jaykindafunny8 (www.snipca.com/53079).
dedicated to photos of chairs underwater UK-based site. Hmm – maybe they’ve got the right idea.

Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 49

 COVER FEATURE

DITCH YOUR
CABLES
in
2025
Don’t suffer another year of
tangled wires and connector
confusion. Robert Irvine
reveals the best ways to go
wireless on your PC, phone,
TV and other devices

T
he more electronic devices we buy, connections to wireless alternatives,
WHAT YOU CAN DO the more cables we accumulate, you’ll gain more flexibility and control
which can cause confusion and over how you use your devices, suffer
• Charge your phone’s battery even arguments. Is that a male or fewer technical headaches and make your
without using a cable female connector? Does this need a USB-C home look much tidier.
• Share files instantly between or microUSB charger? Who’s pinched the In this feature, we explain the easiest
your PC and phone HDMI cable from the TV? and cheapest ways to ditch unnecessary
• Add missing Bluetooth and Not only that, but a surfeit of trailing cords, cables in 2025. You probably already use
Wi-Fi to an old PC loose leads and tangled wires makes your wireless technology such as Wi-Fi and
• Control your PC with home look messy and potentially dangerous Bluetooth, so here we reveal how to make
a wireless mouse and – as anyone who’s ever tripped over an most of it – for everything from charging
keyboard Ethernet cable will tell you. Bunches of cables your gadgets to transferring large files and
• Stream audio to Bluetooth left unattended also have a mysterious streaming audio and video. We also
speakers or headphones tendency to become knotted and intertwined. recommend the best new wireless devices
• Watch live TV channels The start of a new year is the perfect time to replace your old wired hardware and
without an aerial cable to address and fix your cable-related permanently untether yourself from your
problems. By switching from wired PC, phone and TV.

50 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699

 DITCH YOUR
CABLES
in
2025
DITCH YOUR PHONE & TABLET CHARGERS
Most homes have at least one phone or
tablet charger that’s permanently plugged
into a wall socket, with its cable either
dangling freely or draped across nearby
furniture. Although this lets you quickly
connect your device when it needs
charging, it also looks untidy and can
even be a safety hazard (see www.snipca.
com/52994).
A much neater, safer and more
convenient solution is to switch to The Anker 315 can charge any Qi-enabled Power up two devices at once with this Belkin
wireless charging. This lets you place device charger
your phone or tablet on a base station
(usually a stand or pad), or attach a Which wireless charger It comes with a USB-C cable, but not
magnetic puck, to charge it without should you buy? a wall plug.
connecting a cable. It also prevents wear Anker 315 Wireless Charger
and tear to the device, because you don’t £17 from www.snipca.com/52984 Belkin Dual Wireless Charger
need to insert or remove anything Anker makes lots of great wireless chargers, £26 from www.snipca.com/52991
(including the protective case), and including its new MagGo Power Bank Belkin’s latest wireless chargers only
you can pick it up and put it back down (see our review on page 28), but for work with iPhones with MagSafe
as you need it. simplicity and value it’s hard to beat and Qi2 (the new version of Qi) – see
Although the wireless chargers the 315 (pictured above). About the same www.snipca.com/52990. But Android
themselves require a power cable, they size as a drinks coaster, this wireless- owners can use the long thin pad of this
reduce the number of phone-charging charging pad can power up any older model (pictured above) to charge
cables strewn around your home, and Qi-certified phone you place at its centre, two Qi devices at once, with up to 15W of
guests can use them too. Just bear in with up to 10W of charge. The only catch power. Unlike many chargers, it comes
mind that wireless charging is slower is it doesn’t come with a power adapter, with its own power adapter.
than using a wired wall charger. so you’ll need to borrow a compatible
Many new phones, some tablets and one from another gadget. Add wireless charging
even smartwatches now offer wireless to your phone or tablet
charging through the industry standard, Mous MagSafe Compatible Charger If your phone or tablet isn’t Qi-compatible,
Qi (pronounced Chee). This is supported £30 from www.snipca.com/52989 you can add wireless charging using a Qi
by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC, Apple’s MagSafe technology lets you receiver. This will be recognised by a base
www.snipca.com/52977), which has charge your iPhone by sticking a magnetic station (as described earlier) and deliver
nearly 400 members, including Apple, puck to the circle on the back of its case. power to your device.
Google, Motorola, OnePlus and Samsung. Although Apple has its You’ll find lots of Qi receivers on Amazon
If you’re unsure whether a device you own MagSafe charger, for as little as £10, but it’s important to
own or intend to buy is Qi-certified priced £49 (www. choose the right one for your phone or
for wireless charging, search for its snipca.com/52987, tablet, and to avoid the dodgier models.
manufacturer and name in the WPC’s pictured right), this One of the
Product Database (www.snipca.com/52972, device from British most reliable
see screenshot below). Popular examples brand Mous costs £20 brands is
include: all iPhones since the iPhone 8 in less and works in the Chinese firm
2017; all Google Pixel phones since 2018; same way. It delivers a Nillkin, which
Samsung Galaxy S6 phones or later; and charge of 7.5W and also makes a Qi
Amazon’s Fire HD 8 Plus tablet. Don’t works with Android Mous MagSafe receiver with
worry if your device isn’t listed – we’ll phones with a charges iOS and a USB-C
explain a workaround shortly. compatible Mous case. Android devices connector
for Android The Nillkin Qi receiver adds
Search the WPC Product wireless charging to old
Database for devices devices (£11 phones and tablets
that use Qi wireless from www.
charging snipca.com/52995, pictured above) and
one with a Lightning connector for old
iPhones and iPads (£12 from www.
snipca.com/52996). You can also buy
receivers with microUSB connectors, but
make sure they’ll curl around the back of
your device, rather than the screen side,
or you won’t be able to charge them on a
wireless base station.

Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 51

 DITCH YOUR USB CABLES FOR FILE TRANSFERS
USB cables provide an easy way to
transfer files from a phone or tablet to 3
your PC – and vice versa – or from one
computer to another, without having to
upload them to an online-storage service
or send them as email attachments. But 1
they also entail trailing a cable between
devices, and ensuring it has the right
connectors at both ends. Sending files
wirelessly instead avoids this hassle, and
you have several options to choose from.

Transfer files using Bluetooth

The Bluetooth feature in Windows 10
and 11 lets you send and receive photos,
videos and other files to and from nearby
devices, without using a cable. It’s not the 2
fastest option, but it doesn’t require you
to install any software and is supported
by all smartphones and most tablets. Bluetooth offers a slower but simpler way to transfer files without a USB cable
To use this method, you first need to
enable Bluetooth on your PC and pair it Bluetooth from the other device to your and click System then ‘Shared experiences’
with the other device. Press the Windows PC. You may need to confirm the (Windows 10 only) and switch on ‘Nearby
key+I to open the Settings app, choose connection to perform the transfer. sharing’. Specify whether you want to
Devices (in Windows 10) then ‘Bluetooth To share small files in future, simply send and receive files to and from ‘My
& devices’, and switch on Bluetooth ( 1 in click the Bluetooth icon in your system
our screenshot above right). Click ‘Add tray (click the up arrow if you don’t see
Bluetooth or other device’ (in Windows this), choose ‘Send a File’ and select the
10) or ‘Add device’ (in Windows 11) and device you want to transfer the file to. You
select Bluetooth 2 . can also send files by right-clicking them
Provided you’ve also switched on in File Explorer and choosing ‘Send to’
Bluetooth on the other device, Windows then ‘Bluetooth device’.
should detect it and display a pairing
code when you try to connect. Choose Use Nearby Share and
‘Connect’ on your PC, and Yes on the Quick Share
other device, to confirm the code and The ‘Nearby Share’ feature in Windows 10
pair the two (see our box opposite to and 11 allows for larger and faster file
discover a quicker way to pair devices). transfers between PCs than the standard
Next, click ‘Send or receive files via Bluetooth method. It uses a combination
Bluetooth’ 3 , then ‘Send files’, select the of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, so both PCs
device you want to send to and click Next must be connected to the same wireless
to choose the files. Alternatively, choose network. Nearby Share quickly transfers files to another
‘Receive files’ and send the files via To activate the feature, open Settings PC over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

Add Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to an old PC

Not all PCs and laptops – especially older connection to up to seven devices at the
models – include Bluetooth, so you won’t same time. It’s plug-and-play, so you don’t
be able to use the technology for wireless need to install any drivers; it’s backwards-
file transfers and connecting peripherals. compatible with devices running versions
Unless, that is, you buy a Bluetooth of Bluetooth older than 5.3; and it works
adapter and plug it into a USB port on your with all versions of Windows from 7 to 11.
computer – rather than using that port to You can also add Wi-Fi to an old PC,
connect an unwieldy USB cable. so you won’t need an Ethernet cable to
The TP-Link Nano USB Bluetooth connect it to your router. TP-Link’s AC600
5.3 Adapter costs £10 from Amazon Mini Wireless USB Adapter similarly the 2.4GHz band and 433Mbps on 5GHz.
(www.snipca.com/52999, pictured) plugs into a USB port on your computer It costs £11 from Amazon (www.snipca.
and provides a fast and stable wireless to deliver speeds of up to 200Mbps on com/53004).

52 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699

 DITCH YOUR
CABLES
in
2025
Pair your Bluetooth devices faster
Rather than go into Windows Settings the Bluetooth troubleshooter.
every time you want to search for, In Windows 10, open Settings
connect to and pair a new Bluetooth and choose ‘Update & Security’
device, you can use your PC’s Swift Pair followed by Troubleshoot. Click
option. This automatically detects any ‘Additional troubleshooters’ and
nearby devices that are in pairing mode, select Bluetooth.
then lets you connect to them with a Annoyingly, in Windows 11,
single click. It works with many of the Microsoft has removed the
peripherals we’ll be covering in the next Bluetooth troubleshooter and
sections, including Bluetooth keyboards, now directs you to install its Get
mice and headphones. Help app (which actually isn’t
To activate Swift Pair, click the Bluetooth much help). Some users have
icon in your system tray and choose Open fixed Bluetooth problems by
Settings. Switch on the option ‘Show updating their adapter’s drivers
notifications to connect using Swift Pair’ in Device Manager and restarting
(see screenshot). Bluetooth services. To do the latter, type and press Enter. Right-click ‘Bluetooth
If the feature doesn’t work, try running services.msc in the Windows 11 search box Support Service’ and select Restart.

devices only’ or ‘Everyone nearby’. ‘Connection preferences’. Select

To share a file from File Explorer, ‘Quick Share’, tap ‘Who can share
either click the Share button on the with you’ and switch on ‘Visible to
toolbar or right-click the item and select nearby devices’. Click your phone in the
Share. In the ‘Share using’ section, choose Quick Share app for Windows (see
‘Nearby Sharing’ (see screenshot left) and screenshot below) to send the file to your
choose the other PC. The first time you do Android device.
this, you’ll be prompted to pair the To send files from your Android
devices. Click the Save or ‘Save & open’ phone or tablet, open a photo, video,
button on the destination computer to document or other item, and tap Share,
complete the transfer. then Quick Share. Select your PC then
Ditch your USB cable and share files between
In Windows 11, you can use the Phone click Accept in the Windows app to devices (listed with fruit themes) using
Link feature to send files to a compatible receive the file. LocalSend
Android phone. But a better option is to Apple’s equivalent to Quick Share,
use Google’s Quick Share tool, which lets called AirDrop, only works with iPhones, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and
you wirelessly share files and folders iPads and Macs, which means you can’t iOS (www.snipca.com/52686) – you can
between Windows PCs and Android send files to and from your Windows PC. use it on a Chromebook by installing the
devices, and from Android to Android. Android app (www.snipca.com/52687).
Download and install the Quick Share Transfer files using LocalSend As we explained in our Best Free
software from www.snipca.com/52998, Another fast and reliable free option Software section in Issue 697 (page 18),
and select the files or folders you want to for wireless file transfers is LocalSend you simply install LocalSend’s free apps
send to your Android phone or tablet. On (www.snipca.com/52690). This lets you on the devices you want to use the service
the latter, open the Settings app and tap send and receive files on any desktop or on – there’s no need to sign up for an
‘Connected devices’ followed by mobile device, through its apps for account. Provided the devices are
connected to the same Wi-Fi network,
Google’s Quick Share
lets you transfer files they’ll recognise each other’s codenames,
wirelessly between your which are themed around fruit and
PC and Android phone vegetables (see screenshot above).
You can then send files and folders
from your PC to your mobile device, and
vice versa, with a single click or tap. On
the receiving device, click or tap Accept
to complete the transfer, and save the
shared item to your Downloads folder
or media library.
If the LocalSend mobile app can’t
detect your PC, try tweaking your
Windows firewall. Click ‘Troubleshoot’,
then ‘Fix automatically’ and LocalSend
will allow incoming connections through
the required firewall port.

Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 53

 READER OFFER! ADD A
DISC FOR
£5.95

Upgrade to Windows 11
Pro for just £49.99!
Your PC almost certainly came with Windows 11 Home. But did
you know it’s easy to upgrade to Windows 11 Pro to get advanced
features like BitLocker drive encryption?
There’s no need to install a new version of Windows – just take
your new Professional key, go to System, Activate, then select
‘Change Product Key’.
To upgrade, visit www.snipca.com/50563
and click the red Buy Now button on the right.

JUST SO YOU KNOW…

This offer can be used by one person only, and
expires at midnight on 2 January, 2025.
It’s a lifetime licence for one computer.
 DITCH YOUR
CABLES
in
2025
DITCH THE CABLES FOR PC PERIPHERALS
Printer and scanner cables on the available ports on both devices,
There was a time when your printer and whether your router has a print-
and scanner had to be placed next to server mode.
your PC, and connected with unsightly
cables, but happily that’s no longer the Keyboard and mouse cables
case. Wireless printers with scanning A wired keyboard and mouse tether you
capabilities, and Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth to your PC, restricting how far you can
connectivity, are now available for under move and often causing a tangled mess
£50. This means the only cable you need with their cables. By switching to
is the power supply – and you can place wireless input devices, you’ll not only
your printer anywhere in your home. increase your flexibility and comfort, but
For example, HP’s DeskJet 2810e also declutter your desk.
All-in-One Printer currently costs Many wireless keyboards and mice
just £34 on Amazon (www.snipca. come with a radio-frequency (RF)
com/53002, pictured below) and offers receiver that plugs into a USB port on
“self-healing Wi-Fi” that automatically your computer. This tiny dongle allows
reconnects should it go offline. For £110, the devices to communicate instantly,
you can buy the HP OfficeJet Pro 8122e over a long range, without you having to
(www.snipca.com/53003), which also You typically connect a printer to your home configure any settings.
includes Bluetooth, as well as higher- network by pressing the Wi-Fi button Others use Bluetooth, which has a
quality prints. slightly shorter range and needs to be
Connecting a printer to your Wi-Fi menu on the device’s screen, then paired with your PC using the steps
network is usually as simple as logging pressing a Wi-Fi button (like the one outlined on page 52. Press the Bluetooth
into your network through the setup pictured above) to connect it to your button on the underside of your keyboard
router using WPS. Or you can pair it or mouse to activate pairing mode (or if
with your PC via Bluetooth by pressing there isn’t one, long-press the power
the Bluetooth button or choosing that button). When pairing a keyboard, you
option in the printer’s settings menu. may need to enter a code to confirm
Both options let you print wirelessly from the connection.
other devices, including your You may also be able to use your
phone and tablet. wireless keyboard and mouse with your
You may be able to add wireless smart TV, if it has a USB port and/or
connectivity to an old wired printer by Bluetooth – check the manufacturer’s
The HP DeskJet 2810e All-in-One Printer connecting it to your router with a USB support site for information.
includes “self-healing Wi-Fi” or Ethernet cable, though this depends Some models let you switch between
connected devices at the touch of a
button. The Logitech Signature Slim
Can you ditch your monitor cable? Combo MK950 (pictured below), which
we reviewed in Issue 683 (page 25), offers
The HDMI, DisplayPort or VGA cable this function for up to three PCs and
that connects your monitor to your PC works with both a USB dongle and
is usually the thickest and heaviest lead Bluetooth. It currently costs £80 from
trailing across or behind your desk. Amazon (www.snipca.com/53006).
Because of the large amount of data and The main downside to wireless input
system resources required to display a devices is that they require batteries,
stable, high-resolution picture on your rather than being powered by USB. To
screen, wireless monitors aren’t yet save money on packs of AAs and AAAs,
widely used and some models that went buy a rechargeable keyboard-and-mouse
on sale a few years ago – such as the HP set, such as the Seenda WGJP-031B (£30
U27 (www.snipca.com/53028) – have monitor and smart TV functions; and the from www.snipca.com/53007).
been discontinued. Asus ZenScreen Go MB16AWP, a 15.6in
There are still a few wireless monitors wireless portable monitor (£460 from
available, which let you mirror or cast www.snipca.com/53009, pictured).
the screen of your laptop or mobile However, because these are intended
device over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi using to be used as second screens rather than
wireless technology such as Miracast or main displays, they don’t eliminate the
AirPlay. Examples include Samsung’s need for monitor cables. So we’ll just
M8 Smart Monitor (£399 from www. have to wait for wireless technology to
snipca.com/53008), which combines catch up. The Logitech Signature Slim Combo MK950
keyboard can be used with up to three PCs

Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 55

 DITCH YOUR AUDIO CABLES
PC-speaker cables This portable Anker
If you’ve decided to improve your PC’s Soundcore speaker
has a 24-hour
sound quality, by switching from the
battery life
tinny built-in speakers in your monitor
or laptop to a set of external speakers,
you certainly don’t want messy cables
dangling behind your desk. Opting
for a wireless pair of speakers will keep
things tidy without compromising the
audio output, and also let you stream
music from your phone and tablet.
There are plenty of Bluetooth speakers
to choose from, including the stylish
Creative Pebble V3 (£30 from www. Headphone cables
snipca.com/53016), but as they usually Look around you on any bus, train or
need to be connected to a power source high street and everyone seems to be
via a mains or USB lead, they aren’t wearing Bluetooth earbuds, whether
completely cable-free. that’s Apple’s expensive AirPods or
If that’s a deal-breaker, consider cheaper imitations. But wireless
buying a rechargeable portable speaker headphones also have many advantages
such as the Anker Soundcore Upgraded at home, not least letting you listen to
Version (£30 from www.snipca. audio from your PC and TV without a
com/53017, pictured above right). This tangle-prone cable getting in your way.
has a 6-Watt (W) output, 66-foot It’s easy to pair Bluetooth headphones
Bluetooth range and 24-hour playtime. with your PC by activating their pair
Most Bluetooth speakers enter pairing mode and adding them as a device in
mode the first time you switch them on, Windows Settings (see page 52). On a
– when you press their dedicated smart TV, it’s almost as simple but
Bluetooth button – letting you easily depends on your set having Bluetooth
connect them to your PC and other built in.
devices. You can also pair smart speakers Most new TVs do, including all the Stream audio without a cable using these
such as the Amazon Echo and Google budget sets we recommended in Issue budget Anker earbuds
Nest by saying, for example: “Alexa, 694’s ‘Don’t buy the wrong smart TV’
pair with my PC”. Cover Feature (buy it from www.snipca. If your smart TV doesn’t have Bluetooth,
Another option is to buy a soundbar, com/53020). Go into Settings, look for a you can add it by connecting a special
which will significantly boost the audio Bluetooth option – this may be located transmitter to its 3.5mm headphone socket.
quality of your PC, TV and other devices. under Sound or Audio – and switch it on. You can buy one from Amazon for under
Most soundbars use Bluetooth, and some Now put your headphones in pairing £10, such as this Oqimax device: www.
also offer Wi-Fi connectivity, and though mode, select them in the TV menu and snipca.com/53021 (pictured below left).
they require mains power they don’t choose Pair. Bluetooth is also available Pair your wireless headphones with the
need audio cables. This means you can on many streaming sticks, including Fire transmitter to stream audio from your TV.
place your bar in an optimum spot in TV devices and the Google Chromecast Our favourite budget Bluetooth
your home and control it with and TV Streamer. headphones for PCs, TVs and phones
the supplied remote. are the Anker Soundcore P20i True
Add Bluetooth to
We recommend the Hisense HS214 your TV by inserting Wireless Earbuds (£16 from www.snipca.
(pictured below), which has a 108W a transmitter in its com/53026, pictured above) and the Sony
output with Dolby Digital Plus, and headphone port WH-CH520 over-ear headphones (£32
costs £79 from Amazon (www.snipca. from www.snipca.com/53024), which
com/53018). have a battery life of up to 50 hours. Our
Stream audio sister title What Hi-Fi? has a round-up of
wirelessly from other cheap but reliable options at www.
your PC or TV to snipca.com/53023.
this Hisense
soundbar Note that if you pair your headphones
with your PC and TV, they may
automatically connect to one of those
devices when you want to listen to the
other. You can solve this problem by
temporarily switching off Bluetooth or
unpairing your headphones on the
device you don’t want to stream from.

56 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699

 DITCH YOUR
CABLES
in
2025
DITCH YOUR TV CABLES
Streaming services such as Netflix,
BBC iPlayer and Amazon Prime Video
have revolutionised the way we watch TV,
Keep your essential cables tidy
delivering content over the internet If you’re unable or to let shorter cables poke
rather than through an aerial. But if you unready to ditch certain through.
want to tune into live channels on cables for wireless Make things even tidier
Freeview, you still need a traditional alternatives, you can at by combining a sleeve
coaxial cable connecting your TV to least keep them tidy to with an under-desk
an aerial wall socket. Even cable and avoid them becoming a cable-management tray
satellite TV services from Virgin Media tangled mess. The best that also stores power
and Sky require a coaxial cable for way to do this is to buy a strips, such as this Tyrkuiy
your set-top box. ‘cable tidy’. basket: www.snipca.
Thankfully, there are now several ways A cable-tidy sleeve com/53035.
to watch live TV channels without an will group all the leads behind your desk Another option is a set of cable-holder
aerial or other cable. Most new smart TVs or TV cabinet to keep them organised clips you can attach to your desk. These
and set-top boxes (except Samsung models) and protect them from nibbling pets. For are particularly useful for preventing USB
include Freeview Play on Channel 100, example, Teskyer sleeves (£7 for four cables from getting in your way while
which lets you stream live and on-demand from www.snipca.com/53034, pictured) you’re charging devices. Buy a three-pack
TV over the internet via broadcasters’ hold up to 10 cords and can be easily of Soulwit cord organisers for £10 (www.
own apps – including iPlayer, ITVX, zipped up. You can cut holes in their fabric snipca.com/53036).
Channel 4 and My5.
This concept has been expanded by
Freely (www.freely.co.uk), which (£3,799 from www.snipca.com/53031).
launched in the UK in April. Freely TVs Other Freely TV manufacturers include
work entirely over the internet, so all Bush, Hisense and Toshiba – see www.
you need to watch TV is a reliable Wi-Fi snipca.com/53032 for the full range.
connection – allowing you to ditch your If you’re not ready to upgrade your TV,
aerial and set-top box cables. you can get live TV without a cable using
Freely’s TV guide lets you switch a Fire TV, Roku or Google TV streaming
seamlessly between more than 30 live device. Just go into the Live TV section of
channels (see www.snipca.com/53029 for the relevant broadcaster’s app to watch
the full list) and their catch-up content, what’s on now.
and will be adding more in 2025. Google recently made things easier by
There are now dozens of Freely TVs to adding a Channels section to the Google
choose from, ranging in price from the TV home screen that lets you quickly Connect your PC to your TV without an HDMI
43in TCL PF650K (£216 from www. access BBC, ITV, STV and Channel 5 cable using a wireless receiver
snipca.com/53030, pictured below) to channels without opening their apps first
the 77in Panasonic Z93 OLED Fire TV (see our news story in Issue 696, page 6). Miracast, consider buying a wireless
HDMI receiver such as this Pway model
Avoid using HDMI cables from Amazon (pictured above), which
Rather than connect your PC or laptop to costs £56: www.snipca.com/53033. This
your TV with an HDMI cable, to view comprises a receiver you plug into an
content on a larger screen, you can HDMI port on your TV, and a transmitter
connect to it wirelessly over your home you can insert in a computer, DVD/
network. Simply press Windows key+K to Blu-ray player or games console, to cast
open the Connect panel, and select your content to the big screen without an
TV or streaming device to mirror your HDMI cable. You don’t even need to
Watch live TV without an aerial using a screen using Miracast. connect the devices to your Wi-Fi
Freely TV such as the TCL PF650K If your PC or TV doesn’t support network or pair them via Bluetooth.

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Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 57

 New Year,
STEP 1 TIDY YOUR INBOX
Set up labels in Gmail
Gmail is supposed to automatically filter
messages into different inbox tabs, such

New Email
as Social or Promotions. But often these
don’t work the way you want them to.
Instead, use labels to sort your incoming
emails and make messages from certain
senders easier to find. They work a little
like folders, and you can set Gmail to
apply labels to certain incoming
messages automatically.
To create a new label in Gmail, click the
‘+’ icon next to Labels in the left-hand
pane and type a name for your label. You
might create a ‘Holidays’ label for emails
that come from travel sites, for example.
In your main Inbox, tick the box
next to a message from a sender you
want to apply the label to. Click the
three-dot icon in the toolbar at
the top of the message list and select
‘Filter messages like these’ then click
‘Create filter’. In the window that opens,
tick the ‘Apply the label’ box and select
the label you created from the ‘Choose
label’ dropdown menu ( 1 in our
screenshot below).
Start the year by reorganising your inbox
– or by switching to a better email service.
1
Jonathan Parkyn reveals the best ways to
improve your email experience in 2025
2
automatically send incoming mail into and click OK. Tick the box next to ‘Run this
folders. To create a new folder in rule now in Inbox’ and click OK. All current
Outlook.com, click the three horizontal and future messages from this sender will
dots next to Folders in the left-hand now be sent to the folder you designated.
3 pane and select ‘Create new folder’. In
Select a label in Gmail so that all emails from the box that appears at the bottom of Mute, Ignore and Snooze emails
similar senders go there your Folders list, type a name, then click It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by a
Save. We created ‘EBAY BIDS’ ( 1 in our continuous stream of messages.
Now tick the box next to ‘Also apply screenshot below). Thankfully, there are several ways to keep
filter to matching conversations’ 2 then Now look for a message from a sender your inbox lean. If you’re a member of a
click ‘Create filter’ 3 . Your label will be you want to include in your new folder. particularly overactive email group, for
automatically applied to all existing and Right-click it, then select Rules, followed example, you can temporarily mute the
future messages from the sender you by ‘Create rule’. Under ‘Always move conversation in Gmail until you’re ready
selected. messages from…’ type the name of the to engage with the discussion. This
To view all the messages from this sender, folder you created 2 , then select it below removes existing and future messages
click the name of your new label in the from your inbox until you unmute it again.
left-hand Labels list. Your labelled messages Right-click a conversation, then click
will also remain in your main inbox, but 2 Mute. To unmute conversations, type
you can make them easier to find by is:muted in the Search box at the top
clicking the three-dot icon next to your then press Enter. Now right-click the
label name, selecting ‘Label color’ from conversation and select Unmute.
the menu and choosing a colour. In Outlook.com, you can achieve a
similar effect using the Ignore function –
1
Move emails using right-click a conversation, then select
Outlook.com’s rules Ignore, and click OK. Doing so will move
Outlook.com uses traditional folders to Create rules in Outlook.com to automatically this and future messages to the Deleted
organise your messages and rules to move emails into specific folders Items folder. To unmute the conversation,

60 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699

click Deleted Items in the left pane,
right-click the message, select ‘Stop Leave your ISP’s email service
ignoring’ and click OK.
Snoozing is a quick way to clear non- Most broadband services provide you to use your ISP’s email. You could switch
urgent messages from your inbox until with an email address, but these aren’t to Gmail, Outlook.com or Proton Mail,
you have time to look at them. In Gmail, always the best. For example, many BT which have better features and are more
right-click a message, then click Snooze. users have complained about the “awful” reliable. Or you could keep your ISP’s
In Outlook.com, right-click a message, redesign of its webmail site (see www. email account and ignore its interface by
then click Ignore. In both cases, select snipca.com/53105). Relying on your ISP’s adding the account to a third-party client,
when you want to snooze/ignore the email also complicates things should you such as Outlook or Thunderbird. You can
message until, or click ‘Choose a date’ ever want to switch to another provider. then use this as your primary means of
(Outlook.com) or ‘Pick date & time’ (Gmail) The good news is that you don’t have sending and receiving messages.
to set your own custom time.

STEP 2 CHANGE YOUR by exporting them from Gmail – sign in

NOTIFICATIONS 3 at https://contacts.google.com, select
Silence your Gmail notifications 1 the contacts you want, then click the
Notifications can be annoying – pinging three-dot icon and select Export.
when you least want to be interrupted. Click the ‘CSV for Outlook only’ option,
Happily, there are ways to cut down how 2 then click Export and save the file. Next,
many you receive. In Gmail, click the log into Outlook.com, click the People
Settings cog, then ‘See all settings’ and, icon on the left, then click ‘Manage contacts’,
on the General tab, scroll down to ‘Import contacts’. Browse for the CSV file
‘Desktop notifications’. You can disable Outlook.com lets you keep notifications off you downloaded and click Import.
all notifications here. Instead though, your desktop and turn off audio alerts Currently, the simplest way to import
consider leaving them turned on, but Gmail messages into Outlook is to use the
setting ‘Mail notification sounds’ to None notification audio alerts, too 2 . downloadable version of Outlook, which
(see screenshot below) – this way, all your Turning on ‘Only from favourite people’ acts as an email client. You can easily
notifications will be silent. 3 is a good way to limit notifications. Click forward any new messages you receive to
‘Save’ at the bottom of the Settings pane Outlook.com by clicking the Settings cog
when you’re done. For this to work, you’ll in Gmail, then ‘See all settings’, followed
need to click the People icon on the left, by the ‘Forwarding and POP/IMAP’ tab.
then ‘All contacts’ and work your way Click ‘Add a forwarding address’, enter
through your contacts list, right-clicking your Outlook.com address, click Next
and selecting ‘Add to favourites’ for any and follow the remaining steps.
you want to receive notifications from.

Select ‘None’ and all your Gmail notifications STEP 3 MOVE TO A NEW
will be silent EMAIL SERVICE
If you’re unhappy with the way your
Here, you’ll also see an ‘Important mail current email service works, you always
notifications on’ option – this will limit have the option to migrate to a different
notifications to emails Gmail deems to be provider. Making a clean start is easy
important. You need to enable Gmail’s – just go to the relevant service’s homepage
smart features to use this option. To do and sign up for a new account. But what Proton Mail makes it easy to move your Gmail
so, click the ‘Turn on smart features and if you want to take your contacts or and Outlook accounts
personalization’ link above, then click emails (or both) with you?
Reload, go back to the ‘Desktop Import from Gmail or
notifications’ settings and turn on Import from Outlook.com to Gmail Outlook.com to Proton Mail
‘Important mail notifications on’. Click Click the Settings cog, ‘See all settings’, Proton Mail is an increasingly popular
‘Save Changes’ at the bottom. then the ‘Accounts and Import’ tab. Click alternative to Gmail or Outlook.com –
‘Import mail and contacts’, then enter primarily due to its cast-iron privacy
Disable Outlook.com notifications your Outlook.com email address in the features like end-to-end encryption. Its
In Outlook.com, click the top-right box and click Continue. Follow the ‘Easy Switch’ tool lets you transfer emails,
Settings cog, then click General, followed remaining steps, signing in with your calendars and contacts from Gmail and
by Notifications. You can turn off all Outlook.com credentials when prompted. Outlook to your Proton Mail account.
notifications, or leave this on and click Log into Proton Mail, then click Settings,
the down arrow to reveal further options. Import from Gmail to Outlook.com ‘All settings’, then ‘Import via Easy Switch’.
Selecting ‘Alert’ under ‘Notification style’ Unfortunately, Microsoft killed off its Select the service you want to import
( 1 in our screenshot above right), for mail-syncing feature in 2024, meaning from (see screenshot above), choose what
example, keeps notifications within there’s currently no easy way to import you want to import, then follow the
Outlook, rather than on your desktop. your Gmail data into Outlook.com. You prompts, logging into Gmail or Outlook
You can disable ‘Play sound’ to mute can however move your contacts across with your account when asked.

Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 61

 What’s being
axed in
2025
It won’t be a happy new year for some
tech products and their users. Robert
Irvine reveals the services and devices
that will shut down or stop working in 2025

Y
ou’re undoubtedly aware that in costs £60 a year/£6 a month for a without committing to a subscription.
October 2025 Microsoft will end Personal subscription, or £80/£8 for a It stopped selling these SIM cards in
support for Windows 10 (see Family plan that covers up to six users. August, though they were still available
our Cover Feature in However, you may prefer to pay a one-off from third-party sources, and they
Issue 693 – buy it from www.snipca. price of £120 for Office Home 2024, will no longer work after 31 January.
com/53062). And, as we’ve warned which includes Word, Excel and Instead you’ll need to switch to an O2
several times in 2024, from next June PowerPoint (see www.snipca.com/53091 pay-monthly data plan.
Google’s new Manifest V3 rules will to compare the differences). By the end of 2025, O2 will also switch
break some Chromium extensions, Office 2016 and 2019 will continue to off its 3G network – the last of the big
including uBlock Origin. work after October 2025, but will be four UK mobile providers to do so. This
But those aren’t the only popular tools susceptible to security threats. If you means you’ll need to buy a new phone if
facing the axe. In this feature, we reveal don’t want to pay anything, consider your current one doesn’t support 4G or
the devices, software and services that switching to a free office suite such as 5G. See O2’s support page at www.
will stop working or shut down in the LibreOffice (www.libreoffice.org) or snipca.com/53049 to check if your device
next 12 months. OnlyOffice (www.onlyoffice.com). is affected. The 3G switch-off will also
affect MVNOs that use O2’s network,
What will definitely stop Amazon Freevee including Giffgaff, Tesco Mobile and Sky
working in 2025 In November, Amazon confirmed it will Mobile.
Office 2016 and 2019 be ‘phasing out’ its free, ad-supported
On 14 October 2025, Microsoft will not streaming service Freevee (www.snipca. Google URL Shortener
only end support for Windows 10, but com/53051). It said all TV shows, films From next August, any links created
its extended support for Office 2016 and channels from Freevee, including the using the Google URL Shortener – better
and 2019. This means it will no longer revived Australian soap opera known as Goo.gl – will cease to work
provide security updates for those office Neighbours, will be incorporated into (see www.snipca.com/53050). The
suites (www.snipca.com/53046, see Prime Video, and remain free to watch URL-shortening service was launched in
screenshot below). even without a Prime membership. 2009, but stopped accepting new users in
Unsurprisingly, Microsoft recommends At the time of writing, the Freevee 2018 and was discontinued for existing
that you switch to Microsoft 365. This homepage was still live (www.snipca. users a year later.
com/53052), as were its apps for Android In August 2024, Google started showing
(www.snipca.com/53053) and iOS (www. an ‘interstitial’ page when you clicked a
snipca.com/53054), but it’s likely these Goo.gl link, warning that the URL would
will be removed in early 2025. no longer work “in the near future”. That
moment will arrive on 25 August 2025, so
O2 mobile broadband and 3G ensure you save any old Goo.gl links in
2025 could be a frustrating year for many another format before that date.
O2 customers. In January, the mobile Other URL shorteners such as TinyURL
network will close its Pay As You Go mobile (www.tinyurl.com) and Bit.ly (https://
Microsoft will end support for Office 2016 and broadband and iPad SIM services, which bitly.com) are still going, but now have
2019 next October allowed you to buy and use internet data rather limited free plans.

62 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699

 What should close but won’t in 2025?
CCleaner reached its 20th birthday in 2024, bleachbit.org) and PrivaZer (www.snipca.
but there wasn’t much reason to celebrate. com/53085 – see page 19), do a better
This once essential system tool is now job of scanning and cleaning your PC,
bundled with ‘offers’ for its developer’s without any pushy sales tactics.
other products and restricts many features Although CCleaner survived 2024
– including a performance optimiser, without suffering the type of privacy
software updater and advanced cleaning scandals that plagued its preceding years,
Hive’s View security cameras and Homeshield – to its Professional edition (£25 a year). we’d be happy to see it discontinued in
system will stop working next August CCleaner’s constant upgrade nags make 2025. But while it’s still able to make
the free version unbearable. Alternative money by trading off its former reputation,
Hive security cameras system cleaners such as BleachBit (www. that’s unlikely to happen for a few years.
On 1 August 2025, Hive will end support
for its Hive View indoor and outdoor
security cameras, and Homeshield Galaxy Watch 4 (2021) onwards, which
smart-alarm security system (pictured run Google’s Wear OS rather than Tizen.
above). This follows Hive’s decision to You can browse Samsung’s latest
abandon non-energy smart products smartwatches at www.snipca.com/53058.
in 2022, and the end of the three-year
support period it subsequently offered What will probably stop
customers. working in 2025
Hive should have informed you about Google Chromecast
this deadline some time ago, but it’s In August, Google announced it was
worth remembering in case you’re “ending production” of its Chromecast Streaming service Paramount + may not
tempted to buy a refurbished or second- streaming devices to focus on its new TV survive 2025
hand Hive camera. After the deadline, Streamer (see our review in Issue 695,
the discontinued Hive products will not page 29). You’ll still be able to buy a only a few notable films and TV series –
only stop receiving security updates, but Chromecast “while supplies last” (www. including Star Trek (see screenshot
cease functioning effectively – see www. snipca.com/53057), but older devices above), Frasier and Yellowstone – to
snipca.com/53055 for details. could soon stop working. attract viewers. In November, it
Our sister website TechRadar has a The first to go will be the second- announced it increased the price of its
round-up of alternative security cameras generation Chromecast (pictured below), Standard plan to £7.99 a month and
at www.snipca.com/53056. which went on sale in 2015. Google introduced a new ‘Basic (with ads)’ tier
supported the original Chromecast (from for £4.99, which won’t do it many favours.
Samsung Tizen smartwatches 2013) for 10 years, ending security
Owners of Samsung smartwatches that updates in April 2023, so its successor What will possibly stop
use its Tizen operating system will need should follow suit in 2025. working in 2025
to upgrade their ‘wearables’ in 2025. The Internet Archive
On 30 September, the company will The Internet Archive had a terrible 2024.
officially end support for all Tizen In the autumn, it suffered a series of
watches – including the Samsung Galaxy DDoS attacks and a serious data breach
3 (pictured below) - which means they’ll that took it offline and compromised the
no longer receive security updates and account details of more than 30 million
their functionality will be limited. users. It also lost its appeal in a copyright
This won’t affect any devices from the lawsuit brought by book publishers over
Support for the second-generation the site’s digital-lending library.
Chromecast will probably end in 2025 Another lawsuit, regarding the
Internet Archive’s collection of 78rpm
Paramount + recordings, is still ongoing and there
Earlier this year, it was reported that could be even more in 2025 (it still hosts
streaming service Paramount + was a lot of ‘legal grey area’ content).
under threat, following the closure of Although the archive says it has
Paramount TV Studios by parent strengthened its defences against
company Paramount Globe. Although cyber-attacks (www.snipca.com/53061),
this was quickly denied because the we doubt it’s seen the last of them and
two divisions are separate entities – as a non-profit organisation – its resources
(www.snipca.com/53059), we won’t be are limited. Although we don’t think the
surprised if the service does fold in 2025. Internet Archive will disappear next year,
Since its launch in 2021, Paramount it could be temporarily suspended or
Samsung is ending support for its Tizen Plus has struggled to compete in a significantly pared-down. But it’s such a
smartwatches, including the Galaxy 3 crowded streaming marketplace, with great resource that we hope not.

Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 63

 Problems Solved
Our experts solve all your tech problems

PROBLEM OF THE FORTNIGHT

Why does System Configuration

miscount my processor’s cores?
I read some advice online 1 Type
Q recently that suggested a way
to speed up an old laptop. The
msconfig
in the
Run box
first step was to open the System to access
Configuration box by pressing Windows’
Windows key+R, typing msconfig (see settings…
screenshot 1 ) and then pressing Enter.
Next, choose the Boot tab, click the
‘Advanced options’ button 2 then tick
the ‘Number of processors’ box before
choosing the highest number available
from the dropdown menu 3 .
I tried this on my 2012 Dell laptop,
but I didn’t see any improvement.
However, I did notice something odd. the default setting and is obviously the 2
This laptop has an Intel Core i7-2630 best one in almost all circumstances.
with four cores and eight threads. The option you describe exists
However, the maximum number of primarily for troubleshooting or testing
processors I could select was eight, not purposes. A software developer, for
four. The same thing happened when I example, might want to limit the number
repeated the process on my other of cores available to test how an app works
computer, which has an Intel Core on systems with lower specifications.
i3-2130 with two cores and four You could also use it to limit the
threads. In this case, the highest amount of power the processor uses,
number of processors, according to potentially extending a laptop’s battery …on the Boot tab, click ‘Advanced options’
System Configuration, was four. life. However, it won’t speed up your PC to tweak how Windows works…
I don’t understand what’s happening unless for some reason the box is already
here. First, why is this setting unticked? ticked and Windows is not using all the To understand the apparent
And second, why is Windows totting available cores – in which case removing mismatch between the number of
up the cores incorrectly? Brilliant the tick could speed things up. cores in your CPUs and the numbers
magazine, incidentally. listed in System Configuration’s
John Buchanan 3 dropdown menu, you need to know
what Windows means by a ‘core’. Put
You didn’t tell us where you simply, when a processor supports
A read this advice. However,
while we imagine it was well-
hyper-threading technology, each core
can handle two threads. From
intentioned, we’re afraid it’s inaccurate. Windows’ point of view, each thread is
That’s because this feature has a ‘logical’ processor core. So a processor
nothing to do with speeding up a with two physical cores and four
computer. In fact, it does the complete threads has four logical processor
opposite of what you want, because it’s cores. A processor with four cores and
designed to limit the number of eight threads is seen as having eight
processor cores Windows can use. With logical processor cores, and so on.
the option left unticked, Windows can The numbers in the dropdown menu
use as many cores as the processor has, reflect the number of logical processor
so is determined by the operating …then tick this box to limit the number of cores available, not how many physical
system’s needs at any moment. This is cores Windows can use cores your processor has.

64 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699

 Email us your problem and we’ll try to help:
[email protected]

How can I read my old Tuff Discs?

I have several ‘Tuff Discs’ The Tuff Disc brand of
Q (pictured right) that I
used to store
optical disc claimed to
offer better durability
remastered 35mm slides. I’ve
updated my PC several times also claimed the discs used
since saving my pictures to a highly durable dye layer to
them. I originally had an LG store the data, making them LG’s WP50NB40 Blu-ray burner is still
M-Disc Blu-ray rewriter, but less likely to degrade over time. available, but it’s not cheap
now use a Unitek external DVD Both those assertions might
drive. I downloaded InCD Reader be true, but with a roughened surface like yours can’t.
(5.9.4.0) disc-reading software, but still on the data side, these discs could be Your only option is to try a different
can’t read the discs. On one occasion, it more difficult for a drive to read (or write drive – ideally the exact same make and
showed the contents but the file sizes to) than ‘standard’ optical discs. As every model as the one you used to burn it. LG
seemed wrong. Have you any idea how I DVD drive’s laser is different, there’s still sells a drive (pictured above) that’s
can read the discs? I have a lot of pictures always a chance that a disc written on the same as or similar to the one we think
on them that I don’t want to lose. I’ve been one drive might not be readable on you originally had, but at around £84
a subscriber since the first issue of your another – or at least not reliably so. (www.snipca.com/52701) it’s not cheap.
mag. So we think that’s probably the root As an alternative, we’d suggest
David Butler cause here. We note that you downloaded checking if any friends or family have a
Nero InCD Reader, which lets you access PC with a DVD drive that you could try,
‘Tuff Disc’ is a defunct brand of the contents of discs formatted using or failing that a local library or computer
A DVD-RW optical discs that had a
unique ‘pebble-dash’ finish. This
Nero’s .mrw format, but that’s unlikely to
help you in this situation. Either your
shop. If you can read the disc using
another machine’s drive, you could
supposedly made them more resistant to current drive can read the data on a transfer its contents to a USB stick – a
scratches than other discs. The company particular disc or it can’t, and it sounds process that takes just a few minutes.

How do I magnify onscreen content with my new mouse?

I’ve used a Microsoft Optical Customise your zoom in the Magnifier 2
Q Mouse 3000 for years, but
since replacing it I find I really
section of Windows’ of Ease of Access
settings

miss its magnify button. As this model

has been discontinued, are there any
1
similar mice available that offer the
same feature? If not, would it be
possible to set up the magnifying
function on a different mouse?
Shabir Mamdani

The zoom function for this

A and other mice in the range
was part of Microsoft’s Windows’ built-in zoom controls let you
IntelliPoint driver software. The magnify the contents of your screen
company retired this in 2011, building
many of its features into Windows, cog, then ‘Ease of Access’ followed by Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center
including the Magnifier tool. Magnifier. There are lots of options here, (www.snipca.com/52704), which is the
To access the zoom function, press but to mimic how the zoom worked in successor to IntelliPoint.
Windows key+Plus (that’s the ‘+’ key IntelliPoint, under ‘Change Magnifier Click to select your mouse, then
on the keyboard) and use the on-screen view’ open the dropdown menu and click ‘basic settings’ followed by the
controls (see screenshot 1 ). To exit choose ‘Lens (Ctrl+Alt+L)’ 2 . button you’d like to assign to the
zoom, press Windows key+Esc. Some mice have drivers that can action. Then scroll down to the
You can modify how this works by launch Magnifier with a mouse click, ‘Content commands’ heading and,
clicking Start followed by the Settings including many of those supported by the below that, click to select Magnify.

Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 65

 Problems Solved
Do I need a modem-router for
Can I assign a fibre broadband?
torch button on
my old iPhone? Q
I have a Fritz!Box 7530 router
that has served me well over the
years, but the time has come to
I have an old iPhone 11 that replace it with something more up to
Q still works well enough for
me. However, I noticed that
date – possibly a Netgear device with
Wi-Fi 6E. While doing some research, I
the latest models have an Action discovered that some routers have
button. My eyesight isn’t what it was, built-in modems and are specified as
so I use my iPhone’s torch quite a lot, VDSL, DSL and so on. My PC runs
when trying to read printed text and Windows 10 and I use Zen’s Full Fibre
so on. I access this by switching on 500 broadband service. How can I tell
the phone and tapping the icon on whether a new Netgear router has a
the home screen, but it’s a bit of a built-in modem? Given that I have fibre
faff and requires two hands. On direct to my house, do I even need a
newer phones I could use the Action modem? I’m an ardent subscriber, so The ONT box that connects your home to your
button to activate the torch with one thanks for a great magazine! fibre network does the work of a modem
finger. Is there a way to emulate this Dave Keenan
on my older phone? traditional modem, although it converts
Tom Crawford The jargon that surrounds light signals rather than electrical or

You can’t create an equivalent

A routers can be confusing, but the
answer here simple. If you have
noise transmissions.
As a result, you connect pretty much
A of the Action button on your
iPhone 11, but there is an
a fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) connection,
such as your Zen Full Fibre 500 package,
any router to the ONT’s Ethernet socket.
Once you’ve done that, simply access
accessibility feature that will let you you don’t need a router with a modem. your router’s admin page, type your login
switch on the torch with one hand. That’s because the connection to your details into the relevant section, and
Launch the Settings app then tap house ends with what’s known as an perhaps tweak a few other settings. Zen
Accessibility followed by Touch, then optical network terminal, or ONT. That’s provides all the information you need to
Back Tap (see screenshot). Next, tap the box (pictured above right) on the wall connect a new router to its network at
Double Tap and then, under the inside your home. This does the job of a www.snipca.com/52702 (pictured below).
System heading, tap Torch. Now you
Zen’s web page
can switch the torch on and off provides all the
simply by double-tapping the back information you
of your iPhone, just as you might need to connect a
double-click a mouse. new router to its
network
Use the
Back Tap
setting to
activate
your torch
simply by
tapping
the back of
your iPhone

Q: Should I force Windows 11 on to

my incompatible laptop?
A: Issue 664, page 66 – find it on
our 2023 Back Issue CD
Buy it from
www.snipca.com/48860

66 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699

 How do I make items open on my second screen?
I connected a Samsung 1
Q S19E45KBW/EN monitor to
my Lenovo all-in-one PC to
use as a second screen. If I click a
program on the second monitor, it
opens on the main screen and I then
2
have to drag it to the second screen.
I’m doing an online guitar course,
and I’d like to be able to follow the
course on the main screen while
viewing a downloaded PDF on the
second screen. I’m sure this is possible
but I can’t work out how.
Also, black bars appear down the
sides of the second screen.
Peter Crossley To remove black bars from your screen, select
‘Display settings’ then change the display resolution
The solution to your first
A problem is simple, though
not necessarily obvious.
clicking the cross at the top right of
the window. When you next open it, the
To do this, right-click a blank part
of the Windows desktop then choose
You don’t need to move a program’s window will appear on the same screen ‘Display settings’ (see screenshot 1 ).
icon to the second screen for the and in the same position as when you Next, click to select the relevant screen
program to launch on that screen. closed it. and then, under ‘Display resolution’ 2 ,
Instead, Windows remembers where The bars you describe are appearing click to open the dropdown menu and
your program window was when you because your monitor has a slightly choose a 16:10 resolution.
last closed it. unconventional 16:10 aspect ratio, so We believe 1440x900 is the right one
So open your PDF, drag it to the you’ll need to set the Windows display for your Samsung monitor, but feel free
second screen and then close it by resolution to match. to experiment.

Why can’t I make Run the

Windows

this Windows
Update
trouble-
shooter
update install? to find out
what’s
blocking your
I can’t install the Windows 11 update

Q update KB5043076 on my
laptop. Someone suggested I
might need to do a factory reset. I’m not
very computer-literate, so I would be
grateful for your advice and guidance.
Harold Haywood

A factory reset is very much

A a last resort when dealing
with a Windows update that In the meantime, we’ll suggest a Depending on the troubleshooter’s
won’t install. Sometimes, simply waiting couple of simple things you can try. findings, you could try downloading the
can fix the problem. This is because First, use the Windows Update update directly from the Microsoft
Microsoft issues what it calls ‘safeguard troubleshooter, because this can fix Catalog page (at www.snipca.com/52703),
holds’ to stop certain computers installing many common glitches. To do so, click and installing it manually.
updates until the company has resolved Start followed by the Settings cog, then Be sure to click the ‘x64-based Systems’
known problems with particular PC System followed by Troubleshoot. Next, download link for the current version of
setups. You can check the relevant click ‘Other trouble-shooters’ and then, Windows 11 you have (such as 22H2 or
Microsoft page at www.snipca.com/52705 under ‘Most frequent’, click Windows 23H2). If you’re not sure what that is,
to see if any of these are affecting your Update followed by Run (see screenshot) press Windows key+R to open a Run box,
system. – then simply follow the instructions. then type winver and press Enter.

Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 67

 Problems Solved
1
Why did Plusnet
email and website
stop working?
Plusnet is my ISP, and I also
Q have a Plusnet email address.
However, I suddenly found one
day that I couldn’t receive or send emails
and wasn’t able to access Plusnet’s
website, though other websites were fine.
I was about to ring Plusnet when I had
the idea to switch off the router for a
couple of minutes. When I switched it
back on, the problem had vanished.
It’s not a major concern, but can you tell
me what might have happened?
Neil Howells

This was probably just a brief

A
Down Detector’s spike chart shows the 2
service outage affecting Plusnet. volume of problems reported in your area
If you were having problems with
other sites at the same time, we might say com/52706. If you experience problems
otherwise. Shutting off the power on in the future, just visit this web page to
your router could certainly fix a localised see if there are any spikes on the graph
glitch, but it could also be coincidence. (see screenshot 1 ). If you see any, you’re
Unlike many other ISPs, Plusnet doesn’t probably not the only person experiencing
have its own service-status page, but difficulties. Click to see how many others
there are third-party sites you can check have reported problems, or click the
to see if other users are experiencing map panel to see a ‘heat map’ 2 showing
problems. Down Detector, for example, where the reports are originating around Use Down Detector’s heat map to see where
has a page for Plusnet at www.snipca. the UK. Plusnet’s problems are concentrated

How can I identify space hogs in Gmail?

Gmail keeps telling me I’m
Q nearly out of storage. I don’t
want to pay for more so I’ve
been deleting unwanted messages, but
this hasn’t made much difference. I’m
wondering if there’s an easy way to
find those messages that are taking up
most space, so I can focus on those.
Ken Brooks

Yes, this is possible. There’s

A actually a whole range of
what’s known as search
operators you can use in Gmail to filter
your messages. Google publishes a full
list at www.snipca.com/52707, which
is well worth bookmarking.
However, to answer your specific Use the ‘size:’ operator in Gmail to filter your messages by how much storage space they use
question, the operator you need is
‘size:’. To use it, type size: followed by a messages that are at least 5MB in size. You for example, will find all messages
number and unit. For example, typing can add other operators to refine your larger than 5MB that were received (or
size:5mb (see screenshot) will find all results further. Typing size:5mb before:2024, sent) before 2024.

68 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699

 ?? WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN...
DPI and PPI?
Can you help me understand or printed image – simply
Q the difference between DPI
and PPI? I want to buy a
because increasing the
number of pixels or printed
new monitor, and I keep seeing both dots per square inch allows
of these terms mentioned. A friend for more information.
advised me to buy one with a high When choosing a monitor,
DPI, but many monitors seem to list it’s helpful to understand that
only PPI. Are these actually the same a screen with a higher PPI
thing, or is there a difference? Also, figure will offer a crisper,
why does this measurement matter? more detailed image. The
Surely all monitors display the same same content displayed on
content, or what use are they? two monitors with different
Linda Peterson PPI figures may look much the
same from a distance, but close
PPI and DPI are not the same up you’ll probably notice that A monitor with a high PPI figure will tend to display
A thing but they’re very closely
related, and some people use
the image on a screen with a
higher PPI is much sharper –
crisper, more detailed images than a lower-PPI model

the terms interchangeably. though this also depends on the quality between screens with different PPI
PPI stands for pixels per inch and of the content on display. figures, while others would simply
describes the number of pixels packed So in short, a higher PPI figure prefer to spend less money by opting
into each square inch of screen space. A generally means higher-quality images. for a screen with a lower PPI. That’s
dots per inch (DPI) figure, meanwhile, A typical 24in screen with a Full HD why it’s a good idea to compare a few
applies to printed material, and describes resolution of 1920x1080 pixels has monitors with your own eyes before
the number of individual dots of ink a around 92ppi. However, a screen of the buying, rather than relying on
printer has applied to each square inch same size with a 3840x2160-pixel (4K) specifications such as PPI.
of paper to create the printed image. resolution provides 184ppi. Want to know the difference between
In both cases, the higher the number, It’s also worth mentioning that not technical terms? Email noproblem@
the better the quality of the on-screen everyone would notice much difference computeractive.co.uk

Why can’t I open some documents?

I have a large number of Uninstalling WPS is just as simple but
Q documents and letters on my
computer, but I can’t open any
we suppose you may have been put off
the scent by looking for ‘MPS’. Click Start
of them. They’re all overlaid with ‘MPS’. followed by the Settings cog, then Apps.
Other documents stored in yellow folders Now scroll until you find WPS Office.
still open. The problem seemed to start Click to select it, click Uninstall, then
when I downloaded MPS. I don’t want to confirm your decision by clicking
use the MPS software because I prefer Uninstall once more.
OpenOffice. Removing MPS might solve
the problem, but I don’t know how to do To change a file’s associations, right-click it ON SALE
it. I have searched its website but can’t
find any way to remove it.
and choose which program to open it with
Next Issue Fri
3 Jan
Kenneth Farrar a chance, all office suites would do the
same. Fixing every association can be • Does my mousepad waste
We’ve never heard of ‘MPS’, so time consuming, so it’s easier to do each electricity?
A we think you must mean WPS,
which is an alternative free office
file as the need arises. This way the
problem quickly resolves itself.
•C
 an I remove Copilot from
Edge?
suite. Its logo with interwoven lines could First, right-click an affected file, •H
 ow do I get rid of Skype?
be confused for an ‘M’. then click ‘Open with’ followed by ...And many more
That aside, this sounds like a relatively ‘Choose another app’. Next, under ‘Other
simple matter of WPS taking over the file options’, click the OpenOffice entry. Subscribe to Computeractive at
associations for all the file types it Finally, tick ‘Always use this app to open www.getcomputeractive.co.uk
supports. This is common and, given half [file type] files’, then click OK.

Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 69

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Problems Solved
Reader Support
Having a problem with our recommended software or expert tips?
Email [email protected] and we’ll do our best to help

Does Brave require uBlock What can I use instead

Origin to block adverts? of the defunct Stocard?
Back in Issue 686 (page 57) In Issue 695’s ‘Best
Q you said the Brave browser will
continue to support extensions
Q apps for digitising
your wallet’ (page
such as uBlock Origin after Google 45), you recommended
switches to Manifest V3. However, the Stocard app (https://
you’ve also said in the past that uBlock stocardapp.com) as a good
is unnecessary in Brave because the alternative to having a wallet
browser’s built-in Shields system blocks stuffed with loyalty cards. I
adverts. Can you clarify please? downloaded the app, but it
John Perkins Right-click Start, select Device Manager and check under told me that ‘Stocard will
‘Display adaptors’ to find out what GPU your PC uses shut down in 11 days’ because
Brave does have its own ad it’s moving to the Klarna app
A blocker, but you can also
install a third-party extension
screenshot above). (www.klarna.com), which seems to be
Upscayl currently requires a GPU that’s primarily a card-payment app. Can you
such as uBlock Origin if you prefer. compatible with a graphics standard called recommend a replacement for Stocard
As we confirmed in Issue 686, Brave Vulkan. Many current graphics processors for storing loyalty cards only?
has stated that Google’s switch to support Vulkan, but the error message BH Drew
Manifest V3 won’t effect the browser’s you’re seeing suggests that yours doesn’t.
ability, or that of third-party extensions, To find out whether your GPU is Stocard has indeed been
to block ads, even though it’s based on
Chromium code (see www.snipca.
supported, check Vulkan’s online
database (https://vulkan.gpuinfo.org) or
A acquired by Swedish finance
firm Klarna, and its app has
com/50694). try downloading the Vulkan SDK tools been integrated into Klarna’s app. As
(free from www.vulkan.org/tools). Once stated on Klarna’s Play Store page (www.
What does this Upscayl error installed, try launching the Vulkan snipca.com/52798): “Klarna is the official
message mean? Configurator tool. If it won’t run or you successor to Stocard”. In theory, this
I’ve just installed the image- see another error message, you’ll know means you can use the Klarna app to
Q editing tool Upscayl (www.
snipca.com/51108) as
that your GPU doesn’t support Vulkan.
Sometimes GPU manufacturers add
digitise your loyalty cards, as we
described in Issue 695, and simply
recommended in Issue 688’s ‘Why Vulkan support through driver updates, ignore the payment aspects of the app.
you must use AI’ Cover Feature. so try updating your graphics That said, a lot of unhappy
Following the instructions, I chose a drivers manually to see if this users have left negative reviews
JPEG photo file, but when I clicked the helps. Head to your GPU on the Klarna app page,
‘Upscale’ button the following error manufacturer’s website including one who described
message appeared: ‘vkCreateInstance (Nvidia, AMD or Intel, in their “dreadful experience”
failed -9 Error: Invalid GPU Device’. most cases) and see if there’s of the app as “very, very slow
I’m not very technically minded and a new driver you can and laggy”. Others have
don’t understand what a ‘GPU Device’ is. download and install. complained about the app’s
Can you explain please? Some Upscayl community lack of widgets and raised
Michael Sweetman members have also reported concerns about sharing
a potential workaround their data with Klarna.
GPU stands for graphics that they claim can get it As an alternative, we’d
A processing unit, and it’s the
chip inside your computer that
to run on non-Vulkan
graphics hardware (see
suggest trying SuperCards
(www.snipca.com/52799,
processes the visuals you see on screen. www.snipca.com/52801), pictured left), which supports
You can find out which GPU your PC has but the process looks widgets and has met with a
by right-clicking Start, then selecting somewhat convoluted to much more positive response
The SuperCards app is
Device Manager. Make a note of what it us and isn’t guaranteed a popular alternative from users moving from
says under ‘Display adaptors’ (see to work. to Stocard Stocard.

Issue 699 • 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 71

 Jargon Buster
1080p High-definition video: Copilot+ An enhanced version eSIM A virtual SIM card that’s built Lightning connector Apple’s
1920x1080 pixels. of Microsoft’s Copilot AI tool. into a phone. own connector that connects
Also used to classify Windows iPhones and iPads to computers,
32bit/64bit A measure of how 11 computers with a neural Ethernet A standard used for monitors, cameras and chargers.
much data a PC can process at processing unit (NPU) that can almost all wired computer networks.
once. Most older computers are perform over 40 trillion operations MagSafe A magnetic technology
32bit, more modern ones are 64bit. per second (TOPS). Factory reset Restoring a device to from Apple that allows for wireless
the manufacturer’s default settings. charging and attaching accessories.
3G/4G/5G Technologies that Core Units on a processor that
deliver faster mobile broadband. carry out program instructions. Field of view The amount of mAh Milliamp hours. A unit that
space measured in angles that can measures (electric) power over time.
4K Video with a resolution of at CPU Central Processing Unit. be seen from the camera lens.
least 3840x2160 pixels. Another term for a computer Manifest V3 Third version of
processor. FTTP Fibre-to-the premises. Fibre the software that runs Chrome
7z A format for compressing files broadband that goes straight to the browser extensions.
into an archive format. CSV Comma Separated Value. doorstep. Faster than FTTC (fibre-
A standard file format, used for to-the-cabinet). MicroSD card A small type of
APK Android Package Kit. File storing information in table. memory card.
format Android uses to install apps. Full HD Resolution of 1920x1080
Dark web Websites that can pixels. MicroUSB A miniature version of
ARC Audio return channel. A only be accessed using special USB.
feature on TVs that lets audio software such as the Tor browser. GEDCOM Short for Genealogical
signals travel both to and from the Data Communication. A file format Mirror To display on your TV
TV via a single HDMI cable. DCI-P3 A colour space that has a used by genealogy programs. what’s on your PC or tablet screen.
wider spectrum than sRGB.
Architecture A set of rules GHz Gigahertz. A measure of MP4 A type of digital movie file
and language that govern how DDoS Direct Denial of Service. how many instructions a chip can often used for portable players.
hardware and software work. A targeted cyber-attack which process per second. 1GHz is equal
brings down a web server and the to 1,000MHz. MVNO Mobile virtual network
Aspect ratio A measurement websites running on it. operator. A mobile provider that
of the shape of a screen. Gigabit Ethernet A very fast piggybacks on another network
Traditional PC screens are 4:3. DisplayPort A socket for networking standard that can rather than its own.
Widescreen displays are 16:9 connecting monitors. transfer data at up to 1,000Mbps.
or 16:10. Neck loop A wire loop worn
DNS Domain Name System. HDMI High-definition media around the neck that acts as a
Benchmarking Comparing A technology that associates interface. A type of connection that wireless interface to help hearing
software and products with an computers with their addresses on transmits high-definition video and aid users receive sound directly
accepted standard. the internet. audio signals. from compatible devices like
phones and TVs.
Bitcoin A digital currency, not Dolby Atmos Surround-sound Hotspot A public area covered by
controlled by governments, that technology that adds ‘height’ to a Wi-Fi network that allows you to NPU Neural processing unit.
can be used to send money to the audio through speakers built access the internet. Specialised chip designed for
individuals. into the top of devices. performing AI tasks.
HTTPS Hyper Text Transfer
Blue screen of death Technically Doomscroll The act of Protocol Secure. The secure OLED Organic light-emitting
called a ‘Stop error’, this is shown compulsively reading negative version of HTTP, the technology diode. A thin-film organic light-
when your PC crashes. news or other content online, that sends data between your emitting diode used in screens.
typically on social media. browser and the web.
Buffering Downloading a certain Optical image stabilisation
amount of data before starting to Driver A file that tells Hz Hertz. Measures the frequency A mechanism built into digital
play a video. Can cause delays to Windows how to work with an something happens: 1Hz equals cameras that compensates for any
your streaming. external device. once a second. shaking or vibrations.

Cast To send content from your Dual-band router A Wi-Fi IP address Internet Protocol Phishing A form of internet
PC to TV. router that operates on two address. A unique set of numbers fraud that tries to trick you into
bands: 2.4 and 5GHz. used to identify computers and revealing personal details.
Client A program that acts as an websites on the internet.
interface between PC and server. DVD-RW A blank DVD disc that can Picture-in-picture Shows video
be erased and recorded to again. IP52 Moderately dust-resistant in a small moveable screen.
Coaxial A type of cable where one and can withstand small amounts
wire is surrounded by insulation, Emoji A small graphic that can be of water dripping at a slight angle. POLED Plastic Organic Light-
which is then surrounded by inserted into a text message or email. Emitting Diode. A type of OLED
another wire. IPS A screen technology. screen that uses flexible plastic
End-to-end encryption Ensures Monitors that use it have wider instead of glass, making it thinner,
Cookie A small text file stored on that messages can be seen only viewing angles and more lighter and more versatile for
your computer by a website. by the sender and recipient. accurate colours. curved or foldable designs.

72 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699

Qi Pronounced ‘chee’, it’s the main Search operator Characters Telemetry Information from VPN Virtual private network.
standard for wireless charging. you can add to a search query to games shown in real time Keeps all internet communication
narrow the results. safe and private.
QR code A barcode that can be Thread Smallest sequence of
read using smartphones. Secure Boot A security standard instructions that can be managed Wi-Fi 6E Wi-Fi 6 extended to
designed to make sure your PC by a PC processor. include the 6GHz band.
RCS Rich Communication Services. avoids malware when booting.
A method of sending text messages TOPS A measure of a PC’s processing Wi-Fi 7 Faster successor to Wi-Fi
over phones with more encryption Sideload To install apps without power when performing AI tasks. 6, with an estimated maximum
and features than SMS. using the official Android store. speed of around 46Gbps.
Tor Browser A web browser
Read To access data saved on a SIM The smart card used by all designed for anonymous surfing. Widget A small program that runs
computer. digital mobile phones. on the Windows desktop.
TPM A computer chip that stores
Read speed How long it takes SMS Short Message Service. More keys which encrypt data on your Wildcard A character that can
a hard drive to ‘read’ data, and commonly called text messaging. hard drive. be substituted for one or more
respond to it. characters in a web search.
sRGB A standard RGB colour UHD Ultra High Definition.
Refresh rate Measured in Hertz space for use on monitors. WPS An easy way to make a
(Hz), the number of times per Ultrawide Offering a field of view wireless connection between a
second that the image on your Streamer Hearing aids that connect that’s wider than traditional digital device and your router by pressing
monitor is redrawn. wirelessly, often via Bluetooth, to cameras. the WPS button on both.
devices like phones or TVs.
Refurbished A second-hand USB 2.0/3.0/3.1/3.2 Faster Write Save data to a hard drive.
device that has been repaired by Subwoofer A special type of successors to USB.
its manufacturer for reselling. speaker designed to reproduce Write speed How long it takes a
deep bass sounds only. USB-C A connector that’s reversible. hard drive to save data.
Sampling rate The number of
audio samples captured in a set TAR Short for Tape Archive. A VGA An older standard socket for ZIP file A file that contains
time while converting to digital. format for archiving files. connecting a monitor to a PC. compressed documents or files.
 Easy when you
Know How
Seeking a free way to watch videos offline on the
train, Robert Irvine tries to…

Download YouTube videos

on his phone
I
f I could travel back in time – just avoid buffering frustration. One 2
like Marty McFly – I think I’d jump option was 4K Video Downloader for
back 20 years and launch my own Android, which was recently updated
version of YouTube. The video-sharing “to make downloading your favourite
service was founded in February 2005, videos even smoother” (see www.
which would give me two months to snipca.com/52958).
steal its thunder. It’s not available from the Google
YouTube must have one of the most Play Store, which bans YouTube
ingenious business models in history. downloaders (for business reasons),
Invite everyone to upload their videos so instead I had to sideload it on my
for free, then earn money from other phone. To do so, I visited the app’s
people’s work by making viewers sit web page (www.snipca.com/52955)
through adverts. Keep showing more and in the Chrome mobile browser
more ads, then launch an expensive and pressed the Get 4K Video
Premium subscription that generates Downloader button.
further revenue by offering ad-free This downloaded the APK file to
streaming. Ker-ching! my phone’s Downloads folder, where
I opened it and received a warning
about installing apps from unknown
1
sources. I went into Settings, switched
on ‘Allow from this source’ and tapped 4K Video Downloader for Android lets you
Install. I then launched 4K Video download five videos per day for free
Streaming videos on Downloader and granted it permission
to access media files on my device. £10.80, which is still much cheaper than
the train means relying The app’s interface was so impressively YouTube Premium.
simple – with its big green Paste Link Nonetheless, as I was short of cash
on the flaky on-board button ( 1 in our screenshot) – that even in the run-up to Christmas, I sought a
Wi-Fi and my even I could figure out. I copied a link from
YouTube by tapping the Share button
completely free solution. This came
from NewPipe (www.snipca.com/52960),
flakier 4G/5G signal below the video and pasted it into 4K the free Android app that lets you watch
Video Downloader. YouTube videos without ads or trackers.
To my delight, it downloaded instantly As with 4K Video Downloader, this isn’t
in MP4 format, with no need to configure available from the Google Play Store,
any settings – you can press the cog in the so I downloaded it by visiting its mobile
top-right corner 2 to change the default site and tapping Get NewPipe.
I realise it’s not quite that cynical, and resolution. I tapped the video to watch it Because I’d already given Chrome
that YouTube ‘creators’ can profit from in my phone’s media player, which permission to install apps from unknown
their original content. But I still get worked even when I disconnected from sources, setting up NewPipe was a breeze
annoyed that I can’t download videos to my Wi-Fi and mobile network so I could and I was able to search YouTube straight
watch on my phone without paying £13 a confirm the clip was truly offline. away. To download a video, I simply
month for YouTube Premium. Trying to I downloaded four more videos – all tapped the Download button below the
stream clips while travelling by train, for made by our sister titles at Future PLC, player and selected a download folder.
example, leaves me at the mercy of the to avoid infringing anyone’s copyright – So I now have two reliable methods for
flaky on-board Wi-Fi and my even with the same success, but I then hit a saving videos to watch offline, and won’t
flakier 4G/5G signal. snag. The free version of 4K Video have to rely on Santa bringing me a
With a few long rail journeys planned Downloader limits you to downloading YouTube Premium subscription.
over Christmas, I wondered if there was a five videos a day, after which you need to Need help downloading YouTube videos? Let
way to beat the download restriction and buy a licence. This costs a one-off fee of us know: [email protected]

74 18 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 • Issue 699 Next issue: Robert tries to deep-clean his Facebook account
9000