Computeractive 647

What do Sherlock Holmes, Alfred Hitchcock, Ronnie Corbett and Wallace and Gromit have in common? They’re all downloadable for free in one form or another, as revealed in Robert Irvine’s marvellous Cover Feature. You’ll find them on pages 55-56, in the Entertainment section. Before that, Robert recommends 10 new or updated programs and apps that are essential for the year ahead. I’m particularly excited about Microsoft’s PC Manager, which eventually might evolve into a PC-cleaning tool so thorough that you won’t need to use third-party software. If that’s Microsoft’s good news, the bad news is that adverts are becoming more common in Windows. We explain how to switch them off on page 62, while on page 60 we tackle another modern annoyance: software and services that renew automatically, taking your money without…

Chrome tells Windows 7 users to upgrade or lose support Google Chrome is now reminding users on Windows 7 and 8.1 that the browser will soon stop receiving updates for those operating systems. It’s showing messages at the top of the browser screen saying that “to get future Google Chrome updates, you’ll need Windows 10 or later” (see screenshot). In October, Google said that Chrome 109, due for release in early 2023, will be the final version to support 7 and 8.1. It added that this coincides with Microsoft ending Extended Security Updates (ESU) for Windows 7 and extended support for Windows 8.1 on 10 January. After 10 January, Microsoft will not offer technical assistance or software updates for 7 and 8.1. All versions from Chrome 110 on, which Google says is “tentatively scheduled” for…

All phones and tablets sold from 28 December, 2024, within the European Union will have to contain a USB-C charging port rather than a microUSB or Apple Lightning port. The European Commission confirmed earlier this year that it would force manufacturers to use USB-C in an attempt to stop electronic waste, but until now hadn’t announced the date the law would come into force. The Commission claims that the move will save up to 250 million euros (about £214m) a year on “unnecessary charger purchases” and cut 11,000 tonnes of electronic waste. Apple has argued that the law will “stifle innovation”, but recently said it has “no choice” but to comply. It’s likely to mean that Apple will add USB-C ports to iPhones, and that this design will be sold throughout the world,…

Queen Elizabeth II’s death dominated Google searches in the UK and around the world in 2022, as revealed by the company’s annual ‘Year in Search’ report. It was the most searched-for news event in the UK, while ‘Is the Queen dead?’ topped the UK’s Questions list, followed by ‘When is the Queen’s funeral?’. Globally, the Queen’s death was second in the news category behind the war in Ukraine. However, the most searched-for term overall – in the UK and across the world – was Wordle (www.snipca.com/44415). The word game became suddenly popular at the start of the year, prompting New York Times to buy it for an undisclosed sum believed to be around $3m. Other popular searches in the UK included Quordle (www.quordle.com), a Wordle spin-off that challenges you to guess four words…

Exploding batteries in discarded devices such as phones and laptops cause about 700 fires a year in bin lorries and recycling centres, local authorities say. The figure comes from research by non-profit organisation Material Focus, which campaigns to “stop electricals being hoarded and thrown away, and ensure they’re reused and recycled instead”. It has launched a new ‘Stop Battery Fires’ campaign to raise awareness of how the public can safely recycle their batteries and electricals, claiming that 45 per cent of householders are unaware of the dangers. The lithium-ion batteries found in small, rechargeable devices have become more powerful in recent years. Ninety per cent of the local authorities Material Focus spoke to said fires caused by batteries are an increasing problem. When batteries are crushed in the waste or recycling process they can…

APPLE AND GOOGLE NAME APPS OF THE YEAR Apple has named note-taking app GoodNotes 5 (pictured) as its iPad app of 2022, and photo-sharing app BeReal as the top tool for iPhone. Google’s top Android app of the year is ‘Dream by WOMBO’, which uses AI to create artwork from suggestions you type. See all of the apps Apple and Google honoured in 2022 at www.snipca.com/44419 and www.snipca.com/44420 respectively. MUSK’S SATELLITES CONNECT RURAL UK The Government is to test satellite broadband provided by Starlink, which is owned by Twitter’s new boss Elon Musk. More than 3,000 low-Earth orbit satellites will be used to connect over a dozen places that are “very hard to reach”. Locations include Rievaulx Abbey in the North York Moors National Park and Wasdale Head in the Lake District. Read…