Table of contents for Vol. 446 in Computeractive

ANDROID DEVICES TO GET OFFICE Forthcoming Android devices made by Dell and Samsung will come with Office tools after the companies agreed deals with Microsoft. Selected phones and tablets made by the companies will contain Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, OneDrive and Skype. However, you’ll need to pay for Office 365 subscriptions to use all the editing features in each tool. This costs £7.99 a month or £79.99 a year (www.snipca.com/15957). BT OFFERS NEW MOBILE PHONE DEALS BT has launched its first new mobile phone deals in over a decade. It is offering three 4G subscriptions, with the cheapest priced just £5 a month for its broadband customers (£10 for those without BT broadband). They are all SIM-only deals, and all offer unlimited texts. Visit BT’s website for more information: www.snipca.com/15970.…

Tell us what’s on your mind Email: letters@computeractive.co.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/computeractive Twitter: @ComputerActive www.twitter.com/computeractive 100Mbps? Not in my lifetime Two news stories in Issue 446 caught my eye – Google’s desire to help people live to 500, and the Government’s proposal to deliver 100Mbps broadband to every home in the UK. Am I the only person to think the former is more likely than the latter? Warren Archibald Windows 8 is best version ever Like many of your readers I’m mystified by the continued negative feedback that Windows 8 gets. I’ve been using Windows forever and 8.1 is by far the best of the crop. I’m using it loaded on a Vaio laptop with an SSD, which means that from switching on to being available for use takes less than 30…

Q I’ve been with Virgin Media for over two years and was initially told I could get 20Mbps. But I have never achieved more than 9Mbps. I recently upgraded to 50Mbps, but still can’t get above 9Mbps. Virgin has said it’s because of ongoing installation work, but is still charging me for the upgraded speed. Can I get a refund? Riyaz Mamdani A Riyaz is entitled to a refund for the period since he upgraded to 50Mbps, but he’ll have to forget about getting any money back for the time before. Filing a complaint going back even a year is unlikely to be successful because if you let a situation rumble on for that long without taking action, then legally you are deemed to have accepted it. The onus is…

We stand up for your legal rights Contact us so we can investigate your case Email: consumeractive@computeractive.co.uk Write: Consumeractive, Computeractive, 30 Cleveland Street, London W1T 4JD Please include both your phone number and address. Unfortunately, we can’t reply to all your letters. Q My mother-in-law bought a Lenovo IdeaCentre B540 computer in August 2013 from PC World. It cost £749.99 and hasn’t been used much. It stopped working in January 2015, but PC World said it’s out of warranty so we’d have to pay for any inspection and repair. We think PC World should have done this without charging us because we believe the PC is ‘not fit for purpose’. Can you help? Kenni Rollins A Yes we can, but PC World is legally correct to refuse to repair it…

Can I transfer photos to my iPad without iTunes? Q Can you suggest an alternative to the awful iTunes 12? All I want to do is drag photos and videos from my PC on to my iPad to show to friends, but iTunes won’t let me. It’s the most unhelpful program. What should I use instead? Tony Pritchard A The best program is also an app: Photo Transfer App (www.phototransferapp.com). For £2.49 it gives you complete control over sending and receiving photos and videos between all your devices via Wi-Fi. Once you’ve paid for the iOS version (www.snipca.com/16033) you’re then free to install it on Android (www.snipca.com/16038) and your PC, as many times as you want. It’s worth mentioning (because Apple doesn’t exactly publicise it) that you can plug your…

MAY 2015 Microsoft has announced the Surface 3, a cheaper and lighter version of the Surface Pro 3 tablet. It’ll have a 10.8in 1080p screen, the new Atom X7 processor and weigh 622g. Unlike the Surface 2, it will use Windows 8.1 and not Windows RT. SUMMER 2015 Sony has announced that all but one model in its 2015 range of smart TVs will use Google’s Android TV interface and have YouView built in. AUTUMN 2015 Humax has announced it will make Freeview Play-branded PVRs (personal video recorders). These set-top boxes will have catch-up TV apps and built-in Wi-Fiin addition to video recording. AUTUMN 2015 Apple is rumoured to be working on a 12in iPad Pro which will reportedly come with a stylus and the ability to run multiple apps…

850 Sports News Digest Free Android: www.snipca.com/15982 iOS: www.snipca.com/15983 This app gets its name from the fact that you get a round-up of latest developments in your favourite sports (including relevant graphs and statistics) at exactly 8.50 every morning. By default, you’ll see updates for all sports (including football, rugby and Formula 1), but you can narrow your selection within the My Sports section. Enlight £2.99 iOS: www.snipca.com/15984. This photo-editing app has more features than any similar app we’ve seen. Aside from options that let you crop, rotate and change brightness or saturation, you can add text, borders, filters and create a collage from your photos. It also lets you save the changes you make to one image, then apply them to others. TomTom GO Mobile Free Android: www.snipca.com/15985 TomTom’s…

OUTLOOK Create a separate folder for emails with attachments There’s a fairly straightforward way to create a dedicated folder for emails with attachments. You can then quickly move all your emails with attachments to it and set up Outlook so that all future emails with attachments go directly to that folder. Click the Folder tab at the top, then New Folder at the top left. Name it Attachments (or similar), select your email account at the top, then click OK. The folder will now be added to your list of email folders in the left-hand panel (along with Inbox, Drafts, Sent Items and so on). Now click any email containing an attachment in your inbox. Click the Home tab, then the Rules dropdown menu (in the Move section). Next, click…

Software updates are a pain, but they’re a necessary evil. Besides allowing developers to fix bugs and add features, they plug (‘patch’) security holes. As demonstrated by the recent Freak flaw (see News, Issue 445), fresh vulnerabilities are discovered all the time. To make sure you’re protected from them, you need to get the latest software updates as soon as they’re issued. This is easier said than done. Microsoft hasn’t helped matters by “evolving” its Advanced Notification Service (www.snipca.com/15893). Until January 2015, the service provided vital information about forthcoming fixes to all Windows users – but this is now sent to paying customers only. The good news is there are plenty of other ways to hear about the latest updates for your PC, tablet and phone as soon as they’re…

Email us your problem and we’ll try to help: noproblem@computeractive.co.uk Q I’m going to buy a new PC because for the sake of security I feel it’s time to retire my old Windows XP machine. I have my eye on a Windows 8.1 laptop, but I’m a bit worried about about some of the things I’ve read. I understand that Windows 8.1 is not compatible with the backup files produced by Windows XP? Is this true? If so, how am I supposed to move my personal files and folders from XP to my new computer? My backups are stored on an external hard drive. Also, how do I stop my old XP computer connecting to my Wi-Fi? Jeremy Cook A Although it’s almost unbelievable, we’re afraid it’s true that Windows…

I need to tell you of a recent i/^i experience I had at PC World in Manchester’s Arndale Centre. I am looking to buy a Raspberry Pi and, knowing that PC World have them in stock online, I visited their shop hoping to examine one. I asked the salesman if he had a Raspberry Pi. He looked at me and smiled in a quizzical way, as if I was asking for something sweet to eat. I sensed that he had no idea what I was talking about. He then called another member of the staff who also seemed to think that I had lost my marbles. I am 69 and had to explain to these two twentysomethings what a Raspberry Pi was, and I am not sure that I convinced…

Q I paid £43 online for a train ticket and was about to print it using First Great Western’s app, but I couldn’t get the app to open. Instead, I printed proof that I’d paid for the ticket, and showed this to the station staff on the day of my journey. But they told me they couldn’t accept it because the terms and conditions showed that printing the ticket was my responsibility. I had to pay £54 for another ticket. Is this fair? Judith Rowbotham A It doesn’t seem fair to us because everyone suffers technical problems from time to time, and we’d have hoped First Great Western (FGW) would’ve had contingency plans to help passengers in these situations. But although FGW clearly states that printable tickets are non-refundable, we…

South Korean Amazon Marketplace seller refunds HMRC charges We’ve got some good news to report on Hillary Duffy’s complaint against HMRC, which appeared in Issue 446. She was annoyed HMRC was charging her £11.38 (20 per cent VAT plus a handling fee) for a package of plastic food containers that had been sent from South Korea by a company called Shopforyou. Hillary wanted to dispute the fee because she didn’t realise Shopforyou was based in South Korea. Under HMRC rules, you can only avoid paying VAT on goods being sent from outside the EU if they cost less than £36 and are labelled as gifts. Shopforyou did actually label the goods as a gift, but for whatever reason HMRC still added VAT. Hillary almost definitely wouldn’t have been able to…

Lindy 1m USB-to-Micro B/Lightning Combo Cable £20 from www.snipca.com/15993 A handy micro USB cable that has a tethered Lightning adapter, so it can charge both Apple and non-Apple mobile devices. Motorola Moto Hint £74 from www.snipca.com/15994 An impressively small Bluetooth headset for smartphones that also works with personal assistants such as Siri and Google Now. A lipsticksized USB charging cradle is included. Native Union Night Cable £34 from www.snipca.com/15995 A 3m cable for charging your smartphone or tablet that has a large weighted knot in it to prevent your device from sliding off your desk and falling into hard-to-reach nooks and crannies. It comes in Lightning and micro USB versions. Maplin 1.5m Six Socket UFO Extension Cable £13 from www.snipca.com/15996 A compact, space-saving gangplug with six plug sockets.…

Find out what other products we liked in 2014. Buy our Back Issue CD now: www.snipca.com/14981 LAPTOP Asus X555LA-XX290H £320 from www.snipca.com/16014 Tested: Issue 446 Asus has made all the right choices with this budget Windows 8.1 laptop. Its comfortable keyboard, fast performance, respectably lengthy battery life and bright screen are all the more impressive given its low price. ALTERNATIVE Asus Chromebook C200 A cheap Chrome OS ultra-portable laptop with a bright screen, lengthy battery life and a great keyboard. £190 from www.snipca.com/15269 PHONE Motorola Moto G 4G £150 (without contract) from www.snipca.com/14162 Tested: Issue 432 Motorola’s budget Android smartphone is an absolute steal. It’s very responsive, well made, fast and has a good screen. Plus, it’s now been updated with 4G and a microSD card slot. ALTERNATIVE: Apple iPhone…

Email us your tips: letters@computeractive.co.uk Make your Skype font bigger and set hotkeys for calls My son is spending a year travelling across India and Australia and we use Skype to keep in touch via video calls (when his bandwidth permits it). One niggle I have is with the size of the fonts on Skype, which are too small for my liking. I decided to delve into Skype’s settings in an effort to make the font larger. While doing this, I also found a way to set keyboard shortcuts for certain actions within Skype (such as answering calls). Skype usually updates itself automatically when you log in, but to make sure you have the latest version, click Help at the top, then ‘Check for Updates’ and follow the instructions. To…

AGES 0-5 Elmo Loves ABCs for iPad £3.99 www.snipca.com/15986 (iOS) Teach your kids to write and identify letters with this educational app, which features Sesame Street characters. After they correctly trace letters of the alphabet on screen with their finger, they’ll see videos about objects that begin with that letter. You can keep track of your child’s progress. AGES 6-10 Little Things Forever Free www.snipca.com/15987 (Android) £2.29 www.snipca.com/15988 (iOS) This entertaining puzzle consists of a mosaic made up of many tiny, different objects. Children need to find all the objects listed at the top right by zooming into the mosaic and using the hints. As they improve, they need to complete mosaic puzzles by rotating and repositioning tiles. AGES 11-16 Heads Up! Free www.snipca.com/15989 (Android) 79p www.snipca.com/15990 (iOS) This is…

Download Pixlr to your PC Pixlr.com hosts a number of online image-editing tools that you can use within your web browser for free – Pixlr Express (apps.pixlr.com/express) is ideal for quick fixes, Pixlr Editor (apps.pixlr.com/editor) is a more serious Photoshoplike image editor, and Pixlr-o-matic (apps.pixlr.com/o-matic) is a fun tool for adding filters and effects. But did you know you can also download Pixlr to your PC and use it offline, too? Go to http://pixlr.com and click Desktop, then Download. You’ll need to set up a Pixlr account to download the program, but this is free (and unlocks some great additional features – see the next tip). Double-click the downloaded file and follow the steps to install. A Desktop version of Pixlr-o-matic is also available as a separate download (www.snipca.com/16030). You’ll…

You may think of Twitter as the preserve of trolls and celebrities, but it does have its useful side as well – in fact it’s the web’s best source of breaking security news. Most big security companies and experts post news and comments on Twitter, and if you ‘follow’ them you can be first to know about the latest threats, patches, products and tips. Here are a few of our favourites: @msftsecresponse Latest security bulletins from Microsoft’s Security Response team. @symantec Breaking security news from antivirus firm Symantec. @gcluley News, comments and tips from one of the web’s most prolific security experts, Graham Cluley. @e_kaspersky Kaspersky is a person! Eugene Kaspersky, founder of the antivirus giant, posts interesting comments and links several times a day.…

How do I access Google Play from the Isle of Man? Q I live on the Isle of Man (IoM), which limits the apps I can download from Google Play. The IoM is part of the British Isles but not part of the UK, which is apparently the problem. For many apps, such as BBC iPlayer, Google Play simply says: “This app is unavailable in your country”. I assume that Google does not recognise IoM as part of Britain. Carlton Mealin A You’re right that Google Play makes decisions based on location. It does this in a variety of ways, including the connected device’s IP address – and this is likely to be the root cause of your problem. There’s only a finite number of IP addresses, which internet service…

Q I have had an account with Memory-Map (www.memorymap. co.uk) for years and have it licensed on a number of devices, including my handheld GPS and iPhone. I use it for walking and cycling. I also use it on my laptop with a GPS dongle. This is great for planning tours in the car, but I only have ordnance survey maps for GB and IGN maps in France. When it comes to Spain my scrolling map ends at the border. So, is there a way to download maps from Google Maps (or any other mapping software) that I can use in Spain without needing an internet connection? John Ashe A The iPhone version of Google Maps makes it possible to store maps offline, limited to blocks of 50km square. To…

Q I have a laptop running the 64bit edition of Windows 7, but I cannot get 64bit operating systems to run in VirtualBox – only their 32bit counterparts. Also, you recently published a SourceForge link to operating systems to use on VirtualBox. I downloaded the Android link, but it wouldn’t run because the downloaded file was not ISO format. Please help. M J Fordham A To run a 64bit operating system in VirtualBox your computer must have a 64bit processor with built-in support for hardware virtualisation. We know your PC has a 64bit processor because you’re running 64bit Windows and, while there are some 64bit processors that lack hardwarevirtualisation capabilities, this isn’t likely to be case for the Intel or AMD processor that’s probably at the heart of your PC.…

Some documents won’t open If you see an error message when you attempt to open an older document, it might be because Word is set to block files it considers unsafe – which can include documents created by older versions of the program. To fix this, click File followed by Word Options (2013) or, if you’re running Word 2010, click File, Help, then Options. Now click Trust Center, then File Block Settings. Untick the blocked file types you’d like to open, then click OK. Doing the same in Word 2007 requires a Registry tweak that Microsoft has made available as a free ‘Fix it’ tool (www.snipca.com/15740). Word won’t open If you can’t get Word to open at all, it’s probably due to faulty add-ins (Microsoft’s term for extensions for Office…

Himself Last year my laptop refused to connect to the internet. It had a healthy wireless signal to the router, but a little yellow exclamation mark meant I wouldn’t be Googling any time soon. I picked up my trusty Android tablet and found that it too had come over all disconnected. So I marched into the living room and examined the router. Sure enough, the ADSL indicator glowed the kind of muted, passive-aggressive red that says ‘You’ve got a problem’. I turned the power on and off – to no avail. I checked the connections at the back, but nothing seemed amiss. I fired up my browser and checked the router set-up screen, still nothing untoward. And then, just as I was explaining sarcastically to my ISP’s tech support that,…

Google has launched a dongle that plugs into an HDMI slot to turn any display, such as your TV, into a computer running the Chrome operating system. The Chromebit, made by Asus, will go on sale in the US this summer priced $100. It comes in blue, silver or orange, contains 2GB of memory, a USB 2.0 port and support for Wi-Fi802.11ac and Bluetooth. Google says it’s “smaller than a candy bar”. You’ll need to attach a mouse and keyboard via USB or Bluetooth to use your TV as a PC. The Chromebit’s closest rival will be Intel’s forthcoming Compute Stick (see ‘What’s All the Fuss About?’, Issue 442), which comes with Windows 8.1. Google hasn’t confirmed whether the Chromebit will be on sale in the UK, but it’s likely…

AMAZON FIRE TV STICK NOW ON SALE Amazon is now selling its Fire TV Stick dongle in the UK (www.snipca.com/16005), following its US launch last year. At £35, it’s £5 dearer than its direct rival, the Google Chromecast. By plugging the Fire TV Stick into an HDMI slot on your TV, you’ll be able to watch, via Wi-Fi, channels and services including Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Sky News, Demand 5, Spotify and Amazon’s Prime Instant Video. We will review the Fire TV Stick soon. MAKE FREE PHONE CALLS IN WHATSAPP WhatsApp has updated its Android app to let you make free phone calls on your mobile phone, giving you an alternative to Skype. Previously the app only let you send messages. WhatsApp’s co-founder Brian Acton said that the feature will be…

Q I bought an HP Envy Laptop from Currys on the 29 December for £899. After three months the motherboard developed a fault. Currys only offered to send it for repair. It came back with the same fault, so it’s been sent for another repair. Because it’s within six months of purchase, can I demand a refund or replacement instead? Chris Newbon A No, Chris can’t demand a refund or replacement after one repair within the first six months. But he’s right to think that six months is a legally important period of time. Within six months, any fault is considered “inherent”, which means it has existed since the product was made. The onus is on the retailer or manufacturer to prove this isn’t the case. They are legally allowed…

Corsair Contact: https://corsair. secure.force.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/Corsair Crucial 0800 013 0330 Contact: www.snipca.com/15732 Facebook: www.facebook.com/CrucialMemory Twitter: @CrucialMemory Kingston 01932 738888 Email: customerservice@kingston.eu Facebook: www.snipca.com/15733 OCZ 01235 824900 Contact form: www.snipca.com/15809 Twitter: @OCZStorage Samsung 0330 726 7864 Contact: www.snipca.com/15752 Facebook: www.facebook.com/SamsungUK SanDisk 0203 3183 965 Facebook: www.facebook.com/SanDiskUK Live chat: www.snipca.com/15808 Seagate 0800 4732 4283 Contact form: http://support2.seagate.com Facebook: www.snipca.com/15745 Toshiba 0871 495 8944 Facebook: www.facebook.com/toshibauk Twitter @ToshibaUK…

What’s the best keyboard and mouse for RSI? Q I’ve developed rather painful RSI after years of bad posture and other sloppy computerusage habits. I’m now looking to replace the generic keyboard and mouse that came with my PC with more healthy alternatives. What would you suggest? Emilie Bertrand A There are lots of ergonomic keyboards and mice available and which ones will suit you depend on the severity of your condition and your needs. We’d start with the Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard (£49 from www.snipca.com/16011). Its design is supposed to ensure your arms and hands are in a more natural position when typing – one of our RSI-afflicted writers swears by it. We’d suggest skipping a mouse in favour of a trackball. You only move the ball only using…

Win 1 of 2 TP-LINK TD-W8980 dualband routers Easy to set up and made from sleek, glossy plastic, TP-LINK’s TD-W8980 is one of the best budget routers we’ve tested recently (see our ‘Great Pick’ review in Issue 445). It’s a dual-band router, so it can operate on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, hitting top speeds of 116.5Mbps at 10 metres and 93.2Mbps at 25 metres. This is impressive for such a well-priced router. To enter, email your address to cacomp@dennis.co.uk by midnight 28 April. TP-LINK’s TD-W8980 router is available to buy now priced £59. For more info visit http://uk.tp-link.com, follow TP-LINK on Twitter (@tplinkgaming) and ‘like’ TP-LINK’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/tplinkuk.…

ANDROID Dictate long emails and text messages Sending long text messages or emails can be a bit of a chore, especially if your typing skills aren’t up to much. But you can dictate messages and emails into Google and let it compose them for you. Tap the text message or email you want to reply to or start composing a new one, then tap the microphone icon on your onscreen keyboard. If you use SwiftKey Keyboard as your third-party keyboard, then long-press the comma icon. A panel will open with a ‘Speak now’ option. Start dictating your message and it will automatically appear as text. For best results, speak slowly and ensure you’re in a quiet place. When we tried it, Google correctly recognised every word we spoke (see screenshot…

WINDOWS 8, 10 Bypass your login screen If you use a Desktop PC running Windows 8 or 10, you have to log in using your Microsoft (Hotmail or Outlook) account. This lets you sync all your settings and apps across multiple PCs and Windows devices, and makes setup easier when you buy a new PC. While this works well if you’re the only one using that Windows PC, it’s not ideal if you share your computer with other family members because it means you’ll need to log them in every time. There’s an easy way to bypass your login screen entirely, if you’re happy to share your PC with others. To do this, right-click the Start button to access the Quick Access Menu, then click Run. In the Run box,…

Pixlr’s free web apps are great, but if there’s one slight irritation it’s the fact that Pixlr Editor, Pixlr-o-matic and Pixlr Express all feature large adverts prominently on the right-hand side of their respective interfaces. That’s because Pixlr’s free online tools are ad-supported. Currently, there’s no way to turn them off, even if you’ve paid for a Pro membership. There’s one simple solution, though – using a basic ad-blocker extension for your web browser you can eradicate the adverts altogether. In the screenshot left, we’ve used Adblock Plus for Chrome (www.snipca.com/16027), but most other ad-blockers will work too. Annoyingly, you still won’t get a full-screen editing experience (there’ll be a large block of white space where the advert was), but at least it’s much less off-putting.…

The best-known free Camtasia alternative, CamStudio, is worse than useless. In Issue 443’s Cover Feature, we revealed that this screen-recording tool installs adware on your PC, with no chance to opt out. Software listings site Alternative To (http://alternativeto.net) has now removed CamStudio from its database and flagged it as malware, citing a damning safety report from VirusTotal (www.virustotal.com, see screenshot). CamStudio is not a lone offender. Online video recording is a security minefield. Video software is expensive to make, so free programs are often funded by bundled adware, and extensions are easy for hackers to embed with malware. If you find a new, free video-recording tool that you’re determined to try, upload its installer (usually an EXE file) to VirusTotal before you attempt to run it. VirusTotal will tell you…

Q I use Microsoft Money to manage my personal banking. I’ve been trying to to set up scheduled transactions for my bank to pay bills. In the appropriate page I want to choose the Pay Online option, but this is always greyed out. The online option available on this page is ‘Write Cheque’. Do you have any idea why this might be happening and how I can activate the Pay Online function? I’m using Windows 7. William Chalmers A Yes, we can clarify things and it’s not good news. Microsoft Money was discontinued in 2009, and all development of the program stopped in that year. Support actually continued until 2011 but, at that time, Microsoft effectively washed its hands of the product. It also switched off all the servers that…

Q I have a self-built 64bit Windows 7 PC that works well except for one problem. In some programs (but not all), my keyboard duplicates characters. Even typing this email required 15 or more deletions! I’ve accessed Keyboard Properties via Control Panel and set both ‘Repeat delay’ and ‘Repeat rate’ to their minimum positions, but it hasn’t helped. It’s a Microsoft Internet Keyboard connected through a KVM (keyboard-video-mouse) switch, and it works perfectly on my old Windows 98 PC. Shane McLaughlin A There are numerous possible causes for this, but we suspect your KVM switch is to blame. In the first instance we’d suggest removing it from your setup to see if that helps. If the problem is resolved, reconnect the KVM but try reversing the connections (that is, swap…