Table of contents for 722 in Computeractive

I’ve always hated SIM cards. They’re one of the worst examples of fiddly tech – like trackpads, earbuds and ports on the back of monitors – where manual precision is crucial. My fingers feel buttered half the time, so I never found it easy to insert these micro-wafers into the tiny slots inside old phones, nor into the sliding trays of newer ones. So I was probably one of the first people in the country to switch to eSIMs when they arrived in the early 2020s. I’ve never regretted it. They make it easy to hop between networks and juggle several phone numbers, and give me the cheapest roaming packages abroad. It’s all done electronically inside the phone, with no card to lose or damage. Robert Irvine is a convert…

Google will soon let you hide adverts in its search results, but only after you’ve seen them. Currently, Google labels each paid result as ‘Sponsored’. But it will soon show a section at the top of results, with a single, larger label that stays in view as you scroll. You can click a button at the bottom of the section to ‘hide’ the sponsored results (see screenshot right), but you’ll have to scroll through them first. Google said this button lets you “collapse text ads with a single click” if you want to see only “organic” (unpaid) results (www.snipca.com/56665). It added: “In our testing, we found that the new design helps people navigate the top of the page more easily. The new design keeps the size of ads the same…

I’ve twice bought Iiyama monitors from Continental Ltd (www.iiyama-monitors.co.uk) and the service has been excellent on both occasions. A few years ago, I ordered two items in one purchase, and they emailed me to say they’d be arriving in two separate deliveries. This was very helpful. The lady I spoke to was polite and seemed to know monitors inside out. More recently, I treated myself to a £500 55in ProLite 4K Iiyama monitor (pictured). I ordered it at 4pm and it arrived the next morning – amazingly fast, and well packaged too. After a couple of days’ use I still couldn’t work out how to control the LED bar, so I emailed for assistance. They replied within an hour with instructions that were easy to follow. Superb company. They’ve never…

What’s a simpler junk remover than BleachBit? Q I’ve been a long-time user of BleachBit (www.bleachbit.org), but I’m finding it harder to use. It still removes junk when I set it to, but it seems to have added so many settings that I don’t need. Is there a simpler alternative? Roy Lawrenson A We agree that BleachBit’s settings can appear daunting, and may do more harm than good if you change, remove or disable something you shouldn’t. A far simpler alternative is Wintoys, which you can download for free from the Microsoft Store (www.snipca.com/55189). It has a beautifully simple design that’s similar to Windows itself. First, click the Health icon on the left (1 in our screenshot) then Cleanup 2. This gives you options to tidy up Storage, File Explorer, Microsoft Store,…

PC | £1,000 from Game www.snipca.com/56688 All guns blazing We know gaming isn’t for everyone, but if you’re interested in other resource-hungry tasks such as video and image editing, a gaming PC will make your life so much easier. That’s why Medion’s latest Erazer Bandit P20 is such a tempting offer. The German PC manufacturer has delivered a nicely compact desktop PC that crams some of the best current components into its slender case, all at a price that won’t break the bank. “Medion has done a great job of balancing a compact design, power and price” Inside is a 10-core Intel Core i5-14400 processor. Although Intel recently replaced this with the Ultra Core series, the older chip is actually significantly better at tasks that require higher clock speeds such…

EARBUDS | £179 from Amazon www.snipca.com/56749 Nil paid Nothing, the quirkily named British company, has gained a reputation for delivering exceptional smartphones and earbuds since launching its first phone in 2022. We reviewed its Nothing Ear (a) earbuds back in Issue 684 when they were £80, but Amazon has been selling them for £70 recently (www.snipca.com/56753) and they remain among the best budget ANC earbuds available. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find better – with the only close competition being Sony’s WF-C700Ns (£69 from www.snipca.com/56707). The beautifully designed Ear (3)s are effectively the successor to the Ear (a), but they come with one major caveat, and that’s the price – a steep £179. That’s far higher than any of Nothing’s previous buds, and only £40 cheaper than Apple’s…

EXTERNAL SSD | From £204 from Scan www.snipca.com/56722 Tough choice LaCie’s line of external hard drives enjoy a reputation for being among the most rugged in the business. With their distinctive orange rubber bumpers and lifeboat-style design, they certainly look the part. The French/US manufacturer has just released four capacities of its latest USB 4.0-compatible SSD, and they’re certainly not cheap. 1TB starts at £204 (www.snipca.com/56723); 2TB for £420 (www.snipca.com/56724); and 4TB for an eye-watering £600 (www.snipca.com/56725). The reason they’re so expensive is because they can take advantage of that nifty USB 4.0 connection standard, which gives them a theoretical maximum speed of 40Gbps on devices that support it. Compare that with USB 3.2 drives, which top out at just 10Gbps. File transfers are effectively four times as fast, making…

COPILOT Discover the new ‘home experience’ Microsoft has redesigned the Copilot app for Windows 11 to provide a new ‘home experience’. This resembles a personalised start page, with various modules and a photo background. The modules include ‘Jump back into your files’, which displays your recent files so you can ask Copilot to summarise or look up information about them. The ‘Get guided help with your apps’ module lets you select a Windows app, such as Settings, Edge or Paint, then share your screen using Copilot Vision to get help using it. The new home screen includes buttons for creating different types of image (see screenshot below) – for example, photorealistic or watercolour. There’s also a module showing your recent chat history, so you can resume a conversation with Copilot.…

The SIM is an essential element of any mobile phone, letting you make calls, send texts and – on smartphones – access the internet. Over the years, the size of SIM cards has shrunk to mini, then micro then nano, but you can now avoid using one at all. The growing popularity of eSIM technology gives you a more convenient and flexible way to connect to a mobile network. An eSIM, or embedded SIM, is a small chip soldered directly on to the motherboard of your phone. Although the chip is physical, the eSIM works digitally by downloading and storing your network profile. This contains your phone number, authentication keys and network settings, which is the same data stored on a physical SIM card. Unlike a traditional SIM, the eSIM…

LOWEST-EVER PRICE! We’re delighted to announce our lowest-ever price for Norton 360 Premium. For just £19.99, you’ll protect 10 devices for two years. Available both for new customers and existing Norton users wanting to renew. WHAT YOU GET ✓ Real-time malware protection ✓ Secure VPN ✓ 75GB PC Cloud Backup PLUS Monitors the dark web for your personal information Norton is made by NortonLifeLock Inc – a standalone company dedicated to consumer cyber safety. It has always performed strongly in Computeractive antivirus tests, so we highly recommend it. 10 devices for two years NOW ONLY £19.99* Normally £179.99 Buy it from our Software Store at www.snipca.com/33247 * while stocks last…

1080p/1440p Common types of high-definition video of 1920x1080 and 2560x1440 pixels respectively. 4G/5G Technologies that deliver faster mobile broadband. 4K Video with a resolution of at least 3840x2160 pixels. ANC Active noise cancelling. Method for reducing unwanted sound by adding a second sound designed to cancel the first. ARM Processors that are more energy-efficient than those made by AMD and Intel. ARP Address Resolution Protocol. Maps a device’s IP address to its physical MAC address on a local network. Augmented reality Lets you view the real world on a screen and add virtual elements. Beamforming A technique for microphones to pick up on specific sources of sound and reduce background noise. Benchmarking Comparing software and products with an accepted standard. Beta A version of software that’s being tested. Biometric Using…

Currys has agreed to give Paul Ferris a full refund of £79.99 for the Acer Predator Connect W6x router he bought online (see Issue 718). The retailer had initially rejected his complaint that it hadn’t made it clear the router comes with a continental two-pin plug, making it incompatible with the UK’s three-pin system. Paul couldn’t have used a shaving adapter as a solution because they’re designed for low-power devices such as shavers and electric toothbrushes. Currys had said Paul should contact Acer for a replacement or refund. This was nonsense because as the retailer it had full responsibility for dealing with Paul. We’re glad he’s been refunded, but Currys should not be selling the router with a two-pin plug. Under the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, retailers must convert…

SOFTWARE WARNING! Google advertises its earbuds on its homepage I’ve come to expect rows of sponsored listings muddying Google’s search results. But it’s now showing me adverts before I’ve even typed anything. This recently appeared on Google’s homepage (www.google.com) just below the search box: ‘New! Pixel Buds 2a deliver rich audio and a great fit at an even better price’ (see screenshot right). Well, that’s good to know – thanks Google! It’s presented as an innocent link, as though Google has some important news to deliver. But click it and you’re taken to Google’s online store (www.snipca.com/56651), where you can buy the Buds for £129 (see screenshot right). The earbuds have ‘unbelievable comfort’ and ‘unreal sound’, apparently. I’d say Google’s marketing shows unbelievable cheek and unreal arrogance. I spotted the…

Find out which other products we liked. Buy our 2024 Back Issue CD: £19 from www.snipca.com/53433 LAPTOP MSI Prestige A16 AI+ £1,100 from www.snipca.com/55962 Tested Issue 718 A powerful Copilot+ laptop with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD to guarantee fast performance. Screen is excellent too, while battery lasts an impressive 17 hours. ALTERNATIVE PCSpecialist 16 Fusion British-made laptop with superb screen and built for advanced AI tasks. £956 from www.snipca.com/55094 ANDROID TABLET OnePlus Pad 3  £529 from www.snipca.com/55302 Tested Issue 714 With an incredibly fast processor and stunning 13.2in screen, this is the best ever Android tablet, and rivals the iPad Air. At launch both the 12GB RAM/256GB and 16GB/512GB versions were £529, so grab the latter as soon as possible. ALTERNATIVE Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Has a much brighter…

Email us your tips: letters@computeractive.co.uk TIP OF THE FORTNIGHT Change skip times in podcasts Pocket Casts’ online player (www.snipca.com/56647) deserved its place in Issue 721’s Cover Feature on stuff that’s now free (page 50). But one thing that flummoxed me for several weeks was how to change the duration times when you skip forward and back. By default these are set at 45 seconds forward and 10 seconds back, which are too short for my liking. To tweak these, click the top-right profile icon (1 in our screenshot) then Settings 2. Now type the durations you want in the boxes – I’ve gone for 120 seconds forward and 30 seconds back 3. When you’ve made the change the new figures will appear in your playback controls at the bottom left 4.…

ANDROID & iOS Translate foreign-language messages in WhatsApp WhatsApp can now translate messages you receive in certain foreign languages. This saves you copying the text to a translation app such as Google Translate to find out what it means. The translation feature works with messages in both individual and group chats. In WhatsApp for Android, you can currently translate six languages – including Spanish, Hindi and Portuguese – while the iOS app supports 19. To try the new option, long-press a foreign language message, then tap the three-dot menu icon and select Translate. Tap ‘Choose’ and download the relevant language pack – you only need to do this the first time you translate that language. Press ‘Continue’ then Translate (1 in our screenshot below left) – the Android app has an…

ADD A DISC FOR £5.95 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 18 November, 2025. It’s a lifetime licence for one computer.…

APPLE LAUNCHES ‘FASTEST EVER’ IPAD Apple has launched a new version of its iPad Pro (pictured) that it claims is the fastest ever iPad, and the first to be powered by its advanced M5 processor. Prices are the same as 2024’s model: from £999 for 11in and from £1,299 for 13in (www.snipca.com/56760). We’ll review it in our next issue. META AXES MESSENGER WINDOWS APP Meta will remove the Facebook Messenger app for Mac and Windows on 14 December. You’ll still be able to send messages through the Facebook app itself (www.snipca.com/56764) or online (www.messenger.com). Meta recommends users back up their chats before the app is removed – for instructions see www.snipca.com/56763. TOMORROW’S WORLD We don’t expect much from robots – just water the plants, do the laundry, wash the dishes…

WATCH OUT FOR… Sharp rise in Winter Fuel Payment scams What’s the threat? There’s been a sharp increase in scam text messages urging you to apply for 2025-2026 Winter Fuel Payments. Reports of these rose by 153 per cent in the final week of September, the Government said, following a decline over the summer. The messages typically claim to be from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and say it hasn’t received your application to receive the payments (1 in our screenshot) or that a “prior application was unsuccessful” 2. It tries to add some urgency by saying “late submissions will not be accepted” 3. The link appears genuine because it begins ‘https://gov.uk’ 4 – clicking just that section takes you to Gov.UK’s homepage. But the rest of the…

Why has McAfee charged me for a second antivirus? LEAD CASE Q I’ve been using McAfee antivirus on my PC, two laptops and a smartphone, paying £109.90 a year for protection across unlimited devices. Last June, I bought another laptop, which had a trial of McAfee on it. However, because of severe illness I wasn’t able to set up the laptop for six weeks. When I finally did this, I found that McAfee had started another unlimited subscription on it, and charged me another £109.90. I obviously don’t want or need this, but I can’t contact McAfee about this. Will you be able to help? Patricia Goodall A We’ll certainly do our best because it seems that McAfee began Patricia’s subscription automatically after the free 30-day trial ended on her new laptop.…

SYSTEM TOOL Wintoys 2.4.12.0 www.snipca.com/55189 What you need: Windows 10 or 11 Wintoys is one of our favourite free tools for optimising Windows, and is particularly useful for removing junk files and unwanted software (see page 20 for instructions). It’s been updated with a host of new features and enhancements, which give you even greater control over how your PC works. Wintoys’ Storage cleaner can now clean the caches of different versions of browsers, including Chrome Canary, Edge Beta and Firefox Nightly, as well as Windows logs. A new Others option removes junk from built-in Windows features, such as Widgets and Remote Desktop, and Wintoys now scours more thoroughly for temporary files. Usefully, you can now see how much free space is available on your main hard drive before you…

SMARTPHONE | £474 from ao.com www.snipca.com/56754 Right to repair Dutch company Fairphone has been around since 2013, but has operated in the shadows of the likes of Samsung, Apple and others. That’s a shame because the Fairphone 6 is unique for being the the only smartphone you can easily repair yourself. The overall specification is fairly average. The processor is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 from 2023, which is good enough for everyday use, performing well in our benchmarking tests, but not as powerful as, say, the Exynos chip in Samsung’s latest Galaxy S25 FE (£650 from www.snipca.com/56702). “Its hefty design lets you replace almost every component” It has 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, which again is a little disappointing. Battery life is also modest. Although a single charge will…

BRAVE Choose the correct ad-blocking filters Like AdGuard – see our Workshop in Issue 721 (page 38) – Brave lets you block more ads and other online annoyances by enabling extra filter lists. These boost the protection offered by its Shields feature, provided you know which filters to use. Version 1.83 of the browser, released in early October, makes things easier by providing descriptions of its filter lists – rather than just their names. To view them, click Brave’s three-line menu button and select Settings then Shields, followed by ‘Content filtering’. In the ‘Filter lists’ section, you’ll now see descriptions of all available filters, such as ‘EasyList Cookie – Removes obtrusive cookie law notices’ (see screenshot below). Select the filter lists you want to use and they’ll be added to…

WINDOWS 11 Use the opacity slider in Microsoft Paint Microsoft has added an opacity slider to Paint, letting you change the transparency of strokes made with the Pencil (1 in our screenshot below) and Brush 2 tools. Click either and the opacity slider appears on the left side of the canvas 3. The slider above it is Size, for changing the width of the brush/pencil stroke. WINDOWS 10 & 11 Set start and end times for light and dark mode PowerToys 0.95, released on 15 October, adds the Light Switch tool for automatically switching your computer between light and dark mode. Launch PowerToys then click System Tools in the menu on the left, followed by Light Switch. Make sure the ‘Enable Light Switch’ slider is on (1 in our screenshot below),…

Email us your problem and we’ll try to help: noproblem@computeractive.co.uk PROBLEM OF THE FORTNIGHT Can I connect my retro computer to a modern TV? Q Having owned several computers when I was younger, I recently bought an old Atari ST PC bundled with a few games. I was rather fond of my ST years ago, so this was just for nostalgic reasons. It’s now been delivered but when I plugged it in I realised it won't fit any of the connections on the back of my various TVs (d’oh!). I have looked on places like eBay and Amazon but none of the results I’ve found are very clear about what I need and, if I’m honest, I found it all a bit confusing as to which lead or connection is required.…