Table of contents for 526 in Computeractive

Behind the rise in dementia cases lies good news: we’re living longer, and recovering better from serious illnesses. But that doesn’t make the disease any less cruel or distressing. There’s no cure, but anyone worried about dementia – or who watched helplessly as it overcame a loved one - will be keen to know whether the symptoms can be eased. In our Cover Feature, Jonathan Parkyn investigates the complex claims that technology can help - whether its braintraining apps, memory-boosting games or communication aids. Much more research is needed before we can be certain of any benefits, but there are some promising signs. I count myself lucky. Nobody in my family - parents, grandparents, uncles or aunts - has suffered from dementia. But I know from emails I receive how…

ROYAL MAIL FINED FOR 330,000 SPAM EMAILS Royal Mail has been fined £12,000 after sending almost 330,000 nuisance emails in two days to people who had opted out of direct marketing. The emails told customers that posting parcels had become cheaper. The fine was issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which said its rules aimed to “protect people from the irritation and distress nuisance emails cause”. Royal Mail apologised, saying it had “tightened” its marketing policies. RECORD CALLS EASIER IN SKYPE Microsoft is making it easier to record video and audio calls in Skype. It’s testing a new Content Creators mode that works with non-Microsoft programs to record calls, which can then be edited in other software. The company hopes to launch the tool in the summer. Read Microsoft’s…

Junk offender: SpyHunter I often use this page to bemoan software that comes bundled with unwanted junk. This time I’m going to call out a program that is, in my view, itself a piece of junk. It’s an antivirus tool called SpyHunter. Not having previously tried it, I thought I’d give it a whirl, and almost immediately ran headlong into a potential red flag. A disclaimer on the download page warns you that the Malwarebytes virus scanner categorises SpyHunter as a “potentially unwanted program” (PUP) and blocks it. This is odd, because Malwarebytes doesn’t block other antivirus tools. Indeed, based on what happened next, I’d say ‘potentially unwanted’ is a gross understatement. Initally, all seemed fine. The SpyHunter installer didn’t attempt to smuggle any contraband junk on to my PC.…

Tell us what’s on your mind Email: letters@computeractive.co.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/computeractive Twitter: @ComputerActive www.twitter.com/computeractive Websites shouldn’t bury privacy settings I want to agree with Linda James’s Star Letter (Issue 525) urging the Government not to U-turn on introducing over-18 age checks for porn websites. She made the excellent point that tech companies often exaggerate how difficult it is to do something technically (in this case, verify the age of users). Another tactic tech companies employ is burying settings they don’t want you to fiddle with. Facebook was guilty of this until a certain revelation (I wonder what?!) made them realise they had to be more transparent - as you explained in ‘Question of the Fortnight’ (Issue 525). It could have done this years ago. In fact, if it cared at all…

What’s the threat? Hackers have used a clever way of spreading malware in Android apps that provided useful functions - scanning QR codes and working as a compass. The malware is triggered six hours after the app is installed, a trick that allowed it to evade the Google Play Store’s security safeguards. It was discovered by researchers at British security company Sophos, who said it bombards your device with adverts and notifications “after lying low for a while to lull you into a false sense of security” (read more on its Naked Security blog www.snipca.com/27406). The apps work fine for the first six hours, doing what they claim to do, so you don’t suspect anything. Clicking the links and adverts that appear makes money for the criminals behind the malware.…

www.snipca.com/27516 What you need: Windows Vista, 7, 8/8.1 or 10 While the majority of Microsoft engineers are focused on creating new tools and products, at least one of the company’s employees – veteran development manager Craig Wittenberg – has been looking into Windows’ past. And the product of his labours is an open-source re-release of Windows 3.0’s File Manager – the first ever graphical file-management tool that Microsoft created, and the ancient (1990) ancestor of Windows 10’s File Explorer File Manager has been posted online for anyone to download and it works well on current PCs, even if it looks a little anachronistic running on a Windows 10 machine. There are actually two versions of File Manager available. The one we recommend you download is Winfile_v10.0.zip. This is Windows File…

How should I move my data to a new Windows 10 PC? Q Could you advise me on the best way to transfer my data from my existing computer (Windows 7) to a new computer (Windows 10) I wish to set up? Jack Lucy A Windows used to have a tool called Windows Easy Transfer (WET), which made transferring files from an old PC to a new one relatively painless. Annoyingly, Microsoft killed off WET in Windows 10. Instead, following Windows 10’s launch, Microsoft partnered with Laplink to provide a tool called PCmover Express. Microsoft is currently offering PCmover Express at half price (£10.95) via www.snipca.com/27520. PCmover Express transfers your user profile, files, data and settings, but not programs and tools. So, reinstall these separately. Laplink’s PCmover Professional (£41.95, www.snipca.com/27521)…

Computeractive is owned by Dennis Publishing, which owns a hi-tech facility for testing the latest technology. You’ll often read references to our benchmark testing, which is a method of assessing products using the same criteria. For example, we test the speed of every PC and the battery life of every tablet in exactly the same way. This makes our reviews authoritative, rigorous and accurate. Dennis Publishing also owns the magazines PC Pro, Computer Shopper and Web User and the websites Expert Reviews (www.expertreviews.co.uk) and Alphr (www.alphr.com). This means we can test thousands of products before choosing the most relevant for Computeractive. FAIR AND IMPARTIAL Our writers follow strict guidelines to ensure the reviews are fair and impartial. The manufacturer has no involvement in our tests. OUR AWARDS We award every…

Technology gets cheaper as it ages, so logically you should be able to buy what was an excellent phone five years ago for a pittance today. And you can – second hand. Tech companies won’t keep making them and flog them cheap, because they want to sell new models. So they either ignore the low end or churn out budget devices like this, which almost feel deliberately designed to force you into buying something better (and more expensive). Despite its boldly minimal name, the Nokia 2 (made by a Finnish company called HMD, which has tenuous connections to the original Nokia) is no classic. Its chunky black or white plastic case is neat but basic, with a flimsy back panel that you prise off to install your SIM and a…

Q My laptop is five years old and getting slow. I have an NHS discount of 30 per cent on HP products. Can you recommend an HP laptop with an eighth-generation processor and SSD? I don’t want to spend more than £600, but I’m not too worried about weight. Richard Mann A HP’s Pavilion range is your best bet. The 15.6in Pavilion 15-cc109na (www.snipca.com/27413, pictured) comes with an Intel i5-8250U processor, 128GB SSD and 1TB hard drive for £679 (or £475 with your discount). Brightness and colour are not strong points of the Full HD screen, and the i5-8250U’s performance is modest, but this is a good all-rounder. An i7-8550 costs £849 (or £594 to you, www.snipca.com/27414) and adds GeForce 940MX graphics, but the screen isn’t suited to gaming. The…

Cocoon Smart Home Security Cameras Winner of Computeractive’s ‘Great Pick’ award in Issue 525, The Cocoon Smart Home Security Camera with unique Subsound® AI technology uses low-frequency sound to detect what’s going on around it. Its tennisball design makes it easy to point in the direction you want by rotating it on its base. A long microUSB cable reaches from the base to the nearest socket. You can watch live HD video at any time. All footage is saved for seven days, for free. The camera works right away, alerting you when it detects anything out of the ordinary. Its AI adapts to your household over the first weeks, and is always learning to better protect your home. To enter, email your address to cacomp@dennis.co.uk with ‘cocoon’ in the subject…

ANDROID & iOS Delete your entire location history from Google Maps If your device’s Location History is switched on, Google Maps tracks your every move and saves every journey you make. This data is then used to send you timely notifications based on your schedule. For example, if you tend to drive to work on weekdays, you’ll receive reminders to leave at a certain time to avoid congestion on those days. Similarly, if you use public transport, you’ll be notified of the last train or bus home. There’s an easy way to delete all this location data that Google has about you. Alternatively, you can choose to only delete your location data between specific dates. Open Google Maps (default on Android; iOS www.snipca.com/27464) and tap the three lines at the…

WINDOWS 7, 8.1, 10 Fix Windows search The search bar at the bottom left of your Windows desktop is the quickest way to find items on your PC. For example, you can type.doc to see all your Word documents or.jpg to see all your JPEG images. Alternatively, you can search for files, programs and apps by name (using keyword search terms). So it can be a pain if this handy tool isn’t working. Thankfully, there’s a quick fix. First, press the Windows key+R to open the Run box, type services.msc, then press Enter. Scroll down the list in the window that opens, right-click Windows Search, click Properties, change the ‘Start type’ dropdown menu to Automatic (see screenshot above), click Apply, then OK. Restart your PC and Windows search will now…

SMART PYJAMAS Unveiled at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas were Xenoma’s e-skin pyjamas (pictured), designed specifically for dementia sufferers. Sensors embedded in the fabric monitor vital signs and movement, transmitting them to carers. SMART MONITORING Lili Smart (http://en.lilismart.com) is an all-in-one system comprising a smartphone app for the carer, and a watch and sensors for the patient. Lili Smart is easy to set up, with no professional installation required. DIGITAL PILLS In the US, the Food and Drug Administration recently approved a new digital pill that contains an ingestible sensor that can be tracked through the body. When the pill dissolves in the patient’s stomach, it tells a smartphone app that the correct medication has been taken. Currently, there are no plans to introduce this in the…

Spring cleaning is a great way to lose things. You might end up with a spotless house, but wasn’t it easier to find stuff when it was scattered around gathering dust? Same with software updates. Developers love ‘improving’ their products, but loyal users are left wondering where the devil their favourite options have been tidied away to – or whether they’ve been binned. Here we’ll help you track down those settings and tools that vamoosed. Microsoft Office When Microsoft dropped all support for Office 2007 last year, the Office button finally went to the great settings menu in the sky. Most of its options (Save, Open and so on) live on in the File menu in Office 2013, 2016 and 365, but the old Prepare option – which opened properties…

Online retailers will no longer be able to claim free delivery throughout the UK if they charge remote areas more, under new rules. Customers in areas such as the Scottish Highlands and islands, Northern Ireland, Anglesey, and the Isle of Man have often complained about websites hiding the extra fees they charge for delivery. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) have issued an Enforcement Notice that forces retailers to abide by tougher regulations. CAP Director Shahriar Coupal said the action “makes very clear that advertisers must not mislead consumers by promising ‘free’ or ‘UK’ delivery when it turns out that delivery is not free or the item won’t be delivered if you live in certain parts of the UK”. Companies caught breaking the rules…

An agreement between Amazon, eBay and HMRC to crack down down on sellers not paying VAT has been criticised for not going far enough. It follows accusations from MPs last year that the sites were “turning a blind eye” to VAT fraud. HMRC says this means the UK misses out on £1.5bn every year, around £900m of which is attributed to foreign sellers evading tax. The companies, along with all online marketplaces operating in the UK, are expected to sign voluntary agreements with HMRC committing them to providing a minimum amount of data on their sellers, including their contact details and how much they’ve sold in the UK. But a spokesman for campaign group VATfraud.org (www.vatfraud.org), set up by frustrated UK sellers undercut by foreign companies dodging the 20 per…

Some people like to upgrade their phones every year or two – and good for them. But if you’re happy with your phone, you shouldn’t feel pressured into replacing it. That’s why I’m livid with Samsung, which has just confirmed that it’s discontinuing security updates for a range of older phones, including many that are barely three years old, such as the Galaxy S6 (pictured), its former flagship device. Technically, the affected phones will continue to work, but they won’t be protected against new malware. That means they’re likely to become targets of criminals looking for easy prey – so your email, your online banking app and more could be exposed if you don’t switch to something newer. Samsung isn’t the only culprit – the entire smartphone market has always…

In Issue 524 we reported how a courier refused to give reader Edith Rutherford proof that he had picked up satellite equipment from broadband provider Europasat (www.europasat.com). She worried she wouldn’t be able to prove she had returned the items. By law the courier didn’t have to provide proof, but it would have been the decent thing to do. If the goods had gone missing, she’d have been liable for the loss. The reason she let the driver take the kit is because she didn’t want to miss the 30-day deadline to claim a refund. But she needn’t have worried because her right to a refund kicked in on the day she first contacted Europasat, not when it collected the equipment. The company promptly refunded Edith the full amount (£498.98)…

Facebook is currently engaged in the longest apology in the history of the internet. Desperate to regain your trust after the Cambridge Analytica scandal, it has tweaked its privacy settings to make them easier to use (see ‘Question of the Fortnight’, Issue 525). Its latest plea for forgiveness is a new option to delete apps from Facebook in one go, rather than one at a time. We suspect this has been deliberately cumbersome up to now because Facebook didn’t want you deleting the highly lucrative personal data contained within the apps. Click the top-right arrow on your profile page, then Settings. Next, click Apps in the left-hand menu to see the apps you’ve signed up for. To delete any, tick the small box next to their name (see screenshot), then…

By now there must be at least one multi-function inkjet printer/scanner per UK household. For everyone who doesn’t have one, someone else still has an old one they stopped using because the ink got too expensive and the paper kept jamming, alongside the new one they saw in the supermarket after Christmas for 35 quid. But here’s an alternative: a multi-function black-and-white A4 laser printer (MFP). It comes in a similar format, albeit a bit bulkier, with a sheet feeder for the colour scanner on top. “A no-nonsense mono laser printer, with a few surprising mod cons” Unlike some, the MFC-L2750DW can scan as well as print both sides of the paper (duplex), and it also incorporates a fax machine, if you have a telephone socket handy and still know…

No, this isn’t one of those unsolicited emails offering assistance to gentlemen of a certain age. We’re talking about processing power. It’s important in a desktop PC, because that’s basically what you’re paying for. But in a phone? The Nokia 2 shows why you shouldn’t overlook it, because it visibly struggles with simple tasks. Tap an app icon and, well, very little happens, for quite a long time. Once it does open, you’ll probably open another, because you use your phone for everything from Facebook Messenger to iPlayer, with a spot of web browsing in between. But when we tried to flick between tasks as we habitually would, the Nokia 2 didn’t feel so much like it was multitasking as tendering its resignation, getting its P45 and sending off its…

GlidePoint WHAT WAS IT? Launched in 1994 by US firm Cirque and popularised by Apple in the PowerBook 500 series (pictured), GlidePoint was the first trackpad. Inventor George Gerpheide developed it after switching from a keyboardonly DOS PC to a mouse-based Mac and found he liked being able to move the cursor freely, but reaching for the mouse annoyed him. He co-founded a company to market it, initially as a plug-in PC add-on. Once Apple and other laptop makers were convinced, it quickly took off. HOW HAVE THINGS CHANGED? Compared with the stylus-operated touchscreens on contemporary pocket computers, GlidePoint was crisper and responded reliably. But early trackpads were tiny, so users traded accuracy for the ability to get the cursor all the way across the desktop. As screens got bigger,…

PULL OUT &KEEP Issue526 14 pages of easy-to-follow workshops and expert tips In Issue 525 (see feature, page 58), we revealed the new features in the Windows 10 Spring Creators Update (SCU). Eager to avoid the privacy backlash Facebook is currently facing, Microsoft has ensured its privacy and security settings are displayed clearly when you first boot into the SCU. We’ll show you how to safely install it, and how to stop Microsoft tracking your location, targeting you with personalised adverts and recording whatever you type or draw on your PC. STEP 1 The SCU shouldn’t move or delete any files, but it’s a good idea to back up your important files before updating to be on the safe side. To update your PC, open Settings, click ‘Update & Security’,…

Spacecraft AR Free Android: www.snipca.com/27470 Developed by NASA, SpaceCraft AR uses augmented reality (AR) to let you ‘virtually’ project 3D models of spacecraft on any flat surface in your home – see how NASA’s Curiosity rover would look in your living room, for example. You need a newer phone that has AR support. RememBear: Password Manager Free Android: www.snipca.com/27468 iOS: www.snipca.com/27469 As well as creating unique passwords for all apps and websites you log into, this password manager can auto-fill forms and payment details that that you type often. You can choose to secure your content using a master password or your phone’s fingerprint scanner. Resize 2x 99p iOS: www.snipca.com/27471 It’s fairly common to shrink photo files so you can email them more easily. This app does the opposite. Its…

OUTLOOK Save text you type often to reuse Outlook’s handy Quick Parts feature lets you save chunks of text that you regularly type into emails (for example, your address or a birthday greeting), saving you from having to type it over and over again. There are three ways to quickly insert this saved Quick Parts text into your emails. First, click New Email at the top left and type the text you want to save (say, your address) inside the body of your email. Next, press Ctrl+A to select all your text, click the Insert tab, the Quick Parts dropdown menu in the Text section on the right, then click ‘Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery’. In the pop-up menu that appears, name the piece of text and click OK…

According to a study by psychologists at Edinburgh University and Heriot-Watt University (www.snipca.com/27509), people who engage in hobbies in middle age are more likely to stay mentally sharp in later life. Learning a new skill can also be a great way to exercise your mental agility, and there are loads of ways your PC or mobile device can help. Duolingo, for example, provides a brilliantly fun, free way to learn a new language, either online via its website (www.duolingo.com) or app. Or you could search YouTube for free musical lessons in the instrument of your choice. Try the Furmanczyk Academy of Music channel (www.snipca.com/27510), which hosts piano tutorials.…

For the past few months you may have noticed a ‘Try the beta’ button at the top right of your Outlook.com window. Clicking it would have taken you to a preview version of Microsoft’s revamped webmail, packed with new tools to try. In mid-March, Microsoft said it would soon be “rolling out” the new Outlook.com to everyone, giving us the chance to compare its new features with its all-conquering Google rival, Gmail. To check whether you’re using the new version, sign into https://outlook.live.com, then look at the top right of the screen. An ‘Outlook beta’ slider means you’re still using the beta version, but most of the tools we cover here will work. If the slider isn’t there, you’re probably using the full version of the new Outlook.com. For help…

Seven words typically sum up our disappointed reaction to troublesome updates: ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. But just as important is, ‘If it is broke, don’t release it’. We’re glad Microsoft has heeded this adage and held the Spring Creators Update back, rather than stick rigidly to an arbitrary timetable. We think you’ll love its new tools, in particular the Timeline feature, but they’ll be just as good in a few weeks as they are now. After previous problems with rushed updates, we’re happy to wait.…

TESCO TO CLOSE FREE EMAIL SERVICE Tesco is closing the free tesco.net email service provided to customers who bought its broadband package. It will stop working on 27 June, after which users can have emails forwarded to another inbox until 19 October. Tesco said “most customers” have already switched to other services, such as Gmail and Outlook.com. The supermarket sold its broadband business to TalkTalk in 2015. FIREFOX BLOCKS TRACKING ON IPADS Mozilla has updated its Firefox app for iPhones and iPads to block by default websites that track you when you browse online. Previously, its Tracking Protection was a setting you had to switch on. In its blog (www.snipca.com/27524) Mozilla said that as “an added bonus” websites will also load faster. Tap your menu button to see Tracking Protection…

Home Secretary Amber Rudd (pictured) has slammed social-media sites for “facilitating” a rise in violent crime, saying they must do more to prevent gang videos from appearing online. Launching a new strategy to tackle violent crime, she accused sites of “passively” standing by as gangs use the internet to taunt rivals, and glamorise criminal life. She called for them to explicitly state that such material is forbidden and would be removed. Her comments come after a recent spate of murders in London. More than 50 people have been killed in the capital this year. Fatal stabbings in England and Wales are at their highest levels since 2010-2011. The Home Office’s Serious Violence Strategy acknowledges that the popularity of social media “pre-dated” the recent spike in violence. But it adds that…

ACT NOW TO SAVE YOUR AMAZON MUSIC Amazon has given users until 29 April to preserve tracks they’ve uploaded to its Music Storage service, before it closes in January 2019. In December, the company stopped users uploading new tracks to the service, which holds up to 250 songs for free. To save your tracks, go to Music Settings in the service, then click the ‘Keep my songs’ button. Visit Amazon’s site for more details: www.snipca.com/27404. NEW ARTEFACTS FOR CIVILISATIONS APP A sundial from Britain’s first railway station in Manchester is among nine new artefacts added to the BBC’s augmented reality app to accompany its series Civilisations. The app shows the items on your phone or tablet screen as though they are in your own front room. You can download the…

Netflix has evolved into such a media Goliath that it’s easy to forget its humble, almost quaint beginnings. For the first 10 years its business was DVD rental, posting customers discs which they returned in the same envelope. Everything changed in 2007 when it launched a TV-streaming service. After a decade of staggering growth it now has 117 million viewers in 190 countries, and is worth $130bn (around £92bn). Shows such as House of Cards and The Crown are both critically acclaimed and hugely popular. This rise has left traditional broadcasters wondering whether they can compete. In its 2018/19 Annual Plan, published in March (www.snipca.com/27425), the BBC admitted it’s losing young viewers to Netflix. Figures show that 16-24 year olds spend more time watching Netflix in one week than they…

It doesn’t surprise me that many over-65s avoid shopping online in order to keep local stores alive (News, Issue 525, page 8). The older you get, the more concerned you grow about the continuity of your neighbourhood. This might sound obvious, but it dawned on me only recently. I retired about four months ago from a busy and demanding job that often took me away from home. I realise now that while I was working hard, head buried in papers, I had failed to notice how my own area had changed. The high street I remembered years ago as a vibrant mix of retailers and vital services has been obliterated. In its place are coffee shops, vaping outlets (whatever ‘vaping’ is), more coffee shops, grotty tattoo parlours, and yet more…

My four-anda-half year old LG TV suddenly left me with a black screen and just audio. After searching for a solution online to no avail, trying to find a repairman proved even harder. So I decided to try the direct approach and emailed LG. My TV is out of guarantee so I wouldn’t have been able to replace it for a similar model. However, after I carried out the test on my TV that LG suggested, they offered to repair it for free. And so they did! They kept me informed throughout the process, picking it up then returning it five days later in perfect working order. I cannot praise their services enough. Happy? I sure am. Beatrice Taylor Has a company impressed you with its customer service? Please let…

1471 gave me real numbers Normally with phone scams dialling 1471 goes to a “we do not have this customer’s number” message. But when I did this on scam calls from 01769 257741 and 01487 300018, they both gave me a number to ring back. The former produced a computergenerated message saying my web access has been compromised and needs to be disconnected. The other number stated it was no longer in service. Not long after an Asiansounding lady called from “Telephone Management Services”. I played along for a few minutes then explained the facts of life and hung up. Windsor Davies Warn your fellow readers about scams at letters@computeractive.co.uk…

Making a great all-round PC for 600 quid is a challenge. And recently it’s been even more of a challenge than usual. Back in 2015, when you laid down 12 crisp £50 notes on the counter of your favourite PC builder, the VAT man took two of them and the remaining £500 could be used by the system maker to buy components to the value of 750 US dollars (minus labour costs and profit). Today, £1,000 will only buy you 702 US dollars. So how can the likes of Palicomp sell you a £600 PC that’s even better than before? “Copes well with photo-editing, multitasking and graphics software” Well, it all comes down to the makers of computer processors finally pulling their fingers out. After several waves of chip ‘improvements’…

What does it do? Unlike cheap rubber-tipped styluses, an active stylus runs on a battery and communicates with a touchscreen device wirelessly, enabling finer control. Most can respond to pressure, which will affect the width or opacity of lines according to the software used, and they may also detect tilt. Why would I want it? It’s great that today’s multi-touch screens respond to fingers, but writing and drawing need a bit more precision. Art programs cater for everyone from dabbling kids to professional illustrators, and taking notes in meetings or lectures is more effective when you can arrange words on the page and draw little diagrams rather than just type. What’s the catch? Many companies that make tablets or touchscreen laptops offer compatible styluses, and third-party styluses such as Adonit’s…

Pixels go in your eyes, Google, not your ears! To add to this confusion, these are cordless earphones but their most obvious feature is a cord. This just drapes round the back of your neck and hopefully catches any stray Bud that falls out of your ear, although a fiddly sizeadjustment system aims to prevent that. Like Apple’s AirPods, Pixel Buds don’t squeeze into your ear canal but sit neatly against it. In contrast to Apple’s funny down spike, Google has fitted each Bud’s electronics into a blob which, combined with the cord, makes them feel awkward and unbalanced after a while. An hour in the supplied charging case readies them for six hours of listening. Audio quality is excellent all the way from bass to treble. Medium volumes sound…

This all-in-one home-security camera works with Apple HomeKit, which is significant because very little else does. This means iPhone and iPad users can control it from the Home app and link its features to other HomeKit accessories: for example, if you have Philips Hue lighting, you can set selected lights to come on when the motion detector is triggered. You can also watch a live feed from the camera within the Home app, but to set up the Omna and access other features, (such as watching recorded video), you’ll need the Omna app, which is also available for Android. The tin-can-sized aluminium cylinder takes mains power through a microUSB adapter and is for indoor use only. It shoots at 1080p Full HD, and when watching the live view – which…

Find out what other products we liked. Buy our new 2017 Back Issue CD: £15 fromwww.snipca.com/26848 LAPTOP Asus ZenBook UX410UA £590 from www.snipca.com/26789 Tested: Issue 518 With a dual-core Intel i3 processor, 4GB of memory and 128GB SSD, this slim aluminium 14in has just enough power to make Windows 10 feel smooth – and unlike Asus’s cheaper models it has a very good Full HD screen. ALTERNATIVE: Dell XPS 13 This premium laptop starts at £1,149, but the best deal is with the brand new quadcore i7-8550 and QHD touchscreen. £1,320 from www.snipca.com/26796 ANDROID TABLET PRICE DROP Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 9.7 £530 from www.snipca.com/27058 Tested: Issue 501 Samsung’s new mid-sized tablet has a wonderful HDR screen and comes with a pen included, unlike Apple’s iPad Pro. But its processor isn’t…

Handy hints and tips from your fellow readers Email us your tips: letters@computeractive.co.uk TIP OF THE FORTNIGHT ✓Extract text from screenshots on your PC In Issue 525, you included a Workshop (page 38) on extracting text from photos and screenshots using Google Lens on your phone. I have loads of screenshots stored on my PC and got to wondering whether there was a similar program that extracts text from them. My search led me to Easy Screen OCR (www.easyscreenocr.com) - a new program that does the job perfectly. Once installed, the program is accessible via a small A icon on your PC’s taskbar. Right-click this, then click Preferences. Next, click the Hotkey tab, press the key combination you want to use to extract text, then close it. Whenever you want…

AGES 0-5 Puzzle Shapes Free www.snipca.com/27472 (iOS) This app has a range of games and activities that will teach your child to count, recognise shapes and colours, and create patterns. The shapes in the puzzles become more complicated as they progress – and there are even 3D versions. AGES 6-10 Brain Dots Free www.snipca.com/27473 (Android) Free www.snipca.com/27474 (iOS) Brain Dots is based on a simple premise that will teach your kids to think creatively. All you need to do is move one ball so it hits another by drawing objects that will help you achieve the objective. As you progress, you’ll earn pens that serve a variety of purposes. AGES 11-16 Florence £2.99 www.snipca.com/27475 (Android) £2.99 www.snipca.com/27476 (iOS) This interactive adventure lets you follow Florence and her life story. At…

Rename multiple files Bring order to your chaotic photo file naming with IrfanView’s ‘Batch conversion’ tool, which does far more than convert photo formats (though it’s good at that). Open IrfanView and press B to launch the tool, then click ‘Batch rename’. Select your files then click Add (or ‘Add all’ to select all in a folder). Next, click Options. Now type a batch name over ‘image’ - for example, 2016-madrid-holiday (see screenshot below). By default, IrfanView includes four hashes (####) then uses them to generate sequential numbers (0001, 0002 and so on). You can also use ‘placeholders’ to automatically add dates and other data to filenames – click Help to see the full placeholder list. Click OK, Browse, select a save location, and then click Start Batch to save.…

For more information, support or advice about dementia, call the National Dementia Helpline, run by the Alzheimer’s Society, on 0300 222 11 22. All calls are confidential and cost no more than the national call rate. The Helpline also runs an online chat service (www.snipca.com/27446), open from 9am to 12 noon Monday to Friday, and 6pm to 8pm Monday to Wednesday. You can email questions to helpline@alzheimers.org.uk. This service runs in England, Wales and Northern Ireland – for help in Scotland contact Alzheimer Scotland: www.alzscot.org/contact. Dementia UK also runs a helpline, staffed by Admiral Nurses, for family and professional carers, people with dementia and those worried about their memory. Call 0800 888 6678 or email info@dementiauk.org.…

Technology already plays a big part in helping those with dementia maintain happy, independent and safe lives, as well as making life easier for the carers who look after them. As the Alzheimer’s Society told us, “people living with dementia and their carers should not be scared to explore technologies that could help them to tackle everyday challenges”. That said, technology should always be used as part of a wider overall support plan and never as a substitute for human carers. All the assistive products below can be bought from https://shop.alzheimers.org. uk, www.unforgettable.org or www.livingmadeeasy.org.uk among other outlets, and can often be funded as part of a local authority care package. However, not all types of device will benefit all patients. Before you buy anything, consult an occupational therapist or…

• Write by hand with your mouse Click the pencil under the keyboard icon, write using your mouse, then Gmail offers letters to match. • Attachment reminders Gmail notices when you type ‘I’ve attached’, then prompts you with ‘It seems you forgot to attach a file’ message if you forget. • Process emails from multiple pages Say you want to move all messages containing ‘Computeractive’ to a new folder. Search ‘Computeractive’, then click the top tickbox to select all on the page. Gmail then offers to select all matching conversations - hundreds or even thousands. You can then move, delete or do whatever you want to all of them, in one go. • One-click unsubscribe Gmail recognises if an email comes from a mailing list, and offers an ‘Unsubscribe’ link so…

Bereft Android users gathering at the tomb of the Unknown Sources setting – lost in Android 8 (Oreo) – shouldn’t panic. The old setting, which let you install apps from outside the Google Play Store, has merely transmogrified. It now works on an app-by-app basis instead, with an ‘Allow from this source’ option. That helps protect you against malicious apps being installed without your knowledge. Apple booted the Delete All and Select All options from the Mail app in iOS 10. That saves you deleting all emails by accident, but it really slows you down if you’re trying to organise your folders or clear space. However, you can still select multiple emails then delete them in one go. Tap Edit, tap multiple messages, and then tap Delete Selected Messages. The…

Why won’t your Narrator shortcut work? Q My vision is getting worse with each passing year, so I was interested to read Jonathan Parkyn’s advice in Issue 524 (page 60), about the Narrator tool in Windows 10. The instructions say to press Caps Lock+1 to turn it on but all that does for me is type the character ‘1’. Did you print the wrong keyboard shortcut? Erica Smythe A The Caps Lock+1 keyboard shortcut we highlighted is used to enable or disable a specific function of the Narrator tool called Input Learning. To enable Narrator itself you need to first click Settings followed by ‘Ease of Access’. Next, on the left, click Narrator, then on the right, click the Narrator slider to On (see screenshot below). Once Narrator is active…

1080p Of the common types of high-definition video, this is the best quality: 1920x1080 pixels. 32bit/64bit A measure of how much information a computer can process at once. Most older computers are 32bit, more modern ones are 64bit 4K Video with a resolution of at least 3840x2160 pixels. 720p A common resolution of high-definition video: 1280x720 pixels. 802.11ac A standard for wireless networks that allows for much higher transfer speeds than 802.11n. Add-on A program that adds extra features to your browser. Augmented reality Lets you view the real world on a digital display and add elements from the digital world. Beta A version of software that’s being tested. Beta versions are often released so problems can be ironed out. BIOS Basic Input-Output System. Essential software built into every PC…

Much of what I’ve blathered on about in this column these past few months has concerned brain-training tools and games that actively target the more frugal user: free and cheap games trying to rob you of 10 minutes or so of your time. That has meant overlooking the brain-training tools with more serious intentions. A company called Posit Science has recently been granted patents in America for “exercises focused on elemental people skills”. These exercises were originally part of research into treating people with conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. “These enjoyably tough games felt like the mental equivalent of the army assault course on The Krypton Factor (always my favourite bit)” Its suite of tools, called BrainHQ, costs £9 a month, although there are free exercises to try…