Computeractive! Latest updates

Law body set to clarify consumer rights

Dinah Greek — 2009-11-06T14:40:00.000Z

Dinah Greek, Computeractive, Friday 6 November 2009 at 14:40:00

Legal reform body backs fight to keep strong UK consumer rights

The Law Commission and the Scottish Law Commission have published recommendations that would simplify, strengthen and clarify laws governing consumer rights for faulty goods.

The proposals from the English, Welsh and Scottish statutory law reform bodies also insist that UK consumers retain some fundamental rights under threat from the proposed European Consumer Rights directive.

Currently UK consumers have some of the strongest protection in Europe under laws such as the Sale of Goods Act, the Sale and Supply of Goods to Consumers, and the Distance Selling Regulations.

However, the complexity of UK laws, coupled with some areas of legislation being unclear - such as how long is a ‘reasonable time’ in which to reject faulty goods - has led to confusion.

The proposed European directive would also weaken UK consumer law by removing the right to reject faulty goods within a reasonable time, and for goods to be free of minor defects such as imperfections in appearance, finish or small malfunctions.

The UK law commissions have said these rights should be retained. Their proposals also pin down what the law considers a ‘reasonable time’ to 30 days. Although it said there must be flexibility for some goods.

David Hertzell, the Commissioner leading the project for the Law Commission of England and Wales, said: “We believe that the right to reject should be retained in the UK as a short-term remedy of first instance. It is a simple, easy-to-use remedy which inspires consumer confidence.”

Other recommendations include allowing consumers to ask for a refund or price reduction after one failed repair or one failed replacement. The proposals now go forward as part of the debate on the proposed EC directive.

Illegal file sharers promised 'fair' hearing

Dinah Greek — 2009-11-05T16:55:00.000Z

Dinah Greek, Computeractive, Thursday 5 November 2009 at 16:55:00

Governments get green light to impose three-strikes rule providing alleged illegal file sharers get a 'fair' hearing.

The agreement by the European Union on the wording of reforms governing the telecoms industry opens the door for the introduction of 'three strikes' internet disconnection rules for illegal file sharers.

MEPs and ministers finally reached agreement on the sticking point of the law; amendment 138/46 of the Telecoms package. This had effectively outlawed proposals that would force internet service providers to disconnect the services of people accused of illegal file sharing.

The so-called 'three strikes and you're out rules' have been introduced in some EU member states and proposed by Peter Mandelson in the UK.

Despite reinstating this amendment twice, the European Parliament finally backed down and reworded it. The watered down version has caused civil liberties groups serious concern.

The Telecoms package's woolly wording now says that restrictions on a user’s internet access may “only be imposed if they are appropriate, proportionate and necessary within a democratic society“, and taken only “with due respect for the principle of presumption of innocence and the right to privacy“ and as a result of “a prior, fair and impartial procedure" guaranteeing “the right to be heard and the right to an effective and timely judicial review“.

Although MEP Malcolm Harbour, ECR chairman of the European Parliament's internal market committee, said consumers will “be guaranteed a prior, fair and impartial procedure in any cases of proposed disconnection”.

Jérémie Zimmermann of La Quadrature du Net warned: “This rather unambitious provision will now be up for interpretation, and it remains to be seen whether it will invalidate internet access restrictions such as 'three strikes' policies."

The whole package of legislative proposals can now proceed to final votes in the European Parliament later this month and in the Council of Ministers.

Google launches new data management tool

Dinah Greek — 2009-11-05T10:30:00.000Z

Dinah Greek, Computeractive, Thursday 5 November 2009 at 10:30:00

Search giant releases another new app

Google has launched a new feature that allows users to view and control the data associated with their Google account.

The Google Dashboard, offers a summary of the data in all the Google products being used, such as email, chat messages and attachments. The new application can also save users online search with a Web History feature

Alma Whitten, Software Engineer on Privacy and Safety said: "We think of this as a great step towards giving people transparency and control over their data, and we hope this helps shape the way the industry thinks about these issues.

"It's important for people to be aware of what data they have online and to be able to manage that data--Google Dashboard should help to make this a reality."

Google Dashboard is currently available in 17 languages and can be accessed either through the dashboard page or the settings page of the user's Google Account.

Talk Talk slams Government's file-sharing plans

Dinah Greek — 2009-11-04T16:44:00.000Z

Dinah Greek, Computeractive, Wednesday 4 November 2009 at 16:44:00

ISP threatens legal action and says plans 'substitute proper judicial process for a kangaroo court'

Talk Talk has warned the Government it will not disconnect users accused of illegal file sharing unless it receives concrete proof of guilt.

The internet service provider (ISP) owned by Carphone Warehouse said the proposals outlined by Lord Mandelson ignored the accepted 'innocent until proven guilty' presumption under British law.

Andrew Heaney, Talk Talk’s executive director of strategy and regulation told Computeractive the ISP was not afraid to stand up for its customers.

“We will not cut off our customers’ internet connection and will take it [the Government] to court if necessary. The process outlined by Lord Mandelson substitutes proper judicial process for a kangaroo court. It is wrong and we also believe it is a breach of human rights, ” he said.

The prospect of internet disconnection for persistent offenders, often called the three strikes rule, is expected to be set out this month in the Digital Economy Bill.

The rights holders will only have access to an IP address, so they must apply to the courts for an ISP to hand over customer details.

The ISP is required to send alleged illegal fire-sharers an initial warning letter. This is the first time the customer will be aware that they have been accused of illegal file sharing. If the ignore the initial letter, the ISP will be required to send futher letters.

Mr Heaney said although people have the right to appeal, He said it is wrong to presume the customer is guilty from the start.

“This is not the way British justice is meant to work,” he said.

He also pointed out that the process is riddled with unresolved issues such as how long a person’s internet service would have to be disconnected.

TalkTalk has started a Don’t Disconnect us campaign and people can sign a petition on the Number 10 website. People can also visit the site to keep up to date with the latest developments on the disconnection proposals.

Twitter used as Swine Flu early warning system

Rosalie Marshall — 2009-11-04T16:44:00.000Z

Rosalie Marshall, V3.co.uk, Wednesday 4 November 2009 at 16:44:00

Micro-blogging site helps with flu intelligence gathering

Research scientists in the UK have been using Twitter to gather information about Swine Flu.

A trial using the micro-blogging service as an early warning system was conducted between May and August, and tracked more than one million tweets referring to Swine Flu, including 'I have swine flu' and 'I have the flu', or mentioning 'H1N1', 'death' or 'outbreak'.

The findings of the trial will be published at the Infection 2009 scientific conference in Birmingham next week.

The study has been partly led by researchers from the City eHealth Research Centre at London's City University.

Patty Kostkova, one of the centre's research scientists, said that the use of social networking sites can significantly boost the gathering of intelligence about Swine Flu being used by public health authorities.

Twitter carries an advantage over other research methods in that posts are freely available and can be searched in real time. Kostkova described tweets as "an invaluable source for an early warning system".

The researcher added that her team is now trying to determine the geographic location of the tweets in order to localise early warning alerts for public health authorities.

It is believed to be the first time that surveillance of this kind has been carried out using Twitter.

Prevx launches free online safety tool

Phil Muncaster — 2009-11-04T08:00:00.000Z

Phil Muncaster, V3.co.uk, Wednesday 4 November 2009 at 08:00:00

Banking and e-commerce firms could roll out software to customers

Security firm Prevx has launched a new security programme designed to help banking, government and e-commerce sites protect customers from web-based threats aimed at compromising account information.

Companies signing up to the Prevx SafeOnline Business Partner Programme will gain access to free reports detailing the types of threats targeting their sites, and free SafeOnline software which can be offered to customers to boost online safety and improve consumer confidence.

The software protects against phishing, man-in-the-browser and DNS poisoning attacks, and keystroke-logging Trojans, and includes real-time scanning functionality to alert users about potential risks, according to Prevx chief executive Mel Morris.

"We are always in a situation where the real threats to people are the ones that bypass their current security measures, so the approach behind this is let's implement another layer of defence," he said.

"The banks are concerned about the direct costs associated with online fraud, but these costs pale into insignificance if your customers are too afraid to do online banking."

Morris said that the tool has been tested by vulnerability testing firm Immunity, and found to provide 100 per cent protection against some of the most prolific banking Trojans currently in the wild, including the Zeus, MBR, Goldun, and Silent Banker groups.

Microsoft cuts price of online apps

David Neal — 2009-11-03T14:38:00.000Z

David Neal, V3.co.uk, Tuesday 3 November 2009 at 14:38:00

Redmond responds to Google assault

Microsoft is cutting the cost of its hosted versions of Exchange, SharePoint and Office Communications Server, and rolling the services out to 15 new countries this week.

The firm said that the hosted Business Productivity Online Suite and Exchange Online, Office SharePoint Online and Office Communications Online will be reduced to just $10 (£6) per user per month, for a minimum five-seat subscription.

Microsoft said that its online services are regularly updated, and that the latest versions include increased mailbox storage of 25GB, and new administration scripting tools.

The addition of new country versions, including Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Israel, Malaysia, Mexico and Poland, will bring the availability to 36 countries and regions.

Today's announcement was made by Microsoft business division president Stephen Elop, who named a number of new customers including McDonald's.

"Global organisations, such as McDonald's, Rexel Group and Tyco, are choosing Microsoft Online Services for the rich capabilities, flexibility and value they deliver," he said.

"In just a year, we have grown to 36 countries and more than a million paying users, and we are not slowing down. We will continue to bring new innovations and deliver the software and services businesses need to succeed."

Microsoft is facing stiff competition from Google in the hosted applications marketplace, and these latest moves will seen as an attempt to win back some ground.

Google recently snagged a deal to provide online apps to 30,000 workers at Los Angeles City Council, a former Microsoft customer, and has launched a major marketing campaign.

New Icann rules trigger phishing fears

Shaun Nichols in San Francisco — 2009-11-03T02:12:00.000Z

Shaun Nichols in San Francisco, V3.co.uk, Tuesday 3 November 2009 at 02:12:00

Non-Latin characters could open door to new attacks

The recent decision by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann) to allow non-Latin characters in URL addresses is leading some experts to warn of a possible jump in phishing attacks.

Members of the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) warned on Monday that the new characters could allow new phishing attacks as malware writers take advantage of the similarities between characters in different languages.

Peter Wood, a member of the ISACA conference committee, noted that alphabets such as Cyrillic contain characters that, when displayed in certain fonts, are extremely difficult to tell apart from Latin characters.

Wood, who is also the founder of security firm First Base Technologies, warned that malware writers could take advantage of the new domain rules to register addresses with new characters that resemble Latin letters.

"Just when we think we have got people aware about the dangers of phishing and not clicking on links in emails, it now becomes even more important," said Wood,

"Now more than ever people should type in the address of the web site they wish to visit in their browser or go directly to the IP address."

The comments come as Icann prepares to roll out a new set of rules on the registry and management of domains. The rules would allow the use of non-Latin characters and the addition of new top-level domains.

Paint.NET 3.5

Chris Wiles — 2009-11-07T00:00:00.000Z

Chris Wiles, V3.co.uk, Saturday 7 November 2009 at 00:00:00

Powerful & modern paint program

Jointly developed by Washington State University and Microsoft, Paint.net is intended to be a replacement for the free MS Paint software provided with all Windows operating systems.

It offers many of the powerful features found in commercial editors, including the ability to work on multiple layers, full transparent PNG support, unlimited history, and a plethora of visual effects.

An interesting feature is the way each tool window becomes transparent when covering the image. This enables better implementation of effects and is something the big image editors are currently lacking.

New v3 features include a multi-document, tab-based interface, so you can open and edit more than one image. An improved and more powerful toolbar and user-definable colour palette are some of the other highlights.

Super Flexible File Synchronizer 4.78

Tim Smith — 2009-11-07T00:00:00.000Z

Tim Smith, V3.co.uk, Saturday 7 November 2009 at 00:00:00

Synchronise documents between different locations

If you regularly transfer and work on files in different locations it can often be difficult to make sure that you are always using the latest version. Super Flexible File Synchronizer takes care of that for you by updating the contents of different folders.

Each synchronisation is set up as a different profile that you can run when you want or update if your needs change. Files can be synchronised over networks or with internet sites.

There is a wizard mode as well as an advanced mode that can schedule synchronisations to happen automatically.

Nero Free 9.4.12.708

Chris Wiles — 2009-11-06T14:34:00.000Z

Chris Wiles, V3.co.uk, Friday 6 November 2009 at 14:34:00

Burn basic data & audio discs with this free tool

For most people, simple burning software is all we need on a day-to-day level. Some of the popular burning applications have migrated in to multimedia production suites over the last few years, which means they ship on a DVD-based installer, rather than a simple download to burn data and audio CDs.

Some software developers have recognised this and there are now many smaller simple burning tools that do a few things well – burn data, audio CDs and produce disc labels. Nero have also recognised a need for this market and have released a free basic version of their burning suite.

Nero Free is a simple cut-down version of the full burning package and enables you to burn discs, quickly. Quite a few features are missing. With any free burning software, you won’t be able to work with MP3 files or burn a DVD, due to the lack of an MPEG-2 codec. If you need these features, you’ll need to upgrade to the full version.

There’s no time limit on this application and it’s completely free.

Mozilla Firefox for Mac 3.5.5

Lee Collins — 2009-11-06T12:20:00.000Z

Lee Collins, V3.co.uk, Friday 6 November 2009 at 12:20:00

Minor release of the popular web browser

Some users were disappointed with the release of Mozilla Firefox 2.0. After months of betas, release candidates and previews, the new features weren’t as spectacular as people expected. However, there is only so much you can do to improve a web browser.

With the release of Mozilla Firefox 3, Mozilla decided to work hard on speeding up the rendering engine, so the web graphics has received a completely new upgrade. Dubbed ‘ Cairo’, the new graphics rendering engine should improve the output across different platforms, as it’s being developed as an open-standard.

With other improvements in the way that pages are ‘painted’ on screen, improved SVG support and CSS enhancements, the general improvements for Firefox 3.0 are based around the way it will render web pages through the browser. The new browser also ships with a new user-interface, improved bookmarks and many other new features.

This is the major new long-awaited v3.5 release with features such as private web browsing, speed improvements and much more.

VirtualBox for Mac 3.0.10

Lee Collins — 2009-11-06T12:00:00.000Z

Lee Collins, V3.co.uk, Friday 6 November 2009 at 12:00:00

Host a virtual operating system

This is the software publisher's description.

Powerful x86 virtualization products for enterprise as well as home use. Not only is VirtualBox an extremely feature rich, high performance product for enterprise customers, it is also the only professional solution that is freely available as Open Source Software under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL). See "About VirtualBox" for an introduction; see "innotek" for more about our company.

Presently, VirtualBox runs on Windows, Linux, Macintosh and OpenSolaris hosts and supports a large number of guest operating systems including but not limited to Windows (NT 4.0, 2000, XP, Server 2003, Vista), DOS/Windows 3.x, Linux (2.4 and 2.6), and OpenBSD.

VirtualBox is being actively developed with frequent releases and has an ever growing list of features, supported guest operating systems and platforms it runs on. VirtualBox is a community effort backed by a dedicated company: everyone is encouraged to contribute while innotek ensures the product always meets professional quality criteria.

On the VirtualBox site, you can find sources, binaries, documentation and other resources for VirtualBox.

Version 3.0 ships with major enhancements such as support for up to 32 CPUs per virtual guest OS, the ability to use DirectX 9 within a Windows guest, support for Windows 7 and much more.

VirtualBox for Windows 3.0.10

Chris Wiles — 2009-11-06T00:00:00.000Z

Chris Wiles, V3.co.uk, Friday 6 November 2009 at 00:00:00

Host a virtual operating system

This is the software publisher's description.

On the VirtualBox site, you can find sources, binaries, documentation and other resources for VirtualBox.

Version 3.0 ships with major enhancements such as support for up to 32 CPUs per virtual guest OS, the ability to use DirectX 9 within a Windows guest, support for Windows 7 and much more.

Mozilla Firefox 3.5.5

Chris Wiles — 2009-11-06T00:00:00.000Z

Chris Wiles, V3.co.uk, Friday 6 November 2009 at 00:00:00

Minor release of the popular web browser

This is the major new long-awaited v3.5 release with features such as private web browsing, speed improvements and much more.

Oregon Scientific WMR100 Advanced Weather Station

Simon Williams — 2009-11-06T17:26:00.000Z

Simon Williams, Computeractive, Friday 6 November 2009 at 17:26:00

Compete with the Meteorological Office with this complete local weather station

It’s common to see desktop weather monitors that include a thermometer and barometer and predict fine or stormy weather based on changes in air pressure.

This Oregon WMR100 Scientific weather station goes further. Although its base station has the same type of screen display, there is a lot more on it, as it connects wirelessly to two external sensors to monitor wind direction and strength as well as temperature and rainfall.

These sensors took some assembly and careful mounting, with staples and guy ropes in the case of the wind sensor. All the kit is well made with – for example, a three-piece steel pole to mount the wind monitor on and a mesh gauze to filter detritus out of captured water in the rain gauge.

The electronic set-up was made particularly easy by the automated nature of the system. The wind and rain sensors connected automatically and were calibrated with minimal intervention, though we did have to use a compass to tell the wind sensor which way north was.

The base station picks up the time from the atomic-radio clock at Cumbria and adjusts its calendar and moon phase display as soon as it gets an accurate time.

There is a mini-USB socket on the side of the base station which connects to a PC and, once you have downloaded the display software from the Oregon Scientific website, it’s possible to feed weather data through to this program for logging and display.

From a usability point of view the software is the weak link as it has a much more complicated – and rather untidy – design and little of the automated setup that was such a strong feature of the rest of the package.

The users have to determine arcane settings such as which Com port the base station is connected to (not obvious with a USB connection) and the latitude and longitude of your location, together with its height above sea level.

If you get around this lot, the software is pretty thorough. It can log readings from the weather station so you can see how weather events progress over time. It will not necessarily help with prediction, but the whole station is more about monitoring and recording than guessing tomorrow’s weather.

Elonex iGame

Paul Lester — 2009-11-06T16:35:00.000Z

Paul Lester, Computeractive, Friday 6 November 2009 at 16:35:00

A fun and innovative new take on the iPod dock

The release of an iPod dock may not appear to be very exciting – there are already plenty of them available – but in the iGame, computer maker Elonex has added appeal.

In addition to working as an iPod dock, the device doubles up as a simple games console that attaches to your television set.

The iGame is built into a white and silver oval-shaped casing that looks good against Apple’s devices and is designed to connect to a TV to offer access to either the player’s music, video and photos or any of the 20 games included.

Elonex has taken a leaf out of Nintendo’s book by providing a motion-sensitive controller, similar to the one supplied with Nintendo’s Wii console. In keeping with this approach the majority of titles supplied with the console are based around sport and puzzles.

Up to four players can compete at once, although this requires additional controllers that have to be bought separately for £20 each - it comes with a single controller in the box. Other accessories such as dance mats are promised in the future.

In truth the ‘console’ behaves rather like a simplified version of the Wii, and it’s worth clarifying that although the controllers offer vibration feedback, they are not as accurate and do not have the same range of motion as the Wii’s.

That makes the gaming side of the iGame much more suitable for kids than older gamers, and in this light it works well as a family product, with the adults more likely to use the iPod connection.

This was again rather basic but worked very well, giving quick and easy access to iPod-style menus. It works with all current players but it’s not fully compatible with the iPhone, which you will need to put in aeroplane mode to reduce interference.

It’s possible to browse and view videos and music directly from any connected iPod and Elonex says photo support is on the way in a downloadable update.

The iGame can be updated regularly to add features, which should increase its appeal. Elonex has made the console available for software development on an open-source basis, which means anyone can create programs for it.

The company expects future software to be available at prices ranging from £1 to £5. It also promises refinements and tweaks to the interface and features through future updates.

The biggest factor that makes the iGame appealing is the price. At £79 it offers good value and even if it will have limited appeal for adults as a games machine, the iGame is a good idea for a Christmas present, particularly for families with younger children.

Netgear XAVB1004 Homeplug AV adapter kit

Kelvyn Taylor — 2009-11-05T12:37:00.000Z

Kelvyn Taylor, Computeractive, Thursday 5 November 2009 at 12:37:00

High-speed networking for up to four devices – without wires

Netgear’s XAVB1004 kit plugs straight into your mains electricity wiring to network up to four devices using the Homeplug AV technology.

The package contains a single grey Homeplug AV adapter (model number XAV101), a small black Homeplug AV switch (XAV1004), two network cables and a mains lead for the switch.

The kit is simple to set up. Plug the single adapter into a mains socket (extension sockets can disrupt the network) and connect the network cable to a spare port on your router.

Plug the switch into another mains socket, wait a few seconds and that’s it. You can connect up to four devices – computers, consoles, printers and more – to the switch so they can be accessed over the network.

It’s a great alternative to using a wireless network. The 200Mbits/sec connection, shared between four network ports on the switch, is fast enough to stream high-definition video.

Available speeds depend on the kind of devices you have plugged and how many there are. Wiring quality and electrical interference will also affect performance.

The ports are colour-coded to prioritise certain devices. The two green ports are used to connect high-speed devices such as games consoles and the yellow ports are used for slower devices such as printers.

You do not need to configure the device and a software utility is included in the package for troubleshooting and changing advanced network settings, although this is probably best left to experts.

If you don't like blinking lights, the status LEDs on the adapters can be switched off and the network is automatically encrypted to prevent unauthorised access.

More adapters can be added as needed, but watch out for two rival standards - Homeplug and UPA. Netgear sells both types, so if you already have another adapter, check first that it’s a Homeplug one.

The XAVB1004 kit is great if your wireless connections don’t work well or you don’t want to run network cables around your house.

Samsung N510

Anthony Dhanendran — 2009-11-04T17:19:00.000Z

Anthony Dhanendran, Computeractive, Wednesday 4 November 2009 at 17:19:00

A large-screen netbook that can play HD video

Samsung’s N510 computer is halfway between a netbook and a laptop. It uses an Intel Atom processor, but it’s an Atom N280 model, a step up from the N270 found in similar computers.

Like a netbook, it is missing a CD or DVD drive, instead using the space saved to reduce its overall size. It’s a slimline device and easy to carry around, but it’s larger than most of its rivals as it has a 12in widescreen rather than 10in.

It’s similar in size to the Packard Bell Dot m/a computer but its graphics capabilities account for the price premium.

Most netbooks are designed for office work, mobility and to play basic video, but the Samsung N510 uses Nvidia’s new Ion graphics chipset so it can play video much better than other computers.

We tested it with a few standard high-definition movie clips in the 720p format, something that would be fine on many desktops and larger notebooks but without would usually tax a netbook to its limits, resulting in stuttering, juddery playback.

On the N510 our sample clips played back beautifully and looked superb on the reasonably large screen.

The computer comes with a HDMI connector to attach it to a flat-panel TV or a high-definition projector and has three USB sockets and a wired network port (it can also connect to wired networks and Bluetooth devices).

The design is nice and flat without the rounded curves of its brother, the N310, and there is a slight jut at the bottom of the body from the large battery, which gave four hours in our tests.

Despite the large screen, it’s still a slim laptop and easy to carry around.

The N510 comes with the Samsung power-management software to control the brightness, processor power and more to conserve the battery when the computer is not plugged in.

The keyboard size is reasonable, with keys big enough to type on and comfortable enough for long periods of typing. The trackpad also benefits from the larger size of the N510, as it’s a bit bigger than most.

For simple office and internet tasks the N510 is overkill. A smaller, cheaper device such as the Samsung N310 is more than adequate for this and even for playing standard video.

For those who want to do a bit more, though, or those who just want a mobile laptop with a bigger screen the N510 is an excellent choice.

PC Specialist Vortex i5 750GTS

Anthony Dhanendran — 2009-11-03T15:29:00.000Z

Anthony Dhanendran, Computeractive, Tuesday 3 November 2009 at 15:29:00

A fast desktop PC with an Intel Core i5 processor

The ‘i5’ in the name of PC Specialist’s new Vortex i5 750GTS refers to the computer’s processor, which is one of the new Core i5 models from Intel.

It’s the company’s newest range of quad-core processors, and while the i5 750 processor in this computer is not top of the range it’s still extremely fast.

The Vortex i5 750GTS has 4GB of memory and an Nvidia Geforce GTS250 graphics card that has 1GB of its own memory.

For storage there is a 750GB hard disk and a DVD burner that will read and write all kinds of discs except Blu-ray. This can also etch labels onto special discs using Lightscribe technology. It also has a memory card reader.

The computer comes in a heavy all-metal case with a stylish door on the front that conceals the drive bays, DVD writer, memory card reader and one of the 15 USB ports (there are four more on the side of the front door and ten on the back panel).

It also covers the power and reset switches. There is lots of room for expansion inside, with two of the four memory sockets free and plenty of space for extra disc drives (Blu-ray, for example).

The graphics card has both DVI and VGA outputs for connection to monitors and a 22in Acer model was supplied with our review unit, with cables for both kinds of connection.

It was a good-quality screen with decent colour reproduction, sharpness and brightness. The computer also has a HDMI output so it can be connected to a suitable flat-panel television screen.

In addition to the ports and sockets we talked about above, there are eSata and Firewire sockets, a wired network connection, keyboard and mouse sockets and sound outputs and inputs (including an optical sound output).

As a desktop computer it cannot connect to wireless networks or Bluetooth without adding extra hardware but that is no great loss given that the Vortex i5 750GTS isn’t designed to be mobile.

The keyboard and mouse supplied were reasonable Logitech wireless models, with batteries included so you can get going straight away.

It comes with a one-year warranty and the Windows 7 Home Premium operating system, as well as Nero and Cyberlink software for creating and playing discs.

PC Specialist helpfully supplied all the manuals for the various components, along with a friendly, easy-to-follow quick start booklet. Impressively, PC Specialist supplies a full Windows 7 CD in the box, not just a system restore disc.

At just under £800 the Vortex i5 750GTS is not cheap, even when it comes to gaming computers.

However, the components in this computer are top-notch, with a processor and graphics card that are well capable of playing recent games at high levels of detail.

For tasks such as video editing, which are similarly hard on the computer’s processor (and sometimes the graphics card) it’s also a superb choice of computer.

If you are more of a light user, with email and word processing in mind, we would not recommend a computer this powerful.

But as a family workhorse, say, that can handle lots of different tasks, and with its enormous amount of storage space and expansion options, the i5 750GTS is an excellent choice.

For more information about the computer, and to buy, click here.

Packard Bell Dot m/a UK020

Simon Williams — 2009-11-02T17:22:00.000Z

Simon Williams, Computeractive, Monday 2 November 2009 at 17:22:00

A great small notebook that includes a variety of software, ideal for office tasks

Netbooks have been growing in size since the first Asus Eee PC hit the streets. The original was almost pocket-sized, with a 7in screen and a processor only powerful enough for simple browsing and office tasks.

Packard Bell’s new Dot m/a, available from Tesco Direct, is much more like a notebook in miniature, with an 11.6in widescreen display, 2GB of memory and an unusual combination of processor and graphics chipset.

The Dot m/a uses a 64-bit AMD Athlon processor, with a graphics chipset from ATI. The two work well together to give performance in our tests that was a touch above the netbook standard (they tend to use slower Intel Atom processors).

For normal office tasks and even for graphic editing and some video work, the dot m/a felt in control, and was even up to the performance of some of the mid-range full-size laptops we have seen.

Although, as we expected, the Dot m/a had problems playing most kinds of high-definition video, normal (standard definition) video handled well and was supported by the supplied Dolby headphone software, which simulates surround sound through just about any headset.

The computer comes with a good bundle of software, including a full version of Microsoft Works and a full copy of Adobe Photoshop Elements 6. It uses Windows Vista Home Basic, but current models on the shelves come with a voucher for an upgrade to Windows 7 (note there may be a charge for this).

The netbook includes support for the small webcam set just above the bright 11.6in screen, though other applications supplied, such as the Nero burning software and PowerDVD 9, would have been more useful if the computer came with a CD or DVD drive.

The flat keyboard has keys that are larger than those normally found on netbooks, and was light and comfortable to use, though the small cursor cluster is marred by dark-red secondary lettering on the keys that was hard to read. The case itself has no clasp, so opening the lid was fiddly.

It’s available in black or bright red, and while the high-gloss lid shows fingerprints very clearly it comes with a soft, padded sleeve, which helps protect it even if you have a carrying case.

The Dot m/a is available with a hard disk capacity of 160GB, 250GB or 320GB, and has three USB sockets, a VGA connection for a monitor, wired and wireless network connections and microphone and headphone sockets. A memory card slot is also included for SD, MemoryStick and XD cards.

The main fault is its battery which is unlikely to last the length of a movie when playing a DVD and even under less arduous use gives barely three hours. There is an optional larger battery, but this costs an extra £120.

Olympus Mju-7010

Laurence Gunn — 2009-11-02T16:39:00.000Z

Laurence Gunn, Computeractive, Monday 2 November 2009 at 16:39:00

A quick and compact camera, ideal for capturing fast-moving moments

The Olympus Mju-7010 is a 12-megapixel compact camera. It is available in pink, grey and silver, has four easily accessible shooting modes and can be used to shoot video as well as still images.

With a 7x optical zoom lens, the Mju-7010 is designed with point-and-shoot in mind. The start-up time was about two seconds, ideal for capturing those fast-moving moments on holiday or a night out.

The 2.7in screen on the rear is clear, providing a good setting for the picture-heavy menus typical of Olympus cameras. The screen must be used for composing photos, as there is no optical viewfinder.

Overall, the Mju-7010 was easy to use. It has four modes accessible from the slightly stiff rear-mounted scroll wheel: Video, Scene (a selection of 15 optimised presets), Beauty (which smoothes skin imperfections) and iAuto which chooses one of five settings automatically to suit the given environment.

All of these options performed well and the beauty mode in particular did a decent job of reducing small spots, under-eye bags and crow’s feet.

The scene presets were well thought-out, offering a wide range of presets from sports to portraits to pet photography that we were able to access quickly.

There are also some on-board effects that can be used to stylise photos, including a pin-hole camera effect that darkens the edges of your images and a loud pop-art cartoon-style effect.

Our favourite option was the impressive and easy-to-use panorama setting, which directs the user to take three shots that the camera then stitches into one.

Conversely, the video was disappointing: the resolution of 640x480 pixels is not good given what the similarly priced competition can offer. Also, in low light our pictures produced too much noise.

The Mju-7010’s image stabilisation was effective at combating camera shake while the face detection was effective for recognising up to 16 people in a shot.

The lack of options for manual fine-tuning will put off more experienced snappers but the Mju-7010 is a better camera for beginners – it’s a shame about the high retail price.

Mesh Cute Inspire

Anthony Dhanendran — 2009-10-30T09:30:00.000Z

Anthony Dhanendran, Computeractive, Friday 30 October 2009 at 09:30:00

A smaller computer from a big name

Previous computers we have looked at from Mesh have tended to be full-sized desktop models, but the new Cute series uses a smaller case that’s suitable for those who don’t have much desk space to spare or who want to fit their computers into the living room.

The Cute’s case is short and squat, with a square front panel that houses just the power button, DVD drive (which reads and writes all discs except Blu-ray), sound sockets and two of the computer’s eight USB ports. Our review model came with 2GB of memory but Mesh has since upped this to four, and although our review unit came with Windows Vista, new models will come with Windows 7 Home Premium installed.

The processor is an AMD Athlon II X2 215 dual-core processor, which is a decent but not particularly fast model, and it uses onboard graphics rather than a dedicated graphics card which made games playing a no-no. For less demanding pursuits such as playing video and editing photos, as well as the standard internet and office tasks (the Cute comes with the Works software suite) it coped fine.

One thing to watch out for is that although the price on the Mesh site is listed as £299, this went up to over £450 when we added it to our basket. Once we removed the ‘extras’ that Mesh had thoughtfully added, such as a multiple mains socket extension cable, it came back down to the desired £299.

As is standard with this kind of smaller computer, it doesn’t come with a monitor. It’s possible to add one when you buy it (Mesh charges £155 for a 22in Iiyama model) but the computer is designed to be hooked up to a television screen. To that end, in addition to the VGA and DVI monitor connections, there’s an HDMI socket on the back panel, along with surround sound outputs (including optical), six USB ports, wired network connection, eSata and keyboard and mouse sockets.

It also comes with a TV tuner card, although the model in our review unit was an analogue one, which won’t be much use if you live in a region that has a lready switched to digital-only television. The upgrade on the website to a digital (Freeview) tuner is an extra £40.

A one-year warranty is included in the price, as is a copy of the Cyberlink collection of programs for viewing and editing video, as well as Windows 7 and the aforementioned Microsoft Works 8.5. A Logitech keyboard and mouse will set you back and extra £10 for wired ones or £20 for wireless.

The Mesh Cute Inspire is a competitor to the likes of Novatech’s cheaper Ion Fusion (see below). While that computer is smaller, it’s not as powerful as the Cute and is lacking in a couple of other ways. If you’re looking for a small computer that will function as a media player and more, or you’re simply lacking in desk space and don’t need to edit video or play games, take a look at the Mesh Cute Inspire.

M-Audio Pro Tools Keystudio

Cliff Joseph — 2009-11-05T11:55:00.000Z

Cliff Joseph, Computeractive, Thursday 5 November 2009 at 11:55:00

An affordable music keyboard-and-software package

M-Audio is well known in the music business for its music keyboards and other recording devices used in studios around the world.

Its new Pro Tools Keystudio is an attempt to make a more affordable music product for home users and less-experienced musicians.

The Keystudio package is good value. For just £79 it includes a music keyboard that plugs into a USB port on your computer (PC or Mac) and a powerful piece of recording software called Pro Tools Essential.

The keyboard is excellent. It has 49 keys covering four octaves (groups of eight notes), and it has an Octave button that raises or lowers notes by an octave at a time to cover a much wider range.

It’s also pressure-sensitive, which means that, like a piano, the keyboard produces notes more loudly or quietly depending on how hard the keys are hit (cheaper keyboards play at the same volume regardless).

If you don’t want a keyboard there is a Vocal Studio version for the same price that includes a high-quality microphone instead, or the Recording Studio package that provides a gadget for recording guitars and other instruments.

Unfortunately the software is not as attractive. The Pro Tools Essential program is very powerful but it’s also complicated.

When the program opens you are presented with two overlapping windows that contain an intimidating selection of controls and menu commands.

Matters are not helped by the half-a-dozen different manuals included on the disk in PDF format and people who have not used recording software before may struggle.

You also need to attach a special adaptor into a USB port to use the Pro Tools Essential Software. If you lose or damage this you will not be able to use the software.

We like the idea of combining music hardware and software into an affordable package, but the complexity of the Pro Tools Essential software and the need to plug in the adaptor before running it means that Keystudio is not user-friendly enough for newcomers to digital music.

Norton Internet Security 2010

Cliff Joseph — 2009-11-05T10:15:00.000Z

Cliff Joseph, Computeractive, Thursday 5 November 2009 at 10:15:00

A new approach to eliminating internet threats

Anti-virus companies such as Symantec employ large teams to monitor new viruses and other types of malware as they appear on the Internet.

However, Symantec says the virus threat has now reached the point at which it’s almost impossible to keep up with the thousands of new viruses that appear every day.

So, for its Norton Internet Security 2010 suite, the company has developed a new system called Quorum.

In effect, this is a huge database compiled using information drawn from the PCs of millions of people who already use Norton software

This information is provided on a voluntary opt-in basis, so users don’t have to provide any information if they don’t want to.

Whenever you download a file from the Internet, or open an email attachment or load a file from anywhere else, Norton 2010 checks the Quorum database to see if the same file has been found on any other users’ PCs, and whether or not the file has caused any known problems.

If the file has a bad ‘reputation’ on the Quorum database then the security software will automatically attempt to remove the file before it can do any harm.

If there is no record of a particular file on Quorum then it can use another new feature called Insight to analyse the effect the file has on the computer.

The software can remove files that appear to be slowing the computer down or taking up large amounts of memory.

And to avoid affecting the computer’s performance, Norton 2010 uses less memory for itself – just 10Mb – and can scan the computer’s hard disk more quickly to ensure it doesn’t slow you down while you are trying to work.

The Quorum system may take a little while to prove its worth, but Norton 2010 ran very efficiently on our test PC. Its quick scan took just a few seconds to run and managed to pick up a few worrying cookies that were attempting to store information about our web browsing habits.

As with most modern security software the £50 price includes a licence for protecting three separate computers, making it good for families or small businesses that need to protect all their computers.

Apple OS X Snow Leopard

Cliff Joseph — 2009-11-03T14:35:00.000Z

Cliff Joseph, Computeractive, Tuesday 3 November 2009 at 14:35:00

The latest Mac update adds little gloss but plenty under the bonnet

Sometimes, as the saying goes, less is more.

Like the new Windows 7, the latest version of Apple’s OS X operating system for Macintosh computers focuses on better performance rather than the eye-catching features we normally expect from Apple.

After you install Snow Leopard on your Mac the display on the screen will look the same as it did before – in fact, you might be wondering why you bothered to pay £25 for the ‘upgrade’ at all.

But while it looks the same on the surface, Apple has completely rewritten the Finder, the part of the operating system that displays the contents of the hard disk on the computer screen, in order to make it run much more smoothly.

The main area in which we noticed an improvement was when using the Quicklook option that allows users to quickly peek inside files and preview their contents without actually opening them.

When a user hits the space bar to activate Quicklook the preview window pops up more quickly, even with complicated files such as video clips.

It can also browse through long documents containing multiple pages, which is handy when you are looking for specific information. Other options, such as Exposé, which neatly organises all the open windows on the screen, also respond more quickly and smoothly.

There is one big new feature but it’s mainly suitable for business users. Snow Leopard now allows Macs to work with the PC-based Microsoft Exchange Server e-mail system that is used by many businesses.

Its new ‘autodiscovery’ option allows the Mac’s Address Book, Mail, and Calendar programs to automatically connect to Exchange Server running on an office network.

That means people can take their Macs to work – as long as their IT departments allow it – and easily exchange emails, contacts and calendar details with PC-using colleagues.

Snow Leopard requires at least 1GB of memory before it can be installed and it will only run on Macs that use Intel processors rather than the old PowerPC processors that Apple used until about three years ago.

But if you have a Mac that fits the bill then Snow Leopard is a worthwhile upgrade that will make your Mac run more smoothly and efficiently.

F-Secure Internet Security 2010

Anthony Dhanendran — 2009-10-29T13:04:00.000Z

Anthony Dhanendran, Computeractive, Thursday 29 October 2009 at 13:04:00

Comprehensive security and parental controls

Keeping a computer secure online is an ever-more-complex job.

The days of merely needing a firewall and anti-virus program are now over – with its various components F-Secure Internet Security is a good example of these changes.

The main screen is fairly simple with a large icon showing whether the computer is safe or not, accompanied by shortcuts to three main sections – status, tasks and statistics – and smaller icons for updates and settings. The large green tick denoting a safe computer still appears if scheduled virus scanning is disabled, although we would recommend running regular scans.

The Status screen gives an overview of the different kinds of protection offered. Virus and spyware protection are bundled together, while the firewall keeps an eye on what programs are trying to talk to the internet as well as keeping hackers out, and dial-up protection prevents modem users being scammed into dialling premium-rate numbers. A toolbar in Internet Explorer gives a warning of anything untoward in websites and checks search engine results and webmail, there is email spam filtering and, finally, parental controls.

The Deepguard protection is an interesting solution to the problem of malicious software being released much more often. Deepguard decides whether or not software should be allowed to run based both on lists created by F-Secure and on what the program is trying to do. Behaviour such as trying to change the Windows Registry would trigger an alert unless it is on a list of approved software, in which case there is no interruption to the user. Likewise, if the software is on a list of known miscreants it is blocked without question.

The parental controls have two levels of protection, for small children and teenagers. Each has separate limits for time spent online, though the restrictions don’t apply to chat or online games. Children are only allowed to browse sites in an approved list, whereas teenagers are restricted the other way round with full access except to some blocked sites.

There are free security tools available, but the full-on F-Secure package keeps everything simple and working properly. F-Secure Internet Security 2010 includes some useful tools and is easy to use.

Puzzle Kingdoms

Jonathan Parkyn — 2009-10-25T09:30:00.000Z

Jonathan Parkyn, Computeractive, Sunday 25 October 2009 at 09:30:00

This genre blender proves that looks aren’t everything

Take a spot of Bejeweled-style puzzling, then tack on an element of role playing and, by rights, you should end up with some kind of hideous hybrid aberration.

In fact, the relatively recent trend for mashing up these genres has produced several enjoyably addictive games such as the supremely popular Puzzle Quest.

Though not a direct sequel, Puzzle Kingdoms proudly professes to come from the same development team as Puzzle Quest and shares several characteristics with its forebear.

There’s a familiar fantasy setting, for example, and a similarly massive map to explore. More importantly, Puzzle Kingdoms has a similar focus on puzzle-based ‘battles’ against the computer’s AI, with the objective here being to match three coloured tiles on the board by moving rows to line up the colours.

Kingdoms goes one further than its predecessor, though, by adding elements of another genre: real-time strategy. It does this by providing simple army-building and troop-management features. The cash earned in battle pays for extra troops, while uncovering new areas unlocks different troop types and hero characters, both of which can use their unique skills to help you win in battle.

The battles themselves take on a strategic element too, since you need to try and prevent your opponent from amassing resources. Different colours represent power-ups for troop attacks – as well as powering up your own army.

Relatively crude graphics and low presentation values are the only things that let the game down. But what it lacks in visual finesse, Puzzle Kingdoms more than makes up for in originality and playability.

PEGI age rating: 3+

Section 8

Orestis Bastounis — 2009-10-24T09:30:00.000Z

Orestis Bastounis, Computeractive, Saturday 24 October 2009 at 09:30:00

Squad-based multiplayer shooting

Section 8 resembles old squad-based multiplayer shooters such as Starsiege: Tribes and Planetside.

The single-player campaign is no more than a tutorial that introduces the game’s concepts, and is quite boring when compared with playing against up to 32 human players.

Section 8 tries to emphasise good team play rather than accuracy and reflexes. When players zoom in, they automatically lock onto a target, removing the need for precise aiming. Some might consider this a dumbing down of shooting games, catering for console players who can’t aim as precisely with gamepads as PC gamers can with a mouse.

The game doesn't use pre-set character classes, but instead lets players customise their own combinations of weapons and equipment. Players are split into squads, and are dropped onto the battlefield in pods. Every player has a jetpack to leap over high walls and into enemy fortresses.

Money and victory points are earned for each round, from scoring kills and hacking into control objectives. This is then spent on vehicles and upgrades, such as a two-legged walker, a tank, or to deploy a sentry turret. Additional points can be earned by completing challenges within a set time limit, such as escorting a convoy or planting a bomb.

Section 8 won't be to everyone's taste: the visuals are fair, with some levels looking breathtaking and others merely bland. With good players, the multiplayer mode is great fun, requiring plenty of coordination and different tactics.

However, if you don’t have a good internet connection, avoid Section 8 as the single-player campaign is dull.

Wolfenstein

Jonathan Parkyn — 2009-10-24T08:15:00.000Z

Jonathan Parkyn, Computeractive, Saturday 24 October 2009 at 08:15:00

An old classic gets an added dimension

Remakes, along with 'reboots' and ‘reimaginings’, are all the rage these days and the latest in line for the modern makeover treatment is Wolfenstein, the forefather of all first-person shooters.

Given that fact that the original Wolfenstein 3D game was released way back in 1992 and effectively invented an entire genre single-handed, a revisit to Wolfenstein is probably easier to justify than most – although it could be argued that 2001’s Return to Castle Wolfenstein already achieved this with some success.

For those unfamiliar with Wolfenstein’s premise, the game takes place in a fictionalised version of World War II Germany, where US special agent BJ Blazkowicz finds himself up against a group of Nazi soldiers who have been busy meddling in the dark arts.

The new game takes a slightly different angle on the story but, after a couple of initial levels that are relatively realistic in terms of the types of enemies and weaponry you encounter, things quickly take a more fantastical turn.

In 2009, Wolfenstein's main new hook is The Veil. It’s basically an alternative dimension that can be accessed through a magical artefact – a medallion that is gradually upgraded with various powers as the game progresses. While within The Veil, your hero gains unique advantages, such as the ability to move faster than his enemies, see in the dark or discover secrets that are invisible in ‘normal’ mode. BJ can slip in and out of The Veil at will, but requires energy to do so. This starts to run out as long as BJ remains in the spirit plane but can be topped up by sucking in Veil juice from various deposits found throughout the levels.

It’s a handy trick, but it’s not exactly original – similar mechanics can be witnessed in other recent games, such as The Darkness and Prey.

Indeed, Wolfenstein brings remarkably little to an already fairly crowded table and, in terms of gameplay, it doesn’t particularly improve on either Wolfenstein’s 2001 sequel or even the 15-year-old original.

As well as slightly dated visuals, single players will have to put up with frequent frustrating sections and recurring cheap deaths. The game’s cheerfully tongue-in-cheek tone and lively multiplayer help to make up for it, though.

PEGI age rating: 18+