Computers are fun

Just a quick tip which some readers may find useful. If you don't have Microsoft Word on your computer, then one of the problems you will come across is that you will not have a spell checker when you use Outlook Express. Luckily there is a simple (and free) solution. You can download a free spell checker from this link. http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=2952 Eddie Subscribe to Computers are fun by Email

The big broadband news over the last few days in the UK has been PC World's offer of a free laptop for anyone willing to sign up to a longterm broadband deal with Orange. On the face of it, it seems a strange thing to do, but it only copies the pricing model which Orange (and other companies) have used for mobile phones. Free phone with a long contract for your mobile, so why not free laptop with your broadband contract? The computer on offer is very basic and comes with XP not VISTA, no wireless modem, small hard disk and low ram. The broadband is pretty basic too. So is it a good deal? Hard to say, until some customers have tried it. It certainly wouldn't suit most savvy computer users or those with fast broadband already. If you are tempted, then it is probably worth looking at this site which has been set up by unhappy Orange customers. http://www.orangeproblems.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3377 Eddie Subscribe to Computers are fun by Email

Video on the web has been a big success. But with all the videos which are appearing on sites like YouTube or MetaCafe, how do you sort the good from the bad? One answer is to use a video aggregating site which scours other sites and gets real people (like you and me) to vote for the ones we like. More votes mean that the video stays on the site and less votes mean that it eventually disappears. One such site is Videosift. You can choose the type of content which interests you - say humour or politics (very often these are the same!); then get a ranked list of popular videos which you can watch directly on the site. One warning - if you are not careful this will take over your entire weekend and possibly the rest of your life:) www.videosift.com Enjoy your weekend - Eddie Subscribe to Computers are fun by Email

Sometimes the internet serves up something which just stops you in your tracks and gives your day a lift. This video is just like that. Despite the commentary being in Japanese, I am sure you will feel better for watching it. It has all the great ingredients. A Chimpanzee, a dog and humour. Why not take a break and enjoy it? http://www.flixxy.com/japan-train-travel-chimpanzee.htm Have a good day Eddie Subscribe to Computers are fun by Email

The "Next big thing" on the Internet is Web 2.0, but what is it?In typical laid back style Stephen Fry answers that question here http://www.videojug.com/interview/stephen-fry-web-20 Videojug is, perhaps, a good example of Web 2.0 in action. Do you want to know how to make Chicken Jalfrezi or make a date? It is all here. The videos are all professional and follow roughly the same format. Some are much better than others. But be warned. You can quickly lose an hour clicking around the site. I have raised the issue of Web 2.0 now, because a big step forward for the UK is going to take place on Friday of this week (27th July). The BBC finally make their iplayer available to the general public. Demand is likely to be enormous, so if you are at all interested it might be worth logging on to the BBC website and getting yourself up to speed. This is the link for information from the BBC press office http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/06_june/27/iplayer.sht...

If you don't have Microsoft Office installed on your computer, you are often at a disadvantage. You might not be able to open Word documents or Spreadsheets that are sent by other people. PowerPoint presentations can also be a problem. So, one option is to 'bite the bullet' and shell out over £300 for the software. Luckily there there is an alternative which will save you a fortune. [This is just for the UK.] Tesco now sell their own software range which you can buy in store or online. They have an Office compatible suite which comprises four programs. Word processor, database, spreadsheet and presentation programs. How much? Just £19.99 AND if you are using it at home, the licence allows you to install it on more than one computer. At the moment they also have a 'buy one get one free offer'. So if you know someone else who wants the program, you can share and it will only cost you £10. Alternatively, you can choose from the rest of the Tesco software range. I have ...

Time to relax? There are many entertainment sites that are part of the Web 2.0 revolution. Computers are rapidly becoming "TV on Demand". You can find lots of sites which are testing out this new genre. I am sure that only a few will survive and become a household name like Google. The technology is still not quite there in my opinion so, while we wait, some of the best sites are those which will download programs in the background. That way you can watch chosen content when you want it. It will play from your computer's hard disk, so the technical quality is excellent. Just like watching a DVD in fact. One of the newest and best sites is Miro . It is a Free download and will index all your existing video content as well if you want. Once you have the program installed you have a choice of many channels. By default these are NOT set to automatic download. Choose which channel or channels you want and set their options at the top of the page. To get you going, I can hearti...

How secure is your computer? I don't mean could someone steal it (though, of course, that would be a disaster for many of us). No what I mean is, could someone easily hack into it and what would be the consequences? If you only have a domestic computer and don't use it for banking then you may not be too worried. But if you use your computer at work and it is on a wireless network, here is something to think about. Unless you have something stronger than the normal passworded set-up, wireless networks are relatively easy to hack. What would be the consequences? Well, at best, you might lose some confidential files. At worst, someone could access your banking, accounts and personnel records. Still not worried? Then think about this. I am told that with the recent successes that the police have had targeting paedophiles, those same paedophiles are starting to adopt preventative measures. One of their tricks is to hack into poorly protected computer networks. They can then use you...

You would be amazed how many people I come across who have their computers infested by viruses. Many got a free trial of an anti-virus program with their new computer and think that they are protected even though they have never updated the virus signatures. So what do anti-virus programs do? Well, if you compare them to protection you have at home, they work like this.... You plan to let someone in to your computer. The anti virus program checks them out to see that they really are who they say they are. It also checks that no sneaky criminal is getting in by hiding behind a genuine visitor. Once your guests are inside it makes sure that they don't get up to any mischief. How do these 'visitors' get in? You invite them by looking at certain websites, downloading your email and opening it or by running software on your computer. Virus writers are both clever and sneaky. They keep coming up with ways to get past your security and cause trouble. Anti-virus programs have to be...

Since I supply Broadband and often set it up for my customers, I sometimes come across people who don't have a firewall. Even those that do, are often unsure of what it does. I think that the best way to think about a Firewall is to compare it to the security in your home. To prevent people breaking in, you will have locks and bolts and perhaps an alarm. A firewall does the same on your computer. It prevents unauthorised access. Just as you can let in anyone to your house, so you can override your firewall and let a program in. If your firewall doesn't recognise a program which is trying to gain access as 'safe', it will block it and, generally, ask you whether you want to grant permission. How do you know what to do? The safest response is always to deny permission. Then, if some program that you want to use stops working you can reconsider your decision. If it is something you don't recognise, refuse and look it up in Google to see if there are any references. If ...