Gadget Guru April 2011
Q: My old laptop has started running very, very slowly recently -
it can take a quarter of an hour to start up sometimes, and I bring
along a magazine when I'm trying to surf the internet or read
e-mails just to occupy myself. It runs Windows XP - could that be
the problem?
A: There are many potential reasons for such a
slowdown. First, the age of your laptop - Windows XP dates it to
probably at least four years old and, whilst the operating system
is OK it means the rest of the components in your laptop are going
to be showing their age. In particular the hard disc will probably
be the next point of failure - it's one of the few moving parts
in modern computers and it's always a question of when, not if,
they fail. If you hear any sort of clicking or grinding noises,
that's going to be your hard disc on the point of giving up.
They can be replaced, more or less easily depending on the model of
your computer, try your local computer repairer who may be able to
help. Second, your problem may be due to virus infections, even if
you already run anti-virus software. Try an online anti-virus
scanner - http://www.f-secure.com/en_EMEA-Labs/security-threats/tools/online-scanner
for example. Finally, there are numerous 'tweaks' you can
try on your computer to speed things up - deleting old files,
freeing up disc space, turning off programs you don't use and
so on. There's a good roundup on the PC Pro magazine website at
http://goo.gl/9JZ2i
Q: All I want to do is be
able to put on a CD in the front room and listen to it in the
kitchen. My husband keeps coming up with ever-more complicated
ideas about using iPods, computers, wiring schemes and goodness
knows what else. Is there a simple way to do this for under a
hundred pounds?
A: You can do this easily within your budget by using some wireless loudspeakers. The Connected Essentials HPL200 Wireless Speakers are under £64.95 from Amazon, in fact, http://goo.gl/8TN5f - you get a widget which plugs into the back of your Hi Fi CD player, then the speakers can go anywhere within 100 metres and either run on batteries or plug into the mains. Whatever you play on your CD automatically comes out of the wireless speakers.
Q: I'm a bit lost with
memory cards for my camera and my MP3 player - which is the best
kind to buy?
A: This isn't an easy question to answer without knowing the brand and model of camera and MP3 player first. In fact, the easiest thing to do would be to just take them into your local electronics store - or even just the supermarket, many sell such cards now - and say 'One just like that, please' to the store geek. Don't bother about buying high-quality (and cost!) ones, that's only worthwhile if you're using a professional camera which needs high-speed cards, the bog-standard ones work fine for ordinary cameras and music players.
Hints and tips...
* If you're travelling abroad and don't want to pay a fortune for your mobile phone calls, check with your UK operator that they've unlocked your phone (they'll probably do this - for a fee! - if you've had a contract for a while) and then, when you arrive overseas, buy a Pay-as-you-go SIM card for your phone. You'll have a local number and this will be a much cheaper way for you to receive calls than having friends call your UK mobile number.
* Be careful if you use Facebook to stay in
touch with family and friends - you could be revealing more to the
rest of the world than you think. Top internet security firm Sophos
has produced a handy checklist on how to make sure you're safe:
http://www.sophos.com/security/best-practice/facebook/
* A tip if you work with Microsoft Excel at the office: Move quickly between worksheets by holding down the Ctrl key on your keyboard and pressing the Page Up and Page Down keys.
* Sky TV remote control tip: To see what's on a particular channel, use the arrow keys around the Select button - to see what's on next on the channel you're watching, press the right arrow, keep pressing and you'll see what's on after that. To see what's on another channel without changing channel, press the up arrow (or down arrow), and again you can use the left arrow to see what's on later on.
* Keep your mouse clean! Not the kids' pet,
the one on your computer - especially if it's the old, wired
kind with a rubber ball in it. These can be removed and cleaned,
and while you have it out check the state of the metal/plastic
rollers and wheels inside - prepare to be disgusted!
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Comments:
"Good idea about keeping your rollerball mouse clean. You can clean the rollers by using a pencil & gently removing the dirt with the lead tip, this does the job without damaging the rollers."
Jenny Fox - Sunday 20th Mar 2011