Computeractive

More than 240 million computers could be sent to landfill when support for Windows 10 ends, analysts have said. Researchers from Canalys (www.snipca.com/48845) estimated that the electronic waste could weigh 480 million kilograms, equivalent to 320,0

BT and Virgin Media have been told to stop forcing digital phone lines on vulnerable customers after power cuts left them unable to use their telecare devices. Government officials met technology companies following reports of “serious incidents” whe

Amazon is introducing adverts on Prime Video and will charge viewers £2.99 a month to remove them. It follows similar moves by rival streaming services Disney+ and Netflix. In an email sent to Prime members just after Christmas, Amazon said that “lim

More than half of UK homes can now get fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) broadband, according to Ofcom’s latest annual report. Its 2023 Connected Nations Report (www.snipca.com/48829) found that FTTP is available to 57 per cent of households (17 million),

Banks will be forced to refund most victims of bank-transfer fraud under new rules set by the Payment Systems Regulator. The changes affect ‘authorised push payment’ (APP) fraud, in which you get tricked into paying money into a scammer’s account. Th

People who sell items on ‘digital platforms’ like eBay, Etsy and Vinted could end up paying more tax on their earnings. New rules that came into force on 1 January compel the sites to share details of transactions with HMRC. Tax authorities hope this

If you see the message in our screenshot (right) appear while you’re browsing the web in Chrome, it means you’re now part of a very exclusive club. Just one per cent (about 30 million) of Chrome users have been randomly chosen to “experience Tracking

Ofcom’s decision to make companies use the word ‘fibre’ more precisely could lead to lawsuits (Issue 674, page 10, pictured). When I signed up to my provider five years ago, the assistant on the phone described my broadband as ‘fibre’. I took that to

I’m delighted that Ofcom has finally banned mid-contract price rises (Issue 674, page 6), but I’d like it to go further to protect customers. Here are three proposals that it should introduce: 1. Force companies to only raise prices on the anniversar

Local newspapers are full of priceless information and colourful stories that help you discover more about your ancestors. One of the best online collections is at Findmypast (www.snipca.com/48754), where subscribers can search 2,335 newspaper titles

MINI PC ❘ £299 from GMKtec www.snipca.com/48726 Some of the mini PCs we review cost almost as much as a typical desktop PC and contain top-notch components that offer high performance levels. Our current favourite mini PC – the Beelink GTR7 7840HS (s

LAPTOP ❘ £899 from Lenovo www.snipca.com/48731 Lenovo’s ThinkPads have been stalwarts of the Windows laptop market for decades. In fact, there are so many variations and models, the choice can be bewildering. This – as its name suggests – is the fift

PRINTER ❘ £199 from Amazon www.snipca.com/48747 This entry-level A3 printer in Brother’s office range is a four-in-one device (printer, scanner, copier and fax). It combines the brand’s usual features – speedy inkjet printing, touchscreen control and

TABLET ❘ £1,149 from John Lewis www.snipca.com/48791 Let’s cut to the chase – the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is Samsung’s best tablet yet. It’s also its most expensive, costing more than many of us would be prepared to spend on a Windows PC. So while we’re

IMAGE-EDITING SOFTWARE ❘ £70 from Corel www.snipca.com/48803 PaintShop Pro started off as free software in 1990, but was purchased by Corel in 2004 and has been a major part of the brand’s graphical software stable for nearly 20 years. We’ve tested t

LAPTOP DOCK/PHONE CHARGER ❘ £105 from Dell www.snipca.com/48767 Dell’s Dual Charge Dock is two good ideas rolled into one. First and foremost, it’s a handy laptop dock that’s intended to sit next to your monitor. With its generous selection of ports

EARBUDS £100 from Amazon www.snipca.com/48768 Edifier’s NeoBuds Pro 2 join the ranks of an ever-increasing choice of affordable earbuds that leave us wondering why anyone would spend more on expensive alternatives. They have the kind of features most

COMING SOON! Buy the CD from us at www.snipca.com/48860 Buy the Stick from us at www.snipca.com/48861 ■

What you need: Windows 10 or 11 Time required: 45 minutes When using Command Prompt, have you ever needed to list the contents of a folder or drive? If so, then the DIR command has you covered. At first glance, that’s all it can do – and in a less vi

What you need: PortableApps.com platform; portable versions of your apps Time required: 15 minutes If you often use portable programs, you may already be familiar with PortableApps.com (www.snipca.com/48787) – a website that lets you download and set

I’m hard of hearing in my left ear, so when listening to music or audiobooks on my Google Pixel phone I activate Android’s mono mode. It’s in the Hearing section, which is part of Accessibility. On some phones you have to tap ‘Audio adjustment’. Tap

One of the most useful additions to Chrome last year was the Memory Saver feature, which frees up RAM from inactive tabs to stop them hogging system resources and slowing the browser. Chrome 121, released earlier this month, improves Memory Saver by

By default, tables in LibreOffice Writer align with your text, meaning they adhere to your margins. But you can move them anywhere – without needing to change your margins – by adding them to text frames. Frames, however, are fixed to one page at a t

Microsoft has added several new features to its app Store in recent weeks, making it easier to use. The latest update, available to Windows 11 Insiders on the Beta channel (running build 22635.2850 or later), lets you install an app from anywhere wit

As the second most popular website in the world (after Google, see www.snipca.com/48815), YouTube doesn’t need to make huge efforts to attract new viewers. However, in the last few years, it has seemed determined to annoy and alienate existing users,

Whatever your view of Microsoft’s search engine, you have to admire the beautiful background images on its homepage. These change every day and include high-resolution shots of scenic vistas, interesting architecture and eye-catching flora and fauna.

Technologies rise and fall. Today’s hot new devices will all eventually be superseded, while manufacturers will continue to end support, forcing us to find solutions to keep using what we’ve got. The latest tech to suffer this fate is 3G, which launc

Q When using my Windows 10 laptop in Portugal, none of the links in the weekly email I receive from MoneySavingExpert work. My attempts to visit them are blocked by something called Cloudflare. I just see a page with an ‘I am not a robot’ tick box, b