Your first step when choosing your computer: what does it look like? I bet you could choose between eating an omelette, salad or sushi. So why is it challenging to choose the right computer? A well-chosen machine should last you for 5 – 7 years. Making a good choice at the beginning will do much to
Does your laptop have legs?
It is surprising how fast your mobile phone, tablet or laptop can move. For hours your devices may stay still on your desk but put them down in a town coffee shop and they can disappear in moments. Crime statistics show that a UK laptop wanders off every minute each day taking with them treasured
Backup your computer
Making a backup is optional rather like brushing your teeth is optional: only brush and floss the ones you feel like keeping. Bluntly, if you have anything on your computer that you would like to save from the digital void, make a backup. What is a back-up? There are two different sorts: a copy of your
Your computer’s spare time made useful
Can you spare a cycle? Your computer has a feature which, perhaps, no-one has told you about. This is a special, never-ending task that tells your computer to do… well, nothing actually. That’s right, it twiddles its digital thumbs in between the times of being busy with its other, useful tasks. This idle task runs
Scam? What scam? How to stay out of harm’s way…
It seems impossible to read a newspaper without coming across another company suffering a cyber attack. From Sony’s embarrassment last year through to the breaking news of huge sums lost by banks in specialised attacks, the message is that online crime is here to stay. What can we do about it? The good news is
Why does your computer run so slowly?
Computers are remarkable machines. With loud threats of speed from their gigahertz and gigabytes, you might expect them to whizz along with us barely able to keep up. So why is it that often they limp along while you twiddle your thumbs waiting for something… anything… to happen? If this is exercising your temper, here
Open wireless networks: the Wild West on your doorstep
Several years ago, a friend and his wife were shopping on a high street. She was at a cashpoint across the street with his bank card and had forgotten his PIN number. Without a pause, he shouted the number to her from amongst a crowd of bystanders. I agree that my friend is a little
Passwords: The Modern Scourge
How much easier would your life be if you did not have to use any passwords? Just imagine… No more teeth-sucking moments when asked for yet another unique new password or time wasted searching for lost passwords that you used to know. While you cannot do away with them yet, if you find that you
Boost your online privacy with a virtual private network
As more people become aware of the need to protect their identity and data online, they are turning to a useful tool called a virtual private network (VPN). While you may think of this as only for business, a VPN allows you to use the internet with greater privacy including avoiding your service provider’s system for logging
Spring Cleaning Your Computer
Welcome to Spring! Just like cleaning your house and getting the garden ready for spring, your computer needs occasional attention. Getting your computer into shape is straight forward. There are four areas and we’ll run through them at a steady pace. Security Getting your computer into shape will give you peace of mind, knowing that the