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11-24 May 2006 ISSUE 135 www.webuser.co.uk

BETTEITRE TIPS ESSENTIAL

WEBS easy-to-follow ways to

for iTunes
and iPod
21 create perfect web pages Approved by
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Beat the burglar: Turn your PC Campaign
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Stop spam forever! Workshop: Make quick-launch
Top junk filters revealed buttons for favourite sites
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 WELCOME
FROM THE EDITOR
Create a site to behold 11 – 24 May 2006 Issue135
C
reating your own place on the
web is easier than ever before
thanks to the numerous tools, sites
and services available online. But once
you’ve mastered the basics you’ll want
to create a website you can be proud
of, complete with many of those clever
features you see on professional sites.
In this issue (page 24) we take you
CONTENTS
FEATURES
beyond the basics with 21 superb ideas 24 COVER FEATURE: Build a better website
for improving your existing site, or simply Still not created your own online pages? Or just want to get your
starting from scratch. I’m sure you’ll be surprised at what you existing site up to scratch? Try these great tips and workshops
can create, even with limited technical and financial input. 34 Be a music expert
We’ve pulled together the web’s most useful site-making How to get more out of your iPod and iTunes – from stretching
resources, plus a host of step-by-step guides to bring you our the battery life to creating Smart Playlists and reading email
best website-building issue ever! 37 Music maestro please
See you next issue. Rock and pop MP3s make the headlines, but there are some
great classical music download sites – here are our favourites
Andrew Craig, Editor
andrew_craig@ipcmedia.com 54 Group Test: Spam-filtering programs
We test the software that will keep the junk out of your Inbox

p34 p24
SUBSCRIBETO WEB USER
Get a fantastic deal on the UK’s favourite
SPAM
p54
internet magazine – see page 58 for details
REGULARS
IN THISISSUE FEATURING LINKS 6 News All the latest on the web this fortnight, including
TO281WEBSITES Unplugged, My Bookmarks and Everyone’s Clicking On
15 Consumer Champion & Shopping Challenge
Including the best price for an iPod Video 30GB
16 Letters 18 Best New Websites
p47 38 Instant Expert: Beta versions
40 Project: Home security, part 1
42 Downloaded p40
p34 47 COMPETITION: Win one of 10 Jabra JX10 headsets!
p24 51 Most Wanted
56 New Products • Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z60 •
PC Tools Spyware Doctor 3.8
67 Classified including Web User Directory
72 Web User Essentials p51
74 Seen this? & Next Issue
p40
PRACTICALWEB USER
p54 59 PracticalFeature
Share your videos online using YouTube
p59 p62 62 PracticalWorkshop
Create shortcuts to your favourite sites
63 DIY WebPages 64 ProblemSolver p59
p56 p57 p42 66 Hints&Tips

LISTEN TO THE WEB

This fortnight’s best
USER PODCAST FREE downloads
www.webuser.co.uk/podcast
42 Film & TV 46 Sport & Games
…trailers, clips and …spectate or play
Average sales, Jan-Dec 2005, great short films – the choice is yours
31,886 copies per issue 45 Software 48 Music p42
…top free programs …and audio content

Visit us online at www.webuser.co.uk 11 May 2006 5

 NEWS
All the latest on the web this fortnight
Get daily news at www.webuser.co.uk/news

BROADBAND

NTL uncaps Two free music

10Mbps service sites unveiled
N
TL is set to upgrade its broadband
services, uncapping its 10Mbps

service and speeding up its
2Mbps offering.
From next month, NTL will remove
the 75GB usage allowance from the
10Mbps service, which costs £34.99
a month.
New and existing customers that
subscribe to the 2Mbps service at
£24.99 per month will see their
service boosted to up to 4Mbps for the
same price.
NTL is also increasing its standard
line rental price from £10.50 to £11 a
month, and rising the price of its second
phone line to £11 per month. According
to the ISP, which merged with Telewest
in March, the upgrades will be carried
out on a rolling basis throughout June.
Last month, NTL unveiled plans to
acquire Virgin Mobile. NTL will then
adopt the Virgin brand and offer a
‘quadplay’ service that bundles TV,
phone and internet services together.
www.ntl.com
W
eb users can now legally
share songs with each other
thanks to new websites from
Tiscali and NME.
While the two sites operate
separately, they both run versions of
US-developed sharing software from
Mercora, which lets users broadcast
their own music collection over the
network, as well as browse and
listen to other people’s collections.
Tiscali’s Jukebox site is already
up-and-running, with NME’s due
within the next two months.
Head of music at Tiscali, Dave
Castell, said that to get started
people need to register for a free
Tiscali web address and download
the player. People can then search
for music by artist or genre.
Listening is free because
Mercora has a global licensing
agreement with record labels and
compensates artists when their
music is listened to. The service
already features three million tracks.
Both sites will also offer a
downloads service, with individual
tracks charged at 69p.
www.tiscali.co.uk/jukebox
www.nme.com

SECURITY WATCH
I
nstant-messaging
STOP
(IM) attacks are on
the rise, while spam
and virus volumes held
steady in April according
to message management
company Postini. It said that of the
22 billion messages it processed,
unwanted email accounted
for 18.5 billion messages.
The company filtered 7.6 million
IM conversations in April, and
found that 0.1 per cent of these
were malicious, an increase of
400 per cent from March.
www.postini.com/stats
ISPs
TalkTalk’s ‘free broadband’ offer investigated
T
alkTalk’s ‘free broadband’ offer is being
investigated by the Advertising Standards
Authority after it received
more than 40 complaints.
Last month TalkTalk
launched its ‘free broadband
forever’ package for people
who signed up to one of its
home phone services.
Complaints have come ASA: TalkTalk under investigation
from members of the public,
as well as other ISPs, including BT.
The complaints include claims that the
service is not as widely available as
advertised, that use of the term “forever” is
misleading, and that the service isn’t really
free as people must sign up to TalkTalk and
pay a £30 connection fee.
The ASA told Web User it has started
investigating the matter, but
could not comment until the
investigation is complete.
Meanwhile, rival ISPs have
advised people to read the
small print in deals from
TalkTalk and other ISPs that
have launched deals to
match it.
TalkTalk and rival ISP Biscit both tie
customers to an 18-month contract, while
PlusNet’s latest offering of £20.99 for a
broadband and phone combo has a
restrictive 50MB download limit.
PlusNet customers looking for more usage

6 11 May 2006 Competition Where’s Netty? Last issue Netty was strutting his stuff to the Russian folk music on page 47. Spot h
 ≥ YOUR NEWS TEAM Quentin Reade
News Editor
Veronique De Freitas
Staff Writer

SOFTWARE
NEWS
INBRIEF
≥ World Cup news
Opera releases
site launches
Football fans can now
new browser
O
visit a website pera Software has released a public
dedicated to beta of its latest browser, Opera 9.
posting the The new version, which is free-to-
latest World Cup download, includes widgets – small web
news as it programs that can be used to display
happens. The information such as the weather, sports
World Cup 2006 results or news in a separate window.
internet portal The Opera 9 beta also features support
from online press for BitTorrent, a popular file-sharing
monitoring company technology, as well as including an easy-to-
NewsNow updates use content blocker and thumbnail previews
every five minutes. of tabbed sites.
Each World Cup Opera spokesman Thomas Ford told Web
Group has its own User that the browser from the Norwegian
section, alongside company is used by around three per cent of
injury news and hot topics. the world’s web community. He said he
www.newsnow.co.uk/ believed many users were attracted to it
worldcup because it is secure, and vulnerabilities are
patched very quickly.
≥ Jamie Oliver cooks
©istockphoto.com/ Valerie Loiseleux

Opera’s browser
up podcast was supported by
Jamie Oliver advertising, until
is launching last September
his own when it was made
podcast to completely free.
help people www.opera.com
solve their
kitchen
dilemmas. TRANSLATION
He is asking people to call a
special hotline number and

Quote
leave a message with their
cooking query. The best
Babel Fish
of the fortnight messages will be answered by
Jamie and recorded for the
added to Yahoo
“It’s very much an arms

podcast. The first of these
race between the good guys podcasts will be available from
and the bad guys” late summer.
John Aycock, a computer scientist www.jamieoliver.com/podcast
at the University of Calgary,
talking about fighting the
≥ Da Vinci Code competition
next generation Web users can win free travel
of spam on the Eurostar for the rest of
their life, accommodation at
the Ritz Hotel in Paris and
Claridge’s in London over the
next five years, and £137,000
in cash, by taking part in a Da
Vinci Code-breaking game.
‘The Eurostar Quest’ features
15 puzzles, and runs until
30 May.
www.jointhequest.com
can choose the £14.99 package
that offers no fixed download limit
off-peak, with a 3GB peak-time (4pm
till midnight) allowance.
www.talktalk.co.uk
www.plus.net
I
nternet users
can now
use Yahoo’s
search engine to
translate foreign
language pages.
Yahoo has
built the popular
translation
service Babel Fish, initially developed by
Altavista, into the Yahoo search tool.
The Yahoo Babel Fish service lets people
translate a block of text up to 150 words
long or enter any web address and, by
pressing a ‘Translate a Web Page’ button,
translate the text of an entire web page.
The service lets you translate English
into 12 different languages, including
Chinese, Dutch, Korean, Russian and
Spanish, and back again. There is also
an option to add Babel Fish to your
browser toolbar.
The Babel Fish service gets its name
from a fictional species of fish in Douglas
Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
that would translate different languages
if you inserted it in your ear.
http://uk.babelfish.yahoo.com

him in this issue, email news@web-user.co.uk and you could win a prize. (Issue 133’s winner: Debbie, UK.) 11 May 2006 7
 NEWS
UNPLUGGED
Web on the move
≥ Store photos online
Orange has launched a
service called Orange
Photography that lets
you upload and share
photos taken on your
mobile phone to a free
online photo album.
The service works
with Nokia N70,
6680, 6630 and
6230i phones and
costs £4 a month. The
online photo album
comes with 200MB of
space, enough for roughly
1,000 medium-res photos.
www.orange.co.uk/photos
≥ Times listings via mobile
The Times Online has
launched a version of its
entertainment listings service
for mobile phones. Called The
Knowledge Mobile, the
service covers all arts and
entertainment listings,
including cinema, nightclubs,
comedy, theatre and
concerts. The service costs
25p to download, but all
subsequent searches are free.
http://tinyurl.com/qxlob
≥ Cheaper Wi-Fi
Wireless network operator
The Cloud has unveiled plans
to cut the cost of accessing the
net while on the move. From
July, a new service, UltraWiFi,
will offer wireless access at
7,000 UK locations for a flat
monthly fee of £11.99.
www.thecloud.net
W content, as
HAT
ON EART
Our regular pick of the
best extras for Google
Earth and Google Maps
H?
Flood Maps
http://flood.firetree.net
What would happen to your home if the
sea level rose? This Google Maps-based
simulator lets you find out.
8 w
11 May 2006
All the latest on the web this fortnight
DRAMA
Lost online
game kicks off
he creator of cult TV show Lost has
T
launched an online, interactive treasure-
hunt game which will open up a story you
can follow through video clips.
The Lost Experience is being run by more
than 20 broadcasters across five continents,
making it the largest global interactive
challenge based on a television series.
Lost focuses on the survivors of a plane
crash who are left stranded on a strange
island. The game will follow a parallel
DESIGN
BBC launches homepage
redesign competition
T
he BBC wants the public to redesign its
homepage so that it is more like recent web
success stories Flickr, YouTube, Technorati
and Wikipedia.
The corporation has launched a competition
requesting web designers to create a homepage
that lets
people easily
access the
millions of
pages of
well as being
able to play
and navigate
hundreds of
hours of BBC television and radio.
Head of BBC Innovation, Tom Loosemore,
said: “We’ve recently started a project to
reassess the entire BBC website. Inviting people
to contribute via this competition is an essential
component of that work.
“Given our publicly-funded status, we’re
delighted that the open nature of the web offers
the BBC’s users the chance to contribute their
own ideas directly into the creative process. It is,
after all, their website.”
Prizes up for grabs in the design contest
include a laptop computer and MP3 players.
http://open.bbc.co.uk/reboot
Buzzword of the fortnight
storyline not featured in the TV programme
so that both fans of the series and those
unfamiliar with the show can participate by
revealing clues buried in websites,
answerphone messages, billboards and TV
commercials.
Steve McPherson, president of ABC
Entertainment, said new technology lets the
broadcaster tell stories in a more creative way.
www.channel4.com/lost
www.thehansofoundation.org
MOTORS
MTV shows head online
C
ar fans can now catch the latest episodes of
Pimp My Ride UK online via MTV’s new
Overdrive site.
Pimp my Ride UK stars Radio 1 DJ Tim
Westwood and a group of mechanics and
restorers who turn viewers’ old bangers into
fancy cars with state-of-the-art sound systems.
The show is just one of many featured on
Overdrive, a free service that lets people watch
clips and shows from MTV on-demand.
The Overdrive line-up already includes Pimp
My Ride UK, Screenplay, Punk’d and Dirty
Sanchez, as well as bespoke news packages,
movie trailers and a selection of music videos.
The service lets people create their own
playlist of shows that will automatically update
each week.
MTV’s Angel Gambino said the service is
simple to use and he hopes it will introduce
people to watching TV content online.
www.mtv.co.uk/overdrive
AJAX: Asynchronous JavaScript And XML – a way
 Don’t miss our daily news updates at www.webuser.co.uk/news
Number
of the fortnight INBRIEF
5.4 million
The number of UK ≥ BBC climate
experiment overheats
households still using
a dial-up internet A “major error” has been
connection discovered in the BBC’s
Climate Change
Experiment. The
Experiment uses 200,000
PCs from around the world
as one giant supercomputer.
However, experts have
discovered that the data
they built into the model is
flawed, meaning it heated
up too quickly. The
experiment has been reset.
www.bbc.co.uk/sn/
hottopics/climatechange/
updates1.shtml
Photo: © iStockphoto/Wang Sanjun
≥ 1841 census online
The 1841 census is now
available online. The
database of 16 million
names is searchable and
features many famous
Victorians, including Queen
Victoria, Benjamin Disraeli
and Charles Dickens.
WIN!
www.ancestry.co.uk
≥ Jargon-busting
dictionary developed
Electronics retailer Comet
has teamed up with the
1 of 5 copies of Plain English Campaign in
a bid to take the jargon out
Nip/Tuck DVDs!! of buying high-tech goods.
Comet said it has taken the
step after customer
feedback showed that many
of us feel confused by the
terms used to describe
basic technology.
www.comet.co.uk/
nojargon
!
NEW
WEB2.0 SITE OF THE
FORTNIGHT
Peermind
www.peermind.com
It’s all very well knowing what films
T
his stunning six-disc box- and songs are most popular in the
set contains all 15 ‘official’ charts, but what about for
episodes from season illegal downloads? Peermind tells
three of the Golden Globe- us what is really happening out
winning show Nip/Tuck. there in eDonkey and Gnutella
To stand a chance of cyberspace. The new service also
winning one of the five copies tracks software and games.
we’re giving away, answer the
question posted at www.
webuser.co.uk/competitions.
≥ Nip/Tuck Season Three is
out to buy now through
Warner Home Video priced
£49.99.
of making interactive web applications. They work faster by only sending small amounts of data to and from a site’s server.
NEWS
BROADBAND
BT rolls out 8Mbps speed increase
N
ew BT Broadband customers will receive an up to
8Mbps service as standard, but existing
customers may have to wait for an
upgrade, the ISP has announced.
People signing up with BT will receive the
super-fast service from £14.99 a month for the
first three months, going to £17.99 after that.
However, a BT spokesman told Web User that
if existing customers want an upgrade, they need
to register online.
The spokesman said he couldn’t estimate how long
the upgrade process will take as it will be done on a case-by-case
basis, but it could take as little as five days.
Michael Philpott, principal analyst at technology consultancy
Ovum, said the registration process is BT’s way of controlling take-
up and ensuring it gets it right.
However, he warned that some people could need to buy new
modems to handle the speed increase.
New data from BT that shows 99.9 per cent of premises in the
UK are now connected to a broadband-enabled exchange, but
not all premises within these areas are suitable for broadband
service delivery, especially at higher speeds, as they are
too far from the exchanges.
BT has also announced it
has bought online electronics
retailer Dabs.com.
BT said the move will help it
strengthen its online sales and
service capabilities,
particularly for small and
medium-sized business and
consumer products.
www.bt.com/getbroadband
www.dabs.com
SECURITY
UK web users reuse passwords
J
ust 14 per cent of us use the same password all the time,
different passwords when while 45 per cent use a small
registering for password- handful of words.
protected sites on the net, with According to the research by
the majority of web users security company Sophos, 72
sticking to a few old favourites. per cent of office workers use
A poll revealed that 41 per
cent of people admitted to using
weak and easy-to-crack
passwords such as a girlfriend’s
or wife’s name and their
favourite football team.
Graham Cluley, senior
technology consultant for
Sophos, said: “It’s very
dangerous to use the same
password for all websites; it’s
giving hackers easy access to
your personal details and help to
steal your identity.”
Security experts urge
computer users to choose a
unique password with a
combination of letters and
numbers, especially when using
banking websites.
www.sophos.com
11 May 2006 9
 NEWS
COMMENT
Quentin Reade
News Editor
Apple grumble
I
have long been an Apple
devotee, but I’m changing
my mind. The un-
conversion, or re-conversion,
or whatever you call it, isn’t
due to my excitement over
the upcoming launch of
Microsoft’s Internet Explorer
7, Windows Vista or UMPC
devices, rather it’s my
experience of Apple’s
customer service that has
put me off.
The problem is two-fold.
Firstly, my girlfriend’s iPod
needed to be replaced four
times in 12 months due to
crashes, stoppages and
general misbehaviour. It
wasn’t easy for her to get a
replacement. It took dozens
of emails and phone calls and
loads of hair-pulling.
Secondly, and more
annoyingly for me, my iBook
has been crashing with
increasing regularity.
“ The queues are longer
than a Communist-era
breadline
”
Of course, I went to all the
relevant forums, reinstalled
software, and culled files
from the hard disk. I even
added more memory. Still
the thing crashes.
No problem, I think, I’ll
take it into the Apple Store in
London’s Regent Street. The
trouble is the queues are
longer than a Communist-era
breadline, and to ensure you
get served you’re advised to
book an appointment.
But, here’s the rub,
preferential appointments
are given to people who pay
up for Apple’s ProCare (£199
for three-years according to
the Apple website). If you
don’t, it’s almost impossible
to get in-store help.
I’m sure I can eventually
get the iBook fixed. But it’s
not easy, and I think I’ll be
buying a PC next. It will cost
me half the price of an Apple
machine and I’ll be able to
get help when I need it.
10 11 May 2006
All the latest on the web this fortnight
WHAT’S HOT TRAVEL
.eu domains
www.eurid.eu
More than 1.5 million
.eu addresses were
registered in its first
BA cuts air fares
W
week of release. eb users can now book British Airways
flights online from £29 one-way.
Beating the hackers In a move to take on web rivals easyJet
www.security-survey.gov.uk and Ryanair, BA has reduced the cost of flying to
UK businesses are winning the war 65 European destinations, but only to people who
against hackers, according to a book over the internet. Tickets booked offline will
Government-backed survey. cost £15 more.
British Airways will offer travellers a free meal
eBay Express and drink, as well as online check-in. The airline’s
www.express.ebay.com commercial director Martin George said: “There
eBay launches dedicated ‘buy it now’ are no hidden extras and air travellers will receive
site in the US. the same excellent standards of service that are
the hallmark of British Airways.
Losing USB sticks “Customers will now be able to easily compare
www.centennial-software.com prices for themselves between British Airways and
Two-thirds of people surveyed have lost the airlines offering lower standards of service and
a USB stick, according to research. I can assure the public that it is our intent to offer
the best value for money in the market."
European pirates However, easyJet told Web User it thought the
http://europa.eu.int move was a “gimmick”. Spokeswoman Samantha
The EU is planning a crackdown on
Day said: “Over the years BA has threatened to cut
counterfeiting, calling for fines of up to
its fares to compete with low-cost airlines several
€300,000 (£205,000) as well as four
times, but low fares are not sustainable without a
years in jail.
low cost base.”
www.britishairways.com
WHAT’S NOT
PRODUCT NEWS
LG U890 iGlaze LG
People who store music on
their phones should take a look
at this latest model from LG.
‘Chocolate phone’
Also out from LG is a phone
that will appeal to fans of
The U890 lets you stream your minimalist design. The LG-
favourite tunes from the KG800 ‘Chocolate phone’
handset to wireless stereo features a hidden LCD screen
headphones over Bluetooth. and a touch-keypad that glows
The ‘3Player’ technology also red when it is in use. The
lets you create playlists or list If your iPod is really precious to phone has proved very popular
songs by Artist, Genre or Song you, you’ll want to protect it in Korea – selling 300,000
Title. External buttons from bumps and grazes as you units in just three months. It
even let you access shimmy about. The iGlaze has also won two European
music files without protective skin from Moshi is design awards. The
opening the made from more than 20 phone features a
handset. The U890 multi-layered resins, and is 1.3-megapixel
also features a 1.3- just 0.7mm thick. It uses a camera. Pricing for
megapixel camera. special adhesive which means the LG-KG800 is yet
The phone is you can remove the skin from to be announced.
available for the iPod’s surface without www.lgmobile
free from 3, leaving any residue. Its maker .com
depending on also promises that installation
contract. is ‘hassle-free and there are no
www. air bubbles to deal with’.
lgmobile Available for the Video and the
.com nano models the iGlaze come
in four colours: Obsidian
Black, Milk White, Sakura
Pink and Kagami Mercury.
Prices start at £15.
www.aevoe.com/moshi
Up for grabs!!! Win a £500 Blacks Voucher, closes 31 August
www.adventure.visitwales.com/spring/index.htm
 Don’t miss our daily news updates at www.webuser.co.uk/news NEWS
WEB USER’S
CLICKING ON… MYBOOKMARKS
for web users 1 Endless War
Games that have kept us busy this fortnight…

www.funny-games.biz/
endlesswar.html
Den Stockton
Web User reader
from York

War is very confusing UK Carers

and difficult, as this www.cumbriabusinessportal.
game demonstrates. org.uk/UK-Carers

2 Bert Monroy’s
digital art
www.bertmonroy.com/
fineart/text/fineart _
damen.htm
These works of
Photoshop genius look
totally realistic.
This website was set up to

3 Alien Invasion
www.2flashgames.com/
f/f-127.htm
try and shame the
Government into rewarding
carers by paying them an
There’s nothing like some old- income that reflects their
fashioned arcade carnage. hard work.

4 Kids write speeches for

George W…
www.helenakeeffe.com/
Cooking by Numbers
www.cookingbynumbers.com/
frames.html
archives/000029.html
…and they sound scarily like
things the President says!

EVERYONE’S CLICKING ON…

Our guide to this fortnight’s most clickable sites
THIS GAME Stumped for what to cook?
Then tick what you have in
Planarity your fridge or cupboard on
www.planarity.net this site to get menu ideas
Every now and again it’s nice to have a break blowing the heads off aliens, and how to cook them.
which is why we’re digging this superior brain twister. As ever with these
smarty pants games, the idea is simple – arrange all the dots at the top into Minster FM
vertical lines without the lines attached to the dots crossing each other. www.minsterfm.com

THIS TIME-WASTER
Ugly Footballers
www.uglyfootballers.com
The beautiful game it may be, but that doesn’t mean every player is a chiselled
Adonis like our Beckham. A visit to the ugly team of the Eighties brings back
mirror-shattering memories, while the European XI has some real horrors.
Thankfully, the site is tempered by the more appealing Players’ Wives section. I listen to my local radio
station online while surfing,
although my favourite
THIS BIZARRE SITE show is the North South
Divide on Monday -
Bash My Ex Thursday, 10pm - 1am.
http://bashmyex.com/rate.php
Back in olden times, an acrimonious split with a partner would perhaps be Your Bookmarks
resolved by cutting all their clothes into tiny pieces or scratching their car. Send short reviews (30 words
Now, you can overcome your grief by telling the world what a piece of work each max) of your favourite
they are. As you might expect, there’s some strong language on here. three sites to mybookmarks
@web-user.co.uk

Win a sailing trip on The Legend 27 £35,000 yacht, closes 9 Win a city break for four to Budapest, closes 6 June 11 May 2006 11
August www.ybw.com/ym/comp/legend27/index.html www.pru.co.uk/content/magazine
johanna@BeThere.co.uk

boris@BeThere.co.uk

up to

24 meg broadband
So fast even we’re having fun
finding out what it does
See the difference for yourself
Questions Be unlimited AOL Platinum BT Option 4 Wanadoo Max

Standard monthly fee? £24 £29.99 £29.99 £27.99

Download speeds?* 24 meg 2 meg 2 meg 8 meg

Upload speeds?* 1.3 meg 256 kbps 512 kbps 256 kbps

Usage? Unlimited** Unlimited 40 gig monthly Unlimited

Faster than 512 kbps? 48x faster 4x faster 4x faster 16x faster

Wireless modem? Free Free Free Free

when ordered online

Comparisons correct as of 17.03.06

Start having your own fun with the UK’s fastest, award-winning broadband.
Get your first month FREE. Go to BeThere.co.uk and quote
promotional code: FAST or call 0845 450 6452.
The Broadband Experts
*Download speeds, upload speeds and broadband comparison speeds are for speeds up to the quoted amount and are dependent on various factors. **Be’s services are subject to ‘Fair usage policy’. BT line required. Subject to availability,
provisioning and capacity in your area. Free month offer valid for Be lite and Be unlimited orders completed online on or before 30/06/2006 and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Offer only applicable to the Be lite and
Be unlimited broadband fee and doesn’t include Be office, or any optional extras. Connection fee and minimum term contract applies. For other exclusions and all terms and conditions see BeThere.co.uk/termsandconditions
 All the latest on the web this fortnight
10 most popular...
Webcam sites
1. WebcamNow www.webcamnow.com
2. iFriends www.ifriends.com
3. ANYwebcam.com www.anywebcam.com
4. ImLive.com www.imlive.com
5. EarthCam www.earthcam.com
6. CamVista www.camvista.com
7. LakeLand Cam www.lakelandcam.co.uk
8. Camfrog.com www.camfrog.com
9. Camscape.com www.camscape.com
10. Valencia Webcams http://webcam.
comunitatvalenciana.com
Music sites (global)
1. Yahoo Music http://launch.yahoo.com
2. BBC Radio 1 www.bbc.co.uk/radio1
3. Ultimate Guitar Archive www.ultimate-guitar.com
4. A-Z Lyrics Universe www.azlyrics.com
5. Yahoo UK Launch http://uk.launch.yahoo.com
6. MySpace Music http://music.myspace.com
7. BBC Radio 2 www.bbc.co.uk/radio2
8. Sing365.com www.sing365.com
9. NME.com www.nme.com
10. Ents24 www.ents24.com
Automotive sites
1. Auto Trader UK www.autotrader.co.uk
2. eBay Motors UK www.ebaymotors.co.uk
3. The Automobile Association UK www.theaa.com
4. RAC www.rac.co.uk
5. Confused.com www.confused.com
6. CarsDirect www.carsdirect.com
7. Parker’s Online www.parkers.co.uk
8. What Car www.whatcar.com
9. Ad Trader www.adtrader.co.uk
10. Driving Standards Agency www.driving-tests
.co.uk
Source: Hitwise, March 2006
Photo: ©iStockphoto.com/Stefan Klein
Get the latest news updates at www.webuser.co.uk/news
AUCTIONS
Ticket touts targeted
T
icket touts using eBay to sell tickets
for sporting and music events for far
more than face value are being
targeted by the Government.
Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell has
asked ticket sellers and
websites, including
Ticketmaster, eBay,
the All England Club
and the Football
Association, to sign up
to a draft code of
practice to stop touts.
Jowell wants the
A code of practice is hoped to crack down admits
on ticket touts using eBay and other sites
ticket agencies to limit
the number of tickets that can be sold in a
single transaction, create a blacklist of
known touts, and ban the sale of ‘futures’
– when people sell tickets they don’t
actually have to an event.
She said secondary ticket agencies,
WEBSITE
Air Force One web hoax
T
he US Air Force has admitted it was
almost fooled by a video on the internet
showing the President’s plane being
painted with graffiti.
The two-minute video, which appeared
on StillFree.com, showed the slogan ‘Still
Free’ being painted on the side of Air Force
One. However, the video proved to be a
hoax, dreamed up by fashion-designer
Marc Ecko.
Ecko, who is currently promoting a graffiti
computer game, hired a 747 in California
and painted it to look like Air Force One. He
said: “I wanted to do something culturally
significant, wanted to create a real pop-
SECURITY
Cyber-crime costs us £123bn a year
C
yber-crime is the world’s biggest
growth industry and now costs
companies and the public an
estimated $220bn (£123bn) every year,
according to Metropolitan Police assistant
commissioner Tarique Ghaffur.
Speaking at the International
Conference on Global E-Security at the
University of East London, Ghaffur said the
number of ‘real people’ being seriously
affected by e-crime is increasing.
“It’s definitely not just banks and
NEWS
such as eBay and other internet auction
sites, should also provide better
information online – such as the original
price of the ticket, relevant terms and
conditions, and the seat block or location.
Jowell said the
measures will ensure
that if a fan decides to
pay above face-value
for a ticket they will at
least be making an
informed choice.
The Government
it has no
current plans to make
touting illegal but hopes the code will
make it less attractive to do so. The code
will be tested over the next three months,
with a final code of conduct to be drawn
up in July.
www.culture.gov.uk
Not Air Force One:
it seems President
Bush hasn’t taken
up ‘tagging’ after all
culture moment.
“It’s this completely irreverent, over-the-
top thing that could really never happen:
this $5 can of paint putting a pimple on
this Goliath.”
The Air Force said the video was so
realistic it had to go and check the plane
was graffiti-free.
www.eckounltd.com
insurance companies being ripped off,” he
said. “Private individuals are being conned
out of thousands of hard-earned pounds
every single day.”
The International Conference on Global
E-Security was set up in 2005 to establish
dialogue between crime-fighting agencies,
the security industry, researchers and
experts, and to create a platform from
which e-security can be examined from
several global perspectives.
www.uel.ac.uk/icges
11 May 2006 13
 We solve your consumer
problems and shop around
for the best deals online
By Lisa Kelly CONSUMER
CHAMPION
Go-slow broadband Shoppingchallenge iPod Video 30GB
frustrates reader Each issue we scour the net to find the best deals on a popular product
such as this iconic MP3 player. If you’ve got a challenge, let us know
OK, so Apple’s superstar offers less
ez-Acin, London space and battery life than players
READER: David Gom dband speed from the likes of Creative and Rio.
broa
PROBLEM: Loss of
But just take a look at it! With the
arrival of this sleek, black, 1.1cm-
thick, 30GB beauty, it’s become
impossible to resist the power of
the ’Pod. It holds up to 7,500

W
eb User has secured a guarantee from Pipex that songs, 75 hours of video or 12,500
it will restore a reader’s Homecall broadband photos, boasts a bright 6.35cm
service to in excess of its former speed of TFT display, and offers 14 hours’
512Kbps and compensate him financially for suffering a playback. You know you want it. Find
slower speed since last summer. out more at www.apple.com/ipod.
David Gomez-Acin, a customer services executive for
Air France, moved from his address in Clapham, London
in August 2005. At the time he was paying £24.99 per
month for the 512Kbps broadband package, which
included unlimited local and national calls. “I only
moved a few streets away, but it impacted my Homecall EY SAVED
broadband service as I could only get a maximum speed
of 120Kbps,” Mr Gomez-Acin told Web User.
MON
£60.01
9.9PRICE
“I informed Homecall that I was moving and they told

RICE
99
8
me everything was fine and they would provide the same

TREET P
£18EST WEB
service to the new address in two or three weeks,” said

£249.
Mr Gomez-Acin. But he claims throughout August he
had no service, and while by the end of September the

HIGH-S
B

internet was available, it was only at the slower speed.

“I have called Homecall over 10 times and I am now only
paying £12.50 a month. But it’s not the money. I want to
Winner
pay what I used to pay and have a faster service,” he said.
Mr Gomez-Acin added he had received several different eBuyer
explanations from both customer services and technical www.ebuyer.com
support, who blamed problems with the line transfer and Basic price: £189.98
difficulties with the MAC (Migration Authorisation Code). Delivery charge: Free
Without a fast broadband connection, Mr Gomez-Acin Claimed delivery time: 4 working days
is unable to do many things. Returns: Within 10 days
“I am a heavy user. I want to use Skype, perform lots of How to pay: Visa/Delta/Electron/
downloads and speak to my friends and family in France Mastercard/Maestro/Solo
and South America, but I still have a slow speed,” he said. TOTAL PRICE: £189.98
After Web User spoke to Pipex, a customer
representative phoned Mr Gomez-Acin and promised the
problem would be solved by the end of the week, and he
would receive £50 compensation for the inconvenience.
A Pipex spokesman told Web User: “We are sorry Mr
Gomez-Acin has been experiencing a problem. It had
been caused by a combination of difficulties – human
error, upgrading his service and some internal processes
within Homecall, which have now been resolved.”
At the time of going to press Mr Gomez-Acin has a
broadband speed of 673Kbps, which he is happy Amazon
with – although he said he is keen for Pipex to upgrade www.amazon.co.uk Dixons Think4
it to 1Mbps. Basic price: £189.99 www.dixons.co.uk www.think4.com
Delivery charge: Free Basic price: £189.99 Basic price: £192.70
Claimed delivery time: Delivery charge: Free Delivery charge: £2.99
Do you need our help? 3-6 working days
How to pay: Visa/Delta/
Claimed delivery time:
5 working days
Claimed delivery time:
1-3 working days
Electron/Mastercard/ How to pay: Visa/Delta/ How to pay: Visa/Delta/
•
Been caught out by an online scam? Had a problem with
Maestro/Solo/ Mastercard/Maestro/ Electron/Mastercard/
consumerchampion@webuser.co.uk
•
an ISP you’d like us to investigate? Email Lisa at
Eurocard/Amex/cheque Diners/Amex Maestro/Solo/Amex
TOTAL PRICE: £189.99 TOTAL PRICE: £189.99 TOTAL PRICE: £195.69

11 May 2006 15
 LETTERS
Have your say: letters@web-user.co.uk
HOT TOPICS
These are some of the questions and
subjects you have been debating on
our forum in the last fortnight. Have your
say at www.webuser.co.uk/forums.
How many pages of a search engine would
1 you search through looking for something
before giving up?
Wildthing666, via Web User Forums
If I am looking for something on a whim
I might spend about 30 seconds looking
for it, with one search term and a
maximum of five pages. If I need
something urgently I’ll try all different
search terms and delve into the 20s of
search result pages.
Nanook, via Web User Forums
I need to buy a replacement
2 printer. Anyone had
experience of all-in-one
models where you can scan,
photocopy and print? What
would you recommend?
David, via Web User Forums
I have used both Lexmark and Epson
printers, but I now have a Canon Pixma
5000 and am really impressed. It
delivers double-sided printing plus good,
photo-quality pictures, and prints on CD
and DVDs. Five replacement compatible
carts cost £1 each plus postage from
www.northdevoncomputers.com. After
six months it has not put a foot wrong and
just gets on with the job.
Hunter27tk, via Web User Forums
At Yahoo Answers (http://uk.answers.yahoo.
3 com) you can ask each other questions on
any topic, and get answers by sharing facts,
opinions and personal experiences. Anyone
tried it out yet?
Claire, via Web User Forums
It’s not bad, and can be fun if you ask
a fun question. But anything serious
or difficult and you seem to get zilch
replies. And then your question runs out
of time and you have to ‘repost’ – if you
can be bothered.
Radiogandy, via Web User Forums
16 11 May 2006
Original silver surfer
Reading the Letters pages I am delighted
to see so many silver surfers are now
getting involved with the internet.
However, I can claim to be the original
silver surfer. It was in 1984, when
I was 58 years old, that I first
discovered the exciting new concept of
database communications, where you
could send messages and pictures over
a domestic telephone line using a
computer. I had the phone line and the
Commodore 64, all I had to do was buy
a gadget called a modem – a chunky,
noisy box that sat next to the computer.
The modem speed at that time was just
300/1,200 bauds. Compare that with
today’s speeds and that would be like
comparing a horse and cart with the late
lamented Concorde. I’ll be 80 in May and
I have just completed a training CD called
Internet for All, which consists of just
under 170 flash movies. Don’t you agree
that I am the original silver surfer, or can
anyone better me?
Nancy, via Web User Forums
Flatscreen choice
Reading your review of flatscreen monitors
I was surprised to find only three being
reviewed. I treated myself to a new
flatscreen monitor last year, a Samsung
SyncMaster 193V. I have seen many
monitors and the reception they give but
none compares with my Samsung. You will
find it at least £20 cheaper than the models
you previewed, too.
Ernest Jones, Chester were able to supply products of this
Web User replies: The
price you see quoted
by retailers is often
very different to the
prices quoted by the
manufacturers. Our
price guides are
based on what the
manufacturers consider
the value of their products
CONTACT US
Letters page: letters@web-user.co.uk
Problem Solver: problemsolver@web-user.co.uk material submitted. IPC Media or its associated companies reserves the right
Reader helps reader:
readerhelpsreader@web-user.co.uk
News stories and press releases:
news@web-user.co.uk
Advertising enquiries:
advertising@web-user.co.uk
Subscriptions: ipcsubs@qss-uk.com
Web User, Room 0305, IPC Media, King’s Reach
Tower, Stamford Street, London SE1 9LS.
Your Shout!
STAR LETTER
This issue’s £25 winner!
Taking on spammers
I remember Bill Gates saying Microsoft
would devote its energies to finding ways
to attack spam. Well, I have an
idea that might be worth
£W 25
thinking about. Why not
harness the power of the
millions of idle domains
that get ‘stolen’ by
inne r spammers each year, set
up a website that makes it
easy to add your passive
domains en masse and
cripple the email addresses of the
companies that try to benefit from
spamming in the same way they think
it’s OK to cripple ours?
Using unsolicited spam to try and raise
awareness of your company or product is
unacceptable. That’s why those who use
this marketing ploy usually distance
themselves from the activity by
sanctioning some third party to do it on
their behalf and then pretend they have no
knowledge of the spamming. If you have a
horde of domain names that can be
forwarded anywhere at will, you can twist
that spam gun back in the face of the
person who thinks it’s acceptable to pick
it up in the first place.
If you are feeling particularly feisty, call
them, fake your name and address, feign
interest and get their main email address
– after all, it is only fair we make the effort
to deliver their messages back to them.
to be. More manufacturers were
approached for this test, but no others
nature at this price. Unfortunately, too,
the Samsung SyncMaster 193V is now
a discontinued model.
Memory comparison
I have a subscription to Web User and
enjoy reading the ‘how to’ articles.
However, in Issue 133 Part 1 of the disk
drive and memory upgrade article, I feel
All contributions to Web User must be original, not copies or duplicated to other
publications. The editor reserves the right to shorten or modify any letter or
to reuse any submission sent to the letters column of Web User magazine, in any
format or medium.
Newsletter
Sign up now for our free email newsletter
– in your Inbox every fortnight.
See www.webuser.co.uk/newsletter
Are you interested in watching TV on your mobile?
 LETTERS
ASK WEB USER
Rather than having to continually bin Got a non-technical query about the
unwanted mail, use anti-spam software wonderful web? Email it to askwebuser@
to prevent it reaching your Inbox web-user.co.uk and we’ll try to help
Then go to all your domains you have
noticed being used for spamming and Web User stockists
redirect all mail that gets returned to you Please tell me where I can find my
by automatic recipients to the main
business email of the company promoting
Q nearest newsagent to purchase
Web User magazine?
itself in the spam. It’s the equivalent of IK Coker, via email
tossing the cat crap back over the fence
into the garden the cat came from. Web User says: You can search for
Andrew, Chiswick A your local newsagent or shop selling
Web User at www.ipcmedia.com/
Web User replies: There is nothing worse availability/index.php?code=webuser.
than finding your Inbox cluttered with
spam, and you raised an interesting Personalised Google
suggestion Andrew. We put your idea
to Graham Cluley, senior technology Q I listened to the Web User podcast
(www.webuser.co.uk/podcast) and
consultant at Sophos, and this is his editor Andrew Craig said he had Google as
advice: “In my opinion, it’s not a good his homepage so he could read emails and
idea to become an internet vigilante and grateful for the junk email. What if you look at certain sites. I have Google as my
bounce spam back to the spammers for generated so much email that either the homepage and all I can do is search the
a number of reasons. It’s not just the recipient or internet infrastructure in web. Does Mr Craig have superpowers?
spammers who suffer when you send them between couldn’t cope with it? You Anon, via email
an email. What about the other parts of the might be deemed legally responsible
internet that carry your message back to the for the problem.
spammer? Why should they have to pay for If you have an angry grizzly bear in the
your message to be transmitted via their back garden with a sore head you don’t
systems – there’s enough junk email out poke it with a stick. The spammers aren’t
there already without adding to the load. nice guys – don’t goad them. If you want to
Can you be sure you are really targeting really get your own back on them, make
the spammer and not an innocent email sure you don’t see their messages by using
address? Sometimes domain names anti-spam software, encourage others to
and email addresses that were used better protect their computers, and never
by spammers are bought by genuine ever buy goods sold via spam. Becoming a
companies (when the spammer has let spammer yourself in an attempt to beat Web User says: Andrew has
their domain expire) and they won’t be the bad guys isn’t the way forward.” A personalised his Google homepage
so he can access content from across the
web from a single place, such as links to
you missed an obvious tip for most people
who may be new to tackling this type of
Accoona error According to your
favourite websites, Google Mail and the
latest news headlines. You can arrange
project. Crucial Technology (www.crucial. website review the page how you want it and those
com/uk) offers a Memory Advisor Tool that (www.accoona.com) settings will be remembered on your
can identify the motherboard, and allows in Issue 133, computer, or if you have a Google
you to find appropriate upgrades for your Accoona means ‘be Account, you can access your
particular manufacturer and model happy’. But I was talking to someone who personalised homepage from any
automatically. Even if you don’t purchase speaks Swahili and they say this is wrong. computer. To find out more, visit
the components from Crucial you will still Sid, via email www.google.co.uk/support.
have the results of their scan to go on. I did
this some months ago, and having never Web User replies: Your friend is right, UK film releases
opened a computer case before I installed Accoona is derived from the Swahili phrase I have noticed that a lot of official
an extra hard drive and more memory. Hakuna Matata (as popularised by the Lion Q movie websites tend to be US-
This means I might get a bit of extra life King), which means “don’t worry, be happy”. orientated, so the release date they
out of my five-year-old PC, and learned a But as a word, Accoona doesn’t actually exist. quote never ties in with UK cinemas.
new skill in the process. Where can I find UK release dates for
Tony Cassidy, Motherwell upcoming films?
Mike, via email
SUBSCRIBE TODAY A Web User says: The Film
Distributors’ Association, the trade
SUBSCRIPTIONS – DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR Have Web User GETTING WEB USER If you can’t find an issue in your local newsagent, body representing film distributors in
delivered direct every fortnight for a year within the UK for £48.10, (full call 020 7907 7777. the UK, offers a UK film release directory
subscription rate). Overseas by priority mail (3-5 days Europe, other at its website – www.launchingfilms.
destinations 5-7 days ). Europe/Eire £88.50; North America £80.00 BACK ISSUES Call our telephone hotline: 020 8532 3628 or fax 020
and the rest of the world £99.50. Cheques made payable to IPC Media 8519 3695. com. It lists a schedule of movies for
Ltd. All prices include postage and packing. Credit card hotline: 0845 Or write to Web User Back Issues, PO Box 666, London, E15 1DW. release in the UK over the coming
676 7778. For enquiries and overseas orders, please call +44 (0) 845 Prices: UK £3.50; Europe (airmail) £4.00; Rest of the world (airmail) months, which you can search by
676 7778, fax +44 (0) 1444 445599 or email ipcsubs@qss-uk.com. £5.00. Cheques/postal orders/international money orders should be
Alternatively subscribe online at www.webuser.co.uk Sterling and made payable to IPC Magazines. date, distributor and film title.

Yes 14% No 75% Don’t have a mobile 11% (Source: www.webuser.co.uk) 11 May 2006 17
 BESTNEW We review this fortnight’s crop
WEBSITES 7
SITE OF THE FORTNIGHT
National Lottery
www.nationallottery.co.uk
Our rating ★★★★★
49
We’ve always loved the National Lottery website,
especially because you can buy tickets online and then get
an email back if you win anything. And now
it’s even better. The look of the site has been
refreshed, and is now friendlier and more
lively. Plus, as the National Lottery offers a
range of different games such as Thunderball,
EuroMillions and Instant Win Games, the site
now makes it easier to differentiate between
each one. Click on Buy Draw Tickets from the
homepage and it is now obvious how much
each game costs and how much you can win.
The new-look Instant Win Games page also
features clear images for each of the games,
and now has the prize levels and prices more
clearly marked. The Gallery of past winners is
interesting for a quick browse, as is the list of projects that
have been funded by National Lottery money. Of course,
you’ll need to register if you want to play online. Good luck!
15
South Bank Walks
www.southbankwalks.com
Our rating ★★★★★
Visitors to London can now download
five PDF guides to great walks in the
English capital as well as get information
on historically significant buildings and
streets in the South Bank area (near You’re So Wrong
Web User Towers) at this new site. The www.youresowrong.co.uk
PDF guides are free, well-written and easy-to-understand – just
print them out for a fantastic
Our rating ★★★★★
guide to a nice day strolling Ever had a moral dilemma and
around London. Click on wondered what other people
Sculpture Stroll in the In Detail would do in your situation?
section to read about 20 pieces You’re So Wrong lets you pose
of public art to visit, or click questions such as whether you
Memories to read about how local should go on holiday with your
life has changed in the area. partner’s parents if you don’t
want to, and then list two
answers for people to vote
on. If you don’t feel like listing
your own moral quandary,
you can just visit the site and
tell people what you would
do in their situation. The site
isn’t the best looking out
there, and the number of
people voting seems to
average around 50, but
it makes an interesting
read. Be warned, some of
the dilemmas are of a slightly
adult nature.

18 11 May 2006 Wapsite of the fortnight Mercedes Find info on all Mercedes-Benz cars at a new mobile portal –

of the best new and revamped websites
11
Paper Plain
www.paperplain.net
Our rating ★★★★★
Most of us write far more emails
than letters in this day and age, but
a good-old fashioned letter or
invitation is still a joy to receive.
Paper Plain is a new site that offers
a range of its own fancy stationery
that you can order either
blank or personalised with
your details. The site breaks
the products into sections –
Everyday Paper and Cards,
Albums, Invitations, and
Babies and Children. After
selecting your stationery,
you can choose to
personalise, by selecting
font, ink colour, how the
type is positioned, and so
on. Prices vary, with the 20
personalised invitations we
chose coming in at £24.94
including postage.
text ‘air’ to 64500, and you will be sent a ‘Wap push’ code.
BESTNEWWEBSITES
24 3
Peroni Italy
www.peroniitaly.com www.highways.gov.uk
Our rating ★★★★★ Our rating ★★★★★
Italian brewer Peroni has
launched this fancy site to go
hand in hand with its new
advertising campaign which
pays homage to Fellini’s classic
movie La Dolce Vita. Fans of the
film will want to get along here
to listen to the planned podcast
interviewing Anita Ekberg, one
of the stars of the original film,
and also watch a mini-
documentary on how the maker
of the Peroni TV ad remade
parts of the film in South Africa
last year. Click on Extras to
download wallpapers and
a screensaver, and
Heritage to watch
Peroni’s master brewer
talk about the beer, and
to learn more about
La Dolce Vita.
Highways Agency
The Highways Agency has
Reviews by Quentin Reade,Veronique De Freitas and Toby Earle
updated its site to provide
constant real-time information
on the condition of England’s
major roads, including traffic
headlines and forecasts. You
can sign up to email alerts for the
parts of the country that impact
you or view a map to see what
problems are occurring where,
and when they are likely to
finish. You can also delve into
around 10,000 pages of
information featuring details of
environmental issues, road use
and safety statistics, a
history of UK roads, and
information on how to
stay safe. The site is
clearly laid out, quick to
load and makes a great
bookmark for motorists.
11 May 2006 19
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where people in the know go


BLOG ON C
What An African
Woman Thinks
http://wherehermadness
resides.blogspot.com
There’s no doubt that blogging
is mainly a pastime of
Westerners who have easy
access to the internet, and the
principal result of this is that
the multitude of voices out
there can often sound similar.
It’s refreshing then to come
across a blog from an entirely
different part of the world,
such as this one by Rombo.
Living in Nairobi, Rombo
muses on books, movies and
life in general, which sounds
like the majority of blogs we’ve
all come across. However, it’s
when she talks about the
recent Kenyan elections, what
could happen to her country,
or the perception of her and
other African nations by other
countries that it engages the
most. There’s even a
fascinating interview with a
prominent member of the
rebellion against British
Colonial rule. It’s personal
stories of unfamiliar events like
these that make this blog an
engrossing read.
C
BLOG OFF
Now Start A Beard
www.nowstartabeard
.com/index.htm
Is this the blogging
equivalent of watching paint
dry, or is it actually more
excruciatingly dull than that?
This Texan is charting the
growth of his beard through
time-lapse photography.
Why, we wonder?
Subscribe today! See page 56 for details
BESTNEWWEBSITES
Split The Atom EMI Classics New Car Hire
www.splittheatom.com www.emiclassics.co.uk www.new-car-hire.com
Our rating ★★★★★ Our rating ★★★★★ Our rating ★★★★★
Split The Atom is a new UK site Classical music lovers can get The UK’s largest online car
that works much like US-based their fix at the updated EMI retailer New-Car-Discount.com,
T-shirt site Threadless. Classics site, which has been has launched New-Car-
Designers submit a T- spruced up with podcasts, Hire.com, a service that claims
shirt design, visitors to classical ringtones, a top to source the best car-hire deals
the site vote for the ones 20 list, and a forum from more than 300 providers,
they like, and the most (although there were only including Hertz, Avis and
popular get printed and three registered users eBookers. Enter details of where
sold. Split The Atom is when we looked). The site and when you want to hire a car,
still in its early stages, but offers plenty of news on the driver’s age and car type and
there are already some great the latest releases, a you will be presented with a
shirts posted on this easy-to- calendar of concerts, details of range of options. You simply pick
navigate and fun-to-use site. who is currently in the studio one to visit that company’s
You can search for shirts by recording what, and a website to finish the
colour, size and categories that featured artist section. booking. The site works
include animals, comic and The only shame is that well, and comes up with
political. T-shirts cost a very the site doesn’t include some reasonable deals –
reasonable £15, with postage a shop, sending you off £106 got us a small car
starting at £1.40. to Amazon instead to for a week in Spain.
To enjoy even more website reviews, visit www.webuser.co.uk/sites
X-Men: The Last Stand
www.x-menthelaststand.com
Our rating ★★★★★
The third part of the X-Men film franchise is released on 25 May,
and while this official site doesn’t offer much more than what we
have come to expect from movie sites – information about the
film, wallpapers to download, trailers to watch and a gallery – it
does it with a slickness and breadth of detail not normally seen.
Choose Downloads on the homepage and you can choose from
22 wallpapers and 20 Instant Messenger icons. And while notes
on the Filmmakers, Cast, and Production are far from exhaustive,
each of the 16 mutants in the film is given their own page. Choose
from Storm, Wolverine, Prof Xavier and their pals, to view a profile, see more pictures and
access more downloads.
11 May 2006 21
 BESTNEWWEBSITES
C
Nokia Shop
GIVEITAMISS
www.nokia.co.uk/shop Pet Boogaloo
Our rating ★★★★★ www.petboogaloo.com
Nokia has launched this new online shop where you can buy
Our rating ★★★★★
unlocked SIM-free phones and their accessories. If you’re currently If there is one thing the
locked into a contract, but fancy a new phone, you can now buy the internet doesn’t need it’s a
latest Nokia and use it with your current provider. Choose from site that lets people blog
Music, Imaging or Office sections on the homepage to narrow down about their pets. Sure, you
your choice of mobile and then pick a model. The site is simple to may think your moggies and
use, and you can buy the phones and accessories online through the mutts are cute, but expecting
standard checkout procedure. Be warned, however, the prices other people to be interested
reflect the fact you aren’t locked into an expensive phone contract, in what your dog likes to eat
with mobiles starting at £179 and shooting upwards. for breakfast might be
pushing things a little too far.
The full site doesn’t launch
until June, and when it does
you can contribute to
categories that include
Amazing Pet Tricks, Pet
Birthdays, Just for Laughs
and In Memory Of.

ITV Play Couch Celebrations Sea France Marie Claire

http://play.itv.com www.couchcelebrations www.seafrance.com
Our rating ★★★★★ .co.uk
ITV has Our rating ★★★★★ Dover to Calais ferry company Get your dose of the latest
launched a
new TV
channel on
Freeview that
lets you phone
in to solve quizzes and win cash
and other prizes. You can also
watch ITV Play live on your
computer using Windows Media
Player by streaming it from the
website. Click on Shows and
you can learn about the different
quizzes and puzzles and when
they are shown, click on Games
and you can play classic games
including Bullseye, but you’ll
need to register for some of
these. The streaming video is
smooth and it’s good to see
more TV available online.
Our rating ★★★★★
Our rating ★★★★★ www.marieclaire.co.uk
This new website from Domino’s
Pizza will help you and your
friends co-ordinate your goal
celebrations during the World
Cup. Click on Coach to see how
to emulate David Beckham’s run
towards the crowd following his
penalty against Argentina at the
last World Cup, Stuart Pearce’s
passionate penalty celebration
against Spain in Euro ’96, Paul
Gascoigne’s dentist chair pose
after scoring against Scotland in
Euro ’96 and more. Head over
to the Spectate section to see
how Domino’s actors celebrate
or click on Competition for
details on how to film your own
creative goal-celebrations and
you could win pizza for a year.
Sea France has given its website
a fresh lick of paint, creating a
clean new look and offering an
easier-to-use booking system.
Now when you enter the dates
and times you want to travel,
you’ll also be given other
options that may save you
money. Click on Special
Offers to bag a cheap deal,
and also check out the
Events & Attractions
section that lets you know
what’s on where and when
in France. Ferry times can
be found by clicking the Sailing
Schedule link and passengers
with pets now have the option of
pre-booking their animals on to
the ferry in advance.
catwalk trends, beauty
products, recipes, travel ideas,
and more at this new website
from women’s magazine
Marie Claire. Considering
this is a new site, there is
already plenty of content to
delve into. Sections include
Fashion, Reviews, Celebrity
News, Horoscopes and
more. The Magazine
section lets you have a look
at an 18-page digital edition
of the latest issue, turning
the pages as if it was a
physical magazine. There are
also competitions to enter, a
reviews section and a not very
well-used forum (as yet) to
participate in.

22 11 May 2006 Old favourite www.garyrhodes.com Maybe not as good as Delia’s cooking site, but still worth a look.
 FEATURE
BUILD A BETTER WEBSITE

a site you’d like to impro ve or are taking your first tentative steps
Whether you have
ating a ho me on the internet, W ayne Williams has a collection of tips
towards cre
and workshops to help
t
Ranplet .com/
iS to c kphoto
o: © Phot

24 11 May 2006
 FEATURE
BUILD A BETTER WEBSITE

Scramble your Use CSS Notepad and save it as a .css file. E.g.
email address Although there’s nothing to stop you h3 {font-family: courier}
At least three-quarters of all email producing your entire website in HTML, hr {color: red;}
addresses on spam lists get harvested from CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) gives you p {margin-left: 30px}
websites. greater control over the layout of your web You then need to refer to the .css file in the
This is why pages and streamlines your code at the HEAD tags of your HTML pages. E.g.
so many same time. <head>
web It lets you style individual HTML tags. If, <link rel=”stylesheet” type=”text/css”
masters use for example, you wanted all your headings to href=”yoursheet.css” />
contact be extra large, red and in the Georgia </head>
forms typeface, you could define the <h1> tag so To find out more about using CSS visit:
instead of every use of it has those characteristics. To www.w3schools.com/css/css_intro.asp.
revealing change the look of all of your <h1>
their email headings in one go you’d only need to alter a Use ready-made
address. single piece of CSS code.
If you do want to include an email address For simple CSS, you can add the style CSS
you could get around the problem by attributes to the HTML of your page. E.g. You can always use a generator to produce
displaying it as a graphic or encoding it in <p style=“color: red; margin-left: the CSS code you need. There’s a CSS Font
Flash or JavaScript – easy for a human to 30px”>This text will be red and have a 30 and Text Style Wizard at www.somacon.
read but impossible for a program to collect. pixel left margin</p> com/p334.php which lets you style your
PageTutor’s Email Scrambler at www. For more flexible CSS that you can apply text by clicking buttons (it updates the code
pagetutor.com/scrambler turns your contact to all your web pages, create a separate CSS dynamically). The HTML and CSS Table
information into a few lines of JavaScript file. This file sits on your web space and lists Border Style Wizard at www.somacon.com/
that you can simply cut and paste into your all your chosen style attributes, but contains p141.php works the same way but produces
web page, thereby thwarting the spammers. no actual HTML code. You can make it in borders for tables.

Add a Google Map

Adding an embedded map to your website is easy, but The next page will show you your key 1 and provide you
1 you need to sign up for an API (Application Program
Interface) key at www.google.com/apis/maps/signup
.html first. You’ll also need a Google account. 1 Read the notes
2 with the base code you need. 2 Copy this to your
clipboard and paste it into your page.

2 and also the Terms of Use. 3 Tick you’ve read the terms, 4
enter your site address 5 then click on Generate API key. 6 1

You can learn how to add extra features to your map at

3 www.google.com/apis/maps/documentation/
#Examples. You can also create a more personalised
version of Google Maps at http://donkeymagic.co.uk/
googlemap.
This lets you
3 add markers
1 and 2
information 2
before
generating the
code. 3 1
4
5 3
6

11 May 2006 25
FEATURE
BUILD A BETTER WEBSITE

Wrap text around what if you want your text to flow around The full range of
an image something with curves? The answer is to bullet options is
To get text to run around the outside of a slice your image up into horizontal strips, available to view
photograph in HTML use the Align attribute. with the right hand side of each individual at www.w3.org/
Typing Align="right" places the image at the strip being made either longer or shorter to TR/REC-CSS2/
right of the window. Align="left" places it at follow the contour of the image (assuming generate.html
the left. Text flows around the side of the you’ll be floating these strips to the left). #lists.
image away from the window border. The The Box Office at www.theboxoffice.be In addition to
code you’d use would be something like this: automates this process for you and that, you can use
<img src="image.jpg" align="left"> generates the code you’ll need. the margin-left
A more elegant and modern approach is and padding-left
to float the image using CSS. To position an Make livelier lists properties of the
image on the left with the text wrapping on A standard HTML list uses solid discs as ‘ul’ selector to
the right side you’d use the following code: bullet points, but you can change these to give you control
In your CSS file: hollow circles, squares, numbers or letters over the
img.floatLeft { float: left; margin: 3px; } with a little CSS. All you need to do is alter indentation of any
In your HTML file: the list-style value. For square bullets the listed items:
<body> <img src="image.jpg" code would be:
class="floatLeft"> <p>Your text to wrap <ul style="list-style-type: square;"> <div style="background-color:
around the image goes here...</p> <li>Apples</li> #6699FF">
This is all well and good if you’re just <li>Pears</li> <ul style="margin-left: 0; padding-left:
wrapping around a rectangular block, but <li>Oranges</li> 40px;">
</ul> <li>Apples</li>
<li>Pears</li>
For letters of the alphabet you’d use: <li>Oranges</li>
<ul style="list-style-type: lower-roman;"> </ul>
</div>
You can also use your own images as mini
bullet points: Without that second line the bullet points
<ul style="list-style-image: url(blob. would sit at the very edge of the coloured
png);"> box, or just outside of it.

26 11 May 2006
 FEATURE
BUILD A BETTER WEBSITE

Create an image map Create a Favicon

An image map is a graphic which has clickable regions
1 – hotspots – hidden within it. You can use the Meracl
ImageMap Generator from www.stockholm.bonet.se/
meracl/mimg.htm to create your own. To start go to File/New
Image Map 1 and load an image from a website 2 or your
hard disk. 3
Favicons are the small graphics that sit next to the URL
1 in the address bar, on tabs and alongside bookmarks.
Creating your own isn’t difficult but FavIcon From Pics
at www.html-kit.com/favicon does everything for you. Browse
to find an image to use, 1 add some optional scrolling text 2
then generate the icon. 3

1 2
3

1
2
3

2 Drag either a circle or a square 1 onto your image and

resize it using the handles 2 to create your first
hotspot. You can use the sliders 3 to change the
colour in order to see what you’re doing a little clearer. Add a
2 You have the choice between a static Favicon 1 or an
animated one. 2 The site will let you see what your
Favicon looks like in a browser 3 or you can simply
download the generated image. 4
web link to tie in with that hotspot 4 .

3
2 4
1
1 3
2

The polygon (triangle) option 1 lets you create custom

3 shapes. Drag it to your image and then right-click around
an area to add new nodes. 2 Click Delete Shape 3 if
you don’t want it any more. When you’ve marked off all the areas
3 Upload the Favicon.ico file to your website and place
this HTML tag in the header section: <link
go to File, Save Image Map 4 to get the code for your site. rel="shortcut icon" href="favicon.ico" >
Go to www.html-kit.com/favicon/validator and enter your site
address 1 to validate the icon. You can click the demo links 2
to see how the different validator features work.
4

2
1
1

3 2

11 May 2006 27
FEATURE
BUILD A BETTER WEBSITE

Build a free website

Sign up for a free account at http://geocities.yahoo.com. To add some body copy to your site click the Text icon
1 When you log in you’ll be taken straight to the GeoCities
Control Panel. From here you can take the GeoCities
Tour 1 or Create a Website. 2
4 again. 1 The lines around each box 2 are just for show
and won’t appear on the finished website. Click the
Pictures icon 3 and in the box that appears click the Upload 4
button to locate and upload a photo to use.

1 3

1 4

You can do

2 GeoCities has two main construction options – Yahoo!

PageBuilder 1 and Yahoo! PageWizards. 2
PageBuilder is the one you want if you’re planning to
5 various
things with
your uploaded
create a new site from scratch. pictures, including
turning them into
links 1 and adding
screen tips. 2

2
2
1

Click Add-ons 1 to introduce other features to your page.

Click the Text icon 1 in PageBuilder to create a title.

6 Counter 2 will add a visitor counter to your site, while
Background Music 3 will greet visitors with a tune. You
can also add various different Button types. 4
3 Use the handles to size and move the box 2 , then type
your heading. Choose a typeface 3 and a size, 4 then
select the text and change its colour. 5
1

1
5
3 4

4
3
2

28 11 May 2006

Optimise images
Although the number of broadband-
equipped homes is growing fast, it’s
important to remember that 45 per cent of
global web users still access the internet via
dial-up accounts. If you want as many
people as possible to visit your website you
should cater for everyone. This means
lightening your pages, and keeping an eye
on the size and quantity of your images.
Eliminating or replacing any unnecessary
graphics can speed things up considerably.
Swap JPEG headings for styled text and use
CSS rollovers in place of image-based ones.
Choose GIFs for diagrams and JPEGs for
photographs – reduce the latter’s image
quality to medium, or low (five or four) if you
can get away with it. Try using PNG files to
see if that makes a size/quality difference
and consider offering low-res thumbnails
that link to larger versions of your images,
rather than just the full-sized pictures.
Finally, always specify the height and width
of all images on your site.
Check your pages Compress your
for bad links HTML
There’s no point having a lovely looking
website if the information you are offering is
incorrect. There are a couple of useful, free
services that let you check your web pages
for broken links – W3C’s Link Checker
(http://validator.w3.org/checklink) and
SiteOwner.com’s Link Checker (www.
siteowner.com/badlinks.cfm). It’s good
practice to check the links on every page you
put up, when you put it up, and it will mean
you lose fewer visitors to irritating ‘page not
found’ errors.
Block search
engines
If you want to stop a search engine from
indexing all or part of your site (work-in-
progress pages, for example) you can do two
things. First, you can add the following line
to your page header:
<meta name="robots" content="noindex,
nofollow">
This stops the page from being indexed and
any links being followed. You can also create
a robots.txt file which lists any off-limits
areas. Find out how to do this at www.out
front.net/tutorials_02/adv_tech/robots.htm.
Add scripts for free
You don’t need to be a web wizard to produce
a modern site with all the latest bells and
whistles. Sites such as HotScripts (www.
hotscripts.com) and Dynamic Drive (www.
dynamicdrive.com) have hundreds of
DHTML or Javascript scripts that you can lift
for free and use in your own pages. Adding
calendars, calculators, games and cool
effects is just a matter of cutting and pasting.
If you want your web pages to load as
quickly as possible, Absolute HTML
Compressor from Alentum (www.alentum
.com) can help. It’s a freeware tool that
shrinks your code by replacing long tags
with shorter equivalents (<strong> with
<B>, for example) and removes
unnecessary white space characters and
quotes. It also strips out HTML comments,
<!DOCTYPE...> tags and some meta tags.
You can run it via a GUI or command line
interface, and the program will back up your
original code in the unlikely event of
problems occurring.
Add an MP3
jukebox
If there’s one thing that’s guaranteed to send
site visitors scurrying back the way they
came, it’s being ‘serenaded’ by a barely
recognisable MIDI audio track. The more
modern, and far more acceptable alternative
is to offer a choice of real MP3 songs for
people to listen to. Try Coffee Cup’s Web
JukeBox at www.coffeecup.com/web-
jukebox. It’s not free (the software costs
$34.00, about £19) but it’s certainly one of
the better options for web music and there’s
a 30-day trial available.
FEATURE
BUILD A BETTER WEBSITE
Use a spacer GIF
Before CSS became popular, web designers
used a simple trick to control their layouts.
It might be a little old-fashioned these days,
but if you’re still coding purely in HTML
you’ll find the spacer GIF a handy way of
adding margins and introducing space
between elements.
All you have to do is create a 1 x 1 pixel
transparent GIF in any image-editing
package then use the width and height
attributes to size it. This will pad out the
space between images and other page
furniture. For example, to add a 15-pixel
horizontal gap between two images you’d
use the spacer GIF like this:
<img src="image1.jpg" width="40"
height="40" border="0">
<img src="spacer.gif" width="15"
height="1" border="0">
<img src=image2.jpg" width="40"
height="40" border="0">
You can also use the trick in table cells to
make sure a cell doesn't shrink below a
certain width or height.
Use an HTML
validator
The best way to learn HTML is to hand
code your own site, but that can lead to
problems. It’s easy to use tags incorrectly or
forget to close some of them. Plus, you need
to know that your site is going to display
correctly on every browser there is, not just
the one you happen to use. You can check
your code for errors using a free validator –
try the W3C Markup Validation Service at
http://validator.w3.org or the Web Design
Group’s HTML Validator at www.htmlhelp.
com/tools/validator.
11 May 2006 29
FEATURE
BUILD A BETTER WEBSITE

Create a web application with Zoho Creator

Zoho Creator at www.zohocreator.com lets you build Building an application involves adding fields from the
1 your own web applications, such as calendars and
databases. You can either sign up for an account, or try
out the service using the demo login. To begin, Click Application
4 drop-down box. 1 You can add new tabs to your
application 2 and additional forms and views. 3 Click
the URL link to view the finished project. 4
1 or adapt one of the existing shared forms. 2
2 4
1

If you choose to start from scratch, you will be asked if You can test your application to make sure it does
2 you wish to begin with a Blank Application, 1 or use one
with a Pre-Built Form & View. 2 Once you’ve made your
choice, name your application 3 and click Create. 4
5 everything you need it to. 1 If you want to make changes
just click on ‘Edit this application’. 2 When you’re happy
with the results simply add it to your site. 3

3 2

1
2 1

If you design a blank application you will need to create

3 your own form 1 and set a view 2 to display the
information you enter. You should also decide if your
application will be public or private. 3

2
3

30 11 May 2006
 FEATURE
BUILD A BETTER WEBSITE

Use free building software Add a forum

NVU is a freeware Adding a forum
1 WYSIWYG (What You
See Is What You Get)
web creation tool available for
1
1 to your site is a
great way of
getting people to come
download from www.nvu.com. back regularly. The best
To build a site with it, begin by news is it’s easy and free.
adding a background. Go to Go to https://www.
Format 1 and select ‘Page stepwebz.com/forums.
Colors and Background’. 2 asp and click on ‘Design a
2 Forum’. 1 1

Click Choose File 1 to select

2 a background image or, if
you’d prefer to have a block of
colour, select ‘Use custom colors’. 2
2 2 Give your forum
a name. 1 You
can set rules 1
Click the button next to Background, governing the creation of
3 choose a shade in the palette new topics and also force 2
window then click OK. 4 3 visitors to sign up before
they are able to post
1 messages. 2 Decide 3
how your forum should
look, 3 then click Go To
4 Step 2. 4
4
Type in a heading for your site then select the text and
3 choose a colour for it. 1 To change the typeface click the
Choose a Font box. 2 To alter its size click the Larger/
Smaller font size buttons 3 or use the Paragraph Format box. 4 3 On the next
screen enter a
discussion topic
Use the alignment buttons to position it. 5 for people to respond to.
1 Click on Start Another
4 1 3 5 Topic 2 to add additional
subjects. Five or six
2 different topics should be 1
enough to get you
started.
2

To use the

4 Type in the rest of the

text for your page, and
format it as you wish.
1 4 service you will
need to sign up
and activate your
1

To add a photo click on the account. Once that’s

2
Insert Image button. 1 Click done you’ll be able to
Choose File 2 to locate your preview your forum, 1
picture and OK it. 3 upgrade to a premier
2 account 2 or just get the 3
code for your site. 3

3
The basic finished forum will appear on your website like

5 You can resize the

image if necessary by
2
5 this. 1 However, when someone clicks on a topic to
reply, or tries to search the postings, 2 they will be taken
to your forum area on the StepWebZ site.
dragging on the 2
surrounding handles. 1
Alternatively click the Insert 3 4 1
1
Image button again 2 to
change its size under
Dimensions. 3 You can alter
the image’s alignment and
spacing under Appearance. 4

11 May 2006 31
FEATURE
BUILD A BETTER WEBSITE

Use Google Sitemaps

Sitemaps help visitors to your website find their way
1 around, but they can also benefit your search engine
ranking. To find out what information Google currently
has on your site go to www.google.com/webmasters/sitemaps/
siteoverview. Enter your web address 1 and click OK. 2 The site
will be added to your account. Click the link to view the details. 3
Google’s free Sitemap Generator can be found at www.
4 google.com/webmasters/sitemaps/docs/en/sitemap-
generator.html but the SOFTplus GSiteCrawler from
http://johannesmueller.com/gs is easier to master. To begin, enter
your site name and address. 1 You can view the Crawlers at work
by clicking the Show button. 2 Once the site has been crawled
click on Generate to output the Sitemap as an .xml file. 3
2 3

1 2
1
3

On the following page, click the Index Stats link. This will
2 show you which pages from your site Google currently
has indexed, 1 which sites link to you 2 and which sites
Google considers similar to your own. 3 To get more detailed
information
you need to Back at Google, click the Sitemaps tab, then click the Add
verify that
the site
belongs
4 5 a Sitemaps link. Select Add a General Web Sitemap on
the next page. 1 Select the type of Sitemap you’ve
created and tell Google where it can be found. 2 Finally click Add
to you. 1 Web Sitemap 3 to add it. It may take several hours for Google to
Click on add the pages to its index.
2
Verify. 4
3 1
There are two ways to verify a site. Using the drop-down
3 box you can choose to add a meta tag to your site’s index
file 1 or upload an HTML verification file to the root of
your site. 2 Whichever option you choose, this will enable Google
to verify you as the site owner and provide you with additional
statistics and any error information. The next stage is to add a 3
Sitemap but you will need to create one first.

2
1 2

NEXT ISSUE...

BOOST YOUR
Photo: ©iStockphoto.com/Jan Kaliciak

BROWSER
60 enhance your time online
32
amazing add-ons to
11 May 2006
FEATURE
iPOD AND iTUNES TIPS
-%
BRILLI ANT
16
Robert Irvin
16 top tips for
e reveals iPod and iTunes
the most of Apple
’s
m
iTIPS
aking

TOP iPOD TIPS 5 Play iPod music

on your hi-fi
Enjoy your extensive

1 Copy songs from your iPod

iTunes won’t let you copy music
from your iPod, only to it.
However, if you need to restore songs
from the player to your PC or Mac there
are several third-party programs you can
use, including PodUtil (www.kennettnet
.co.uk), iPodRip (www.thelittleappfactory
.com) and iPod Music Liberator
(www.zeleksoftware.com).
MP3 collection via your hi-fi
using the Logitech Wireless
Music System from (www.
logitech.com). This
device turns your
player into a wireless
remote control, streaming
tunes directly to your stereo
speakers. At £99.99 it costs a
lot less than Apple’s new £249 iPod
Hi-Fi (www.apple.com/uk/ipodhifi).

2 Use your iPod as an alarm clock

You can set your iPod to wake you
up in the morning using its alarm
clock feature. Select Extras from the
main menu, choose Clock then
Alarm Clock. Select Alarm to turn
the feature on, set the desired time
and choose a noise from the
options available. With speakers
connected, you can be roused by a
playlist of your favourite songs.
6 Create a playlist on the fly
Your iPod offers an On-the-Go
feature for creating a playlist while
away from your computer. Highlight a song
in one of the music menus, then hold down
the Select button until its name flashes,
indicating that it’s been added to the
On-the-Go playlist. You can access this
via the main Playlists menu.

3 Read email on the go

You can synchronise your iPod
with your email client to read
new messages on the go. To do this on a
PC, install the free program K-Pod from
http://k-deep.com/k-pod.htm; for Macs
try PodMail from www.macupdate.com.
Downloaded mail can then be viewed on
the player via the Notes feature in the
Extras menu.
7 Read web
content on
the move
A clever web-based tool
called iPodulator lets you
convert web content into a compatible
format for reading on your iPod. Head to
www.theplaceforitall.com/ipodulator then voice recorder. The two best are the
enter the URL for a web page or RSS feed. Griffin iTalk (www.griffintechnology
Click iPodinate then save the results and .com) and the Belkin Voice Recorder
copy the file to your iPod. (www.belkin.co.uk), both of which cost
around £30 from iPod accessory stores

4 Prolong battery life

Although the iPod now offers up
to 14 hours of playback per
charge, this is substantially reduced if you
such as www.iworld.co.uk.

use it regularly. Make the battery last

longer by sliding the Hold switch into the
locked position to prevent the player being
turned on by accident. Also turn off the
backlight and try not to skip between
songs too frequently.
8 Record directly onto your iPod
Although the iPod lacks a built-in
microphone, there are several
accessories available that can turn it into a No Dictaphone? The Griffin iTalk can
turn your iPod into a voice recorder
34 11 May 2006
 FEATURE
iPOD AND iTUNES TIPS

.5 Import Using menu, specify the

TOP iTUNES TIPS encoding format you want to use
and click OK. Now select the track,
Manage your music manually click on the Advanced menu and choose
9 iTunes updates your iPod
automatically, so that songs
removed from the program are also
Convert Selection To [your chosen format].

deleted from the player. To store tracks
permanently on your iPod, connect it to
your PC, click the iPod Preferences
button in the bottom-right corner of the
iTunes window and select the option
‘Manually manage songs and playlists’.
Create an iMix
14 You can share your impeccable
musical taste with everyone by
creating an online iMix. Click on the File
menu and select New Playlist. Give it a
name then drag-and-drop tracks from
your library or iTunes Music store. Click
the arrow next to the playlist name and
click the Create iMix button. Click Create
and then click Publish to upload your iMix.

Back-up important files

10 As well as copying music to your
iPod, iTunes can transfer data
files to be stored on the player’s hard disk. Create a Smart Playlist
With your iPod connected, open the
Preferences panel, select the option
‘Enable disk use’ and click OK. An icon
15 Save the time spent adding tracks
to playlists individually by using
different criteria to organise them. Click on
for your iPod will now appear in My the File menu and select New Smart
Computer letting you drag-and-drop files Playlist. When the Smart Playlist box
there as you would to a storage drive. opens, specify the condition for the
playlist, for example only a certain artist or
Join CD tracks together genre, or containing a certain word. Set a
11 If you’ve ripped tracks from a
mixed CD, the brief gap that now
appears between songs during playback
limit on the number of songs and click OK.

can be annoying. Solve the problem by

selecting the tracks you’d like to mix from
your iTunes Library, then clicking on the
Advanced menu and choosing Join
Tracks. These tunes will now play
continuously on your iPod.
Get CD track names

12 Standardise the
volume level
To make quiet songs
louder and loud songs quieter, click on the
Edit menu, select Preferences and then
click the Playback tab. Select the option
Sound Check and the volume for all
songs will be set to the same level.
Alternatively, right-click on a track,
select Get Info and then click the Options
tab to change individual sound settings.
16 iTunes can automatically search
for and assign information for
tracks you rip from CD so you don’t have
to. Insert a disc then click on the
Advanced menu and select Get CD Track
Names. iTunes will search CDDB, an
online CD music database, and identify
and label song and album titles, artists
and more.

Convert files to
13 different formats
If a track in your library is
in a different format to your other
songs, you can use iTunes to convert
it. Click on the Edit menu and select
Preferences, then click the Advanced
tab and click Importing. From the

11 May 2006 35
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 FEATURE
CLASSICAL DOWNLOADS

MUSIC
MAESTRO PLEASE
When it comes to downloading,
rock and pop music tend to dominate.
But specialist classical music download
sites have been a massive success too.
Nik Taylor finds the best three
CLASSICAL.COM www.classical.com

©istockphoto.com/ Zoran Milic

A huge range of music backed up by you sign up you get eight downloads a month for free,
great features gives this site the edge. while members and non-members alike can buy
What we liked: Using Classical.com tracks from $0.99 (54p) upwards.
is like creating your own classical radio Look out for the info files in the details of each
station. For £8.80 a month you get piece. These give you background on the composition
access to over 50,000 tracks. Instead of the work, biographies of the key composers and
of downloading these, the idea is to links to related music.
create playlists that stream directly from What we didn’t like: Eight free downloads is a bit
the site. Building your own is fun, but you can also stingy for members who would like to keep their music.
explore those created by other members or by the Ease of use ★★★★★
site’s staff. This latter option is the best way to rapidly
increase your classical knowledge as you’ll find lists Range ★★★★★
such as the ‘top ten classical works you should own’. Value for money ★★★★★
Of course, downloading is an extra option. Once OVERALL ★★★★★

ECLASSICAL.COM www.eclassical.com
Cheap, cheerful and simple to use
– head here if you’re new to the world
Probably the best option is to head to the most-
downloaded chart, which is a great way to find a
COMPOSERS
of classical music. list of popular classics. Prices are cheap and The Mozart Project
What we liked: This site has a great cheerful as you can download entire works for just www.mozartproject.org
feature that finds music to match your $0.99 (54p). Freebies are available too, with five free Most notable for a well-researched
mood. OK, so plenty of others do that MP3s online every day. biography on the great composer.
too – but What we didn’t like: Design doesn’t seem to be a
how many high priority as some areas look a bit scrappy. Beethoven-Haus
list such Ease of use ★★★★★ www.beethoven-haus-bonn.de/sixcms/
moods as detail.php//portal _ en
‘after a Range ★★★★★ The excellent digital archives have
divorce’ or ‘in Value for money ★★★★★ information on Beethoven’s work and
a car jam’. OVERALL ★★★★★ private life.

The J.S. Bach Home Page

CLASSICAL MUSIC ARCHIVES www.classicalarchives.com www.jsbach.org
Amateurish design, but packed with
Not much of a looker, but this site has are very low at $25 (approx £14) per year, letting you detail. Plenty of links to other good
a great ‘try-before-you-buy’ feature. download 100 files per day (up to a maximum of Bach sites.
What we liked: This archive is jam- 1,000 per month). Those keeping an eye on the
packed with music files – over 35,000 pennies can download five free files each day. Chopin Music
of them, in fact. All are available for What we didn’t like: The dated design makes this a www.chopinmusic.net
download, but before tricky site to browse unless you already know what Smart site with a lively forum and links to
you shell out you you’re after. Chopin’s works.
can listen to Ease of use ★★★★★
high-quality, full- Tchaikovsky www.geocities.com/
Range ★★★★★
length streams of Vienna/5648/Tchaikovsky.htm
any of them. Value for money ★★★★★ It’s no longer updated but this site still
Subscription fees OVERALL ★★★★★ has some excellent biographical detail.

11 May 2006 37
INSTANT EXPERT
BETA VERSIONS
INSTANT EXPERT
GUIDE TO...
Beta
versi ns There are lots of websites and services that say they’re ‘beta’
versions, but what does it actually mean? Mark Wilson investigates
T
here are loads of free beta tests
available for web users to play around
with nowadays. From the seemingly
never-ending test of Google Mail to the
newest ‘Web 2.0’ services, the testing
process of software and services seems to
be becoming increasingly public.
What does beta mean?
A beta version of a program or website is
essentially a working test version that is
not yet fully complete. Major programs and
sites may see the release of many beta
versions before the final product sees the
light of day, as the software is tested, refined
and tested some more. While many betas
are open to anyone (often called ‘public
betas’), other high-profile software titles,
such as Microsoft Office and Vista – are only
available to a select group of invitees
(‘closed betas’).
Why are there so many
betas around all of a
sudden?
Software has always undergone a beta test
phase, where bugs are discovered and
creases are ironed out. But previously, most
software was created for individual use, to
38 11 May 2006
be run autonomously on a home or office
computer. Nowadays, products such as
Google Mail have to work for thousands of
people simultaneously, so beta tests have to
be significantly broader in scope. Because
they’re essentially just tests, beta versions
are not necessarily supported by their
manufacturers – you can report a problem,
but not necessarily expect to receive help in
fixing it, or you may have to wait for the next
version for the fix. As a result it’s worth
keeping in mind that a beta version may not
necessarily be the best place to keep
important information.
Didn’t betas used to be
finite? Now they seem
to last forever
From a quality point of view, it makes sense
for a software developer to allow people to
test their programs for as long as possible in
order to find and fix as many problems as
they can. If the tool is a free service, such as
Google Mail, there’s little commercial
reason to end the test phase as this isn’t
necessarily the point at which the service
will start to make money, like it is with
traditional off-the-shelf software.
Constantly releasing updated versions of
Get more help and advice at www.webuser.co.uk/forums
beta software also works as an excellent
marketing tool, as it helps to keep the
program on everyone’s lips.
The upsurge in public interest in betas
means companies can get more feedback
than has been possible in the past. More
feedback means more problems are
reported and more suggestions are filed,
which leads to the release of more fixes and
features, and maybe another beta version.
What’s in it for me (and
what’s in it for them)?
From a web user’s point of view, beta
programs have a great deal to offer. Not only
do you get to try out the latest and greatest
programs, usually free of charge, you can
also provide feedback to help with the
development of the program and potentially
shape it in a way that’s best for you.
Software developers are keen to release
beta versions to the public as it means they
can use thousands of people to test their
software for them without the need to pay
anyone. There is also the added possibility
that beta testers will be so enamoured with
the test version of the program that they will
be willing to spend money on the finished
version, should the developer decide to
charge for it.
 INSTANT EXPERT
BETA VERSIONS

©istockphoto.com/ Frank Ferguson

Testing times:
unbeatable betas
If you want to try out the latest software,
keep up with at BetaNews (www.
betanews.com) and VersionTracker
(www.versiontracker.com). We’ve
also tracked down six of the best betas
that you may be interested in trying out
for yourself:
images or create vector-based
images from scratch, Microsoft
Expression Graphic Designer
looks like it’s shaping up to be an
incredibly competent tool. There is a beta
version (referred to by Microsoft as a CTP
or Community Technology Preview)
available for download from www.
microsoft.com/products/expression.

1 Internet Explorer 7
Firefox has long been
touted as the browser of
the future with its support for
tabbed browsing and enhanced

security options. Internet Explorer 7 has
been in development for some time now,
and has finally been made available as a
public beta. Find out what all the fuss is
about by downloading the program from
www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/ie7. To
complete the set, give the new Opera beta
a try too (www.opera.com/download/
index.dml?ver=9.0b).
4
Apple Boot Camp
If you’ve ever fancied
running Windows XP on
your Mac, Apple Boot Camp is
the tool you’ve been looking for.
All you need is an Intel-based Mac, a copy
of Windows XP and the beta version of
Boot Camp from www.apple.com/
macosx/bootcamp.

2 Google Mail
Google’s revolutionary

5
If you want to find out about all of the email service has
latest beta releases, BetaNews is an been classed as a beta for as Windows Live Toolbar
excellent source of information. long as many people can There are a number of
remember. The beta is not fully public and beta programs available
you can only join if you have been invited through Microsoft’s Windows
Are there any security by someone else who is already using the Live services, including the main
service. But so many beta testers Live.com site and Windows Live Ideas
issues? What happens managed to sign up that there’s a high (http://ideas.live.com). A new addition is
to any data you store chance you know someone who will be
able to send you an invite. Find out more
the Windows Live Toolbar Beta, which
allows tabbed browsing, integrated
as part of a beta? at www.gmail.com. search, RSS feed detection and pop-up
The thing to remember is that beta software and phishing blocking.
is unfinished code and usually comes with
no guarantees. While most software
companies are careful about ensuring the
general stability of their service before
releasing a beta version to the public, there
is still an increased risk of crashes and, in
extreme cases, data loss. As such, it’s
important that you back-up valuable data
when using beta software and try not to use

3
it for any work that you rely on. Read the
small print when you register too, as it’s Microsoft Expression Graphic
unlikely a software developer will accept Designer
liability for anything you lose or break when Whether your want to edit bitmap
using its betas.

Next issue: Instant Expert guide to the 802.11n Wi-Fi standard 11 May 2006 39
PROJECT
HOME SURVEILLANCE
Webcam
HOME
surveillance
PART 1: Buyer’s guide
Fort Knox or opportunity knocks? Wayne Williams
reveals how the net can make your home more secure
M
onitoring your home while at work or
away on holiday has never been
easier. All you need is a webcam, a
computer hooked up to the internet and the
right software. Choosing what sort of home
surveillance set-up to go for is more tricky.
Will a basic one-webcam system suffice or
should you look to install multiple wireless
cameras and enjoy a level of security rarely
seen outside of a Las Vegas casino? Over
the top possibly, but it would certainly
bring you peace of mind. In this issue we’ll
look at the options available and next time
around we’ll guide you through the process
of setting up a simple, low-cost system.
Free software
Any webcam can be used as part of a home
surveillance system – so long as it’s capable
of producing reasonably clear pictures and
you have some decent motion detection
software installed. Your webcam might even
have come with a monitoring program
bundled free, in which case you’re all set.
If you have the webcam but not the
software don’t worry – there are plenty of
good freeware tools available to use.
Particularly worthy of a mention are
grabMotion from www.grabmotion.com and
Dorgem from http://dorgem.sourceforge.net.
40 11 May 2006
Panasonic’s BL-C10 webcam is
expensive, but packed with features
The former can send emails
with attachments and SMS
warnings via a gateway, as well
as sounding an alarm to frighten
off intruders. The latter supports
multiple simultaneous cameras and stores
recorded video on an FTP site.
Also worth downloading is VisionGS PE D-Link’s DCS-5300W
from www.visiongs.de. It’s free for home can be remotely
use, but there are some minor limitations. tilted and panned
Low cost
If you don’t yet own a webcam, there are
plenty to choose from with prices starting at Communicate STX and for £79.99 you can
around £10 for a basic model. Creative Labs buy the superior QuickCam Fusion with
(http://uk.europe.creative.com) has a good built-in intelligent face-tracking.
selection, including WebCam Live! for £30. Even if your camera comes with its own
If your budget will stretch to it there’s also motion detection software it’s still worth
WebCam Live! Motion. This is much more shopping around for better alternatives.
expensive at £99.99, but for the money you Try INetAlertView from www.clearvision
get a camera that pans, tilts and can software.com, which retails at £17.50, or
automatically move to track a subject. Crime Catcher Standard and Crime Catcher
Logitech (www.logitech.com) also has a Pro from www.crime-catcher.com, which
nice range of reasonably-priced webcams. will set you back £14 (for a single camera
For £39.99 there’s the QuickCam licence) and £27.50 (up to four cameras)
Get help with webcams at www.webuser.co.uk/forums
 PROJECT
HOME SURVEILLANCE

respectively. There are 30-day trials of all

three programs available for download.
The trial versions of SupervisionCam from
Motion detection
WebCam Live!
Motion can follow www.supervisioncam.com, and Watcher There’s little point in your
an intruder’s from www.digi-watcher.com, are also worth surveillance system
movements installing. SupervisionCam is £22 to recording hours of
register, and Watcher marginally more non-stop video or taking
expensive at £28. endless pictures of a
perfectly empty room on
State-of-the-art the off-chance a burglar
For the very best surveillance might suddenly appear.
set-up money can buy you Use of motion detection –
should consider purchasing one which works by capturing two images
or more IP (internet protocol) and comparing them for any changes –
webcams. ensures the webcam only records video
The QuickCam These are or takes continuous snapshots when
Fusion offers built-in standalone there’s actually something to see.
face tracking devices that How you’re alerted to this potential
connect to a security breach depends on the
wireless software you use, but generally your
network. Because they aren’t set-up will send you a warning email
tethered to your home PC along with an attached image showing
via a USB cable you you what the webcam has picked up.
can position them You can then log-on to monitor the live
anywhere (within footage, which will also be recorded
reason) and keep (as either video or timed images)
an eye on any somewhere off-site. There’s little real
part of the house. point in the intrusion being recorded to
With multiple your hard disk. After all, if that shadowy
cameras installed figure does turn out to be a burglar he’s
you can monitor probably going to be taking your PC
The QuickCam different areas home with him….
Communicate STX of your home
from Logitech is a simultaneously.
good starter model Priced at £88
and offering a Other uses for a home
built-in security mode, the
Linksys WVC54GC Compact
surveillance system:
Wireless-G Internet Video Baby monitoring
Camera from www.linksys.
com can be set to send a Keeping an eye on your children
short video clip of any
suspected intrusion Watching over sick animals
automatically to
up to three email Scanning your front door for
Creative’s intruders – or visitors
WebCam Live! is a addresses.
good camera for a The Panasonic Wildlife observation
reasonable price BL-C10 from www.
panasonic.co.uk is
a costly £185.65,
but it’s an excellent camera with a built-in
Linksys’s WVC54GC
is an affordable
IP webcam
human detection sensor and a colour night-
vision mode.
If money is no object, the DCS-5300G
NEXT ISSUE
Wireless Camera from D-Link (www.dlink.
co.uk) is for you. It costs around £305 but
PART 2:
delivers high-quality video and sound, a Next issue we’ll show
range of surveillance features, and can be
remotely panned and tilted to ensure you get
you how to set up a
the best shots. The supplied software is simple home security
able to control up to 16 cameras at once.
On the software front, iCatcher Sentry system using a
(£54.95) and iCatcher Console (£139.95)
from www.icode.co.uk are both superb
webcam and
and available to try free for 21-days. Crime
ComC Technologies (www.comctech.com)
has 30-day trial versions of both its
Catcher
WatcherForYou (£22.50) and Standard
iCatcher Console is an impressive WatcherForYou Pro (£28) products.
piece of surveillance software
11 May 2006 41
 FILM & TV
This fortnight’s best FREE downloads
SOFTWAR
PAGE 45

The Da Vinci Code

Interviews and clips
Available: Fri 19 May
From: www.mymovies.net
Dan Brown’s juggernaut of a novel
reaches the screens and will be, no
matter what the critics say, a huge
blockbuster. Fans of the novel will
flock to see whether Tom Hanks
cuts it as the heroic academic
Robert Langdon, who’s thrust into a
search for the Holy Grail, and if Paul
Bettany’s creepy monk Silas lives
up to his written incarnation.
Helmed by Oscar-winning director
Ron Howard.

Cracking the code

FREAKY FOOTAGE
Russian parkour
www.videobomb.com/posts/show/46
Okay, okay, we
featured a video
of parkour (or
free running,
urban dancing,
ultra-gymnastics
or whatever
else you want
to call it)
recently, but this one takes the cake.
The web has exploded with these urban
acrobatics videos, though we doubt
you’ll ever see another one this extreme.
Breathtaking stuff.

ONLINE TV TREAT The King

Lost
www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/ Interviews and clips
microsites/L/lost/video.html Available: Fri 19 May
Before the second series of the castaway From: www.mymovies.net
drama kicks off and yet more twists lead This dark and sinister drama stars William Hurt as a pastor
precisely nowhere, refresh who welcomes his long-lost son (called Elvis, hence the
your memory of what title) into his family, only for the young man to start playing
happened in the first psychological mind games with his new relatives.
series by watching
every episode here.

42 11 May 2006 Buy 1 issue of Web User, get 5 FREE! – see page 56 for details
RE GAMES MUSIC
PAGE 46 PAGE 48 FILM & TV
SHORT FILMS
1Acid Rain
www.atomfilms.com/af/content/
acid_rain
Mobile phones
have been
godsends to
filmmakers, and
one bloke’s phone
is the focus of this
taut thriller in
which one brother
rings the other
prior to committing a terrible crime.
It’s sharp and well photographed – just
watch out for the two swear words.

2Offstacle Course
www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2697789
All Darryl Grogan wants is a nice break,
but there’s no chance of that when he’s
Prime forced into work on a Saturday by his
Interviews and clips obnoxious boss. However, an accident
Available: Fri 12 May with a photocopier sees him suddenly
From: www.mymovies.net gain the holiday he’s been after.
Uma Thurman stars in this romantic comedy in which she’s
charmed by a happening painter chap who’s younger than her,
but who’s also, somewhat unfortunately, the son of Uma’s
therapist (Meryl Streep). That makes some of their therapy
310 Seconds
www.bbc.co.uk/dna/filmnetwork/
A10134839
sessions very complicated indeed. This excellent
and innovative
short, shot in
the style of a
silent movie,
FILM COMPETITION tells the story
of how a chap
Win 1 of 5 March of the awakes one
morning to
Penguins DVDs!! learn he can see 10 seconds into the
Movingly narrated by future. This has both its positive and
Morgan Freeman, negative sides.
this Oscar-winning
documentary follows the
remarkable mating ritual
of Emperor Penguins in
4Doctor’s Office
www.undergroundfilm.org/films/
detail.tcl?wid=1014493
Antarctica. To stand a Twisting the
chance of winning one of cuteness of Toy
the five copies we’re giving Story right on
away just answer the question its head, this
posed at www.webuser.co.uk/ animated
competitions. comedy features
Once in a Lifetime • March of the Penguins is out to buy now
on DVD through Warner Home Video.
toys who use
bad language,
fight and smoke.
Interviews and clips
Available: Fri 19 May NEXT ISSUE It even ends on a cliffhanger….
From: www.mymovies.net
This terrific documentary charts
the astonishing success of the New
York Cosmos, the football team
Patrick Stewart
and Hugh
Jackman return
5Hello Hello Hello
www.channel4.com/film/reviews/
film.jsp?id=111174
Directed by top British actor David
that employed Pele and Franz in X-Men 3:
Thewlis and starring the marvellous
Beckenbauer in the Seventies. The Last Stand,
Kathy Burke, this comedy short from
However the beautiful game is while Kurt
1995 finds a policeman and a
almost secondary to the heady mix Russell gets
pretentious artist having a most unusual
of sex, rivalry and excess. his hair wet
debate. A smart and different piece, with
in Poseidon.
a bit of coarseness.

Get the latest updates at www.webuser.co.uk/downloaded 11 May 2006 43

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Tick here if you prefer not to hear from IPC ❑ IPC occasionally pass your details to carefully selected organizations so they can contact you by telephone or post with regards to promoting and researching their
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 SOFTWARE
This fortnight’s best FREE downloads

WEB ON THE MOVE

Webaroo
Ever fancied accessing the internet when you’re
stuck in the middle of nowhere, miles away from
the nearest connection? With Webaroo you can
solve that problem by downloading a large chunk
of the web to your computer beforehand and
browsing it offline later.
Content comes in the form of specially compiled
web packs that pull together relevant pages from
multiple sources, and take up varying amounts of
hard disk space. Although Webaroo endeavours to
store pages that offer the most content in the least
storage space, downloads can still be quite large.
While the World News web pack weighs in at a
fairly reasonable 64MB, city guides are 256MB
each and the Wikipedia pack requires a hefty
6GB of space.
If the available packs don’t grab your interest,
Download at: www.webaroo.com
you can always add your favourite sites for offline
Minimum requirements:
browsing. The stored content is updated in chunks
Windows, 512MB RAM (minimum)
whenever you connect to the internet.
File size: 5MB

GAME
Rocket Commander
Created as part of
Microsoft’s Coding4Fun
project, the aim of this
game is to pilot a rocket
through a dense,
fast-moving 3D asteroid
field. Follow the course to
your destination, but try
to avoid being smashed
to pieces by the lethal
chunks of space debris.
If you’d rather face deadly
sunflowers instead try the
free Flower Commander
add-on.
Download at:
www.rocketcommander.com
Minimum requirements:
Windows, 3D graphics card
File size: 9.91MB
MEDIA PLAYER
PlayMeNow 7
An alternative to WinAmp or
Windows Media Player,
PlayMeNow has a clean
interface and is very easy to
use. It can play most audio and
video formats as well as display
images. It’s fast too,
although the comedy Download at:
sound effects that play www.playmenow.org
when you press any of Minimum requirements: Windows
the buttons can get a File size: 2.2MB
little annoying.

WALLPAPERS
MESSAGING

Desktop
Messager
This tiny program allows
you to write, record and
play messages across
your Desktop – perfect
for asking people not to
touch your computer while
you’re away from it, or leaving
yourself a large reminder.
Messages can be written in
different colours, using various
brush sizes, and saved for
future use.
Scrollwall
Load this simple tool
with your favourite
Desktop images
and the program
will automatically
change your
Windows wallpaper
Download at: www. for you at a pre-set
desktop-messager.pro.tm interval. This can range
Minimum requirements: from once every second to Download at:
Windows once every couple of days. www.vcsoftwares.com
File size: 892KB You can also click the Minimum requirements: Windows
System Tray icon to switch File size: 1.24MB
wallpapers on demand.

Get our top 10 free programs at www.webuser.co.uk/freesoftware 11 May 2006 45

 GAMES
This fortnight’s best FREE downloads
TREMULOUS v1.1.0
(standalone game)
From: http://tremulous.net
This standalone mod is based on
Quake 3 programming code. It
features two teams – aliens
versus humans – in a futuristic WILDLIFE PARK 2
first-person shooter with real- (game preview)
time strategy elements. From: www.3dgamers.com/
games/wildlifepark2/
downloads
The sequel to the animal park
management game is out in
June. This trailer shows off
its graphics and gameplay.

Condemned: Criminal
Galactic Civilizations II: Origins (demo)
Dread Lords (demo)
From: www.worthdownloading. From: www.3dgamers.com/
com/game.php?gid=1068 games/condemned/
Tactical masterminds with a downloads
penchant for conquering the Condemned is a first-person
universe should devote the next shooter with an edge. It’s an
few weeks to playing this space- atmospheric psychological
strategy sequel, which has thriller in which you play
received considerable critical acclaim since being released. an FBI agent. The demo
This demo lets you play 140 turns (which is three game begins with a typically
years) as the human race, with all weaponry unlocked. gruesome murder, followed
by a chase scene.

SPORT Football: FA Cup Final

Audio/video coverage
Available: Sat 13 May
Rugby Union: Heineken From: www.bbc.co.uk/
football
Cup Final If their recent fiery
Audio coverage encounter at Upton Park is
Available: Sat 20 May anything to go by, the
From: www.ercrugby.com clash between West Ham
This year’s Heineken Cup Final sees Ireland and Liverpool could provide
play France, as Munster take on Biarritz at quite a lively Cup Final. If you
the Millennium Stadium. You’ll have to shell can’t get near a telly, try the
out for Sky’s Broadband service (or use the free trial) to see video BBC site for live audio
highlights (www.skysportsbroadband.com), but you can listen to commentary from Radio Five
the game for free thanks to live commentary on ercrugby.com. Live. Stick with the Beeb after
the match to watch video
replays of the key moments.
Cricket: England vs Sri Lanka
Audio coverage
Available: Thur 11 May
From: www.bbc.co.uk/cricket
England’s cricketers are back in
action this month, and this time on
Photo: BBC Picture Library

home turf. Expect another tricky

series, especially as the English
injury list shows little sign of
improving. Test Match Special will have commentary from
all three tests against Sri Lanka, which you can listen to via
the BBC site.

46 11 May 2006
 WIN! A Jabra JX10
headset 10
The Jabra JX10 headset
combines the latest
innovative technology with
TO BE WON
!

style and contemporary design.

Designed by one of Bang and Olufsen's
leading Danish designers, Jacob Jensen,
the Jabra JX10 offers up to six hours of
talk time and up to 200 hours of standby
time. It weighs just 10 grams and
measures less than 4cm in length, which
puts it among the smallest Bluetooth
headsets currently available in the UK.

• The Jabra JX10 retails at £99.99. For further

information on this and other products from
the Jabra range visit www.jabra.com.

To enter, simply answer the question below by visiting www.webuser.co.uk/competitions or send your completed entry
form to Web User/Jabra Competition, IPC Media, Room 0417, King's Reach Tower, Stamford Street, London SE1 9LS.
The competition closes on 11 June 2006 and the first 10 correct entries chosen at random will win.

TO ENTER THE COMPETITION, JUST ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:

Who is the designer of the JX10?................................................................................

Name:.........................................................................................................Address:...................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................... Postcode:................................ Daytime telephone number: ..................................................................................
If you would like to receive emails from Web User containing news, special offers and product and service information, and take part in research, please write your email address below:
Email:..................................................................................................................................................

Web User, published by IPC Media (IPC), will collect your personal information to process your entry. IPC would like to contact you by post or telephone to promote and ask your opinion on our products and services.
Tick here if you prefer not to hear from IPC ❑ IPC occasionally pass your details to carefully selected organizations so they can contact you by telephone or post with regards to promoting and researching their
products and services. Tick here if you prefer not to be contacted ❑
Terms & Conditions No purchase necessary (you may photocopy this page or write details on a blank piece of paper). If for any reason the ability to enter online is suspended at any time then entry may be made by post. The competition is open to all UK and Republic of Ireland residents
aged 18 or over (ID may be required), other than employees of IPC Media, Jabra, their agencies or their families. The prizes are subject to availability. IPC Media reserves the right to substitute a prize (or part of a prize) of equivalent or greater value if this is necessary for reasons beyond its
control. IPC Media will select 10 winners. The winners will be drawn at random by an independent person on closure of the competition. The winners will be notified within 30 days from closure of the competition. The Promoter’s (Web User) decision is final and no correspondence will be
entered into. No cash alternative and the prize is non transferable. The competition is run by IPC Media, King's Reach Tower, Stamford Street, London SE1 9LS.

ENTER ONLINE NOW AT WWW.WEBUSER.CO.UK/COMPETITIONS

 MUSIC
This fortnight’s best FREE downloads
Clockwise: Kaiser
Chiefs, Razorlight,
Goldie Lookin' Chain,
Dirty Pretty Things,
The Ordinary Boys
Carling Live 24 podcast
Available: Mon 15 May
From: www.carling.com/music/
carlinglive24/podcast
The third Carling Live 24 gig-
athon was kicked off by Kaiser
Chiefs on the evening of Friday
28 April at the Brixton Academy,
and came to a riotous end 24
ALSO ONLINE
GOLDFRAPP
Single: Fly Me Away (audio)
Available: Now
Visit MySpace to hear
Goldfrapp’s new single, taken
from the album Supernature.
From: www.myspace.com/
goldfrapp
TEDDY THOMPSON
Album tracks (audio)
Available: Now
The son of folk legends Richard
and Linda, Teddy Thompson is
making a big impression in his
own right. Hear four tracks
from his latest album Separate
Ways, including new single I
Should Get Up.
From: www.myspace.com/
teddythompsonmusic
GUILLEMOTS
Live session (video)
Available: Now
The multinational four-piece
play tracks from their debut
album From the Cliffs.
48 11 May 2006
hours later in the hands of fellow
indie stars Razorlight. In
between there was a midnight
set by Welsh comedy rappers
Goldie Lookin’ Chain, a
breakfast boogie with Dirty
Pretty Things and lunch with
The Ordinary Boys.
From: http://tinyurl.com/
sq26d
FEEDER
Live session (audio)
Available: Fri 12 May
Three songs and an interview
from the indie veterans. The trio
release The Singles album on
15 May.
From: www.xfm.co.uk
JOSE GONZALEZ
Live session (video)
Available: Fri 12 May
Watch the Swedish star sing
tracks from his massively
popular album Veneer.
Buy 1 issue of Web User, get 5 FREE! – see page 58 for details
All these bands, plus
newcomers Larrikin Love, Boy
Kill Boy and The Holloways, will
feature on this 30-minute
podcast – there’s either a
recording of their performance or
an interview. Just register for free
at the Carling site to receive it.
© James McCauley
From: www.aol.co.uk/music THE FUTUREHEADS
Live session (audio)
BOY KILL BOY Available: Tue 16 May
Album: Civilian (audio) Sunderland’s finest play tracks
Available: Mon 15 May from their new album News
Hear the and Tributes.
new hotly- From: www.xfm.co.uk
anticipated
debut album THE JAM
from the Live gig (audio)
London band, Available: Fri 20 May
which includes recent hits Classic performance of Paul
Back Again, a week before it Weller’s first band recorded
hits the shops. at the Golders Green
From: www.nme.com Hippodrome, London, in 1981.
Hear it on-demand online for a
HOT CHIP week after broadcast.
Album: The Warning (audio) From: www.bbc.co.uk/6music/
Available: Mon 15 May shows/chris_hawkins
This is another
eagerly-awaited PRIMAL SCREAM
album you can Live session (audio)
hear in advance Available: Tue 23 May
at NME.com. Listen to Bobby Gillespie and
Hot Chip are an electro-pop company perform tracks from
London five-piece tipped for Riot City Blues, the band’s
success in 2006. eighth album.
From: www.nme.com From: www.xfm.co.uk
 iTUNES TIP AUDIO
This fortnight’s best FREE downloads
Quick Links
iTunes provides a quick This fortnight’s best free spoken-word highlights on the web
and easy way to find more
music in its online store
from an artist you already
have in your library, or
SPEECH! SPEECH!
even a cover of the same POPE JOHN PAUL II
song by a different artist. Click on the Edit menu and www.historychannel.com/broadband/
select Preferences, then on the General tab select the clipview/index.jsp?id=0410
option ‘Show links to Music Store’ and click OK. Now Date: October, 1995
when you click on the arrow next to a song title or Sixteen years after he first addressed
artist name, you’ll be connected to the iTunes store the United Nations General Assembly,
and shown any matches. More tips on page 34. Pope John Paul II does so again,
praising the anti-communist revolutions
of 1989 as proof that “the quest for
MUSIC ON THE MOVE freedom cannot be suppressed”.

Devilish iPod Nano cases

If your iPod Nano’s tasteful white design makes it
appear too angelic for your liking, check out one of PODCAST PICK
the devilish new cases from Podstar. Complete with
evil eyes, horns and a tail, each skin is available in THE OVERNIGHTSCAPE
both red and black, with four satanic themes to http://theovernightscape.com
choose from: The Abyss, The Dark Lord, Legion and New Jersey podcaster Frank
Crimson Avenger. When Edward Nora – who we think
they’re not scaring off bears a spooky resemblance to
potential muggers and saintly Fox Mulder from The X-Files – is
charity collectors, the cases a prolific waffler. When we
protect your Nano from visited he had just finished
scratches while allowing episode 442, which meandered
easy access to its controls. entertainingly through subjects
Buy one now from www. like San Diego suburbs, organic
iworld.co.uk for £17. energy drinks and “the perfect bagel experience”. It’s a whimsical look at
Frank’s observations on the quirks and mysteries of life.
BLAST FROM THE PAST
THE MONKEES
www.monkees.net/singal.htm
POETS’
Listen to more Monkees
gems than Davy Jones could
CORNER
shake a maraca at. There DYLAN THOMAS
are chirpy commercials for www.poets.org/
Rice Krispies and American viewmedia.php/
fizzy drink Kool-Aid, prmMID/15377
alternative takes of their Hear Dylan Thomas deliver
sixties hits and loads of solo an impassioned and moving reading of Do Not Go Gentle into That Good
rarities, including a pre- Night, arguably the Welsh poet’s most famous poem. It was inspired by
Monkees Jones performing watching his father’s health deteriorate over many years, as Thomas urges
I’d Do Anything on The Ed him to Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Sullivan Show.

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

COMEDY CLIP
THEREMIN MUSIC
www.thereminvox.com/filemanager/list/16 TOMMY COOPER
In 1919 www.justlikethat.homestead.com/
Russia’s Leon Downloads.html
Theremin A feast of one-liners from the
invented the legendary bumbling comedian, plus
instrument some great video clips and a
that would collection of songs including
immortalise his surname, combining circuitry and Cooper’s tearful version
antennae to create the first musical gadget to be of the wartime classic
played without being touched. This website We’ll Meet Again
assembles music from leading “Thereminist” Kip and the hilariously
Rosser, the highlight being his version of The bleak Don’t Jump
Beatles’ Eleanor Rigby. Sinister, spaced-out and Off the Roof Dad.
haunting – like Count Dracula serenading the cast How do you download the clips? Just like that.
of Star Trek.

Get the latest updates at www.webuser.co.uk/downloaded 11 May 2006 49

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THE LATEST HOT KIT ON THE NET
TRENDNET CLEARSKY, £95
Bluetooth VoIP phone
With Skype alone now boasting an incredible 80 million
users worldwide, VoIP technology has revolutionised
the way we communicate by phone. But if you’re
planning to spend long hours making cheap calls over the net
flexibility and comfort are essential, neither of which you’re likely
to get while tethered to and hunched over your PC. One solution is
to invest in a TrendNet ClearSky Bluetooth phone, which unlike
Where to see it: www.dabs.com
BY ROBERT IRVINE
traditional VoIP headsets allows you to chat up to 100 metres
away from your computer without a binding cable. You can
access Skype features such as conference call, a contacts list
and SkypeOut (a service for calling landlines and mobiles)
directly from the handset, talk for up to six hours solid before
needing to recharge the battery, and enjoy crystal-clear
sound quality.
11 May 2006 51
THE LATEST HOT KIT ON THE NET

PURE DIGITAL PURE ONE, £50

Full-featured budget DAB radio

Digital radios are now cheaper,
cleverer and more stylish than ever,
and the ideal accompaniment for an
exciting summer of sport. Pure Digital’s new
Pure One model is a case in point, providing
access to the DAB and FM stations available
in your area, giving you a choice of three
different coloured exteriors – pink, white
and black – yet costing a mere £50. This
attractive radio offers all the usual DAB
functions such as station selection by name,
one-touch tuning and hiss-free reception,
as well as some clever features of its own.
These include TextScan, which lets you
pause and control scrolling text, giving
you time to note down web addresses,
competition phone numbers and song titles,
and IntelliText, which offers on-demand
access to DAB extended text broadcasts. The
Pure One requires six standard C cell batteries or
can connect to the mains for home listening.

Where to see it: www.pure-digital.com

LITE-ON SLW-831SX, £97

Slimline external DVD writer

From backing up large amounts of
data to creating photo slideshows and
burning hard copies of downloaded
movies, there are countless uses for a DVD
writer. If your current PC or laptop isn’t
equipped with one or you just want to upgrade
your current drive, the Lite-On SLW-831SX
provides a slim, speedy solution for less than
£100. This slender external device writes onto
DVD+R and DVD-R discs at 8x, rewrites onto
DVD+RW and DVD-RW at 4x and handles
CD-Rs and CD-RWs at 24x. It also reads and
writes double-layer media – meaning you can
store and share up to 8.5GB of video, photos
and more on a single DVD. Discs are slotted
directly into the drive, eliminating the need for
a flimsy breakable drawer and making it ideal
for use while on the move.

Where to see it: www.liteonit.com

52 11 May 2006
 THE LATEST KIT ON THE NET

comingsoon
HAUPPAUGE WINTV NOVA-T STICK, £50 Portable Freeview box
Another way of ensuring you
Watch the World Cup anywhere don’t miss any World Cup
action is to invest in an MSI
With less than a month to go until the D310. This portable
start of the World Cup, many football fans media player has a
will be fretting about those worst case built-in Freeview
scenarios – stuck on a train, forced to work late – receiver for
when they might miss a match. Fortunately you accessing digital
can allay these fears with the aid of a tiny, channels and
low-cost stick called the Hauppauge WinTV Nova- electronic
T. This ingenious device simply plugs into a spare programme
USB port on your PC or laptop, along with guide data,
a portable aerial, which lets it receive 40-odd which can be
digital TV and radio stations via Freeview. Once viewed on its
installed, you can either watch programmes in 4.2in display. The 180g
a resizable window, or full-screen. The supplied device also lets you watch MPEG
software scans for channels automatically, so you videos, listen to MP3s and view digital
don’t need to adjust any settings, and lets you photos. It’s out later this month for around
schedule and record live TV to hard disk for £150, and you can find out more at
playback later. www.msi.com.tw.

Where to see it: www.hauppauge.co.uk

Sony DVD Walkman
Sony is following
the success of its
Walkman-branded
digital audio devices
by applying the
famous name to
its new portable
DVD player.
The DVD
Walkman
features a 7in
LCD screen
and can play any
CD or DVD format, including
MP3 discs. It comes with a recharging dock
that provides three hours of battery life with
the backlight on or seven with it off. It’s out
next month in Japan and later in the year over
here; see www.sony-europe.com for details.

Hi-tech dancing robot

Forget the Robosapien, the robot friend to be
reckoned with this year is the Robonova-I.
Standing a foot high, this hi-tech humanoid
droid can walk, run, do flips, cartwheels,
dance moves, balance on one leg,
perform press-ups
and much more.
He’s controlled by
16 powerful servo
motors and has a
strong but light
plastic exoskeleton to
protect his components.
If you’re feeling flush you can
order one now from www.
iwantoneofthose.com for £720.

Buy the latest gadgets online at www.webuser.co.uk/firebox 11 May 2006 53

GROUP TEST
SPAM FILTERING PROGRAMS
Can theSPAM
Don’t let junk messages spoil your email
experience. Robert Irvine puts six spam-
filtering programs to the test
espite the web’s best efforts to combat
D it, the problem of spam certainly isn’t
going away. If anything, spammers are
becoming more persistent and
sophisticated. Most web-mail services now
incorporate their own junk mail filters, but
for Desktop email programs like Outlook
Express you need to set up cumbersome
and often ineffective message rules to try
and stem the tide of spam.
Fortunately, help is at hand in the form of
standalone anti-spam software, which can
prevent junk messages clogging up your
Inbox. These programs employ three main
BOPSPAM, £30 (LITE) £50 (STD) PER YEAR
www.bopspam.co.uk
Unlike most anti-spam
tools, BopSpam lets you
control the flow of your
mail via the web, with no
need to install any software.
Spam is intercepted before
it reaches your computer,
eliminating the need to
delete messages manually, with a
summary email sent to you at the end of
each day in case something you wanted to
see was stopped. This is unlikely though
as BopSpam performs its job brilliantly,
automatically sorting the legitimate wheat
from the junk chaff.
MAILWASHER PRO 5.2, £21
www.firetrust.com
You can also download a
free version of this program,
but for optimum protection
it’s worth investing in
MailWasher Pro. Simple to
set up and offering unlimited
support for POP3, IMAP,
Hotmail, MSN and AOL accounts,
it’s a fast and friendly way of ensuring you
only receive the email you want. With a
couple of clicks you can easily build a
54 11 May 2006
methods of filtering your
email: black-and-white
lists which let you block
and allow specific
addresses; heuristic filtering
that detects likely spam
keywords; and Bayesian logic
which uses mathematical
probability to identify spam.
We’ve rounded up six commercial
anti-spam packages to find out what
they can offer in terms of features,
performance, ease of use and value for
money in the face of the spam menace.
Impressively, the service combines
all three methods of spam filtering –
Bayesian, heuristic and black-and-white
– as well as options for blocking adult
websites, viruses, worms and specific
types of email attachment. While you
need to configure your email program
to collect mail through BopSpam, full
instructions are provided at its website
and you can check up to 10 separate ★★★★★
Features
accounts. The only aspect that may deter
you is the price – £30 a year to filter Performance ★★★★★
120MB of mail or £50 for 1GB – but the Ease of use ★★★★★
30-day free trial will help you decide if it Value for money ★★★★★
meets your needs. OVERALL ★★★★★
blacklist of dodgy email addresses and
domains, as well as a list of legitimate
senders, and bounce mail back to
spammers to make your address appear
invalid. Besides learning to identify spam
based on your decisions, MailWasher uses Features ★★★★★
the FirstAlert database to recognise repeat Performance ★★★★★
offenders. In our tests the program worked ★★★★★
Ease of use
well, but the lack of a dedicated spam
folder means accidentally deleted mail is Value for money ★★★★★
lost forever. OVERALL ★★★★★

NORTON ANTISPAM 2005, £12 PER YEAR
www.symantec.co.uk
With its clean interface and
seamless integration with
your email program, Norton
AntiSpam provides one of
the simplest and smartest
ways to tackle junk mail. At
its most basic, it merely
adds a button to your toolbar
that lets you flag messages as spam or
not and block offending senders in future.
However, open the options panel and you
have access to a range of filtering tools,
including automatic blocking of emails
MCAFEE SPAMKILLER 2006, £25 PER YEAR
http://uk.mcafee.com
Included with McAfee
Internet Security
Suite, SpamKiller
seems over-priced
when purchased
individually.
Compared to other anti-spam software, its
features are limited and its performance
SPAM BULLY 3, £17
www.spambully.com
Available only for
Microsoft Outlook and
Outlook Express, Spam
Bully is neither as versatile
or as efficient as rival anti-
spam software. Although
it uses Bayesian logic to
filter your mail, we found it
BITDEFENDER SPAMDENY 8, £11 PER YEAR
www.bitdefender.com
An all-in-one anti-spam
and anti-virus tool,
BitDefender SpamDeny
starts working from the
off, even scouring your
system for threats
during installation.
Compatible with any email program, it
automatically filters messages containing
VERDICT
Although it’s the most expensive anti-
spam program on test, we found
BopSpam to be the most effective at
filtering junk messages. Its powerful set of
Read 100s more product reviews at www.webuser.co.uk/products
GROUP TEST
SPAM FILTERING PROGRAMS
containing invisible text and scripts;
protection against phishing scams by
detecting disguised web links; and the
ability to scan your Yahoo Mail account.
You can also set up rules to block
messages containing specific words and
prevent your address being used by
spammers. Norton AntiSpam’s filtering Features ★★★★★
prowess is rather hit and miss and requires Performance ★★★★★
you to identify some spam manually after
it’s already been downloaded, but you can Ease of use ★★★★★
train the software to recognise messages Value for money ★★★★★
from trusted sources. OVERALL ★★★★★
not entirely reliable. Its filters failed to including one where the subject line
prevent some junk messages infiltrating contains the name of rival Norton!
our Inbox, and also blocked several Features ★★★★★
acceptable emails, requiring them to be
rescued from its spam folder. On the plus Performance ★★★★★
side, the program is simple to use, with Ease of use ★★★★★
handy tools such as providing global filters Value for money ★★★★★
based on commonly used terms – OVERALL ★★★★★
too enthusiastic about banishing legitimate in their messages to waste their time and
messages to its spam folder and slow to potentially increase their costs.
train itself for accurate spam recognition. Features ★★★★★
This is a shame as the program offers some
excellent features, such as viewing the Performance ★★★★★
origin of an email on a world map and – Ease of use ★★★★★
justifying the ‘bully tag’ – punishing Value for money ★★★★★
spammers by repeatedly clicking the URLs OVERALL ★★★★★
certain types of image, illegitimate web added specific senders to your friends
addresses and strange characters, as well list beforehand you may miss their
as using heuristics to detect words, messages altogether.
phrases and links common to spam. The Features ★★★★★
main problem with the program is that ★★★★★
Performance
it’s too automated and inflexible,
moving mail it considers junk to a Ease of use ★★★★★
mysterious and apparently inaccessible Value for money ★★★★★
folder. This means that unless you’ve OVERALL ★★★★★
options lets it catch and block unwanted require a degree of training for effective
mail before it reaches your computer, results. McAfee SpamKiller seems over-
while letting through acceptable priced for its limited feature set, while
messages and summarising all activity in a BitDefender SpamDeny and Spam Bully
daily report. MailWasher and Norton are prone to stopping legitimate messages
AntiSpam also impressed, though both by misidentifying them as spam.
11 May 2006 55
NEW PRODUCTS
CASIO EXILIM ZOOM EX-Z60
POCKE
T

Picture
Andy

s Shaw
look s at th
e lates
t pock
et-size
d digit
al cam
era fro
m Casio

W
hile the benefits of a
camera you can slip into
a pocket are obvious, one of the
pitfalls is that there’s less to hold on to.
The clunky great cameras of old may have
required sturdy straps to carry them around,
but the added volume meant there was
always plenty to grab hold of. Today’s ultra-
compact digital cameras require finger-tip
operation, which can make them harder to
hold steady. So it’s nice to see models such
as this one starting to come through, which
has an image stabiliser built-in to help
eliminate picture-ruining camera shake.
Features ★★★★★
The most impressive thing about the
EX-Z60 is its svelte profile, but this
compromises the
optical zoom, which can
offer only 3x magnification.
The smaller lens also means it
doesn’t have such a wide angle, which is
something to remember if you’re expecting
to take shots in small spaces. The internals
are all up to scratch though, with the option
of taking pictures up to six megapixels – Performance ★★★★★
good enough to get decent quality prints at a Our test shots came out really well in most
mind-boggling A3 size – and that handy of the conditions we tried the camera under,
image stabiliser. though the small size and power of the flash

56 11 May 2006 Compare this to other digital cameras at www.webuser.co.uk/products

 NEW PRODUCTS
PC TOOLS SPYWARE DOCTOR 3.8

means you’ll probably only want to use it for

reasonably close-up work in very dark
PC Tools Spyware Doctor 3.8
conditions. Having said that, the camera
works well in low-light without the flash,
with the image stabiliser helping to eliminate
blur from longer exposures. The biggest
problem we had was the time it took to
Root out rootkits
With the threat of rootkits looming large over our
transfer a 6 megapixel snap onto a memory
card, which seemed to take an age and
could result in either missing a follow-up
computers, Andy Shaw looks at anti-spyware
shot or forcing you to compromise on the software that also promises to protect against rootkits
size of the image.

Ease of use ★★★★★

Ease of use should be paramount on
cameras of this type and we’re pleased to
report Casio has got it cracked. You can
force the camera to adapt to specific
conditions without having to know about
photographic complexities by selecting
your situation from a list of options, from
‘low-light’ to ‘pets’ to ‘splashing water’.
Buttons are kept to a minimum through the
use of intelligent automatic settings and
the menus, when you do have to access
them to change something, are clear and
simple to use.
Value for money ★★★★★
The six megapixels this camera can achieve
makes a bit of a dent in the price and Casio
has done well to keep it under £200. The
optical zoom is a little unimpressive for this
price, but its scope is restricted by that
compact casing – you really have to choose
between pocketability and optical zoom
nowadays, as casings are shrunk to their
limits. Its ease of use and handy features
balance this all out quite nicely, to give good
value for money.
T
he rootkit is still quite a new
phenomenon, but it’s the kind of
security problem that could blow up in
our faces at any moment. Rootkits are
similar to other types of malicious software
but with one main difference: they can dig
so deeply into your operating system and
cover their tracks so well that special
software has to be in place to detect and
eliminate them. This latest version of
Spyware Doctor claims it can track down A straightforward interface helps make Spyware
and destroy these tricky pests. Doctor easier to use than many of its free rivals
Features ★★★★★ Value for money ★★★★★
While its rootkit detection feature makes While free products abound in this arena,
this version of Spyware Doctor stand out they are certainly more complicated to
from the crowd, it will also deal with the use and don’t necessarily offer Spyware
usual spyware and adware issues, such as Doctor’s total solution. Ad-aware and
controversial cookies, trackers, homepage Spybot miss out on the background
hijackers, Trojans, keyloggers and other scanning, while Microsoft Defender is
assorted malicious programs. It uses more lenient towards low-threat
both a database of spyware definitions commercial spyware such as cookies and
(which you can choose to contribute to ad trackers. While these programs offer
automatically if you wish) and a program- good service, if you’re prepared to shell
behaviour monitor to keep an eye on your out, Spyware Doctor offers more
PC and halt spyware intrusions before they comprehensive security in a single place
have a chance to do their dirty work. and is significantly friendlier to use.

Verdict ★★★★★ Performance ★★★★★ Verdict ★★★★★

Just because you buy an ultra-compact
camera, it doesn’t mean you’re looking for
compromised features. This Casio model
certainly doesn’t do that – the only real
cut-back is squeezing it into a case that can
only just fit in a 3x optical zoom lens. For a
lot of people, pocketability is important
though, and this is a six megapixel snapper
that should fit into the smallest and tightest
of pockets.
CASIO EXILIM
ZOOM EX-Z60 £199.99 inc VAT
For Great size and shape to slip into a
pocket ■ Up to 6 megapixel pictures
Against Limited 3x optical zoom ■
Camera seizes up while large pictures are
transferred to memory
Specifications Images up to 2,816 x
2,112 pixels, 640 x 480 pixel video ■
2.5in LCD screen ■ USB 2.0 compatible
■ 95 x 61 x 20mm ■ 118g (excluding
rechargeable battery)
Contact Casio, 020 8450 9131,
www.casio.co.uk
One of Spyware Doctor’s key elements is
the speed at which it scans. No-one wants
to tie their computer up for hours while
comprehensive scans of their system are
taking place and Spyware Doctor
performs this faster than most. In our tests
it also picked up the same major issues on
our test equipment as rival products, with
the added promise of catching rootkits.
Ease of use ★★★★★
Another area where Spyware Doctor
stands out is in ease of use. The default
settings are sensible and it gets on with its
first scan as soon as you install it. Threats
are rated depending on what they are – in
our tests a suspected hijacker was flagged
as dangerous, while more innocuous
advertising cookies were suitably
downgraded. Naturally, there’s still a
single-click option for removing the lot.
The interface is clear and simple and the
background scanner offers helpful
information on any warnings that appear
instead of just asking questions that anti-
spyware novices may not understand.
The benefit that commercial software has
over free programs is the money to invest
in the user experience and after-sales
support. Along with its extra features for
detecting newly emerging threats, this
makes Spyware Doctor worth the money
for people who aren’t comfortable
spending a bit of time learning about the
free alternatives, but are worried enough
about spyware not to leave their valuable
computer equipment undefended.
PC Tools
Spyware Doctor 3.8 £19.95 inc VAT
For Protection from newly emerging
threats such as rootkits ■ Far easier to
use than non-commercial offerings
Against Why pay when you can get rival
software free?
What you need Intel Pentium or better
■ 64MB of memory ■ 14MB of hard disk
space ■ Windows Me or better ■ Internet
Explorer 5.5 or better
Contact PC Tools, www.pctools.com

Subscribe to Web User,see page 58 11 May 2006 57

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 PRACTICAL Web User’s Practical pages help you get the
best out of the web – whether answering your
queries or showing you new techniques.

WEBUSER
PracticalFeature 59 DIY WebPages
For an index of previous Practical Features and
Workshops, visit www.webuser.co.uk/practicals

63 Hints&Tips 66
Use YouTube.com to share your videos Readers’ websites/web-building advice The best tips sent in by readers this issue

PracticalWorkshop 62 ProblemSolver 64 Essentials 72

Create shortcuts to your favourite sites Our experts answer your questions The web’s best products and services

PRACTICAL FEATURE Upload your home movies to the internet

Share your videos online

Upload video content to the web to share

O
f all the new websites to have sprung up
with the world using the fantastic free within the last year, few have caused as
YouTube service much of a stir as YouTube. Although video
search tools from Google and Yahoo were
already available, the site has rapidly gained
popularity by placing the emphasis on user-
uploaded content. Anyone who registers with
YouTube can add their own videos to its
enormous database quickly and easily, as well
as browsing, watching and commenting on
clips posted by others – and all for free.
Although YouTube explicitly asks you not to
post copyrighted material this hasn’t stopped
people posting all manner of visual delights,
including swathes of rare footage that hasn’t
been widely available for years. More
importantly, the service’s simple accessibility
and – so far – reliability makes it the ideal
means of sharing video clips you’ve created
with the rest of the world or, if you prefer, only
with selected friends and family members.
This includes embedding videos you’ve
uploaded to YouTube in your website or blog.
By tagging the clips you upload with
keywords and specifying channels to
categorise them in, other users can find and
view your videos as speedily as you can theirs,
creating a thriving online community. You can
even create or join groups based around
particular themes, providing instant access to
newly-added videos of interest.
film reel pic ©istockphoto.com/Frank Ferguson

About YouTube
You can join, browse and add videos to YouTube
for free at www.youtube.com. Videos can be up
to 100MB in size and 10 minutes in length
(though videos posted through YouTube’s
Director program can be any length), while
there’s no limit on the number of files you can
upload. YouTube is compatible with virtually
any compressed video format, converting
uploaded videos into Macromedia Flash so that
they can be viewed in any web browser with
that common plug-in.

11 May 2006 59
PRACTICALFEATURE
YOUTUBE

1 Before you can upload

anything to YouTube you’ll
need to register with the site.
1
1
Head to www.youtube.com
and click on the Sign Up link in 2
the top right-hand corner 1 2
or the Upload tab immediately 3
below it. 2

2 Type in your email address, 1 followed by the user name 2

and password 3 of your choice, and provide the required
personal information. 4 If you want to subscribe to the YouTube
mailing list select the option for The Weekly Tube email, 5 then
complete the registration process by clicking Sign Up. 6
5 Once your email has been confirmed, you’ll be taken to the first
step of the video upload process. In the top section, type in the
title you want to give your video 1 and a description of its content.
2 You should then enter one or more tags – keywords that will allow
your video to be easily searched for and organised. 3

1
6 Next, select between one and three channels that you feel best
describe your video from the Video Channels list. 1 This lets
YouTube categorise the clips so other users will be able to find it.
When you’ve made your choices click the Continue button to move
2 onto the second step. 2

1
4

6 2

3 You’ll now be welcomed to YouTube and presented with several

options as to what to do next, including completing your profile
page with additional personal information 1 and browsing the
7 Click the
Browse
button 1 to
1

video channels. 2 You can start adding content to the site by search your
2
clicking the ‘Upload your videos’ link. 3 hard disk for 3
the video you
want to upload
and click Open
to select it. The 4
video can be up
1 2
to 100MB in size and 10 minutes in length. Now decide whether
3 you want the broadcast to be Public 2 so that the whole world will
be able to view it or Private, 3 meaning only specific friends and/or
family members can access it. When you’re ready, click the Upload
Video button 4 to add your video to YouTube. This may take a

4 First though, you’ll need to confirm your email address. Check

that it’s entered correctly in the ‘Send a confirmation email to’
box 1 and then click the Send Email button. 2 When you receive
while, depending on the file size and your connection speed.

the confirmation message, click on the link within it to activate your

YouTube account. 8 Once the upload is complete, you’ll receive a confirmation
message and be invited to add further details about the
video while YouTube is processing the file. For example, you can
provide the date, 1
location 2 and
country of the 1
1 recording, 3 2
although this
2 information is 3
optional.

60 11 May 2006 Get more advice atwww.webuser.co.uk/forums

 PRACTICALFEATURE
YOUTUBE

1 13 To email the video’s web page address to others, click the

Share option on the toolbar below the video. When the new
window opens, type in the email addresses of the people you want to
share the video with, separated by commas. 1 Enter your name 2
2 and a message to accompany the link 3 and then click Send. 4

9 In the Sharing section on the same page, you can decide

whether or not to let other users post comments about your
video 1 and rate it out of five using YouTube’s star rating system. 2
You can also permit external sites to embed and play the video in
their own pages. 3
1

10 Finally, at the bottom of the page, you’ll find some HTML

code enabling you to put the video on your own website or
blog. 1 Simply copy and paste the code into your site’s template to
embed the video. Instructions for inserting the video into MySpace,
Friendster and eBay pages are provided below the code box. 2 Roll
your mouse over each site name to read the details. Click Update
Video 3 to confirm and save your settings.

1
2

3
2

3
4

11 You can now view and share your newly uploaded video by
clicking on the My Videos link at the top of the page. 1 From
here simply click on the title of the video 2 to play in its own
YouTube page.
1 1
14 To save time in future when sharing videos you can create a
dedicated group for friends and family members to upload
their files to. Click on the Groups tab at the top of the YouTube page
1 and then click Create Group. 2 Type in a name for your group 3
and enter some descriptive tags, 4 along with a unique group URL.
2

2
3
4

15 Further down the page you can decide which group channels
your group should belong to, whether it is public or private 1
and if video uploads and discussions require approval. 2 Click

12 Besides watching the video,

you and other visitors to this
page can use the options below
Submit 3 to
save these
settings and 1
the display window to post create your
comments, 1 add it to a Favorites group. You can
list, 2 and flag it as a notable or then start
inappropriate clip. 3 As the video inviting 2
owner, you can edit the video members and
details by clicking the ‘Edit Your adding videos to
Video Here’ link. 4 1 2 3 the group
4 straight away. 3

11 May 2006 61
PRACTICALWORKSHOP
Program: NetJaxer
Create shortcuts to your favourite sites Time taken: 10 minutes

W
eb 2.0 sites such as Flickr, Writely, Del.icio.us, Wikipedia
and Google Mail are taking the internet by storm, making
popular online activities such as file sharing, socialising and
research quicker and easier than ever. But why wait to fire up your
web browser and type in (often unconventional) URLs to access
these great services? With a simple but effective tool called
NetJaxer you can access them and other websites directly from
your Desktop, Start menu or Taskbar. This nifty program is free to
download from www.netjaxer.com and creates icons for your
favourite sites, allowing you to launch them either in your chosen
web browser or in their own window with a single- or double-click.
It’s up to you where you place these icons and what appearance
they take, though many sites provide their own icon designs for
NetJaxer to download and assign.

1 Once you’ve installed

NetJaxer, launch
the program from the
1 5 Next, in the Create
Default Shortcut
section, choose the
1
Start menu or Desktop. 2 method(s) by which
2
When the main window you want to be able to
opens, you can add launch the site: from
your first Web 2.0 site the Start menu, the Quick Launch tray, the Desktop or on Windows
straight away by Startup. 1 Click OK 2 to confirm these settings and return to the
clicking on the Site menu 1 and selecting ‘Add new site’. 2 main NetJaxer window.

2 In the General
section of the new
6 Icons will now
be created for
the website in the 1
window that opens, locations you
type in the title 1 and 1 specified. 1 Simply 2
URL 2 of the site you click or double-click an
want to add. You can 2 icon to open the site in
also choose an icon to 3 4 the default browser.
represent the site Alternatively, click on
from the drop-down the name of the site in the NetJaxer window and click the Run
menu, 3 or click the button on the toolbar. 2
button to the right to
download an icon from
the site itself. 4
7 To add more sites to your
collection, click the Add
button on the toolbar 1 and
1 2 3
repeat steps 2 to 5. You can

3 If you click the icon

button, the ‘Setup
site icon’ box will open.
then easily edit the settings
for each site 2 or remove it
from the list 3 by clicking
Confirm the title of the appropriate toolbar
the site 1 and click buttons.
Save. 2 If no icon is
available an error 1
message will appear
and you will need to
use one of NetJaxer’s
2 8 To create additional
shortcuts for a particular
site, highlight its name in the
1
icons instead. list and then click the
Shortcut button. 1 You can 2
then select a shortcut type
from the drop-down
menu 2 and create a new
icon with a single click.

2
9 You can choose to have
NetJaxer run when
Windows starts to give you
1 instant access to your favourite
sites. Click on the NetJaxer 1
menu and select Options, 2
4 Back in the General section, select the option ‘Run as Tray
icon’ 1 if you want the icon to appear in your System Tray.
You should also specify whether you want the site to open in
then check the option ‘Run at
Windows startup’. 1 You can
also choose to minimise the
NetJaxer’s browser or in your default web browser, such as Internet program to your System Tray when it starts. 2 Click OK to confirm
Explorer. 2 and close the window.

62 11 May 2006 Get more practical help and ideas at www.webuser.co.uk/forums

 DIYWEBPAGES
Useful advice to help you start and improve your website from Mark Wilson

Free Flash tools Check out the

range of free Flash
elements on offer
at Free Flash Intros

F
lash elements are best used in navigation tools that you can
moderation on your website, but if you design online – all of the
want to give a dynamic look to your necessary code will be generated
pages, there’s nothing to beat it. Free Flash for you. You can create dynamic Flash navigation
Intros (www.freeflashintros.com) is a Flash menus, buttons and bars, buttons and
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There are a range of tools available including software is required. Pay a visit to the site with no additional
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There’s also a selection of free Flash add to your site.

Analyse your page ranking HTML and CSS tutorials hard to work out which
The world of website creation can be a colours work well together
confusing place for beginners. Bravenet, a but there are groups of
source of a range of free website tools, also colours that are said to be
includes an excellent tutorial section which harmonious. The EasyRGB
is useful whether you’re just starting in web website includes a handy
design, or a seasoned coder in need of a Color Harmonies feature,
Forget garish
colour schemes
brush up. Pay a visit to www.bravenet.com/ which enables you to pick a – use EasyRGB’s
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basics of HTML, moving on to reaping the values of the main colour which colours
benefits of using CSS. This is definitely a site you’ve decided to use on work together
to add to your list of favourites. your pages and you’ll be
Find out how your site looks to search engines and provided with a list of complementary
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harmonies.php.
Once you have published your site, you
need to try to generate as much traffic as
possible. SEOBench.com includes a
number of tools you can use to find out
TOP 5 WEB-DESIGN
DISCUSSION TOPICS
how search engines view your site – this 1 Adding a web forum
information can then be used to improve Brush up HTML and CSS skills at this Bravenet site 2 Creating pop-up windows
your ranking. The page lets you check your 3 Adding PDFs to a site
pages can be read by the crawlers that go BACK TO BASICS: 4 .co.uk domain names
5 Domain referral
out and find new sites for the search engines
to index. You can also quickly check the Website colour schemes From Reader-helps-reader at
position of your site in numerous search It’s all well and good designing a good
www.webuser.co.uk/forums
engines’ results and analyse its keywords. looking website but it’s worth nothing if you Share your site with other readers in our Readers’ Websites forum
Try out the tools at www.seobench.com. have a mismatched colour scheme. It can be

READERS’WEBSITES Email details of your non-commercial website to readerswebsites@web-user.co.uk

Mitchell Mann’s snooker website navigational

With a little development, this site
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www.mitchellmann.co.uk snooker balls for this young snooker player

G
eorge Murcott’s website has been disappear when
designed to promote the snooker moving to a new
skills of budding young player page. Instead of
Mitchell Mann. Immediate impressions presenting you
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interesting content. visiting any of the
There are, however, a couple of other pages, you
improvements that could be made. A large are limited to
number of images included on the site are simply moving The most pressing issues are the disappearing
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will have a much more polished look. It’s clear that plenty of hard work has gone Find more tips on web building or post
Navigation is also due a little attention. into creating this site, and with a few minor details of your own non-commercial website
The home page boasts links to all of the alterations it could be transformed into at our Readers’ Websites forum at
pages that make up the site, but the something to be truly proud of. www.webuser.co.uk/forums

11 May 2006 63

PROBLEMSOLVER
BROWSERS
Sharing favourite websites
I work at a large primary school.
Q Over the years all of the teachers
have collected their own
favourite websites that they like to access
for their classes. We would like to collect
all of the web addresses from the different
computers and consolidate them into a
single Favorites file. I hope to later
organise them into subject areas within
that file. How do I go about exporting and
importing 25 different Favorites files?
Craig Hindal, Hertfordshire Share your favourite websites by adding them to
an online bookmark manager like LinkaGoGo
You can export Favorite sites
A from within Internet Explorer by
clicking on the File menu and
selecting Import and Export. The Import
and Export Wizard will guide you through
the process of saving the contents of your
Favorites folder into an HTML file. This
can then be copied into another web
browser, again using the Import and
GENERAL COMPUTING
Controlling virtual memory
Recently, I have been receiving an
Q alert about Windows’ virtual
memory. The message reads: ‘Your
system is low on virtual memory. Windows
is increasing the
size of your
virtual memory
paging file.
During this
process,
memory
requests for
some
applications may
be denied.’
When this
Let Windows set the amount happens, it then
of virtual memory your
system uses by adjusting
your PC’s performance
shuts down
whatever
program I am
options using and my PC
becomes very
slow. What does the message mean and
how do I fix this problem?
K Whittaker, via email
This problem occurs when there is
A insufficient memory available on
your computer to cope with your
current activities, and your virtual memory
settings – which can provide additional disk
space on a temporary basis – are not set
high enough. To increase your virtual
memory, right-click on the My Computer
icon on your Desktop to open the System
64 11 May 2006
ASK OUR EXPERTS Each fortnight our experts answer your technical
questions about the internet. If you’re puzzled
by a problem, we’re here to help. Contact us at
ANDY SHAW ROBERT IRVINE problemsolver@web-user.co.uk
Export Wizard. An alternative method
would be for each person to add their web
addresses to a shared account with an
online Favorites manager such as www.
Split albums without track breaks into individual
MP3 files using the free Mega MP3 Splitter
select the MP3 file that you want to split then
linkagogo.com or www.onlinefavourites click the Play button. When you reach a
.com, or a social-bookmarking service like point in the file that you’d like to mark as a
http://del.icio.us. In this way everybody separate track – the gap between two songs,
will have easy access to the school’s for example – click the scissors icon to insert
favourite websites from any computer. a breakpoint. Repeat this process for as
many breakpoints as you’d like to add then
click the disk icon at the bottom of the Mega
Properties box. Click on the Advanced tab MP3 Splitter window to create and save the
and then click the Settings button in the individual MP3 files.
Performance section. Click on the Advanced
EMAIL
tab of the Performance Options box and
click the Change button under Virtual
Memory. Now select your main hard disk
and under ‘Paging file size for selected
AOL email through IE
I buy your magazine every fortnight
drive’, click to select the ‘System managed
size’ option. Click Set and then OK three
times to confirm the new settings and close
Q and am sure that recently I read an
article about how you can set up
Internet Explorer to receive your AOL email.
the boxes. You should also consider I have scoured every copy but to no avail.
upgrading your PC’s physical memory by Can you tell me which issue it was in or did I
installing additional memory, as we imagine this article?
described in the Project features of the Viv Squires, via email
previous two issues of Web User.
You can access your AOL email
MUSIC AND AUDIO
Splitting albums into tracks
A accounts from any web browser on
any computer. Simply head to
www.aol.co.uk and click on the Email icon
I am currently in the process of in the top-left hand corner of the homepage.
Q converting my audio CD collection
into MP3 format using Windows
Media Player 10. However, a few of my CDs
Type in your AOL screen name and
password and click Sign On. You’ll then be
taken to your Mailbox, where you can read,
have been programmed so that they play as reply to and delete messages as usual, as
one continuous track, meaning that well as access your Address Book and other
(annoyingly) you can’t skip between mail folders.
individual songs. Is there a way that I can rip
these albums into separate tracks to play on
my computer and MP3 player?
Kevin, via email
You can split a mixed CD album into
A separate tracks by first ripping it as
one long MP3 file using your usual
CD ripping software. Once you’ve done this,
download and install the free program Mega
MP3 Splitter from http://digilander.libero.it/ AOL lets you access your email accounts from any
mega27/mp3split. Open the program and computer with a web browser and web connection

Our pick of the best posts from our reader forums this fortnight. To get help or offer advice
to other readers, visit us online at www.webuser.co.uk/forums – it’s friendly and free!
GENERAL PC
Password
protection
My mother-in-law has just bought
Q a new desktop PC from Dell,
which she is entirely happy with.
Her problem is that she will soon have
foreign exchange students staying with her
and she is worried that they will be able to
use her PC to do stuff that they shouldn’t.
Is there any software out there that can
lock the PC down and implement some
sort of password control before it activates
any programs?
Johnny Boy, via Webuser.co.uk/forums
NETWORKING
Securing Wi-Fi
I am using a 3Com wireless router
Q with my wireless-enabled Toshiba
Satellite Pro laptop and I need
advice on configuring the router so it only
works with my laptop. I recently heard a
neighbour say that he is using a new router
nearby – in other words he’s using mine.
As you can imagine I am not at all happy
with this, so I need help in making it secure.
I checked the wireless range and there
were three routers shown in the area, and
while one of them is classed secure, the
other two are not.
The following settings are in my Network
Connection
Properties-
Preferred
Networks – 3Com
(Automatic) and
then in the
properties of this
section it says
Network
A golden padlock signifies Authentication is
that your Wi-Fi network is set to Open, but
now secure
has the following
options: shared, WPA, and WPA-PSK. Data
Encryption is set to Open and also has WEP
and there is Network Key and Key Index
(advanced) but both of these are shaded.
Chaddy the Bear, via Webuser.co.uk/forums
You need to open up a browser
A window and type
http://192.168.1.1 into the
address bar. This should take you to your
control panel for the router. You will have a
number of options, one of which will be
Wireless Security. Select the type of
encryption you want (WEP should be
sufficient and is the most common), enter a
Get more advice at www.webuser.co.uk/forums
Add or change passwords from the Control Panel
Just create a password for the
A user account by going to Start,
Control Panel, User Accounts and
then Create Password for this account.
Don’t create any other accounts to log on
or off with.
Mouse, via Webuser.co.uk/forums
phrase/password where prompted to do so,
then hit Generate. This will give you the
encrypted password, which you will need to
remember, then click OK on the following
dialogue boxes. Disconnect from your
wireless router then go to Start, then
‘Connect to’ and ‘Show all connections on
your laptop’. Right-click on Wireless
Network and ‘View all available Wireless
Networks’. Your home network should be
showing there but now as a security-
enabled network. Next time you connect to
the wireless router you’ll be asked to enter
the encrypted password we created earlier.
The_Maverick, via Webuser.co.uk/forums
To add to The_Maverick’s reply, you will
have to enter a username and password
when you first go to the router’s
properties, and these are normally
‘administration’ or ‘admin’ for both entries.
You should also enable WPA-PSK for
Network Authentication.
BurrWalnut, via Webuser.co.uk/forums
GENERAL PC
Reinstalling Windows
I have been asked to format and
Q reinstall Windows XP Home on a
colleague’s laptop, which he has
recently purchased against my advice
considering the poor specifications. It has a
processor of less than 900GHz, a hard disk
of 10GB and it’s showing only 120MB of
memory – I’m assuming the graphics card is
utilising the missing 8MBs. The speed of the
laptop is not great, as you would expect,
even after reducing the Startup entries to a
minimum and removing most of the
installed programs.
The only discs he has been given, apart
from basic software, is the Application &
Support CD which has drivers and a few
PROBLEMSOLVER
application tools, along with a Medion
Product Recovery CD, which I can boot from
and have gone partially through the re-
installation of Windows. I would prefer to
wipe the hard disk and start over but I’m a
little unsure when I’m asked about the
partition side of the process.
I should add that he only wants it for web
access and has installed a Vodafone 3G
datacard which works very well, but the
laptop as a whole is very slow. When I leave
the included McAfee security suite on for
protection, the whole machine grinds to a
crawl. Uninstalling McAfee and installing
AVG Anti-Virus allows it to run a little
quicker, but as soon as I install ZoneAlarm it
slows to a crawl again. At present, it is using
the Microsoft Firewall to speed things up but
I am fully aware of its inadequacies. Any
help would be much appreciated.
Fusion, via Webuser.co.uk/forums
Can I assume that the Medion CD
A is the original that came with the
laptop? I ask because like you, I
find it hard to believe that Medion produced
it with such a low spec for a Windows XP
machine. If it isn’t the one that came with
the PC then at some stage the installation
will fail. Assuming it’s OK, then at some
point in the installation you will get a chance
to delete the partition that currently holds
XP. If there are any other partitions on the
hard disk they should be deleted at the same
time. When they’re all gone the menu will
ask you where you’d like to install your new
Reinstalling Windows with the original disks
shouldn’t cause any problems
copy of XP. Choose the empty partition, use
it all and then just follow the prompts. It will
ask you if you wish to format the partition as
NTFS, to which you will say yes, and then it
will reboot. Leave the CD in the drive and
then you can install XP. It’s a fair bet that XP
won’t have all the drivers you will need for
the laptop, but they should be on the Drivers
and Utilities CD. Obviously, you will also
need SP2 plus a whole pile of critical
updates. You might want to replace
ZoneAlarm with Version 5.5 of Sygate from
http://207.33.111.31/spf/spf5.5b2710
.exe. It’s a lot less intrusive and 5.5 is more
stable than 5.6.
Greysts, via Webuser.co.uk/forums
11 May 2006 65
HINTS&TIPS
Send your tips to hintsandtips@web-user.co.uk – we pay £25 for the best tip we
receive each fortnight. Or visit the Hints & Tips forum at www.webuser.co.uk/forums
TOP TIP £25 Winner!
GENERAL PC
Laptop sound boost
I had a problem with the low volume on
my laptop’s headphone output, which I
believe to be a common problem. I couldn't
hear a DVD playing if there was any
ambient noise.
I solved the problem with an excellent
and inexpensive sound-card-on-a-
USB-device from Turtle Beach
(www.turtlebeach.com/site/products/
audioadvantage). The result is better and
much louder sound. There’s also a graphic
equaliser and a number of interesting
effects for creating virtual surround sound.
document. When you come back you load
up your file and spend a long time looking for
where you left off. Instead, before you do
anything, press Shift and F5, and it takes
you back to the word you last edited.
PhilH, via Webuser.co.uk/forums
WEBSITE
Bags of answers
Boost the sound on your laptop with this
handy device from Turtle Beach
Even the installation was straightforward.
Before I made the upgrade the volume
setting on my laptop was usually set to
100 per cent for playing music and DVDs,
while now, for the equivalent sound
output, the volume setting is at just 25
per cent.
m4rk, via Webuser.co.uk/forums

WEBSITES Any questions? Put the users of Answerbag to the

close all these windows, the lazy way is to test or help answer others’ queries
hold down the Shift key when you close the
Top tips and security measures last one you opened – this closes the There is a website I have been using for a
window and all of its ancestors too. while now, and after seeing your practical
PhilH, via Webuser.co.uk/forums feature on Lycos IQ (Issue 132) I decided I
would get a move on and send the address
EMAIL to you! It’s called Answerbag (www.
answerbag.com) and you simply register,
Moving in Yahoo then search for or choose a category you’re
I recently switched my Yahoo mail account interested in, and ask or answer a question.
to try the recent beta update and have I’ve found the site very useful.
discovered an easy way to move or delete Daniel Whitehouse, via email
multiple items. To delete everything, click on
an item on the list of things you want to GENERAL PC
The Alliance of Security Analysis Professionals has delete then hold down Ctrl and press A to
links to lots of other useful sites highlight the contents. Next, drag the list Editing System Properties
over the Trash word so a white tick on a When you open the System Properties
I’d like to share a site I’ve just found with green background shows, then release the window (right-click on My Computer and
you. It’s called the Alliance of Security button. All items are now in the Trash bin choose Properties) you may get a logo that’s
Analysis Professionals and can be found at Michael Lawler, via Webuser.co.uk/forums been put in place by the manufacturer of
http://asap.maddoktor2.com. It has links to your computer. If you want to change it to
a myriad of other sites, mostly related to PC SOFTWARE something more personal, go to the C:\
security, but also a few with hints, tips and windows\system32 folder and find the file
tricks. Enjoy. Word memory named oemlogo.
FifeFlyer, via Webuser.co.uk/forums bmp. To get rid of
the logo either
GENERAL PC rename it or delete
it. However, if you
Closing windows feel smart enough
Here’s a little tip I found the other day. Say and want to use
you’re browsing around your computer and your own logo you
you open a can easily replace it.
folder, then Any image you use
another has to be a bitmap Make your computer
folder from image (.bmp) and your own by changing
within that the maximum the OEM sections
one, then dimensions are 180 x 114 pixels.
another and Jump to the last part of the document you edited Also, in the same folder you should find a
so on, until when opening a Word document file called oeminfo.ini, which contains the
you have text on the same System Properties page –
loads of Suppose you’ve created a big document in edit it in Notepad or your favourite text
folders open. Close a bunch of windows at Word, saved it and are making changes. editor. If the file isn’t there just create one.
When you want to once with the Shift key You then get called away and close the Mouse, via Webuser.co.uk/forums

66 11 May 2006 Subscribe to Web User now. Call 0845 676 7778
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CBeebies
www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies
The BBC’s online portal for
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Brain Pop
www.brainpop.com
Brilliant science site for kids,
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Flash-based videos starring
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Yahoo’s child-friendly search
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colourful and busy. It will
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performance for serious gamers.
speakers that plug into a wall
and turn your MP3 player into
Our rating +++++ T-Mobile Sidekick II, free to
£50 depending on contract
SECURITY VITALS
a decent portable stereo, will ≥ PORTABLE MEDIA www.t-mobile.co.uk Want to protect your computer
find what they want in the PLAYERS A handy device for carrying the from the net’s worst threats?
Boomtube. PQI mPack P600, £299 internet around Here’s our current choice of the
Our rating +++++ www.advancedmp3players.co.uk in your pocket, software you need
The PQI mPack, which like a consumer
Saitek A-200, £80 folds its 4in wide-format version of ≥ FIREWALL
www.saitek.com screen away like a clam corporate ZoneAlarm, free
Although this is a beautifully shell to protect it favourite the www.zonelabs.com
designed speaker with a from potential Blackberry. ZoneAlarm is very effective,
contractible air trap, the bass is Our rating
scratches, +++++ easy to operate and free for
actually a bit of a let down. offers a 20GB personal use.
Our rating +++++ Palm Treo 650, £199 with
hard disk. Our rating +++++
Our rating +++++ contract
Altec Lansing InMotion www.palm.com ≥ ANTI-VIRUS
IM4, £70 Archos Gmini 500, £300 Bigger and bulkier than many Avast Home Edition, free
www.euro-tech.co.uk www.archos.com mobile phones, but crammed www.avast.com
Packing to go away rarely leaves With a 40GB hard disk and 4in with features. Free anti-virus software that’s
regular-sized holes in your wide-format screen, the Archos Our rating +++++ regularly updated and has
luggage, so something that’ll Gmini 500 is a feature-rich features to rival many
pack into about the space of a player for video lovers. Flybook, £1,399 commercial programs.
slim hard-backed book is not to Our rating +++++ www.flybook.biz Our rating +++++
be sniffed at. The Flybook is a tiny and ultra-
Our rating +++++ Wigo 1000, £129 light notebook that can be ≥ ANTI-SPYWARE
www.advancedmp3players.co.uk turned into a Tablet PC. Spybot – Search & Destroy,
Creative TravelDock 900, £70 Not much bigger than the 2.5in Our rating +++++ free
http://uk.europe.creative.com screen that it’s built around, the www.safer-networking.org
This clever little docking station Wigo 1000 lets you easily carry PSP, £175 A thorough spyware scanner
isn’t specific to a particular movies, photos and music in www.yourpsp.com with a great reputation for
device – it has a lever with a your pocket. The PSP can play games, disabling spyware.
standard headphone-type plugOur rating +++++ movies, music, pictures and Our rating +++++
on it, so you can slot any small even hook up to the net.
device into it. Mustek PVR-H140, £200 Our rating +++++ ≥ ALL-IN-ONE SECURITY
Our rating +++++ www.mustek.com Norton Internet Security
With a decent-sized 40GB hard Motorola ROKR E1, £189 2006, £55
≥ BUDGET 17IN disk, this device is cheap and www.virginmobile.co.uk www.symantec.co.uk
FLATSCREENS cheerful but the programs that A mobile phone that integrates There are free programs that
Acer AL1751, £200 come with it to help you transfer with iTunes, so you can listen to help secure your computer, but
www.acer.co.uk video are over-complicated and music, but is hampered by lack it’s easier with a paid-for suite.
(See Top Choice, above.) under-explained. of storage capacity. Our rating +++++
Our rating +++++ Our rating +++++ Our rating +++++
72 11 May 2006 Find the cheapest deals at www.webuser.co.uk/prices
SOFTWARE WEBSITES
≥ EBAY SNIPERS ≥ VOIP SERVICES (Go Babble) is unquestionably ≥ SCIENCE & NATURE
Auction Sniper, fee per Freetalk, £79.99 per year good value for money. Dickran
auction won or £6.99 per month plus Our rating +++++ www.dickran.net
www.auctionsniper.com £19.99 adaptor Topics from technology to
Auction Sniper is a web-based www.freetalk.co.uk ≥ BITTORRENT SOFTWARE philosophy are covered in a light
service that is very simple to set Freetalk Azureus, free but illuminating style.
up, easy to manage and cheap charges a http://azureus.sourceforge.net Our rating +++++
to use, especially if you only buy fee but that If you want maximum flexibility
a few things off eBay. gives you when it comes to using New Scientist
Our rating +++++ unlimited free BitTorrent, then Azureus is www.newscientist.com
calls to anywhere in the software of choice. Sign up for New Scientist
PowerSnipe, £26 the UK, which could save a Our rating +++++ magazine’s free e-zine for
www.powersnipe.com heavy domestic phone user a lot breaking science news.
PowerSnipe sends bids from its of money. μTorrent, free Our rating +++++
own servers, so your PC doesn’t Our rating +++++ www.utorrent.com
have to be switched on when If you want an easy way to get Natural Selection
your snipe. It is one of the most Vonage, £7.99 a month started in the world of BitTorrent, http://nature.ac.uk
professional pieces of sniping www.vonage.co.uk then μTorrent requires very little Gateway to resources relating to
software available. Vonage slots a regular phone configuration to get going. the natural world co-ordinated
Our rating +++++ in-between your broadband Our rating +++++ by the Natural History Museum.
connection and a network router Our rating +++++
AuctionStealer, free for basic; and offers features including ABC, free
$8.99 a month; $79.99 a year voice mail, caller ID and callhttp://pingpong-abc.sourceforge.net Global Warming
www.auctionstealer.co.uk If you’re after a clean, trouble-
waiting services at no extra cost. www.epa.gov/globalwarming/
AuctionStealer is a great free Our rating +++++ free interface to lead you on the kids/gw.html
service for sniping novices. way to BitTorrent goodness then Site from the US Environmental
But there are some drawbacks, Skype, from free ABC (which stands for ‘yet Protection Agency informing
such as the advertising www.skype.com Another BitTorrent Client’) fills kids about climate change.
screens you need to bypass To make free calls to other the criteria admirably. Our rating +++++
before use. people with VoIP services, it’s Our rating +++++
Our rating +++++ likely you’ll need Skype. Its pay- ≥ PLACES TO VISIT
as-you-go SkypeOut service has BitComet, free Seaside Awards
Onbidder, £19 per year competitive rates. www.bitcomet.com www.seasideawards.org.uk
www.onbidder.com Our rating +++++ BitComet can appear confusing This website lists British beaches
Easy to use and offering a at first, lacking the simple that have picked up a Seaside
14-day free trial, the only Babble, from free design of its rivals and Award flag, which is given to
problem with Onbidder sniping www.babble.net displaying lots of information, clean, well-managed beaches.
software is that your PC needs With ultra-competitive pricing but it can happily support Our rating +++++
to be on when you snipe. on calls around the globe, multiple downloads.
Our rating +++++ Babble’s pay-as-you-go service Our rating +++++ Central Park
www.centralpark.com
Best deals for light users (based on a user requiring a This site is also a must if you’re
BROADBAND minimum speed of 512Kbps and at least 1GB of downloads) heading to New York, with maps
of one of the largest urban parks
in the world to download.
Package name Speed Service restrictions Set-up cost Monthly rate 1st-year cost
Our rating +++++
1 Tesco Value Broadband 512Kbps 1GB cap Nil £13.97 £167.64
www.tesco.net Scottish Holiday Info
2 UK Online LLU Broadband 1000 with modem* 1Mbps Unlimited £54.99 £9.99 £174.87 www.scottish-holiday.info
www.ukonline.net This holiday directory offers
useful information for people
3 Pipex Start with modem 2Mbps 1GB cap Nil £14.99 £179.88 planning to visit Scotland.
www.pipex.net
Our rating +++++
= Tiscali 1Mb Broadband 1Mbps Unlimited Nil £14.99 £179.88
www.tiscali.co.uk Pembrokeshire Coast
= Wanadoo Broadband starter pack with modem 1Mbps 2GBcap Nil £14.99 £179.88 www.pcnpa.org.uk
www.wanadoo.co.uk The Pembrokeshire Coast
National Park Authority offers
= Virgin.net Broadband Plan Three with starter kit 512Kbps 3GB cap Nil £14.99 £179.88 details of a range of activities,
www.virgin.net
places to stay and more.
= ToucanSurf 512 Unlimited 512Kbps Unlimited Nil £14.99 £179.88 Our rating +++++
www.toucantele.com
= PlusNet Broadband Plus (12-month contract) 8Mbps 3GB cap Nil £14.99 £179.88 Find links to all
www.plus.net
websites in this issue
* Only available to customers in a UK Online LLU region
Data based on users paying by Direct Debit and requiring a broadband modem. Correct as of 26 April 2006
at www.webuser
≥ Next Issue: Best broadband deals for medium users Data supplied by www.uswitch.com .co.uk/forums
Discover more product reviews at www.webuser.co.uk/products 11 May 2006 73
Seen THIS A look at the lighter side of the web!
Visit us daily: www.webuser.co.uk/seenthis
Send us stuff: seenthis@web-user.co.uk

THE BEST OF YouTube.com

EDITORIAL
Editor Andrew Craig
Deputy Editor Claire Woffenden
Technical & Reviews Editor
Word for Word
www.fingertime.com/wordforword.php
Andy Shaw
Features Editor Daniel Booth
News Editor Quentin Reade
Squirrel plays football Staff Writer Veronique De
Having played many word games before on the http://tinyurl.com/hlxln Freitas + Art Editor Jann Fabia-
web, we admit to acting a little blasé when we first We know Arsene Wenger is a Lechelle + Senior Designer
attempted to play Word for Word. We swaggered on tactical genius, but he Sam Dorrington + Staff
to the site, selected the Hard level and… failed surpassed himself by sending Photographer Alan McFaden
straightaway. The premise of the game seems on a squirrel to bamboozle the
Production Editor
Anthony Green
fairly simple – you have to guess a word that falls Villarreal defence in the Senior Sub Editor Richard Lloyd
alphabetically between the two already on screen - Champions League semi-final Editorial Tel: 020 7261 7294
such as ‘about’ and ‘zones’. You need to narrow the match at Highbury. Sorry, no technical or buying
possibilities down until you Unsurprisingly, the bushy-tailed winger proved a wizard at advice, for subscriptions call
get the right one. But while nutmegs. His spell on-loan at Nottingham Forest has 01444 475675
it sounds easy, you’d be obviously paid off. Nice one, squirrel, nice one son… ADVERTISING
surprised how quickly you Email: advertising@web-user
forget three-lettered words .co.ukAdvertising Director
beginning with ‘b’ when THE WHACKING CHALLENGE Jean Christie + Advertising &
Sponsorship Manager Nicola
under pressure. Ponting, 020 7261 6597 + Senior
This issue’s challenge is to find a new Sales Executive Lucy Ferguson,
Googlewhack containing the word: STRAWWEIGHT 020 7261 7539 + Sales
SUDOKU CHALLENGE When you’ve found one email it to googlewhacking@ipcmedia.com.
Executive Paul Briggs, 020 7261
5605 + Advertising Production
Five randomly chosen Googlewhacks will be honoured at www. Stephen Turner, 020 7261 5513
Here’s the latest grid in our series of Sudoku webuser.co.uk/googlewhack.
CLASSIFIED
puzzles. You can also tackle a new Sudoku every Senior Sales Executive
In Issue 134 we asked you to find a Googlewhack containing the Chris Dicker, 020 7261 2882
day at www.webuser.co.uk/sudoku. word ‘televangelists ’. Our favourite was ‘televangelists strawweight’. Classified Sales Executive
● The answer to this issue’s puzzle can be found at Robin Khanna, 020 7261 2823
www.webuser.co.uk/answers. INSERTS
Innovator Sales Nick Barnard
PRODUCTION
BEAT WEBUSER Production Director Richard Hill
Production Manager
Peter Wesson
MARKETING & CIRCULATION
DISC GOLF Marketing Manager
www.miniclip.com/discgolf.htm Mary de Cinque, 020 7261 7615
Can you get a lower score Circulation Executive
than 78? If so, email the Katie Sharp
proof to daniel_booth PUBLISHING TEAM
@ipcmedia.com and Marketing/Publishing Director
Angie O’Farrell, 020 7261 7294
we’ll honour the best in Managing Director Paul Williams
Issue 137. Origination FE Burman Ltd,
Congratulations to Kevin Crimscott St, London SE1 5TF
Choy from Manchester Printers Southernprint, Upton
whose 1,162 was the Industrial Estate, Poole, Dorset
highest score we received for Smashed (www.huntforit. Cover printed by
co.uk/dashboard/smashed.jsp) featured in Issue 133. Wyndeham Litho, Grafton Way,
● Revisit previous Beat Web User games and high-scores West Ham Industrial Estate,
Basingstoke, Hants
at www.webuser.co.uk/beatwebuser.
Web User™ is an IPC Trade Mark © IPC Media 2006 Published on the Thursday as coverdated by IPC Country & Leisure Media Ltd, a part of IPC Media, a Time Warner company. Distributed by Marketforce (UK) Ltd, King’s Reach Tower, Stamford Street,
London SE1 9LS (Tel: 020 7633 3333). © IPC Media ISSN 1473-7094. © Copyright IPC Media Ltd. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or system or in any means without the prior written
permission of the publisher or the editor. This is considered a breach of copyright and action will be taken where this occurs. This magazine must not be lent, sold, hired or otherwise disposed of in a mutilated condition or in any authorised cover by way, or by
trade, or annexed to any publication or advertising matter without first obtaining written permission from the publisher. IPC Media Ltd does not accept responsibility for loss or damage to unsolicited photographs, manuscripts and product samples.

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