A bit of history on Father’s Day

How to take better portraits

This invention could revolutionise photography and videos

The AMAZING computer that launched with the first manned space flights

Clocks go forward – but why have we been doing this for 100 years?

How the battery was invented thanks to an unfortunate frog

Format External Disk Drives for Windows 10 7 8

How To Format A New Drive For Use With Windows 7, 8 or 10

Formatting a drive for use with Windows 7, 8 & 10 Before you can use a new external drive with Windows 7, 8 or 10 you will need to format it (unless it states it is pre-formatted). There are several options which we will look at to help you choose the correct format for you and show you how to ready the disk for use. Step 1. Right-Click on the Windows icon in the lower left-hand corner and select Disk Management Step…

Protect Your PC, Laptop, Tablet, Mobile from Wannacry Ransomware

How To Protect Yourself From Hackers, Malware, Viruses & Ransomware

How to protect your PC, laptop, tablet or mobile from malicious attack 1. Always Install Security Updates Make sure you are running the latest up-to-date version of your devices software: For all PC’s and laptop’s user running Windows operating systems, you must ensure you are running Windows 7, 8 or 10. Older versions of Microsoft Windows (Vista, XP, ME and earlier) are NO LONGER SUPPORTED and represent a very high risk of infection from hacking (unless running separate Security Software…

How To Encrypt USB Drives and Memory Sticks

How to Encrypt Your USB Memory Stick / Flash Drive (Windows, MacOSX, Linux, FreeBSD, Raspbian, Android & iOS)

Encrypting a Portable USB Drive. Protecting your personal data on USB memory sticks is incredibly important, even if it’s only photo’s or videos! If the USB stick is lost or stolen, the data is protected and cannot be accessed by anyone else.  For more important documents such as office work or sensitive information, encrypting the USB drive, with secure software and a password, is purely common sense. One of the most popular encryption software available is called Veracrypt.  The software…

Understanding Why Your Hard Drive/Flash Storage Shows Less Space Than Advertised.

Why Advertised Storage Does Not Match The Usable Data Capacity The main reason comes down to differences in the way that operating systems, such as Windows display storage devices, and how USB Flash Drive & other storage device manufacturers advertise the storage capacity. Computers are based on binary math, which means storage is counted using base 2, not base 10, which storage is advertised as. So, while we measure a kilobyte as 1,000 bytes, Windows refers to a kilobyte as…

Driver license application (photo credit: Graphicstock)

Could a smartphone app replace your driving licence?

Drivers in the US could soon be using a mobile app as their official driver’s licence, it has been reported. Transport officials in the American state of Iowa have revealed that the app will be available in 2015 at no extra cost. The digital licence will be accepted by Iowa law enforcement officials during traffic stops and by security officers screening travellers at the state’s airports, reported the Des Moines Reporter newspaper website. Motorists will be able to stick with…

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The Evolution of a Terabyte of Data: 1956 – 2014 [INFOGRAPHIC]

Data storage has been transformed in the last 50 years from huge, clunking machines with limited capacity to tiny memory cards that can store a fantastic amount of data but are no bigger than the size of a finger nail. The cost of data storage has also plummeted. In 1956 a 5Mb IBM RAMAC 350 Disk File – the highest capacity data storage device at the time – weighed a tonne and cost a fortune. But in 2013, Kingston released…

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Mutant Giant Spider Dog (SA Wardega/YouTube)

Spider dog: top trending YouTube video of 2014

A video featuring a dog dressed in a spider costume has been named as the top trending video on YouTube this year. Mutant Giant Spider Dog has been viewed more than 114 million times. And bosses at YouTube have named it as their top trending video of the year, based on views, shares, comments, likes and more. Interestingly, the now famous iPhone 6 Plus Bend Test video is in at number 5. It has had more than 59 million views. You can see…

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5 gadgets that could be great Xmas presents from 7dayshop.com

5 gadgets that could make great Christmas presents

Here’s just 5 “buyable” items from 7dayshop.com. They include a smart way to watch TV, extending your Wi-Fi easily, tiny-sized storage for your movies and music, a high-spec great price tablet and how to avoid your phone running out of juice at the worst moment. They could make great Christmas presents for friends and family who love a bit of handy technology or perhaps a gift to yourself. Freeview TV on your phone You can watch Freeview TV on your smartphone,…

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Three smartphones (photo credit: Graphicstock.com)

iPhone 6 boosts Apple’s share of smartphone market

Apple reaches its highest share of Britain’s smartphone market thanks to the iPhone 6, says research. It had 39.5% of UK sales for the three months to October 2014, compared to 29.1% in the same period in 2013. The research by Kantar Worldpanel ComTech shows that Android sales are still ahead at 52.3%, although that’s a fall compared to the 54.6% market share for the three months to October 2013. Windows is in third place, but has seen a decline in market share. The most recent…

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Tablets & touchscreens could help boys read, research

Boys reluctant to read could be helped by touchscreen technology, says the National Literacy Trust. The technology can be more effective in engaging children aged 3 to 5 with reading than books – and is particularly beneficial when it comes to helping poor children and boys where literacy is a concern. The findings in the Early Years Literacy Survey have been published by the National Literacy Trust and publisher Pearson. Key findings: Twice as many young children from low-income backgrounds read…

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Battery-powered toys set to dominate Christmas wish lists – stock up on batteries now

 Have enough batteries to avoid toys not working on Christmas Day. Whether it’s a robot dinosaur, a family game or a doll, the  Toy Retailers Association list of what the most popular toys are expected to be this Christmas reveals many in the top 12 use batteries. As youngster draw up Christmas lists, check if toys come with batteries and what type they need – eg alkaline batteries. Have enough batteries in reserve so toys don’t run out of power too soon. And don’t forget adults, their presents may need batteries. Watch:…

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Black Friday Sale (graphicstock.com)

How to bag epic deals on Black Friday

Shoppers get ready for super deals on Black Friday. Black Friday began in the US with shops offering on-the-day big discounts and special prices. The term is thought to have originated in Philadelphia to describe disruptive traffic on the day after Americans’ celebrated Thanksgiving. Then there’s Cyber Monday on 1 December, which could be the busiest online shopping day of the year. Black Friday and other deals at 7dayshop.com Black Friday has now finished for another year, but you can still get great deals at 7dayshop, click…

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Microsoft Windows 1.0 released on 20 November 1985

It was nearly called Interface Manager – but Windows won as it best described the boxes central to the new system Microsoft founder Bill Gates led the development of the graphic operating system, which was first announced in 1983. The Windows operating system went on to dominate the PC market for decades – with several generations growing up with Windows as computers became more and more central to our lives. The big difference to the previous MS-DOS system of tying commands was…

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Row of modern mobile phones on white (photo: graphicstock.com)

90% of world’s population over age of 6 “set to have a mobile phone”

Mobile phones will be available to vast majority by 2020, says communications firm Ericsson It forecasts that 90% of the world’s population over 6-years-old will have a mobile phone within 6 years. And smartphones are expected to soar in popularity. There have been 800 million new smartphone subscriptions in 2014 – bringing the total to 2.7 billion globally, according to the latest edition of the Ericsson mobility report, which is a comprehensive update on mobile trends. But this smartphone figure is predicted to…

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