Latest tips & guides

The latest tips and guides for your PC, tech gear and software.

Do you need a UPS to protect against blackouts?

By Darren Yates - February 13, 2012

It's been one of those summers in many areas of Australia, with plenty of afternoon thunderstorms. When it comes to protecting your technology, the simplest, cheapest and most guaranteed way to protect against electrical surges caused by lightning is to simply pull the power plugs out of the wall sockets. However, it’s not just surges that cause problems — blackouts themselves can cause a loss of data, especially when your PC drops its bundle on the spot.

Access your Excel spreadsheets with a tablet or smartphone

By Helen Bradley - February 8, 2012

As increasingly we're carrying tablets and smartphones with us, we expect them to double as work tools so we can at least see our data, if not work on it, too. However, there are significant compatibility and access issues to deal with anytime you step away from your desk. Here we explore these issues with Excel spreadsheets and offer one possible solution.

How to program your keyboard

By Rose Vines - February 4, 2012

Have you been treating your keyboard as simply a QWERTY layout with a numeric keypad? If so, take the time to have a closer look at it. You’re likely to discover special functions assigned to the function keys across the top, plus specialty shortcut keys around the edges. If you’ve taken the wise step to invest some money in a good ‘smart’ keyboard, these handy shortcut keys are just a hint of the magic hidden within.

How to create an image map using a list and CSS

By Helen Bradley - January 30, 2012

Previously, we've showed you how to create an image map in Dreamweaver using the traditional 'hot spot' method. Here, we’ll show you how to code much the same thing using a more advanced technique — an unordered list and CSS. You’ll need an image and this time you’ll need to know ahead of time its width and height — ours is 600 pixels wide by 300 pixels tall.

Add lighting effects in Photoshop

By Helen Bradley - January 27, 2012

The Lighting Effects filter in Photoshop lets you add lighting to an image that’s either not well lit or that needs some creative lighting. While the filter has been around for many versions of Photoshop, it’s easier to use in CS3 and later because you can apply it using a Smart Object. This lets you adjust the filter if the settings aren’t quite right, something that wasn’t possible in earlier versions. 

View (and show) different file types using Google Docs

By Helen Bradley - January 23, 2012

The new Google Docs Viewer helps you view files online that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to see. It gives you access to a range of file types and it can lend itself as a solution to some unusual problems. For example, it’s not unusual to receive a file that you can’t access easily because you don’t have an application to open it with.

Turn your Android device into a micro-server

By Darren Yates - January 20, 2012

One of the key things about Android is the fact that it’s based on the Linux operating system. Along with that comes many of Linux’s benefits, not the least of which is its open nature, made even more so by gaining root access or ‘rooting’ your phone. It’s when you think outside the box that you find Android capable of some wonderfully creative solutions — including turning your Android phone or tablet into a server.

Customising Windows' Recycle Bin

By Link Harris - January 18, 2012

Delete disasters happen. PC users make mistakes and they change their minds. Fortunately, Windows provides a first-tier safety net for files or folders deleted from Computer (or My Computer) or Windows-compliant applications in the form of the Recycle Bin. From there you can either restore an item or permanently delete it, and drag files or folders to or from it just as with any other folder.

Add animated charts in Excel

By Helen Bradley - January 16, 2012

Perhaps one of the most underused features of Excel are its Form tools, such as the Spin button, which lets you enter data into a worksheet using a clickable spinner. Here we’ll show you how to put one to work to control an animated chart so that when you click on the spinner, the chart will change with each click. This project can be completed in any version of Excel.

Five useful gadgets for $5? Yes it's possible

By Darren Yates - January 14, 2012

It’s increasingly being called the Apple Tax — the answer to why, despite a strong Australian dollar, we seem to pay more for our technology in real terms than other countries. While it might be a touch unfair to solely blame Apple, it’s increasingly one of the chief reasons why we’re fast becoming a nation of international shoppers. In fact, the shopping is so good that fresh from my success in buying a $3.29 HDMI cable, which I tested and pulled apart previously, I decided on a stiffer challenge: to buy as much technology as I could for A$5.

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