USB Sticks Fast Fixes

Speed up slow USBs, recover lost files and fix ‘device not recognised’ error messages

Bootable USB stick won’t boot

You’ve made a bootable USB stick but Windows ignores it? You probably need to rejig your BIOS settings. For older computers running Windows 7 or earlier, tap F2 or Delete (Del) after switching on, then use the cursor (arrow) keys and Enter to navigate the BIOS screens: you’re looking for something like ‘Boot Order’ or ‘Boot Device Priority’. Your USB stick must be higher in this list than the hard drive.

Secret Tips For… LibreOffice 5

Make special selections, compress documents to save space and get updates first

Extend your selections

Writer and Calc have some nifty hidden tricks for selecting text. Click and drag as normal to select, then try right-clicking on the tiny box/text-cursor icon in the status bar (at the bottom of the program window, towards the centre). Choose ‘Adding selection’, for example, and you’ll be able to select multiple unconnected passages of text or cells: simply hold down the Control (Ctrl) key while making your selections, then press Ctrl+C to copy them all at once. Also, use the ‘Extending selection’ option to enlarge an existing selection, or ‘Block selection’ to draw a box around stuff you want to select.

Remembering… Xbox

This week we look at a console that has a special place in our hearts and under our TVs

The late 90s saw the launch of the sixth generation of games consoles, far more advanced than anything before.

The previous generation with its Dreamcast, PlayStation, Nintendo 64 and so on was already a quantum leap forward in terms of what the home gamer could enjoy on their TVs. However, this sixth generation stuff was about to knock the ball out of the park, so to speak.

Speedlink Xilu Speaker

Big sound from a small package

Speedlink is quite famous now for its line of mobile, Bluetooth speakers. The Portajoy, Playawave and Amparo range are all considered as some of the best portable speakers for your phone or tablet.

This time round, we have the company’s newest portable speaker on test, the Xilu. This miniature cuboid speaker measures just 50 x 50 x 50mm and weighs a mere 8g, but it manages to belt out a decent 2.3W RMS power from the driver that’s positioned at the top of the unit.

Asus M32AD

An entry-level family PC, at a good price

We recently had the opportunity to review the Asus M52AD-Xtreme PC, and although it performed well enough, the overall cost of the machine was a little steep.

Now, though, it’s the turn of the Asus M32AD. Labelled as ‘The Perfect Home Computer’, Asus has taken the best elements of the Xtreme series and folded them into a more reasonably priced system that would work well as a family PC.

Garmin Nüvi 65 LM

Michael Fereday takes a satnav for a drive around his neighbourhood

Providing navigational aids is the designated task of the Garmin Nüvi 65 LM satnav. This product comes with free UK and Ireland maps for the lifetime of the device. Supplied with the satnav are a vehicle suction cup mount, a power cable for use with the car’s cigarette lighter socket and a standard-to-mini-USB lead.

Pentax K-S2 DSLR

Pentax toughens up its latest DSLR for real-world shoots

Logically, most people would see the Pentax K-S2 and assume it was a revamped K-S1, a camera that appeared relatively recently. Curiously, it isn’t.

The Pentax K Series is still a DSLR, though it’s sufficiently compact to be mistaken for a bridge camera, while offering full K-Mount interchangeable lenses. Where it differs from the K-S1 is that it now has a much more grown-up feature set, one that might attract those who take photography seriously, in addition to the typical happy snappers.

Samsung SSD 950 Pro

Samsung has been at the forefront of SSD technology for some time now. The 840 Evo was the first SSD to feature triple-level cell (TLC) NAND, while the SSD 850 Pro introduced us to 3D NAND. The new SSD 950 Pro, while not introducing any new technologies of its own, does merge a whole host of emerging standards into one tiny but incredibly powerful stick of solid state storage.

MSI Z170A Tomahawk

A powerhouse modern motherboard with at an equally impressive price

The Skylake improvements with the new Z170 chipset make for an impressive list of specifications for both gamers and system builder. However, you’ll be hard pressed to find a Z170 motherboard that costs less £100. Until now.

MSI has recently released its Z170A Tomahawk, an amazing motherboard that somehow manages to creep onto the shelves at £99.95. We won’t get into the benefits a Z170 motherboard offers here, but suffice to say, just because this is a sub-£100 motherboard, that doesn’t mean it’s lacking in any way.