Re-installing Windows 10

Cleanly install your operating system instead of upgrading: Upgrading to Windows 10 can be done via a fresh install. We will be showing you two methods that will provide you with a clean, brand-spanking new install of the operating system

The release of Windows 10 presents a good opportunity to free your computer from old software and unused data. The best way to do this involves a clean installation of your operating system, which provides you with a fresh copy of Windows. However, unlike the previous versions of Windows, it’s not easy to do this with Windows 10, because Microsoft wants users to directly upgrade the installed operating system to Windows 10.

Technilexicon - eSIM

This year, a brand new integrated chip called the eSIM is set to replace the SIM card. We take a look at the technology behind this new feature

The SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card has stood up to a number of transformations over the years. It was first introduced in the early 90s, together with GSM mobile communications. Since then, its physical form has changed and shrunk continuously over the years, but its core function and code that is stored inside it has remained the same. Every mobile or smartphone user requires a SIM card in order to be able to establish a connection with his or her provider’s network. Without a SIM card, the only thing that works is the emergency call feature. If the customer signs a contract with different proviers, they will get a different SIM for each provider.

Getting The Most Out Of Your SSDs

An SSD is the most effective way to make your PC go faster. With our tips, the purchase, the installation and the operations will be made easy – For optimal speed and a long service life

If your goal is to make your day-to-day computing run smoother and faster, an SSD upgrade beats every other option. The delayfree call-up of data accelerates the boot-up procedure, the launching of software and the response to every click of the mouse. All in all, the advantages are significantly more visible than the advantages associated with an upgrade of the CPU or the RAM. However, certain factors deter users from an upgrade or make them feel uneasy during the device’s operations: SSDs are considered to be too expensive and too small for a single drive. Apart from that, many users want to avoid the complicated task of re-installing the operating system. Finally, reliable statistics are not available regarding the actual lifespan of SSDs, whose Flash cells are always subject to a certain amount of wear and tear. Regardless of whether you’re a little hesitant about making the upgrade or whether you’re already using an SSD, we’ll show you how you can avoid all these problems.

Sink or swim?

What lurks beneath the ocean’s surface? Matthew Pellett dives into aquatic adventure Abzu and discovers a Journey like no other

Switch on your PS4 and it’s highly unlikely you’re in for a relaxing time. Games are puzzling or action-packed or tense or challenging, with any occasional moments of downtime tending to be just pauses designed to help you catch your breath ahead of the next mental push. But therapeutic? Hardly. Heck, even browsing Netflix’s vast library is more daunting than calming, as anyone who’s felt the pressure of picking the right film for everyone present can attest.

Our guide to smishing

They’ve tried cold calling and phishing emails; now the scammers want to steal your personal details via text message. David Crookes explains what you’re up against

What is smishing?

Most of us have heard of phishing, which involves criminals sending emails that trick you into giving away personal data such as a credit card number or password. SMiShing, meaning SMS phishing and henceforth referred to in this article as smishing (for clarity’s sake!) is the text message equivalent and is currently on the rise.

Stop Facebook draining you battary

Facebook has been accused of using up to 20% of your phone’s battery life. Edward Munn suggests five ways to preserve your juice without abandoning the social network

Stop background refreshing

If recent reports are true, the Facebook app could be responsible for consuming a large percentage of your phone’s battery life. Indeed, even Facebook users who rarely open the app have reported it using large amounts of battery power. On iOS devices, you can stop Facebook constantly refreshing in the background by opening Settings, selecting General, Background App Refresh and turning the appropriate switch to the Off position. While you’re there, it’s a good idea to turn off other apps that don’t need to be refreshed in the background.

On Android phones running version 5.0 (Lollipop) onwards, you should make sure that Facebook is set to be ‘optimised’ for improved battery life. To do this, open Settings and Battery, tap the menu button and select ‘Battery optimisation’. Next, select All Apps from the drop-down menu, scroll down to Facebook and check that it’s set to Optimise.

Recover lost emails and texts

It’s easy to delete an email or text by accident, but you can usually get it back. Wayne Williams explains how to restore messages you thought you’d lost forever

EMAILS

Always check the Trash folder

It sounds obvious, but in the blind panic that ensues when you accidentally delete an important message, you might forget to look in the place it’s most likely to be. All Desktop email clients and webmail services store deleted messages in a dedicated folder – usually called Trash, Bin or Deleted Items – the contents of which are usually stored for at least a month, or until you delete the items permanently. If you find your missing message there, all you need to do is select it, move it back to your inbox and enjoy a deep sigh of relief. If you’ve only just lost that email, you may be able to retrieve it by simply pressing Ctrl+Z (Undo).

Move Your Files NOW!

What happens to your data when the cloud bursts? Wayne Williams looks at how safe your photos, videos and other files are online and explains how to avoid losing them

With Picasa Web Albums set to close in May, Microsoft OneDrive slashing the amount of free storage it offers and other online services either changing hands or – like Yahoo – in financial trouble, you may be wondering if the cloud is really the best place to store your important files. Trusting your photos, videos, documents and emails to a website is a lot riskier than you imagine because if that company disappears, it will take your data with it – unless you act first.

Netgear Arlo Q

Andy Shaw tests a new home-security camera that saves any video footage it captures to the internet

We’ve been reviewing home security cameras but, until now, only one brand has really stood out. Y-Cam’s HomeMonitor range (www.ycam.com) dominated the field because it records motion-detected footage to the cloud for free, which means you receive alerts on your mobile devices and can view the footage within seconds on the web or via an app.