Connecting laptop to TV

Force your laptop to detect your TV, make the image fit and fix audio problems

Picture on TV is distorted

Because the resolution of laptop screens varies from those on high-definition TVs, whenever you connect one to the other the resulting picture on your TV can often look stretched or distorted. The edges of your Windows desktop may even be cut off altogether – a problem known as overscan.

Ultimate Ears Boom 2

A Bluetooth speaker for your summer holiday

This tough wireless travel speaker (available in several colours) would be great on holiday. Knock it into a swimming pool and the IPX7 waterproof rating means it should survive up to a metre deep for half an hour, although you won’t be able to hear it so well.

Iiyama G-Master GB2888UHSU Gold Phoenix

4K you can actually afford

This is a monitor aimed at gamers. For just over £300, it gives you a big 28in screen with a huge 3840x2160 pixels. ‘4K’ panels don’t get much cheaper, even at smaller sizes – and smaller sizes do less justice to all those dots.

‘What I wish I’d done’ before my laptop was stolen

Having your laptop stolen is an appalling experience, especially if you haven’t prepared for the worst. After finding out the hard way, Jane Hoskyn explains how to limit the damage

A few weeks ago, someone walked into my house one Saturday morning while I dozed in bed, then walked out with my Windows 8.1 laptop and my wallet.

I did hear footsteps while half-asleep, but thought it must be my housemate getting ready for work. “Hey, is that you?” I shouted, peering downstairs. Silence. Nothing. So I resumed my doze and assumed I’d been dreaming.

Huawei P9

Are two cameras better than one? Yes

Remember when we all thought it was silly to put a camera in a phone? Now our phones all have two cameras, and apparently that’s still not enough: this year’s trend is three. Tire LG G5 includes a separate wide-angle lens to give you a choice of framing, which is useful. Huawei has done something different: the P9’s two cameras work together to take pictures with more dynamic range.

Apple MacBook 12in (2016)

Could you be converted to Apple’s laptop?

When we tested Apple’s brand new MacBook last year, with its super-slim case and edge-to-edge keyboard, we praised its lightweight design and high-resolution screen, but we weren’t so sure about its reliance on a single USB Type-C port for charging, wired networking, external displays and accessories. The same laptop now has more powerful processors inside and comes in a new colour (rose gold).

Hidden side effects of removing software

Getting rid of unsafe programs from your PC can cause problems. Mike Plant reveals the pitfalls of removing unwanted software and how to avoid them

Warning: side effects may include headaches, sickness and drowsiness. We’ve all seen this kind of advice on medication packaging, yet we take our medicine nonetheless – in the hope that the benefits outweigh the risks.

It’s a similar story when it comes to uninstalling certain PC programs. It’s all too tempting to get rid of unsafe and unwanted software without a second thought, but the side effects can include compatibility problems, files you can’t open, online videos you can’t play, and incomprehensible error messages.

Here we explain just some of the drawbacks of removing potentially harmful programs and how to keep your PC running smoothly without them.

LG G5

The first upgradable smartphone

In the old days, computers were made up of a bunch of widgets slotted together. When a component failed or a better one came along, you could undo a screw or pop open a flap and do a quick swap. Desktop PCs are still like that, which is why they’re not extinct, despite being unattractively bulky. But nowadays we carry more processing power in our pockets than we used to have on our desks, and one way engineers have achieved that miniaturisation is by abandoning ‘modularity’: the principle that parts should be independent of the whole.

Amazon Kindle Oasis

The best ebook reader yet

Two hundred and seventy pounds? For an ebook reader? We had to doublecheck to make sure we hadn’t misread the info or been transported back to the 1980s. These days, Amazon itself sells a full-blown all-purpose colour tablet computer for 50 quid. Is it seriously expecting people to pay more than five times as much for a gadget that just shows text in black and white?