Protect Your PC With A Sandbox

Sandboxing is a great way to keep out malware and prevent bad software ruining your PC. Roland Waddilove digs deep into the subject

Sandboxing is a way of protecting the computer from viruses, trojans, spyware, adware and badly written software. All these things can seriously damage your computer, with the effects ranging from relatively minor freezes, crashes and changed settings to malicious applications that delete files, encrypt them using ramsomware and more.

The word ‘sandbox’ is said to come from the idea of a children’s sandbox, an enclosed area where kids can play with sand without causing a huge mess of your garden, house or classroom. The sand stays in the box, and everywhere outside is clean and tidy.

Can You Replace TV With The Internet?

With so many options for watching programs and movies online, can you finally ditch your TV and/or cable subscription?

If, like many people these days, you’re tired of complaining about how poor TV is, filled as it is with reality TV programs, cooking shows, decorating guides and repeats, you may wonder why on earth you bother with your TV licence or your cable subscription, if you have one. Even freeview, which is, erm... free, costs some money up front and also requires the aforementioned TV licence. Like it or not, in some fashion, you’re paying for TV, even if you don’t like what’s on it. It’s not great, and we’ve all wondered if it’s worth it at some time or another. Well, what if you could do away with TV altogether? With the internet and the vast growth of streaming and download services, this must surely be an option, right? Let’s have a look and find out if you really could ditch the boob tube and get your televisual entertainment online. First, a very brief history.

The making of Firewatch

How a pioneering team broke all the rules to tell a new kind of adventure story

Back in 1999, Cabel Sasser and Steven Frank, founders of Portland-based Mac software developer Panic Inc, decided they could do a much better job of designing the Mac’s interface than Apple had managed thus far. As part of their grand vision, the pair created Audion, a tool for playing CDs and MP3s that was originally intended to be just one component of a suite of focused apps, but which ended up being released in standalone form. The app took off and attracted developers keen to customise it, one going on to create skins that caught the attention of the Panic team. After reaching out, Sasser discovered that he and this accomplished designer shared other common interests – including an obsession with LucasArts adventure games – and through infrequent contact watched as his career developed. Fourteen years later, Sasser found himself listening to a videogame pitch from the guy whose Audion skins had triggered their friendship. The man was Jake Rodkin, and the game was Firewatch.