From the Editor

The internet relies on advertising. Adverts need your

Will you have to pay for Facebook & WhatsApp?

Meta plans ‘premium’ tools for services used by 3.5bn people

Amazon’s delivery drones will be a flying menace

I’m alarmed to read about Amazon testing its

We stand up for your legal rights

Why does Microsoft demand I pay for 365

Openreach moves overhead line from reader’s roof

Openreach has moved the overhead line that ran

Can EE refuse a new SIM after axing 3G?

Q I use a very old Samsung GT-S5230

Mitchell & Brown returned faulty TV within days

I’ve read a few mentions of TVs from

Grow Your Family Tree

New records give details of how women served in the final years of World War 1. Follow Richard Holt ’s advice to…

Best Free Software

Robert Irvine recommends new programs that won’t cost you a thing

SHOULD I PAY FOR…?

Choose the right version of software

What should I download?

We advise you which software and apps to use

SOFTWARE WARNING!

Keumars Afifi-Sabet puts the boot into tech villains, jargon-spouting companies and software trying to trick you

WHAT ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT?

WHAT THEY SAY OpenAI www.snipca.com/57763 “Both

KEUMARS’ VILLAIN OF THE FORTNIGHT

Somebody should tell James Ledsham that most people

Vertical videos

TV-streaming services are keen on them, but not in the way you might think

Linux-style top menu bar could come to Windows

The top stories in the world of technology

Netflix to be axed from old BT TV boxes

N etflix will soon stop working on the

You’ll like this…

Google is adding new anti-theft tools to Android

But not this…

Many Bluetooth headphones and earbuds at risk of

New Freely TV box £50 cheaper than Netgem’s Pleio

M anhattan has released a Freely TV-streaming box

Google leaks new Chrome-meets-Android operating system

G oogle has accidentally revealed what its new

AMAZON REFUNDS FIRE BLASTER BUYERS

Amazon is refunding customers who bought its Fire

TOMORROW’S WORLD

This is Helix O2, a humanoid robot from

PORNHUB BLOCKS NEW USERS IN UK

Pornhub has blocked UK users who haven’t already

RASPBERRY Pi LAUNCHES USB STICK

Raspberry Pi has released its first USB stick,

THE WORLD’S GONE MAD!

See anything wrong with this mural? It’s meant

YouTube: ‘content unavailable’ if you have an ad-blocker

Y ouTube is refusing to play videos if

BT moves out-of-contract customers to fixed price rises

B T will move out-of-contract customers to fixed

CHECK YOUR DATA IN UNDER ARMOUR HACK

Have I Been Pwned has added the recent

GEEKOM LAUNCHES FIRST EVER LAPTOPS

Mini PC manufacturer Geekom has released its first

Ring doorbells now tell you if footage is AI

A mazon’s Ring video doorbells now tell you

OPENREACH AXES COPPER IN 132 AREAS

Openreach has named the next 132 areas where

EBay bans ‘shop bots’ that make automatic purchases

E Bay is banning customers from using AI

EE SELLS REFURBISHED PHONES FROM £31

EE has launched a site selling refurbished Apple

New tools

1Password’s ‘dodgy website’ warnings

Malicious translate, VPN and ad-block extensions

Scams and threats to avoid, plus new security tools

Readers warn readers

‘12,000 EE points’ text I’m an EE customer,

Tell us what’s on your mind

It’s ‘socially acceptable’ to use hacked TV sticks

GMKtec NucBox M5 Ultra

MINI PC | £479 from Amazon www.snipca.com/57767

Motorola Moto G06 Power

PHONE ❘ £89 from John Lewis www.snipca.com/57753

Asus Zenbook Duo UX8407

LAPTOP | £2,500 from Asus www.snipca.com/57896

Acer Chromebook Plus 516

LAPTOP ❘ £399 from Currys www.snipca.com/57785

CHOOSE THE RIGHT SPECS

Efficiency cores

eufyCam S4

SECURITY CAMERA ❘ £249 from Eufy www.snipca.com/57817

Final ZE300

EARBUDS | £40 from Amazon www.snipca.com/57841

Polar Loop

FITNESS TRACKER | £149 from Amazon www.snipca.com/57851

BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2

MONITOR LIGHT BAR | £149 from Amazon www.snipca.com/57868

On Sale Weds 25 Feb

Amazon Kindle Scribe Colorsoft Large Kindle you can

Buy It

Our pick of products that have won the Buy It award

HOW TO... Replace Microsoft Lens before it disappears

What you need: Microsoft Lens and OneDrive, or

Ditch Google Photos for a more private alternative

What you need: Windows 10 or 11, an

Readers’ Tips

Handy hints and tips from your fellow readers

Browser Tips

Secret settings and the best extensions

AI Tips

PROTON LUMO Organise chats and files in projects

Phone and Tablet Tips

ANDROID & iOS Check the weather in the

Make Windows Better

Expert tips for every version

Make Office Better

Top tips for the best office programs

In The Club

Run a club or society? Here's how your tech can make it easier

STOP AI SPYING ON YOU

AI tools are endlessly useful but they also collect and analyse your personal information. Robert Irvine reveals every setting you must change to stay private

Find Your CAR AND KEYS

Fed up with losing your keys or forgetting where you parked the car? Jonathan Parkyn explains how new tools and devices can help you track them both down

8 devices we’ll never buy again

Some purchases just aren’t what they used to be. Four Computeractive writers reveal the gadgets they’ll shun in future and the replacements they’ve chosen instead

Problems Solved

Our experts solve all your tech problems

Problems Solved

Having a problem with our recommended software or expert tips? Email editor@computeractive.co.uk and we’ll do our best to help

Jargon Buster

2G Second-generation cellular network. 2K 2048x1080-pixel resolution. 32bit/64bit

Boost his PC memory for free

Unwilling to pay extortionate prices to upgrade his laptop’s RAM, Robert Irvine tries to…