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This is very easy to do and with the help of Netstat which is already installed on Windows XP will detect to see if you have Spyware, Malware or anything else that shouldn’t be running on your computer
1. Close all your applications down but stay connected to the internet so you only have your desktop screen showing.
2. Press the windows key, keep it depressed and at then press R, this should bring up the run command. Or you could press Start>all programs>accessories>command prompt.
3. Type cmd and click OK, this will bring up a black screen as shown below

4. Then type cd \ this will take you to the root directory, to clear the screen you can type cls, this is optional, you should now see this screen

5. Now type netstat and press the spacebar, then type –b (it will look like this “netstat –b”) hit enter and you will see a list of any active connections (that is any applications connecting to the internet), these are shown on the left hand side of the screen within the [ ] brackets, if you are only connected to the internet with nothing running then you will have very little showing on Netstat. However if you have an antivirus program running you might see something like [ashwebSV.exe] or [nortonSV.exe] but that depends on the antivirus software you have and if its trying to connect to the internet at the time.
6. If you have anything else running and you don’t recognise it or it just doesn’t look right then do a Google search to find out what it is, if it is Spyware, Malware or something else then get rid of it using your Spyware application (and I hope you have one installed).
7. Another good tip is to run Netstat every now and again without closing your applications to keep a check on what applications are connecting to the internet.
8. If you want to, you can copy the Netstat list to a text file by typing netstat then space –b another space then type > space then type netstat.txt (which would look like this “netstat –b > netstat.txt”) on the command line and this will copy the netstat list to your root c: drive. All you then have to do is open My computer and click on the C: drive and you will see a file called netstat.txt click on it and you will see the Netstat list.

Do you enjoy photography but are not able to pursue it as you have a family which take up most or all of your time? I know the feeling.
I only have 1 little girl and she takes up most of my spare time, but using the tips below I can still do my photography.
1. Set your alarm clock early one morning and get yourself out for a few hours. This is a great time to shoot some pictures as everywhere is deserted and you have it all to yourself.
2. When the little ones are in bed and the nights are light this is a great time to go out and shoot some pictures. Of course if you are a single parent you might need to ask your family to baby sit for a few hours or even pay someone.
3. If the nights are dark and the kids are in bed then you could set up a little make shift studio and experiment with various photos, for example, try a bit of macro photography, all you need is a table and some lighting.
4. When the weekend comes organise something for the family to do for a few hours and you can head off alone to take some pictures.
5. Take your family out for a country walk and see just what photographs you can take, you will be surprised. Don’t weigh yourself down with tripods and accessories, just take the basics, and remember don’t make it too boring for your family, try and enjoy it.
6. Even better get them all to join in, give the camera to each member of your family when you are out and about. You could also buy them a little throw away camera and get the pictures developed, set a competition for the best shot of the day and give a prize.
7. Last but not least spend a Saturday or Sunday afternoon taking family portraits, again to get them all involved.
Do you have any more tips that you could share? Then please let me know.

I have been looking for a small compact mini speaker for my Laptop, MP3 player, and Pocket PC/phone for sometime, as none of them have very good speakers.
All I was after, was something small, lightweight, compact, cheapish, with good sound quality, not much really, ha,ha.
I have tried and tested a few different speakers but cheap and great or at least good sound just don’t seem to go together.
That was until I tried the compact speaker from Altec, named the Lansing iM207 Orbit speaker.
I had read many good reviews about the iM207 and was looking forward to it arriving in the post from Amazon.

Sound Quality.
Once received, I tested the iM207 speaker on my Laptop, MP3 player and pocket pc/phone, and the clarity of the sound that came out of this speaker was very high considering its size. I listened to different types of music and was very impressed to say the least, the bass on the iM207 is nothing to write home about but was ok. If you are wanting deep sounding bass then this is not the speaker for you, but for its size is adequate for me.
The speaker does not have a volume button, and that might put some people off, but you don’t really need one as you just use the volume on the device its connected to.
The level of the volume really surprised me, and it filled the room with no problem at all, it seemed to chuck the sound around the room.
I found the speaker give the best sound when it was on a hard surface, like my kitchen table.

Size.
One of the best things about this speaker is its size, it measures 9cm (~3.5″) across and just over 3.5cm (~1.5″) tall, and can fit in the palm of your hand. This makes the iM207 very portable and easily fits into my Laptop bag or pocket.

Power
Just three AAA batteries provide the power and they have been in for nearly 3 weeks and still going strong. To turn the speaker on or off you need to grip the shiny silver top at the speaker and also the black base and rotate them in different directions. I have read a few comments of users having difficulty with this but mine was ok, possibly a little stiff.

Connecting.
The connecting cable is only about 20cm long which made it very easy to use. When finished with, it simply wraps around the speaker, in its own groove, popping into the provided recess. Which kept it neat and tidy.

Overall the more I used this speaker the handier it became, the iM207 speaker is very compact and solid and I took it nearly everywhere with me. Highly recommend as a travel speaker.

Oh and did I mention the price? You can buy them in the UK from Amazon for a mere £26.98.

Or if you live in the US they cost just $24.88, click below to go to Amazon.com

I would like to wish everyone a prosperous and Happy New Year. See you in 2008.

Google Toolbar has been out for quite a while, and I have never really been that interested in trying it, as I thought it was just another gimmicky toolbar for my Firefox browser.
How wrong I was, this toolbar is feature rich, easy to use, and has many options to personalise to your every need.
The Google toolbar can be used with Firefox or Internet Explorer version 6 or higher, and is very easy to install. After installation, the Google toolbar will appear under the Internet Explorer or Firefox toolbar.
Google toolbar has many features and the one I am going to start with is the search facility.
Google’s search box has more options than the Firefox offering, what’s more you can replace it by clicking on settings > options and then click on the layout tab, then choose ‘Replace Firefox Toolbar’. This also saves on space.
When you type a word in the search box, and click on the down arrow you have the option to search for images, groups, news, froogle, and other categories. The only downside is that you can only search using Google and none of the other search engines, however most people only use Google anyway.

Google toolbar has many buttons which lead to some great content, from games to stocks and shares, what’s more you can add or remove as many as you wish.

Click on the news button and Google opens up a webpage with the latest news, if you click on the down arrow next to the‘Top Stories’ field you have the option of news from anywhere in the world (over 40 countries). Also on the same page at the left hand side under the header ‘Top stories’ you have 8 news categories to choose from, which range from world down to entertainment.

There is a Spell checker button which checks the spelling of text you type on any web form, you can also add another spell checker button which when clicked, opens up a new page, and if you type in a word, not only does it check the spelling but you have the option of Thesaurus, Dictionary and Encyclopedia.

Click on the Gmail button, and after you enter your username and password you have access to your emails. You can also add buttons to access Hotmail, Yahoo mail or AOL mail.

The Page rank button is not very accurate, but if you click on the down arrow next to it you have the option to find similar pages, or there is a backward link option that searches websites that link to the one you are currently viewing, which can be very handy.

Auto fill button will automatically fill in your details on any webpage requesting it, with your name, address, email, credit card details, and more, but all is optional.

The Word Find button lets you type any word into the Google toolbar search box, and when pressed will find each occurrence of the word on the current web page. Every instance of the word will be highlighted. This can be very useful.

I could go on all day about the features and options of Google toolbar, but I would recommend that you download and install it. You can then see for yourself how useful this toolbar is.

As I wrote earlier Google is very customisable, buttons can be added to access Google Calendar, Google Video, and Google Finance. What’s more, there’s an online gallery containing a large number of additional buttons that people have created.
You can download Google Toolbar from this link.

More and more people are choosing Wireless networks, as they give you greater freedom to share data between computers, and allow you to be able to surf the internet from practically anywhere in the home. However wireless networks can be quite frustrating, disconnections, slow network speeds, not to mention being unable to get a signal in the part of the house where you want to work. Aaaaaaah.

My 10 tips below will help you get the best out of your wireless network, and give you peace of mind knowing that you will be secure while you surf the net in peaceful bliss.

1. Upgrade your access point. If you’ve had your wireless access point for over 2 years, then go to the manufactures website and check to see if there are any new firmware updates. New updates sometimes increase performance and enhance security features.

2. Make sure you have Service pack 2 installed on your PC if you are using Windows XP. You can download SP2 from this link. If you are unsure whether you have SP2 installed on your PC, then right click My Computer > Properties, on the General tab you will see under System what version is installed.

3. Are you using the right drivers for your wireless network card? Most users don’t install the drivers that come with the network card and use the generic drivers built in Windows XP instead. These drivers only have basic features and you might be jeopardising your networks security, you might not be getting the fastest speed from your network card. If you can’t find the original drivers then go to the manufactures website and download them.

4. Whether you use 802.11b (11Mbps) or 802.11g (54Mbps) your network will very rarely reach the maximum speed. Why? Mainly due to interference and how far away your PC is from the wireless access point.

5. What can you do to keep your network speed as fast as possible? Keep your PC and Access Point away from wireless phones and microwaves as they use frequencies close to the 2.4Ghz used by wireless networks.
If possible put your wireless access point near the centre of the room and off the floor as its signal is spherical, this will give a better reception, and try to avoid working through thick walls or metal frames as the interference will weaken or even block the signal.

6. Extend your Wireless network. If you find that you work quite far from your Access Point and the signal strength is very poor, then you can purchase a wireless extender which can replace your Access Point and network cards antenna, these can be purchased from most computer stores or Amazon. If you like tinkering then take a look at this great video to extend the antenna.

7. Another way to Extend your wireless network is with a repeater. Place the wireless repeater halfway between your wireless access point and your computer, and you’ll get an instant boost to your wireless signal strength. Various wireless repeaters come from ViewSonic, D-Link, Linksys, and Buffalo Technology

8. Secure your Wireless network. If you’re are using WEP, change it to WPA, read an earlier article I wrote ‘How Secure is Your Wireless Network’

9. Print Wirelessly. You can buy wireless printers or print servers, which means that you don’t need a dedicated PC for printing, you can print from any pc in your home and you don’t even need to be in the same room. Wireless printers and print servers can be purchased from most computer retailers.

10. Check your Network Performance with Qcheck. This free utility is excellent for checking and testing your wireless network connection. If you find that your wireless connectivity is poor, move your Access Point around and Qcheck will show you the best position in the room to place it. It can also test the network speed between 2 PCs, test whether a network can support multimedia traffic, and much more. Click on the link for more info.

25% of car accidents are caused due to talking on the mobile phone while at the wheel of the car. Several surveys have actually concluded that using a phone behind the wheel is more dangerous than drink-driving and more likely to cause a car accident. It can be seen, therefore, that the seemingly harmless act of talking on a phone really can put lives at risk. Numerous people die or end up in intensive care every year as the result of car accident caused by people using mobile phones.
Despite this, people still try and drive while using a mobile phone, however there is a safer and legal option.
Using a Bluetooth headset is a better alternative, because its hands free and you won’t be distracted while you drive.
But which headset should you choose as there a lot of different models out there?
One of the best Bluetooth headsets is the Jawbone, from a company called Aliph based in San Francisco, this headset has been around for a few months, and while it receives many excellent reviews, some people have been put off due to its cost. However this headset has come down in price and if you are looking to purchase a Bluetooth headset then you can’t go wrong with this model, because it is easy to use, elegant and virtually noise free.
If you have never heard of the Jawbone Bluetooth headset, then let me give you a rundown of this brilliant piece of gadgetry.
The first thing you will notice about the Jawbone is its design, most people love it, but its not to everybody’s taste.
What makes the Jawbone Bluetooth headset stand out from the crowd is the innovative ‘Noise Shield Technology’ which can eliminate all background noise from your call, and as your background changes it also adjusts the speaker output so you can hear your caller’s voice better, and it works really well. So if you are standing next to a running lawnmower, a sizzling sauté pan; walking down a noisy street or leave the music playing in the background while you drive down the motorway it won’t matter. Your voice will sound clear to the person you’re talking with, that person’s voice will be intelligible to you and background noise will be irrelevant to your conversation.
And if that’s not enough, the Jawbone also has a range of about 30 feet, however the distance does reduce through walls.
Features

• Noise Shield technology
• Voice activity sensor technology
• Directional microphone and signal processing algorithms to remove background noise
• Incoming audio enhancement
• Automatic volume enhancement with override
• Up to 6 hours talk time and 120 hours standby time
• Hidden, intuitive multifunction and volume buttons
• Call answer/end/reject, voice dial, last number, transfer, volume adjustment
• Weighs less than a half-ounce (14 grams)
• Colored LED indicator for pairing, charging and battery status
• Reset button
• It comes in, Black, Silver, or Red

The Jawbone headset can be worn on either ear, and you can customize your fit by
choosing an earloop and earbud from the several shapes and sizes provided, it takes a little bit of jiggling about to get in your ear, but once inserted, is very comfortable.
Unfortunately I have read that the Jawbone seems to have one flaw and that is the ear piece can break but is still usable. Don’t let that put you off, because if you buy from Amazon (which incidentally seems to be one of the the cheapest places to buy from) you can always return it for a replacement.
As I wrote earlier this headset has come down in price, and can be bought from either Amazon.com, or Amazon.co.uk.
So be safe this Christmas while driving, and wear a Bluetooth headset.

‘Wow, I want one of these’, I muttered to myself the other night while I was browsing the Logitech website.
The Logitech MX Air Mouse, which is rechargeable, cordless, and works like any ordinary mouse when on a flat service, but what’s great about this piece of magical gadgetry is when lifted into the air and moved about will still keep track of the cursor, brilliant, I thought to myself.
It looks stylish, elegant, dare I say even sexy and fun.
So in reality what would you need to use this mouse for?
There are a lot of reasons why you may want to use one of these ‘flying mice’. Users who suffer RSI (repetitive strain injury) caused by poor ergonomics, or people who get pain or irritation when using a mouse on a desk.
This mouse gives you a different way of controlling the cursor, and may help to relive the pain and repetitive nature of using and ordinary mouse.
The MX Air mouse is also great for using as a remote control, and users who have a Media Centre PC will find it very handy for controlling the volume, scrolling through tracks, and using play/pause functions. You can view and control webpages whilst relaxing in your chair, open and close applications all with a flick of the wrist as you can use gestures to control the cursor.
Or if you just want something different and fun then this is the device for you.

How does it work?
The technology behind this mouse is called Freespace motion sensing control which is based on a combination of sensors, DSP technology and RF wireless technologies to determine which way is up, disregarding how or where you point the mouse, and it can weed out unintentional hand shaking to maintain a steady cursor, basically it knows where you are without the need for a sensor on your computer, TV screen or wherever you happen to be using it.

Features: (taken from the Logitech website)

• Laser performance: On your desk, enjoy laser-precise tracking and instant response.
• Freespace motion sensing: In the air, use MX Air™ to browse and play your favorite media. The sensor transforms hand motions into natural, responsive cursor controls. Adjust volume by waving to the right or left; skip tracks with a flip of the wrist.
• Scroll panel: Experience hyper-fast scrolling at the touch of a finger—on your desk or in the air.
• Easy control of PC-based entertainment: Take command of your PC-based media with intuitive wave-and-click control—an easier and more natural way to enjoy your favorite media.
• Gesture controls: Control playback and volume with hand motions. Adjust volume by waving to the right or left; skip tracks with a flip of the wrist.
• Li-ion battery: Recharges faster, lasts longer.
• 2.4 GHz wireless: An operating range of 30 feet lets you navigate media from anywhere in the room.

The bottom line is that the Logitech MX air is not your typical boring 2D mouse and uses quite sophisticated technology, looks great fun, and I really like it, but, at a price of, wait for it, £79 from Amazon.co.uk or $126.99 from Amazon.com it is rather expensive. Shall I buy it or not that is the question. Maybe santa might bring me one.

Most home users have on average between 2GB and 20GB of video files on their computer hard drives, either downloaded from the internet, or from video cameras, that are never seen again, or shown to family and friends. This is because either they don’t know how to transfer the files, or haven’t got the right tools for the job. Maybe you have a home movie you would like to transfer to your PSP, iPod or even on to Dvd, but are in need of the right software to convert it, and don’t know where to get it from or don’t want to pay for it.
Then look no further as I trawled the internet to find you the best 3 free video conversion tools money can’t buy. Well maybe these software websites might accept a little donation.
They are in no particular order .

MediaCoder

This free application converts most video/audio files from one format to another.
If you need to transform media files between formats, shrink files with little quality loss, or even extract audio from video files then this application can do it for you.

MediaCoder will convert files between media formats giving you a great deal of control over the output. So for example if you have a file that you would like to convert so it can be played on a portable media player, MediaCoder will do the trick.
MediaCoder offers many advanced features, and is a great application for advanced users or users who like to tinker with media files.

Features:

• Convert to and from many audio and video compression formats and re-multiplex into various container formats in batches
• Full control over transcoding parameters, you can learn about audio/video encoding and play with various codecs
• Strong decoding capability for partial or corrupted contents
• Simplified Users interface for popular mobile devices (e.g. PSP, iPod)
• Fully standalone, no dependence on system codecs/splitters
• Improving compression / reducing size for audio/video files
• Converting for audio/video playback devices (digital audio player, MP4 player, mobile phone, PDA, PSP, VCD/DVD player etc.)
• Extracting audio tracks from video files
• Ripping audio/video discs
• Repairing corrupted or partial downloaded video files

Whats more this free application converts all these file formats and more, MP3, Vorbis, AAC, AAC+, AAC+v2, MusePack, WMA, RealAudio, FLAC, WavPack, Monkey’s Audio, OptimFrog, AAC Lossless, WMA Lossless, TTA, WAV/PCM Xvid, MPEG 1/2/4, Theora, Flash Video, Dirac, RealVideo, Windows Media Video, AVI, MPEG/VOB, Matroska, MP4, PMP, RealMedia*, ASF, Quicktime, CD, VCD, and DVD.

Mediacoder has many features, and is not really for beginners, however, there is plenty of online help, and if you would like to be able to convert just about every type of media files, then this could be the application for you. Click on the link to go to the MediaCoder Webpage.

Apex Video Converter
This is a simple program which is very easy to use and converts AVI, DivX, XviD, MPEG, WMV, MOV, ASF, QuickTime , RM, RMVB into AVI, DivX or XviD formats only.
Key features :

• Set the start and end of the video clip to get your desired segment to convert .
• Supports large video files, larger than 2GB.
• Supports Batch Conversion.
• Select to automatically shut down your PC after conversions

As I wrote earlier this is a basic program, however it does the job well and converts the files very quickly, you can also set the frame rate, video size and if needed trim your clip. If you want more functionality then you can upgrade, but at a price. Click on the link to go to the Apex website.

Avi2Dvd
This tool easily converts any Avi/Ogm/Mkv/Wmv/Dvd video file in to a Dvd/Svcd or Vcd that you can watch on TV. It uses a 5 tabbed menu that simplifies the whole process for creating your DVD. This program allows you to add your own MP3 audio tracks as menu background music, include subtitles, and also has a Dvd menu editor. It is reasonably fast, very easy to use and also Vista compatible.

Features:

• Supports multiple audio-streams and up to three textual external subtitles
• Supports DV-AVI videos, so it can handle captured avi’s from digital video cameras
• Avi2dvd can also produce semi professional dvd menus with chapter/audio/subtitles

This is a very capable piece of software if all you want is to do is watch your video on Dvd/Svcd or Vcd. Well worth a look. Here is the website.

Do you use another free video converter and consider it better than those above?
Then let me know in the comments just below.

Just image being able to truly make your Windows Mobile device personalized to your liking.
Would you like to be able to speed up your devices display, change the system font and the font size, remove some of the input methods for your softkeyboard that you don’t use, change the colour of the Today lines, the Today font, and even the display itself? Phew that’s a mouthful.
Tweaks2k2 application has got the ultimate easy to use software for hacking your device. With more than 125 registry hacks and tricks that are not in any other tweak application.
You can Tweak Internet Explorer, the Inbox (messaging), Security and Networking. There are Keyboard Tricks and Video menus that allow you to change the functions and even the look of the SIP (Software Input Panel) keyboard, and the list goes on.
Below are some of the features in Tweaks2k2:
1-Use Cleartype as System Font
2-Italic System Font
3-Bold System Font Modified in 3.2.0
4-Select a system font from fonts installed in your device
5-Animated Windows
6-Speed up the Display
7-Card battery warning
8-Low WMP background quality
9-Start Menu Animation
10-Admin Password
11-Show Network Folder
12-Battery Warning Settings
13-Date and Time in the top bar (Now you can pick from None, Time, Date and Both)
Click on this link to take a look at the full list.
Tweaks2k2 can be installed and used on any Windows Mobile 5 and 6 device, Smartphone, and there is also a PC edition.

You have the choice of a free lite version, which contains fewer tweaks (approximately 40) but gives you a good flavor for what the application is capable of doing for you. You can download this free version here.
There is also a trial version and a full version which can be downloaded from here.
If you would like to make your Windows Mobile device personalized to your liking, Tweaks2K2 .NET is a must have application. The amount of tweaks and adjustments you can make to your device should keep any hardcore “hacker” busy for hours!