Stop mocking Windows 8 – it’s better than 7 and 10

I really didn’t want to join the Windows 10 debate, but I do want to speak up against the continuous ridiculing of Windows 8. Having progressed through Windows 95, 98/98SE and XP, and having laboured through punch-card computers from the Seventies, I can speak from some experience.

With trepidation, two years ago, I bought a 15in Windows 8.1 laptop with a screen full of the operating system’s ‘charms’. With a few tweaks I ditched all the ‘charms’ except those I needed, added my most used programs to the taskbar, and gave myself a fantastic desktop. It took about half a day, and has been running faultlessly ever since. Booting in six seconds, it has a super-quick Start screen with access

Using XP is like driving an unsafe car

Following your big (and entertaining) ‘Are XP users PC dinosaurs?’ debate, I predict you’re going to get a lot of emails from people still using it saying that they should be left alone to do what they want to do. I would agree with that, if using XP didn’t also affect everyone else. I’ve read lots of car metaphors in Computeractive about XP, so I hope you won’t mind me adding another one. Using XP in 2016

when the company that makes it has said it’s unsafe – is like zooming down the motorway at 100mph on a car that hasn’t passed an MOT in five years. It’s heading for a crash, and you can bet people in other cars will be injured too.

I do accept that it depends on how you use XP. If all you do on XP is fill in the odd spreadsheet, and never, ever go online (and I do really mean never), then you’ll probably be safe. But how can we guarantee that all those XP users will fight the temptation to go online? It’s simply too big a risk. I don’t think XP users are like dinosaurs – they are more like the comet that destroyed them. Their actions could be equally catastrophic.

My old neighbours fell for broadband hype

Ken Rigsby got it spot on when he mocked the ‘Joneses’ for always wanting faster broadband (The Final Straw, Issue 470). He made me think about my old neighbours, who were ‘super’ Joneses – ie, they had to have the latest of everything, even though most of the time they had no idea how to use these new devices. They were the first to have a DVD player, the first to have a digital camera, and made sure everyone knew about it.

Once, they invited me round to try their new BT ‘Affinity’ broadband (they couldn’t even get the name right!). Did they download HD films with it, or stream videos to tablets? Nope – they just looked at photos of cats and babies on Facebook. Hardly worth £30 a month

Will BT block calls from doctors ?

Regarding BT’s plans for a callblocking service (News, Issue 470) – which will block ‘withheld’ numbers – my doctor’s surgery operates a service where they ring you back if you leave a request with the receptionist on the published telephone number. This return call will show up as ‘withheld’ on my screen because the doctor will be calling from his personal number that he does not wish to disclose for obvious reasons. Because I am expecting the doctor to call I have answered the phone, but on at least two occasions it has been a cold caller. How will BT get round this problem?

XP users are dinosaurs – but that’s why I like them

I thoroughly enjoyed your ‘Are XP users PC dinosaurs?’ debate in Issue 470. It reminded me of the good-humoured arguments at my local computer club, often accompanied by a pint or two down the pub. I’ve always sat on the fence a bit because I can see both points of view. I would like to suggest a ‘third way’ of looking at the issue

For me, the key aspect of computing is security. If your PC is hacked beyond repair, then it doesn’t matter what operating system you’re using. That’s why I upgraded one of my PCs from XP to Windows 7 a month before Microsoft ended support. The risk was too great.

But I kept XP installed on another PC, intending never to use it to go online, and to be very careful what I do on it. I’ve stuck to that safety-first policy since. I continue to use it precisely because I enjoy being a PC ‘dinosaur’. I take great pride in running old programs and technology, not because I can’t be bothered to upgrade, but because I am curious about how they work.

And that’s why I sympathise with my fellow XP stegosauruses and brontosauruses. Their love for old operating systems shows that they are The Star Letter writer wins a Computeractive mug! just as interested in computing as people who joined the Windows 10 bandwagon on day one.

I would never recommend that anyone uses XP as their only system. I think that would be acting contrarily, almost like relying on candles when a flick of the switch gives us light. But nobody should be made to feel out of touch, or stupid, for wanting to stick with what they know, as long as they do so safely

What’s wrong with dinosaurs, anyway? OK, they didn’t see that comet coming, but they did rule for 165 million years. Not bad for creatures that were stuck on XP!

Does using a PCreally fight dementia? Promising new research suggests that you only need to log on once a week

One of the most controversial health claims of modern times is that age-related diseases can be prevented by regularly using computers. Companies that make ‘brain-training’ apps often conduct studies aiming to prove that playing online games helps to keep the brain active as we grow older.

But these are sometimes disputed by medical organisations and advertising authorities. Earlier this year one of the leading ‘brain-training’ companies, Lumos Labs, was fined $2m in the US for saying that its Lumosity app could alleviate the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (see News, Issue 467).

However, new research from US scientists suggests that logging on to a computer once a week is enough to fight dementia. In a four-year study of 2,000 people aged over 70, researchers at the Mayo Clinic, Arizona, found that using a PC helps people retain memory and thinking abilities in old age.

In fact, regular PC users were 42 per cent less likely to develop memory problems (“mild cognitive impairment”) that can lead to dementia. Other activities were tested, such as knitting, completing crosswords and attending social events. They all helped to keep the brain alert, but none was as beneficial as computer use.

Scientists think that people build up a ‘cognitive reserve’ of new brain cells when they take part in mentally challenging activities, such as computer use. This might be effective enough to offset age-related deterioration

But how conclusive are the results? Dr Janina Krell- Roesch – who led the research – urged caution, saying that the study shows only an “association” between computer use and a better memory in old age, not “cause and effect”. It may be that another aspect of the computer users’ lifestyle was helping them to retain their memory.

Charities warned against looking for simple solutions. Dr Clare Walton, Research Communications Manager at the Alzheimer’s Society said that dementia “is a complex condition and we do not know what effect these activities have on the risk of developing it”.

She added: “Currently, the best evidence for reducing your risk of dementia is to exercise regularly, avoid smoking, and eating a healthy, balanced diet”. It’s tempting to look for magic bullets in the fight to prevent dementia. As people live longer, cases of the condition are bound to rise, putting a huge strain on the NHS and social services. The Alzheimer’s Society estimates that there are around 850,000 sufferers in the UK (www.snipca. com/19886).

But computer use is just one part of staying mentally fit. For every study that promotes computer use, there are others that urge the over-65s to play musical instruments, attend the theatre and tackle cryptic crosswords. These activities have one thing in common – mental stimulation.

What’s needed now are more sophisticated studies to show what kind of stimulation works, and how the brain benefits. There’s still a lot we don’t know. Dr Rosa Sancho, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “It’s important that researchers explore the link between staying mentally active and memory and thinking skills, so we can understand what role these sorts of activities could play in dementia prevention”.

With more and more lives being destroyed by dementia, it’s crucial that research continues. Sensationalist claims about miracle cures can be swiftly dismissed, but there is now overwhelming evidence that the more you exercise your brain, the longer you’ll stay mentally healthy.

Beware porn apps that play automatically on your tablet

Security experts have discovered a disturbing new type of malware attack that plays porn videos on your Android phone or tablet without you knowing.

Hackers have plastered the Google Play store with fake versions of popular apps, each containing a Trojan that opens porn websites. These appear in the background, as you use your device for other purposes.

The criminals behind the attack make money by tricking the victim into clicking adverts for porn sites

The fake apps were identified by researchers at antivirus company ESET, who named the attack ‘Porn Clicker’ and said that it is “one of the largest malware campaigns” ever seen on the Google Play store.

In total, ESET found 343 Porn Clicker apps in the store, most of which were fake versions of popular games, including Subway Surfers and Grand Theft Auto. Once installed the apps disappear from your device, making them difficult to remove

They can also detect whether you have an antivirus running on your device, and take action to dodge it. The icons for these games on the store (see image above) look very similar to the genuine apps. ESET said this had fooled thousands of users, and led to “many” phones and tablets being infected.

ESET’s malware researcher Lukáš Štefanko had a warning for Android users who think they’re safe because they don’t play games. He said that the attack is “clearly part of a well-organised campaign” and he expects the criminals behind it to “find new ways to bypass Google’s security tests and to trick consumers”

Štefanko urged Android users to always read the reviews of apps before installing them. He said that many of the fake apps had received bad reviews and “a lot of negative comments from users who had already been scammed”.

Get an automatic refund if Broadband not working ?

Customers having problems with their broadband service will be automatically compensated under proposals outlined by Ofcom.

The regulator said that broadband, landline and mobile customers wouldn’t need to do anything to receive the refund from their providers when there is “a loss or reduction of service”.

Ofcom announced the plans in February as part of its Strategic Review of Digital Communications (www. snipca.com/19840), in which it also said that BT must open up its Openreach network to rival ISPs.

This should lead to falling broadband prices, because other companies such as TalkTalk and Sky will be able to use the tunnels and telegraph poles that make up the Openreach infrastructure, leading to more competition.

Ofcom stopped short of splitting BT from Openreach – which rival ISPs had called for – but said that Openreach will be “subject to tougher, minimum requirements to repair faults and install new lines more quickly”. This move follows complaints from other ISPs that Openreach is too slow to act when fixing customers’ broadband problems.

Ofcom will also help customers pick the best service available by publishing “performance tables” on a range of measures. These will first appear later this year

Now you’ll have to pay the licence fee, Watch the BBC iPlayer ?

A loophole that lets people watch catch-up TV on the BBC iPlayer without paying for the TV licence fee is to close soon, the Government said.

Culture secretary John Whittingdale said he wanted to stop viewers getting “a free ride”.

Currently you have to pay the licence fee only if you watch live TV, whether or not that’s on the iPlayer. It’s thought that around 1.5million people in around 700,000 households and businesses take advantage of this loophole to watch programmes without a licence fee.

It’s been estimated that this costs the BBC around £150m a year in lost revenue.

Following discussions with the BBC, Whittingdale announced plans to extend the £145.50 licence fee so it also covers programmes watched ‘on demand’, after they’ve been broadcast

Speaking to the Oxford Media Convention, Mr Whittingdale claimed that the current licence is out of date. He said: “When the licence fee was invented, video on demand did not exist”.

He said that it was “wrong” that people can watch BBC programmes for free “an hour, a day or a week after they are broadcast”. The change could come into force during this parliamentary session, which ends in July. The BBC said it was “happy to have reached an agreement” with the Government.

But it’s not clear how the BBC would force iPlayer viewers to pay the licence fee. One option would be for the corporation to ask viewers to log in using personal details, which it can check against their database of addresses to verify that the fee has been paid.

Before logging in you should be Scan for malware in Windows 10

Microsoft has launched an ‘offline’ version of Windows Defender that lets you scan for viruses in Windows 10 before logging in.

The 15-minute scan, which restarts your PC, is designed to prevent malware from running when you boot your PC.

It should improve the overall effectiveness of Windows Defender, which has performed poorly in security tests over the past few years - coming bottom in almost all of them.

Most security experts agree that you can’t rely on Windows Defender alone, and recommend using a third-party program from companies such as Kaspersky and Symantec

To use the new tool, called Windows Defender Offline (see screenshot), you need to be signed up to the ‘Fast Ring’ of the Windows 10 Insider Program (https://insider. windows.com). This is a scheme that allows confident users of Windows 10 to test features that may be unstable or flawed.

Microsoft relies on the feedback of Windows 10 Insiders to improve tools before making them available to everyone.

Windows Defender Offline appeared in Build 14271 of Windows 10 at the end of February. It is expected to be added to the full version in the ‘Redstone’ update, scheduled for June. It’s not an entirely new feature, though. It first appeared in 2011 as a downloadable tool that you had to install on a CD, DVD or USB stick. Microsoft explains how to do this at www. snipca.com/19872. Until now, it wasn’t clear whether the program would appear in Windows 10.

Microsoft revealed other fixes and features in Build 14271 in its blog (www.snipca. com/19873). These include a fix for the taskbar appearing “unexpectedly on top of full screen windows”, and some apps not appearing in the Start menu

• We’ll show you how to sign up to the Insider Program and use Windows Defender Offline in our next issue - out Wednesday 30 March.

Microsoft placing ads on your PC Lock Screen now

Microsoft has started to show adverts on the Lock Screen in Windows 10 using its controversial ‘Spotlight’ feature.

Normally the Lock Screen displays landscape photos, which change every time you lock and unlock your PC. But some users have reported that these have been replaced by adverts for the computer game Rise of the Tomb Raider (see screenshot right).

Clicking the advert takes you to the Windows Store, where you can buy the game

It’s the latest attempt by Microsoft to make money by placing adverts within Windows 10. There are likely to be many more adverts to follow, as Microsoft aims to recoup some of the revenue it lost by making the operating system a free download.

However, you can make sure no adverts appear – only photos - by changing Microsoft’s default setting for the Lock Screen.

Click Start, Settings, Personalization, then select ‘Lock Screen’. Next, under Background, change ‘Windows spotlight’ to Picture or Slideshow, depending on how you want the photos to appear.

Disable personal info on the Lock Screen
By default the Spotlight feature also shows status alerts on the Lock Screen for some Windows 10 apps – including Calendar, Mail and Messages. These may contain personal info you’d rather keep hidden. To disable this, switch off the setting ‘Get fun facts, tips, tricks and more on your lock screen’

Next, look at the icons displayed beneath ‘Choose an app to show detailed status’ and ‘Choose apps to show quick status’. Click the icons and select None to turn each app off, or select the apps you want instead from the list.

Adverts first appeared in Windows 10 last September as ‘suggested’ apps in the Start menu. As with the Lock Screen ads, Microsoft tailors these to your tastes by tracking what you do on your PC, unless you turn off a particular setting.

Do this by clicking Start, Settings, Personalization, then Start and switch off ‘Occasionally show suggestions in Start’.

The Windows Store’s ‘Live’ tile also shows adverts in the Start menu. To prevent this, open the Windows Store app, click your account, choose Settings, then switch off ‘Show products on tile’.

Microsoft isn’t the first company to show adverts on lock screens. The cheapest version of Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet also shows adverts. You have to pay more for a device without adverts

WD My Book Duo 12TB A fast and fair-priced – but immobile – external drive

Compare the 12TB My Book Duo to the portable drives we tested this month and it looks enormous. And you’ll have to be prepared to fork out around $900 for this 12TB model, although smaller options are available; you can pick up the entry level 4TB desktop drive for a more affordable $400. The dual RAIDed drives inside this unit clocked some absurdly fast read speeds, and though the My Book Duo’s write speeds were a little slower, they weren’t exactly shabby. WD offers decent software and you can easily replace the hard drives in this one if you wish to upgrade in the future. An impressive desktop option if you don’t need your storage to go anywhere.

Seagate Backup Plus Fast 4TB Going large – and very fast

What a beast. This is the second heaviest and second largest portable drive in our roundup, coming in at 307g, with two 2TB drives sandwiched together inside. But it also boasts the fastest write speeds by a country mile. This wedge of black plastic is also beastly in appearance, and you’ll be happy to tuck out of sight. Having two drives can draw a lot of power, so Seagate has included both regular and Y-cable USB 3.0 cords — a nice inclusion. We also liked the Seagate Dashboard, which ties together cloudstorage suppliers for a unified backup service on your desktop and mobile, and also accesses social media to backup shared images and videos.

WD My Passport X 2TB A drive for Xbox consoles that also works on PCs

Western Digital has branded this 2TB drive as being for Xbox One or PC gaming storage, and it’s a fairly bare bones solution. The Xbox One can use any USB 3.0 drive that’s 256GB or above, so we suspect the branding is simply there to catch Xbox owner’s eyes. All you get in the box is the drive and a short USB 3.0 cable; there’s no software. The drive itself has a vague Xbox One theme, but otherwise it’s unremarkable hard plastic. It’d be useful if the drive activity light was on the front, and bigger than a pinhole, but performance wise this is a quicker-thanaverage- unit. Small packets of data are rapidly flicked back and forth – and that’s key for gaming on console

WD My Passport Pro 2TB Lightning-fast, but designed for a rather specific user

The My Passport Pro is pitched at users who want to store and edit multimedia using an external hard drive. As such, even though it offers extremely fast read and write speeds, but there are a few caveats to look out for. Firstly, the Pro connects via Thunderbolt (more common on Macs than PCs) and though there are other ways of formatting its two internal drives, it performs best in RAID 0 configuration that uses the HFS+J format – and will therefore only work on a Mac. The drive has a built-in fan to keep it cool if you’re working from it, though it’s a little redundant if you’re just using it to backup your PC. And unless you have multimedia work in mind, it might also be hard to justify the price.

WD My Passport Ultra 1TB Good value, and good at the basics too

The Ultra is the smallest and most affordable offering from Western Digital, weighing in at just 150g (for the 500GB model) and costing a quitereasonable $80. The hardware here is top notch, with an attractive external design, plus hardware-based 256-bit AES encryption and, most importantly, decent read and write speeds. And the software suite is likewise a good overall package, with useful tools that cover most basic needs, including backup in Windows. The Ultra’s higher-capacity models do take up a bit more physical space, but considering these are premium drives, the price remains comparably low, with the 2TB Ultra only costing around $160.

Toshiba Canvio Slim II 1TB An average performer that’s stylish and compact.

Grab this compactlooking unit out of its box and you’ll be impressed by its pocketable size and feel. Brushed aluminium graces nearly every surface, and it’s light-weight, coming in at 150g. What’s impressive is that the drive light alters its colour depending on whether you’re using it with USB 2.0 or 3.0 — a handy indicator of how fast it’ll go. (USB 2.0 is limited to about 30MB/s.) The most unique feature of the Canvio Slim 2 is the suite of third party software as we pointed out on page 49. Coming preformatted for Mac and Windows use, there’s also an alternative driver software to allow Apple OS users to read and write in Windows’ NTFS format. A great choice if you need full-featured software.

Toshiba Canvio Basics 2TB A discount drive for those willing to manually backup

At the time of writing, Toshiba was offering the bigger 1TB and 2TB Canvio Basics drives for between $10-$20 less than street prices for equivalent WD My Passport Ultra products. Considering the Basics range offers similar read and write speeds, if you can get them at that price, you’d be silly not to. It’s worth noting that the Toshiba Basics range don’t include any backup software and are simply just plug and play devices that come preformatted for Windows. You can reformat it from NTFS to exFAT using a Windows computer so it’ll work on both OSs, but if you think you’ll need dedicated backup software then WD’s Passport Ultras might still be a better choice.

Silicon Power Armor A65 1TB Bulletproof vest included

The Armor A65 form Silicon Power is middle of the road in terms of speed, price and size, and although it has a soft rubbery casing, it still looks like your typical external hard drive.

But it’s not every day there’s a portable hard drive that is waterproof, dustproof and shockproof. So if you work on a construction site, are thinking of taking a portable hard drive hiking in the Himalayas, or your PC gaming setup simply has more than its fair share of hazards, then the A65 might just be the perfect fi t. Though the original formatting gears it towards Windows use, you can confi gure the drive to work equally well with Apple’s OS.

Toshiba Areocast apps

Like the Seagate Wireless, when connecting the Aerocast to a PC your only option is to use it as a drag and drop storage device. The Aerocast does have apps for Android and iOS, plus Chromecast compatibility, which enables you to interact with the drive from a number of devices. Using this one is trickier than the Seagate, as there aren’t any obvious instructions on how to connect the hard drive to your smartphone or media player. But after a bit of fi ddling you’ll eventually get there. The Wireless HDD app for mobiles has a slightly nicer layout than the Seagate offering, but one surprising feature is that there is no equivalent app for Windows or Mac, so you have to either access the Aerocast through your smartphone or directly via USB. It unfortunately doesn’t have the Seagate’s robust functionality, either.

Seagate Wireless apps

The Seagate Media app is a little different. Made for use with the Seagate Wireless external hard drive, it lets the latter act more like a media server. The app’s available on Android and iOS devices as well as Windows and Mac desktop OSs and when using it, you access the drive over Wi-Fi. The app interface is split into four folders (music, photos, videos and documents) that mirror what’s on the drive and the app lets you view all to these various media fi les – and you can also upload and download these fi les over Wi-Fi. In comparison to external hard drive speeds, moving stuff over Wi-Fi is frustratingly slow, so we’d recommend connecting the drive through USB for bigger fi le transfers. For streaming media, the app works reasonably well and it can even stream to selected LG smart TVs, Chromecasts and Rokus.

Seagate Seven 500GB It’s what’s on the inside that counts

Every heard of French designer Pauline Deltour? In the past, she’s been commissioned to produce industrial products, furniture, jewellery and public spaces. Here, she’s taken a staid appliance and turned it into an objet d’art by wrapping mirrors around it. The effect is striking – when it’s not covered in fingerprints. An ebony wood display stand is included along with a microfibre cloth and soft carry pouch to keep the Mirror pristine. And that’s basically what you’re paying for here. Transfer speeds were below-average, though the included software suite for PC and Mac is simple to use, and includes an encryption tool and backup assistant for Windows users.

Toshiba software suite

Toshiba’s Basics range of drives don’t actually come with any software, but if you step up to the higherend models then there’s a decent selection of third party apps. The included NTI Backup Now EZ software nicely takes care of the automated backup tasks and basic interactions with your PC, and you also get PogoPlug to access the drive from your Android or iOS device. Set this up on your PC and leave your drive connected and you can access all your fi les remotely through the smartphone app or even a browser, which is a handy little bonus feature. A HDD Password Tool means you can fully encrypt the drive with a password. If software is a deal-maker for you, then this comprehensive package available with some Toshiba drives may just take the cake.

Toshiba Canvio Aerocast 1TB Another impotent wireless hard drive for mobile and PCs

Sometimes, we get tech that seems as though it was designed by a group of people, each with their own design document and ideas. Say hello to a capable piece of hardware that is crippled by inconsistent and unintuitive software. Pictures can be sent from a phone to the Aerocast without issue, but the UI differs for copying music, movies and documents. When the drive is tethered to USB 3.0, it’s as quick as the bulk of the drives we tested, with the added bonus of wireless capabilities and a very handy SD card slot, all without blowing its physical dimensions. Our best advice? Avoid transferring anything to this one from a tablet or phone, because it’ll leave you fuming.

Seagate Dashboard

Unlike WD’s ‘three-pack’ software approach, Seagate’s bundled all its up into one app called Seagate Dashboard. Dashboard initially pushes you towards a specifi c backup schedule, so that once you have confi gured it, you won’t have to think about it again. While that should suit the majority of users, it does mean you sacrifi ce some versatility, as Dashboard makes it more diffi cult to actually change the backup structure later. Though it’s easy enough to manually reformat an external hard drive through OS tools, it’s worth noting that Dashboard doesn’t include a built-in formatting features. You can also use Dashboard to schedule backups from your desktop or smartphone using third party cloud services such as Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive.

ZUCKERBERG IN GERMANY: NO PLACE FOR HATE SPEECH ON FACEBOOK

Mark Zuckerberg conceded Friday that Facebook didn’t do enough until recently to police hate speech on the social media site in Germany, but said it has made progress and has heard the message “loud and clear.”

German authorities, concerned about racist abuse being posted on Facebook and other social networks as the country deals with an influx of hundreds of thousands of migrants, have been pressing social media sites for months to crack down.

The Facebook CEO talked personally about the issue in September with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and met her chief of staff during a visit to Germany this week. The Merkel meeting “really highlighted how much more we needed to do in this country,” he said at a town hall event in Berlin.

“Hate speech has no place on Facebook and in our community,” he said. “Until recently in Germany, I don’t think we were doing a good enough job. And I think we will continue needing to do a better and better job.”

Zuckerberg pointed to efforts, including funding a team to work with police to combat hate speech on Facebook. He said learning more about German law has led the company to expand its view of “protected groups” there and “to now include hate speech against migrants as an important part of what we just now have no tolerance for.”

“There’s still work to do,” he said. “We want to do that, but I think we hear the message loud and clear and we’re committed to doing better.”

Zuckerberg, meanwhile, faced other issues at his own company headquarters in Menlo Park, California. He lashed out in an internal memo this week at employees who crossed out “black lives matter” on Facebook’s signature walls and replaced the words with “all lives matter.”

The incidents apparently continued although Zuckerberg told employees they were unacceptable.

“I was already very disappointed by this disrespectful behavior before, but after my communication I now consider this malicious as well,” Zuckerberg wrote in a letter published by the website Gizmodo and confirmed by a Facebook source who demanded anonymity because the issue was an internal matter.

“There are specific issues affecting the black community in the United States, coming from a history of oppression and racism,” Zuckerberg wrote. “’Black lives matter’ doesn’t mean other lives don’t - it’s simply asking that the black community also achieves the justice they deserve.”

In Berlin, Zuckerberg praised Germany’s approach to Europe’s migrant crisis. Merkel so far has maintained an open-door policy for refugees, seeking an elusive diplomatic solution to reduce an influx that has prompted an increasing number of countries to impose national border restrictions

“German leadership in the refugee crisis, I think, has been inspiring and is a model for the world,” Zuckerberg said. “I hope the U.S. follows Germany’s lead on this.”

Seagate Wireless 500GB Portable streaming for mobile and PCs, but there’s a catch

This friendly-looking drive is made for dumping files that can be shared by both PCs and tablets/ phones. It does technically handle this – but without much grace. On the plus side the battery should last for around six hours; enough to let you watch a couple of movies. That’s where the praise ends though, as the mobile app (which we tested on Android) is rudimentary and a bit slow, while the desktop software is a nightmare. An 800MB file took close to 10 minutes to transfer via Wi-Fi, and once the file’s started transferring there’s no option stop it. After files have been uploaded, the folder they’re sent to needs to be refreshed to see them

WD SmartWare, Drive Utilities & WD Security

Apple computers already come with system backup software (Time Machine), but for Windows users Western Digital drives include a backup suite called SmartWare that can help fi ll the gap. SmartWare is

reasonably standard, providing options for scheduled backups, specifi c retrieval processes and software updates. WD drives also come two other apps: WD Drive Utilities and WD Security. The Security program will encrypt your drive so it can only be unlocked using a specifi c password – and you’ll have to completely reformat it if you happen to lose or forget the password. Drive Utilities lets you diagnose any problems with the drive, manage the RAID confi guration (on applicable models), set a sleep timer and reformat the drive for optimal performance on the device you intend to use it with. As a whole, these three apps give you an extremely effective toolkit for tackling basic external-storage tasks.

There’s more to today’s external hard drives than just tacking on extra terabytes. Joel Burgess and Paul Taylor investigate.

Physically, external hard drives have continued to shrink over the last decade, and they’ve almost reached the point where their size is starting to be limited by the constraints of having a mechanical spinning disk. But just because external hard drives aren’t signifi cantly reducing in size doesn’t mean that the’re not developing in other ways.

USB 3.0 is now basically commonplace and the additional power it can deliver (along with faster transfer rates) means that larger, more power-hungry drives can run without needing a dedicated power cord. Testament to this is the new 3TB My Passport Ultra from Western Digital – a pocket-sized portable which offers as much space as entry-level desktop drives. This newfound capacity for portable drives has been eating into the external desktop drive market, making dedicated ‘wall powered’ drives harder to come by – despite putting an open call out to all the major drive vendors, we only received one of the latter for this feature.

Another complicating factor in the external-storage equation is the emerging wireless hard drive category. These are targeting smartphone and tablet use as much as PCs and laptops. As our mobiles become more important to us and streaming home media technology becomes more attainable, hard drives that can back up data from a range of devices are taking more of the spotlight from plug-bound options.