Top searches

The top searches for 2009 included Facebook, BBC, YouTube, Hotmail, Ebay, Google itself, Yahoo and Bebo – along with ‘games’ and ‘news’.

To find the lists in more detail at anytime go to google.com/insights/search but here they are below.

Top searches 2009
Facebook
BBC
YouTube
Hotmail
Games
Ebay
News
Google
Yahoo
Bebo

Fastest rising search queries in 2009
Facebook login
Ebay UK
Yahoo mail
Hotmail
BBC iPlayer
Bing
Spotify

The biggest stories in 2009
Swine flu
Susan Boyle
Rihanna
Michael Jackson
Google Maps
Twitter

Xbox 360 owners are in for more disappointment, after BBC iPlayer won’t be coming to Microsoft gaming hardware anytime soon.

The iPlayer channel, which is already available to ps3 and Wii users, is not going to be available for Xbox 360 users, this is because Microsoft apparently wants to put it as a pay service which the BBC charter specifically prohibits for UK viewers. Talks between the BBC and Microsoft to create an Xbox Live iPlayer channel have so far made no progress, although that doesn’t rule out the idea forever.

The device in question is the,  BR-X1216U3 from Buffalo and it also happens to be the first USB BD drive to write at 12x speed as well.

For those early adopters, the  £275 (¥39,100) external drive is available only in Japan, where it will hit the shops at the beginning of December.

Anyone without a USB 3.0 card in their computer – and that’s everyone, basically – can still use it on a 2.0 connection, although only at 7x writing speed.

Not that it matters a great deal, as there still is no such thing as a Blu-ray disk that can be written to at 12x anyway. The fastest generally available now is typically 8x.

Your PC is just as useful now as it was when you first purchased it and with a few handy tips and tricks, you can keep it that way for a long time – saving yourself some money in the process.

There are three broad techniques you can use to extend the life of your PC: maintenance, repairs and upgrades. The only one that doesn’t cost any money is maintenance and if you follow our advice you can not only make your PC as speedy as it was when you bought it, you can even improve its performance, making a new purchase unnecessary.

Look after your PC

Maintenance is the key area to consider when it comes to giving your PC a long life. If your computer suddenly feels sluggish, that’s because Windows needs reviving with a good spring clean. You could perform a full reinstall but before going down that time-consuming route, try to see if your current installation can be improved with a little care and attention.

Start by running a full security scan to remove malicious software (malware) that affects performance, threatens your privacy and can mess up your PC.

Once your computer is free from malware, it’s time to give it a thorough health check. Windows Vista (and Windows 7) has numerous tools that can help you assess the health of your PC.

All of the following utilities can be found by typing their names into the Search box on the Start menu, so you could begin by typing problem to access the Problem Reports and Solutions control panel:

Every time a program crashes or Vista encounters a problem, it offers to send information to Microsoft, in case there’s a solution. If there is, you’re given the opportunity to fix your problem there and then. If not, a record is kept and stored here, and if a solution is found at a later date, you can access it from here. Check back regularly for new solutions to both current and old problems.

Streamline your PC

Over time, your PC starts to struggle with the load placed on it when you install new programs, but there are ways to reclaim hard drive space and system resources.

Start by going through the Programs and Features Control Panel, uninstalling programs you no longer need.

Next, install CCleaner and use it to clear your hard drive of redundant files, and finally defragment your hard drive.  Defrags, stops your hard drive becoming fragmented in the first place.

Check reliability

Do you want a quick view of your PC’s health and stability? Type reliability into the Search box to access the Reliability and Performance Monitor. Select Reliability Monitor and you can see how your PC rates over a period of time for dependability, with a score from one to 10. Any problems will be flagged.

You can also generate a report of your PC’s health by typing performance into the Search box to access Performance Information and Tools. Once it’s open, click Advanced Tools > Generate a system health report to flag up any problems.

Get more details about potential problems by reviewing your event logs. These can flag up issues and may be able to offer advice on fixing them. These logs are stored in the Event Viewer – type event into the Search box to access it.

Once it has launched, select a log from the Windows Log menu – start with System – and wait for a list of events to appear. Every major event is recorded in its default view, so click Filter current log and select Critical, Error and Warning before clicking OK to leave only potential problems flagged.

Click or double-click on an event to learn more about it – you’ll get more information and possibly a link to more help and a solution. Make a note of error numbers and filenames if you need to research them further.

Stay up to date

Another way to keep Windows Vista and other programs ticking over correctly is to ensure they’re up to date.

Automatic Updates should be switched on – click Start > All Programs > Windows Update to verify this and to see what optional updates are available, including hardware patches that can improve your PC’s performance and fix bugs.

If you have other Microsoft software and hardware installed – including Microsoft Office – Windows Update and Automatic Updates can provide updates for these, too. Other programs can check for updates as well; some do this automatically, where as others need to be prompted (look in the Help or About menu).

It’s always a good idea to check your hardware components now and again to make sure they’re all working as they should. The Windows Vista installation disc features a memory-checking tool, which is accessible when you select the Repair option. If you don’t have this, you can download the same tool from here.

1. Apple Magic Mouse

Apple’s new buttonless mouses doesn’t do anything impressive, but it puts in a solid, usable performance as a basic mouse with left-click, right-click, scroll and more gestures on its Multi-Touch surface.

2. Creative Gigaworks T40 Series II

Traditional wisdom has it that you at least need a separate bass to get good sound from a desktop speaker system. The Creative Gigaworks T40 Series II, however, prove that wrong; audio is defined with a very good base.

4. Elgato EyeTV Diversity

Elgato’s range of TV tuners remains the best, and we like this dual-tuner model for Freeview broadcasts in the UK. In areas of low signal, you can boost reception, or watch or record two channels at once.

3. Imation Apollo UX

Hard disks tend to be common items these days, but this tiny 500GB drive – USB powered, and, In Europe, wrapped in protective rubber – really stands out. LaCie’s Starck-designs desktop drives can be used as a Time Machine backup .

4. M-Audio Axiom 25

In that same iLife package is GarageBand, a very good audio application. Even of you don’t think you have a musical bone in your body, a little USB MIDI controller such as this M-Audio Axiom 25 lets you play good tune.

5. Subscription to MacFormat magazine

MacFormat magazine, from the same publisher as TechRadar, is packed with useful, easy-to-understand information to help Mac users new and old get the very most from their computer. There’s good reason it’s the UK’s biggest Mac magazine.

Thanks!
Admin (Peter)