Computer and internet briefs

Jan 8, 2012, 3:06 GMT

Set up a slide show as your computer wallpaper

Berlin (dpa) - Windows 7 users can set up a slide show instead of a static background picture. Displaying the rotating images can be activated by right-clicking on the desktop. After clicking on Personalize, the option Desktop Background appears under the Theme menu and then users can select one or numerous pictures.

In this Windows menu, you can also set how often the pictures should rotate. The slide show is recommended only for users with a somewhat quicker computer. Weaker machines can be slowed down dramatically otherwise.

Contain flood of passwords with a manager program

Berlin (dpa) - Password managers help manage different entrance codes for internet sites. The German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) recommends such a manager for owners of many web accounts. The program saves different user names and passwords with the user only having to remember a so-called master code. The program also allows for easy changes of passwords, for example when certain websites are victims of hacker attacks.

The BSI experts warn against using the same password for too long or for every site. Secure codes should be eight characters long and include capital and lower case letters as well as numbers and special characters. Cryptic abbreviations are more difficult to decipher than simple letter strings such as 'abcd' or names of pets or relatives. Those who do not save their passwords in a manager program should use mnemonics to remember passwords or note down and store away a list of the passwords.

Turn an old smartphone into an internet radio

Berlin (dpa) - Tinkerers can transform a discarded smartphone into an internet radio with just a couple of manipulations and then the device can be connected to the computer speakers through the headphone ports, according to Chip magazine. In order to hear the music and news well, the volume level on the mobile phone should be set to the highest level. The station can then be searched for with a radio app or through the smartphone's browser. Additional costs will not accrue as long as the improvised radio device does not need a SIM card to use WiFi to get onto the internet.

Select the right format when saving audio recordings

Berlin (dpa) - Those who create audio recordings on the computer should select the correct format when saving them. The MP3 format is the easiest for dealing with files. Compression allows for sending by email or putting onto the web. The WMA and AAC formats are also good for saving space. Those who do not want to lose any of the quality can use the WAV format which saves the recording without any tonal losses but needs much more space. An alternative is FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) which also compresses without any loss. FLAC files can also be streamed.