As operating systems and software applications get bigger and bigger, we often find that we need to install more system memory (RAM) in our PCs.  Worse still, we may find that our PC motherboard won't support any more, so we need to upgrade that, too. So we head down to our local computer store and the salesman convinces us to buy 8Gb of RAM, and maybe a new motherboard in which to install it. Back home, upgrade completed, we power up, expecting our operating system and software to luxuriate in the relative ocean of 8Gb of memory. But wait!  What's this?  Windows tells me I have only 4Gb of memory.  Is the memory I bought faulty?  Have I installed it incorrectly? So we go through the futile cycle of opening the box, ... Tags: computer, memory, upgrade

I recently had problems with my Outlook 2007 on my Windows XP Pro system at work. Basically, the program wouldn't start up properly.  It would start and then encounter an error and try to restart itself (unless I unchecked the box to tell it not to). It would then try to start itself in "Safe Mode" (does that imply that the normal mode is unsafe?), but that would also fail. I tried uninstalling Outlook and re-installing it, but that made no difference. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling the entire Office 2007 suite, but again, that made no difference. In the end, I found a website that described the same symptoms and proposed a solution. It was the User Profile that was corrupted - not the program itself. By creating a new profile, I was able to get Outlook running again, but it would still throw a few errors, especially after I had imported my folders and messages from my old ...

Bill Gates has said that Windows 7, the successor to Vista, could be released sometime in "the next year or so". We guess this means in 2 years because he went on to say that the new version is scheduled for 2010. Microsoft's estimated release dates are notoriously optimistic, so it's certainly unlikely to be within the next year. Bill Gates did not reveal any details of changes or novel features to the operating system, although he did say that he was "super-enthused about what it will do in lots of ways". The Developer Programme for Windows 7 has already been started by Microsoft and there are rumours that an early test version of the new OS, named Milestone-1, has already been ...

Anyone who has suffered from loud mobile phone users on trains is going to be dismayed by this news. The European Commission has given the green light to airlines flying in European airspace to permit the use of mobile phones on board. Airlines will be able to install mobile phone base-stations known as "pico cells" on board the aircraft. These will be switched on once the aircraft has reached an altitude of 3000 metres (about 9800 feet). The signals from the pico cell will be relayed to the terrestrial networks via a satellite link. Once an aircraft leaves European airspace, the pico cells may be switched off. The EU Telecomms Commissionaer has called on airlines and operators to ensure that those who want to ... Tags: airline, cell phone, in-flight phone, mobile phone

A domain name has just been sold for an incredible $1.3 million. Chris Clark registered the domain "www.pizza.com" in 1994, just when the World Wide Web was starting up. Since then, he has paid around $20 per year to keep the registration. He sold the domain by auction to a bidder who has not been named. Chris Clark from North Potomac in Maryland, was quoted as saying "It's crazy! It's just crazy!" He also added that "It will make a significant difference in my life, for sure". Originally, he had hoped that www.pizza.com would help him to get a contract with a pizza firm for his consulting company. He sold his business in 2000, but continued paying the $20 ...