Computer Active (UK)

AMAZING FREE APPS

Hack your TV stick – LEGALLY Download Youtube videos Block all phone ads All SAFE to use

Ditch Your LAPTOP

✓ Best tablets under £200 ✓ Best tablets under £500 ✓ Best pro tablets over £500 + Android or ipad – which is best?

BEAT 2026’s PRICE RISES

We’re accustomed to prices increasing in line with inflation, but there are many other factors that influence the cost of technology. In 2026, we’re likely to see some steep and disproportionate price hikes that leave us all paying more for our devices...

TECH GIFTS WE’RE BUYING THIS XMAS

From the Editor

e first item I bought on Amazon was David Icke’s book Children of the Matrix, sometime in the early 2000s. In it he argues that an “interdimensional race has controlled the planet for thousands of years”. Total twaddle, but I was researching an...

HOW TO USE SNIPCA URLS

We use snipcas to turn long URLS that are hard to type into ones that are short and simple. They aren’t websites themselves, which means they won’t be recognised if you type them into Google. Instead, you need to type them into your browser address...

20 FANTASTIC FREEBIES YOU PREVIOUSLY HAD TO PAY FOR

✓ Classic lms you’ll love ✓ TV shows – no licence ✓ Premium video apps ✓ AI tools experts use ✓ Advanced software We saved £852.79!

Ditch Your PASSWORD MANAGER

✓ Best FREE password manager ✓ Sync data across all devices Don’t use Chrome & Edge!

BEST NEW TV APPS

TV-streaming services have now overtaken traditional television in popularity in the US, Canada and Germany – and the UK isn’t far behind. Recent research by Ofcom found that only 56 per cent of us still watch TV as it’s broadcast, and that Youtube now...

WINDOWS 10 SURVIVAL GUIDE

✓ Get FREE updates for a year ✓ Beat the Onedrive catch ✓ Use your Microsoft Rewards ✓ Extend support until 2030 ✓ Block Windows 11 upgrades ✓ Run Windows 10 inside 11 ✓ Dual-boot Windows & Linux ✓ Upgrade an unsupported PC

UNBLOCK WEBSITES with a... VPN

Virtual private networks (VPNS) have been around since 1996, when their primary purpose was to let remote workers connect securely to corporate networks. Since then they’ve become an essential tool for protecting your privacy online and unblocking web...

Stop Wasting Your USB STICK!

✓ Run a portable Windows 11 ✓ Switch between Linux versions ✓ Create your own media server ✓ Record live TV from your set Talk to AI chatbots on any PC

50 BEST WAYS AI WILL IMPROVE YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW!

Try these TODAY — we’ve tested them all

Ditch Google for Proton

✓ Send unhackable emails ✓ Superb FREE VPN ✓ Keep files 100% private Switch now – it’s EASY!

BEST FREE SOFTWARE

to grips Don’t waste time and e ort getting with needlessly complicated programs. reveals the 20 simplest free Robert Irvine tools for performing everyday tasks It’s always exciting to discover a free PC program that offers advanced features you...

WATCH TV ANYWHERE!

✓ Watch UK TV abroad using a VPN ✓ Stream TV from your home PC ✓ Save TV shows to a portable drive ✓ Take your TV sticks with you

ChatGPT vs THE REST

 Google Gemini  Perplexity  Copilot & more

WIPE ALL YOUR OLD DEVICES

☑ Laptop ☑ Desktop PC ☑ Hard drive ☑ TV ☑ Phone ☑ Tablet ☑ Printer & more

BLOCK ALL SPAM CALLS

✓ Block on Android phones ✓ Block on iphones ✓ Block on landlines ✓ Block on your network ✓ Block on Whatsapp + Block spam messages too!

WINDOWS 11

1 Unlock hidden PC speed 2 Stop software slowing your system 3 Make games load faster 4 Use tabs in File Explorer 5 Extract more compression formats 6 Change metadata in image files 7 Control your PC with your voice 8 Get live video captions 9...

WHO’S AT YOUR DOOR?

BEST MODELS NO HIDDEN FEES CHEAPER THAN RING

HOW TO USE SNIPCA URLS

We use snipcas to turn long URLS that are hard to type into ones that are short and simple. They aren’t websites themselves, which means they won’t be recognised if you type them into Google. Instead, you need to type them into your browser address...

HACK YOUR MAPS!

✓ Save money on petrol for every journey ✓ Get FREE walking and cycling routes ✓ Avoid speeding fines and toll roads ✓ Find FREE parking spaces across the UK ✓ Always get the cheapest train tickets Download maps to use offline

DITCH YOUR OLD TV HABITS

Download Netflix series Unlock Freeview channels Skip all advert breaks Cancel your subscriptions Watch TV without an aerial Best new TV & films – all 100% FREE!

BREAK WINDOWS’ WORST RULES

Beat Windows 11’s upgrade specs Open files that Windows locks Remove Edge and the new Outlook Delay updates to avoid problems Run Windows without a product key Is Microsoft keeping you signed in?

WHY YOU MUST USE CHATGPT

Over the past two years, artificial intelligence has become inescapable, with virtually every big tech company dabbling in the technology. In many cases, such as Copilot in Windows, AI Overviews in Google Search and shopping assistant Rufus in Amazon’s...

Why You MUST Bin YOUR OLD ROUTER

✓ Connect all your devices ✓ Get your maximum speed ✓ Block Wi-fi hackers ✓ No more dead spots Do you really need Wi-fi 7?

HOW TO USE SNIPCA URLS

We use snipcas to turn long URLS that are hard to type into ones that are short and simple. They aren’t websites themselves, which means they won’t be recognised if you type them into Google. Instead, you need to type them into your browser address...

DITCH YOUR CABLES in 2025

✓ Charge your phones ✓ Stream your music ✓ Control your PC ✓ Share your files ✓ Watch your TV ✓ Print your docs

CAN’T UPGRADE TO WINDOWS 11?

SOFTWARE UPDATE

1. Scan for outdated programs 2. Update software in one click 3. Turn on automatic updates 4. Set an update schedule 5. Install ‘silently’ and quickly 6. Prevent errors when updating 7. Download without any junk 8. Update programs on a USB 9....

Why You MUST Buy... EXTERNAL DRIVES

✓ Back up ALL your les ✓ Access les on any device ✓ Dual-boot Windows & Linux

Why You MUST Use TOR

✓ Disguise your location ✓ Download anonymously ✓ Block personalised ads ✓ Fake your identity ✓ Share les privately ✓ Access blocked websites ✓ Avoid Wi-fi hackers + Add it to your VPN!

DON’T BUY THE WRONG SMART TV

✓ Best budget TVS under £500 ✓ Big-screen 4K bargains ✓ No mu ed dialogue ✓ Every streaming service ✓ HDMI ports aplenty + Does size really matter?

WINDOWS 10 is DOOMED!

1. Upgrade to Windows 11 now 2. Upgrade to Windows 11 later 3. Buy a brand-new computer 4. Buy a refurbished computer 5. Ditch Windows for Chromeos 6. Ditch Windows for Linux 7. Or... KEEP USING WINDOWS 10!

WHY YOU MUST USE A VPN

✓ Access UK TV when abroad ✓ Encrypt your personal details ✓ Block ads & hidden trackers ✓ Keep your internet fast Unlock cheaper prices online

Make Your USB STICKS Last Forever

✓ Detect and repair memory errors ✓ Speed up your slow USB sticks ✓ Block malware threats instantly ✓ Restore a drive’s full capacity ✓ Stop your data being corrupted Recover lost and deleted files

CANCEL YOUR PHONE CONTRACT

Get more data for your money Beat massive price rises Keep your phone number Avoid expensive roaming fees Leave whenever you like Ditch your SIM card for an ESIM

Best FREE APPS For Your VIDEOS MUSIC & PHOTOS

Over the past 20 years, smartphones and tablets have gradually replaced standalone cameras and audio recorders. After all, why carry around three gadgets when one does everything you need and fits snugly into your pocket? As the quality of phone...

Why You MUST Use AI

Restore old photos Scan & block malware Get help removing junk Improve video quality Identify scam emails Create free videos, music and images

From the Editor

I’m writing this a day or so behind schedule, and Robert Irvine is entirely to blame. He found so many fantastic things to download, watch and listen to in his Cover Feature that while editing I had to keep pausing to fight Daleks with Tom Baker, solve...