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Houston We Have A Problem 070, 12/09/09
Sign of the Times
Unwittingly I must have enabled date and time settings on my Canon
digital camera so when uploading to my PC all the pictures displayed date and
time. I understand there might be some software around that can delete this
information from the pictures held on my PC. Can you help please?
David Gibson, by email
If, as it sounds, the time and date stamps have been ‘burned’ into
the image they are now part of the picture but there are several ways of
getting rid of them using basic photo editing techniques. The simplest method
is to crop it out of the image, and since the stamp is usually along the bottom
edge or in a corner the impact on the picture is often minimal; in fact
judicious cropping often improves a photo, cutting out bland backgrounds and
making the subject larger and more prominent.
Another quick and simple method that works well when the numbers
are imprinted on an evenly lit plain or patterned background is to define a
section of the adjacent background and copy and paste it over the characters.
If the background is irregular or highly detailed the alternative is to use a
‘clone’ tool to airbrush the characters out of the image. This works by picking
up detail immediately next to the numbers and spraying it over the top. It
takes a little experimentation with the tool’s settings but with practice and
patience it’s possible to achieve near invisible results. Most photo editing
programs have these features but if you don’t have one to hand you could do a
lot worse than a freeware program called PhotoFiltre and you’ll find a link to
the download at: http://tinyurl.com/6k6n4v
A Blow for Security
I read some time ago that to ensure all personal data is
completely removed or destroyed when recycling an old computer, the only thing
to do is to smash the hard disc to smithereens! What is the safest and securest
way to get rid of data on old mobiles so that they can be donated to charities
or sold for recycling?
Jenny Vickers, by email
Expunging data on a personal computer is child’s play, compared
with a mobile phone. The problem is there’s so much of it, and the memory
devices used to store information cannot be easily got at, other than through
the phone’s menus, or a PC connection and specialised software.
It’s not just your contacts, phone numbers and so on; there may be
text messages, photos, voice messages, call logs and if you have one of the
fancier smart phones it can include emails, web pages, passwords, appointments
and so on. Unfortunately there’s no simple method that works with all makes and
models, but a good place to start is the Wireless Recycling web page (http://tinyurl.com/2f4ue4). This carries
detailed data removal instruction for many popular models. Otherwise, if you
still have it, consult the manual. There may be a guide to deleting data or
resetting the phone to its factory defaults, which should wipe the memories.
Failing that, try the support section of the manufacturer’s web site, but in
the end, don’t take chances. If there is any personal or sensitive information
stored on your phone and you can’t be sure it’s completely erased, a quick
visit from Mr Hammer will make sure it cannot fall into the wrong hands, but
make sure you remove your SIM card first…
AI Alternative
A few weeks ago you suggested a free alternative to Adobe
Photoshop. I am wondering if there’s a similar equivalent program for Adobe
Illustrator? My printer says he can only accept Illustrator files but I only
need it for a couple of small design jobs and it not worth the large outlay for
this program.
Jess Stevens, by email
Indeed there is, and you should look no further than an excellent
Open Source program called InkScape (http://www.inkscape.org/).
It is a vector graphics editing program, it looks and feels a lot like
Illustrator and it can save files in a wide variety of formats that can be read
by AI, including .eps (encapsulated postscript) and .svg (scalable vector
graphics).
Skyping Espana
My parents have recently moved to a remote part of Spain without
mains electricity or a telephone. Consequently, the only way of talking to them
is on a Spanish mobile but the costs are proving to be prohibitive. They have
been considering buying a laptop so they can use Skype. However, this poses
some questions. Firstly, as they only have a diesel generator is this suitable
for charging a laptop? Secondly, will the mobile broadband be adequate for
using Skype? And finally, is there an alternative to Skype?
Colleen Roebuck, by email
Providing the generator’s output exceeds the laptop charger’s
power rating (typically 50 – 150 watts) and it is within the required voltage
range (normally 100 – 240 volts) then I can’t see any problems running the
laptop, or charging its battery. A laptop charger also isolates the laptop from
variations or interruptions in the generator power supply, so it doesn’t matter
if it cuts out; the laptop switches to battery power, giving the user plenty of
time to finish what they are doing and save their data.
Skype works well over a mobile broadband connection but 3G data
connections can be unreliable in rural areas where signal strength is low,
and it can be quite expensive, so your parents need to do some homework to see
if it’s viable and cost effective. However, they might be able to get by
without a laptop. You can use Skype on your PC to call them on their mobile using
the ‘Dial Out feature. Calls to landline and mobiles, at home and abroad,
cost a fraction of normal rates. For example using Skype Dial
Out to call a Spanish landline number costs from just 0.012 pence per minutes,
calling a Spanish mobile will set you back between 15 and 17 pence a minute.
Skype is by no means the only free VOIP (Voice over Internet
Protocol) application but it is the most popular and therefore the one that
other people you may want to contact will probably be using for free PC to PC
calls. There’s a list of Skype alternatives at http://tinyurl.com/cqf56c, but don’t
forget that whichever one you choose, your parents must also use the same
program.
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© R. Maybury 2009 1708
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