Computer hard drives are relatively cheap these days, but although many new computers now come with at least a Terra-byte of storage space, it may not be long before you find yourself wondering what exactly is taking up all that space.

Well, using a free program called TreeSize is a good way to start your investigation.

It shows you what folders and files are taking up the most room, giving your a comprehensive directory of everything on your computer, so you’ll then know where to hunt to clear out some space.

You’ll find TreeSize as a free download at http://www.jam-software.com/treesize_free/

Computer software can be expensive, however if you’re studying full time, there are some good deals to be found.

For students who are currently studying full time at a registered University or TAFE, Microsoft offers significant discounts on essential software.

Microsoft Office Professional edition normally retails for around $350, however eligible students can get it for under 100 dollars. The same applies to Windows Operating system updates which are on offer for around 80 dollars less than the normal retail price.

If you’re a student looking for Microsoft products, head to www.itsnotcheating.com.au to check if you can take advantage of this offer… Read more

Just when you thought flat screen TVs couldn’t get any flatter…well now they are.

At the Consumer Electronics show in Los Vegas earlier this month TV many TV manufactures announced screens that use OLED technology.

This advancement in TV panels means that we’ll start seeing TV screens that are barely millimeters thick with amazing colour and contrast.

Sony also revealed a prototype 55inch Crystal LED TV that boasts 3.5 times higher contrast that existing LCD televisions.

If you’d like to know more about the different technologies used in TV panels, here’s a great resource
to help you out – http://www.whichtv.com.au/tvtechnologies.php

How much paper do you waste when printing?

It always seems to be the case that whenever you print something, especially for the web, most of the page space is filled with content that you don’t really need to print, which isn’t exactly environmentally friendly.

A program called GreenPrint promises to solve this issue to analysing each job you send to the printer and suggesting content that could be removed to help save paper…and printer ink.

GreenPrint usually suggest images be removed, leaving you with just the text and it will also suggest printing in grey scale instead of full colour, extending the life of your printer ink cartridges.

The ad supported version of GreenPrint is free to use and can be found at… Read more

There’s nothing worse than when something on your computer doesn’t work and a bad situation can be made even worse when the problem is accompanied by a confusing error message.

One of the easiest ways to decode an error message made up on seemingly random letters and numbers is the copy and paste it into a web search engine which will usually yield a good result to help you solve or at least understand it.

You can also use a free program called “Windows Error Lookup” which can look up error codes for you and report back exactly what they mean.

You’ll find Windows Error Lookup as a free download HERE