OVER 2 YOU, 047 (13/09/01)

CLAP TRAP

In the USA there is a device called 'The Clapper' which enables you to turn lights on and off just by clapping your hands. I would like one but there is no UK version that I can find. The American version is the wrong voltage and I can't even get a US firm on the Net to sell me one for 'experimental' purposes. I found a UK site which sells kits to make your own voice activated relay which they say could be attached to a lamp but the instructions are beyond my limited technical capacity. Any suggestions?
John Dean, Headington, Oxford

Smiths make a sound operated switch and I am sure any good electrical stockist could get hold of one. Alternatively there used to be numerous electrical shops in Tottenham Court Road that would stock this sort of product.
Ian Tasker,

I bought a sound activated switch from a shop in the Edgware Road some years ago. It bears the name Power Lab Sound Switch and a label on the back says " Cat No. AML 768". It's made in China and has a 13amp plug module incorporated. Perhaps a web or other search will turn up that company? I found it very useful to turn lights on as you move about the house; even the noise of your movement will bring one on.  The light will also come on at a very light tap from the outside of a window, which ought to discourage burglars...
Brian Keep,

DEAR JOHN….

I am a lecturer at a UK college for women. Each autumn term I receive requests from students to help them write farewell letters to former boyfriends. Surely this is a stylised art and a computer could spin out such a letter with the insertion of a few personalized facts? I am however unable to find a template or program for composing 'Dear John' letters.
Sue Sanchez, via email

I do not have a ready made template for a 'Dear John' letter but I would be willing to contribute the many that I have received over the years so that your correspondent could generate her own. Some of them have been quite funny and others rather sad.  I would have to insist that the identity of the originators be kept secret.

Pat Gadsby,

FANTASY FOOTBALL

I run a Fantasy Football league at work using the rules and points from the Daily Telegraph, I have all the teams on an Excel spreadsheet. As you can imagine there are several entries with the same players. How can I make it that when I enter the scores on a Wednesday I only need to type the first score for a duplicated player and the rest of the duplicates will automatically be awarded the same points.  In essence what is the formula to copy a cell value to other random cells?  Bear in mind that this formula cannot be fixed as the player involved may be substituted during the season.

Colin Temple, via email

I ran a Fantasy Football League based on the Telegraph players, rules and points for several years in the late 90's, also via an Excel workbook.

All of the players were recorded in one 'Database' worksheet into which each weekly score was keyed, a lengthy process at the start of the season but only 10 minutes a week to enter one figure for any player that had scored that week.  Each manager then had their own worksheet, which referred to the database using the Excel VLOOKUP formula to lift the details of their team's players and their cumulative scores.  Transfers were easily catered for by copying and pasting as values any players and their scores transferred out of the team to a separate section at the bottom of the worksheet.  Any new player transferred in simply needed their ID number and previously earned points to be keyed in with all other details looked up from the database.

Once one master worksheet has been set up this can simply be copied to a new worksheet for each manager, leaving only the manager's details and the ID code for each player to be entered.  A second macro driven workbook then lifted the scores to produce a weekly league table showing cumulative points and points earned each week.  On my old 486 with 16mb RAM and 37 teams it could be a little slow but not a problem with modern processors and plenty
of RAM.

Dave Garwood,

Using Excel, there is no need to use a formula to update fantasy football league scores. On Sheet 1, column A make a list of all players used by your league. Across the top of the sheet mark 1 - 40 for weekly scores. The scores will have to
be put in manually. On Sheet 2 list your teams in column A, weeks 1 - 40 across the top. To transfer scores place an '= 'sign in the destination cell on Sheet 2. Select Sheet 1, the appropriate player, the appropriate week, highlight this cell
and press return. Repeat this for all teams. Use Sequencer to transfer scores for all weeks. Use Autosum to give weekly scores for each team. On Sheet 3 list all teams in column A, weeks 1 - 40 across the top, use = sign again to transfer weekly scores to Sheet 3, from Sheet 2. Repeat until all are done. Use Sequencer, Auto sum again and sort descending to find league positions.
G. Swadling,

I run exactly the same thing in my office and the way to avoid having to re-enter scores for players appearing in more than one team is as follows.

In sheet one of your Excel file enter each player selected into column A. In columns B onwards, enter their weekly scores, so week 1 goes in column B, week 2 in column C etc.

In sheet two of your spreadsheet, enter all the teams that the managers have picked - each team's eleven players in column A.

In column B, in the cell to the right next to the players name, set up a formula as follows.

Hit the "equals" key (=) to open up the cell.
Click on the "sheet one" tab at the bottom of the page and then click in the corresponding cell next to the player's name.
Hit "return" or click on the green tick next to the edit box.
The cell will then display whatever value or label you enter in the cell it is "pointing" at in sheet one.

Repeat for all the other players in the team and then copy the formulas across the columns for the rest of the weeks in the season. A simple "@sum()" across the rows of each player will give you their cumulative score for the season, and then another simple "@sum()" will allow you to add up the total scores for the team.
If the spreadsheet is created this way, it allows you to track the team scores per week, as well as telling you which team has scored the most points!

The only downside is that you have to map the cells for each player in the team to their "parent" cell in sheet one. However, once you have done this at the start of the season, you don't have to do it again.

Malcolm Walker, Chatham, Kent

MEDICAL INNOVATION

I have recently spent many months designing a medical product, which I now am in a position to turn into a computerised system. I wonder whether there are sites that explain how to gain copyright, and where one can meet a business partner/expert with sufficient expertise to take this project on.
David Hall, via email

As a retired DTI employee involved in helping small businesses and start-ups, I suggest David's first point of contact is the DTI web site: http://www.dti.gov.uk/support/index.htm, which is an excellent start point for anyone seeking such advice.  It has links to the Small Business Service, Business Links and such details as acquiring booklets on starting a business.  One tip: his most important first move is to make sure that he has tied up any relevant
intellectual property rights.

Robin Crosher,

NUDE SOFTWARE

Can anyone help me find a program, which would help me produce sketches of the nude human figure? It could be a sort of artists crib book or perhaps similar to one of those articulated wooden models of the human figure you see in artist's materials shops.
Murray Wren, via email

Have a look at 'Poser'. The software allows total manipulation of the body so that the figure can be put into any position desired. Specific body parts and features can be modified in size and position so that each figure is realistic and individual and can be studied specifically. The controls are simple to use with your mouse and a range of animals are also available with the software too. For more information go to www.curiouslabs.com where it is possible to download a trial version and buy the software.
Wil Corker,

FLOWER FINDER

Does anyone know of a website or CD-ROM, where I can search for plants and flowers using certain key words, such as shade, wet, flowering, perennial. Preferably I'd like to get a list returned of plants that fit my search criteria along with a photo and short description.

Paul Wright, via email

I suggest Paul Wright will find most of what he is looking for from "Perfect Plants" by Dr Roger Phillips and Martyn Rix, published by Macmillan Interactive Publishing (http://mip.macmillan.co.uk/).

Michael Green

SCRIPT WRITING

I have scoured the net for free software and advice for writing scripts for TV drama. Does anyone know of such a thing?
Spencer May, via email

Here's some drama script software for the Mac:

StoryProject (Mac OS, freeware download):
Story development program aimed at screen writers, novelists and playwrights.
http://www.tep.abelgratis.com/storyproject/

nScript for use with Nisus Writer (Mac OS, freeware download) The complete solution for the creation, formatting and printing of screenplays with the Nisus family of word processors.http://www.tep.abelgratis.com/nscript/

Cinovation, who produce the best-selling Scriptware program, offer free information of help to aspiring scriptwriters: http://scriptware.com/registry.htm
Jeff Ross, Stockport

CAN YOU HELP?

Can anyone suggest the cheapest scanner and software that will get text from magazines and newspapers, put it into a Word document and then read it out without any proof reading? It is vital that all this be done without any use
of the mouse, as our clients are blind. Obviously, it is also impossible to use the mouse even to select text. RNIB computer volunteers have been trying to crack this for months. We have ReadBack, Readplease and we have used Omnipage and Textbridge as well as various macros, but always, we get to the dreaded point where the mouse has to be used.
Brian Rhodes, via email

I am a proofreader for articles and books and there are specific marks used in the margins of proofs to indicate where changes are recommended. Does anyone know of a program whereby the original proofread text can be scanned and, having been transferred on to the hard disc, can then be edited with the approved marks?
D.S. Lawrie, via email

My family want to build our own house.  We have plenty of ideas, but no means of expressing them except for scribbly drawings.  We do not want to use an architect as we feel we do not need assistance in design. We do however need drawings and measurements.  We intend to use a quantity surveyor/buildings surveyor to comply with building regulations and apply for permission.  Is there any software available for DIY house (and garden) design?

Paul Reynolds, via email

In the early eighties IBM produced some very basic, very simple to use, but excellent software known as the Assistant Series (Writing, Planning, Filing and Reporting).  Although Filing and Reporting Assistant can still be used with some difficulty under Windows 98, (IBM never upgraded it to the new standard) I suspect when Windows XP is launched they will become completely obsolete as they are DOS based programs.  Does anyone know of a similar simple software package that can act as a database (for addresses etc.) as well as be able to handle financial statements that give totals as well as a balance such as bank statements (without getting into a money type program) and similar functions that will work under Windows 98 and so be compatible with Windows XP when it is launched in October? 

Hervey Raymond, via email

Does anyone know of a program or website that would allow me to translate several documents into Urdu, Cantonese, Irish and Ulster Scots, for publication on my organisational website?

Gary Shaw, via email

Becky – I don't know if you want to pop this one in to see what sort of response it generates, it might be interesting?