FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  605 (25/03/08)

Q. I have a query about the new "cheap-as-chips" mini-laptops, like the Asus Eee. Is it possible, under the Linux operating system, to plug in an external USB sound card? Are these laptops capable of running CD quality audio data or would it be a waste of money to connect that type of hardware for so little result?

Charles Stallard, via email

A. I have been using an Eee PC since they first appeared and have been very impressed with it, so much so that I now use it in preference to my Windows laptop when I’m out and about. The Eee PC’s audio system is based on a popular Realtek chipset and it is actually very good, so there’s really no need to mess around with external audio adaptors (though you could if you wanted to, provided a Linux driver was available). Just connect your Hi-Fi or amplified speakers to the headphone socket; it’s as good as anything you’ll hear from most Windows laptops. It doesn’t have an internal CD/DVD drive – it’s just too small -- but you can use an external USB drive, and for the record it has three USB 2.0 ports, so eat your heart out Mac Air…

Incidentally, for anyone that is interested the Eee is even better when you switch it to the Windows-like KDE desktop, but if you simply can’t bear to be parted from Microsoft the manual tells you how to install XP. One last tip, if you are in the market for one of these very cute sub-notebooks get the 4Gb or 8Gb models, the cheaper 2Gb machines don’t have much room to spare, and you don’t get the built-in webcam.

Q. I had to call on a neighbour to assure me that I wasn't hearing things, but he confirms that through my Windows XP PC's speakers I am getting a loop of about 20 minutes comprising mostly birdsong but also wind and the distant sound of traffic noise.  The sound is omnipresent, but while it might be appropriate if I happen to be playing a Vaughan Williams CD on my computer it is otherwise a blasted nuisance. 

The problem began about a month ago when I was downloading the latest version of the BBC's iPlayer software.  I'm sure the BBC isn't to blame, but it might not be a coincidence that the digital radio station Oneword closed down at about the same time, and as you may know their wavelength on DAB now comprises birdsong. This sounds not unlike what I can hear through my speakers, although I admit I can't confirm that it is identical because of the practicalities of bringing digital radio and PC together in the same room.  Basically, how can I remove this sound from my PC?

Ross Bourne, Salisbury

A. This is a real puzzle but you can at least confirm that the birdsong loop from Oneword and the sound you are hearing on your PC are the same. The recording, known as Birdsong Text TX has been used a number of times for FM and digital radio test transmissions and you can hear it on the DAB Radio website: http://tinyurl.com/38agmw.

If they are one and the same I think it is extremely unlikely that your PC is directly picking up digital radio transmissions, unless you have a DAB tuner installed. This kind of thing has been known to happen on PCs in close proximity to powerful radio transmitters. An effect known as RF breakthrough allows very strong analogue AM and FM radio signals to be picked up by speaker cables etc., which are fed back into the computer’s audio amplifier circuitry where the signal is demodulated. But that simply cannot happen with digital transmissions; the data has to be extensively processed and decoded before you will hear any recognisable sounds.

The only other route by which it could be heard is if your PC is replaying an audio file, but this would only occur if your browser or a media player were running. The next time it happens open Task Manager (press Ctrl + Alt + Delete), select the Applications tab and see if ‘End Tasking’ any of the applications shown stops the sound. If it does please let me know which one it was and maybe we can get to the bottom of this mystery, and I welcome any alternative theories.

Q. I run Windows XP and IE6 on my PC. Is there a way of being notified when a cookie is trying to lodge in my PC or can you recommend a freeware program that will pop up and offer me a choice of whether to allow the cookie or not?

Dave Farris, via email

A. Cookies are mostly harmless text files left behind by websites but it’s not a bad idea to keep an eye on them and reduce the chance of your PC being spiked with something malicious or nosey that could track your web surfing activities. There’s no need to install any new software though. Internet Explorer can be configured to display a pop-up dialogue box every time a website tries to save a cookie, but manually allowing or denying cookies can be a time-consuming business. Nevertheless, if that’s what you want then in IE go to Tools > Internet Options select the Privacy tab and click the Advanced button. Check the ‘Override automatic cookie handling’ box and select ‘Prompt’ for both First and Third Party Cookies.

A less bothersome approach is to ‘Block’ First and Third Party Cookies, but allow ‘Session Cookies’, which are automatically deleted when you close IE. Better yet, switch to Mozilla Firefox, which has vastly superior cookie management (Tools > Options > Privacy), allowing you to specify sites that you don’t mind accepting cookies from, and automatically deleting them when you close the program. I also recommend a weekly run through with a program like CCleaner, which removes all of the detritus left by websites, and clears out the hidden log files maintained by your browser. The program is free and you’ll find a link to the download on the software page of www.pctoptips.co.uk.

If you have a computer problem write to: fff@telegraph.co.uk

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© R. Maybury 2008 00403