Yes, I have 4 ReTrak retractable USB cables to give away. Two are the type with the star adapter (as I reviewed last week) and another two have changeable tips.

These are seriously good products and each is worth up to £24.99.

To enter, simply wander over to the competitition page and answer a really simple question.

The competition closes on the 14th so be quick!

Whilst on holiday recently we were provided with a Home Plug solution to internet access in the cottage we were staying in. This was great for my laptop, but no so good for my phone or my daughter’s iPod Touch. After a search I came across Connectify – Windows software that will turn your PC into a wireless hotspot.

Sadly, I couldn’t get it to work whilst on holiday, but right now it’s working without any kind of issue.

There are 2 versions, a Lite and Pro, the former being free. The Pro version allows you to fully modify the SSID name (otherwise it’s prefixed with “connectify”) and also use your computer as a repeater (by which I mean it uses the same details as your wifi router and will allow anybody to move seemlessly between the two).

Installing the Lite version, you need to give it a reboot at the end. When it restarts you choose an SSID and password and then which connection you wish to use. So, right now, I’m testing it (a bit pointlessly, I’ll admit) by connecting it to a nearby public wifi. After a few seconds connecting my phone recognises the new SSID and connects (after supplying the password). I can then access the internet. Of course, the real advantage would be connecting the laptop to a wired connection and then transmitting that.

Another difference between the Lite and Pro versions is that only Windows 7 works with the Lite. Vista and XP work with Pro, but only in ad-hoc mode. For this reason I’d only really recommend Connectify for Windows 7 users.

The Pro version is $29.99, but if you use the code EARLYBIRD you can get £10 off this price.

Summary of Connectify

If you’re a Windows 7 user I’d recommend everyone have at least the Lite version  installed, just in case – it could prove invaluable

Reviewed by David Artiss on 10th September 2011.

A couple of years ago I published a review of the home edition of EaseUS Partion Master. At the time I rated it as an excellent alternative to the more well-known brands.Now at version 9, I thought it was time to re-visit the software.

First of all, I should state that my original negative points have now been resolved. The GUI is a lot more slick (no more dodgy fonts) and the help is comprehensive.

As before, it is a simple way to modify and create partitions on your PC. The professional edition – required if you are a business – also comes with a few extra features such as the ability to resize dynamic partitions as well as an option to create a Linux boot disk of the software. In case you don’t have an OS installed or you’ve simply managed to mangle it, this is a great recovery aid.

As I’m sure you can imagine, it doesn’t just offer creation and moving of partitions – you can wipe them, convert them, merge them and, well, pretty much anything else you can think of.

It supports 64-bit versions of Windows and hard drives of over 2TB.

Any new gripes? Well, just one tiny one. There are buttons in the software for a Backup Tool and create a WinPE boot disk – both of these launch a browser page asking you to pay more for the features. I can understand this in the free version, but after paying out for the Professional edition I don’t think this is appropriate – I’d much rather have these options hidden.

There are other versions of Partition Master available too – each at a different price and with different options.

The Professional Edition currently costs just $19.99 (a little over £12).

Screenshots

Summary of EaseUS Partition Master 9.0 Professional Edition

An incredibly well designed and powerful piece of partitioning software at a bargain price. If you’re a home user and don’t need the Linusx boot option then it’s free. But at $19.99 for the Professional Edition, it’s a bargain.

Reviewed by David Artiss on 9th September 2011.