The Raspberry Pi computer is the latest in a line of compact, multi-function devices, shipped as a barebones package so that end users can use the hardware for virtually any computing project that comes to mind. For instance, the device – designed originally to aid school children learn programming skills – is ideal for media streaming, or using as the key element in a MAME gaming unit.

Over the last few years, Microsoft has expanded the Hotmail/Windows Live services to include a dazzling array of browser-based services. With so many features offered for free you might think that this is a pretty good deal – and it is. But what happens to your emails and data when your account is blocked? How might this happen, and is there a way of overcoming it?

I’ve recently received my Raspberry Pi after a long wait – and I’ve got quite a few plans for it. The problem is, I’m not totally sure which project I want to attempt first. While the idea of a carputer is a compelling one, my mobile phone and GPS unit seem to fulfill this purpose already. Meanwhile, I’ve long had ambitions to build a MAME arcade machine unit, but never quite got around to it.

Since its release in October 2010, Windows Phone 7 has improved considerably, entering a market dominated by Apple and Android while doing its best to overcome the shrinking market share left by its precursor, Windows Mobile. The initial launch wasn’t perfect; certain vital aspects were omitted, such as copy and paste and threaded message conversations, [...]

If you’re one of the many Kindle Fire owners that have rooted their device in order to add functionality (such as access to Google Play) then you will want to prevent the update being sent to your Kindle Fire. Once an update is applied, it undoes the root! Fortunately, several apps can be installed on your Kindle Fire that can be used to prevent future Kindle Fire updates.

Recently on MakeUseOf we showed you how to find, download, print and build your own card models. This got me thinking about just what card models I would enjoy printing out and building. After all, when you’re downloading templates, you’re accepting a prescribed design and method of construction. Like me, you might prefer to create different models, preferably with a better focus on building rather than a heavy bias on the end product.

How do you prefer to interact with your computer? Sometimes a mouse and keyboard just isn’t enough. Depending on what you’re doing, a completely different interface method is required for you to get the most out of your computer. Personally, I use a trackball and keyboard, for gaming as well as standard use, and there are many Windows computer owners who prefer to do the majority of their work using a graphical tablet and stylus.

Have you ever encountered an infinite reboot loop? It is instantly recognisable by the failure of Windows to correctly load up after switching on your PC or laptop. Fortunately thanks to the way in which Windows 7 was designed it is possible to resolve a reboot loop in a relatively short space of time.

Having been enthused by the continuously dropping prices of 3D printers, I was recently checking out the latest models and making a decision on which one to choose when I had a moment of what can only be described as a nostalgic epiphany. There I was, wishing I could build toy boats and planes and cars with a new 3D printer when I suddenly realised that it was already possible to do all of this and more with my existing printer!

Syncing this Windows Phone requires – as with any – the Zune software on your PC and a USB cable (Mac users can use the Windows Phone 7 Connnector for Mac). However for some of us this won’t work out of the box. The impact of this is that syncing your phone to your PC is prevented, which means that photos and videos can’t be saved to your computer and music can’t be copied to your phone. Fortunately there is a way around this, one that is easy to implement.

Amazon is very keen for the Kindle Fire to not be rooted – after all, this breaks the walled garden that they have set up for installing apps, etc. – and regularly push out updates that are intended to prevent or undo rooting. Meanwhile, problems accessing your Kindle books can also occur after rooting. Fortunately, all of these issues can be resolved, relatively quickly.

Previous versions of Windows have allowed various customization options, from desktop backgrounds and startup chimes to altering logon screen messages and text. However with Windows 7, these options have been restricted by Microsoft, leaving many users with a problem. you’ll have noticed that the Windows 7 logon message, the font and the colour of the text are apparently impossible to change. Or are they?

I almost ran out of space on my Kindle Fire last week. Sadly, I was away from my computer, which meant I couldn’t simply move data off the device – I would have to delete it! Fortunately, this didn’t cause much of a problem as I was able to connect to my cloud storage account, upload some bulky data and then download the new book to my device. I should add here that not all of the storage on my Kindle Fire was taken up with eBooks!

Anon22 discovered Internet porn when he was just 12 years old. For around 10 years, Anon22 has enjoyed pornography using his computer once or twice a day, a compulsion that he claims ruined his social life and limited long-term employment opportunities. We’ve gone out to learn more about this phenomenon, and discovered an amazing group of Internet users trying to kick the habit together.

As a Windows Phone owner, I make a lot of use of the Zune application. When it went belly up recently and stopped playing some of my music, something had to be done. If you’re a Windows Phone user, the chances are that you make use of the Zune software on Windows 7 (or Windows Vista). Required by Windows Phone owners to sync data to and from their PCs, Zune is also a multi-purpose media management application.