The AnswerBank Articles

How does a digital camera differ from an ordinary one

Asks cardigan A. Digital cameras differ in many ways. The main difference is that a digital camera does not have any film, instead it stores images into electrical charges which can be translated00:00 Mon 24th Dec 2001

What exactly is an e-book

Asks zeus A. An e-book is the shorthand term for an electronic book - and this in turn is an electronic version of a traditional printed book. An e-book can be read on a normal PC or a handheld00:00 Mon 24th Dec 2001

What is the best place to buy CDs online

Asks jasmine A. There are literally thousands of CD vendors operating on the Internet, so unless some sites come recommended it's really potluck. You can choose from a high street name, a dedicated00:00 Mon 17th Dec 2001

Is there a way of paying for goods online that avoids the use of a credit card

Asks Zeus A. Credit cards have always been the favoured way of paying for online goods primarily because they were already in circulation when online purchasing took off. But many people remain00:00 Mon 17th Dec 2001

What is Nominet

Asks panda A. Nominet UK is the registry for all .uk Internet domain names. Q. Is it a regulatory body for the Internet domain names in the UK A. No, it just maintains a database of .uk domain00:00 Mon 17th Dec 2001

I understand that the European Union has committed to fighting cybercrime, how will this be done

Asks ChrisKnight A. It is not a European Union initiative - and therefore not all EU countries have to abide by its ruling - but instead a Council of Europe convention has created an00:00 Mon 10th Dec 2001

What were the most popular computer viruses this year

Asks Jemima A. A recent list compiled by computer security company Sophos rated the following viruses in its top ten - based on the number of calls to its helpline: Nimda - 27.2%, Sircam - 20.3%,00:00 Mon 10th Dec 2001

Why is there so much ho-ha about chat rooms at the moment

Asks martine A. There has been a lot of press coverage about Internet chat rooms over the last week as the Government has just launched (on 3 December 2001) its first ad campaign (rumoured to have00:00 Mon 10th Dec 2001

Do you know of any good online dating agencies

Asks georgie A. There are hundreds on the web - the hardest thing is picking the best ones. The following list is a mere snapshot of those that cover the UK, but they will help you find out what type00:00 Mon 03rd Dec 2001

Is it possible to get real-time weather forecasts (for the UK) online

Asks Sheila A. As a preoccupation with the weather is a national pastime in the UK - it goes without saying that there are numerous websites that feed our obsession. They all give real-time00:00 Mon 03rd Dec 2001

I have to buy a portable MP3 player for a gift and have no idea where to start. Can you help Can you recommend some and let me know how much they are

Asks jabbajay A. There are loads of models on the market - for a good one you should expect to pay in the region of 200. Some of the best include the following and all are available on the High00:00 Mon 03rd Dec 2001

What is wi-fi

Asks howardpiercy A. Wi-fi stands for wireless fidelity. Q. What is wireless fidelity A. Wireless fidelity or wi-fi is another name for the IEEE 802.11b standard which provides wireless Ethernet00:00 Mon 26th Nov 2001

Where can I find good mobile phone accessories for Xmas presents online

Asks kerry A. Most websites that sell mobile phone accessories are currently running special offers on their products in the run-up to Christmas in order to persuade you to buy online instead of from00:00 Mon 26th Nov 2001

What is mirago

Asks techtron A. Mirago is a new UK search engine that is aimed at people living and working in the UK. Q. Does it only include UK-based sites in its search results A. It has billed itself as00:00 Mon 26th Nov 2001

What is web hosting

Asks alicevida A. Web hosting is the process of housing, maintaining and serving the files for a website, or a number of websites and providing fast connections to the Internet. A web hosting company00:00 Mon 19th Nov 2001

What is a message cam

Asks panda A. Message Cam is a new mobile phone/digital camera that has been launched to great fanfare by Vodafone. Q. What is good about it A. It enables you to access colour pictures, moving00:00 Wed 19th Dec 2001

Why is it so difficult to get people to pay for Internet content

Asks marmalade A. It is difficult to get the ordinary consumer to pay for information provided on the Internet because it is perceived by most of us as being free, so why pay for it - and sometimes00:00 Wed 19th Dec 2001

What is a silver surfer

Asks magda A. A silver surfer is usually someone over 50 that uses the Internet - and as the over-50s are a generation that did not generally grow up using computers they are considered a unique and00:00 Mon 12th Nov 2001

Is Curl going to replace HTML, and what is it exactly

Asks tonyturrell A. Curl is a new form of content language that integrates mark-up functionality, scripting functionality and a full-featured object-oriented programming language within the same00:00 Mon 12th Nov 2001

What is the best website for finding property to buy or sell

Asks trixie A. Estate agents are gradually getting the hang of the web, although it is often hard to find a comprehensive listing of properties in many areas outside London online that comprise those00:00 Mon 12th Nov 2001