Phone on a USB

Skype, the program that makes it easy to have telephone conversations over the internet, is one of the most useful programs ever created for the PC. However, it can be frustrating and inconvenient to pitch up at a computer and discover that the program isn’t installed.

Fortunately, it’s relatively straightforward to get around this by putting a copy of Skype on a USB memory key and carrying it around – then, when the time comes to make a call, just plug the key into a spare socket and run the program as normal. Well, almost as normal. As this step by step guide explains, with only the smallest amount of tinkering it is possible to have Skype always on hand, whichever PC you’re using.

Don’t have Skype? Go to www.skype.com, download and install the software. Plug in a USB memory key and then double-click on My Computer, the main drive (usually C) then open these folders – Program Files, Skype and Phone. Open the USB key and then click and drag the Skype icon over from the hard disk to the USB key window. Next, right-click there and choose New, and then Folder and call it ‘Data’. Make sure the Skype program and the Data folder are stored at the key’s top level and not inside any other folders.

Next, click the Start button and choose All Programs, Accessories and then Notepad. We’re going to use this to create a small launch command that will make our USB-based version of Skype work properly. Type the following, exactly (including the spaces): skype.exe /datapath:"Data" /removable. Then click File, Save As and when the dialogue box opens, open the dropdown menu next to Save as type and choose All Files. Type in Skype.bat as the file name and save the file onto the memory key next to the copied Skype program.

Switch back to the open USB key window and scroll through the list of files. See the new one called Skype? To start the portable version of Skype we’ve created, double-click on this icon (be sure to choose the one that says MS-DOS Batch underneath it, not the original blue and white Skype icon). After a moment an odd-looking black window (a DOS window) appears and disappears, followed by the Skype program. Either create a new account or sign in with an existing name and password to continue and use the program as normal.

PC Sockets and Cables

Without any ports or sockets a computer wouldn’t be much use ­ you couldn’t easily connect a monitor, keyboard or mouse. Today, though, just about every desktop and laptop is covered in sockets, with many different types doing much the same thing. And, annoyingly, they’re usually not labelled at all.

Here, we have produced a complete pictorial guide to every socket you are likely to find on a modern, or even not so modern, computer.

So the next time you find yourself wondering exactly what on earth that strange square socket on the left of a laptop is there for, or which one of the three alternatives is the best way to connect an external disk, you’ll find the answer here.

1
In this picture, the left-hand socket is for connecting to a wired network. There are three speeds of network: 10Mbits/sec, 100Mbits/sec and 1,000Mbits/sec, known as Gigabit Ethernet, but all use an identical-looking socket. Most modern computers have a 100Mbits/sec socket. Many sockets include two small flashing lights to show when the connection is active. The socket on the right is Firewire 800, a newer, faster version of Firewire. Unlike USB2 and USB1 the two use different connectors. Firewire 800 is an extremely fast way to transfer information between a PC and external device such as a hard disk, but it’s relatively rare on Windows PCs.


2
On the left is the Mini DVI connection. This carries the same information as DVI (see step 9) and can be converted to a DVI socket using an adapter. It is rare and found only on Apple Mac computers such as this Mac Mini. The Mini DisplayPort, on the right in this picture, is a small video connector that can be found on some desktop and laptops, primarily those made by Apple, and a few projectors. Adapters are available to convert Mini DisplayPort outputs to a DVI-D connector.


3
USB (Universal Serial Bus) sockets such as this pair of USB 2 Type A can be used to connect just about any peripheral device, from printers to cameras, to scanners and hard disks. Most use the USB2 standard, but older PCs may have the slower but identical-looking USB1 ports. USB can work with many types of socket and plug: this Type A socket is the most common on PCs, but the squarer Type B socket is often found on printers and smaller Mini-B sockets are common on cameras (see step 13). All are interchangeable, so a cable can have a Type A plug on one end and a Type B plug on the other, for example.


4
The PS/2 connector is used to attach a mouse or keyboard. Many come in pairs, with a green connector for a mouse and a purple one for the keyboard, but this port can accept either. Although most mice and keyboards now connect via USB instead, many desktop computers continue to include these sockets for older peripherals. They can be handy: some PCs have Bios setup tools that can only be controlled via PS/2, and as most USB mice and keyboards include PS/2 adapters they can be used to free up a USB port for other devices. The abbreviation means ‘personal system 2’.


5
On the left is a Co-axial S/PDIF. Like the optical S/PDIF socket (see below) this connector is used to transmit digital audio to an external decoder. Unlike the optical version, however, it uses a standard RCA phono cable. On the right is an Optical S/PDIF socket. One of the silliest acronyms in computing, S/PDIF stands for Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect Format and is a way to transmit sound digitally. It’s also a method for transmitting information rather than a connector, so there are two common types of S/PDIF socket: optical and coaxial. This optical type, sometimes labelled TOSLINK, must be connected using a special fibre-optic cable. S/PDIF is used to link a computer to an external surround sound decoder, and as such is only of use to serious audio or home-cinema fans.


6
On the left is the eSata socket. The Serial ATA (Sata) system is used to connect the hard disks inside most modern computers, and eSata is a version of that system designed for external disks. Because most external hard disks contain a Sata hard disk inside, eSata allows for a direct link between the computer motherboard and the disk without any need for a system such as USB or Firewire. ESata allows for very fast file transfers, but it is still relatively uncommon and set to be superseded by USB3. On the right is a Firewire 400 port. Like USB, Firewire can be used to link many types of device, but it is most common on external hard disks and camcorders. This six-circuit connector is most common on desktop PCs, while some laptops have a smaller four-circuit Firewire socket. Firewire is also known as I.Link (on Sony products) and by its technical name IEEE 1394, so you may see either labelon the socket.


7
Most PCs use 3.5mm audio sockets that accept a jack plug of the type commonly found on portable headphones. These are usually colour coded: green for stereo audio output and pink for mono microphone input. Some PCs include extra surround-sound channels coded black (stereo rear speakers) grey (stereo side speakers) and gold (centre speaker and subwoofer). Some include a blue socket, which is a line-level stereo audio input.


8
The HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) socket provides a digital video picture and sound, so there is no need to use an extra audio cable alongside an HDMI one. HDMI inputs are common on high-definition televisions, and outputs are becoming more common on computers. HDMI has a lot in common with DVI (see step 9), so the two can be linked using an adapter to transmit video but not sound.


9
The VGA port is correctly known as a D-Sub DE15 socket, but everyone knows it as VGA (Video Graphics Array). It’s used to connect most older computer monitors, and is found on many older desktop and laptop computers as well as some flat-panel TVs. It supports only an analogue video signal, so when possible a DVI or HDMI socket should be used instead.


10
The white DVI or Digital Video Interface white socket for displays has replaced the older D-Sub VGA socket on most desktop and laptop computers, and can also be found on some flat-panel televisions. Most DVI outputs (marked DVI or DVI-I) can transfer both digital and analogue video, so it’s possible to connect a VGA monitor to one using a small adapter, but those marked DVI-D cannot be used this way. An alternative Mini-DVI socket is found on some Apple computers; this can be converted to DVI using an adapter (see step 2).


11
The yellow Composite Video plug at the bottom of this picture is found on some PCs. It carries a low-quality video signal. It can be converted to a Scart plug using an inexpensive adapter. Sound must be carried separately; normally using a stereo phono cable. The Component Video socket (at the top of the picture) is a high-quality video output that is sometimes available on powerful graphics cards using an adapter. It uses three RCA phono plugs, coloured green, red and blue, and is sometimes labelled YPbPr. It is capable of transferring high-definition video, but separate audio cables are required.


12
USB Type A is the most common type of USB connector. It has a flat rectangular plug. Almost every common peripheral will use one of these to connect to your PC.


13
USB Type B connectors are generally used to connect printers and scanners. This end will go into the printer, with a USB Type A plug (see step 11) on the other end for the PC.


14
Although there are many types of small USB connector, the USB Mini B is most common. It's often used to connect cameras and music players, with a Type A plug (see page 11) on the other end for your PC.


15
The Ethernet cable is used to make a wired network connection. You might connect one between your PC and router, for example.


16
A Firewire 400 cable of this kind is normally used to connect a camcorder to your PC, although some modern camcorders use USB instead.


17
The circular PS2 connector might be found on an older mouse or keyboard. Look for a green (mouse) or purple (keyboard) socket on your PC.


18
The VGA plug connects an analogue monitor to your computer. If no suitable socket is available you may need a DVI to VGA adapter.


19
The DVI plug, normally coloured white, connects a monitor to your computer. Look for a white socket on your graphics card or laptop.

Nexus One and Android 2.1

Google's Nexus One is an astonishingly fast phone. Use it for more than a few minutes and you'll see that much of the slowness we've learned to associate with smart phones is not the fault of the network but of the phones themselves specifically, their processors.

Today's 3G networks can deliver data to your phone faster than the broadband connections that many people have in their homes: a laptop equipped with one of those USB modems from AT&T or Verizon functions splendidly. Yet most smart phones take several seconds to click between Web pages or launch a new application. That's because the typesetting and image processing necessary to turn the text of a Web page into something that can be displayed on a screen takes a lot of computation. And most phones have comparatively slow processors in many cases, they are no faster than a Pentium 3 from 10 years ago.
The Nexus One, by contrast, has a one gigahertz processor more than 60 percent faster than the processors in the iPhone 3GS, Palm Pre, and BlackBerry Bold 9700, according to several benchmarks. In my testing, it took 2.5 seconds, on average, to click from one Wikipedia page to the next using T Mobile's 3G network and half that long when using a Wi-Fi connection. You can open applications, zoom in on photos, and search your phone's databases instantly. The faster processor dramatically improves the phone's enjoyability.
The Nexus One also has a beautiful high resolution screen 800 by 480 pixels crammed into 3.7 diagonal inches for a display that's roughly 250 dots per inch, making even tiny text quite legible. (Apple's new iPad, in comparison, is 1,024 by 768 pixels on a screen that's 9.7 inches, for just 132 dots per inch.) The Nexus's five megapixel camera can autofocus and takes detailed photos at six centimeters, and it has a surprisingly bright LED flash. The phone also has a standard 3.5 millimeter headphone jack, which means you don't need those bulky adapters to use high end earbuds.
Google's phone runs an updated version of the company's Android operating system, the same software that's at the heart of Motorola's new Cliq and Droid phones, T Mobile's G1 (a.k.a the HTC Dream), and even the Barnes and Noble Nook e book reader. But unlike the others, the Nexus One runs Android 2.1, the latest and greatest version (of course). Droid runs 2.0, although it's scheduled for an update, while the G1 is still running Android 1.6.
Android has been on the market for nearly 18 months, and this new version has a significantly improved user interface that requires fewer button presses for the same functions. For example, when you are in the middle of a phone call, you can now use buttons on the screen to add a call, display the dial pad, switch to and from a Bluetooth headset, mute, and control the built in speakerphone (on the G1, these features all require clicking the Menu button). The screens also show more information. For example, a photo of the person you're speaking with is displayed in the middle of screen; put that person on hold to take another call, and the first caller's photo appears behind the second photo.
Photos appear more often than you might expect, thanks to the close integration between the Android and Facebook. Type your Facebook username and password into the phone's Facebook application and the phone's Contacts (the address book) will immediately be populated with the names, phone numbers, photos, and even status updates of your Facebook friends. You can decide whether you want to have the phone augment existing contacts with the Facebook information, bring all of your Facebook contacts into the phone's contact list, or remove all of the Facebook data from that list. It's creepy, sure, but also kind of useful.