LIFE WITH GADGETS

Windows Vista has been out for just over a year now, and whilst many of us have put off upgrading, Microsoft will soon be stopping the supply of Windows XP.

Given this, I thought I'd run through a couple of tips for the new software.Vista comes with the windows sidebar, running along the right-hand side of the screen, this is an area that by default shows the time, weather and latest news.The sidebar however is completely customisable, and not just restricted to the right hand side.If you drag the weather element away from the right onto another part of the desktop, it expands to show

more detail, and a three-day weather forecast.You can also add thousands of custom applications from the web, from games to calculators and other utilities. Just click at the top left of the sidebar to view options.The applications are known as 'gadgets', so click 'add more gadgets' to find more programs and utilities for the sidebar.One thing people notice about Vista is the increased security - you are forever being prompted to confirm your actions and the actions of software with pop-ups, which some people find annoying. This is called 'User Account Control', and if you want it can be turned off by going to 'control panel', and searching for user account.In the results window you will see 'Turn User Account Control On or Off', click this to disable it. Please note this feature is there for your security, and I would only recommend advanced users to disable it.