Q I hear Dell has just recalled 4m laptop batteries. I have a Dell: should I be worried?
Sheila Johnson, Wimbledon
A This is the biggest recall in history and has been prompted by explosive fires in Dell laptops. The batteries are made by Sony, and there may well be other manufacturer recalls coming. Only a small selection of Dell’s models are affected, so don’t panic. Visit www.dellbatteryprogram.com to check whether your battery serial number is being called back. If so, follow instructions.
Safety zone
Q Zone Labs has said that it will no longer update its ZoneAlarm firewall software for Windows 98. Am I still protected?
John Hart, via e-mail
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A Firewall programs, unlike antivirus software, are not dependent on updates. They simply block anything suspicious or unauthorised, so you should be protected. It’s possible, however, that someone will create malware that circumvents the ageing program some time in the future. I’ve just started using a free alternative called Jetico (from www.jetico.com/index.htm#/jpfirewall.htm), which works well after a slightly fiddly setup.
Mouse trouble
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Q My daughter suffers severe shoulder pain from using her mouse. What can she do?
Sheila Burg, via e-mail
A The Evoluent Mouse II (£68 from tinyurl.com/zpk3j) is a "stand-up" mouse that you hold in a more upright position, and may help with her pain. I have moved on to a Kensington Expert Mouse trackball, to avoid aches and pains from my computing. It’s ugly, clunky and expensive, but seems to help my creaking fingers more than other trackballs I’ve owned. Visit tinyurl.com/moprj for more.
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