March 12th, 2010 by Chris Measures

Conservative Technology Manifesto: Trains and Duck Houses

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The publication of the Tory Technology Manifesto initially got my hopes up. At last an election that puts technology at the heart of the debate. But on a closer look the definition of ‘technology’ is woolly to say the least.

Most people will agree that opening up government data, increasing superfast broadband speeds, ending central government mega-projects and increasing the use of open source are generally ‘good things’. I’m less sure about the vague idea of crowdsourcing during the discussion of legislation – but that’s a personal worry about the fine line between the wisdom of crowds and the baying of the mob.

What is less easy to understand is how many of the other proposals fit under ‘technology’. A new high speed rail network? Measures to force every local authority to publish expenditure over £500 online? MP expenses available via the web? Whatever you think of these, I wouldn’t class them as technology policies.

This isn’t just being pedantic – the risk is that if this is what politicians see as ‘technology’, the real benefits of properly applied IT and a vibrant UK tech sector will get lost in wrangles over trains and expense claims for duck houses. Time to reclaim technology for what it actually is and what it can really deliver to the country.

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March 12th, 2010 by Richard Morgan

Daily News 11/03

Computing.co.uk – Tech giants attack Digital Economy Bill

A number of influential tech industry players have signed an open letter to the Financial Times opposing government plans to tighten up internet regulation, particularly the moved to cut off illegal file sharers without a fair trial.

BBC – Internet ‘in running’ for Nobel Peace Prize

ZDNet – Google Street View to cover 96pc of UK roads

Google plans to make a further 210,000 miles of British roads available on its Street View service today.

The internet is among a record 237 individuals and organisations nominated for this year’s Novel Peace Prize.

CBR – Online banking fraud rises 14 per cent

Debit and credit card fraud has fallen dramatically as criminals turn their attention to the easier pickings to be had from fleecing online banking customers. Figures released today by the UK Cards Association revealed a substantial 28 per cent drop in fraud losses from 2008 to 2009, amounting to £170m. This dramatic fall to lowest levels since 2006 was put down to combination of initiatives from banks, including chip and PIN, as well as greater police input.

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March 11th, 2010 by Gerry Grewal

Who should pick up the Nobel prize on behalf of the ‘Internet’?

The internet is among a record 237 individuals and organisations nominated for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, championed by the Italian version of Wired magazine. PR stunt? Probably. But given Barak Obama was awarded the prize last year, anything is possible…

If it does indeed win it will be the first time an inanimate object has been awarded the prestigious prize. But who would pick up the award? Whilst no one person can truly be credited, here are some possible suggestions:

– Sir Timothy John “Tim” Berners-Lee seems an obvious choice. A British engineer, computer scientist and MIT professor credited with inventing the world wide web

– Leonard Kleinrock was the first person to write a paper on the idea of packet switching which is essential for the Internet to work

– Larry G. Roberts created the first functioning long-distance computer networks in 1965 and designed the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET), the seed from which the modern Internet grew, in 1966

– Bob Kahn and Vint Cerf invented the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) which moves data on the modern Internet, in 1972 and 1973. If any two people “invented the Internet,” it was Kahn and Cerf – but they have publically stated that “no one person or group of people” invented the Internet

Who do you think should pick up the prize?

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March 10th, 2010 by Gerry Grewal

It’s a (wo)man’s world

We had a bit of a desk shuffle at Speed towers this week, and suddenly I find I’m the only woman on my pod, surrounded by a team of testosterone filled men.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I love it. I love the blokish banter (in fact, the niche dating web site blog from earlier this week was as a direct output of it), there are no occasional emotional outbursts (unless they’re originating from me) and they’re not that bad at making tea either.  To make it all the more interesting, I’m the boss (okay, joint head of the technology team here at Speed).  Now what I wondered is, is it really that unusual for a woman to be the boss of a team of men in today’s tech PR industry? I’d like to think things have moved on, but I suspect that in far too many PR agencies it’s men who land the top jobs – for whatever reason.

I really do hope things are changing, as it’s quite good fun from where I’m sitting…

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March 9th, 2010 by Richard Morgan

Daily News 09/03

BBC – US eases Cuba, Iran, Sudan, sanctions to allow freer web

The US treasury department has eased sanctions on Iran, Cuba and Sudan to help further the use of web services and support opposition groups.

BBC – S Korea child ‘starves as parents raise virtual baby’

A South Korean couple who were addicted to the internet let their three-month-old baby starve to death while raising a virtual daughter online, police said.

BBC – Queen expresses Commonwealth internet concerns

The Queen has warned that businesses in developing nations are missing out on opportunities because the internet is an “unaffordable option” in many areas. In her annual Commonwealth Day message, the monarch praised advances in science and technology for improving lives.

IT PRO – Ballmer: Microsoft ‘all in’ on cloud strategy
Microsoft’s chief executive Steve Ballmer says his company is throwing its weight fully behind the cloud.

Computer Weekly – UK shoppers flood to online stores

The UK is the largest online shopping market in Europe, but there is still room for growth as online sales catch in-store sales. About E40bn will be spent by UK consumers online in 2014 if sales increase by 10 per cent every year from this year.

The Daily Telegraph – Four in five believe internet access is a fundamental right

Four in five people around the world believe that web access is a fundamental human right, according to a new survey. The poll, which collated the answers from more than 27,000 people across 26 countries and was conducted on behalf of the BBC World Service, found that 87 per cent of interne t users felt that web access should be a basic right. More than 70 per cent of non-users felt they should have access to the net.

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March 8th, 2010 by Richard Morgan

Daily News 08/03

Silicon.com – Touchscreens will take over one in three mobiles this year

In three years’ time, the majority of mobile devices sold worldwide will be sporting a touchscreen, according to a new report from analyst house Gartner.

BBC – Internet access is ‘a fundamental right’

Almost four in five people around the world believe that access to the internet is a fundamental right, a poll for the BBC World Service suggests.

The Guardian – Twitter flies past its 10 billionth tweet

Twitter passed another milestone when a person unknown posted the system’s 10 billionth tweet

CRN – Technology sector on upswing

Research from banking giant Santander has claimed that the technology, IT and telecoms sector is bucking the national trend

The Daily Telegraph – YouTube ‘under threat’ from Digital Economy Bill changes

Popular sites such as YouTube could be blocked under new proposals to cut copyright infringement. The High Court could be given the power to issue an injunction against a website accused of hosting “substantial” amounts of copyright-infringing material, under amendments to the Digital Economy Bill proposed by the Liberal Democrats.

The Daily Telegraph – Introducing the iKey – Apple’s answer to the humble door key

Apple has plans to replace the traditional door key with a hi-tech alternative. It is developing technology, already being nicknamed the “iKey”, which will mean that rather than carrying around a bunch of keys, people will be able to use a single electronic device to unlock their car, front door and gain access to their office.

The Register – Sony takes aim at Apple iPhone, iPad

Sony is working on a series of devices designed to take the fight to Apple’s iPhone and iPad, it has been claimed.

The Register – Beeb deletes iPlayer app from iPhone

Two iPhone developers have been slapped with a 10-page cease and desist order from the BBC for trying to create an app that would cache iPlayer content.

Computerworld UK – Penguin reaches out to grab Apple iPad opportunity

he murky and untested waters of ebook publishing can be hard to navigate, and many a company has been seen flailing its arms in an attempt to keep its head above water. Perhaps they should take a lesson from Penguin Books, a company that seems to have no fear of diving into the deep to try something new.

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March 5th, 2010 by Richard Morgan

Daily News 05/03

BBC – YouTube adds video captions for deaf

YouTube is making the tens of millions of videos it hosts more accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing by putting automatic captions on them.

IT PRO – Mobile surfing now more popular than reading

Europeans spend more time accessing the internet from their mobile phones while they’re out and about than reading newspapers or magazines.

The Guardian – Plans to fight cyberwar are a ‘recipe for disaster’

Senior security experts have criticised the west’s approach to online threats, suggesting that not enough is being done to stem the growing tide of cyberattacks.

The Register – Google says desktop PC is three years from ‘irrelevance’

Google’s European sales chief says that desktop PCs will be “irrelevant” in three years. This week, as reported by Silicon Republic, Google Europe boss John Herlihy told a “baffled” conference audience that very soon the smartphone will completely eclipse the desktop. “In three years time, desktops will be irrelevant,” he said. “In Japan, most research is done today on smart phones, not PCs.”

ComputerWorldUK – BBC order pulls plug on iPhone iPlayer app

A promising and potentially useful iPhone application that would have allowed users to browse, view and even download content from the BBC has been blocked by the corporation.

ComputerWorldUK – European IT managers have cloud aversion

Barely one in five of European IT managers think that cloud computing represents a game-changing change in methodology for enterprises, roughly the same proportion that believes that cloud computing is a fad.

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March 5th, 2010 by Richard Morgan

Daily News 04/03

BBC – US lifts lid on top secret plan for internet security

The White House has declassified parts of a top secret plan outlining how government will protect the nation’s computer networks from cyber warfare.

BBC  Apple patent case ‘could affect all android phones’

Apple’s legal action against HTC may have “wider implications” for all phone makers using Google’s Android operating system, an analyst has warned.

IT PRO – Government vows to get 7.5 million more people online by 2014

There are currently some 12.5 million people around the country who don’t have internet access, but under the newly announced National Digital Participation Plan the Government plans to reduce that amount by 60 per cent in the next four years.

Computerworld UK – Social network launched for business process managers

Software AG opened a beta version of its social network for business process management (BPM), a year after it first announced the service.

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March 3rd, 2010 by Richard Morgan

Daily News 03/03

IT PRO – UK spearheads Europe-wide IT sales recovery
Business and consumer technology product sales are up across Europe, according to market research firm Context, and UK distributors are leading the way.

IT PRO – Google expected to tweak Gmail security this week

Google is expected to update Gmail this week with a number of security enhancements aimed at reducing the risk of phishing and hacking attacks on users’ accounts.

The Register – Buzz Aldrin goes Dancing With The Stars

Following his raptastic hook-up with Snoop Dogg, multi-talented Moon geezer Buzz Aldrin will be strutting his stuff in the forthcoming series of Dancing With The Stars - alongside cream-splattered beach strumpet Pamela Anderson.

The Register – Apple is suing HTC

Apple has filed a lawsuit against Taiwanese manufacturer HTC, citing 20 patent infringements including UI and hardware as well as architectural design.

Computerworld UK – Barclays Wealth planning £230m IT and infrastructure overhaul

Barclays Wealth plans to spend approximately £230 million overhauling its technology and infrastructure, it has been confirmed, as part of a bid to grow the business dramatically over the next five years.

Computerworld UK – BBC slashes web budget

The BBC has announced it is slashing the amount of money it spends on its website.

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March 3rd, 2010 by Richard Morgan

Daily News 02/03

IT PRO – Twitter to launch search-based advertising model
Twitter is to introduce an advertising model that will serve third-party advertisements in on-site search results, broadly emulating Google’s approach to the wider web.

IT PRO – Orange and T-Mobile merger given EU green light

Mobile heavyweights Orange and T-Mobile have been cleared by European regulators to go ahead with their proposed merger – one that will result in a combined UK customer base of just short of 30 million users.

The Guardian – Microsoft has started rolling out its browser ballot

It’s probably not a “phishing attack”: Microsoft Windows users in Europe are now starting to get a screen that offers them a choice of web browsers, as a result of an anti-trust settlement with the European Commission

The Guardian –  BBC’s iPlayer verification blocks open source software

The BBC seems to have started using a Flash player verification service that stops the iPlayer from streaming for more than a minute or two to unauthorised media players, hitting users of the open source XBMC

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