Tag: Government

UK Government to investigate path to next generation broadband

fibre_optic_cable.jpgThink your pitifully slow “nowhere near up to eight meg” broadband is a joke? You may be vaguely encouraged that the Government is starting to look at how we move Britain into truly fast, “next generation” broadband.

The Business and Competitiveness Minister, Shriti Vadera, launched the independent review on Friday. It will look at the importance of 100Mbps+ broadband to British businesses, and what the potential barriers are to achieving those kind of speeds.

“The way we will do business, access many government services, as well as information and entertainment, will change beyond recognition over our lifetime. New technologies will push the boundaries of today’s communications infrastructure,” she said. “We need to prepare the way for the UK to adopt groundbreaking new technologies to ensure that we do not get left behind – competitively or technologically.”

Andy Merrett Broadband

UK government contractor loses loads of personal data – again

uk-driving-license.jpgMore private details lost – this time the data of most of the UK’s learner drivers. But it’s OK – only three million people have had their personal details misplaced this time.

Bizarrely, the UK driving test data was being stored on a hard drive in the offices of a contractor based in Iowa, in the United States – and contained the names and addresses of three million…

Gary Cutlack Uncategorized

Opinion: Why Gordon Brown, Dr Tanya Byron and the Nanny State should stay out of technology

Jon_small_new.jpgWhen does a Government go too far in a bid to protect its citizens? When it locks people up without a charge? When it bans people from taking to the streets and puts them under curfew? Or when it employs a TV presenter to look at how the Internet and computer games are harming the nation’s youngsters?

This week it’s been announced Dr Tanya Byron – star of such TV greats as House of Tiny Tearaways – is to preside over a review of what effect the web and console adventures are having on kids across Britain. And I for one find it not only laughable, but downright disgusting that Gordon Brown and his cohorts think they have the right to interfere in our lives which such a pointless exercise…

Jonathan Weinberg Columns & Opinion

Manufacturers and users of technology products have to be responsible for their energy consumption

andy-merrett.jpgAndy Merrett writes…

So, the latest news is that many of our decrepit coal and nuclear power stations are coming to the end of their working lives, and something drastic needs to happen to ensure that Britain can generate enough power for our 21st century lives.

Whatever your view on nuclear power, fossil fuels, and greener alternatives, there’s no denying that we’re a power hungry nation.

We’re also lazy (but trying, of course.)

Andy Merrett Columns & Opinion

Ten ways the government will spy on us using technology

spies.jpgDid you know that every time you walk down the high street, your movements are logged by 16 CCTV cameras? And the footage is transmitted directly to MI5 headquarters, to be tagged and analysed. By robots. This is the Big Brother nation we live in, etc etc.

But the government won’t stop there. For most of us, new technology is just a new way to listen to our music / manage our working lives / record every episode of M*A*S*H ever made to view on our watch. But for The Man, new technology offers a myriad of ways to spy on us. Here’s ten of the most nefarious.

Stuart Dredge Columns & Opinion, Gadgets, Top stories