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Jeremy Hunt unveils Tory technology platform
As the three main UK political parties vie for positioning ahead of a general election to be held by June, the Conservatives unveiled their “Technology Manifesto” on Thursday in London outlining the key issues they would address if they form the next government.
Shadow Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude presented ideas on everything from improving broadband speeds to making government data accessible online.
Boosting broadband speeds would play a crucial role in stimulating growth by providing new areas of financial competitiveness, they said.
“This is central to the growth of the UK economy and will create hundreds of thousands of jobs,” Hunt said.
The Conservatives say they would break up the dominance BT has over the Internet and find a way to open up access to other firms.
“Our plans will stimulate a massive increase of investment in our digital structure by allowing anyone to invest in BT’s ducts and pipes,” Hunt told Reuters.
Hunt spoke with Reuters about Conservative plans in the video clip below.
from MediaFile:
Digital, Life, Design 2010 Live Coverage
DLD (Digital - Life - Design) is a three-day experience gathering 800 entrepreneurs, investors, philantropists, scientists, artists and creative minds from all over the world. With global diversity in attendees and an interdisciplinary perspective of digital, media, design, art, science, brands, consumers and society, the conference is known as the European forum for the "creative class".
Follow live coverage of the conference here
from The Great Debate UK:
Tackling digital copyright theft
-Lavinia Carey is Chair of the Alliance Against IP Theft, and Director General of the British Video Association. The opinions expressed are her own. -
The proposals contained within the much anticipated Digital Economy Bill have prompted lively debate among politicians, industry and consumer groups. Unfortunately, some have characterised the debate as industry versus consumer, when in fact both industry and the consumer have an interest in reducing copyright theft.
The proposals will benefit millions of people, and significant consensus exists about the need to tackle the issue by first warning and ultimately taking action against those who distribute other people’s content online without permission.
Whilst some have criticised the Government’s proposals on temporary broadband account suspension this is one of a number of potential measures, implemented only after due process and a robust appeals process, which may be used as a last resort against those who have ignored multiple warnings and continue to persist in illegal file-sharing. Research also shows the important role the existence of such a deterrent has to play in changing people’s behaviour.
Equally, most parents would surely welcome a warning that alerted them to the fact that the activities of their children were exposing the whole family to security breaches. That is what happens when people file-share – the software they download to access illicit music or film files, for example, also provides access to other users to all the files on their computer, some of which may contain very personal and private information and it’s a great propagator of malware and viruses.
Many internet users find broadband speeds unsatisfactory, particularly during the heaviest use of bandwidth by file-sharers between the hours of 6pm and midnight, so consumers who use legitimate services will probably welcome the fall in illegal traffic, which significantly contributes towards congestion on the networks.
Those who rely on the creative economy for their livelihood, including musicians, directors, software developers, lighting and camera operators, make-up artists, costumiers, designers, producers, grips, writers and sound engineers to name just a few deserve to have their creativity protected. They are consumers too. If they are not properly rewarded for their work, our creative economy will suffer. This is not something our country can afford to risk. This is one of the fastest growing industries in the UK, 8 percent of GDP, and in many parts of the sector we justifiably lead the world.
While it is commendable to suggest we should correctly recompense the many hard working individuals in the media industries which have been impacted by the file sharing pheomenon, it is erroneous to assume that the movement to tackle this with countermeasures has been implemented for their benefit.At the end of the day, the pressure on the Government is being put forward by the corporations who have seen significant dents in their profits simply because they were too greedy in the first instance to be willing to ride the wave of file sharing in the first place.The whole crux of this issue lies with the principal concern these corporations have. This is not a concern for their staff or their artists’ general wellbeing. This is ultimately a concern over their profits. The Governments, who ultimately benefit from the taxation of the end products, are simply acting to secure their own revenues as well. They’ll stand behind the shield of more noble reasons, but never acknowledge any reasonable counterarguments from the other side of the fence.Money does make the world go round, unfortunately. But it is possible that there has been some net benefit to global society as a whole on account of the greater proliferation and dissemination of great works of art, across several media platforms.Regardless of right or wrong, legal or illegal, this file sharing business has been the catalyst for a great wave of change throughout the entire world. Which, as an evolving and tech integrated species, can only be a good thing for us in the long run.
Are The Beatles overrated?
A framed handwritten report card from 1950 on the wall of Mendips, John Lennon’s childhood home in Liverpool, states:
“John has worked quite well this term. His oral work is very good, his written work is good, but he chatters far too much.”
Lennon, born in 1940, had been living on Menlove Avenue with his Aunt Mimi and Uncle George for five years when that report was issued.
In retrospect, the remarks may have hinted at Lennon’s later prolific songwriting talents.
Despite his aunt’s academic encouragements, Lennon left Liverpool’s Quarry Bank High School in 1957 without qualifications, but with the foundations of his musical career established in his skiffle group the Quarry Men.
He met Paul McCartney, who lived not far away at 20 Forthlin Road in 1957, and the two turned their talents to composing songs. The rest is history, as they say.
Also I read an online interview around 2002 with George Martin where he says that even though he has worked with many other music artists he still has never known or worked with anyone as brilliant as The Beatles! And he said on a radio show on The Beatles I once heard the very true and obvious that, “John Lennon and Paul McCartney were incredibly talented people and both were extraordinarily talented song writers and great singers.
Will you miss Teletext?
It will be the end of an era. Associated Newspapers has announced that it will shut the analogue Teletext TV service in January next year.
The shutdown was expected to take place in 2012 and the company has also said that it will even close several of its Freeview digital services. The service has been badly hit by a fall in audiences and revenue brought on by the economic downturn.
Teletext services have been running since 1974, providing news and weather reports, football results and film listings. Some commercial services on digital channels will remain, as will the profitable travel websites.
Will you miss Teletext? Do you still use it? What are your memories of the service?
Is Britain being too slow in promoting broadband?
A new report from Ofcom, reveals that more than 30 percent of homes in Britain don’t have basic broadband service.
The study will become part of the government’s Digital Britain report, which is intended to help keep the UK economically and culturally competitive by promoting broadband access.
“We hope the research will help assist an informed debate on the options available to society to help ensure that the social and economic benefits of the Internet are spread as widely as possible,” the media regulator said in a statement.
“The inclusion of everyone into the digital world has emerged as an important principle in our society.”
The research identified three main groups:
- Those intending to get the internet in the next six months: Two in 10 people currently without the internet said they were likely to get connected in the next six months. They are more likely to be younger, regular internet users outside of the home who are working and have children.
- The self-excluded: 42 percent state lack of interest or need as their main reason for not wanting to take up the internet. The self-excluded tend to be older and retired and 61 percent have never used a computer. This group shares a sense of indifference, with many struggling to come up with any reasons why they should have the internet at home.
Let’s face it. The monthly cost is a rip off. There are parts of London where one can’t get wireless access and places in rural Britain where one can. Figure that one out.
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The Wall
This conversation is going no where. It’s lacking the place of a good leader to head the things to come out on conclusion. I am waiting for ur quick positive reply.
Have a nice day, It is very helpful to know about different historical tourist places all the world. Thank you for providing such useful informations.The Conservatives say they would break up the dominance BT has over the Internet and find a way to open up access to other firms.
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New Technology