BT suggests a charge for video content

BT suggests a charge for video content

Video over an Internet connection is hardly new, back in the dark ages of 2000 there were places where 300Kbps video streams could be found. In 2009 we now have a myriad of totally legal video sources, some in the UK and some hosted abroad, offering video at a wide range of qualities.

BT according to the Financial Times is attempting to call an end to the 'free ride' that it perceives video websites have had. The FT article specifically mentions the BBC iPlayer and YouTube, but there are many other sites offering video which, while not as massive, still contribute to the peak time traffic load.

"We can't give the content providers a completely free ride and continue to give customers the [service] they want at the price they expect" - John Petter, managing director of BT Retail's consumer business

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Three-strikes law banned in France

Three-strikes law banned in France

French law designed to disconnect and ban users from the Internet at the request of rights holders has been deemed unconstitutional by the French Constitutional Council. The law known as the HADOPI law (Higher Authority for the Distribution of Works and the Protection of Copyright on the Internet), backed by President Sarkozy and the entertainment industry, was based on the three-strikes principle. The agency would first send a warning e-mail, then a letter and finally cut off the connection for a year if users were found to be illegally sharing files. A similar rule was considered in the UK for the Digital Britain report but rejected by Lord Carter to be replaced by what is expected to be traffic management instead of being disconnected.

Full story : here

Home computer injuries are rife

Home computer injuries are rife

Home computer-related injuries have increased more than sevenfold, with children hurt most often, data reveal.

Over 78,000 patients were treated for such injuries in US hospitals between 1994 and 2006, and 93% of the trips, bumps and falls occurred in the home.

Over the 13-year study period the injury rate increased by 732%, which is more than double the increase in household computer ownership.

The findings appear in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Children under five had the highest injury rate, mainly due to falls after tripping over cables or head injuries from falling monitors.

Similarly, in the UK computer-related accidents in the home sharply increased from around 800 in 1995 to more than 1,800 in 1999 and 2,100 in 2002 - the latest figures available.

A third of the incidents in 2002 involved a child under the age of 15, according to the Royal Society for the...

Personal Computer World to close

Personal Computer World to close

Twelve jobs at risk as Incisive Media closes Personal Computer World, one of Britain's oldest consumer technology titles

Incisive Media is closing Personal Computer World, one of the UK's oldest consumer technology titles, after more than 30 years, putting 12 jobs at risk.

The company said that it had been forced to close the title, which was first published in 1978, because of a combination of factors including the economic downturn and the decline of the computer magazine market. PCW's final issue, for August, will go on sale on 18 June.

"Because of the unprecedented adverse economic climate, advertisement and copy sale revenues have declined in parallel with the contraction of the monthly personal computer magazine market, to the point that the title is no longer economically viable," the company said today.

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London is UK’s most e-town - Torquay is most e-Luddite

London is UK’s most e-town - Torquay is most e-Luddite

London and Canterbury are the e-capitals of the UK according to the first national survey to lift the lid on what Britons are doing on the internet. Bournemouth was second to last and Torquay had the lowest score, making it the most e-Luddite town in the land.

More than 12,000 people completed the Great British e-test “How ‘se’s are you?” developed by online consultants Enhance Media. It covered 30 internet activities, ranging from using a search engine and email, to subscribing to an RSS feed and uploading a video to YouTube. Results revealed:

Britain’s most e-literate towns
1 London
2 Canterbury
3 Cambridge
4 Swindon
5 Chelmsford
6 Glasgow
7 Milton Keynes
8 Sheffield

Britain’s least e-literate towns
1 Torquay
2 Bournemouth
3 Twickenham
4...

IT managers 'must prepare for growth'

IT managers 'must prepare for growth'

Technology executives should start aligning their business towards growth regardless of the recession, Gartner has advised.

The industry analyst firm suggested that organisations should attempt to roll out their growth plans by July 1st this year.

Gartner explained that rises in unemployment have led to staff operating at nearly full capacity and customer demand is likely to increase in the coming months.

Full Article here.

-Ken

Tresham Opens Prometric Test Centre

Tresham Opens Prometric Test Centre

Tresham Institute has opened the first Prometric test centre in Northamptonshire within the IT Focus Centre at the colleges Church Street, Wellingborough campus.

The Prometric Test Centre is open on Fridays between 10am- to 4pm and enables people to take hundreds of different types of online exams. All exams are proctored (invigilated) by qualified Test Centre Administrators who are fully trained Tresham staff.

Prometric is the ‘leading global provider of comprehensive testing and assessment services' which specialises in the delivery of online certification testing for the academic, professional, government, corporate and IT profession.

The test centre is open to any one wishing to take their online exams regardless of whether they have studied for their qualification at the college.

Full Story: here

Microsoft unveils new controller

Microsoft unveils new controller

Microsoft has unveiled its new control system for the Xbox 360 console, at E3 in Los Angeles.

Project Natal is a fully hands-free control system that will use face recognition and motion sensors to allow users to play games.

Film director Steven Spielberg, attending the launch, said it was "a window into what the future holds".

Although still in the early stages, Microsoft has sent prototypes to all the main game developers.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Spielberg said he had always stated that "the main barrier stopping people getting into video games was the complexity of a games controller," and that Natal was "a whole new world".

"There is technology now that recognises not just your thumb, it recognises your entire person. The technology knows who you are," he said.

Full story : here

BT accused of iPlayer throttling

BT accused of iPlayer throttling

Britain's biggest broadband supplier has been accused of limiting download speeds on its cheapest package without giving users a clear warning.

BT Broadband cuts the speed users can watch video services like the BBC iPlayer and YouTube at peak times.

A customer who has signed on to an up to 8 megabit per second (MBPS) package can have speed cut to below 1Mbps.

A BT spokesman said the firm managed bandwidth "in order to optimise the experience for all customers".


Full story : here

Recession reveals the value of qualifications

Recession reveals the value of qualifications

Every year employers say they struggle to find recruits with the right skills to help them continue to grow their businesses. Despite the economic downturn, demand for BCS professional qualifications from public and private organisations, as well as individuals, continues to grow.

It is precisely those qualified staff who will help employers get through the tough times ahead.

There’s no disputing the evidence that belonging to a professional organisation and being professionally qualified can improve a person’s career prospects. According to a recent report by the Consultative Committee for Professional Management Organisations, a member of a professional body with recognised professional qualifications will be paid about 37 per cent more during their working lifetime – three times more than those who have GCSEs and A-levels, and they will earn more than £60,000 more in total than those with a degree....