It was most surprising to hear today that Lord Carter may be leaving the government.
He’s currently preparing the much-vaunted Digital Britain Report, that is intended to form the UK governmental approach to digital media and its distribution.
Continue reading Lord Carter, Digital Britain Report Author May Leave Government: UPDATED
There’s been a lot of concern in the UK about members of the public and journalists being restricted in where and what they can take photographs of in public places.
Where previously there hasn’t been any significant limitations, there is now much concern that the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 contains a clause that allows for the arrest of people taking photos “likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.”
A definition that broad could lead to any photographer being arrested.
The NUJ arranged a mass-photo taking this morning outside New Scotland Yard, our man Mike was down there and will be reporting back shortly. has now published his Section 76 Photographers Scotland Yard Protest: Report.
Photo: Alberto OG
Project Kangaroo, which was to offer video from a number of UK broadcasters, delivered over the Internet, has been blocked by the UK Competition Commission (CC).
Kangaroo was a joint venture with the BBC through BBC Worldwide, ITV plc and Channel Four Television Corporation.
One of the great things about being computer-based is that you can move fast and change information quickly … right?
We know these things, don’t we.
This was the basis for us being really confused as to why some eBay sellers are still charging VAT at 17.5%, instead of the new 15% rate.
As those in the UK will be well aware, in an attempt to stimulate the economy and get people spending their money, the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer allowed the VAT rate (sales tax) to be trimmed down on 1 December 2008.
The UK government has named the initial areas around England that will pilot their £300m push to provide computer access from home for school children around the country.
Starting February 2009, 20,000 pupils from low-income families in Suffolk and in Oldham will be offered grants to pay for a computer, software to run on it, a years Internet access and and three years technical support.
Continue reading Next Generation Learning: Free Computers For Children Pilot Areas Announced
UK broadcasting regulator Ofcom has given the big thumbs up for the creation of three spanking new high definition (HD) channels on Freeview from Autumn 2009.
Expected to start rolling out from the Granada region first, Channel 4, Taff-tastic Welsh-language broadcasters S4C, plus the gang of Channel 3 licensees (ITV PLC, Channel TV, STV and UTV) will be able to join HD pioneers BBC and start serving up new HD services on digital terrestrial television (DTT).
Just had this latest update in from Gary McKinnon‘s legal representative. His legal struggles have been long.
This afternoon, the Secretary of State has advised via the Treasury Solicitors, that despite Mr McKinnon’s diagnosis with Aspergers she will now be making arrangements for his extradition pursuant to her order for Extradition of 4th July 2006. She has failed to make any request for repatriation to the UK when other countries make similar requests on behalf of their citizens.
We are now considering whether or not Mr McKinnon has a further judicial remedy and we are urgently investigating this issue.
Here’s another tale of UK data loss that has to be one for the “You couldn’t make it up” files.
An Englishman has bought a Nikon Coolpix camera from eBay for £17 that had lots of secret information stored on it.
According to The Sun, list is considerable.
Although The Sun isn’t explicit — not surprisingly, as why would they confuse their readers — it appears that other data was held on the memory card, but not as photos. These include names, snaps, fingerprints and suspects’ academic records.
Special Branch attention
Having realising what he had, the eBay purchaser reported his findings to the police where he lived, at Hemel Hempstead.
Despite the officers apparently not taking it seriously, the anti-terrorist Special Branch officers turned up at his home and removed the camera and the computer that the pictures had been downloaded to – giving them £1,000 to buy a replacement.
It’s reported that investigation are being made into the seller of the equipment.
We heard news from Gary McKinnon’s law firm, Kaim Todner, that the European Court of Human Rights (‘ECtHR’) has ruled against their recent application to have Gary’s extradition to the US halted.
The temporary prohibition of McKinnon’s extradition, as granted by the ECtHR on 12 August, is now effectively lifted and the authorities of the United Kingdom are now free to extradite our client to the United States.
Continue reading Gary McKinnon: All Legal Routes Exhausted: Extradition To US Likely
Yet another UK Government data loss story today.
Today’s is the loss of the names, dates of birth and, in some cases, the expected prison release dates of all 84,000 prisoners in the UK.
As well as this shocking amount of data, there was more held on the memory stick that it’s reported that PA Consulting lost.
PA Consulting have also worked on the proposed ID Card project.
Continue reading All 84,000 UK Prisoner’s Details Lost On Data Stick