Google Tasks: Gold Dust Info For Advertisers

Google Tasks: Gold Dust For AdvertisersIn a further step to make Gmail as invaluable as possible to peoples lives, Google has released an add-on for gmail to help you handle your tasks.

Released via Google Mail Labs, the app is fairly simple, letting you plug in the tasks you have to complete and when they have to be done by – but of course!

As was pointed out on Twitter by Psychemedia, Google knowing what you need to get done is fantastic for their adsense advertising opportunities.

It’s highly arguable that no piece of information could be more valuable to Google that what your plans / tasks / desire are.

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IWF: How Web Sites Become Banned In The UK

IWF: How Web sites become banned in the UKGiven all of the attention on the banning of Web sites in the UK (read Wikipedia / Scorpions album), we thought we’d give you the inside view on how it comes about.

The setup
If a member of the public raises an objection to a Web site to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), the IWF takes a look at it to judge if it’s objectionable (btw – they’re one of the few bodies in the UK legally allowed to view the child pr0n)

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HomeCamp Event: Andy Stanford-Clark’s View

We really, really wanted to get along to the first HomeCamp event – which covered the now-realistic world of automating your home.

Due to a change of circumstances on our side, we couldn’t make it. Much to our relief IBM Master Inventor and Distinguished Engineer Dr Andy Stanford-Clark (who you may know from his house that Twitters) said he’d cover it for Digital-Lifestyles’ readers. Thanks Andy!

HomeCamp Event: Andy Stanford-Clark's ViewA couple of Saturdays ago I went to the first “HomeCamp,” at Imperial College in London.

HomeCamp was an “unconference” (a conference where the participants decide what form and content it should have, on the day) to look at areas of home energy monitoring and home automation.

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Oasis Joins The Growing Band Of Twitter Fans

Oasis Joins The Growing Band Of Twitter FansA couple of new Twitter converts came to our attention last night, despite what
Nick Curtis thinks of it.

Oasis, who are on a tour in the US at the moment, jumped on to Twitter a couple of days ago with their @OasisOfficial account.

They haven’t exactly gone mad on it, making only two posts, but they are picking up followers fast.

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OpeniBoot: Linux On The iPhone (Video)

OpeniBoot: Linux On The iPhone (Video)Interesting to see that Apple’s iPhone has had its iPhone interface replaced with a version of Linux by a group of determined enthusiastic Linux fans.

From the video that we’ve seen (below) – and who knows if it’s for real? – OpeniBoot gives iPhone owners the choice to start the iPhone up in Linux, as well as the normal Apple OS.

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Some eBay Sellers Still Charging 17.5% VAT

Some eBay Seller Still Charging 17.5% VATOne 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.

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The Rise Of The PVR: Painfully Slow. New Technology Adoption Is Slow

The Rise Of The PVR: Painfully Slow, But UK Highest In EuropeNever be fooled. Things always take a lot longer to change than you think they will – particularly where the mass adoption of a new technology is concerned.

The PVR lesson
When I started writing about TiVo back in 2001, I saw “PVR’s are a vital piece in the jigsaw.”

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Twitter Misunderstood In The Evening Standard

Twitter Misunderstood in the Evening StandardNick Curtis has written a poorly-researched piece in the Evening Standard that attempts to take a chunk out of Twitter, while asking if ‘Twitter is the new Facebook.’

Why poorly-researched? Well, he starts the piece saying that Tweets are 160 characters long – and as anyone who has ever looked at the sevice will know, they’re 140, the large ‘140’ beneath the input box being the clue. He then moves to tell us all how he didn’t really understand it.

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