Some Interesting News Articles
Last edit: Nov 2005
New World Wide Web Emerging - Meet the New Network
25th Nov 2005
The days of
convergence are upon us. The trend towards the merging of media
via the Internet is already causing significant cultural shifts
The virtue of being virtual
25th Nov 2005
When up and coming companies in industries as diverse as the advertising
world and the legal and pharmaceutical sectors decide to rethink their
entire way of working, the rest of the business world should assume a
heightened state of alert
Analysis: Back on the broadband wagon
3rd May 2005
ADSL2+ might be making the headlines, but Britain isn't catching up with the leading broadband nations,
reports Stephen Bruce.
To
infinity and beyond
November 20, 2003
Ashley Norris logs on to the new Wi-Fi zone in London and looks at how innovative
companies are developing signals in some unlikely places around the UK. (Plus
useful links)
Keep
up with public wireless dangers and Wi-Fi security standards
August 11, 2003
Malicious intruders plus vulnerable networks and buggy software equals a security
nightmare.
All
the write stuff
November 20, 2003
Keyboards may be faster but pens just won't go away. Mary Branscombe looks at
the latest versions of the oldest writing tool
Nigerian
email conmen fall into their targets' net
November 16, 2003
Fed up with having their inboxes clogged with emails from Nigerian fraudsters
promising untold riches, the victims are finally hitting back.
Buying
a name you can trust
November 28, 2002
Registering a web domain name is easy enough, but it is vital to check out managers'
level of service.
Stumbling
blocks
November 20, 2003
British organisations are failing to get real productivity gains from the £50bn
they spend every year on information and communications technologies (ICT) ..
ICT can deliver a potential five to seven-fold return on investment
Net
booms in Kabul
October 16, 2003
In a country with precious little infrastructure, wireless technology is helping
Afghans develop their economy
Taking
talk to bits
October 2, 2003
Some boroughs have already switched to internet-based phones. But has the technology
improved sufficiently to encourage more to follow suit?
Burning
issue finally prompts label action
April 25, 2003
Thanks to the internet, the music industry has changed, but it has taken
a long time for the major labels to wake up to the fact, says Paul Myers
The
Great Firewall of China
April 25, 2003
China wants to take advantage of the commercial benefits of the internet but
is determined to block citizens' access to 'subversive' material, writes Staffan
Thorsell
High
rise hi-tech
Sean Dodson October 31, 2002
Betty Williams, 84, is one of the trailblazers for a broadband revolution in
Britain's poorest estates
Links
to the future
April 1, 2003
Changing net technologies serve to keep the medium useful, relevant and interesting,
argues Steve Bowbrick As we become more dependent on the internet, the literal
fabric of our networked lives, from the websites we depend on, to the emerging
wireless infrastructure, to the social tools we use, is getting richer, more
meaningful and more tightly woven.
Digital
revolution is still on fast forward
Neil Blackley April 1, 2003 The Guardian
The convergence party hasn't been cancelled, only postponed.
Working
the web: Student rations
SA Mathieson January 24, 2002
Do you buy that essential textbook, or spend your last fiver in the pub? You
can do both if you work the web.
People
need banking - not banks
Roger Willcocks October 19, 2000 The Guardian
The web is changing the way we manage our wealth - but not fast enough ..
Keeping
the faith
Dave Birch October 24, 2002 The Guardian
Money is the key to m-shopping success.
Net
Porn
Decca Aitkenhead March 30, 2003 The Observer
Millions of men log on to adult sex sites every day. With unlimited porn just
a click away, cybersex is changing the way men view real women. But what happens
to their emotions when the screen shuts down?
Why
sex still leads the net
Sara Gaines February 28, 2002
Porn websites are making millions. Now mainstream dot.coms are asking them for
advice.
State
steps into breach
Michael Cross April 3, 2003
Local authorities are proving to be the unlikely saviours of broadband access
in the absence of private investment
Government
in free-for-all
S A Mathieson April 3, 2003
Ministries are beginning to wake up to the obvious value of open source software
Getting
the cold shoulder
Mike Butcher April 3, 2003
A new report into how people really use mobiles has shed some light on the slow
take-up of 3G phones, explains
Public
Domain
Michael Cross April 3, 2003
Britain's doctors are about to announce a breakthrough. They have agreed on
what information should go into our online medical records.
Virtual
reality
Simon Bisson April 3, 2003
.. virtual servers could give ageing applications and out-of-date operating
systems a new lease of life.
A
spammer in the works
Jack Schofield February 27 2003
Today, there is no way to stop spam. However, the flood can be reduced to a
trickle with a little effort. We still need changes in the law to make spamming
illegal, changes in ISP behaviour - they can filter email before it reaches
users - but free soft ...
Spam,
spam, spam and spam? Not for much longer
Richard Wray March 27, 2003 The Guardian
The government is planning a clampdown on e-mail spam, demanding that companies
obtain consumers' permission before sending them marketing material via the
internet
Google
is the net dominator
Simon Waldman February 27 2003
Google's acquisition of Blogger was smart. Very smart. In fact, the more you
look at it, the smarter it seems and the more potential it offers for both partners.
Mail
out of order
Neil McIntosh February 27 2003
Golden beaches, palm tree-lined streets, manicured golf courses and giant motor
yachts moored at the marinas: Boca Raton in Florida is a millionaire's paradise.
It's also the spam capital of the world.
The
Surveillance Society
Minnesota Public Radio
8 articles
Setting
your sites too high
Wale Azeez, January 31 2002
Online business (may be broken link)
The
net that gives you a little extra
Guy Clapperton, January 31 2002
Extranets. (may be broken link)
E-money
gets a jumpstart
Dave Birch Thursday April 25, 2002 The Guardian
How you can mint your own digital money.
Working
the web: Authorship
Heather Welford, December 13 2001
From learning the craft to publishing and competitions, the web has it all for
the aspiring writer
Sound
surfing sense
Edward Helmore, December 13 2001
After three years of rancour, lawsuits, ego-wars and secretive preparations,
the first two of what could become half a dozen industry-backed commercial
online music sites were launched last week.
How
to stay above the rest
Jack Schofield, December 06 2001
Just when many people are starting to think about getting broadband
access to the internet, about 10 times faster than using a modem, manufacturers
are planning to introduce technologies that are a hundred times faster.
The
race for a new internet
Sean Dodson, November 08 2001
There is another internet - already operational - where users are receiving
connections up to 100 times faster than people at home.
A
dream dies
November 08 2001
On the 50th anniversary of the first commercial mainframe, Guy Kewney
laments its disappearance
Eagerly
awaiting the next big thing
Guy Clapperton, November 28 2002
Trends in the use of IT by small businesses never develop at the pace
we expect. Guy Clapperton picks out the hits and misses in predictions
over the past year and asks just what might change our lives next
Be
always on your guard
Guy Clapperton, November 28 2002
An always-on broadband connection is fantastic for business, but could
also be an open door to hackers. That means firewall and anti-virus software
that is properly configured is vital
New
surfers' paradise
Walé Azeez, November 28 2002
Though famous for its tourist destinations, Cornwall has a rich technological
heritage. Now, backed by EU funds, it is expanding its broadband access
and attracting new businesses
Putting
the 'wow' back into e-learning
Justin Hunt, November 28 2002
Online training packages are renowned for their dullness, with the
result that many are never completed. Broadband's ability to deliver much
richer interactive content should not be wasted
DIY
revolution ... for some
Guy Clapperton, November 28 2002
The self-install option for broadband has made it quicker, cheaper
and easier than ever to get connected. All the more frustrating, then,
for those businesses not in broadband areas
Web
masters
John Naughton, December 15 2002
Four years ago, two students wanted to make searching the web a bit
easier. Now their brainchild is the smartest thing on the planet and can
tell you anything you want to know
Shop
tactics
Nick Clayton, November 28 2002
From drugs to jackets, big brands are tracking down those who illegitimately
sell off their goods at bargain prices on the 'underweb'.
E-gov
at the ready
Michael Cross, November 21 2002
Citizens have scored higher than government in a global study of IT
readiness
Working
the web: Scams
Lucy Farmer, November 21 2002
It's not every day that close relatives of notorious dictators communicate
with my computer, certainly not twice in one day.
The
10 commandments of website design
Matt Haig , September 14 2000
An
easier way to turn clicks to cash
Simon Bisson, September 14 2000
Bringing the e-commerce revolution to your small business is now easier
than ever before, thanks to a host of new applications and online service
providers
Why
the net is not invited to Sydney
Sean Dodson and Patrick Barkham, September 14 2000
Olympic organisers are clamping down on any websites that are connected
to the five ring circus - and some that are not, report Sean Dodson and
Patrick Barkham in Sydney
Revealed:
the secret code that split the security world
Karlin Lillington, September 28 2000
Microsoft
accuses BT of spoiling tactics in high speed web roll-out
Rob Griffin, September 28 2000
Microsoft yesterday launched a stinging attack on BT, accusing the
former state-owned monoply of spoiling the rapid roll out of high speed
web connections.
E-government
still on target
Alex Allan, September 28 2000
The
PC's silver jubilee
September 28 2000
The revolution that is still shaking the world began 25 years ago.
Jack Schofield looks at the way Bill Gates and others humbled IBM
Eggers
revolution chills US publishers
Lawrence Donegan, September 22 2002
Bestselling author's move to overthrow conventions of the book trade
The
revolution in your pocket
John Arlidge, September 22 2002
First it was voice calls, then text. Now, it's sending pictures. A
huge marketing campaign promises this will change the world. But will it
be for the better?
Drive
me crazy
Neil McIntosh, March 28 2002
Voice dialling, directions and local info all via your dash-board.
Chart
topper
Jack Schofield, March 28 2002
Walking down a city street, your mobile phone rings with a warning.
You are getting too close to a high-crime area, as a quick glance at the
mugging rate on the screen's 3D city map reveals, and the automated system
offers better directions to ....
On
Her Majesty's Servers
David Walker, April 25 2002
on the hits and misses of the government's mission
to put public services online
E-money
gets a jumpstart
Dave Birch, April 25 2002
How you can mint your own digital money
Blair's
£40bn gamble on IT
April 25, 2002
Last week's budget gave the NHS a huge shot in
the arm. But, writes Michael Cross, results will depend on the world's
largest single IT project.
PCs
hit the write note
Peter Forbes, March 14 2002
The story about music and computers has revolved
around MP3: the rise and fall of Napster and the record companies' attempts
to come to terms with online distribution. But computers and the net have
revolutionised music in far more creative ways.
Dumb
cards outsmarted
Dave Birch, March 14 2002
The recent media coverage of the UK banks' decision
to switch all credit and debit cards from the traditional magnetic stripe
and signature to smart chip and PIN by 2005 has tended to focus on fraud
reduction, missing other implications.
Click
lit
Chris Middleton, March 14 2002
Forget e-Books. Online publishers believe the
biggest challenge to the "paperback in your pocket" will come from publishing
on demand.
A
lonely medium
Victor Keegan, April 18, 2002
Will the wrist watch go the way of the slide
rule?
Hit
the open node
James Mortleman, April 18 2002
Free wireless net access will soon be brought
to a park bench near you
Can
the spam
Jack Schofield, April 18 2002
Unsolicited email costs us billions and wastes
hundreds of hours of our time. But we can defuse this electronic letter
bomb
Yahoo!
posts £14m profit as revenues rise
Owen Gibson, Thursday July 11, 2002
Internet giant Yahoo! has turned in a profit
for the first time in 18 months, saying it had put the dotcom bust behind
it and was rapidly signing up new advertisers and paying customers.
Screen
versus scratch
Joia Shillingford, July 11 2002
Scratch cards for topping up prepaid mobiles
will soon become a thing of the past. The Link network of cash machines
is about to announce an agreement that will enable prepaid customers to
top up their phones at almost any UK cash machine.
Web
watch
Rhianna Prachett, December 19, 2002
The
web needs its own police
Victor Keegan, December 19, 2002
Why it is time for serious thought on net regulation.
Is
this lights out for the internet?
Richard Wray, July 11 2002
Will the web survive? The collapse of some
of the internet's key companies has raised fears about its future
Making
a mesh on the move
Peter Rojas, August 29 2002
A new way to give us fast mobile net access spells
further trouble for 3G
Slurp
and surf
Ashley Norris, August 29 2002
Starbucks wants us to use its wireless access,
while Sharp targets the youth with a snappy phone
Working
the web: Newsreaders
Ben Hammersley, August 29 2002
If you're in the know then chances are you already
have one; if not, then get a newsreader
Euro
good for euro-business
Justin Hunt, January 17 2002
The euro has been successfully launched in a fanfare of publicity,
and greatly relieved Brussels bureaucrats have been indulging in much mutual
backslapping. But in the acres of print that have heralded its historic
introduction, there appears to have been precious little written about
the euro's impact on e-businesses.
Pay
your way... by phone
Joia Shillingford, January 17 2002
Mobile phones could become the new wallets as the ubiquitous mobile
starts to take on new functions.
Working
the web: Genealogy
Mike Anderiesz, January 17 2002
Long considered the pursuit of American presidents needing to prove
they were that bit more Irish than the next guy, genealogy has only recently
emerged in the UK as one of the most popular subjects on the web.
Print
media loses out to internet
Sarah Ryle, July 28 2002
Newspapers and magazines have been toppled as the main alternative
to television in every household that has access to the internet.
When
size does matter
Chris Sherman July 18 2002
The claim by search engine Fast that it is now bigger than Google has
rekindled a fierce online debate: does size matter? ...
Seeking
search engine perfection
Neil McIntosh, January 17 2002
From the car park, the headquarters of search company Google look like
just any one of several anonymous low-rise office buildings in a Silicon
Valley business park. But set foot inside the door, and it feels like you're
taking a step back in time.
How
codebreakers cracked the secrets of the smart card
John Cassy and Paul Murphy, March 13 2002
The process was complex, time-consuming, and very expensive. This was
not about a lone hacker sitting at a computer screen trying to guess passwords.
Instead, it was an attempt to split the foundation stone supporting an
entire industry - the technology protecting pay TV.
Manx
gets 3G
November 15, 2001
Britain's first 3G (third generation) mobile phone will be in action
when Manx Telephone's pioneering trial on the Isle of Man goes live shortly.
Iran
nets another revolt
February 21, 2002
The Iranian government may be draconian, but the internet remains uncensored,
writes Ben Hammersley
'Meeting girls is easy this way," said Amir, as he continued typing,
"You can be relaxed no worries."'
Charging
for the web
February 21, 2002
Steve Bowbrick, head of Britain's biggest email services firm, explains
why we should pay up
The
race for a new internet
November 8, 2001
Rival academics are competing to create a new, faster internet.
There is another internet - already operational - where users are receiving
connections up to 100 times faster than people at home. It is a network
so swift and so powerful its advocates are claiming it has already changed
the way we will interact with the internet inthe future.
BT
and the failed revolution
November 8, 2001
Has broadband Britain come too late? Some telecoms industry critics
think so, and say they know who is to blame
A
dream dies
November 8, 2001
On the 50th anniversary of the first commercial mainframe, Guy Kewney
laments its disappearance
Stand
up for yourself
October 11, 2001
Matt Haig outlines seven easy steps to protect your privacy.
Step
by step: Creating a fake online ID
October 11, 2001
How do you remain anonymous online? Go undercover, suggests Mike Anderiesz
Cyber
chicks strike a blow at male myth
October 11, 2001
Women are leading the way when it comes to finding uses for technology.
Famous
for 15MB
November 15, 2001
Interactive TV could take off by making you a star, writes Iain S Bruce
A Scottish software company has found itself at the forefront of a
groundbreaking experiment in interactive TV launched in Manhattan last
week.
How
to learn the hardware way
March 15, 2001
Wired classrooms and diagnostic gadgetry could spell the end of the
trusty blackboard and chalk.
Computer
masters baby talk
March 1, 2001
A software-based baby "chatterbot" called Hal - named for the villainous
computer in 2001: A Space Odyssey - could be about to command the language
ability of a five-year-old.
Is
'big brother' a myth?
March 15, 2001
Have you ever had the feeling that someone is looking over your shoulder?
That your every move is being scrutinised? You have? If press reports of
email and internet monitoring at work are anything to go by you're not
alone. But is the coverage of employer monitoring of email and internet
use based on fact?
The
net's eyes are watching
November 15, 2001
The new anti-terrorism bill may force internet firms to spy on us.
S A Mathieson reports:
Anti-terrorism measures announced this week by the home secretary,
David Blunkett, will dramatically increase the amount of information internet
service providers can keep on their customers, the Home Office has admitted.
Second
sight
March 29, 2001
Open source is a model for education, and social services,
"Imagine a society where the computer hacker isn't a figure of fear
or derision, but something of a national hero (Linus Torvalds). Imagine
a country where the leading thinkers and policy-makers are comfortable
with the idea of 'open source'"
Mapping
the internet
We call it the web, but is that the right description? What does the
internet look like? A British company working on the problem it calls "linkrot"
(the estimated 10% of all hyperlinks that lead nowhere) decided the only
way to tackle the issue was to map the entire web.
Shoot
to fame
Once upon a time in Hollywood, tradition decreed that if you wanted
success, you had to get out there and fight for it. But now the web may
be making the battle to get noticed just that little bit easier.
Bluetooth
takes another bite
Although the first mobile handsets supporting the Bluetooth wireless
personal area network (PAN), and plug-in adapters for existing handsets,
are only now starting to appear in UK shops, they have been available in
Scandinavia for several months.
Ericsson
Intros BLIP Technology
Mar 02, 2001, 00:25
Ericsson [NASDAQ:ERICY], one of the prime movers behind the Bluetooth
short-range wireless personal area network (PAN), has developed a new technology
called BLIP (Bluetooth Local Infotainment Point).
A
mobile failure waiting to happen
February 8, 2001
Simon Rockman warns the third generation mobile vision could crash
to earth just like the $7bn Iridium satellite project
The
mobile secretary (Unified messaging)
November 15 2001
Some things promise much then fail to deliver, while others come up
with the goods but turn out to be pointless. Once in a while, something
comes along that fills a need and actually works.
Second
sight
February 8, 2001
Singapore has just become the world's first country to announce a move
away from boring old paper and metal money. Instead, the country is developing
and promoting a range of electronic and card-based instruments that come
under the category of digital money.
Tesco
tops the internet food chain
February 1, 2001
British shoppers are using the internet for their weekly food shop more than consumers in any other country - including the US, where the concept was pioneered.
The World Wide Web
- past, present and future
Tim Berners-Lee was awarded a Distinguished Fellowship of the British
Computer Society on July 17, 1996 at the new British Library in London.
The following is a transcript of his presentation:
Building a
real web business
[30 Mar 2001]
Although the web startups grab the headlines and magazine covers, it's
the bellwether bricks-and-mortars which represent the real internet revolution.
These are the companies that have been shaken by internet business models
and have the most to gain - and lose - in the New Economy.
Learning in
the virtual classroom
[30 Mar 2001]
A recent survey by IDC shows that computer-based training (CBT) is
one of the fastest-expanding sectors in IT, with the European market growing
from $320m in 2000 to an estimated $3.9bn in 2004. Worldwide the figure
will be $23bn.
Buying power
through e-procurement
[30 Mar 2001]
Buying staples can be a costly business for a large company. It's not
just about the catalogue price - firms also rack up costs when they actually
buy the little critters.
NTL offers broadband
via cable
[16 Mar 2001]
Broadcasting and communications giant NTL has confirmed a May launch
for its broadband package for business users.
Napster verdict
highlights ebusiness risks
[27 Feb 2001]
Combined with the European Parliament's new copyright directive, the
US court ruling against Napster last week contains important lessons for
anyone doing business online.
It gets
worse: banks online customers' prefer branches
[02 Apr 2001]
The Henley Centre is to be congratulated for a clever piece of research.
The statistic that two thirds of online banking customers actually prefer
dealing with their banks in a branch looks like another nail in the coffin
for ecommerce and, as such, was bound to make headlines.
Everything
you need to know about DNS
[02 Apr 2001]
The Domain Name Service (DNS) is one of the fundamental building blocks
on which the internet is built. Although we identify internet-connected
computer systems - web servers, FTP servers and so on - by name, as one
would expect, the machines themselves have numeric IP addresses. The DNS
is the mechanism that enables names to be converted to addresses, and vice
versa.
UN
launches one-stop green website
8 February, 2001
In a move it claims is "democratising and revolutionary", the UN Environment
Programme (Unep) has launched a network portal intended to transform access
to information about green issues.
Why
MP3 piracy is much bigger than Napster
13 February, 2001
Shutting down Napster will have little, if any, effect on the amount
of music being stored and swapped on the net.
BT's
broadband 'disgrace'
8 February, 2001
BT is facing legal action from rival firms over the rollout of high-speed
net connections across the UK.
Drat,
it's down again
July 27, 2000
When computer systems crash on a large scale the repercussions can
cost millions. Jack Schofield reports on the latest spate of software 'disasters'
and asks who is really to blame?
Opinion
Government websites failing to deliver
June 14, 2000
The state needs standards and investment if its departments are to
deliver on the internet
Britain is the world leader in the delivery of electronic government.
That is not a fact, but the opinion of senior executives in UK government
agencies who, according to a Deloitte Research survey yesterday, expect
41% of citizens to use the internet as their primary point of contact by
2002, compared to 40% in Canada, 34% in Australia and 31% in the United
States.
The
most useful websites for local government
Friday March 16, 2001
The
internet: the issue explained
March 12, 2001
The internet revolution poses major challenges and opportunities for
all public sector professionals, especially as the government sees it as
a major factor in improving access to and quality of services.
Health care faces one of the biggest changes following the launch
of the government's £500m four-year plan to wire up the NHS to the
net in January.
Government
launches £1bn UK Online drive
September 11, 2000
The government today launched a £1bn drive to get all of itsservices
online by 2005.
guardian.co.uk/politics
March 27, 2001
What price an e-election, one in which the internet and email have
a profound impact on the way our democracy is governed and our leaders
chosen? Not much, if the politicians' own track ecord in handling new media
is any guide. Fortunately they do not have a monopoly on the options. Plenty
of wannabe e-politics sites have come and some have gone. Today the Guardian's
website, Guardian Unlimited, launches its own politics site. It offers
a huge new archive of information and expert opinion about politics and
politicians - great and small - their policies, their past, their constituency
patches.
Anyway,
anyhow, anywhere
Office life is doomed. Soon we'll be operating from the remotest of
places
Tough
day at the cottage, dear?
Technology is allowing stressed-out urbanites an exit route from the
rat race.
At
this price? TeleWork
Life is looking up for Ian Lenegan, who styles himself as "a simple
northern guy" but is worth £130m following the successful flotation
of TeleWork, his business software company.
Kiss
goodbye to the office forever
Driven crazy by commuting? Fed up with never seeing the family during
the week? Then you may be ready to start working from home. Tony Levene
looks at the pros and cons of this new trend
The
hype cycle
January 3, 2002
Jack Schofield, Victor Keegan and Neil McIntosh track the progress
of nine technologies moving from birth, to hype, to ridicule and - eventually
- to usefulness
Sound
surfing sense
December 13 2001
Napster offered free music downloaded from the internet. Can new industry-backed
online sites nowget consumers to pay for it, asks Edward Helmore.
Industrial
revolution
December 13 2001
Viruses that feed off bacteria could power tiny machines, writes Peter
Forbes
MOBILES
How
to stay above the rest
December 6, 2001
Faster internet access and wireless networks
could threaten 3G mobile phones before they even get off the ground, writes
Jack Schofield. (Internet access)
Morphing
mobiles
December 13 2001
This year has been one of great innovation in the mobile phone market.
Victor Keegan looks forward to improved content and more exciting applications.
The
medium is the (text) message
[December 13 2001]
Strange as it might seem, the mobile phone is creating a whole new
art movement. Sean Dodson looks at the development of the genre and explores
some recent works.
Teenage
kicks
[December 13 2001]
Teen culture has been a significant factor in the growth of the mobile
phone market. Ashley Norris looks at how the industry is catering for this
influential target group.
Six
of the best
[December 13 2001[
Whether you're a business user or gadget freak, there's a mobile phone
to suit you, says Ashley Norris.