Computing:
The mouse turns 40 (30th Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/nov/30/computer-science-it-mouse
Searching:
The leading Chinese search engine has been accused of allowing unlicensed medical services to buy high search rankings (29th Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/29/china-baidu-internet
Television:
An article on the 20th anniversary of satellite TV (29th Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/nov/29/digital-media-television-simon-garfield
Twitter:
A new mode of citizen journalism comes to the fore during the 26th-29th November Mumbai terror attacks – live updates by those caught up in the shootings via Twitter (28th Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/28/mumbai-terror-attacks-india-internet-technology-twitter See also (1st Dec): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/dec/01/mumbai-terror-digital-media
Mobile Phones:
Apple has another iPhone ad banned after ‘really fast’ internet access claims (27th Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/nov/27/iphone-apple-advertising-ban
Music:
Digital sales overtake CD sales at Atlantic Records – the first label where this has happened (27th Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/nov/27/digital-music-atlantic-records
Surveillance:
The Guardian newspaper hires its own satellite and manages to track down the hijacked Sirius Star Saudi supertanker off Somalia (27th Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/27/piracy-somali-saudi-supertaker-aden
Privacy:
A feud between two TV anchors at Philadelphia’s local CBS station leads one to snoop on the other’s emails, leading to a court case and his sacking (26th Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/nov/26/cbs-news-presenters-lane-mendte
Porn/Privacy:
Salon.com offer an article on the rise in ‘upskirt’ photography and the posting of material on the internet (25th Nov): http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2008/11/25/upskirting/print.html
Internet:
Police in Florida are investigating after a teenager appeared to kill himself live on the internet after being goaded by other web surfers (22nd Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/nov/22/internet-live-suicide
Print:
Newspapers are delighted as the BBC scraps its plans to deliver local news content on the web (22nd Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/nov/22/bbc-internet-local-news
Internet:
The EU’s prototype digitisation of material from its most important libraries and museums etc. crashes with 10m hits an hour on its launch day (21st Nov):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/21/eu
Cyberwar:
China winning cyberwar, Congress is warned (21st Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/nov/20/china-us-military-hacking
Privacy:
A BNP membership list is leaked online, leading to police and other services scanning the members for serving officers. Exposed members are contacted by the press for comments (20th Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/nov/19/police-bnp-far-right-list
Digital Media Use:
A report o our ‘digital addiction’ – our digital media use (20th Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/nov/20/digital-communications-phones
Internet:
Fears over Australia’s plans to impose compulsory filters over net content (20th Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/nov/20/australia-internet-filter-censorship
Virtual Worlds:
Victor Keegan on the rise of virtual worlds and his own experience of Second Life (16th Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/nov/16/virtual-worlds-second-life-internet
Politics:
A story about how Obama will take presidential radio broadcasts into the digital age. This week he reached out to the American public using a Youtube video (16th Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/16/obama-white-house-barackobama
Internet:
The UK government back the idea of naming and shaming ISPs over the speed with which they take down offensive material (15th Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/nov/15/internet-children
Virtual Worlds:
A Second Life affair leads to a real-life divorce. A couple who met in an internet chatroom and moved in together in RL argued after he was caught having sex with a prostitute in Second Life. They split up in SL though stayed together in RL. Then she set a ‘honey trap’ in SL to test her husband again which he passed and they got back together in SL, marrying in a SL ceremony. They soon married in RL too in a 2005 ceremony. She then found her husband chatting with a woman in SL and filed for divorce in RL … The story then goes global … (14th Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/nov/14/second-life-virtual-worlds-divorce The story then develops as a pair of reporters logging onto SL get the interview scoop RL reporters camped outside the couple’s home couldn’t get (14th Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/nov/14/digitalmedia-secondlife The BBC coverage also offers an explanation of avatar sex (14th Nov): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7729207.stm
Searching/Tracking:
Google uses its data collection power to predict the spread of flu up to two weeks in advance of existing public services (13th Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/nov/13/google-internet
Virtual Worlds:
Users of Google earth can now navigate a virtual reconstruction of ancient Rome on 1st April AD320 (13th Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/13/italy-google-earth-ancient-rome
Social Networking:
After blocking US military access to Youtube the Pentagon unveils its own ‘Trooptube’ video-sharing service to aid family communication for serving forces (13th Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/13/us-military-censorship-networking-communication
Software:
An article on the problems of licensing software (13th Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/nov/13/software-research
Nanotechnology:
A report by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution questions the safety of nanomaterials in our products (12th Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/nov/12/nanotechnology-pollution
War:
News of more than a dozen foreign raids by US forces against Al-Qaida, often using electronic surveillance and reconnaissance such as Predator drones: rais included ‘a 2006 navy Seal raid on a suspected militant compound in Pakistan's Bajaur region. The CIA watched the entire operation live in Virginia through a camera mounted on a Predator drone.The unmanned Predators have become an increasingly popular tool of the CIA and US military forces. More and more Predators are being switched from Iraq to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, partly to step up the hunt for Bin Laden in the last days of the Bush administration and partly because of the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan’ (11th Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/11/cia-rendition-raids-al-qaida
Politics:
John Naughton on the failure of the US Republican party to use digital media as successfully as Obama in their presidential campaign (9th Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/nov/09/youtube-technology-internet-election-campaign
Television:
An article on the Virgin media chief discussing the recent settlement with Sky over their channels and the state of Virgin TV and the digital TV market (7th Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/nov/07/virgin-media-neil-berkett-interview
Television:
ITV sees its revenues slide again as advertising downturn and online shift takes hold (6th Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/nov/06/itv-television-advertising-sales
Theory:
An article on Ray Kurzweil and the idea of the ‘singularity’ (6th Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/nov/06/artificialintelligenceai-engineering
Surveillance:
A Chinese official is sacked over claims he assaulted a girl at a restaurant. Video footage led to his identification by Chinese internet users – the human search engine (5th Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/05/china-lin-xiaxiang-communist-party
Television:
Sky and Virgin end their actions and channels row (5th Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/nov/05/bskyb-virgin-media-richard-branson
Nanotechnology:
A Which report questions the safe use of nanoparticles in cosmetics (5th Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/nov/05/cosmetics-beauty-nanoparticles-royal-society
Privacy:
Virgin sacks 13 after staff post comments on Facebook referring to passengers as ‘chavs’ (1st Nov): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/nov/01/virgin-atlantic-facebook
Saturday, 20 December 2008
September-October Digital Media News Stories
October 2008
Privacy/Social Networking:
Cory Doctorow on privacy in the digital age (31st Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/oct/31/civil-liberty-information-database-jacqui
Print:
A breakthrough deal between Google and the US book industry to sell book content online (29th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/29/google-books-publishing-online-royalties
Security:
The government’s official privacy watchdog warns of the security dangers of bigger databases (29th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/29/data-security-breach-civil-liberty
Computing:
Microsoft unveils Windows 7 (29th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/29/microsoft-windows-7
Music:
UK Music, A new umbrella organisation, is formed to represent the British music industry and fight piracy, headed by Feargal Sharkey (27th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/oct/27/feargal-sharkey-music-piracy
Virtual Worlds/Crime:
Associated Press in Tokyo report: ‘A 43-year-old Japanese piano teacher's sudden divorce from her online husband in a virtual game world made her so angry that she logged on and killed his avatar digital persona. The woman, who used his identification and password to log on to the interactive game Maple Story in May, was arrested on suspicion of illegal access to a computer and manipulating electronic data, police in Sapporo City said. If charged and convicted she could face a prison term of up to five years or a fine of up to £3,100. The man complained to police when he discovered that his online avatar was dead’ (24th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/24/4
Music:
An article on the continuing popularity of sampling (24th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/oct/24/electronicmusic-urban
Piracy:
Chinese internet users are angry after Microsoft launch an anti-piracy tool to combat fake software (23rd Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/oct/23/microsoft-china-software-piracy
Video games:
An article on the problems of the UK games industry (23rd Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/23/games-industry
War/Terrorism:
Analysts suspect a systematic cyber-attack on Al-Qaida websites by western security services (22nd Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/22/alqaida-terrorism-internet
Television:
A complaint that rural viewers will be hit by the digital television switchover as the government has refused to make sure all the broadcasters using Freeview will offer a full service for every home (20th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/oct/20/freeview-rural-country-digital-discrimination
Crime:
A motorcyclist is jailed for 12 weeks after posting videos of himself doing stunts and speeding at 130mph on Youtube (21st Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/20/youtube-ukcrime
Crime:
A secret website for fraudsters to buy and sell stolen credit card details has been shut down (18th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/18/internet-identityfraud-darkmarket
Video:
A new viral video success – footage of a UK basketball player running rings around a visiting US NBA professional (17th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/oct/17/gbbasketball-ussport
Censorship:
The website of turkey’s third largest-selling newspaper has been blocked after a complain by an Islamic creationist (17th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/17/turkey-religion
Crime:
A man murders his wife because of posts she made on Facebook after they split up (17th Oct): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7676285.stm
Internet/Future:
On the movement towards an ‘internet of things’ (16th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/16/internet-of-things-ipv6
Privacy:
The government is drawing up plans for new powers for the security and intelligence agencies allowing them to access personal data online (16th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/16/internet-uksecurity
Virtual Worlds/Video Games:
A new football game will offer off-pitch action as well as matches, mixing the appeal of console games with virtual worlds (14th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/14/games-digitalmedia
Cyberwar:
Hackers force a leading pan-Arab TV station to change its internet domain name (13th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/13/middleeast-internet
Radio:
Hard-up Channel 4 axes its plans for a string of new digital radio stations to challenge the BBC (11th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/oct/11/digitaltvradio-channel4 See also the article at (13th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/oct/13/channel4-radio-digital A few days later figures show that despite C4’s fear digital radio listening continues to increase (17th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/oct/17/digitaltvradio-channel4
Information:
A computer hard-drive with the private details of 100 000 armed forces personnel has gone missing (11th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/oct/11/military-defence
Future;
An article on developments in artificial life (9th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/09/artificial.intelligence.ai.robots
Censorship/Law:
South Korea plans to use the law to control internet postings and content (9th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/09/news.internet
Video:
The rise of ‘the Youtube generation’ (6th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/06/youtube.youngpeople
Mobile Phones/Music:
Nokia seeks to challenge the iPhone with the launch of a new touchscreen phone with unlimited music (the ‘Comes With Music’ service) (3rd Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/03/nokia.nokia
Video:
A University investigates a drunken student initiation videoed by a journalism student (3rd Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/oct/03/students.highereducation
Print:
Cambridge scientists launch a three year project to create the next generation of epaper, allowing full-colour, interactive electronic magazines and newspapers (2nd Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/09/news.internet
Mobile Phones:
A Spanish mortuary has begun offering condolences by text message for time-pressed or distant mourners (1st Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/01/spain
September 2008
Television:
BSkyB loses its legal battle over its 17.9% stake in ITV (30th Sept): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/sep/30/bskyb.itv
Video:
An article on the new viral web video craze – subtitled Hitler videos (28th Sept): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/sep/28/youtube.internet
Music:
The charts try to keep pace with the changing consumption of music by including a ‘subscription plays chart’ (24th Sept): http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/sep/24/internet
Mobile Phones:
Google makes its handset debut with its first mobile phone, the G1 (22nd Sept): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/sep/22/google.mobilephones
See also (24th Sept): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/sep/23/google.apple
China/Internet:
A story about China’s online ’50 cent army’ – how it is paying people to post online messages promoting or supporting government policies (22nd Sept): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/sep/22/chinathemedia.marketingandpr
Security:
A strike threat by prison officers after data is lost containing the personal details of 5000 justice staff (8th Sept): http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/sep/08/prisonsandprobation.justice
Internet:
An article on Google on the occasion of its launch of a new browser, ‘Chrome’ (7th Sept): http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article4692267.ece
Television:
TV’s viewing decline slows but the young are still turning the TV off. Mainstream TV is trying to find new ways to attract desirable audiences (6th Sept): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/sep/06/television.bbc
Print:
The launch of the new Sony Reader, a £199 electronic reader that holds up to 160 books (5th Sept): http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/sep/05/ebooks.sony
Music/Mobile Phones:
Nokia’s assault on the iPhone arrives: a range of phons that will allow the downloading of up to 2.1m songs onto their computer and then their phone for no extra charge for 12 months (2nd Sept): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/sep/02/nokia.nokia
Privacy/Social Networking:
Cory Doctorow on privacy in the digital age (31st Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/oct/31/civil-liberty-information-database-jacqui
Print:
A breakthrough deal between Google and the US book industry to sell book content online (29th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/29/google-books-publishing-online-royalties
Security:
The government’s official privacy watchdog warns of the security dangers of bigger databases (29th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/29/data-security-breach-civil-liberty
Computing:
Microsoft unveils Windows 7 (29th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/29/microsoft-windows-7
Music:
UK Music, A new umbrella organisation, is formed to represent the British music industry and fight piracy, headed by Feargal Sharkey (27th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/oct/27/feargal-sharkey-music-piracy
Virtual Worlds/Crime:
Associated Press in Tokyo report: ‘A 43-year-old Japanese piano teacher's sudden divorce from her online husband in a virtual game world made her so angry that she logged on and killed his avatar digital persona. The woman, who used his identification and password to log on to the interactive game Maple Story in May, was arrested on suspicion of illegal access to a computer and manipulating electronic data, police in Sapporo City said. If charged and convicted she could face a prison term of up to five years or a fine of up to £3,100. The man complained to police when he discovered that his online avatar was dead’ (24th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/24/4
Music:
An article on the continuing popularity of sampling (24th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/oct/24/electronicmusic-urban
Piracy:
Chinese internet users are angry after Microsoft launch an anti-piracy tool to combat fake software (23rd Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/oct/23/microsoft-china-software-piracy
Video games:
An article on the problems of the UK games industry (23rd Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/23/games-industry
War/Terrorism:
Analysts suspect a systematic cyber-attack on Al-Qaida websites by western security services (22nd Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/22/alqaida-terrorism-internet
Television:
A complaint that rural viewers will be hit by the digital television switchover as the government has refused to make sure all the broadcasters using Freeview will offer a full service for every home (20th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/oct/20/freeview-rural-country-digital-discrimination
Crime:
A motorcyclist is jailed for 12 weeks after posting videos of himself doing stunts and speeding at 130mph on Youtube (21st Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/20/youtube-ukcrime
Crime:
A secret website for fraudsters to buy and sell stolen credit card details has been shut down (18th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/18/internet-identityfraud-darkmarket
Video:
A new viral video success – footage of a UK basketball player running rings around a visiting US NBA professional (17th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/oct/17/gbbasketball-ussport
Censorship:
The website of turkey’s third largest-selling newspaper has been blocked after a complain by an Islamic creationist (17th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/17/turkey-religion
Crime:
A man murders his wife because of posts she made on Facebook after they split up (17th Oct): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7676285.stm
Internet/Future:
On the movement towards an ‘internet of things’ (16th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/16/internet-of-things-ipv6
Privacy:
The government is drawing up plans for new powers for the security and intelligence agencies allowing them to access personal data online (16th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/16/internet-uksecurity
Virtual Worlds/Video Games:
A new football game will offer off-pitch action as well as matches, mixing the appeal of console games with virtual worlds (14th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/14/games-digitalmedia
Cyberwar:
Hackers force a leading pan-Arab TV station to change its internet domain name (13th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/13/middleeast-internet
Radio:
Hard-up Channel 4 axes its plans for a string of new digital radio stations to challenge the BBC (11th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/oct/11/digitaltvradio-channel4 See also the article at (13th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/oct/13/channel4-radio-digital A few days later figures show that despite C4’s fear digital radio listening continues to increase (17th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/oct/17/digitaltvradio-channel4
Information:
A computer hard-drive with the private details of 100 000 armed forces personnel has gone missing (11th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/oct/11/military-defence
Future;
An article on developments in artificial life (9th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/09/artificial.intelligence.ai.robots
Censorship/Law:
South Korea plans to use the law to control internet postings and content (9th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/09/news.internet
Video:
The rise of ‘the Youtube generation’ (6th Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/06/youtube.youngpeople
Mobile Phones/Music:
Nokia seeks to challenge the iPhone with the launch of a new touchscreen phone with unlimited music (the ‘Comes With Music’ service) (3rd Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/03/nokia.nokia
Video:
A University investigates a drunken student initiation videoed by a journalism student (3rd Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/oct/03/students.highereducation
Print:
Cambridge scientists launch a three year project to create the next generation of epaper, allowing full-colour, interactive electronic magazines and newspapers (2nd Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/09/news.internet
Mobile Phones:
A Spanish mortuary has begun offering condolences by text message for time-pressed or distant mourners (1st Oct): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/01/spain
September 2008
Television:
BSkyB loses its legal battle over its 17.9% stake in ITV (30th Sept): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/sep/30/bskyb.itv
Video:
An article on the new viral web video craze – subtitled Hitler videos (28th Sept): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/sep/28/youtube.internet
Music:
The charts try to keep pace with the changing consumption of music by including a ‘subscription plays chart’ (24th Sept): http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/sep/24/internet
Mobile Phones:
Google makes its handset debut with its first mobile phone, the G1 (22nd Sept): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/sep/22/google.mobilephones
See also (24th Sept): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/sep/23/google.apple
China/Internet:
A story about China’s online ’50 cent army’ – how it is paying people to post online messages promoting or supporting government policies (22nd Sept): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/sep/22/chinathemedia.marketingandpr
Security:
A strike threat by prison officers after data is lost containing the personal details of 5000 justice staff (8th Sept): http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/sep/08/prisonsandprobation.justice
Internet:
An article on Google on the occasion of its launch of a new browser, ‘Chrome’ (7th Sept): http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article4692267.ece
Television:
TV’s viewing decline slows but the young are still turning the TV off. Mainstream TV is trying to find new ways to attract desirable audiences (6th Sept): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/sep/06/television.bbc
Print:
The launch of the new Sony Reader, a £199 electronic reader that holds up to 160 books (5th Sept): http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/sep/05/ebooks.sony
Music/Mobile Phones:
Nokia’s assault on the iPhone arrives: a range of phons that will allow the downloading of up to 2.1m songs onto their computer and then their phone for no extra charge for 12 months (2nd Sept): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/sep/02/nokia.nokia
Sunday, 28 September 2008
The Challenge of New Media - One day forum, UWE, Bristol
Jon Dovey and Martin Lister of the Department of Culture, Media and Drama and the Faculty of Creative Arts at UWE, Bristol, are organising a one-day forum on issues around media studies and Media Studies 2.0 entitled 'The Challenge of New Media'.
It's on the 12th December 2008 at the Watershed Media Centre in Bristol.
Martin Lister will provide an introduction, locating the issues, I'm going to be arguing the case for the renewal of a failing discipline and Jon Dovey will offer a response to the case. The day will also include chaired discussion groups around the arguments, a consideration of student and employer experiences and case studies on issues around teaching and learning.
For more information contact the organisers.
It's on the 12th December 2008 at the Watershed Media Centre in Bristol.
Martin Lister will provide an introduction, locating the issues, I'm going to be arguing the case for the renewal of a failing discipline and Jon Dovey will offer a response to the case. The day will also include chaired discussion groups around the arguments, a consideration of student and employer experiences and case studies on issues around teaching and learning.
For more information contact the organisers.
Sunday, 21 September 2008
New Book: Jean Baudrillard: Fatal Theories
Coming out any day now in hardback, a new book co-edited by myself, David Clarke, Marcus Doel and Richard Smith (Swansea University) - Jean Baudrillard: Fatal Theories. Email the publisher Routledge and ask for a paperback edition as soon as possible.
It's based on the 2006 conference, 'Engaging Baudrillard', held at Swansea. Baudrillard couldn't attend due to illness but he sent a new essay, 'On Disappearance' which is included here (along with another essay by him - a 1992 lecture published for the first time).
Contents:
Introduction The evil genius of Jean Baudrillard David B. Clarke, Marcus A. Doel, William Merrin and Richard G. Smith
1. The vanishing point of communication- Jean Baudrillard
2. On disappearance - Jean Baudrillard
3. Commentaries on Jean Baudrillard’s ‘On disappearance’ - Rex Butler, David B. Clarke, Marcus A. Doel, Gary Genosko, Douglas Kellner, Mark Poster, Richard G. Smith, Andrew Wernick
4. Baudrillard’s taste - Rex Butler
5. Floral tributes, binge-drinking and the Ikea riot considered as an up-hill bicycle race - William Merrin
6. Better than butter: margarine and simulation - Gary Genosko
7. Baudrillard and the art conspiracy - Douglas Kellner
8. ‘Mirror, mirror:’ The Student of Prague in Baudrillard, Kracauer and Kittler - Graeme Gilloch
9. The Gulf War revisited - Philip Hammond
10. Fate of the animal - Paul Hegarty
11. Reality: now and then: Baudrillard and W-Bush’s America - Diane Rubenstein
12. Baudrillard’s sense of humour - Mike Gane
13. The (un)sealing of the penultimate - Andrew Wernick
The Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jean-Baudrillard-International-Library-Sociology/dp/0415464420/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1221995519&sr=8-2
It's based on the 2006 conference, 'Engaging Baudrillard', held at Swansea. Baudrillard couldn't attend due to illness but he sent a new essay, 'On Disappearance' which is included here (along with another essay by him - a 1992 lecture published for the first time).
Contents:
Introduction The evil genius of Jean Baudrillard David B. Clarke, Marcus A. Doel, William Merrin and Richard G. Smith
1. The vanishing point of communication- Jean Baudrillard
2. On disappearance - Jean Baudrillard
3. Commentaries on Jean Baudrillard’s ‘On disappearance’ - Rex Butler, David B. Clarke, Marcus A. Doel, Gary Genosko, Douglas Kellner, Mark Poster, Richard G. Smith, Andrew Wernick
4. Baudrillard’s taste - Rex Butler
5. Floral tributes, binge-drinking and the Ikea riot considered as an up-hill bicycle race - William Merrin
6. Better than butter: margarine and simulation - Gary Genosko
7. Baudrillard and the art conspiracy - Douglas Kellner
8. ‘Mirror, mirror:’ The Student of Prague in Baudrillard, Kracauer and Kittler - Graeme Gilloch
9. The Gulf War revisited - Philip Hammond
10. Fate of the animal - Paul Hegarty
11. Reality: now and then: Baudrillard and W-Bush’s America - Diane Rubenstein
12. Baudrillard’s sense of humour - Mike Gane
13. The (un)sealing of the penultimate - Andrew Wernick
The Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jean-Baudrillard-International-Library-Sociology/dp/0415464420/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1221995519&sr=8-2
Tara Brabazon on Textbooks
Prof. Tara Brabazon of the media studies department at the University of Brighton recently published this discussion of textbooks as a response to my own critique: http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=403362
New Book: Copy, Rip, Burn
My colleague at Swansea, David Berry has just published Copy, Rip, Burn: The Politics of Copyleft and Open Source, with Pluto Press.
From the Amazon blurb:
Open source technology, like OpenOffice, has revolutionised the world of copyright. From downloading music and movies to accessing free software, digital media is forcing us to rethink the very idea of intellectual property. While big companies complain about lost profits, the individual has never enjoyed such freedom and autonomy in the market. Berry explores this debate in a clear and concise way, offering an ideal introduction for anyone not versed in the legalistic terminology that - up until now - has dominated coverage of this issue. Looking at the impact that the open source movement has had on journalism, printing, music and design, they show how the ideas that inspired the movement have begun to influence wider cultural and political transformations. This is a key text for students of media studies, journalism and anyone interested in new opportunities for creating a truly independent and democratic media.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Copy-Rip-Burn-Politics-Source/dp/0745324142/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1221994678&sr=8-1
Available now!
From the Amazon blurb:
Open source technology, like OpenOffice, has revolutionised the world of copyright. From downloading music and movies to accessing free software, digital media is forcing us to rethink the very idea of intellectual property. While big companies complain about lost profits, the individual has never enjoyed such freedom and autonomy in the market. Berry explores this debate in a clear and concise way, offering an ideal introduction for anyone not versed in the legalistic terminology that - up until now - has dominated coverage of this issue. Looking at the impact that the open source movement has had on journalism, printing, music and design, they show how the ideas that inspired the movement have begun to influence wider cultural and political transformations. This is a key text for students of media studies, journalism and anyone interested in new opportunities for creating a truly independent and democratic media.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Copy-Rip-Burn-Politics-Source/dp/0745324142/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1221994678&sr=8-1
Available now!
MS2.0 Paper - Lincoln University 22nd Oct
I'm giving the following paper at Lincoln University on 22nd October:
'Ask the Audience' and 'Say What You See'? ... Time to Upgrade Media Studies
Abstract:
Media studies was a product of the broadcast era, originating with the rise of broadcast media and limiting itself to the study of their mass communication. Unable to study media production, hostile to technology and with a limited interest in theoretical and historical issues, media studies gradually became dominated by an emphasis upon audience research and analyses of broadcast content. In an ironic reflection of the media it claimed to study, ‘ask the audience’ and ‘say what you see’ became the central disciplinary research methods and knowledge. The passage to a post-broadcast era, however, requires a corresponding disciplinary change: one that upgrades the discipline to reflect contemporary digital changes, rethinks its organising categories and returns to broader and more diverse intellectual and media histories to understand a changed media ecology. This is a call for a new media studies: a Media Studies 2.0
It's part of the Research & Professional Practice Seminar Series in the Faculty of Media, Humanities & Technology. From 5pm.
'Ask the Audience' and 'Say What You See'? ... Time to Upgrade Media Studies
Abstract:
Media studies was a product of the broadcast era, originating with the rise of broadcast media and limiting itself to the study of their mass communication. Unable to study media production, hostile to technology and with a limited interest in theoretical and historical issues, media studies gradually became dominated by an emphasis upon audience research and analyses of broadcast content. In an ironic reflection of the media it claimed to study, ‘ask the audience’ and ‘say what you see’ became the central disciplinary research methods and knowledge. The passage to a post-broadcast era, however, requires a corresponding disciplinary change: one that upgrades the discipline to reflect contemporary digital changes, rethinks its organising categories and returns to broader and more diverse intellectual and media histories to understand a changed media ecology. This is a call for a new media studies: a Media Studies 2.0
It's part of the Research & Professional Practice Seminar Series in the Faculty of Media, Humanities & Technology. From 5pm.
July-August Digital Media News
August 2008
Music:
An article on some of the forgotten pioneers of electronic music (29th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/aug/29/electronicmusic See also (20th Sept): http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2008/sep/20/bbc.doctorwho
Internet:
In an interesting example of cross-media fertilisation and old-new media relationships, the creator of West Wing is planning a film about Facebook (29th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/aug/29/facebook
Internet:
Photographs of the Dead Sea Scrolls will now go online in a five year project (28th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/aug/28/archaeology.israelandthepalestinians
Advertising:
Online advertising is predicted to grow again this year to overtake radio as the 3rd largest market (behind TV and newspapers/magazines) (28th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/aug/28/advertising.mediabusiness
Security:
An article about Captcha – Completely Automated Public Turing Tests – those squiggly numbers and letters you have to type to prove you are human rather than an automated machine. Experts now say that they have been broken by spammers (28th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/28/internet.captcha
Music:
A new website will offer music fans the chance to invest in artists in £10 increments up to a pre-ordained level when it will fund the recording of an album. Investors will then get a copy of the album and a percentage of profits plus other perks (27th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/aug/27/musicindustry.investing
Censorship:
A Turkish court lifts the ban on Youtube imposed since May after videos were posted deemed insulting to the modern state’s founder (26th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/26/turkey.youtube
Censorship/Control:
iTunes users in China are blocked from downloading music after an album calling for greater rights for Tibetans was placed on the site (22nd Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/aug/22/olympicsandthemedia.apple
Future Technology:
An article about the idea of intelligent swarms of autonomous robots for military information gathering and reconnaissance (21st Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/21/robots.researchanddevelopment
Internet:
An article about changes to Ebay’s business model (20th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/aug/20/ebay.efinance See also (10th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/aug/10/ebay.efinance
Video-Games/Crime:
A British woman is ordered to pay a US games company £16000 after illegally sharing its files over the internet (19th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/19/piracy.games
Mobile Phones:
Vodafone raises its charges in an attempt to claw back revenues lost through increased regulation (19th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/aug/19/vodafonegroup.telecoms
Internet:
An article on a new cable linking east Africa to the net (18th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/18/east.africa.internet
Internet:
An article on Google (17th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/aug/17/googlethemedia.google
Economics:
Google ‘pipped’ by Apple, as their market-share overtakes their hi-tech rival’s, a success attributed in part to the new iPhone (15th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/15/apple.apple
Television:
A story about fundamental changes in television viewing in the digital, post-broadcasting ecology (14th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/aug/14/ofcom.digitaltvradio
Crime:
Blogs are increasingly a target for site hackers (14th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/14/blogging.hacking
Privacy:
Local councils, health authorities and hundreds of other public bodies are to be given the power to access details of everyone’s personal texts, emails and internet use under Home Office proposals (13th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/aug/13/privacy.civilliberties
Mobile Phones:
A poolside row between two of Britain’s Olympic swimmers affected their final performance and prevented them winning a medal. The row was because one of the two divers took exception to the other receiving a mobile phone call from their mother as they were preparing for their sixth dive (12th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/aug/12/olympics2008.tomdaley
Mobile Phones:
Watchdog urges mobile companies to improve their age filtering for phone content (12th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/aug/12/telecoms.internetphonesbroadband
Mobile Phones:
3’s sale of over 100 000 Skype phones highlights the growing attraction of free internet-based telephony, but there are problems here for the economics of the industry (11th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/aug/11/telecoms.telecoms
Mobile Phones:
Ikea launches a ready-made mobile phone service through T-Mobile (9th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2008/aug/09/internetphonesbroadband.consumeraffairs See also (4th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/04/telecoms.ikea
Old Media:
ITV down £1.5bn as falling advertising revenue begins to bite. The problems of old media with changes in advertising placement (7th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/aug/07/itv.advertising
Internet:
On life after death – user profiles of dead people on social networking sites (7th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/07/socialnetworking.myspace
Crime:
A Spanish hacker is jailed for two years for sending out the private emails of their ex-manager (6th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/06/hacking.email
Video Games:
Sales of Grand Theft Auto are halted in Thailand after a teenager allegedly killed a taxi driver to re-enact scenes from the video game, to find out if robbery was as easy as it was depicted (5th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/05/games.thailand
Internet:
Coverage of the Facebook-organised water fight ‘splash-mob’ at Kensington Gardens that ended with violence and arrests (4th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2008/aug/04/facebook.socialnetworking The Daily Mail has a picture of the violence: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1040056/Pictured-The-moment-man-punched-girl-feet-Facebook-water-fight.html
Networks:
Proof that there are 6.6 degrees of separation between people (3rd Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/03/internet.email
Internet
British broadband suppliers are hit by the housing crisis and falling demand (1st Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2008/aug/01/internetphonesbroadband.internet
July 2008
Future Technology:
An article on mechanical creatures and our relationships with them (31st July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/31/robots.artificialintelligence
Privacy:
Google’s ‘street view’ service cameras can be used in the UK after a privacy watchdog said it had no complaints about the service (31st July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/31/google.civilliberties
Internet:
UK MPs tell internet firms to police the ‘dark side’ of the web (31st July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/31/internet.youtube
Crime:
British hacker who broke into the Pentagon loses their battle against extradition to the US (31st July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/31/hacking.hitechcrime plus their appeal a month later (28th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/28/hacking.security
Internet:
The government has set a target to cut film and music filesharing by 80% by 2011 (25th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/jul/25/downloads.digitalmedia
Internet:
A man is ordered to pay £22000 in damages after setting up a fake Facebook profile to spread lies about an ex-friend (25th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jul/25/law.facebook
Mobile Phones:
A leading cancer expert tells his staff to limit their mobile phone use (25th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/25/mobilephones.health
Interfaces:
An article on the rise of the touch-screen and its limits (24th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/24/news.computing
Music:
Sky sets up rival to iTunes with a deal with Universal music for a new subscription music service (23rd July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jul/23/bskyb.musicindustry
Internet:
A wife’s rant on Youtube about her husband that attracted 4m viewers was used by him in his divorce claim. The judge agreed with his claims of ‘spousal abuse’ (23rd July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/23/usa.youtube
Video:
A human rights-group praises video as a new weapon against the Israeli army after footage of a soldier firing baton rounds at a blindfolded and cuffed Palestinian detainee emerged (22nd July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/22/israelandthepalestinians.humanrights
Music:
A story about how the music industry is adapting to the new digital times (21st July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jul/21/marketingandpr.mediabusiness
Privacy/Surveillance:
A secret study in Bath tracks tens of thousands of people without their consent using scanners to capture Bluetooth radio signals from phones, laptops and cameras (21st July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jul/21/civilliberties.privacy
Internet:
A story about the hit website 4chan and its comedy viral ‘memes’ (20th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/20/internet.google
Pathologies:
Hi-tech is turning us all into distracted time-wasters psychologists warn (20th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/jul/20/psychology.mobilephones
Internet/Ecommerce:
A story about how HMV is able to offer cheaper products online due to its use of Jersey to avoid the 17.5% British VAT and how it is installing kiosks in its physical stores for customers to order online in-store (19th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jul/19/hmvgroupbusiness.retail
Mobile Phones:
The European Commission threatens enforcement action against hundreds of European websites conning young people into taking out expensive mobile phone contracts (18th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jul/18/telecoms.eu
Security:
A computer technician is charged with launching a cyber-coup against the city of San Francisco (18th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/18/hitechcrime.internet
Internet/Ecommerce:
Online sales are booming as consumers switch from traditional shops (18th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jul/18/retail.internet
Video Games:
A changing economic climate means that more video games are being cancelled due to development costs (17th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/17/it.games
Crime:
A teenage hacker in New Zealand who pleaded guilty to hacking into computers around the world and accused of stealing millions of pounds has been discharged without a conviction (16th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/16/hacking.security
Privacy/Surveillance:
The UK information commissioner warns about a Home Office project to create a ‘super-database’ tracking all phone, email, text and internet usage (16th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/16/telecoms.privacy
Internet:
BT aims for faster broadband and higher margins with a new £1.5bn fibre-optic network (16th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jul/16/bt.digitalmedia
Mobile Phones:
The EC puts forward proposals to cut the cost of ‘roaming’ texts by 66% (16th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/16/mobilephones.telecoms
Internet:
A story about the hit Youtube amateur instruction videos (14th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jul/14/digitalmedia.youtube
Internet:
Bloggers spot that Iranian photos of a missile launch have been photoshopped to add a missile that failed to launch (11th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/11/iran.israelandthepalestinians
Security:
An internet flaw leads to the biggest security fix in web history (10th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/10/hacking.internet
Control:
An agreement about intellectual property rights to be ratified by the G8 heads highlights conflicts between ownership and privacy (10th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/10/intellectualproperty.law
Social Networking:
A soldier who bragged on Facebook that he’d served with the SAS and killed over 100 people has resigned from the army after being exposed as a fantasist by genuine soldiers (9th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jul/09/military.facebook
Economics:
The Microsoft-Yahoo takeover continues as Microsoft says it will talk to yahoo if it replaces its board (8th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jul/08/microsoft.yahoo
Mobile Phones:
O2 and T-Mobile double the minimum connection charge for many prepay customers following Vodaphone’s similar rise last month. Coinciding with plans by the EC to cut the cost of connection charges, networks are trying to claw back lost revenue (5th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jul/05/telecoms.mobilephones
Internet:
Google is asked to hand over the personal details of every person who has ever watched a video on Youtube to Viacom. Civil liberties groups are unhappy at the court ruling (4th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/04/youtube.google
Economics/Mobile Phones:
Vodaphone buys a 70% stake in Ghana Telecommunications for £452m (3rd July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jul/03/vodafonegroup
(see also 4th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jul/04/vodafonegroup.telecoms
Future Technology:
A critique of claims that the internet’s processing power might rival that of the human brain (3rd July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/03/internet.processor.brain
Television:
Ambitious plans by the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 for project ‘Kangaroo’, an online video service offering more than 10 000 hours of classic TV shows, are hit by a decision to refer them to the Competition Commission (1st July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jul/01/televisionindustry
Internet/Crime:
Ebay ordered by a French court to pay a 38.6m Euro fine in damages to the luxury goods group LVMH for allowing the sale of fake goods (1st July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jul/01/ebay.hitechcrime
Future Technology:
A story about how robots – intelligent armed vehicles using GPS, laser and heat-recognition technology – are close to being deployed (25th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jun/26/robots.weaponstechnology
Music:
An article on some of the forgotten pioneers of electronic music (29th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/aug/29/electronicmusic See also (20th Sept): http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2008/sep/20/bbc.doctorwho
Internet:
In an interesting example of cross-media fertilisation and old-new media relationships, the creator of West Wing is planning a film about Facebook (29th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/aug/29/facebook
Internet:
Photographs of the Dead Sea Scrolls will now go online in a five year project (28th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/aug/28/archaeology.israelandthepalestinians
Advertising:
Online advertising is predicted to grow again this year to overtake radio as the 3rd largest market (behind TV and newspapers/magazines) (28th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/aug/28/advertising.mediabusiness
Security:
An article about Captcha – Completely Automated Public Turing Tests – those squiggly numbers and letters you have to type to prove you are human rather than an automated machine. Experts now say that they have been broken by spammers (28th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/28/internet.captcha
Music:
A new website will offer music fans the chance to invest in artists in £10 increments up to a pre-ordained level when it will fund the recording of an album. Investors will then get a copy of the album and a percentage of profits plus other perks (27th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/aug/27/musicindustry.investing
Censorship:
A Turkish court lifts the ban on Youtube imposed since May after videos were posted deemed insulting to the modern state’s founder (26th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/26/turkey.youtube
Censorship/Control:
iTunes users in China are blocked from downloading music after an album calling for greater rights for Tibetans was placed on the site (22nd Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/aug/22/olympicsandthemedia.apple
Future Technology:
An article about the idea of intelligent swarms of autonomous robots for military information gathering and reconnaissance (21st Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/21/robots.researchanddevelopment
Internet:
An article about changes to Ebay’s business model (20th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/aug/20/ebay.efinance See also (10th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/aug/10/ebay.efinance
Video-Games/Crime:
A British woman is ordered to pay a US games company £16000 after illegally sharing its files over the internet (19th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/19/piracy.games
Mobile Phones:
Vodafone raises its charges in an attempt to claw back revenues lost through increased regulation (19th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/aug/19/vodafonegroup.telecoms
Internet:
An article on a new cable linking east Africa to the net (18th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/18/east.africa.internet
Internet:
An article on Google (17th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/aug/17/googlethemedia.google
Economics:
Google ‘pipped’ by Apple, as their market-share overtakes their hi-tech rival’s, a success attributed in part to the new iPhone (15th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/15/apple.apple
Television:
A story about fundamental changes in television viewing in the digital, post-broadcasting ecology (14th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/aug/14/ofcom.digitaltvradio
Crime:
Blogs are increasingly a target for site hackers (14th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/14/blogging.hacking
Privacy:
Local councils, health authorities and hundreds of other public bodies are to be given the power to access details of everyone’s personal texts, emails and internet use under Home Office proposals (13th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/aug/13/privacy.civilliberties
Mobile Phones:
A poolside row between two of Britain’s Olympic swimmers affected their final performance and prevented them winning a medal. The row was because one of the two divers took exception to the other receiving a mobile phone call from their mother as they were preparing for their sixth dive (12th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/aug/12/olympics2008.tomdaley
Mobile Phones:
Watchdog urges mobile companies to improve their age filtering for phone content (12th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/aug/12/telecoms.internetphonesbroadband
Mobile Phones:
3’s sale of over 100 000 Skype phones highlights the growing attraction of free internet-based telephony, but there are problems here for the economics of the industry (11th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/aug/11/telecoms.telecoms
Mobile Phones:
Ikea launches a ready-made mobile phone service through T-Mobile (9th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2008/aug/09/internetphonesbroadband.consumeraffairs See also (4th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/04/telecoms.ikea
Old Media:
ITV down £1.5bn as falling advertising revenue begins to bite. The problems of old media with changes in advertising placement (7th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/aug/07/itv.advertising
Internet:
On life after death – user profiles of dead people on social networking sites (7th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/07/socialnetworking.myspace
Crime:
A Spanish hacker is jailed for two years for sending out the private emails of their ex-manager (6th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/06/hacking.email
Video Games:
Sales of Grand Theft Auto are halted in Thailand after a teenager allegedly killed a taxi driver to re-enact scenes from the video game, to find out if robbery was as easy as it was depicted (5th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/05/games.thailand
Internet:
Coverage of the Facebook-organised water fight ‘splash-mob’ at Kensington Gardens that ended with violence and arrests (4th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2008/aug/04/facebook.socialnetworking The Daily Mail has a picture of the violence: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1040056/Pictured-The-moment-man-punched-girl-feet-Facebook-water-fight.html
Networks:
Proof that there are 6.6 degrees of separation between people (3rd Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/03/internet.email
Internet
British broadband suppliers are hit by the housing crisis and falling demand (1st Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2008/aug/01/internetphonesbroadband.internet
July 2008
Future Technology:
An article on mechanical creatures and our relationships with them (31st July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/31/robots.artificialintelligence
Privacy:
Google’s ‘street view’ service cameras can be used in the UK after a privacy watchdog said it had no complaints about the service (31st July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/31/google.civilliberties
Internet:
UK MPs tell internet firms to police the ‘dark side’ of the web (31st July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/31/internet.youtube
Crime:
British hacker who broke into the Pentagon loses their battle against extradition to the US (31st July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/31/hacking.hitechcrime plus their appeal a month later (28th Aug): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/28/hacking.security
Internet:
The government has set a target to cut film and music filesharing by 80% by 2011 (25th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/jul/25/downloads.digitalmedia
Internet:
A man is ordered to pay £22000 in damages after setting up a fake Facebook profile to spread lies about an ex-friend (25th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jul/25/law.facebook
Mobile Phones:
A leading cancer expert tells his staff to limit their mobile phone use (25th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/25/mobilephones.health
Interfaces:
An article on the rise of the touch-screen and its limits (24th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/24/news.computing
Music:
Sky sets up rival to iTunes with a deal with Universal music for a new subscription music service (23rd July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jul/23/bskyb.musicindustry
Internet:
A wife’s rant on Youtube about her husband that attracted 4m viewers was used by him in his divorce claim. The judge agreed with his claims of ‘spousal abuse’ (23rd July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/23/usa.youtube
Video:
A human rights-group praises video as a new weapon against the Israeli army after footage of a soldier firing baton rounds at a blindfolded and cuffed Palestinian detainee emerged (22nd July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/22/israelandthepalestinians.humanrights
Music:
A story about how the music industry is adapting to the new digital times (21st July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jul/21/marketingandpr.mediabusiness
Privacy/Surveillance:
A secret study in Bath tracks tens of thousands of people without their consent using scanners to capture Bluetooth radio signals from phones, laptops and cameras (21st July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jul/21/civilliberties.privacy
Internet:
A story about the hit website 4chan and its comedy viral ‘memes’ (20th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/20/internet.google
Pathologies:
Hi-tech is turning us all into distracted time-wasters psychologists warn (20th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/jul/20/psychology.mobilephones
Internet/Ecommerce:
A story about how HMV is able to offer cheaper products online due to its use of Jersey to avoid the 17.5% British VAT and how it is installing kiosks in its physical stores for customers to order online in-store (19th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jul/19/hmvgroupbusiness.retail
Mobile Phones:
The European Commission threatens enforcement action against hundreds of European websites conning young people into taking out expensive mobile phone contracts (18th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jul/18/telecoms.eu
Security:
A computer technician is charged with launching a cyber-coup against the city of San Francisco (18th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/18/hitechcrime.internet
Internet/Ecommerce:
Online sales are booming as consumers switch from traditional shops (18th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jul/18/retail.internet
Video Games:
A changing economic climate means that more video games are being cancelled due to development costs (17th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/17/it.games
Crime:
A teenage hacker in New Zealand who pleaded guilty to hacking into computers around the world and accused of stealing millions of pounds has been discharged without a conviction (16th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/16/hacking.security
Privacy/Surveillance:
The UK information commissioner warns about a Home Office project to create a ‘super-database’ tracking all phone, email, text and internet usage (16th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/16/telecoms.privacy
Internet:
BT aims for faster broadband and higher margins with a new £1.5bn fibre-optic network (16th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jul/16/bt.digitalmedia
Mobile Phones:
The EC puts forward proposals to cut the cost of ‘roaming’ texts by 66% (16th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/16/mobilephones.telecoms
Internet:
A story about the hit Youtube amateur instruction videos (14th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jul/14/digitalmedia.youtube
Internet:
Bloggers spot that Iranian photos of a missile launch have been photoshopped to add a missile that failed to launch (11th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/11/iran.israelandthepalestinians
Security:
An internet flaw leads to the biggest security fix in web history (10th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/10/hacking.internet
Control:
An agreement about intellectual property rights to be ratified by the G8 heads highlights conflicts between ownership and privacy (10th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/10/intellectualproperty.law
Social Networking:
A soldier who bragged on Facebook that he’d served with the SAS and killed over 100 people has resigned from the army after being exposed as a fantasist by genuine soldiers (9th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jul/09/military.facebook
Economics:
The Microsoft-Yahoo takeover continues as Microsoft says it will talk to yahoo if it replaces its board (8th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jul/08/microsoft.yahoo
Mobile Phones:
O2 and T-Mobile double the minimum connection charge for many prepay customers following Vodaphone’s similar rise last month. Coinciding with plans by the EC to cut the cost of connection charges, networks are trying to claw back lost revenue (5th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jul/05/telecoms.mobilephones
Internet:
Google is asked to hand over the personal details of every person who has ever watched a video on Youtube to Viacom. Civil liberties groups are unhappy at the court ruling (4th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/04/youtube.google
Economics/Mobile Phones:
Vodaphone buys a 70% stake in Ghana Telecommunications for £452m (3rd July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jul/03/vodafonegroup
(see also 4th July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jul/04/vodafonegroup.telecoms
Future Technology:
A critique of claims that the internet’s processing power might rival that of the human brain (3rd July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/03/internet.processor.brain
Television:
Ambitious plans by the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 for project ‘Kangaroo’, an online video service offering more than 10 000 hours of classic TV shows, are hit by a decision to refer them to the Competition Commission (1st July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jul/01/televisionindustry
Internet/Crime:
Ebay ordered by a French court to pay a 38.6m Euro fine in damages to the luxury goods group LVMH for allowing the sale of fake goods (1st July): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jul/01/ebay.hitechcrime
Future Technology:
A story about how robots – intelligent armed vehicles using GPS, laser and heat-recognition technology – are close to being deployed (25th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jun/26/robots.weaponstechnology
Wednesday, 23 July 2008
April-June Digital Media News
June 2008
Music:
Record companies find ways to offset CD slump: ‘Record companies made 11.4% of their income outside traditional music sales last year, according to figures released today by the BPI, the industry trade body. The data offers hope that the industry can weather the threat from illegal downloading and falling CD sales. Revenues from outside retail sales - from licensing music to third parties, or from non-copyright income such as merchandising, the use of artists' logos and sponsorship - were £121.6m last year, up 13.8% on 2006. Record companies made £943m from music sales last year, with digital formats accounting for 8.6% of all sales income’ (30th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jun/30/2
Mobile Phones/Economics:
EC plans to cut the price European mobile phone companies charge to connect calls could impact upon the consumers and services such as free handsets, the industry warns (27th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jun/27/telecoms.regulators
Radio:
Capital Radio’s owners are fined a record £1.1m over a phone-in scandal (27th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jun/27/gcapmedia.radio
Future Technology:
Intelligent armed robot vehicles are ready to be deployed on the battlefield to support soldiers (26th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jun/26/robots.weaponstechnology
Mobile Phones/Crime:
A 12 year old boy had terrorist murder videos on his mobile phone (26th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jun/26/ukcrime.uksecurity
Television:
The BBC plans to revamp its online iPlayer catch-up service (which has received 100m programme requests in just 6 months), to include radio, to cross-promote and group shows and to allow personalised channels (26th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jun/26/bbc.digitalmedia
Television:
A report says television consumers don’t understand the digital message and switchover (26th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jun/26/digitaltvradio.television1
Mobile Phones/economics:
Nokia buys British software company Symbian and announces plans to make its mobile phone software available free of charge as open-source to counter the threat of Apple and Google (25th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jun/25/nokia.google
Privacy/Surveillance:
British scientists are developing technology that will enable CCTV cameras to ‘hear’ a crime taking place and spin round to capture it on film (24th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jun/24/ukcrime1
Television:
ITV seeks to cut its public service output before the digital switchover to raise its ratings in a cutthroat market (23rd June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jun/23/itv.itvbusiness
Computing History:
An article on the anniversary of ‘Baby’, the Manchester computer and its place in computing history (21st June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jun/21/computing.digitalmedia
Citizen Journalism:
A story on a 61 year-old amateur journalist who broke two of the biggest stories of the 2008 US elections for the website The Huffington Post (20th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/20/barackobama.uselections2008
Mobile Phones:
Before the launch of the new iPhone, an article on the state of smartphone technology (19th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jun/19/iphone.blackberry
Crime/Photography:
An article about how digital photos posted online are being stolen and used for profit (19th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jun/18/news.internet
Economics/Social Networking:
LinkedIn, the business social networking site, has secured a billion dollar valuation after a new round of venture capital funding (19th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jun/19/digitalmedia.mediabusiness
Global Media:
An article on the global media and entertainment market (18th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jun/18/digitalmedia.mediabusiness
Mobile Phones:
On the success of the mobile phone in Africa (17th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jun/17/telecoms.telecoms
Internet/Cyberbullying:
A story about the attempt to discover a law to deal with a recent cyberbullying case where a woman posed as a 16 year old boy to bully a 13 year old neighbour who later committed suicide (17th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/17/usa.news
Internet:
CBS owned Last.fm strikes a deal with Universal music that puts 12 000 full-length videos on its site (17th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jun/17/digitalmedia.news
Mobile Phones/Control:
John Naughton on Apple’s strategy of control through its iPhone operating system (15th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jun/15/stevejobs.apple
Mobile Phones/Pathologies:
Two Spanish children aged 12 and 13 are treated for addiction to mobile phones (13th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/13/spain.mobilephones
Television:
On the BBC’s plans to create a web page for every episode of every programme ever broadcast on BBC TV (11th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jun/11/bbc.bbc
Mobile Phones:
New Apple iPhone launched aimed at boosting sales (10th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jun/10/iphone.stevejobs
Computing:
A story about Roadrunner – the fastest supercomputer in the world (10th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jun/10/computing.sciencenews
Internet:
Online advertising spending in the UK leapt over the £3bn level for the first time according to new research, taking market share from other traditional media (10th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jun/10/advertising.digitalmedia
DVDs:
An article on the threat to the DVD industry from downloads (2nd June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jun/02/digitalmedia.digitalmusic
Internet:
Chinese bloggers launch an online attack on an official in the recent earthquake zone who is accused of grinning too much in the midst of the disaster (1st June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/01/china.humanrights
May 2008
Music:
Prince covers Radiohead but demands the clip is removed from Youtube for copyright reasons (31st May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/apr/15/television.digitalmedia
Television/Internet:
BBC chiefs are accused of breaching their licence as the website overspend hits £36m (30th May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/may/30/bbc.mediabusiness
Virtual Worlds:
An article on the populations and population crisis of massively multiplayer online virtual worlds (29th May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/may/29/games.mmos
Internet:
A story about the effect of blogging on one’s personal privacy and relationships (25th May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/may/25/digitalmedia.blogging
Internet:
‘Fears of a digital divide are groundless as online access soars in UK rural areas’ (22nd May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/may/22/internet.digitalmedia
Economics:
An article on Google’s interest in a tie-up with Yahoo (20th May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/may/20/yahoo.yahoo
Economics/Radio:
Orange is launching itself into the internet radio market in Britain as it tries to get a larger slice of the home entertainment market (19th May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/may/19/digitalmusic.mobilephones
Television:
The hit Youtube video of a baby buffalo escaping lions and a crocodile is turned into a documentary by a US wildlife channel (18th May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/may/18/conservation
Crime:
Myspace wins a record $230m legal judgement against internet spammers (15th May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/may/15/myspace.socialnetworking
Music:
‘Piracy growing fast as fewer fans buy downloads’ (15th May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/may/15/piracy.digitalmusic
Television:
The BBC apologises for holding on to £106 000 of money from phone-ins that should have gone to charity (10th May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/may/10/bbc.tvfakery
Television:
ITV must pay a record fine of £5.7m for prime-time phone-ins that robbed viewers of £7.8m (9th May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/may/09/itv.tvfakery1
Security:
More than half a million computers were infected in seven days with a single piece of malicious software (9th May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/may/09/internet.hacking
Music:Universal to offer free music downloads after signing a deal with Qtrax. Qtrax originally advertised its service in January but deals weren’t in place. Now it has signed up with the world’s largest record label, plus other companies (8th May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/may/08/digitalmedia.digitalmusic
Internet/Television:
BBC and ITV launch belated digital satellite service – they combine to launch FreeSat to complement Freeview, offering up to 200 channels for a one-off fee with no contract (7th May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/may/07/bbc.itv
Economics:
An article investigating Chris Anderson’s claims in his new book on the new economics of ‘free’ (6th May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2008/may/06/consumeraffairs.economics Anderson’s ‘Wired’ article can be found here: http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/16-03/ff_free
Internet:
Jonathan Zittrain argues that ‘tethered appliances’ are stifling innovation (1st May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/may/01/internet.gadgets
Economics:
The mobile phone company O2 launches a new advertising campaign to attract residential broadband customers as it takes its service nationwide with a new deal with BT (1st May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/may/01/mobilephones
April 2008
Mobile Phones:
How multi-media mobile phones are leading to a decline in mobile wallpapers and ringtones (28th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/apr/28/telecommunications
Video games:
How the release of Grand Theft Auto IV may threaten Hollywood’s summer blockbuster profits (28th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/28/games.filmnews
Security/Surveillance:
Face scans for air passengers to begin in the UK summer 2008 (25th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/apr/25/theairlineindustry.transport
Control:
An article on how computing licenses are becoming more important – and controlling of users (24th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/24/law.software
Web 2.0/UGC:
The text of a great speech by Clay Shirky on user-generated content and Web 2.0 entitled ‘Gin, Television and Social Surplus’ given on 23rd April: http://www.shirky.com/herecomeseverybody/2008/04/looking-for-the-mouse.html
Future Technology:
A ‘bionic’ eye gives blind people some sight (22nd April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/apr/22/medicalresearch.news
Music:
A groundbreaking deal with Youtube and a booming live music scene has seen composers and songwriters receive record royalty payments (21st April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/apr/21/mediabusiness.digitalmedia
Music:
On how the music industry’s battle with downloaders has damaged trust (21st April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/apr/21/netmusic
Internet/Politics:
‘DowningStreet’ joins Twitter (18th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/18/internet.digitalmedia
Internet/Crime:
Fewer than 3000 websites produce the bulk of child porn (17th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/17/internet.childprotection
Economics:
Poor broadband sales cause problems for Carphone Warehouse which sees £325m wiped off the value of its business as shares slump (16th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/16/aol.internetphonesbroadband
Mobile Phones:
Apple slashes £100 from the price of the iPhone amid talk of slow sales (16th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/16/iphone.telecoms
Television:
A new survey on people’s relationship with and use of television in a digital age (15th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/apr/15/television.digitalmedia
Internet:
Police warn that pupils are posing as paedophiles on social networking sites to bully other children (10th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/apr/10/schools.uk2
Future Technology:
On companies looking to recreate the human brain’s processing power virtually (10th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/10/robot.brain
Internet:
‘How I fell in love with Wikipedia’ (10th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/10/wikipedia.internet
Privacy:
An article on Google Street View and its privacy implications (10th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/10/news.google
Television/Internet:
Internet firms clash with BBC over new iPlayer. Viewing has increased from 11m programmes watched in February to 17m in march and internet firms are now complaining about the strain on their service (10th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/10/bbc.internet
Internet:
Spending on online advertising rose by 38% in 2007 from £797m to £2.8bn (7th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/apr/08/advertising.digitalmedia1
Music:
Survey finds 95% of youngsters are illegally copying music. Copying is now ‘burnt into the teenage psyche’ (7th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/apr/07/news.katieallen
Economics:
Microsoft gives Yahoo three weeks to accept its $31 per share takeover bid or it will approach its shareholders directly (7th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/apr/07/microsoft.microsoft
Infrastructure:
On ‘the broadband crunch’: how the popularity of web video is causing problems for the web’s infrastructure (6th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/06/internet.digitalmedia
Crime:
Youtube is criticised after an error in its review procedure meant that it had failed to remove footage apparently showing a gang rape (2nd April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/02/youtube.internet
March 2008
The UK gets set for the television ‘digital switchover’ with 90% of the population now multichannel (31st March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/mar/31/digitaltvradio
Music:
Record companies find ways to offset CD slump: ‘Record companies made 11.4% of their income outside traditional music sales last year, according to figures released today by the BPI, the industry trade body. The data offers hope that the industry can weather the threat from illegal downloading and falling CD sales. Revenues from outside retail sales - from licensing music to third parties, or from non-copyright income such as merchandising, the use of artists' logos and sponsorship - were £121.6m last year, up 13.8% on 2006. Record companies made £943m from music sales last year, with digital formats accounting for 8.6% of all sales income’ (30th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jun/30/2
Mobile Phones/Economics:
EC plans to cut the price European mobile phone companies charge to connect calls could impact upon the consumers and services such as free handsets, the industry warns (27th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jun/27/telecoms.regulators
Radio:
Capital Radio’s owners are fined a record £1.1m over a phone-in scandal (27th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jun/27/gcapmedia.radio
Future Technology:
Intelligent armed robot vehicles are ready to be deployed on the battlefield to support soldiers (26th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jun/26/robots.weaponstechnology
Mobile Phones/Crime:
A 12 year old boy had terrorist murder videos on his mobile phone (26th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jun/26/ukcrime.uksecurity
Television:
The BBC plans to revamp its online iPlayer catch-up service (which has received 100m programme requests in just 6 months), to include radio, to cross-promote and group shows and to allow personalised channels (26th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jun/26/bbc.digitalmedia
Television:
A report says television consumers don’t understand the digital message and switchover (26th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jun/26/digitaltvradio.television1
Mobile Phones/economics:
Nokia buys British software company Symbian and announces plans to make its mobile phone software available free of charge as open-source to counter the threat of Apple and Google (25th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jun/25/nokia.google
Privacy/Surveillance:
British scientists are developing technology that will enable CCTV cameras to ‘hear’ a crime taking place and spin round to capture it on film (24th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jun/24/ukcrime1
Television:
ITV seeks to cut its public service output before the digital switchover to raise its ratings in a cutthroat market (23rd June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jun/23/itv.itvbusiness
Computing History:
An article on the anniversary of ‘Baby’, the Manchester computer and its place in computing history (21st June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jun/21/computing.digitalmedia
Citizen Journalism:
A story on a 61 year-old amateur journalist who broke two of the biggest stories of the 2008 US elections for the website The Huffington Post (20th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/20/barackobama.uselections2008
Mobile Phones:
Before the launch of the new iPhone, an article on the state of smartphone technology (19th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jun/19/iphone.blackberry
Crime/Photography:
An article about how digital photos posted online are being stolen and used for profit (19th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jun/18/news.internet
Economics/Social Networking:
LinkedIn, the business social networking site, has secured a billion dollar valuation after a new round of venture capital funding (19th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jun/19/digitalmedia.mediabusiness
Global Media:
An article on the global media and entertainment market (18th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jun/18/digitalmedia.mediabusiness
Mobile Phones:
On the success of the mobile phone in Africa (17th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jun/17/telecoms.telecoms
Internet/Cyberbullying:
A story about the attempt to discover a law to deal with a recent cyberbullying case where a woman posed as a 16 year old boy to bully a 13 year old neighbour who later committed suicide (17th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/17/usa.news
Internet:
CBS owned Last.fm strikes a deal with Universal music that puts 12 000 full-length videos on its site (17th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jun/17/digitalmedia.news
Mobile Phones/Control:
John Naughton on Apple’s strategy of control through its iPhone operating system (15th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jun/15/stevejobs.apple
Mobile Phones/Pathologies:
Two Spanish children aged 12 and 13 are treated for addiction to mobile phones (13th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/13/spain.mobilephones
Television:
On the BBC’s plans to create a web page for every episode of every programme ever broadcast on BBC TV (11th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jun/11/bbc.bbc
Mobile Phones:
New Apple iPhone launched aimed at boosting sales (10th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jun/10/iphone.stevejobs
Computing:
A story about Roadrunner – the fastest supercomputer in the world (10th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jun/10/computing.sciencenews
Internet:
Online advertising spending in the UK leapt over the £3bn level for the first time according to new research, taking market share from other traditional media (10th June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jun/10/advertising.digitalmedia
DVDs:
An article on the threat to the DVD industry from downloads (2nd June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jun/02/digitalmedia.digitalmusic
Internet:
Chinese bloggers launch an online attack on an official in the recent earthquake zone who is accused of grinning too much in the midst of the disaster (1st June): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/01/china.humanrights
May 2008
Music:
Prince covers Radiohead but demands the clip is removed from Youtube for copyright reasons (31st May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/apr/15/television.digitalmedia
Television/Internet:
BBC chiefs are accused of breaching their licence as the website overspend hits £36m (30th May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/may/30/bbc.mediabusiness
Virtual Worlds:
An article on the populations and population crisis of massively multiplayer online virtual worlds (29th May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/may/29/games.mmos
Internet:
A story about the effect of blogging on one’s personal privacy and relationships (25th May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/may/25/digitalmedia.blogging
Internet:
‘Fears of a digital divide are groundless as online access soars in UK rural areas’ (22nd May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/may/22/internet.digitalmedia
Economics:
An article on Google’s interest in a tie-up with Yahoo (20th May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/may/20/yahoo.yahoo
Economics/Radio:
Orange is launching itself into the internet radio market in Britain as it tries to get a larger slice of the home entertainment market (19th May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/may/19/digitalmusic.mobilephones
Television:
The hit Youtube video of a baby buffalo escaping lions and a crocodile is turned into a documentary by a US wildlife channel (18th May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/may/18/conservation
Crime:
Myspace wins a record $230m legal judgement against internet spammers (15th May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/may/15/myspace.socialnetworking
Music:
‘Piracy growing fast as fewer fans buy downloads’ (15th May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/may/15/piracy.digitalmusic
Television:
The BBC apologises for holding on to £106 000 of money from phone-ins that should have gone to charity (10th May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/may/10/bbc.tvfakery
Television:
ITV must pay a record fine of £5.7m for prime-time phone-ins that robbed viewers of £7.8m (9th May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/may/09/itv.tvfakery1
Security:
More than half a million computers were infected in seven days with a single piece of malicious software (9th May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/may/09/internet.hacking
Music:Universal to offer free music downloads after signing a deal with Qtrax. Qtrax originally advertised its service in January but deals weren’t in place. Now it has signed up with the world’s largest record label, plus other companies (8th May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/may/08/digitalmedia.digitalmusic
Internet/Television:
BBC and ITV launch belated digital satellite service – they combine to launch FreeSat to complement Freeview, offering up to 200 channels for a one-off fee with no contract (7th May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/may/07/bbc.itv
Economics:
An article investigating Chris Anderson’s claims in his new book on the new economics of ‘free’ (6th May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2008/may/06/consumeraffairs.economics Anderson’s ‘Wired’ article can be found here: http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/16-03/ff_free
Internet:
Jonathan Zittrain argues that ‘tethered appliances’ are stifling innovation (1st May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/may/01/internet.gadgets
Economics:
The mobile phone company O2 launches a new advertising campaign to attract residential broadband customers as it takes its service nationwide with a new deal with BT (1st May): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/may/01/mobilephones
April 2008
Mobile Phones:
How multi-media mobile phones are leading to a decline in mobile wallpapers and ringtones (28th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/apr/28/telecommunications
Video games:
How the release of Grand Theft Auto IV may threaten Hollywood’s summer blockbuster profits (28th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/28/games.filmnews
Security/Surveillance:
Face scans for air passengers to begin in the UK summer 2008 (25th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/apr/25/theairlineindustry.transport
Control:
An article on how computing licenses are becoming more important – and controlling of users (24th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/24/law.software
Web 2.0/UGC:
The text of a great speech by Clay Shirky on user-generated content and Web 2.0 entitled ‘Gin, Television and Social Surplus’ given on 23rd April: http://www.shirky.com/herecomeseverybody/2008/04/looking-for-the-mouse.html
Future Technology:
A ‘bionic’ eye gives blind people some sight (22nd April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/apr/22/medicalresearch.news
Music:
A groundbreaking deal with Youtube and a booming live music scene has seen composers and songwriters receive record royalty payments (21st April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/apr/21/mediabusiness.digitalmedia
Music:
On how the music industry’s battle with downloaders has damaged trust (21st April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/apr/21/netmusic
Internet/Politics:
‘DowningStreet’ joins Twitter (18th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/18/internet.digitalmedia
Internet/Crime:
Fewer than 3000 websites produce the bulk of child porn (17th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/17/internet.childprotection
Economics:
Poor broadband sales cause problems for Carphone Warehouse which sees £325m wiped off the value of its business as shares slump (16th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/16/aol.internetphonesbroadband
Mobile Phones:
Apple slashes £100 from the price of the iPhone amid talk of slow sales (16th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/16/iphone.telecoms
Television:
A new survey on people’s relationship with and use of television in a digital age (15th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/apr/15/television.digitalmedia
Internet:
Police warn that pupils are posing as paedophiles on social networking sites to bully other children (10th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/apr/10/schools.uk2
Future Technology:
On companies looking to recreate the human brain’s processing power virtually (10th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/10/robot.brain
Internet:
‘How I fell in love with Wikipedia’ (10th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/10/wikipedia.internet
Privacy:
An article on Google Street View and its privacy implications (10th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/10/news.google
Television/Internet:
Internet firms clash with BBC over new iPlayer. Viewing has increased from 11m programmes watched in February to 17m in march and internet firms are now complaining about the strain on their service (10th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/10/bbc.internet
Internet:
Spending on online advertising rose by 38% in 2007 from £797m to £2.8bn (7th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/apr/08/advertising.digitalmedia1
Music:
Survey finds 95% of youngsters are illegally copying music. Copying is now ‘burnt into the teenage psyche’ (7th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/apr/07/news.katieallen
Economics:
Microsoft gives Yahoo three weeks to accept its $31 per share takeover bid or it will approach its shareholders directly (7th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/apr/07/microsoft.microsoft
Infrastructure:
On ‘the broadband crunch’: how the popularity of web video is causing problems for the web’s infrastructure (6th April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/06/internet.digitalmedia
Crime:
Youtube is criticised after an error in its review procedure meant that it had failed to remove footage apparently showing a gang rape (2nd April): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/02/youtube.internet
March 2008
The UK gets set for the television ‘digital switchover’ with 90% of the population now multichannel (31st March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/mar/31/digitaltvradio
Monday, 7 April 2008
Jan-March digital media news
March 2008
Video Games:
The government backs TV psychologist Dr Tanya Bryon’s suggestions for film-style ratings overseen by the British Board of Film Classification to be introduced for video games… (28th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/mar/28/childprotection.internet
Crime:
An article on new ‘fast flux’ techniques making internet crime more difficult to detect (27th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/27/security.hacking
Surveillance:
The online ad company Phorm defends its system which tracks what users do online to provide better targeted advertising (27th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/mar/27/advertising.digitalmedia
Internet:
Parents are to be shown how to protect children online. TV psychologist Dr Tanya Bryon’s report for the Government will set out a national strategy for child internet safety (27th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/27/privacy.childprotection
Internet:
Cuba blocks access to the country’s most popular blog signalling a crackdown on a new generation of cyber critics (26th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/26/cuba.news
Internet:
A new report warns parents of the dangers of children effectively being ‘raised online’, spending all their time on social networking sites (25th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/mar/25/children.socialnetworking
Internet:
A US internet service suspends the site hosting Dutch politician Geert Wilder’s controversial anti-Qu’ran film (24th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/24/netherlands.usa
Future/Theory:
A Wired article on Ray Kurzweil (24th March): http://www.wired.com/politics/security/news/2008/02/cyber_command?currentPage=all
Internet:
Youtube presents its second annual video awards (22nd March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/22/youtube.news
Television:
ITV is to re-launch its own online TV service as a rival to the BBC’s iplayer (18th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/mar/18/itv.digitalmedia
Video Games
The banned game Manhunt 2 has been granted a certificate after a 9 month court battle (15th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/15/games
Internet:
Bebo sold to AOL for $850m (£417m) (14th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/mar/14/bebo.web20
Internet:
China overtakes the US as the country with the most internet users (14th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/14/internet.china
Cinema:
On a new generation of 3D films (13th March): http://film.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2264536,00.html
Television:
The BBC’s iPlayer is hacked (13th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/13/digitalvideo.television
Music/Economics:
An article on the rise of ‘free’ in music (13th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/13/internet.google
Robots:
Swarms of tiny robots could join together to tackle jobs (13th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/13/robots.artificialintelligenceai
Television:
On the success of Freeview – more than 3.8m devices that can receive Freeview were sold in the last quarter of 2007, according to figures to be released today. For the year as a whole 9.7m TVs, set top boxes and personal video recorders were sold that can receive Freeview's more than 40 free to air channels, up 64% on the previous year and also a new record. The success of Freeview compares with 167,000 new subscribers for Sky in the last three months of 2007, which took its total customer base above 8.8 million, and 61,100 new subscribers for Virgin Media's cable TV service. It now has 4.8 million customers (11th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/mar/11/digitaltvradio.television
Television:
The Japanese are working on a high-definition TV system with 33 times more detail than the best available systems today (11th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/11/television.bbc
Robots/War:
The RAF buys American robot planes for use in Afghanistan (10th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/mar/10/military.afghanistan
Music:
Sony joins We7, a free, advertising-supported music service, agreeing to license more than 250 000 tracks to Peter Gabriel’s company (10th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/10/sony.netmusic
Internet:John Naughton on how Flickr became a classic Web 2.0 success story (9th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/mar/09/web20.internet
Journalism:
Peter Preston poses the question, when news is free who’ll pay the journalists (9th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/mar/09/pressandpublishing4
Privacy:
An article on Phorm, a new company that will track surfing patterns to serve targeted ads (6th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/06/internet.privacy
Security:
Nato says cyber attacks and cyber war are as great a threat today as a missile attack (6th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/06/hitechcrime.uksecurity
Future Technology:
News of a computerised mind-reading machine … (6th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/mar/06/medicalresearch
Print:
Penguin audio-books are to be released without DRM copy-protection (4th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/04/digitalmusic.booksnews
Searching:
An article about how online communities sharing recommendations help people to find material they’ll like and the implications of this for the advertising and PR industries (3rd March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/mar/03/marketingandpr.digitalmedia
Television:
The Guardian publish a section devoted to TV and commercial broadcasting in the digital age (3rd March): http://media.guardian.co.uk/tvtoday
Internet:
Youtube is set to take on established TV broadcasters by offering its own live channels (2nd March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/02/youtube.realitytv
Internet:
An article on the success of parenting websites (2nd March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/02/internet.parentingwebsites
February 2008
Law:
The EU fines Microsoft a record £680m for imposing unreasonable prices on rivals for access to its dominant Windows software, bringing the total fine by the EU to date to 1.7bn euros (28th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/feb/28/microsoft.news
Economics:
Chris Anderson’s Wired article on why ‘free’ is the future of business (25th Feb): http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/16-03/ff_free
Censorship:
Pakistan bans Youtube over anti-Islamic clips (25th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb/25/pakistan.youtube
Internet:
A Swiss bank wins a court case this week against the whistle-blower website Wikileaks (23rd Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2008/feb/23/internet.usa
Television:
BSkyB launches an appeal against the ruling that it must reduce its stake in ITV from 17.9% to under 7.5% (23rd Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/feb/22/bskyb.itv
Internet:
Facebook sheds 400 000 users between December 2007 and January 2008. Commentators claim that people are ‘falling out of love’ with the site but the more likely explanation is that the wave of publicity attracted users who got bored within a month or so. It doesn’t yet seem to represent a turn away from networking or that particular site (22nd Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/22/facebook.facebook
Mobile Phones:
The UK Sentencing Guidelines Council urges stiffer sentences for ‘happy slapping’ attacks (21st Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/feb/21/law.ukcrime
Music:
An article on the Government’s threat to force ISPs to police illegal P2P sharing of copyright material over their networks (21st Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/21/piracy.digitalmusic
Videogames /Interfaces:
An article on how neurofeedback devices could be used for gaming and other applications (21st Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/21/research.games
Television:
BBC shows will now be available to download from itTunes to be watched on ipods, under a new agreement between the BBC and Apple (20th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/20/ipod.apple
Security:
A British company has patented laptop software to protect stolen laptops. It photographs the thief, pinpoints their location and destroys sensitive data (20th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/feb/20/ukcrime.news
DVDs:Toshiba are expected to pull the plug on HD-DVD after the recent success of Blu-ray. An analysis of the market and the format war (19th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/19/television.games
Video Games:
An article on music in video games (15th Feb): http://arts.guardian.co.uk/filmandmusic/story/0,,2256333,00.html
Mobile Phones:
A 15 year old girl is convicted of aiding manslaughter by agreeing to film a fatal attack on her phone (15th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/feb/15/ukcrime See also (14th Feb): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_yorkshire/7244782.stm Sentencing takes place in March: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bradford/7294680.stm and http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bradford/7302959.stm
Mobile Phones:
T-Mobile drops Google in favour of Yahoo as its partner in the UK for search technology (13th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/13/google.yahoo
Privacy:
A story about a Chinese celebrity sex scandal, with thousands of photos copied from a star’s macbook, showing him engaged in sexual activity with a number of actresses and singers, being made available online (13th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb/13/china.news
Mobile Phones/Television:
T-Mobile and Orange plan to test a new mobile phone TV technology that may allow users to view up to 100 channels (12th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/12/mobilephones.telecoms
Mobile Phones:
Nokia begins to look into touch screen technology (12th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/12/mobilephones.telecoms1
Radio:
A story about the problems and future of digital radio in the UK (12th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/feb/12/radio.commercialradio
War:
A Wired article on cyberwar in the US (11th Feb): http://www.wired.com/politics/security/news/2008/02/cyber_command?currentPage=all
Mobile Phones:
An article on the battle for a share of the mobile phone market, especially with the rise of the phone as media player and of the mobile internet (11th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/11/mobilephones.telecoms
Radio:
An article on the state of digital radio in the UK (11th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/feb/11/digitaltvradio.radio
Mobile Phones:
Vodafone tries to avoid a clash with regulators by cutting its charges for mobile internet use abroad (9th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/09/mobilephones.mobileworldcongressbusiness
Censorship:
An article on China’s ‘great firewall’ (9th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/09/internet.china
Video Games:
The Government plan to introduce a cinema-style classification system for video games (9th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/09/games.digitalmedia
Television:
ITV’s falling share prices impact upon the value of BskyB’s stake (7th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/feb/07/bskyb.itv
Mobile Phones:
A short article on how digital technology is vital to the developing world (7th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/feb/07/globaleconomy.mobilephones
Mobile Phones:
A new study claims that mobile phones don’t increase the risk of cancer (6th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/06/mobilephones.health
Mobile Phones:
The number of texts sent in the UK rose 40% in the last year, with 57bn messages being sent in 2007 (and 5000 every second in December!) (6th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/06/mobilephones
Internet:
Hackers declare war on the Church of Scientology, following their claimed pressure on Youtube to withdraw an embarrassing clip of Tom Cruise describing the religion as ‘a blast’ (4th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/04/news
Music:
An article on the music industry in the digital age (3rd Feb): http://music.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2251409,00.html
Economics:
Microsoft launches a $44.6bn bid for Yahoo in an attempt to create an online search and advertising group that would rival Google (2nd Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/feb/02/microsoft.yahoo Yahoo rejected the offer a few days later (12th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/12/yahoo.microsoft The Yahoo board are said to be split over the rejection (16th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/16/yahootakeover.yahoo An article from 3rd Feb analyses Microsoft’s reasons (3rd Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/03/billgates.google
Internet:
The notorious pirate website ‘The Pirate Bay’, based in Malmo, faces a copyright lawsuit from Swedish prosecutors (1st Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/01/piracy.digitalmusic
Internet:
How one clumsy ship cut the cables connecting 75m people to the World Wide Web (1st Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/feb/01/internationalpersonalfinancebusiness.internet See also (Jan 31st): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/31/internet.blackout.asia
January 2008
Internet:
Youtube announce plans to share ad revenue with their video posters (31st Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/31/youtube.digitalmedia
Television:
BSkyB plan to appeal after business secretary John Hutton supported the Competition Commission’s ruling that it must sell more than half its stake in ITV (30th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jan/30/itvbusiness.bskyb
Mobile Phones:
The EC begins to look at lower charges for texting in Europe (30th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/30/mobilephones.news
Internet:
Video of the German navy ramming its own boats finds its way onto Youtube, embarrassing the German Government and military (30th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jan/30/germany.internet
Music:
U2’s manager calls on artists to join him infighting online music piracy (29th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jan/29/musicnews.music
Music:
Music publishing, which generates revenue when songs are sold or played is thriving according to new figures, though the recording industry figures are down (29th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jan/29/netmusic.piracy
Music:
An article about the claimed launch of QTrax, set to offer 25m tracks to download for free, paid for by advertising. It quickly emerges that the major labels are not on board for this project (28th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/28/piracy.digitalmedia
Internet/Music:
The record labels call for legislation to force ISPs to police P2P filesharing over their networks (25th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jan/25/media.internet
Cyberwar:
Estonia fines a 20 year old ethnic Russian man for taking part in a ‘cyberwar’ against Estonia in April-May 2007 (25th Jan): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7208511.stm
Television:
BBC3 focuses on social networking and UGC in its makeover (23rd Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jan/23/bbc.television
Internet:
A local Bridgend MP suggests social networking sites could be influencing the spate of suicides in young people in the area. The ‘memory walls’ created for the dead are romanticising suicide, she says (23rd Jan): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7204172.stm
Music:
Last.fm announces a deal with the 4 major record companies and independent to allow users to listen to music for free on ‘the world’s biggest free jukebox’ (23rd Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jan/23/commercialradio.radio
Internet/Mobile Phones:
An article about schoolgirl bullying, often taking advantage of mobile phones and online sites (20th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jan/20/pupilbehaviour.gender
Internet:
An article on griefers in Second Life (18th Jan): http://www.wired.com/gaming/virtualworlds/magazine/16-02/mf_goons
Cinema/Internet:
How silent cinema is thriving online on video websites for whom its brief slapstick scenes are perfect. Happy slapsticking anyone? (18th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/18/internet.digitalvideo
Security:
An article about how security companies are no longer sharing information on vulnerabilities with other companies, turning security into a ‘protection racket’ (17th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/17/computersecurity
Internet:
An article on how a scrabble application on Facebook is being sued for breach of copyright (17th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/17/internet.facebook.scrabulous
Television:
New findings about children’s use of TV in a digital age (16th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jan/16/television.socialnetworking
Crime:
Police are to use text message tactics to snare rape suspects, trying to make them incriminate themselves through their answers to text questions from the victim (14th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jan/14/ukcrime.topstories31
Digital Media:
A Guardian special report on trends in digital media covering virtual worlds and video gems, mobile phones and the mobile web, digital Tv and online video etc. (14th Jan): http://media.guardian.co.uk/trends08
Cyborgs:
A paralympic star has been banned from competing at the Olympic games as the IAAF ruled his prosthetic limbs give him an unfair advantage over his able-bodied competitors … (14th Jan): http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/athletics/7141302.stm
Television:
More than 1 million people use the BBC’s new iPlayer (14th Jan): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7187967.stm
Internet:
An important article on the politics of the people behind Facebook (14th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/14/facebook
Internet/Privacy:
A Cambridge admissions tutor has admitted checking up on students who apply by browsing their Facebook profiles (11th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jan/11/accesstouniversity.highereducation
Interfaces:
A new system allowing users to control their computer by waving their hands in the air is showcased (11th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/11/games.computing
Economics:
BT announces plans for improved broadband speeds in the UK (10th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/10/btgroupbusiness.internet
Internet:
Use of web video sites increases in the US during the TV writer’s strike (10th Jan): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7180889.stm
Music:
Brussels forces iTunes to cut the price of downloads in the UK (10th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/10/itunes.pricecutsintheuk
Music/Law:
The Government plans to relax copyright laws to make it legal to transfer your own music CDs onto your MP3 player. Currently it is against UK law! (9th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/09/copyrightlaws
Radio:
The internet radio station, Pandora, is shutting down its UK service because it can’t pay the fees demanded by the music industry trade bodies (9th Jan):
http://music.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2237674,00.html
DVDs:
Paramount announce they will withdraw support from Toshiba’s HD-DVD format (9th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/09/sony.digitalmedia
Security:
Introducing the iTaser – a taser gun that plays MP3s… (9th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/09/gadgets
DVDs:
Warner Bros. announce they will drop Toshiba’s HD-DVD format in favour of Sony’s Blue-ray (8th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jan/08/news.television
Music:
Napster announce they are joining the move away from copy protection (DRM) on music downloads (8th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jan/08/digitalmedia.news
Internet:
TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson loses his money after publishing details of his bank account in his newspaper column. He wanted to prove the furore over the Government’s loss of personal details on two discs was a fuss over nothing. Someone set up a direct debit with the information and transferred £500 out, with their identity being protected by Data protection Act. ‘I was wrong and I’ve been punished for my mistake’, he said (7th Jan): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7174760.stm
Print:
How newsrooms are responding to the challenge of the digital world (7th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jan/07/pressandpublishing.digitalmedia
Divides:
An article on the digital divide in modern shopping and banking caused by those unable to log on or who want to speak face to face (6th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jan/06/retail.internet
Censorship:
China targets video sites such as Youtube, blocking access die to the spread of ‘degenerate thinking’ on the internet (4th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/04/youtube.video
Music:
3m music tracks are downloaded in the UK in the week between Christmas and New Year, double that of the same time the year before. Total UK download sales for 2007 were up 50% on 2006 to 77.6m tracks (3rd Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/03/digitalmusic.netmusic
Computing:
An article about the emergence of computing as a resource like electricity and the economics of this industry (an excerpt from Nicholas Carr’s new book, The Big Switch) (3rd Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/03/computing.internet
Computing:
A story about the UK’s fastest computer, the HECToR supercomputer (2nd Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/02/computing.climatechange
Internet:
A link to Kate Hafner’s useful article on the history of ‘the Well’ and online communities (originally May 1997): http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/5.05/ff_well_pr.html
Video Games:
The government backs TV psychologist Dr Tanya Bryon’s suggestions for film-style ratings overseen by the British Board of Film Classification to be introduced for video games… (28th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/mar/28/childprotection.internet
Crime:
An article on new ‘fast flux’ techniques making internet crime more difficult to detect (27th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/27/security.hacking
Surveillance:
The online ad company Phorm defends its system which tracks what users do online to provide better targeted advertising (27th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/mar/27/advertising.digitalmedia
Internet:
Parents are to be shown how to protect children online. TV psychologist Dr Tanya Bryon’s report for the Government will set out a national strategy for child internet safety (27th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/27/privacy.childprotection
Internet:
Cuba blocks access to the country’s most popular blog signalling a crackdown on a new generation of cyber critics (26th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/26/cuba.news
Internet:
A new report warns parents of the dangers of children effectively being ‘raised online’, spending all their time on social networking sites (25th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/mar/25/children.socialnetworking
Internet:
A US internet service suspends the site hosting Dutch politician Geert Wilder’s controversial anti-Qu’ran film (24th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/24/netherlands.usa
Future/Theory:
A Wired article on Ray Kurzweil (24th March): http://www.wired.com/politics/security/news/2008/02/cyber_command?currentPage=all
Internet:
Youtube presents its second annual video awards (22nd March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/22/youtube.news
Television:
ITV is to re-launch its own online TV service as a rival to the BBC’s iplayer (18th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/mar/18/itv.digitalmedia
Video Games
The banned game Manhunt 2 has been granted a certificate after a 9 month court battle (15th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/15/games
Internet:
Bebo sold to AOL for $850m (£417m) (14th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/mar/14/bebo.web20
Internet:
China overtakes the US as the country with the most internet users (14th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/14/internet.china
Cinema:
On a new generation of 3D films (13th March): http://film.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2264536,00.html
Television:
The BBC’s iPlayer is hacked (13th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/13/digitalvideo.television
Music/Economics:
An article on the rise of ‘free’ in music (13th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/13/internet.google
Robots:
Swarms of tiny robots could join together to tackle jobs (13th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/13/robots.artificialintelligenceai
Television:
On the success of Freeview – more than 3.8m devices that can receive Freeview were sold in the last quarter of 2007, according to figures to be released today. For the year as a whole 9.7m TVs, set top boxes and personal video recorders were sold that can receive Freeview's more than 40 free to air channels, up 64% on the previous year and also a new record. The success of Freeview compares with 167,000 new subscribers for Sky in the last three months of 2007, which took its total customer base above 8.8 million, and 61,100 new subscribers for Virgin Media's cable TV service. It now has 4.8 million customers (11th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/mar/11/digitaltvradio.television
Television:
The Japanese are working on a high-definition TV system with 33 times more detail than the best available systems today (11th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/11/television.bbc
Robots/War:
The RAF buys American robot planes for use in Afghanistan (10th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/mar/10/military.afghanistan
Music:
Sony joins We7, a free, advertising-supported music service, agreeing to license more than 250 000 tracks to Peter Gabriel’s company (10th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/10/sony.netmusic
Internet:John Naughton on how Flickr became a classic Web 2.0 success story (9th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/mar/09/web20.internet
Journalism:
Peter Preston poses the question, when news is free who’ll pay the journalists (9th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/mar/09/pressandpublishing4
Privacy:
An article on Phorm, a new company that will track surfing patterns to serve targeted ads (6th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/06/internet.privacy
Security:
Nato says cyber attacks and cyber war are as great a threat today as a missile attack (6th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/06/hitechcrime.uksecurity
Future Technology:
News of a computerised mind-reading machine … (6th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/mar/06/medicalresearch
Print:
Penguin audio-books are to be released without DRM copy-protection (4th March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/04/digitalmusic.booksnews
Searching:
An article about how online communities sharing recommendations help people to find material they’ll like and the implications of this for the advertising and PR industries (3rd March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/mar/03/marketingandpr.digitalmedia
Television:
The Guardian publish a section devoted to TV and commercial broadcasting in the digital age (3rd March): http://media.guardian.co.uk/tvtoday
Internet:
Youtube is set to take on established TV broadcasters by offering its own live channels (2nd March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/02/youtube.realitytv
Internet:
An article on the success of parenting websites (2nd March): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/02/internet.parentingwebsites
February 2008
Law:
The EU fines Microsoft a record £680m for imposing unreasonable prices on rivals for access to its dominant Windows software, bringing the total fine by the EU to date to 1.7bn euros (28th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/feb/28/microsoft.news
Economics:
Chris Anderson’s Wired article on why ‘free’ is the future of business (25th Feb): http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/16-03/ff_free
Censorship:
Pakistan bans Youtube over anti-Islamic clips (25th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb/25/pakistan.youtube
Internet:
A Swiss bank wins a court case this week against the whistle-blower website Wikileaks (23rd Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2008/feb/23/internet.usa
Television:
BSkyB launches an appeal against the ruling that it must reduce its stake in ITV from 17.9% to under 7.5% (23rd Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/feb/22/bskyb.itv
Internet:
Facebook sheds 400 000 users between December 2007 and January 2008. Commentators claim that people are ‘falling out of love’ with the site but the more likely explanation is that the wave of publicity attracted users who got bored within a month or so. It doesn’t yet seem to represent a turn away from networking or that particular site (22nd Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/22/facebook.facebook
Mobile Phones:
The UK Sentencing Guidelines Council urges stiffer sentences for ‘happy slapping’ attacks (21st Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/feb/21/law.ukcrime
Music:
An article on the Government’s threat to force ISPs to police illegal P2P sharing of copyright material over their networks (21st Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/21/piracy.digitalmusic
Videogames /Interfaces:
An article on how neurofeedback devices could be used for gaming and other applications (21st Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/21/research.games
Television:
BBC shows will now be available to download from itTunes to be watched on ipods, under a new agreement between the BBC and Apple (20th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/20/ipod.apple
Security:
A British company has patented laptop software to protect stolen laptops. It photographs the thief, pinpoints their location and destroys sensitive data (20th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/feb/20/ukcrime.news
DVDs:Toshiba are expected to pull the plug on HD-DVD after the recent success of Blu-ray. An analysis of the market and the format war (19th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/19/television.games
Video Games:
An article on music in video games (15th Feb): http://arts.guardian.co.uk/filmandmusic/story/0,,2256333,00.html
Mobile Phones:
A 15 year old girl is convicted of aiding manslaughter by agreeing to film a fatal attack on her phone (15th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/feb/15/ukcrime See also (14th Feb): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_yorkshire/7244782.stm Sentencing takes place in March: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bradford/7294680.stm and http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bradford/7302959.stm
Mobile Phones:
T-Mobile drops Google in favour of Yahoo as its partner in the UK for search technology (13th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/13/google.yahoo
Privacy:
A story about a Chinese celebrity sex scandal, with thousands of photos copied from a star’s macbook, showing him engaged in sexual activity with a number of actresses and singers, being made available online (13th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb/13/china.news
Mobile Phones/Television:
T-Mobile and Orange plan to test a new mobile phone TV technology that may allow users to view up to 100 channels (12th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/12/mobilephones.telecoms
Mobile Phones:
Nokia begins to look into touch screen technology (12th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/12/mobilephones.telecoms1
Radio:
A story about the problems and future of digital radio in the UK (12th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/feb/12/radio.commercialradio
War:
A Wired article on cyberwar in the US (11th Feb): http://www.wired.com/politics/security/news/2008/02/cyber_command?currentPage=all
Mobile Phones:
An article on the battle for a share of the mobile phone market, especially with the rise of the phone as media player and of the mobile internet (11th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/11/mobilephones.telecoms
Radio:
An article on the state of digital radio in the UK (11th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/feb/11/digitaltvradio.radio
Mobile Phones:
Vodafone tries to avoid a clash with regulators by cutting its charges for mobile internet use abroad (9th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/09/mobilephones.mobileworldcongressbusiness
Censorship:
An article on China’s ‘great firewall’ (9th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/09/internet.china
Video Games:
The Government plan to introduce a cinema-style classification system for video games (9th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/09/games.digitalmedia
Television:
ITV’s falling share prices impact upon the value of BskyB’s stake (7th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/feb/07/bskyb.itv
Mobile Phones:
A short article on how digital technology is vital to the developing world (7th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/feb/07/globaleconomy.mobilephones
Mobile Phones:
A new study claims that mobile phones don’t increase the risk of cancer (6th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/06/mobilephones.health
Mobile Phones:
The number of texts sent in the UK rose 40% in the last year, with 57bn messages being sent in 2007 (and 5000 every second in December!) (6th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/06/mobilephones
Internet:
Hackers declare war on the Church of Scientology, following their claimed pressure on Youtube to withdraw an embarrassing clip of Tom Cruise describing the religion as ‘a blast’ (4th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/04/news
Music:
An article on the music industry in the digital age (3rd Feb): http://music.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2251409,00.html
Economics:
Microsoft launches a $44.6bn bid for Yahoo in an attempt to create an online search and advertising group that would rival Google (2nd Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/feb/02/microsoft.yahoo Yahoo rejected the offer a few days later (12th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/12/yahoo.microsoft The Yahoo board are said to be split over the rejection (16th Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/16/yahootakeover.yahoo An article from 3rd Feb analyses Microsoft’s reasons (3rd Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/03/billgates.google
Internet:
The notorious pirate website ‘The Pirate Bay’, based in Malmo, faces a copyright lawsuit from Swedish prosecutors (1st Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/01/piracy.digitalmusic
Internet:
How one clumsy ship cut the cables connecting 75m people to the World Wide Web (1st Feb): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/feb/01/internationalpersonalfinancebusiness.internet See also (Jan 31st): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/31/internet.blackout.asia
January 2008
Internet:
Youtube announce plans to share ad revenue with their video posters (31st Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/31/youtube.digitalmedia
Television:
BSkyB plan to appeal after business secretary John Hutton supported the Competition Commission’s ruling that it must sell more than half its stake in ITV (30th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jan/30/itvbusiness.bskyb
Mobile Phones:
The EC begins to look at lower charges for texting in Europe (30th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/30/mobilephones.news
Internet:
Video of the German navy ramming its own boats finds its way onto Youtube, embarrassing the German Government and military (30th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jan/30/germany.internet
Music:
U2’s manager calls on artists to join him infighting online music piracy (29th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jan/29/musicnews.music
Music:
Music publishing, which generates revenue when songs are sold or played is thriving according to new figures, though the recording industry figures are down (29th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jan/29/netmusic.piracy
Music:
An article about the claimed launch of QTrax, set to offer 25m tracks to download for free, paid for by advertising. It quickly emerges that the major labels are not on board for this project (28th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/28/piracy.digitalmedia
Internet/Music:
The record labels call for legislation to force ISPs to police P2P filesharing over their networks (25th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jan/25/media.internet
Cyberwar:
Estonia fines a 20 year old ethnic Russian man for taking part in a ‘cyberwar’ against Estonia in April-May 2007 (25th Jan): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7208511.stm
Television:
BBC3 focuses on social networking and UGC in its makeover (23rd Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jan/23/bbc.television
Internet:
A local Bridgend MP suggests social networking sites could be influencing the spate of suicides in young people in the area. The ‘memory walls’ created for the dead are romanticising suicide, she says (23rd Jan): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7204172.stm
Music:
Last.fm announces a deal with the 4 major record companies and independent to allow users to listen to music for free on ‘the world’s biggest free jukebox’ (23rd Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jan/23/commercialradio.radio
Internet/Mobile Phones:
An article about schoolgirl bullying, often taking advantage of mobile phones and online sites (20th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jan/20/pupilbehaviour.gender
Internet:
An article on griefers in Second Life (18th Jan): http://www.wired.com/gaming/virtualworlds/magazine/16-02/mf_goons
Cinema/Internet:
How silent cinema is thriving online on video websites for whom its brief slapstick scenes are perfect. Happy slapsticking anyone? (18th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/18/internet.digitalvideo
Security:
An article about how security companies are no longer sharing information on vulnerabilities with other companies, turning security into a ‘protection racket’ (17th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/17/computersecurity
Internet:
An article on how a scrabble application on Facebook is being sued for breach of copyright (17th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/17/internet.facebook.scrabulous
Television:
New findings about children’s use of TV in a digital age (16th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jan/16/television.socialnetworking
Crime:
Police are to use text message tactics to snare rape suspects, trying to make them incriminate themselves through their answers to text questions from the victim (14th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jan/14/ukcrime.topstories31
Digital Media:
A Guardian special report on trends in digital media covering virtual worlds and video gems, mobile phones and the mobile web, digital Tv and online video etc. (14th Jan): http://media.guardian.co.uk/trends08
Cyborgs:
A paralympic star has been banned from competing at the Olympic games as the IAAF ruled his prosthetic limbs give him an unfair advantage over his able-bodied competitors … (14th Jan): http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/athletics/7141302.stm
Television:
More than 1 million people use the BBC’s new iPlayer (14th Jan): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7187967.stm
Internet:
An important article on the politics of the people behind Facebook (14th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/14/facebook
Internet/Privacy:
A Cambridge admissions tutor has admitted checking up on students who apply by browsing their Facebook profiles (11th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jan/11/accesstouniversity.highereducation
Interfaces:
A new system allowing users to control their computer by waving their hands in the air is showcased (11th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/11/games.computing
Economics:
BT announces plans for improved broadband speeds in the UK (10th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/10/btgroupbusiness.internet
Internet:
Use of web video sites increases in the US during the TV writer’s strike (10th Jan): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7180889.stm
Music:
Brussels forces iTunes to cut the price of downloads in the UK (10th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/10/itunes.pricecutsintheuk
Music/Law:
The Government plans to relax copyright laws to make it legal to transfer your own music CDs onto your MP3 player. Currently it is against UK law! (9th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/09/copyrightlaws
Radio:
The internet radio station, Pandora, is shutting down its UK service because it can’t pay the fees demanded by the music industry trade bodies (9th Jan):
http://music.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2237674,00.html
DVDs:
Paramount announce they will withdraw support from Toshiba’s HD-DVD format (9th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/09/sony.digitalmedia
Security:
Introducing the iTaser – a taser gun that plays MP3s… (9th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/09/gadgets
DVDs:
Warner Bros. announce they will drop Toshiba’s HD-DVD format in favour of Sony’s Blue-ray (8th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jan/08/news.television
Music:
Napster announce they are joining the move away from copy protection (DRM) on music downloads (8th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jan/08/digitalmedia.news
Internet:
TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson loses his money after publishing details of his bank account in his newspaper column. He wanted to prove the furore over the Government’s loss of personal details on two discs was a fuss over nothing. Someone set up a direct debit with the information and transferred £500 out, with their identity being protected by Data protection Act. ‘I was wrong and I’ve been punished for my mistake’, he said (7th Jan): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7174760.stm
Print:
How newsrooms are responding to the challenge of the digital world (7th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jan/07/pressandpublishing.digitalmedia
Divides:
An article on the digital divide in modern shopping and banking caused by those unable to log on or who want to speak face to face (6th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jan/06/retail.internet
Censorship:
China targets video sites such as Youtube, blocking access die to the spread of ‘degenerate thinking’ on the internet (4th Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/04/youtube.video
Music:
3m music tracks are downloaded in the UK in the week between Christmas and New Year, double that of the same time the year before. Total UK download sales for 2007 were up 50% on 2006 to 77.6m tracks (3rd Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/03/digitalmusic.netmusic
Computing:
An article about the emergence of computing as a resource like electricity and the economics of this industry (an excerpt from Nicholas Carr’s new book, The Big Switch) (3rd Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/03/computing.internet
Computing:
A story about the UK’s fastest computer, the HECToR supercomputer (2nd Jan): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/02/computing.climatechange
Internet:
A link to Kate Hafner’s useful article on the history of ‘the Well’ and online communities (originally May 1997): http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/5.05/ff_well_pr.html
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