Citizenship Rights in Britain

I find myself increasingly disturbed by the actions of our Government. Being tough on terrorists is one thing but stripping people of their citizenship is not a proportional or reasonable punishment.

During the dark days of the second world war, when Britain was in mortal danger, only four people were stripped of citizenship. Theresa May has denaturalised more than four times that number of in the last three years alone. Now she wants to increase the state's power further by consigning British-only citizens she deems undesirable to statelessness.

Source: The Guardian.

Why you won't catch me queuing for a burger | Life and style | The Observer

Jay Rayner is spot on. Queuing for a restaurant is insane, especially in London where the number of good restaurants is astronomical.

I'll go that extra 10 miles to eat well. I'll cross London to secure an ingredient, take a flight to eat at the right restaurant. But queue? That's not an expression of greed. It's stamp-collecting. It's trainspotting. It's eating out as spectator sport.

From The Guardianhttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/nov/13/jay-rayner-queue-for-hamburger.

Samsung Galaxy Gear Review

An entertaining review as long as you don't work for Samsung and
haven't bought their Galaxy Gear:

> Samsung is pitching the Gear as a smartphone companion device that is designed to make your life easier. It does not.


BGR: http://bgr.com/2013/10/01/samsung-galaxy-gear-review-smartwatch/

UK Defends Miranda Airport Detention

Yes, obviously:

UK Home Office says 'government and police have a duty to protect the public', in wake of row over airport detention

But they need to explain how detaining the partner of a journalist under extreme anti-terrorist legislation achieves this.

BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23769324

Ubuntu sets crowdfund pledge record for Edge smartphone

I really like the idea of the Ubuntu Edge smartphone, although I wouldn't actually buy one myself. I don't think they're like to reach their funding goal but I hope the project proceeds - the basic premise sounds great.

The London-based developer, Canonical, has generated $10,288,472 (about £6.6m) in pledges, passing the record set by Pebble smartwatches last year. But with six days of its campaign left the company is far from reaching its funding goal of $32m.

BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23714549

Email service used by Snowden shuts itself down

Secret courts and anti-constitutional behaviour. Deeply disturbing.

This experience has taught me one very important lesson: without congressional action or a strong judicial precedent, I would _strongly_ recommend against anyone trusting their private data to a company with physical ties to the United States."

I use GMail, Google Drive, Apple's iCloud, DropBox and various other US-based or US-connected services to store or manage my private data. Migrating away from these services would be painful and difficult but if the US continues its drive toward a police state then maybe it will be necessary. We can only hope that they are able to get a grip on their security services and rein in their paranoia. 

The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/09/lavabit-shutdown-snowden-silicon-valley

Skyscraper Fail

Oops:

The Intempo skyscraper in Benidorm, Spain—standing proud in this image—was designed to be a striking symbol of hope and prosperity, to signal to the rest of the world that the city was escaping the financial crisis. Sadly, the builders forgot to include a working elevator.

Gizmodo: http://gizmodo.com/the-builders-of-this-spanish-skyscraper-forgot-the-elev-1065152844 

Gauss Gun

An interesting application of the technology but not an enormously dangerous weapon.

A full-auto Gauss gun probably won't hurt much
http://hackaday.com/2013/08/07/a-full-auto-gauss-gun-probably-wont-hurt-much/

Sandbanks

Sounds great:

Sandbanks seemed to be a place where people came to obliterate reality with drink, money and heat, floating on a weird, isolated semi-island that's slowly sinking into the sea.

A Big Day Out with... Britain's Drunk Nouveau Riche!
http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/sandbanks-beach-polo-posh-britain

Elitistreview's eighth anniversary dinner at The Bangkok Brasserie

Learn about paranoid schizophrenia (I certainly hadn't understood the nature of the symptoms until I read Elitist Review) and where to buy Thai food in Winchester.

For a couple of weeks now I have been seeing mouths open up in the pavement and road, with teeth trying to bite me and snake like tongues I could feel lick at my ankles.

Source: http://elitistreview.com/2013/08/01/bangkok-brasserie-psychosis/

Dear Daily Mail - Amanda Palmer

Great stuff. I'm not a fan of the Daily Mail.

Dear Daily Mail

O2 4G mobile network launch

The launch date is August 29th but for reasons known only to O2 they aren't supporting the iPhone:

He also confirmed that unlike EE, O2's 4G network would not be compatible with Apple's iPhone 5, but said he "would be frankly gobsmacked if their roadmap didn't address that issue".

Strange decision, and extremely annoying for those of us with iPhones.

BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23521211

UK GDP Rises in Second Quarter

A rare piece of good news on the UK economy.

The UK economy grew by 0.6% in the three months to June, according to official figures.

BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23446056

London's Most Unusual Ice Cream Flavours |wjlondon

Interesting:

Coronation Chicken Ice Cream – Gelupo, 7 Archer St, Piccadilly

Created especially for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Kenedy, the creator said: "I didn't expect it to be so delicious. I thought it would just come out strange."

Source: http://whosjack.org/londons-most-unusual-ice-cream-flavours/

Follow the Pope on Twitter and spend less time in purgatory, says Vatican

The Vatican; leading our moral development for more than 1,500 years. 

The Vatican has taken another step in its efforts to embrace social media by offering "indulgences" to followers of Pope Francis' (@Pontifex) Twitter account. Italian newspaperCorriere della Sera reports that the church will reduce the time Catholics have to spend in purgatory if they follow official Vatican events on TV, radio, and through social media.

Stay classy, Vatican.

The Verge: http://www.theverge.com/2013/7/17/4531048/follow-pope-twitter-indulgence-purgatory

UK earmarks £60m for super-fast space rocket engine

Excellent news:

The UK is to provide £60m for a revolutionary new rocket engine that can send astronauts into orbit and accelerate aircraft to five times the speed of sound, a minister said.

UK earmarks £60m for super-fast space rocket engine
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2013/jul/16/60m-space-rocket-engine

The worst egg hunt in the world

Amazing story.

There are three eggs, each about the size of a mango. They are not any old eggs. They are emperor penguin eggs, a fragile reminder of an audacious egg hunt that became known as "the worst journey in the world".

The worst egg hunt in the world
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/blog/2013/jul/16/worst-egg-hunt-world-emperor-penguin

SolePower: Power by Walking

This is very cool indeed:

Foot-powered, energy harvesting devices aren't anything new. What we're doing differently is building the device into a removable insole so it doesn't need to be embedded in a shoe. This means you can swap it between your favorite pair of sneakers and your hiking boots. 

$120 for a go-anywhere phone charging device sounds like a no-brainer.

Kickstarter: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/764467377/solepower-power-by-walking-0

BBC News - George Zimmerman not guilty of Trayvon Martin murder

It's difficult to see a society that thinks this is ok as anything other than broken:

The accused, who was legally armed with a pistol, had been sitting in his vehicle on a dark street when he saw Martin. Mr Zimmerman telephoned police to report a suspicious person, then left his vehicle in apparent pursuit of the teenager. Shortly afterwards, Martin was found dead, shot in the chest.

Something is deeply wrong in America.

BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23304198

Garmin launches a smartphone HUD for cars

Neat:

With a compatible Garmin or Navigon mobile app, the HUD projects driving directions right on a vehicle's windshield.

If you can't beat 'em, support 'em: Garmin launches a smartphone HUD for cars
http://gigaom.com/2013/07/08/if-you-cant-beat-em-support-em-garmin-launches-a-smartphone-hud-for-cars/

The Undeniable Facts About The Safety Of Diet Coke.

Great article, especially if you have to put up with people lecturing you about food or healthy living or natural products.

We had a discussion about a similar topic at work, while on break, and a coworker came up with probably the best summation I could say in response to those who are hardcore anti-any kind of modern food, anti-vaccine, back-to-the-pioneer-times ideology: Typhus wasn't fun.

The Undeniable Facts About The Safety Of Diet Coke.
http://loneprairie.net/diet-coke/

London Cycling Campaign and ASLs

Good news:

The Metropolitan Police and Transport for London are preparing to increase enforcement against motorists who ignore Advanced Stop Lines. This week, 60,000 leaflets are being handed out to motorists at key junctions telling them to respect Advanced Stop Lines or face a £60 fine and three points on their licence.

Source: http://lcc.org.uk/articles/police-and-transport-for-london-prepare-to-increase-enforcement-against-motorists-who-ignore-advanced-stop-lines

Saggy pants are now a real crime at Jersey Shore town

If your police officers haven't enough real work to do, get them to enforce arbitrary fashion laws:

The police in Wildwood, N.J., are now on the lookout for pants sagging three inches or more...

Maybe they should just do what everyone else does when encountering people with ill-fitting trousers; laugh.

Saggy pants are now a real crime at Jersey Shore town
http://now.msn.com/wildwood-law-banning-saggy-pants-on-new-jersey-boardwalk-goes-into-effect?ocid=vt_fbmsnnow

Rowan Atkinson's Comic Relief sketch did not breach codes, rules Ofcom

They said, amongst other things:

The intention of the sketch was to create humour rather than seriously deride Christianity

Maybe, but it's difficult not to be derisive about Christianity and there was a fair amount of mockery in the sketch. Which is good.

Source: http://metro.co.uk/2013/07/02/rowan-atkinsons-comic-relief-sketch-did-not-breach-codes-rules-ofcom-3865643/

(Source: https://twitter.com/VorianK/status/352489235640627200)

How to stop getting punctures

Useful article if you ride a bike.

How to stop getting punctures: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LondonCyclist/~3/59Wo_EYGx-4/

EmoPulse Smile Bracelet Smartphone

Interesting, but I'm sceptical, not least because this isn't the sort of product that small companies tend to excel at and this is an ambitious project.

The main fea­ture of Smart lies in its Arti­fi­cial Intel­li­gence, this phone detects your mood, it can tell whether you're stressed out or relax­ing, it mon­i­tors your diet and health as well.

EmoPulse Smile Bracelet Smartphone
http://www.tuvie.com/emopulse-smile-bracelet-smartphone-with-artificial-intelligence-assistant/

NeverWet Liquid Repellant

Want this:

Nev­er­Wet coat­ing com­plete­ly repels water and heavy oils

NEVERWET LIQUID REPELLANT
http://www.blessthisstuff.com/stuff/living/misc-living/neverwet-liquid-repellant/

London Cycling Campaign - Safer Lorries

The London Cycling Campaign has an interesting suggestion: make lorries safer for other road users.

The London Cycling Campaign has published pictures and video of its new Safer Urban Lorry design, and is calling on the construction industry to adopt similar vehicle designs to reduce the shocking number of lorry-cyclist fatalities.

This is a great idea but I think we're missing something. The question shouldn't be "when can we have safer lorries" but "why don't the police stop obviously dangerous vehicles from being driven through our city".

If you were to drive a car with heavily tinted windows through London you would, sooner or later, be stopped on the not unreasonable grounds that you couldn't see enough of your surroundings to navigate safely through them. What is special about lorries that they should be able to drive around without taking a similar amount of care? 

http://lcc.org.uk/articles/lcc-challenges-construction-industry-to-adopt-its-safer-urban-lorry-to-reduce-lorry-cyclist-deaths

Why We Should Never Fine Cyclists - Henry Grabar

Great article in The Atlantic Cities:

On balance, cyclists' illegal behavior—like that of pedestrians—adds much, much more convenience to life than danger. Aggressive enforcement of traffic laws could upend the fragile system of incentives that leads thousands of people to undertake a long and sweaty commute each day

I don't tend to jump lights or ignore one-way traffic restrictions but even the most saintly cyclist can be tempted to misbehave when faced with a queue of polluting and dangerous motor vehicles. 

Source: http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2013/05/why-we-should-never-fine-cyclists/5571/

Inside The Cheesegrater

I like skyscrapers, especially if they allow companies like Aon, who are relocating their global HQ from Chicago, to bring more of their business to the City.

Inside The Cheesegrater: A Tour Of The Leadenhall Building | Londonist
http://londonist.com/2013/06/inside-the-cheesegrater-a-tour-of-the-leadenhall-building.php?showpage=1#gallery-1

Some other cool (and relatively unmentioned) iOS 7 features

Loads of good stuff coming in iOS 7, including:

Turn-by-turn walking directions -- Finally, what we have in Google Maps, available for iOS Maps.

TUAW: http://www.tuaw.com/2013/06/10/some-other-cool-and-relatively-unmentioned-ios-7-features/

Seattle woman attempts to live on sunlight, water

Some people just shouldn't be allowed out on their own:

Navenna Shine, the founder and subject of the Living on Light experiment, plans to spend the next four to six months abstaining from food of any kind and living on only light, water and tea.

Seattle woman attempts to live on sunlight, water
http://q13fox.com/2013/06/05/seattle-woman-attempts-to-live-on-sunlight-water/#axzz2VSVwDUZ4

‘Avalanche Sharks’ Coming to a Screen Near You

It's difficult to imagine that 2013 will produce a better film:

After a hor­rif­ic avalanche, the staff at Twin Pines Ski Resort starts to receive reports of miss­ing peo­ple and crea­tures that move beneath the snow. As the body count piles up, the man­age­ment tries to cover up the sit­u­a­tion, which leads to dis­as­ter on their busiest day of the year: Biki­ni Snow Day.

Spring break in the moun­tains: snow­board­ing, beer, drunk­en co-eds in biki­nis. As the year­ly Biki­ni Ski Day party descends on a small moun­tain town, some­thing lurks beneath the snow. When an unwit­ting rider caus­es an avalanche, it awak­ens a huge, men­ac­ing, pre-historic Snow Shark! With a new­found taste for human flesh, the Snow Shark picks off the snow bun­nies mer­ci­less­ly. Cut off from help by moun­tain­ous ter­rain and blind­ing snow, the local sher­iff must make an unlike­ly alliance with a mot­ley crew of snow­board­ers to take down the Snow Shark before the white hills run red with blood!

Adventure Journal: http://www.adventure-journal.com/2013/05/avalanche-sharks-coming-to-a-screen-near-you-might-be-a-very-small-screen/

Driving a 1936 Rolls Royce Across India

Great stuff.

Overlandia: Driving a 1936 Rolls Royce Across India
http://www.adventure-journal.com/2013/05/overlandia-driving-a-1936-rolls-royce-across-india/

Drivers Knock down cyclist in Greenford West London

Insane. This guy was knocked off his bike at a junction by an in attentive driver and then, to add insult to injury, someone ran him over. Unbelievable.

Drivers Knock down cyclist in Greenford West London
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qycF0raqpg

UK Climate Minister Slams Media And ‘Blinkered’ Deniers

Brilliant. It's nice to see a Government minister finally making a clear stand on climate change:

But some sec­tions of the press are giv­ing an uncrit­i­cal cam­paign­ing plat­form to indi­vid­u­als and lobby groups who reject out­right the fact that cli­mate change is a result of human activ­i­ty. Some who even deny the real­i­ty of cli­mate change itself. This is not the seri­ous sci­ence of chal­leng­ing, check­ing and prob­ing. This is destruc­tive and loud­ly clam­our­ing scep­ti­cism born of vest­ed inter­est, nim­by­ism, pub­lic­i­ty seek­ing con­tra­ver­sial­ism or sheer blink­ered, dog­mat­ic, polit­i­cal bloody-mindedness.

UK Climate Minister Slams Media And 'Blinkered' Deniers: 'It's The Science, Stupid'
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/06/04/2097641/uk-climate-minister-slams-media-and-blinkered-deniers-its-the-science-stupid/

I'm Cory Doctorow, and This Is How I Work

I love this series of articles on Lifehacker and the interview with Cory Doctorow is on of the best.

http://lifehacker.com/5993401/im-cory-doctorow-and-this-is-how-i-work

Fewer armed police call-outs as London gun crime falls

Good news:

Police say the statistics support evidence that armed crime in London is falling. Recent figures show gun crime down by up to 16 per cent while the number of firearms murders in London fell to just six in 2012.

London Evening Standard
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/fewer-armed-police-callouts-as-london-gun-crime-falls-8638853.

Oops

Someone wasn't happy. Hit the link for the full story.

Caught My Boyfriend Of 2 Years Cheating, And This Is My Revenge

Imgur: http://imgur.com/IUux1RY?utm_source=loopinsight.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Feed

Microsoft Returns Start Button To Windows 8

This seems like a sensible change:

Microsoft has confirmed a Start button is returning to the desktop mode's taskbar of its Windows 8 operating system. The lack of the facility - which had been in every previous version since Windows 95 - has been one of the most controversial aspects of the software.

BBC News

Glass | Dustin Curtis

This review of Google Glass seems to be fairly typical in its conclusions whilst at the same time being a great example of a hardware review.

For ambient computers to be viable products they need to be inexpensive, easy to control, safe, accessible, and, most importantly, they need to be socially acceptable to use.

Glass | Dustin Curtis
http://dcurt.is/glass

Sent via Flipboard

India's ancient university returns to life

Fantastic idea.

Nalanda University in northern India drew scholars from all over Asia, surviving for hundreds of years before being destroyed by invaders in 1193. The idea of Nalanda as an international centre of learning is being revived by a group of statesmen and scholars led by the Nobel prize winning economist, Amartya Sen.The group wants to establish a new world-class residential university with top students and researchers from around the world, on a site close to ruins of the ancient Buddhist institution in the Indian state of Bihar.

BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22160989

Soylent Corporation

It's Soylent but it isn't made from people. This is a very cool, if slightly strange, idea:

For many people, on many occasions, food is a hassle, especially when trying to eat well. Suppose we had a default meal that was the nutritional equivalent of water: cheap, healthy, convenient and ubiquitous. Soylent will be personalized for different body types and customizable based on individual goals. It allows one to enjoy the health benefits of a well balanced diet with less effort and cost.

I'm not sure I'd want to eat only Soylent and I'm certain that the wife wouldn't be interested but maybe it could find a place in our diets as a quick, convenient alternative to cooking on weekdays. Or maybe not.

Soylent Corporation: https://campaign.soylent.me/soylent-free-your-body

Google's Eric Schmidt 'perplexed' over UK tax debate

From the BBC:

Mr Schmidt told the BBC that the company did what was "legally required" to pay the right amount of taxes. Google paid £10m in UK corporate taxes between 2006 and 2011.

Let me explain. If your UK sales team generates revenue from UK customers but you book the sales through a foreign company to avoid UK corporation tax on your profits then you are avoiding your tax obligations. It's difficult to see how this can be legal and it certainly isn't reasonable.

In the long term the answer is probably to give HMRC the tools they need to end this sort of scheme. In the short term the solution is even easier; we stop buying goods and services from companies that use these elaborate techniques to avoid paying tax. 

BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22676080

Light-beam 'twins' take data farther

More data, faster. 

Researchers reporting in Nature Photonicssuggest putting not one beam of light down a fibre, but a pair, each a kind of mirror image of the other. When recombined on the receiving end, the noise that the signals gather in the fibre cancels out. These paired beams can travel four times farther than a single one.

BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22656238

Extension 765

Some unusual movie memorabilia here: http://extension765.com/

On market share — Benedict Evans

Great article about scoring the smartphone "wars".

On market share — Benedict Evans
http://ben-evans.com/benedictevans/2013/5/23/on-market-share

Wave Power

Bring on the wave power, the more the merrier.

Ministers have approved plans for the world's largest commercial wave farm. Full consent has been given for a 40MW farm off the north-west coast of Lewis - enough to power nearly 30,000 homes.

A rare piece of good news.

BBC News

CG Star Wars Versus Star Trek

Most entertaining.

CG Star Wars Versus Star Trek Battle In San Francisco
http://geekologie.com/2013/05/cg-star-wars-vs-star-trek-battle-in-san.php

Helios Bars - Transform any bike into a smart bike

This is monstrously cool. If you cycle, check these out.

Helios adds a variety of smart features to your bike that improve the overall biking experience.

Helios Bars: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kennygibbs/helios-bars-transform-any-bike-into-a-smart-bike

CSS Tube Map

Brilliant.

http://www.csstubemap.co.uk/index.html

LightSkin seat post with LED rear light

Very cool:

> Built-in Bicycle Tail Light - LightSkin
> LightSKIN integrated LED lenses and buttons into one assembly, so that it can be easily embedded in the seatpost. This unique technique, which was employed to firmly fix the LED circuit inside the seatpost, enables a simple design, as well as ensures the maximum performance for the strength and function of the seatpost.


http://epic-bike.com/products/708399-27-2mm-lightskin-seat-post-with-led-rear-light-black-white-silver

Rapid ROI for iPads in Healthcare

This is only one datapoint but it's interesting, nonetheless:

At a health conference last year – the CIO of a teaching hospital shared a provocative statistic that his organization had uncovered in their ROI analysis of a large iPad purchase. At the time, the hospital was debating the merits of such a large financial commitment – so they tasked the CIO to do a crude ROI analysis to justify the sizable expense. Was the ROI 6 months – or maybe a year? The (unscientific) results were jaw dropping. Using some crude calculations around workflow and time-motion analysis the CIO calculated the ROI for an iPad in their hospital would be 9 days.

Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/danmunro/2013/05/19/credit-suisse-says-wearable-tech-the-next-big-thing/

Tory activists attack David Cameron on gay marriage

Really? Is this the best excuse they can think of?

David Cameron's support for gay marriage has made winning the general election "virtually impossible", Conservative activists have said.

Maybe if they found innovative new ways to boost the economy voters would be more inclined to reelect. Blaming perceived electoral problems on a piece of sensible equality legislation seems pretty stupid and indicative of all that is wrong with the Conservative party.

BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22585093

Glass just got the upgrade for lifelogging everything

I can't decide if Lifelogging is the best thing since sliced bread or a society-ending invasion of privacy. 

High­lights is one of the few dozen new fea­tures Google+ gained as of I/O this past week, sift­ing through your auto-uploads and flag­ging up the best of them.

I'm generally fairly relaxed about accidentally appearing in other people's photos but I do have some concerns about the combination of Glass, large quantities of high-res public photos and face recognition software (which seems to be one of Google's intended features).

Why? If Google publishes, or even retains, photos with random but identified subjects (i.e. you or me) just because we happen to be walking through (or living in) a city with a large population of tourists (and thus cameras or, in the future, Glasses) it becomes possible to construct a partial timeline of our movements. Not a problem, you might think, if you aren't doing anything evil, but clearly a system open to abuse, misuse and mistaken identity or interpretation of motive.

And this will get worse if Glass or its competitors succeed (and one of them is bound to, sooner or later). Your location and identity are no longer secret, assuming you've trusted Google with any of you information.

Time will tell.

Slashgear: http://www.slashgear.com/google-and-glass-just-got-the-upgrade-for-lifelogging-everything-18282633/

Invest £1bn a year to boost cycling levels tenfold, urges report

I may only be a recent convert to commuting by bicycle but this sounds like a good idea:

Britain should aim to increase cycling use more than tenfold in the next few decades by investing £1bn-plus a year to make its roads more cyclist-friendly, a cross-party report by MPs and peers recommends.

The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2013/apr/24/invest-cycling-tenfold-report?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487

Tunnel Could Replace Hammersmith Flyover

This is a brilliant idea. Aren't we looking for long-term capital projects that enrich the city and offer opportunities for economic growth?

The tem­po­rary clo­sure of the Ham­mer­smith Fly­over late in 2011 left major traf­fic prob­lems through­out west Lon­don and the lin­ger­ing sen­sa­tion that Some­thing Must Be Done. One of the pro­pos­als dis­cussed, a tun­nel, has now been backed by Lord Rogers, who has endorsed the Ham­mer­smith 'Fly­un­der' plan drawn up by local archi­tects. You can see fur­ther sketch­es of the pro­pos­al here (PDF).

Lets do it.

Londonist: https://londonist.com/2013/05/tunnel-could-replace-hammersmith-flyover.php

Discover the tube’s secret shortcuts in this exposé of Underground untruths

Most amusing.

Ever felt like you're being manip­u­lat­ed? As if the pow­ers that be are using you to fur­ther their sin­is­ter agen­da? Well, on the Under­ground, it turns out you some­times are – although admit­ted­ly, the agen­da is usu­al­ly 'map leg­i­bil­i­ty' or'crowd flow control.'

Timeout: http://now-here-this.timeout.com/2013/05/16/discover-the-tubes-secret-shortcuts-in-this-expose-of-underground-untruths/

Mobile malware exploding, but only for Android

One more reason for sticking with iOS:

According to malware researchers at F-Secure Labs, the number of active mobile threat families and variants initially spiked in the winter quarter, with Android's share jumping from 49 out of 74 known threats to 96 out of 100, with the balance being related to Nokia's essentially mothballed Symbian platform.

Apple Insider: http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/05/14/mobile-malware-exploding-but-only-for-android?utm_source=loopinsight.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Feed

Lego Casino Royale on Devour.com

Very cool: http://devour.com/video/lego-casino-royale/

Two thirds of cyclist injuries following collisions with motor vehicle due to driver

Maybe this will encourage Westminster to improve their road layouts:

The City of Westminster has revealed that more than two thirds of collisions between motor vehicles and cyclists within its boundaries in the past year that resulted in injury to the rider were due to some factor associated with the driver, compared to one in five cases where the cause was attributed to the rider.

Source: 

http://road.cc/content/news/83104-two-thirds-cyclist-injuries-following-collisions-motor-vehicle-due-driver-says

Vaccine Halts Heroin Addiction In Rats

Interesting news:

The vaccine generates antibodies that bind heroin and its metabolites in the bloodstream, preventing them from making their way to the brain.

Pop Sci: http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-05/vaccine-halts-heroin-addiction-rats

Would you apply for a one-way trip to Mars?

This has to be a stitch-up:

Almost 80,000 people have applied to take part in a one-way mission to Mars, each of them completing a rigorous application that stresses the need for a "Can Do!" attitude, asks individuals about their sense of humour and requires the submission of an application fee that can be as much as $75.

Apart from the fact that they'll never raise the $6bn estimated cost of the project from the methods advertised so far, who in their right mind would want to be chosen for a one way trip to an inhospitable planet based on a TV popularity contest? At the very least it would be highly negligent of anyone organising such an expedition to decide on the voyagers by public ballot. What if they end up populating Mars (briefly, probably) with popular, good-looking, photogenic, socially skilled estate agents?

To put this into perspective, the Apollo program put 12 men on the moon (distance from the Earth about 390,000km) over three years at a total cost of $25bn (or $109bn in 2010 dollars) after ten years of research and development. Mars One has a similar timescale but must cover a distance of at least 170,000,000km and also deliver supplies capable of sustaining their teams for many years. $6bn, or even $60bn, just isn't enough. 

Colonising Mars will take a lot of planning, serious quantities of equipment and a truly vast sum of money. This project feels like a publicity stunt.

Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2013/may/08/mars-one-applications-mission

iOS 7 Wishes

I wrote a short list of things last year that I would like to see in iOS 6. This is a much, much better wish list for iOS 7:

There's a lot of talk about WWDC and a "flat" design style coming to iOS, but I'm more concerned about iOS' functionality than its looks. While I am certainly intrigued by the possibility of a major visual refresh, I think changing a few textures doesn't ultimately do any good if the process isn't accompanied by an equal focus on improving and revamping the iOS user experience.

Mac Stories: http://www.macstories.net/stories/ios-7-wishes/

Long Live Southbank: Skaters Muster To Save Their Undercroft

If you've walked along the Southbank at Waterloo you'll have seen the Undercroft:

Walk­ing along the South Bank just under­neath Hunger­ford Bridge, the Under­croft can be heard before it's seen: the tinny rum­ble of plas­tic wheels on an uneven con­crete floor, mul­ti­plied man­i­fold, the crack­les and snaps of failed jumps and bro­ken bones

I don't skate and I like the idea of redeveloping the Southbank but I think a way should be found to preserve the Undercroft in its current form and location. 

Londonist: http://londonist.com/2013/05/long-live-southbank-skaters-muster-to-save-their-undercroft.php

Kickstarter crowd gives glowing plant the green light

Does this sentence strike you as odd?

The researchers have already designed the DNA sequences using software from a company called Genome Compiler, which allows people to easily design genetic sequences.

I suspect that "easily design genetic sequences" glosses over a whole host of difficulties and a vast amount of background knowledge that must be acquired before the software can be used. At least, I hope that's the case - I'd be a bit uneasy about gangs of teenage hackers engineering (and then producing) novel plants and animals just by messing around with a piece of software...

BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22433866

iPad 5 release date, news and rumours

If you really must keep up with the rumours about the next iPad, here is a comprehensive round-up of current and recent stories.

Updated: iPad 5 release date, news and rumors
http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/tablets/ipad-5-release-date-news-and-rumors-1107009?attr=all&src=rss

99 One-Liners Rebutting Denier Talking Points

Great stuff if you have to talk to climate change deniers.

99 One-Liners Rebutting Denier Talking Points — With Links To The Full Climate Science
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/05/07/1972581/99-one-liners-rebutting-denier-talking-points-with-links-to-the-full-climate-science/

Ballast Bulb

I like this. Burning less kerosene sounds like a great idea.

More than 780 million people rely on kerosene to light their homes. But the fuel is pricey and is toxic when burned—not to mention a fire hazard. In 2008, London-based product designer Martin Riddiford and his colleague Jim Reeves decided to create a cheap, safe alternative.

Ballast Bulb: 
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2013-04/lighting-ballast-bulb

Casetop Transforms Nearly Any Smartphone Into A Notebook

Interesting idea.

The very unique Casetop device aims to be supported by new phones for a minimum of ten years from point of sale by using standardised ports such as HDMI, MHL and MicroUSB.

Casetop Transforms Nearly Any Smartphone Into A Notebook (video) | Geeky Gadgets
http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/casetop-transforms-nearly-any-smartphone-into-a-notebook-video-06-05-2013/

Filing Cabinet Caught Eating Freshly Printed Paper

Brilliant.

Aha!: Filing Cabinet Caught Eating Freshly Printed Paper
http://geekologie.com/2013/05/aha-filing-cabinet-caught-eating-freshly.php

Is this good design or egregious greenwrapping?

Interesting idea:

AZPA has taken the concept of greenwrapping to an entirely new level; they are turning a coal-fired power plant in Germany into "a densely-forested green mountain".

I like this. Even if the environmental benefits are nowhere near as impressive as they claim, it still looks like a good project because it should improve the appearance of the building (or hid it from view, at least).

Treehugger: http://www.treehugger.com/urban-design/greenwash-watch-good-design-or-egregious-greenwrapping.html

In Depth: Google Glass review roundup

Some interesting comments. I'm not at all convinced about Google Glass, which is strange because the product category as a whole seems like a great idea.

In Depth: Google Glass review roundup
http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/google-glass-review-roundup-1148519?attr=all&src=rss

London tightens up congestion charge in attempt to drive out diesel

Sounds like a good move:

Transport for London (TfL) confirmed it will replace the existing Greener Vehicle and Electric Vehicle Discounts with a stricter Ultra Low Emission Discount (ULED) from July 1.

guardian.co.uk: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/apr/24/pollution

Jeans Designed for Your Smartphone

Fancy some new jeans?

Combining fashion and technology, I/O Denim are jeans that have a pocket on the left leg, in between the knee and the hip along the seam, according to the company's website. Trademarked the I/O Pocket, it fits any smartphone that has a 4.8-inch screen or smaller, including Apple's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy S devices.

Apparently this lets you extract your phone safely if, for example, you're driving. Why you wouldn't just put your phone in the glove compartment or make the call once the car was parked is unclear so this looks a little like a solution looking for a proble. 

I/O Denim Jeans Are Designed for Your Smartphone [VIDEO]
http://mashable.com/2013/04/27/io-denim-smartphone/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=rss

Jesus Christ, Silicon Valley | A nice piece of Glass

Before Apple announced the iPad I was certain I didn't want one. That certainty lasted until Steve Jobs produced one on stage, at which point hostility turned to lust. I can't honestly say that Google's Glasses have had the same effect. I'm curious about them but I don't think they solve any problem I particularly care about.

And then there are articles like this one:

Some 'edgy' tech bloggers have used the term "glasshole" to describe these early-adopting dongle-schlobbers, because it allows them theoretical judgmental distance while remaining just cutesy enough to not sacrifice their intense bloodlust for actually being able to unbox a pair.

I prefer: "embarrassing overcompensated retards who need something to flaunt while their Tesla is charging."

Great article, still don't want a pair of Glasses.

http://jesuschristsiliconvalley.tumblr.com/post/48596551224/nice-piece-of-glass?utm_source=loopinsight.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Feed

What Happens If You Text Your Parents Pretending To Be A Drug Dealer

Don't try this at home but do take a look at what happened when other people did it...

http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/what-happens-if-you-text-your-parents-pretending-to-be-a-dru?utm_source=loopinsight.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Feed

Bissol - Precision Mobile Timepieces

Bissol have launched a slightly bizarre timepiece accessory for the iPhone 5, presumably having forgotten that the iPhone 5 (like every other phone on the market) already shows the time to a high degree of precision. 

They say:

It's difficult to know what problem this product might solve, unless you consider "too much money" to be a problem that still needs some work.

Bissol: http://www.bissol.com/788,100,I5W.html

YikeBike - super light folding electric bike

This looks like a nicely designed piece of kit but I can't see it catching on until the price falls a lot further and the range goes up. I may be wrong but I think they've got a lot of work to do.

YikeBike: http://www.yikebike.com/home

IBM solar collector magnifies sun by 2,000x

Clever stuff.

IBM solar collector magnifies sun by 2,000x (without cooking itself), costs 3x less than similar systems
http://www.treehugger.com/renewable-energy/ibm-solar-collector-magnifies-sun-2000x-without-cooking-itself.html

Businessman Convicted of Fraud for Selling Fake Bomb Detectors

Good:

Millionaire businessman James McCormick, 56, has been convicted at the Old Bailey of three counts of fraud after selling fake bomb detectors.

People relied on these devices to protect them from bombs when there was absolutely no chance, as McCormick must have known, that they could work as advertised. Despicable.

Google And Tax

From the Telegraph:

Mr Schmidt told BBC Radio 4's World at One that the focus on its tax bill omitted "the fact that we also hire more than 2,000 employees and are investing heavily in Britain".

Translation:

Britain should be grateful that Google hires in the UK.

Google isn't a charity (and nobody expects them to behave as if they were) and they have offices in the UK because it makes sense for their business. Mr Schmidt went on to say:

The fact of the matter is these are the way taxes are done globally. The same is true for British firms operating in the US, for example.

Translation:

All multinationals behave badly so Google can too.

Maybe Mr Schmidt should consider what the people he employs would be doing if they weren't working for Google because they certainly wouldn't be sitting around gazing at their navels. Some would, without doubt, be creating new, innovative, UK-owned companies that would pay their full share of both income and corporation tax and the rest would probably be making very valuable contributions as employees of other tax-paying firms. 

Schmidt's arguments are naive and simplistic, a smoke screen for the fact that Google, like many other multinationals, is simply (and doubtless legitimately) taking extreme measures to minimise its tax bill. Legal, probably, but morally dubious.

Go on, Do No Evil.

Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/10009425/Focus-on-tax-ignores-Googles-role-in-creating-jobs-says-Eric-Schmidt.html

Deathtrap in Tooting and the Amen Ra letters | Shit London

Brilliant:

> In reality this house was a vile beast that I think it wanted us dead. If the walls had wept blood and the very entrance to hell had opened up 'neath the stairs I think it would have been easier for us to deal with than the catalogue of misfortune we endured.


http://shitlondon.co.uk/tootingbec/#more-1690

Android - Good for Malware

I'm sticking with iOS:

Security researchers have identified 32 separate apps on Google Play that harboured a bug called BadNews. On infected phones, BadNews stole cash by racking up charges from sending premium rate text messages.

BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22213383

Stack Exchange - Not Always Useful

Stack Exchange is a great resource but sometimes the questions and the answers they provoke are nonsensical and display their authors' almost total lack of education. Here's an example:

How do young earth creationists reconcile the age of the universe with the speed of light, and visible distant objects?

Sometimes I despair.

Stack Exchange: http://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/2932/how-do-young-earth-creationists-reconcile-the-age-of-the-universe-with-the-speed?rq=1

Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion Captured in Viral Video

Very grim indeed.

Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion Captured in Viral Video
http://mashable.com/2013/04/18/texas-fertilizer-plant-explosion-viral-video/

How to Scramble an Egg in its Shell

I'm not quite sure why you'd want to scramble an egg in its shell but if you do you'll find video instructions using the link below. Enjoy.

Geekologie: http://geekologie.com/2013/04/im-hungry-how-to-make-scrambled-hard-boi.php

The LEGO 'KR-KN' Space Octopus Star Wars Destroyer Destroyer

Mad.

Obvious Winner - ow - The LEGO 'KR-KN' Space Octopus Star Wars Destroyer Destroyer
http://www.obviouswinner.com/obvwin/2013/4/9/the-lego-kr-kn-space-octopus-star-wars-destroyer-destroyer.html

iOS Feature Request

Mail for iOS is pretty good but there are areas that could be improved. At the moment my biggest gripe is the inability to list only the unread messages, which doesn't sound like a big deal until you try to navigate a busy inbox to find the one email you haven't dealt with.

Being able to search only one field at a time is better than nothing but a more sophisticated tool tool like the one in Outlook, would be useful to me, if not to many other people.

In iOS 7, maybe?

New Material Allows More Efficient Cooling

This is very neat:

The new structure accomplishes both goals. It is an effective broadband mirror for solar light—it reflects most of the sunlight. It also emits thermal radiation very efficiently within the crucial wavelength range needed to escape Earth's atmosphere.

Futurity: http://www.futurity.org/earth-environment/cooling-panels-send-suns-heat-back-to-space/

World’s most expensive phone

A triumph of wealth over taste:

The handset is dipped in 26 karat gold, has a real black diamond for the home key, and 600 "regular" diamonds encrusted in the chassis

Designed and made in the UK, sold to a Chinese business man, lusted over by nobody else at all.

Geeky Gadgets: http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/worlds-most-expensive-phone-heading-to-china-at-15-million-13-04-2013/

Dalek found in pond

Dangerous places, ponds.

The Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/doctor-who/4935903/Dr-Who-Dalek-found-in-pond.html

London's cooking waste to fuel power station

Grim, maybe, but this sounds like a good plan:

Cooking waste from thousands of London restaurants and food companies is to help run what is claimed to be the world's biggest fat-fuelled power station.

The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/apr/07/london-cooking-waste-power-station

Church of England Gets it Wrong Again

This isn't news, really, just confirmation of the Church of England's institutionalised bigotry.  

The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/apr/10/church-england-same-sex-couples

Microsoft reportedly planning to launch Office for iOS in late 2014

I would have bought Office for iOS in 2010-2011, no question. I might have bought it last year. I'm now sure I don't need it on my iOS devices so a late-2014 launch is of no interest at all. Sad, really.

iMore: http://www.imore.com/microsoft-reportedly-planning-launch-office-2014

The Ultimate Burger

I can almost hear my arteries hardening...

Beef patty, bacon, cheddar cheese and a fried egg sandwiched between a bun made from a sprinkled-glazed doughnut.

Mashable: http://mashable.com/2013/04/05/mlb-bacon-donut-burger/

Killed at Launch | UX Magazine

Interesting article:

As I see it, the cause of most website failures is little or no project management. "No need to define and manage, lets just build something and see what becomes of the website," seems to go the thinking.

http://uxmag.com/articles/killed-at-launch?utm_source=loopinsight.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Feed

Gene therapy cures leukaemia in eight days

This is a very cool story:

WITHIN just eight days of starting a novel gene therapy, David Aponte's "incurable" leukaemia had vanished.

New Scientist: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21729104.100-gene-therapy-cures-leukaemia-in-eight-days.html?cmpid=NLC%7CNSNS%7C2013-0104-GLOBAL%7Cmg21729104.100&utm_medium=NLC&utm_source=NSNS&utm_content=mg21729104.100

Essential Medicine Rides Coke’s Distribution

This is very clever: 

Simon Berry is piggybacking on Coca-Cola's distribution system to bring life-saving medicine to the places that need it most.

Wired: http://www.wired.com/design/2013/03/colalife-piggybacks-on-coke/

Are you being persecuted?

The Daily Mash, entertaining as ever:

Does the Today programme ban you from boring the shit out of everyone with two minutes of sanctimonious drivel every morning?

Lord Carey probably wouldn't see the funny side.

The Daily Mash: http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/are-you-being-persecuted-2013033064361

Sweet Lord, it’s the Christathon pub crawl

Could be a laugh:

This is an Easter event of biblical proportions - dozens of Londoners are dressing up in their finest Jesus attire and embarking upon a pub crawl to raise money for charities this Sunday March 31.

Sounds like a good use for a Sunday.

Time Out: http://now-here-this.timeout.com/2013/03/30/sweet-lord-its-the-christathon-pub-crawl/

I hate this wine

Most entertaining:

> The nose repels me: it is an odd combination of cough candy twist boiled sweets, volatile acidity and pine-scented clumping cat litter of the type that Kisu the cat would rather avoid.


http://elitistreview.com/2013/03/29/coume-del-mas-schistes/

London’s airports

This is a new idea. Might be worth considering, if we really have to expand Heathrow:

Instead of expanding Heathrow to the north, as current third-runway plans would do, it would extend it to the west—and build not just one new runway but four.

The Economist: http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21574489-britain-has-many-options-providing-extra-airport-capacity-its-capital-going-need

Synthetic vaccines

Most impressive:

British scientists have developed a new method to create an entirely synthetic vaccine which doesn't rely on using live infectious virus

Although I suspect "British" probably means "based in Britain" rather than "all the scientists were British". The Government should further encourage this sort of research and relax the immigration rules to allow more highly skilled people to settl in the UK.

BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21958361

Exploding Glass Drop at 100,000 fps

Cool. Watch the video.

Exploding Glass Drop at 100,000 fps
http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2013/03/exploding-glass-drop-at-100000-fps/

Gay marriage in America

Two articles, basically both in favour. The first, from The Economist, is a calm evaluation of the options open to America's Supreme Court.

The Economist: http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2013/03/gay-marriage-and-supreme-court

The second, from The Onion, is less calm but much more entertaining:

"Yeah, of course gay men and women can get married. Who gives a shit?" said Chief Justice John Roberts, who interrupted attorney Charles Cooper's opening statement defending Proposition 8, which rescinded same-sex couples' right to marry in California. "Why are we even seriously discussing this?"

The Onion: http://www.theonion.com/articles/supreme-court-on-gay-marriage-sure-who-cares,31812/

Cardiff Airport is sold to the Welsh government

Really?

Plaid Cymru also said it wanted to see the detail of the government's plans. "There is no reason why a publicly-owned national airport for Wales could not be far more successful than the airport in its present state," said party leader Leanne Wood.

Why does Cardiff even need an airport? And who believes a government, any government, can run a successful airport?

BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-21952079

Breathometer

Great idea:

The Breath­ome­ter is a hard­ware device that works in con­junc­tion with an appli­ca­tion on the iPhone turn­ing the device into a portable breath­a­lyz­er.

Slashgear: ­http://www.slashgear.com/breathometer-blows-past-funding-goal-and-adds-new-stretch-goals-27275458/