James Bond Will Return! OK, but why though? Action movies these days are little more than non-interactive video games. You're not watching an actor perform feats of daring-do, subtly enhanced with cinema trickery; you're watching stunt doubles and cartoony CGI. So you're left to enjoy "witty" dialogue (patchy), nifty gadgets (lacking), and plot tension (mostly absent until the end). Bond hits his targets every time while his enemies spray machine-gun fire which never leaves a scratch. You're …
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This is a small proof-of-concept. It relies on PGP - but you could use Keybase, GPG, or any other hard-to-use encryption program. Background Suppose you want to support an artist and give them money. That's easy. Most artists take PayPal, bank transfer, or cash. But how can you prove that you've paid an artist for a specific piece of work? That is, in essence, all an NFT is - the seller signing a statement that the buyer has sent them money related to a thing. Whether that claim can be…
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I recently read this interesting, and distressing, story of a man who was drugged and robbed. A form of crime which has been going on for centuries. But the 21st Century twist is that the thieves forced him to transfer large sums of money via his phone's banking apps. While under the influence, the victim used his usernames, passwords, PINs, and biometrics to send money to the criminal's accounts. Is there a "technological" way to stop this? His banks initially refused to refund the stolen…
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My life isn't cool enough for most apps. I'm never wandering through a new city, waiting to be bombarded with special offers. I don't need to meet hot singles in my area. And I can't remember the last time I went to a secret last-minute gig. But I do like eating cheap food! London seems flooded with Instant Grocery apps right now. A dozen different start-ups which will get you a pint of milk within half-an-hour. The other day, Getir sent me a push notification giving me £10 off a £15 spend. …
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I don't understand British movies from the 1960s. They often seem to be completely devoid of coherent plot. Things just happen with little regard for whether they make narrative sense. Much like The Magic Christian, this is a loose series of anarchic sketches strung together on a flimsy pretence. The audience, I think, is either supposed to be bewildered or stoned out of their minds. It quite often descends into shouting and chaos. With little chance for the audience to catch their breath…
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Last time it was a mid-pandemic trip to a giant shopping mall. This time, a pre-Xmas trip to a youth centre. Glamorous! I always feel slightly boring when I answer the pre-donation questionnaire. No, I haven't been travelling to exotic locations, having sex with multiple strangers in exchange for drugs and money. I could blame lockdown, but it's unlikely I'd be doing those things anyway! Bit of an odd one this time. My blood was too "fizzy" to do the iron level drop - so they had to do it the …
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I recently read Future Law - a book of essays about using popular culture to explain technological and legal concepts. One essay looks looks at GDPR issues experienced by Disney® Princesses. I thought I'd try my hand at something similar! So here's my (brief and incomplete) guide to Technical Standards in Star Wars! Where do we see compatibility - and incompatibility - within the Star Wars universe? How might the lives and fates of our protagonists have been changed by better standardisation? …
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How will law, regulation and ethics govern a future of fast-changing technologies? Focuses on the practical difficulties of applying law, policy and ethical structures to emergent technologies both now and in the future. Covers crucial current issues such as big data ethics, ubiquitous surveillance and the Internet of Things, and disruptive technologies such as autonomous vehicles, DIY genetics and robot agents. Asks where law might go next and how to regulate new-phase technology such …
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I am in awe of how simple the booster shot booking process was. I visited the site on my phone while in bed and hungover, typed in my NHS number, confirmed a few details, and it listed a pharmacy a 20 minute walk away as having appointments. A couple of weeks later and my 2xAZ was supplemented with 0.5x Moderna / SpikeVax. What a cool name - my inner Buffy fan is very happy to have been "Spiked" 🧛 Not quite early enough to be fully boosted for Xmas party season, but there's a limit to how mu…
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Exactly a year ago, I asked "What's the point of Gigabit broadband?" Well… I'm about to find out! Despite my well-publicised annoyance with Virgin Media, they are the only fibre provider in my area. They've also recently merged with O2 - my old employer - and are offering a free speed boost to any joint customers. I had an old pre-pay O2 SIM, so spoke to Virgin and cheekily asked for a free speed boost. They said yes! Wye, shy bairns get nowt! A few days later, Virgin sent me an upgraded VM S…
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It's hard to know what to make of Dune. It is visually and sonically impressive. It's a great ride from start to finish. But - and it's a big but - you've seen it all before. Partly that's because Dune was published in 1965 and every sci-fi film made after that date used it as a template. Star Wars' Tatooine is the obvious example. But you've seen the sword-training montage in Game of Thrones, the corridor battle in Daredevil, the wily natives in Avatar, the chosen-one in The Matrix, the epic …
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This is a rambly rant because I can't be bothered responding to every troll on the #DoctorWho hashtag. I've loved Flux - the latest season - and it fits in perfectly with the ethos of Doctor Who. So, let's knock down some common complaints, eh? iT's To POLIticALly CorREct wItH alL ThE GENdeR EqUAliTy The very first episode of Doctor Who had two men and two women in the lead roles. It has always strived for gender balance. Even in the Peter Davison era there were two female and one male…
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