There's a popular meme which resurfaces every so often. Politicians who have accepted campaign contributions should be required to to wear those "sponsor's" logos names during all official duties and visits to constituents. The size of a logo or name would vary with the size of a donation. This is often called the Nascar proposal - after the sponsored uniforms that the racing drivers wear. …
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I've always wondered if it's possible to tell who has commissioned a particular survey on YouGov. When you read a question like "Would Boris Johnson make an awesome Prime Minister?" it would be interesting to know whether it's Cameron getting his knickers in a twist, or Milliband sowing the seeds of discord. One survey I was filling in contained a particularly dull set of questions about mobile …
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The QRpedia project I helped found has gone from strength to strength. It's now in more museums, towns, and art galleries than ever before. It's helping open up exhibits to people in hundreds of languages. That said, I've not been able to devote as much time as I would like to - nor have other project members. We'd like to see it blossom and grow but, sadly, our resources are too limited to be …
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In 2012 I think I saw the comedian Richard Herring 6 times. I saw him in a mixture of his own shows, gigging with other comedians, and on game shows. He's great - a brilliant wordsmith, and frighteningly clever - but after watching him half a dozen times, the cracks began to show. What seemed like an amazing off-the-cuff remark was suddenly transformed into a cliché. An observation which …
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As I was exiting Oxford Railway Station, I glanced at this screen showing the bus departure times. Notice anything odd about it? sigh Yet again someone has shoehorned Microsoft Windows into a product it is completely unsuitable for. Why does a screen which displays a fairly basic set of information need to be running on an expensive Windows licence? Moreover, why is such a machine connected …
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A slightly tongue-in-cheek title for quite a serious subject. The South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust have a list of emergency defibrillators available for public use. To help raise awareness, they've released an app... South Central Ambulance Service@SCAS999Our new app, which locates over 600 AEDs, could help you save the life of a person suffering sudden cardiac arrest.…
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I was recently given 3 rather locked-down network cameras. Each camera was pre-programmed to communicate with a specific website, and only attach to a predefined wireless access point. Naturally, there was no supplied username or password. I thought about how I might get access. Using a man-in-the-middle attack to sniff the password, or trying to dump the firmware and examine that. Sadly,…
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I once read an excellent article which asked the seemingly simple question "Is Kosher food Halal?" It's worth a read to understand the politics, religion, cultural assumptions, ecclesiastical law, and bigotry behind the two systems of approved food. To me, the argument is a bit like saying "Who would win in a fight - Chewbacca the Wookie, or Worf the Klingon?" Fascinating, but ultimately the…
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I've started listening to a lot of podcasts recently. My commute has got a bit longer, which means that I have much more time to spend sitting in traffic listening to interesting things. I'd like to review some of the pocasts which fill my commute with joy and wonder! Today's episode: Mobile Industry Shennanigans! I'm in the mobile industry and - while my personal opinions are obviously the…
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Like many people, I used to be a slave to my work inbox. It's hard to maintain a decent work/life balance when you're receiving business emails during evenings and weekends. Sometimes it's due to a workaholic colleague, or someone in a different timezone, or just those damned automated reminders from the finance system. I don't want to carry a separate device, and I know I can't rely on…
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If I were a despised broadsheet journalist, I'd probably write a really insensitive article about all the fab finds you can pick up for free at your local food bank. I'd write about how very jolly it is, top tips for bagging the best stuff, and promptly get a load of angry Twitter messages sent to me - along with a gazillion page views. I'm not that person. So here's my middle-class experience …
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...not Terance, Terrence, Terrance, Terense, Tarance, or any other variation. "Terence" is spelt with one T, a thrice of Es, and a single R, N, and C. The letter A should be conspicuous by its absence. The letter R is an only child. The letter S has no place in my name. Those people caught transgressing these very simple rules with be placed on The List. FFS! My name is on the email I sent…
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