No room left for slow starters

You only get one chance to make a good first impression. It is one of those throwaway lines that litter our lives, particularly in business.
But there is certainly some truth in the cliche.
And it seems to be increasingly the case in the world of television.
TV is still a dominant force in society, but there is little doubt that [...]

I’m the best driver in the world

Everyone thinks it, don’t they?
We all believe we are the best driver on the roads and any problems we encounter along the way are always the result of other motorists, bikers, cyclists and pedestrians.
So here’s a quick challenge to see just how aware you are behind the wheel.
It comes courtesy of Nicola Davies, part of [...]

Blogging in newspapers - the 3Cs still apply

One of my old editors kept banging on about the 3Cs - credibility, credibility, credibility.
If there was one basic mistake in a front-page exclusive splash then that story was ruined in his eyes.
His attitude irritated the hell out of me when I was a reporter because I felt he couldn’t see the bigger picture - [...]

IT fuelled by wood chips and methane

More companies are looking to power data centres with alternative fuels, such as burning wood chips and methane.
A “green” data centre currently being completed in Slough will draw power from a combined heat and power plant located on the same trading estate, which burns wood chips, waste paper and fibre fuel to generate electricity, hot [...]

Employers banning Facebook…again

You would think IT managers would know better.
Well, at least I would think that.
But, according to IT Week, a new survey of IT managers shows a majority in favour of banning Facebook and other social networking sites in the workplace.
I can well imagine situations where personal use of computer systems is a bit iffy - [...]

Why is IT such a bogeyman?

I subscribe to various e-newsletters supplied by The Birmingham Post, including the E-Business News.
A regular client also provides a daily email bulletin on all things IT-related and as a confirmed news junkie I look forward to both dropping into my inbox.
They help point me in different directions and in the case of the client’s bulletin to [...]

Do you and me need another social networking site?

Another social networking site goes live on April 14 with ambitions to become the largest in the UK.
Youmeo.com is being developed out of the Coventry-based PPLparty site set up by 19 year-old Calum Brannan and aims to prove to companies and large organisations that social networking can be their friend too.
The new site is looking to challenge [...]

Newspapers and third party websites

Some interesting thoughts from a regional journalist regarding the use of third party websites to increase the reach and popularity of multimedia content.
Christian Dunn, digital editor of The Evening Leader, has urged colleagues on other titles to embrace local websites rather than view them as competitors.
He highlights his own newspaper’s success in tapping into the potential [...]

The art of stating the bleedin’ obvious

The fact we needed a high-profile review to tell the Government that the video games rating system needs an overhaul to make it easier for parents to understand and they also need greater guidance to help them supervise their children’s time online sums up the state we’ve got ourselves in.
It should have been patently clear that there [...]

The kids aren’t alright

I cannot help but feel pity for today’s youngsters, even the skateboarders.
We continue to fail them over everything from their diet to their schooling, put all kinds of pressure on them to grow up too quickly and demonise them at almost every opportunity.
In many ways it is the lot of the teenager to be picked on [...]