The Biz

Big Brother Racism - Sponsor Withdraws

2007-01-18T17:33:00.000Z

The telecoms company Carphone Warehouse has withdrawn its sponsorship of Celebrity Big Brother after alleged racism in the show, aimed towards actress Shilpa Shetty.
The racism allegations started when Jade Goody's mother failed to pronounce Shetty's name correctly. After that, a group seems to have formed between Goody, her boyfriend Jack Tweed, and Danielle Lloyd, all of whom seem to spend a lot of time complaining about Shetty and mimicking her.
The industry regulator Ofcom has received thousands of complaints, and another Big Brother housemate (Ian 'H' Watkins, formerly of Steps) has been seen crying, and told Big Brother that he did not like the way things were going on in the house.
We will be following this story as it unfolds.

Doomsday Clock to be advanced

2007-01-14T16:47:00.000Z

The Environment News Service News Wire is reporting that the world-famous and internationally recognised Doomsday Clock will be moved forward.
The Doomsday Clock is a symbolic clock face maintained by the directors of The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists since 1947. This will be the first time the clock's hands have changed position since 2002, when they changed to 7 minutes to midnight.
On the clock, midnight represents "destruction by nuclear war" and the further away from midnight it is, the safer the world is from nuclear weapons. The furthest away the clock has ever been from midnight is 17 minutes to, and its closest ever approach to midnight was in 1953 when the clock advanced to two minutes to midnight.
It is assumed that the clock will move forward to account for the recent nuclear activities by Iran and North Korea - however, it's only North Korea known to have nuclear weapons, and Iran claims its nuclear programme is only to generate power.

ICT test to be scrapped

2007-01-11T16:59:00.000Z

The BBC is reporting that the ICT SAT test, taken in year 9 and due to be made compulsory in 2008, is to be scrapped. The test had been criticised for being too clunky and unlike a real user interface, and now the Government has reported that it will be replaced with an ongoing assessment, as in an assessment by teachers of students' work.

That Was The Year That Was

2007-01-01T16:49:00.001Z

2006 is out, 2007 is in. In this post, we'll take a fond look back at 2006, and add a few jokes into the mix - and consider it to be a taster of the new series starting this Friday, That Was The Week That Was (of course named after the 1960s satirical quiz).

First, news at home. After years of speculation, spin and conspiracy theories, Lord Stevens has completed his report on the death of Princess Diana. He concludes that Diana and her boyfriend Dodi al Fayed didn't do their seatbelt, the driver was drunk and they were speeding to avoid the paparazzi (photographers who will go to any length to take a photograph of a famous person, which they will then sell on to weekly magazines or tabloid newspapers).

Of course, the Daily Express isn't listening, saying the report was a 'whitewash'.

The Express has a fixation for Diana's death, to the point where on the day Saddam Hussein was sentenced to death, the headlines ran as follows:

The Independent: 'The tribunal sentences you to death by hanging for crimes against humanity'

The Sun: 'YOUR SADDAM HANGMAN KIT' (!)

Daily Express: 'SPIES COVER UP DIANA "MURDER"'

Next, around the world. The Russian spy, Alexander Litvinenko, was killed by the highly rare radioactive substance, Polonium-210, at an Itsu sushi restaurant in London. Many believe the Russian government was involved.

Now, sport. McDonalds ran a competition during the football World Cup to choose a mascot for the England team to use if they got into the final. One entry read:

I don't want England to be in the finals. I don't want England to win.

McDonalds had forgotten that their customers in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland could also enter.

In TV and radio, it was announced that Michael Grade was leaving the BBC to defect to ITV, and on the BBC1 satirical quiz Have I Got News For You, an important detail was revealed by Ann Widecombe MP.

Of course, at the BBC there are no hard feelings about Michael Grade leaving, and he's already been invited to a farewell lunch. Sushi at Itsu.

Then we come to the Internet. 2006 saw the meteoric rise of Wikipedia, a free, publicly-editable encyclopedia on the Internet. It has passed the 1,000,000 article mark and the 1,500,000 mark within twelve months of each other.

However, it's not all easy going. Wikipedia editors (affectionately known as Wikipedians, those who are really extreme as Wikipediholics) have a wide variety of viewpoints, and several organisations have been formed within the community, such as:

the Association of Inclusionist Wikipedians
the Association of Deletionist Wikipedians
the Association of Wikipedians Who Dislike Making Broad Judgements About the Worthiness of a Particular Category of Article, Who Are in Favour of The Deletion of Some Particularly Bad Articles, But That Doesn't Mean They Are Deletionist

And finally, let's take a look at the winner of the "bizarre image of the year" award, and the caption to go with it.

"Yo. I'm Dave Cameron and I'm just like you."

Happy New Year!

Saddam Hussein Dead

2006-12-30T14:47:00.001Z

BBC News is reporting that Saddam Hussein has been executed in Iraq.

The execution took place at around 03:00GMT (06:00 local time) and has sparked protests from Saddam's supporters in Tikrit, the former dictator's home town.

The US president, George Bush, was "asleep" at the time of the execution (21:00 in Washington), but earlier gave the following statement.

"Bringing Saddam Hussein to justice will not end the violence in Iraq, but it is an important milestone on Iraq's course to becoming a democracy that can govern, sustain, and defend itself."

However, the British government has always stated that it is against the death penalty, and Margaret Beckett, the Foreign Secretary, gave this statement:

"I welcome the fact that Saddam Hussein has been tried by an Iraqi court for at least some of the appalling crimes he committed against the Iraqi people. He has now been held to account [...] The British government does not support the use of the death penalty, in Iraq or anywhere else [...] We have made our position very clear to the Iraqi authorities, but we respect their decision as that of a sovereign nation."

I want one of those!

2006-12-14T21:22:00.001Z

Jonathan Rothwell writes

Christmas is fast approaching, school closes tomorrow, and so the time is near to put the Biz to bed for a Christmas break. But, on the eve of Christmas closedown, we thought we'd share with you some interesting stuff you can gawp and slaver at (or buy if you want).

Consoles

Yes, games consoles will again be the at top of most people's wishlists that they aim in the general direction of the North Pole. The PS2, Gamecube and Xbox are all old-hat by now; next-generation consoles are creeping their way onto shelves even as I'm tapping this out on my keyboard.

But, with the PS3 out of the equation until July, which one to we want now? Or do we demand patience?

To help you decide, we've put together a short test to see whether you'd be better off with a Wii, Xbox 360 or waiting for the PS3.

Question 1 - Graphics

Do you prefer up-to-the-second high-definition graphics? (Yes, no, I don't care)

If you answered yes, you would probably prefer the XBox 360 or PS3.

Question 2 - Gameplay

Do you prefer to sit down while playing your games, or do you like the idea of standing up, wafting the controller around to work the system?

If you prefer sitting down, you'd be better with an XBox 360 or PS3. If you like the idea of a quirky play style, you'd soon fall in love with the Wii.

Question 3 - Patience

Would you wait for that console you really wanted? Or would you get impatient?

If you'd rather not wait, the PS3 is out of the equation, simply because it won't launch until March.

So, here's a quick summary of consoles:

If you want amazing graphics, performance and don't mind waiting, Sony's PlayStation 3 will suit you perfectly.

If you want great graphics NOW, try Microsoft's XBox 360.

If you don't mind about the graphics, and want to abolish the couch-potato gamer image with a more active style of play, Nintendo's Wii will be your perfect match.

Must-watch TV

This year looks to be quite good on the television front, with some excellent programmes (Doctor Who, QI, The Vicar of Dibley, Little Britain) returning for one-off Christmas specials - and the last ever Vicar of Dibley, as Geraldine Granger (Dawn French) marries a newcomer played by Richard Armitage (Robin Hood, North and South).

Doctor Who will return for a Christmas special, called The Runaway Bride and guest-starring Catherine Tate. And QI, the excellent "comedy quiz that refreshes the parts other shows don't even have names for" hosted by Stephen Fry also makes an appearance on BBC Two.

And speaking of BBC Two, this Christmas will be the last for the current batch of idents on the channel. In the New Year, the yellow 2s will be replaced by a new batch of idents developed by advertising agency Abbot Mead Vickers BBDO. All that the BBC have let slip is that the 2 will remain...

Bits and Pieces that won't fit anywhere else

I happened across this today while browsing Wikipedia. It's a robotic penguin. It's a very particular penguin as well: he's called Tux, and he's the mascot of the Linux operating system. The idea is that if you use the Linux operating system on your computer, you program the robot to be an alarm clock, telephone, newsreader, etc, etc. I like the idea... where's my chequebook?

You can discuss all of these at the Biz forums, http://www.hostmybb.com/phpbb/index.php?sid=bb65237707c23284abfa6d1eda03e2ca&mforum=thebizkicba

Wii launches in Britain, shortage causes problems

2006-12-09T12:03:00.001Z

Nintendo's Wii console has launched in Great Britain, but has suffered problems in that it has sold out meaning many who preordered their console may not get it in time for Christmas.

The Wii looks like it will be the big winner in the console world this Christmas, with its low price and new design of controller bound to attract new customers. However, the console has sold out, with retailers blaming Nintendo for not providing enough.

Discuss which console you'd buy at the new Biz forums, at http://www.hostmybb.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=6&mforum=thebizkicba!

Pictures of the P-thief

2006-12-07T16:36:00.001Z

Jonathan Rothwell writes:

We can now bring you images of the P-thief we blogged about the other day.

Do you recognise this man? Inform site manager John Harrat and the police.

Purse thief strikes again

2006-12-05T18:39:00.000Z

Jonathan Rothwell writes:
The thief who stole a woman's purse last year in broad daylight has paid another visit to the college - and has indulged himself with a projector from P2.
Last Thursday, in broad daylight, the thief entered the Maths block (presumably through the window of P2 or another window on the ground floor, or maybe through the double-doors opposite the staircase) and made off with the projector used with the interactive whiteboard in that room.
A CCTV camera caught the man walking away with something suspiciously projector-shaped inside his jacket on the side of the road between the Arts block and the Quad.
A picture and more details will be posted soon. In the meantime, we've noticed that the thief seems to like things beginning with P. He pikeyed a purse last year and a projector this year. There was another P, but I've forgotten it at the moment. But either way, we've branded him the P-thief.

We are "worst teenagers in Britain" - thinktank

2006-11-03T19:16:00.000Z

Jonathan Rothwell writes:
BBC News is reporting that a think tank has found the UK's teenagers to be the worst-behaved in Europe.
From the article:

On every indicator of bad behaviour - drugs, drink, violence, promiscuity - the UK was at or near the top, said the Institute for Public Policy Research.
The institute looked at the results of a number of studies of adolescents conducted in recent years.
The researchers believe the country's record can be explained by a collapse in family and community life in the UK.

When it says that there has been a "collapse in family and community life", it implies that we spend too little time with our families.
There's also the scathing statement saying that some teens regard AsBOs (AntiSocial Behaviour Orders) as a "badge of honour".

The story was covered on BBC2's Newsnight last night. While Newsnight usually makes quite dull viewing, you just have to watch the furious exchange between the broadcaster and the organisation worker (with Jeremy Paxman having a trying time presiding over it all, as usual). It can be watched until 10:30 tonight at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/6111572.stm.

Do you think that this report is stereotypical, and unfair? Send us your comments.

Madonna adoption: what the papers are saying

2006-10-25T11:59:00.000+01:00

Jonathan Rothwell writes
Madonna has created a hot talking point in adopting the one-year-old Malawian child, David Banda. The newspapers have been especially critical about this decision.

One particularly scathing viewpoint comes from Carole Malone, writing in the Sunday Mirror.
If Madonna is so keen to help Africa's orphans, she could have at least adopted one. David Banda has a perfectly healthy father - Madonna could just have put some money into a trust that allowed him to feed, clothe and educate his own son. But no, she "decreed that David is her Chosen One" and set about bending Malawi's laws to get what she wanted. She had no intention of spending 18 months "amid all that nasty poverty and hardship". [Malawi normally needs prospective parents to foster in the country for eighteen months - but for some reason Madonna doesn't have to do this.] Instead, she popped into the country as if it were Battersea Dogs' Home, threw a bit of money around and then snatched a child away from his roots to life a "better life" with self-obsessed celebrities in London.

However, not everyone shares this viewpoint. Madonna may have "snatched a child away from his roots", but when it comes to it, there's a far lower chance he'll die of starvation under a millionaire celebrity.

What do you think? Send us your comments.

Note: Sorry about the lack of posts over the last few weeks.

IT problems likely as Internet Explorer 7 may be released tomorrow

2006-10-09T21:00:00.000+01:00

Jonathan Rothwell writes
Microsoft is reporting that it will ship 11 security updates to its Windows operating system tomorrow with one high-priority update, which, according to Slashdot and the Washington Post, is highly likely to be the next version of the Windows Internet Explorer web browser.
The new version of Internet Explorer will allow tabbed browsing (allowing more than one page to be displayed in the same window), RSS (a method for obtaining up-to-the-minute news from "feeds"), a scam filter and a new look.
The problem is that IE7 may cause difficulties when being rolled out due to security privileges, incompatibilities with other software and instability. Major software upgrades on a network are rarely painless. The notice advising users to install the update may also baffle the new or inexperienced.
Microsoft has not confirmed whether the final version of IE7, which has been in "beta" or testing status since 2005, will in fact ship tomorrow, as they have only confirmed that it will ship before Halloween.

UPDATE - It turns out IE wasn't to ship on that day, but a few weeks later, it did launch. The automatic update is due to be rolled out within the next few weeks and months. -Ed. 12:37BST 25/10/2006

5 Things We Didn't Know Last Week

2006-09-30T10:50:00.000+01:00

The symbol on BBC2's idents (the familiar figure 2) gets fan mail.
Menthol cigarettes are harder to give up than normal cigarettes.
The Prime Minister once found a balloon from a school pupil in his country home's back garden. He sent it back with a picture of himself and his wife Cherie, with the message "To Keiren, look who found this balloon!"
Some types of albatrosses visit the Galapagos islands, and live for up to 50 years, pairing for life. The husband often waits weeks for his partner to arrive, and when se does, they perform a mesmerising courtship dance that isn't disimilar to French kissing - they click their beaks together and stroke each other with their wings.
A computer keyboard is in development where the keys are in fact mini-screens, allowing the keyboard layout to be changed, etc. Its makers say it'll be out in time for Christmas worldwide, and cost less than a good mobile phone. And... what exactly is classed as a good mobile phone?

Robin Hood to start on 7th October

2006-09-29T10:47:00.000+01:00

Jonathan Rothwell writes:
A trailer shown on BBC1 last night confirmed that the BBC's much anticipated revival of Robin Hood will start on the 7th of October (curiously, on the same day as the new idents).
A version of the legend was popular in 1953, and the people making the new series say they "want to do a Doctor Who" to old legends, stories and myths. Even more interestingly, Patrick Troughton (who later played the title role in Doctor Who) played Robin in this adaptation.
The new version will star Jonas Armstrong as Robin, with Lucy Griffiths as Maid Marion.

External links
http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/robinhood/ The BBC's website for the new series

Radical changes to GCSE coursework rules

2006-09-27T20:44:00.000+01:00

Jonathan Rothwell writes:
BBC News is reporting that the rules surrounding GCSE coursework are to be tightened, with the Maths coursework going altogether.
The move comes after it emerged that some students can buy coursework templates from the Internet and then hand in this template, claiming it to be their own work.
Under the new rules, which we presume won't take force until next year at the earliest, coursework can no longer be done at home and must be done under classroom conditions.

What do you think of the new rules? Send us your comments.

Insecure Bluetooth investigation reveals shocking results

2006-09-27T20:40:00.000+01:00

Liam Gorham writes:
Many people are leaving their mobile phone’s Bluetooth feature on without bothering to switch it off. We ran a test to see just how many people leave their Bluetooth feature on and unsecured by running a scan with a Bluetooth-enabled mobile without sending any files.
The total came up to a shocking 44 before my battery ran out. If you leave your Bluetooth on people can send you pictures, music and videos without having your number. People can make phone calls though your mobile so that the call is costing you and you won’t realise and till you next go to make a call. Bluetooth crimes are rising in the UK in places like train stations, airports and larger shopping centres. To protect yourself from being "bluejacked" simply turn off your Bluetooth when it’s not in use.

BBC1 gets a new set of idents

2006-09-26T18:35:00.000+01:00

Jonathan Rothwell writes:
The BBC's main channel, BBC1, is to get a new set of station identifiers from 7 October.

The new idents are based around a circle and will replace the current dancers, acrobats and partygoers. The channel's logo features a larger version of the word "one" and will be launched on the channel from the 7th of October.
The circle may well be a nod back to the fondly-remembered globe idents which were used from the 50s. Its latest incarnation, the balloon idents, were scrapped in 2002 for the current dancers.
The new idents include the surfers above, hippos performing synchronised swimming, red kites on a windy landscape, three bikers riding a wall of death, a group of children playing Ring a Ring 'o' Roses, the Moon, remarkably skilled footballers passing balls with mathematical precision, and residents of a block of flats catching the sun's light in their windows.
There has also been a confirmation from the BBC that BBC2 is also to have its identity revamped. The 2s in the idents have been with us since the 1990s, and it's safe to guess that the 2s will remain. Or will they? Send us your comments.

Computer viruses could rig votes at kiosks

2006-09-15T20:24:00.000+01:00

Jonathan Rothwell writes:
A study at an American university has found that electronic voting kiosks in the US could be rigged to rig the results, leaving no trace of any foul play.
Technicians at Princeton University have exposed glaring flaws in the programs that run the electronic voting kiosks in the United States. This could allow a criminal to install malicious software, or malware, on the computer to change the amount of votes registered for each candidate. The report claims that

"1. Malicious software running on a single voting machine can steal votes with little if any risk of detection. The malicious software can modify all of the records, audit logs, and counters kept by the voting machine, so that even careful forensic examination of these records will find nothing amiss. We have constructed demonstration software that carries out this vote-stealing attack.

2. Anyone who has physical access to a voting machine, or to a memory card that will later be inserted into a machine, can install said malicious software using a simple method that takes as little as one minute. In practice, poll workers and others often have unsupervised access to the machines."

At the moment, the UK does not allow interactive voting at kiosks, but this could some become a reality - and a vulnerability.

The Princeton University technicians have put together a narrated video report on the subject which has been posted on YouTube. The Biz is not responsible for the content of external sites.

New iPods harbour radical redesigns

2006-09-13T17:15:00.000+01:00

Jonathan Rothwell writes:

Apple Computer has released the latest models of its popular iPod music player. The iPod simply gets an internal upgrade to a maximum of 80gB of space for storing music. The iPod Nano now looks more metallic and comes in an array of colours, now offering an 8gB model as well. The iPod Shuffle has been completely redesigned - while the older version could be mistaken at distance for a packet of chewing gum, the new version looks like a tiny grey credit card. All of the iPods come with longer battery lives.
Along with this, Apple has released the latest version of its iTunes jukebox software which is used to synchronise with the iPods. We'll be reviewing iTunes 7 within the week.

How All Your Computer Knowledge will Go Out of the Window with Microsoft's new operating systems and office suites - and how to avoid them if you must

2006-09-12T18:10:00.000+01:00

Jonathan Rothwell writes:

At the moment in IT you get taught to use Windows XP with Office 2002 (2003 if you're lucky). Now that's all very well (apart from the fact Bill Gates's software never works) but there's a sting in the tail of this system.
With the next versions of Microsoft Windows and Office, some radical changes are being brought about to the UI (user interface, the system you use to interact with the computer, like toolbars, menu bars, etc).
Let's start with Windows. What we'll do is run a comparison of screenshots between Windows XP (the current version, installed on the school's computers) and the new version, for some inexplicable reason called "Windows Vista".

Windows XP

Windows Vista

There are basic skills in Windows Vista that have to be remastered. This is not good if you are planning to go into a business that has Vista having learnt your way around Windows XP. And if you think that's bad, take a look at what's happened to Office:

Office 2003

Office 2007

You'll note that the toolbars and menu bars have done the honourable thing and tied the knot, merging into one "ribbon" bar at the top. This is an even steeper learning curve for experienced users. And you can't re-enable the menus and toolbars, you're stuck with the new system.

However, should you prefer to escape this mass-mutation, there are several options. For a start, if you want to avoid Office 2007's drastic changes, then you can use the free OpenOffice.org, available (you guessed it) from http://www.openoffice.org. And if you're desparate to escape Vista, then you can use the open-source operating system GNU/Linux. One of the best versions (or "distributions") of this is Ubuntu Linux (pronounced oo-BOON-too, after an ancient African word meaning "humanity to others") which you can get for free from http://www.ubuntu.com. Don't forget that if you don't own the computer, you MUST get permission from whoever owns it, and back up all the data on the machine before installing the latter as it will wipe everything off your computer. Further information is available from the respective web sites. The Biz is not responsible for any damage to your computer or data stored on your computer from acting upon this advice.

So, enjoy, and please, don't fear the penguins.
(The mascot for Linux is a penguin called Tux.)

Schools clamp down on gum chewers

2006-09-12T18:06:00.000+01:00

Liam Gorham writes:

Many schools around Britain are clamping down on students and staff using bubblegum and chewing gum. Tens of thousands of pounds are spent on new surfaces to replace ones where gum has been stuck all over the place making it look like the tables and streets are suffering from bubonic plague.

It’s also rather annoying – if you sit on a chair with a fresh piece of gum on it, you get it all over your trousers and you have to fork out for a new pair of trousers.

And that’s not all. Apart from being unsightly and rather gross when you put your hands under a table, gum that has been chewed and then stuck under desks can harbour hundreds of millions of germs. In some cases, these could cause nasty stomach bugs.

However, don’t believe the stories they tell you about gum taking seven years to digest. It’s just like ordinary food and passes through the system in a few days. But does that make it any better?

What do you think about chewing gum? Is it OK in school? Is it disgusting? Got a gummy story you’d like to share with us? Tell us your views with the Comments button below and we’ll publish the best on this page.

Reference: The Pedant’s Revolt by Andrea Barham (ISBN number 1-84317-132-5) cites on page 53 that Dr. Mark Porter, presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Case Notes, estimates that the average time it takes for gum to pass through the body at “more like twenty hours”. However, chewing gum manufacturer Wrigley’s says that “although it [gum] is not meant to be swallowed, if it is, it simply passes through your system, just like popcorn or any other form of roughage. This normally takes only a few days.”

And... we are back!

2006-09-08T18:53:00.000+01:00

Jonathan Rothwell writes:

We're back! Back to the old routine of lessons, breaks, period shifts, etc, etc...
I could go on about this forever. But I won't. I'll just give you an idea of what to expect before Christmas:

While We Were Out - What's been happening over the summer?
No credit - How to pay for iTunes with cash
Coming Up... - things that are happening elsewhere, such as:

The release of Sony's Playstation 3 console and Nintendo's Wii (pronounced like We)
How All Your Computer Knowledge will Go Out of the Window with Microsoft's new operating systems and office suites - and how to avoid them if you must
Why Pluto Was Demoted and why it will mean a rewrite of all school textbooks
When Will Tony Blair Go? And more humanities rewrites become necessary?

Exams - Honest, they really ARE only a short time away... oo-er!
New-look What's On
All the latest news that matters to YOU.

Enjoy!

The Biz team