Darren Lightfoot writes about the how easy it is to open a Kensington Microsafe laptop lock. This mirrors the situation with Kryptonite bicycle locks, which it turned out could be opened very easily indeed without even needing any tools. I’m not sure if it’s really that serious, but he’s right that Kensington have to wake up and pay attention.
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The Googlization of the Mobile Web
Web services security guru Mark O’Neill writes about how Google have literally taken over the browsing experience for mobile-phone web users:
‘I tried to bookmark the page but couldn’t, since what was seeing was not the Vordel website, it was how Google had rendered the Vordel website. In fact, there was no way to leave Google, since each link was being rendered through Google. I’d entered the “GoogleNet”. ‘
Transport infrastructure, Dublin Airport
Mature cities put a lot of thought into their transport systems, even if they can’t afford to put much money into them. Look at Curitiba, which has a modern public transport system that cost very little to establish. Dublin Airport, on the other hand is a disaster area, because simple, obvious design issues haven’t been considered. Not only that, but the airport company actually profits from its own inefficiency.
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What Microsoft wants – keeping global investment in Ireland
America’s paranoia is Ireland’s opportunity. The Crusade against Terrorism is stopping Microsoft from hiring the computer scientists it wants to hire in America. Ireland should help Microsoft bring the employees it needs to Ireland, if it can’t bring them to America.
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Skype – it’s not for corporates
I don’t want to sound like I’m skype-bashing. I’m not. Skype is the star that has shown us the path while VoIP was astray in the desert. But as I told Bernie Skype just isn’t suitable for the corporate environment, for three reasons – no one will guarantee to fix it for you if it breaks; Skype won’t tell you how it works; you just can’t control it.
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Cheap phone calls in Ireland/UK
Bernie talks a lot about SkypeOut for cheap phone calls. Myself, I use a service called Telestunt. Basically, the deal is you use your regular phone to make your international calls, but at a local rate.
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Bad practice on Government Websites
Irish public bodies now have some of the worst websites in Ireland. As I speak, most of the pages on the Department of Transport Site are broken. Dublin City Council’s Port Tunnel site hasn’t worked for months. The Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources site is designed rather strangely.
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Irish bank launches an anonymous Visa card
Permanent TSB has launched a system for people who can’t get a credit card to buy stuff on-line. Basically, the deal is this: you go into a shop and buy a credit card voucher for a set amount. The voucher has a credit card number on it, and you receive security details by email or text message.
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Who was Pope John Paul II anyway?
Pundits and cardinals are both trying to figure out who the next pope will be. But it’s worth trying to figure out who the last pope really was. He was a lot of different things – a skier, a goalie, a quarry worker, a priest, a politician, a religious leader. He was a media player. He detested the absolutes of communism, but he also ran a tough shop. He fought for the dignity of human beings, but he ignored the plight of children who had been abused by religious.
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The big bump on the pyramid
You can tell a lot about the current state of a country by looking at the population pyramid, which shows you how many people there are in each age group. This is the pyramid for Ireland.
(See a dynamic version.)
Basically, almost 40 percent of the population is between 15 and 34 and the peak is at 25-29. That makes a big difference to the economy and marketing.
In the UK by contrast, the peak is in the post-war forties age group:
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