Category: Uncategorized

Another steady connection month with BT Internet and also with a steady climb up towards the 4MB download speed. In fact in June I have seen a further increase in speed up to 4.5MB! More on that at the end of the month.

Average speeds this month have been 3.85 MB download and 387Kb upload.

It’s still not anywhere near the promised 8MB, but at a distance of 3.84km from Reading South Exchange I suppose I can’t complain too much!

No I don’t mean Bob Marley! This is about GPS jamming. Although we now have the ability to pretty much find any location (and sometimes the wrong one) using GPS, a big down side of the GPS signal is that it is very susceptible to jamming.

MP’s this week are looking at a 50 plus year old technology to see if it can deliver a low-tech back up system in case of major emergencies using LORAN.

Although its early versions were used by RAF bomber command during WWII, a more up to date version, eLoran is being rolled out for the General Lighthouse Authorities to improve coastal safety around the UK.

Why my interest? I remember working on a early version when I first joined the Royal Navy back in 1964, but I always thought that the Decca Navigator system was much better.

However, I suppose it just goes to show that even though the technology is over 50 years old, a modern day version of LORAN may still provide a fail save option for its modern day, but seemingly susceptible equivalent GPS.

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Jodrell that is. After a number of months when it looked like there was to be a funding cut for the famous radio telescope, the future now looks much more secure after a its STFC ranking in the funding stakes has been increased.

It’s about time that more money was made available for this icon of UK astronomy. To think that anyone would have even considered the original cuts makes me wonder if we have a bunch of saboteurs in charge of UK science.

Lets hope that it really does get the money it deserves to carry on the very important astronomical work that is has been doing since it was first opened.

He may have been in disguise, but I spotted him!

And so it starts! In a startling decision, Sweden is to introduce sweeping changes [2] to its surveillance capabilities. Under new legislation its intelligence agencies will be given free reign to intercept and scan all international calls, faxes and e-mails.

Bringing it into line with other nations including China, Korea and America, UK, Australia using the Echelon system (what words might they be looking for), Sweden will the first western European country to openly admit to its interception abilities.

What next for European freedoms, not much it would appear.

Following on from Lee McQueen’s win in this years Apprentice competition, his CV error seem to be a topic of conversation in the recruitment industry.

A friend of mine who works in one of London’s top recruitment agencies has advised all of her clients to recheck their CV’s and make sure that they contain  no such errors like the one that caught Lee McQueen well and truly out!

Here’s a story at BerkshireJobs.Net about the incident. Golden rule, never lie on your CV; as to be sure, they will catch you out in the end.

A locked cabinet in an secure room and still patient records are lost to thieves! Surely this must be an inside job!

But the big question is, why were these Patient Records on the Laptops in the first place? It’s yet another example of cavalier carelessness by government employees who seem incapable of following the rules of Data Protection.

Again as in the case of Hazel Blears constituency stolen PC,  I guarantee that no one will be punished! What hope have we for any kind of data security as we become more and more a big brother nation?

I expect that’s what Hazel Blears is now asking after her constituency office PC was stolen a few days ago.

It also now turns out that it contained certain data in contravention of Government guidelines.

Will see be prosecuted for breaking the data protection act and other legislation, I expect not. One rule for some and many other rues for other.

If ever there was another example needed to explain what David Davis is standing for, then this story must be a prime example.

If we are now to be stopped by any jumped up policemen interpreting the law in this way; then how long will it be before we are all being stopped for things that we are thinking in our heads – just in case we might just do something wrong.

David Davis needs an much support as possible, if I lived in his constituency he would get my vote.

As parts of Australia enter the record books with an increasing wide spread drought and no foreseeable rain on the horizon, the effect is being felt world-wide with increased food (particularly rice)shortages and faster rising prices.

Six years ago, Australian Rice production was at 1.7 million metric tons, this year it will be lucky if it tops 18,000 metric tons!

Combined with failed harvests in other countries [1], [2],  and the so called move to ethanol production the world in its continuing rush to find a substitute for petroleum products, the world seems to be moving towards a massive world-wide food shortage.