See what I did with the title there? :-)
So, it seems Blackberries stopped working today. I didn't know until some of my Year 11 class period 5 told me about it - just as I'd asked them to scan a QR code to make life so much simpler for everyone concered - me included.
This EDP article seems to explain vaguely why.
Now, back to my old fashioned Nokia which, of course, kept working. Not that I had it turned on...
Showing posts with label ict and society. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ict and society. Show all posts
Monday, 10 October 2011
Monday, 26 September 2011
Legal Man
Some links to useful stuff for the legal bits and bobs that you need to know about...
As the man said,
- Data Protection Act - the ICO; Wikipedia
- Computer Misuse Act - GCSE Bitesize (actually v useful - page 2 has more stuff); Wikipedia
- Copyright, Designs and Patents Act - UK Copyright Service; Wikipedia
- Health and Safety at Work Act - the HSE page; Wikipedia
- Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act - Guardian (and it explains it too); Wikipedia
- Health and Safety Regulations (focus on the 1992 regs) - Knolwedge Base; Wikipedia
- Freedom of Information Act - the ICO; Guardian; DirectGov; Wikipedia
- Disability Discrimination Ac/Equality Act (NB: in 2010 the Equality Act largely replaced the DDA) - DirectGov; Wikipedia (DDA); Wikipedia (Equality Act)
- Digital Economy Act - Wikipedia; the Guardian has a whole section on the DEA; BBC
As the man said,
Get out of the city and into the sunshine
Get out of the office and into the springtime
Get out of the office and into the springtime
Number Plate Recognition Kerfuffle in Birmingham
Automatic Number Plate Recognition and CCTV are used all over the place. When I drive into John Lewis' car park in Norwich I get scanned by both (I think - ANPR certainly). In many cases it's Quite Useful, I suppose, but things aren't always as straight forward...
It seems that in Birmingham in 2010 CCTV and ANPR was being targeted at areas with high muslim populations. Hmmm, now that strikes me as "dodgy" at least - to start with it's indiscriminate surveillance of everyone.Not to mention a potential breach of human rights legislation.
It's interesting (although complex) to consider quite what happens when ICT and human rights laws collide. We can (and do) monitor loads of stuff using ICT - your ISP is probably monitoring, in a way, whatever you do each time you use Google. If you're reading this blog at school then there are certainly people monitoring what you're doing. Are they infringing your human rights? Or are they just making sure you're not up to something illegal or unwise?
In this case, the authorities soon backed down and cancelled the scheme (I was tempted to write 'idea', but I'm not sure they had much of one really. The legal case against the scheme looked sound and it would have been difficult, at least, to justify that much surveillance of ordinary people without any form of intelligence (but, then, I watch Spooks remember...).
A report into the scheme, published in September of 2010, concluded that it was, indeed, largely illegal and had little justification. It highlights, however, the difficulties that the "authorities" have with the potential to use ICT and the legal safeguards which protect all of us. How far should they go? Compared with how far they could go?
The newly elected Tory/Liberal Democrat coalition Home Secretary, Theresa May, called for a significant reduction in the use of CCTV and ANPR in July 2010 - interestingly just after the Birmingham scheme was withdrawn. I'm not entirely certain how that fits with the publication of CCTV images after the inner city riots of the summer of 2011 though - seems that the government thinks CCTV is good some of the time but not all of it.
And I'm not quite sure how they square the legal and ethical circle of that.
It seems that in Birmingham in 2010 CCTV and ANPR was being targeted at areas with high muslim populations. Hmmm, now that strikes me as "dodgy" at least - to start with it's indiscriminate surveillance of everyone.Not to mention a potential breach of human rights legislation.
It's interesting (although complex) to consider quite what happens when ICT and human rights laws collide. We can (and do) monitor loads of stuff using ICT - your ISP is probably monitoring, in a way, whatever you do each time you use Google. If you're reading this blog at school then there are certainly people monitoring what you're doing. Are they infringing your human rights? Or are they just making sure you're not up to something illegal or unwise?
In this case, the authorities soon backed down and cancelled the scheme (I was tempted to write 'idea', but I'm not sure they had much of one really. The legal case against the scheme looked sound and it would have been difficult, at least, to justify that much surveillance of ordinary people without any form of intelligence (but, then, I watch Spooks remember...).
A report into the scheme, published in September of 2010, concluded that it was, indeed, largely illegal and had little justification. It highlights, however, the difficulties that the "authorities" have with the potential to use ICT and the legal safeguards which protect all of us. How far should they go? Compared with how far they could go?
The newly elected Tory/Liberal Democrat coalition Home Secretary, Theresa May, called for a significant reduction in the use of CCTV and ANPR in July 2010 - interestingly just after the Birmingham scheme was withdrawn. I'm not entirely certain how that fits with the publication of CCTV images after the inner city riots of the summer of 2011 though - seems that the government thinks CCTV is good some of the time but not all of it.
And I'm not quite sure how they square the legal and ethical circle of that.
The "I never knew how to do that" column #23
Here's some cool stuff that, maybe, you never knew about. Trust me, worth a look.
These are all videos with sound and stuff btw...
RSS Feeds and how they work and why they're useful for you, perhaps
Wikis and what they do (and maybe why you should be interested)
Social Bookmarking. Trust me on this - very cool idea, although I have no idea if you'll be able to use it at school.
These are all videos with sound and stuff btw...
RSS Feeds and how they work and why they're useful for you, perhaps
Wikis and what they do (and maybe why you should be interested)
Social Bookmarking. Trust me on this - very cool idea, although I have no idea if you'll be able to use it at school.
Some interesting reading...
Ah, a blog post. That's interesting in itself.
Some links to take a look at to explore some of the recent stories that I find Quite Interesting. This generally falls under the category "Stuff that's happening that you should maybe know a little bit about for Unit 1".
Facebook changes and the impact on you? Maybe - Your life on Facebook
A thing about gaming in 'The Cloud' and it's potential for changing the way we use the Interwebz - OnLive cloud gaming comes to UK
How to unlock a car with an SMS? Yes, it seems possible.
The arrest of a LulzSec hacker - which is possibly something you need to be aware of.
Let's go with that for now.
Some links to take a look at to explore some of the recent stories that I find Quite Interesting. This generally falls under the category "Stuff that's happening that you should maybe know a little bit about for Unit 1".
Facebook changes and the impact on you? Maybe - Your life on Facebook
A thing about gaming in 'The Cloud' and it's potential for changing the way we use the Interwebz - OnLive cloud gaming comes to UK
How to unlock a car with an SMS? Yes, it seems possible.
The arrest of a LulzSec hacker - which is possibly something you need to be aware of.
Let's go with that for now.
Saturday, 29 January 2011
You must be really old...
Well, quite.
All that new fangled mobile technology stuff eh?
Interesting article that's actually about an economic summit thingy (Davos, which isn't the name of the chief bad dalek from Dr Who fwiw) but is actually a bit of a commentary on why mobile devices are arguably much more important than those big old fashioned PC things. Which I guess you probably sort of new. But, like, I'm far too old...
All that new fangled mobile technology stuff eh?
Interesting article that's actually about an economic summit thingy (Davos, which isn't the name of the chief bad dalek from Dr Who fwiw) but is actually a bit of a commentary on why mobile devices are arguably much more important than those big old fashioned PC things. Which I guess you probably sort of new. But, like, I'm far too old...
One top politician at Davos tells the story of how she visited a technology bootcamp for teenagers, and was stunned when the youngsters freely swapped computer code with competitors. When she challenged one of them, he said "you must be really old" and told her that the swap would make both projects better.Which, I guess, is part of that awfully old fashioned idea that the best thing about technology is it's openness - and that only dinosaurs try to close it off too much.
Thursday, 27 January 2011
Paying with your mobile
Hmm, interesting- paying for stuff using your cell phone.
It's all part of the way in which ICT can help people to use stuff more efficiently. Why do you need a wallet full of cards when you have a cell phone and the ability to pass information over short distances securely? Everything, Penny, is better with bluetooth (although this might be using RFID...)
Some half decent links from the news report as well.
It's all part of the way in which ICT can help people to use stuff more efficiently. Why do you need a wallet full of cards when you have a cell phone and the ability to pass information over short distances securely? Everything, Penny, is better with bluetooth (although this might be using RFID...)
Some half decent links from the news report as well.
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
DPA - fines
Just some news about fines for organisations found breaching the conditions of the Data Protection Act which could be useful.
Commissioner issues first Data Protection Act fines
Commissioner issues first Data Protection Act fines
Friday, 29 October 2010
Cowabunga
A Cow App (BBC story)
For me, that really defines Digital Divide, and the potential for ICT to change the world in the process, more than anything I've read for a long time.
Sure, Bookface apps and driving games and dice rolling apps (v cool btw) are all very good and lovely. But the Cow App rules.
For me, that really defines Digital Divide, and the potential for ICT to change the world in the process, more than anything I've read for a long time.
Sure, Bookface apps and driving games and dice rolling apps (v cool btw) are all very good and lovely. But the Cow App rules.
Wednesday, 6 October 2010
Passwords and the Law
Apparently it's illegal not to tell the police your computer password.
Yes, I know, caught me by surprise as well. But this is, apparently, the case, although I imagine that have to demonstrate good reason for wanting to know it.
This case, of a man suspected of having indecent images of children on his computer, highlights the issue. In those circumstances I can see why the law has a place - and this is under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 by the way. It would certainly be something that might make a useful contribution to a Unit 1, ICT and Society, exam.
There's also a story in the news about the impacts of the Digital Economy Act on file sharers - this blog article from the BBC's Rory Cellan-Jones reviews the case, as well as providing lots of interesting links to other stuff on the Digital Economy Act 2010 - an Act which was pretty controversial when it was introduced and remains very open in the ways it might be applied.
Yes, I know, caught me by surprise as well. But this is, apparently, the case, although I imagine that have to demonstrate good reason for wanting to know it.
This case, of a man suspected of having indecent images of children on his computer, highlights the issue. In those circumstances I can see why the law has a place - and this is under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 by the way. It would certainly be something that might make a useful contribution to a Unit 1, ICT and Society, exam.
There's also a story in the news about the impacts of the Digital Economy Act on file sharers - this blog article from the BBC's Rory Cellan-Jones reviews the case, as well as providing lots of interesting links to other stuff on the Digital Economy Act 2010 - an Act which was pretty controversial when it was introduced and remains very open in the ways it might be applied.
Wednesday, 29 September 2010
Block 4 work - audience analysis
As I explained in class, there's a Writing for an Audience task at the bottom of the week 4 page (link direct to PDF file).
You might find this blog post from Septemnber 2009 handy actually
This asks you to investigate how ICT might be used by the visually impaired - specifically to use the internet. I've asked you to write a brief newsletter article (note: not a newspaper article!) with a target audience of teenagers - you'll see that I'm using a familiar target audience again. How nice of me...
You can keep this brief. Really it's about the investigation of the ways in which visually impaired people (i.e. a group with specific needs) might use the internet. The writing for an audience bit isn't that important - and certainly don't worry about the newsletter aspect of it - just try and make people want to read it. We'll come back to some techniques about how to make people want to read something in Block 6...
So, there you go.
You might find this blog post from Septemnber 2009 handy actually
This asks you to investigate how ICT might be used by the visually impaired - specifically to use the internet. I've asked you to write a brief newsletter article (note: not a newspaper article!) with a target audience of teenagers - you'll see that I'm using a familiar target audience again. How nice of me...
You can keep this brief. Really it's about the investigation of the ways in which visually impaired people (i.e. a group with specific needs) might use the internet. The writing for an audience bit isn't that important - and certainly don't worry about the newsletter aspect of it - just try and make people want to read it. We'll come back to some techniques about how to make people want to read something in Block 6...
So, there you go.
Wednesday, 22 September 2010
Data Security Work
I need you to be able to:
You'll find the work on That Blue Square Thing - it's the Automatic Number Plate Recognition task in the Data Security section of Block 3 - Law. Here's a direct link to the PDF document.
- deal with benfits and drawbacks effectively
- find information from a variety of sources
- produce a bibliography effectively
You'll find the work on That Blue Square Thing - it's the Automatic Number Plate Recognition task in the Data Security section of Block 3 - Law. Here's a direct link to the PDF document.
Public/Private Data and the Law
A bit of an update on a few things.
Firstly, these articles may be helpful to develop some of the legal and data security issues you need to understand:
I wonder, however, if there are ever cases where criminal records need to be made public - when someone is convicted their case may make the press, for example, and this is then a matter of puboic record (think of Pete Docharty for example - everyone knows he has a criminal record). I wonder, as well, whether there is an argument that sex offenders should, in some circumstances, have their details made public in some form?
Interesting examples of public data included gender and your family relations, say through a family tree. I wonder, though, whether there are some people who may wish to keep their gender private? I think this happens - you may be able to find examples of history where this has happened as well (George Eliot for example).
Perhaps your relations might be a slightly tricky area as well. Some people may not want to reveal their who their relations are! If you think about typical bank security questions like "what's your mother's maiden name", then perhaps the information is actually something we should be a bit more concerned about.
I did wonder in class whether there was a difference between the amount of information people of my age like to keep private and the amount that people of your age make public? Facebook profiles, and other social networking sites, can contain an awful lot of information which, in the wrong hands, might be better to keep private...
Firstly, these articles may be helpful to develop some of the legal and data security issues you need to understand:
- BBC Webwise guide to the DPA
- Doctor loses patient details - an example of poor security
I wonder, however, if there are ever cases where criminal records need to be made public - when someone is convicted their case may make the press, for example, and this is then a matter of puboic record (think of Pete Docharty for example - everyone knows he has a criminal record). I wonder, as well, whether there is an argument that sex offenders should, in some circumstances, have their details made public in some form?
Interesting examples of public data included gender and your family relations, say through a family tree. I wonder, though, whether there are some people who may wish to keep their gender private? I think this happens - you may be able to find examples of history where this has happened as well (George Eliot for example).
Perhaps your relations might be a slightly tricky area as well. Some people may not want to reveal their who their relations are! If you think about typical bank security questions like "what's your mother's maiden name", then perhaps the information is actually something we should be a bit more concerned about.
I did wonder in class whether there was a difference between the amount of information people of my age like to keep private and the amount that people of your age make public? Facebook profiles, and other social networking sites, can contain an awful lot of information which, in the wrong hands, might be better to keep private...
Monday, 13 September 2010
Communications revolution?
Interesting questions I have today:
Here's this weeks task:
- does e-mail make me more or less efficient at work?
- could I communicate without the internet for a week?
- is there sometimes just too much information out there?
Here's this weeks task:
- think about the question "Should Leiston High School use e-mail as the main way of communicating between staff?" There are some context questions you might want to think about in the E-mail pros and cons presentation on That Blue Square Thing
- you might want to take a look at other sources as well - there are some web links on the website
- use the E-mail @ LHS writing frame to write a short report to answer the question
- e-mail me this, preferably by Friday September 24th
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
ICT & Society - web resources
Interesting questions I have today:
That includes, very lovely Year 12 people, a spot of work for you to be doing I'm afraid:
e2a: I've updated the web page from Block One to include the examples I used in class to (hopefully) help to make the difference between control/monitoring and information provision.
- Should I buy an iPhone now or wait till the next generation of phone appears?
- Do all the hidden computers that help to run our lives actually make us any happier?
- What happens when the computers stop working?
- Where is my aerocar a la Jetsons? Why don't I have it yet?!
That includes, very lovely Year 12 people, a spot of work for you to be doing I'm afraid:
- complete the Future Technology document. This is a fairly simple job working out what some of the abbreviations that get used in really cutting edge ICT mean. Note that the "Source" column simply means I want to know where you got the information from - whether it's one source or more than that.
- make sure you have an e-mail address which you can use in school - if you don't already have one then google mail seems quite effective
- e-mail me the work (like, attach it to the e-mail as a document in a form I'll be able to read)
- make sure that it's going to be really obvious who you are - if necessary just sign your e-mail to tell me!
e2a: I've updated the web page from Block One to include the examples I used in class to (hopefully) help to make the difference between control/monitoring and information provision.
Thursday, 22 July 2010
Technology and traffic cops
OK, so I admit it - I watched one of those traffic cops programmes on the tele last night.
I know - rubbish tele, but strangely compulsive. And shed loads of cool technology stuff. I'm more or less writing this down so that I don't forget it in case it comes in handy at any point...
What was interesting was the use of ANPR cameras in police cars - this was in Sussex fwiw. They automatically read oncoming number plates and can automatically interrogate the Police National Computer (the PNC) as well as the DVLA database and an Insurance Database (which may be the same thing as the DVLA one, I'm not sure). This gives a beep (and flashes a touchscreen button) if the vehicle doesn't have insurance or an MOT or is reported as stolen or needs to be found for some other reason.
Manually it's also possible to interrogate the databases to work out if a driver has a driving ban or a warrant outstanding on them and so on.
All of which was Quite Interesting.
I know - rubbish tele, but strangely compulsive. And shed loads of cool technology stuff. I'm more or less writing this down so that I don't forget it in case it comes in handy at any point...
What was interesting was the use of ANPR cameras in police cars - this was in Sussex fwiw. They automatically read oncoming number plates and can automatically interrogate the Police National Computer (the PNC) as well as the DVLA database and an Insurance Database (which may be the same thing as the DVLA one, I'm not sure). This gives a beep (and flashes a touchscreen button) if the vehicle doesn't have insurance or an MOT or is reported as stolen or needs to be found for some other reason.
Manually it's also possible to interrogate the databases to work out if a driver has a driving ban or a warrant outstanding on them and so on.
All of which was Quite Interesting.
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
Consuming fuel? Try some software
Fleet management software for haulage companies can do all sorts of marvellous things.
Software developed in Norfolk could save businesses hundreds of thousands of pounds and slash carbon emissions by alerting staff to bad driving styles.
The technology provides drivers and fleet managers with real-time information on vehicles and can cut fuel consumption by encouraging them to drive more efficiently.
From: EDP 'New drive to reduce consumption of fuel' 26/06/10
Telemedicine
This is an interesting example of the impact of ICT on society.
Thanks to advancing technology, remote monitoring of patients via networks of specialist medical-grade laptops, cameras, video screens and medical equipment, could be the norm in a few years' time.This has lots of useful applications...
From - EDP 'Norfolk conference hears of telemedicine revolution' 29/6/10
“This telemedicine technology would allow the GP to call the consultant and he could examine the patient thoroughly over the screen. We want to make clinicians aware of how important this interactive, two-way technology is and how much time and money it will save across the health service.”Saves all that hassle of getting a Doctors appointment...
Vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure and lung function could all be measured and monitored remotely for long term conditions. Skin conditions and wound care could also be monitored using specialist cameras.
It is hoped the new technology would save travel costs and time for patients, be beneficial for those being rehabilitated after hospital treatment, and could prove vital in emergencies in rural remote settings.Just a shame they've been using exactly the same ideas in places like Angola and India for three or four years.
Thursday, 29 April 2010
Apple vs Flash
So, Steve Jobs says Flash is a bit rubbish and not suitable for running on Apple's uber-cool touchscreen smartphones and the like.
Good.
The less use that's made of Flash the better imo. It's hideously overused - I took a look at a Flash website today - for a lodge business. Why on earth the site was built in Flash I'll never know - ages to load, lousy scrolling and really sucky look all round.
So any disincentive to use the damned stuff on standard websites sounds like a plan to me.
Jobs explains his difficulties with Flash - which can be a great tool if it's used properly btw - in a letter. Sound points in general - the lack of openness, security problems and battery issues convince me by themselves. Worth a read.
Good.
The less use that's made of Flash the better imo. It's hideously overused - I took a look at a Flash website today - for a lodge business. Why on earth the site was built in Flash I'll never know - ages to load, lousy scrolling and really sucky look all round.
So any disincentive to use the damned stuff on standard websites sounds like a plan to me.
Jobs explains his difficulties with Flash - which can be a great tool if it's used properly btw - in a letter. Sound points in general - the lack of openness, security problems and battery issues convince me by themselves. Worth a read.
40 uses for a floppy disk...
Fabby article from the BBC Magazine - seems like there's a lot of technical demand for them and they make handy ice scrappers as well :-)
This week, though, Sony decided it would stop making them. Part of my life just disappeared (of course, I'm old enough to remember floppy disks which were actually floppy...)
This week, though, Sony decided it would stop making them. Part of my life just disappeared (of course, I'm old enough to remember floppy disks which were actually floppy...)
There's all sorts of good stuff here, mainly aiming at my Applied A Level classes.