News: Computers Are Not Helping

By | November 24, 2011
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 More grim reports about how computers aren’t doing what they’re supposed to. BBC quotes new research that says computer systems at work are not working as they should, mainly because workers do not have enough guidance about technology, support staff are cut off from other staff and managers are “naive”.
 
The problem is there is a built-in negativity about technology. When it works well, it becomes invisible, but people only notice it when it goes wrong. In the end, technology seems to create more work than it saves. Hear, hear.

News: Ask Not For Whom The Cellphone Rings

By | November 24, 2011
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 Sounds like an episode from Six Feet Under: the family of a deceased motorcyclist are suing a funeral firm after the dead man’s cell phone started ringing – from inside the coffin.
 
A Belgian newspaper, Gazet van Antwerpen, is reporting that the night before the funeral the family gathered at the undertakers for a final private farewell when they heard ringing from within the sealed coffin. Several distressed members of the family had to leave the funeral home whilst staff rushed to remove the cell phone.
 
The family is now suing, according to Cellular News, claiming that the undertakers were negligent in preparing their relative for burial.

News: Internet Gets Older, So To Speak

By | November 24, 2011
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 The old ‘uns are getting online. Nielsen//NetRatings reports (PDF file) that senior citizens age 65 and older were the fastest growing age group online, surging 25 percent year over year in October 2003.
 
Nielsen//NetRatings also found that in addition to outpacing senior males in audience growth, the rise in usage by female seniors was greater than the increase in usage by senior males, if you get my drift. “As a whole, the Internet audience is continuing to become more representative of the general population,” said Greg Bloom, senior Internet analyst, Nielsen//NetRatings.

Update: More On Those Exploding Phones

By | November 24, 2011
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 Just when you thought it was over…. The Register reports that Test-Aankoop, the Belgian consumer watchdog that reported Nokia batteries as dangerous and then had it corrected, says Nokia still has a problem. The Finnish mobile phone maker cannot guarantee that its batteries are safe, because consumers cannot distinguish between original and non-original batteries, the watch dog says.
 
Nokia yesterday admitted that “tens of thousands counterfeit batteries were seized in recent raids in Holland, the United Kingdom, and other countries in the EU”.
 
Reminds me of the fake Bluetooth story a while back. How do we know what’s kosher and that it won’t blow up in our face, or ear?

News: Microsoft Takes on Google’s Customisable News

By | November 24, 2011
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 Microsoft is taking on Google, at least in its news. The New Scientist says Microsoft is testing a a news-gathering web site that tailors the stories selected to individual users. Once MSN Newsbot is fully functional, Microsoft says the site will personalise results within 10 minutes of a user starting to browse.
 
Microsoft is not revealing exactly how its site will work. But experts say there are several possible types of algorithm that could be used. One is similar to those Amazon.com uses to recommend additional books a buyer might like. This algorithm analyses the other choices of people who have already bought the first book. A news site would instead group articles according to the reading patterns of previous users.