Now we are slightly more than half way through 2010. In this year UK mostly government departments have lost significant quantities of data. The security levels of the UK seems to be at atrocious levels. The liberal democrats have initiated a Freedom of Information Request over the data that has gone missing. To the shock of the general public the findings was significant.

Around 200 electronic devices have went missing in just 6 months. Works out as about 0.91 items every single day are lost by Government bodies. This level of loss cannot be accepted. The largest breach of security, perhaps not to anyone’s surprise came from the NHS. Specifically, Yorkhill Children’s Hospital which lost 20 PCs with confidential patient data. Surely with the loss of children’s personal information associated with that, the government needs to consider the issue of data security.

I would recommend that a high level review of all government agencies take place as a matter of urgency. Find out why so much data can go missing in such a short period of time and plug the problem before it gets worse.

I think now is time for the Parliament to realise the danger of the importance of data loss. People of the UK, stand forth and speak to your MP make parliament listen.

References

ITProPortal

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It has been some time since the General Election and the subsequent resignation of former prime minister Gordon Brown. The labour party however is once again preparing a leadership campaign where the people have no input on whom should be the leader and a potential future prime minister.

Lord Mandelson has critisized the young Miliband stating that he is likely to take Labour back to the dark ages. I am unsure if that’s a complement or insult coming from him. Ed Miliband however has made a comment which I can completely agree with: Mandelson should retire.

Leaderships should have the confidence of the people they purport to represent. If we have no control over our political leaders and worse prime minister then how can we presume to have a government worthy of our faith? Labour will with hope fall into the darkness, and at the next General Election with any hope, the Liberal Democrats will come out victorious.

References
Sky News

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Oxford University Press, the publisher behind the Oxford English Dictionary has stated that no decisions have been made about the format of the 3rd Edition of the Dictionary, which has been worked on since 1989.

However comments by the CEO unveil that there is doubts that the latest revision of the dictionary will never be printed. Reference books for many look impressive in shelves. So how can that effect be achieved when every book known becomes a mere 2MB file in the Downloads folder of a user account?

Despite facing a rising challange as a bookpublisher from the likes of the iPad and Amazon’s Kindle the standard version of the dictionary that comes in a single volume edition is likely to stay on the book shop shelves for another 30 years. Oxford has already taken advantage of the Internet stream where the dictionary is available online for a fixed annual fee.

References
The Gaurdian
The Telegraph

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Telsa Coil Style Bulb

The tesla coil is designed to produce high voltage, high current, high frequency ac electricity. It doesn’t sound like something that is a good idea to microwave.

Giant Electra Bulbs

Next up on the list is the Giant Electra Bulb as the video shows, it makes an impressive amount of noise and looks really cool.

Giant Mercury Light Bulbs

Another style of light bulb, equipped with some impressive colours.

Soap

Should be kept for cleaning instead.

Classics – CDs

The classics, microwaving CDs relatively sure way of erasing data.

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The Commodore 64 which became the best selling computer ever built in the world is due to make a remarkable return to the shelves. The all in one enclosed computer system is being retrofitted by Commodore USA.

• Intel Atom 525 CPU
• 4GB DDR3 Memory
• 1TB Hard Drive
• Optional BluRay Drive

The new PC64 as it has been re branded will come with the Commodore 64 case with everything built into a keyboard shaped computer system. However with the specs detailed above, it will weigh in with a lot more punch than the original. The new one will be around about 1,800 times more powerful than the C-64.

It has been suggested that they should include an emulator for the original C64 software and a license to use them entirely legaly. Given that the original owner has filed for bankruptcy many years ago it is a possibility that  this is feasible. However given the current corporate climate of suing everyone it is unlikely that will be the case to the disappointment of many no doubt.

References
ZDNet

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Budget cuts are likely to see the loss of 2,800 police officers in Scotland. Officials at the Parliament in Edinburgh stated that the achievement of 1000 new Officers has been a major success whilst trying to avoid that that means in their time in power they have actually lost 1,800 officers if this plan goes ahead. Despite citing that front line services are a priority. Surely the police are a front line service?

The cuts are on scales that it means the loss of the entire Central, Northen and Tayside Police forces.Having looked at the official statistics, crime does not seem to have dropped at all in the last few years. Indeed with these kind of cuts, it will put the overall Scottish Police at levels well below what it has been in many years.

References
The Scottish Goverment
BBC News

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