Daily News Round Up 30/06

The Artesian blog takes a look at the morning headlines:

Yemen jet crashes in Indian Ocean
- A Yemeni airliner with 153 people on board has crashed in the Indian Ocean near the Comoros archipelago.

Some bodies have been spotted, a Yemeni aviation official said, and wreckage of the plane located. It is not clear whether there were survivors. (full story)

Queen will run out of money in Diamond Jubilee year without more funds - The Queen will run out funds by 2012 in her Diamond Jubilee year unless the government increases the Civil List for the first time in 20 years.

The total cost of keeping the monarchy increased by £1.5 million to £41.5 million during the last financial year, up three pence per persona year, to 69 pence. (full story)


Giant ladybird could threaten 1,000 British species - A giant ladybird is threatening to wipe out more than 1,000 native insect and plant species in Britain, scientists have warned.

The harlequin ladybird, originally from Asia, was first spotted in the South East in 2004 after being blown across the Channel. (full story)

Schools accused of wasting £1bn every year - Billions of pounds pumped into schools by Labour have remained unspent or been wasted on expensive contracts, according to the spending watchdog which accuses ministers of failing to hold headteachers to account for their expenditure.

The Audit Commission report, published tomorrow, concludes schools are wasting nearly £1bn of public money every year by "hoarding" it in bank accounts and failing to shop around for the best deals on meals, equipment and cleaning. (full story)


Obama junks ‘global war on terror’ label - The Obama administration has junked the term “global war on terror” because it does not describe properly the nature of the terrorist threat to the US, according to Janet Napolitano, secretary for homeland security.

“One of the reasons the nomenclature is not used is that ‘war’ carries with it a relationship to nation states in conflict with each other and of course terrorism is not necessarily derived from the nation state relationship,” she told the Financial Times. “In some respects ‘war’ is too limiting.” (full story)

Cyber War

"I'll be hacked"

As someone who studied the Cold War era, it's been fascinating reading the developments of the new 'cyber war' facing the British government. An article last week made close parallels between the two circumstances and the sheer pettiness of current events seems to match up with previous antics rather nicely (recently British officials asked politely if China and Russia wouldn't mind cutting out the 'coordinated cyber attacks' if at all possible... I'm sure the request was noted.)

Whilst online security has always been a talking point, a virtual Cold War is hard to imagine but you can see how some things could play out. Take the Cuban Missile Crisis for example:

- Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev adds Fidel Castro as an associate on Linkedin and the pair exchange business cards.

- After talking on Skype they decide they can rather help each other out with a strategic placement of Nuclear weapons. Khrushchev pays for some Cuban land via paypal to speed up the transaction and get moving.

- Khrushchev changes his Facebook status to 'Nikita is constructing nuclear weapons in Cuba' and top friend Fiedel Castro indicates that he 'likes this'.

- American President John F. Kennedy checks Google maps to see that, surely enough, ground work is being laid down for such a plan. He asks Jeeves what to do but with no luck decides to Twitter his naval defences and get them to form a blockade around Cuba.

- A war seems imminent until Khrushchev sends Kennedy an e-card apologising for his actions before setting up a direct messenger account with the American Chief to stop any future misunderstandings. A few days later the pair post pictures on Flickr highlighting their new found friendship and Castro is forced to sell the construction leftovers on Ebay.


Whilst this may not necessarily be how things progress this time around, it will indeed be absorbing to see how things transpire. What's certain, is that the battle to reign the online field is further proof of just how important a weapon the Internet really is.

To keep track online visit www.artesiansolutions.com

Daily News Round Up 29/06

The Artesian Blog takes a look at the morning headlines:

Detained British Embassy Staff In Iran Freed - Five out of nine detained local staff at the British embassy in Tehran have reportedly been released.

Iranian media said on Sunday that several were being held for their alleged involvement in mass street protests. (full story)

Skier saved from death plunge by Blackberry - A skier who slipped into a crevasse in the Swiss Alps was saved from falling 700ft to his death by his Blackberry mobile phone.

David Fitzherbert's half-inch wide handset in his breast pocket caused him to get wedged in a crack of ice, stopping him from falling further. (full story)

Vodafone eyes T-Mobile UK bid - Vodafone is considering an offer to buy T-Mobile UK in an audacious move that would have huge repercussions for the British mobile phone market.

The world’s largest mobile operator by revenue is looking at the case for acquiring T-Mobile UK, which has an estimated enterprise value of €3bn-€4bn ($4.2bn-$5.6bn) – even though any transaction runs the risk of being blocked by regulators. (full story)


Prosecutors press for action against BNP leaflets - Senior prosecutors are calling for the laws on race hate crimes to be strengthened to counter the threat posed by the British National party.

The threshold for securing a conviction is so high that far-right activists are able to evade prosecution for material that many people would consider to be threatening and racist, according to sources at the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). (full story)

Mix-up at Royal Mint creates dateless 20p pieces worth £50 - A technical error at the Royal Mint led to up to 200,000 coins entering circulation without a date for what is thought to be the first time in more than 300 years.

The new 20 pence pieces are now considered to be collectors' items, with one dealer offering £50 a coin to anyone who finds one among their spare change. (full story)

Daily News Round Up 27/06

The Artesian Blog takes a look at the morning headlines:

Sky may have to share TV channels - BSkyB should be forced to make its premium sports and film channels available to rival broadcasters, watchdog Ofcom has proposed.

Ofcom said such a move may be a "most appropriate way of ensuring fair and effective competition". (full story)

Record numbers of A-level students 'to be rejected from university' - Record numbers of A-level students, including thousands with straight-As, will be rejected from university this summer as applications soar in the recession.

Research by The Daily Telegraph suggests demand for degree courses has surged by almost 65,000, even though few extra places are available. (full story)

Britain set to sizzle next week as heatwave sends temperatures soaring to 32C - It may not be much comfort to those trudging through the boggy fields of Glastonbury this weekend but Britain is set for a heatwave next week.

Temperatures could reach 32C (89.6F) in London on Monday and Tuesday, with other parts of the country also enjoying prolonged sunshine. (full story)

Warren Buffett lunch sells for £1 million on eBay - A bidder agreed to pay $1.68 million (1 million pound) for a steak lunch with billionaire investor Warren Buffett in a charity auction completed Friday night, according to eBay's website, where the bidding took place.

The winning bid in the 10th annual fund-raiser fell short of last year's record $2.11 million, paid by Hong Kong-based investor Zhao Danyang. The starting price was $25,000. (full story)

Michael Jackson: doubt over refunds for concerts as O2 counts costs - The army of fans who had been counting down the days before the start of Michael Jackson’s first solo tour in 12 years were told to expect a long wait for ticket refunds.

Confusion reigned yesterday as the ticket agents’ websites crashed and Consumer Direct, the government-funded website, was deluged with calls from grieving fans seeking to reclaim their cash. (full story)

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Daily News Round Up 26/06

The Artesian Blog takes a look at the morning headlines:

Michael Jackson, King of Pop, dies in hospital aged 50 - Michael Jackson, singer, songwriter, performer and perhaps the most famous pop star of modern times, died last night less than a fortnight before he was due to start a record-breaking 50-concert tour in Britain.

Jackson was rushed to hospital in Los Angeles from his home in the Bel Air district while paramedics tried to restart his heart after a suspected cardiac arrest. (full story)


Hackers recruited to fight new cold war - Britain is to build new defences against a "cyber cold war" being launched from China and Russia amid fears that hackers could gain the technology to shut down the computer systems that control Britain's power stations, water companies, air traffic, government and financial markets. (full story)

Solar plane to make public debut - Swiss adventurer Bertrand Picard is set to unveil a prototype of the solar-powered plane he hopes eventually to fly around the world.

The initial version, spanning 61m but weighing just 1,500kg, will undergo trials to prove it can fly at night. (full story)

Auto-ban: German town goes car-free - Vauban hopes to forge a model community without that great staple of modern life – the car. Now the sound of birdsong has replaced the roar of traffic and children can play in the street (full story)

Hundreds Of BA Staff To Work For Nothing - British Airways says 7,000 of its staff have opted to take pay cuts while 800 will work for nothing.

The company had asked its 40,000 workforce this month to work for free for one month of the year as part of a cost-cutting measure. (full story)

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The Sweet Smell of Success

Taking advantage of what's there

Whilst researching on a project earlier this week I couldn't help but laugh when I stumbled upon a website devoted to 'breaking sugar news'. Further more, once my mind had long since drifted from the task at hand, I found myself typing 'sugar news' into Google which happily provided a whole host of other competing sugar sites hoping to quench my sugar update thirst.

In fact, with some further investigation I discovered that you can also get regular headlines about Salt, Pepper, Vinegar and for the complete table set, ketchup... Ketchup news! (with top story 'ex-schools trustee gets probation in Ketchup Theft'...shocking stuff I'm sure you'll agree.)

Now joking aside here this really did hit home just how big a source (no pun intended, honestly I swear) the Internet really is. Because, when you think about it, there are probably thousands of businesses who need to keep track of sugar updates every single day and with I dare say, probably not too many other ways of doing it successfully. Bear in mind that this was one simple search, which basically means it's the tip of an enormous iceberg of sugar information which would probably swamp anyone trying to digest it.

So the question is, if you're a business not exploiting the Internet to gain intelligence, why not? Research by Experian this week once again points to the fact that more and more consumers are heading online adding to last week's report indicating an increase in online business ventures. All of this will simply mean more web activity available to track, no matter what you've a sweet tooth for. (find out more here)

Daily News Round Up 25/06

The Artesian blog takes a look at the morning headlines:



Credit crunch takes toll on super-rich - The ranks of the world’s super-rich have been shredded by the credit crunch, undermining the theory that the wealthy are better at holding on to their money.

The global population of “ultra high net worth individuals” – defined as those with at least $30m (€22m) to invest – shrank by nearly 25 per cent in 2008 to 78,000, according to the latest World Wealth Report produced by Merrill Lynch and Capgemini. The collective net wealth of these super-rich slumped by 24 per cent after a year of bank crises, government bail-outs and stock market routs. (full story)


BBC fails to account for hidden expenses - The BBC is poised to provoke a fresh row over expenses by refusing to disclose how much its executives spend on entertainment for their stars.

Days after MPs caused public outrage by blacking out details of their expenses, the BBC is refusing to reveal how much is spent on hospitality and gifts for its best-paid celebrities. (full story)



Woolworths reborn online - Woolworths, the 100-year-old sweets-to-DVD retailer that collapsed earlier this year, will on Thursday be revived as an online business by the country's biggest home shopping retailer, Shop Direct, which bought the brand name in February.

Woolworths.co.uk will feature a main shop selling children's toys and clothing, an entertainment store, which sells video games, DVDs and CDs, as well as a party goods outlet selling fancy dress costumes, games and the iconic "pic n'mix" sweets, now known as "click n' mix." (full story)


Salads 'rival Big Macs for fat' - Pre-packed salads are often not the healthier option, with some supermarket items higher in calories and fat than a Big Mac and fries, a report warns.

Researchers from Which? magazine looked at 20 salads from the major outlets and found many contained a large proportion of the recommended daily intake of fat. (full story)



Does Saturn moon hide watery caverns - and life? - Saturn's icy moon Enceladus could contain watery underground caverns, forming a potential home for alien life, say scientists.

German researchers have found salt - a signature chemical for seawater - in ice grains from vapour jets streaming out of surface cracks, providing the strongest evidence yet of a liquid water reservoir beneath the moon's frozen crust. (full story)

Daily News Round up 24/06

Rural areas need fast broadband - Action needs to be taken to ensure that those living in rural areas of the UK are not left in the broadband slow lane, a report has warned.

The report, from the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC), makes a series of recommendations to ensure that rural homes can keep pace with urban areas. (full story)


Barack Obama strikes out as Tehran tightens its 'iron fist' - President Obama condemned Iran’s “iron fist” last night after the regime flooded Tehran with armed security to quash street demonstrations.

In his strongest language yet on the post-election crackdown, Mr Obama said that America had been “appalled and outraged by the threats, beatings and imprisonments” of recent days. (full story)

Terrified tourists boycott Thomas Cook flight home after being told to sit at back 'to help balance the jet' - When holidaymakers were asked to sit at the back of the plane to balance heavy luggage in the front of the hold, many thought it was a bad joke.

But it was a serious request. One of the doors to the hold was jammed, meaning bags could be loaded only at one end, making the plane nose-heavy. (full story)

Police chiefs plan cybercrime squads - Police forces plan to set up regional “cybercrime” squads similar to those that deal with anti-terror operations, as senior officers seek to counter criticism they are not doing enough to combat the 3m annual cases of online crime.

The plans – “actively pursued” by the Association of Chief Police Officers – emphasise fears the police are being left behind by sophisticated gangs of online criminals with access to the latest technology and large sums of money. UK figures on cybercrime are patchy, but officials estimate online fraud is worth more than £50bn a year worldwide. (full story)


Iran football players 'banned' after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad protest - The Iranian football players who wore green wristbands to protest against the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have reportedly been banned from the team for life.

A pro-government newspaper reported they had been "retired" from the national team after several members wore green tape on their wrists in a World Cup qualifier against South Korea in Seoul. (full story)

Daily News Round Up 23/06

Military ships 'detect signal' from Air France Airbus black boxes - French military ships have reportedly detected signals from the black boxes of the doomed Air France flight which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean last month.

The French newspaper Le Monde this morning reported that a research mini-submarine, the Nautile, had dived to search for the flight recorders based on a "very weak signal". (full story)

John Bercow elected new Commons Speaker - John Bercow, the Conservative MP who was backed by many Labour Cabinet ministers but enjoys limited popularity within his own party, has been elected Speaker.

Mr Bercow won a third-round run-off with fellow Tory backbencher Sir George Young after early favourite Margaret Beckett withdrew following the second round. (full story)


Iran's Revolutionary Guards threaten crackdown - TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian police broke up a protest in Tehran and the hardline Revolutionary Guards said they would help crush what they called rioters opposing the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on their ability to report, film or take pictures in Tehran. (full story)

US train crash toll rises to nine - At least nine people have been killed and 70 injured during a subway train collision in Washington DC.

Carriages of one train came to rest on top of the other after the collision near a station, officials said. (full story)

ESPN wins rights to Premier League games - ESPN, the sports television channel controlled by Walt Disney, on Monday night broke into the lucrative market to show live English Premier League football.

In a move that will pitch it against Rupert Murdoch’s British Sky Broadcasting, ESPN was awarded the rights to show football matches previously held by Setanta, the Irish broadcaster on the brink of administration. (full story)

Daily News Round Up 22/06

Apple boss 'had liver transplant' - Apple boss Steve Jobs received a liver transplant about two months ago and is expected to return to work later this month, a US newspaper has reported.

The Wall Street Journal said the Apple chief executive would be returning to his job on schedule, but may initially work part-time. (full story)


Brown in row over secret bid to install Beckett as Speaker - Gordon Brown was embroiled in a damaging row over the election of a new Commons speaker after MPs claimed that Labour whips were secretly attempting to swing the contest in favour of his Government’s preferred candidate, Margaret Beckett.

Senior Labour MPs said they were being put under pressure to endorse Mrs Beckett, the former foreign secretary, in today’s secret ballot to chose a successor to Michael Martin. (full story)

Andy Murray hopes mean most eagerly anticipated tournament for a generation - Record crowds are expected at a generally sunny Wimbledon this week amid hopes that Andy Murray could become the first British player to lift the men's title for more than 70 years.

Applications for the annual ticket ballot have surged by 20 per cent on last year, defying the economic downturn, and hundreds of fans from as far as the US, Switzerland and Australia began queueing on Sunday. (full story)

"Big Bang" collider set for autumn restart: CERN - The giant sub-atomic particle collider built to reproduce "Big Bang" conditions is set to restart this autumn, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) said on Friday.

Scientists believe they have figured out how to prevent a repeat of the problems that caused the 10 billion Swiss franc ($9.2 billion) Large Hadron Collider to be shut down just nine days after it was switched on last September, CERN expert Steve Myers said in a statement. (full story)

£50m plan to increase train punctuality - Passengers on a main London to Scotland rail route are still suffering from the poorest train punctuality in the country despite the completion of a £9 billion upgrade project, it was revealed today.

The number of trains running on time on the West Coast Main Line run by the Virgin Rail company did improve last month - rising from 80.8 per cent in May 2008 to 84.6 per cent in May 2009. (full story)

Turning Water into Wine

(watch Gordon Brown's speech)

Here's hoping the glass isn't half empty

In an unusual twist, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has come under fire this week after announcing that broadband access is just as 'essential' as water supply. So essential in fact, that a new tax can be put in place for its development (yey! How Westminster must be cheering) . Of course the news has sparked all kinds of angry responses, with many saying the figures do not add up (surprise surprise) and others maintaining that if possible, they would prefer their tap to keep running thank you very much.

But outlandish statements aside, the idea is a good one and I hope that the government really do maintain their goal of providing broadband access for all. Whilst connectivity maybe a little way off water on the importance scale there is no doubt that being online is becoming more and more integrated with everyday life. This week the e-retail sales index revealed further progression within the online sales market and many small businesses have come out in the last few days expressing a desire to become entirely web based in order to beat the recession.

Whilst the Internet currently lies like an untidy room, with bits and bobs sprawled all over the place, it is soon to have a spring clean. Once the room is cleaned up, broadband’s place on the importance scale will perhaps shift up a couple of spaces and we’ll really start talking about the big leagues. So let's hope this isn't just another false promise thrown together to win some seats at the next election, if the Government take some initiative here, they may end up looking quite good... heaven forbid!

Daily News Round Up 19/06

Personal data exposed on website - Personal data including the signatures of recipients has been exposed to those tracking deliveries on the Parcelforce website, the BBC has discovered.

A failure in the system allowed people using the mail tracing service access to the name, postcode and signature of various addressees. (full story)




Taxpayers foot MPs’ £235,000 bill with Labour campaign firm - Labour MPs have channelled £235,000 of taxpayers’ money to a computing consultancy that operates from the party’s headquarters, The Times has learnt.

An analysis of MPs’ expenses published yesterday shows that Alistair Darling, Yvette Cooper and her husband Ed Balls are among a number of ministers who have used their Commons allowances to pay Computing for Labour (CfL) to manage communications in their constituency offices over the past four years. (full story)




F1 faces split as eight teams break away - Formula One was plunged into its worst crisis in its 60-year history on Friday after eight teams announced they would set up a rival championship, saying Max Mosley, the head of motorsport’s regulator, had ignored their demands over his controversial budget cap plans and had tried to drive a wedge between them.

The dramatic decision, announced in a lengthy statement from the Formula One Teams Association (Fota) came on the eve of practice for Sunday’s British Grand Prix and a deadline for entries for next year’s championship. (full story)




Iran's supreme leader to address nation after protests - Iran's supreme leader is addressing the nation today in his first public comments since opposition supporters flooded Tehran's streets in an unprecedented challenge to the country's ruling clerics.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has already approved the June 12 election results that gave hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a landslide victory, but he has not been able to ignore the powerful defiance of the opposition, which has called the vote rigged, of his authority. (full story)

Daily News Round Up 18/06

Microsoft makes gains with Bing - Microsoft Corp's Bing search engine won more market share from rivals last week, according to new industry data released on Wednesday, but still trails Google Inc and Yahoo Inc.

Challenging market leader Google -- which in turn is looking to break into Microsoft's core software market -- is a long-term project, said Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer. (full story)



Climate impact report says 800,000 homes will be at risk of flooding - The threat to Britain posed by floods, heat waves and coastal erosion is far more serious than previously thought, according to a group of experts appointed by the Government.

Their report, to be published today, is expected to be the bleakest official assessment yet of the impact of climate change in Britain over the rest of this century. (full story)



MPs' expenses published by Parliament with key details removed - The House of Commons has published heavily edited documents setting out some details of the expenses claims of every MP.

More than a month after The Daily Telegraph began disclosing details of members’ use of public money, the House authorities have released a selection of documents including claim forms and some receipts. (full story)



Mammoths survived late in Britain - Woolly mammoths lived in Britain as recently as 14,000 years ago, according to new radiocarbon dating evidence.

Dr Adrian Lister obtained new dates for mammoth bones unearthed in the English county of Shropshire in 1986. (full story)



Pilots offered shares for pay cuts - British Airways pilots are being urged to accept a "groundbreaking" deal under which they will receive shares in the company in return for a pay cut.

The pilots' union Balpa is recommending the pay and productivity package aimed at saving the firm millions of pounds. (full story)

Daily News Round Up 17/06

Tory claims £57,000 to rent flat from own company - A millionaire Conservative MP broke parliamentary rules by claiming more than £50,000 in taxpayer-funded expenses to rent a flat from his own company.

Brian Binley claimed £1,500 a month to rent the flat for more than three years, despite House of Commons rules forbidding MPs from renting properties from themselves or their companies. (full story)


Sainsbury raises £445m to lift growth - J Sainsbury is to raise £445m from investors to help increase the rate of growth of its store space, the supermarkets group said on Wednesday, as it reported sales growth of 7.8 per cent in the last quarter amid strong demand for its clothing range.

Shares in Sainsbury fell 4.6 per cent or 15¼p to 316½p in early trading. (full story)


Government taps BBC for broadband - Britain is to provide universal broadband access by 2012 and plans to use a tax to fund superfast connections, it said on Tuesday as it outlined its digital vision requiring the BBC to share some funding.

The BBC receives a 3.6 billion pound licence fee -- a tax on every television-owning household -- which has never previously been shared and it has indicated it will strongly object to any plan to reallocate this cash. (full story)


Iran curbs rallies and media after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s re-election - Iran’s regime sought to regain the initiative in the face of growing opposition protests yesterday by thwarting plans for another mass rally against election-rigging, arresting alleged ringleaders and cracking down on the international media.

One day after up to eight protesters were shot dead during a huge demonstration against President Ahmadinejad’s disputed re-election, the regime barred all foreign journalists from the streets of Tehran in a move that gives the security forces much more freedom to crush dissent with overwhelming force. (full story)


Blast fears at chemical fire site - Eighty firefighters are tackling a fire at a Herefordshire chemical plant.

Nearly 200 people were told to leave their homes due to the possible danger of explosions during the blaze at Skymark, Southern Avenue, Leominster. (full story)

Daily News Round Up 16/06

Seven killed during Iran protest - Iranian state radio says seven people were killed during Monday's protests in Tehran over the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The reports said the deaths came after "thugs" attacked a military post. (full story)

'Huge job cuts' for public sector - As many as 350,000 public sector jobs could be lost over the next five years, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) is warning.

Chief economist John Philpott says the recession will bring "a bloodbath in the public finances" which will force employers to slash their workforce. (full story)

Drug hope for rheumatoid arthritis victims - As many as 250,000 rheumatoid arthritis sufferers could benefit from a drug - MabThera - that can halt the disease in its tracks.

Almost half the patients with early arthritis symptoms in a trial saw a significant improvement in their condition after a year. (full story)


Tesco sales up 10 percent - Tesco, Britain's biggest retailer, met forecasts with a 9.7 percent rise in first-quarter sales, led by a strong performance in its international businesses and a pick up in sales growth at home.

Finance Director Laurie McIlwee told Reuters it was still too early to talk of a recovery in Tesco's markets, but was encouraged that sales growth had returned to non-food lines and upmarket ranges, like "Finest." (full story)

Millions will have to wait a decade for superfast internet access - Millions of homes are expected to be denied superfast internet access for at least a decade because of a failure to reach agreement across the communications industry over who should pay for the upgrade. (full story)

The Artesian Solutions daily news round up

Flu risk 'still low' after death - Health officials have insisted the risk swine flu poses to the public remains low after the virus claimed its first UK victim and its first in Europe.

The Scottish Government confirmed on Sunday a patient with underlying health problems had died after testing positive for the H1N1 virus. (full story)



PM Set To Announce Inquiry Into Iraq War - Gordon Brown will announce an inquiry into the 2003 invasion of Iraq in a statement to MPs at 3.30pm, Downing Street has said.

"The Prime Minister's statement will be on the end of the UK's military mission in Iraq and an inquiry into the conflict," Mr Brown's spokesman said. (full story)


Public spending will be cut after the general election, says George Osborne - Public spending will have to be cut after the general election, regardless of which party wins power, shadow chancellor George Osborne has said.

Mr Osborne's intervention marks a bold attempt to shift the terms of political debate and undercut Gordon Brown's attempt to cast the coming election as a choice between Labour investment and Tory cuts. (full story)


Recession to end sooner than forecast - Britain will pull out of recession earlier than previously forecast but a sustained recovery is not assured, the Confederation of British Industry said on Monday.

The business group predicted the economy would stabilise in the fourth quarter of this year but said it would take until the beginning of next year to return to growth. (full story)


Amazon settles $79m Toys R Us suit - Amazon.com will pay $51 million to Toys R Us to end a long-standing legal dispute between the online retailer and the toy seller.

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Amazon said it had agreed to settle the dispute, which began in 2004. (full story)

What can Microsoft Bing to the market?

Let's ask Google

Here's a question, if you had to choose between buying a product from a website ranked either 1st on Google search results or positioned somewhere in the obscurities of the second page, which one would you pick? I ask this (assuming that most people would choose number 1) to prove just how much trust we place in Google's opinion.

This was outlined to me earlier this week when someone told me they had used Microsoft's Bing search engine, only to later check their results on Google to make sure they matched up. I'll stick my neck on the line here and say the majority feel the same way when using rival search engines, like they have for some unknown reason, avoided the most obvious and reliable of all sources.

But at the end of the day, Google's rankings are based on a variety of parameters that don't necessarily match up with your own. It is the opinion of one company... How often do you base a decision on the opinion of one? Just type 'Tiananmen square' into Google images UK and China to see how much control the search engine has on your findings. The comparison is staggering.

So while Bing may struggle to climb Google's perch in the short term, their use of semantic technologies bodes well. It is the semantic web that offers genuine search progress. With ranking prejudice aside, the web can be scoured for information that is important to you, tailored to match your exact criteria. This is a genuine opportunity to take the wheel and drive wherever you like, rather than be dropped off right outside the chauffeur's favourite building.

Losing Control

Time to cut the wire

This week's competition between game console creators has been fascinating. Like thespians trying to hog the stage Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo have all entered from the wings shouting louder than the other and carrying larger, more eye catching props. All are attempting to jump on the 'controller free' bandwagon set in motion by the Nintendo Wii.

Who comes out on top is not really important, at least not to any one looking in from the outside. The demos they have presented to the gazing public are measures of how far the world of gaming has come. In a very short space of time gamers have gone from bouncing a ball back and forward, to graphically stunning game play, to actual game interaction where movements have become the new joystick. The lesson here is that things do not stand still (or, more literally in this case, sit still).

The same can be said for the Internet. No one will ever accept that the peak of the mountain has been reached, there will always be more rock to climb. Whilst the web has provided so many new opportunities there are still many frustrations left to solve. Some maybe anxious about the continuing ascent, preferring to stick on familiar terrain, but it is such an exciting time to continue the climb and see just exactly what can be done. Now is not a time to sit back and play pong, no matter how brilliant it may once have been.

To see just how much the web can really benefit business visit www.artesiansolutions.com