BBC’s newsstation biggest in Europe

This article is on how the technology of television has changed and how BBC benefits from this. It shows the history of news, which changed in the early 80s. Martin Bell, former BBC correspondent says that everything changed with the introduction of the handheld camera. With this camera you could edit your film on the go, giving a wonderful sense of freedom. A second revolution was the introduction of satellites and internet. Last year’s live interview from abroad was broadcasted using just an iPhone. Now BBC has moved into a new building that has the biggest news droplet in Europe. It is the base for 2500 BBC journalists.

I find it wonderful how news over the years has developed. Looking back at the brave people who filmed the events in World War 2 and in the Cold War one can only realise that these men were heroes, carrying enormous cameras around just for the sake of reporting. Last year’s live interview broadcasted with just an iPhone makes you think how news will look like in the future. Maybe you can zoom in on the disaster area using google maps, having a live stream of the events on your own computer.  One can only hope.

 

BBC. (2013, 03 18). BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5. Retrieved 03 20, 2013, from Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i10-d3X_rXM

 Alex Ferguson to retire

This article is on the end of an era for Manchester United, an era they call the Alex Ferguson era.
Manchester United recently announced that Ferguson, aged 71, is to retire. Sir Alex Ferguson has been in charge of Manchester United for 27 seasons, in which he acquired 13 premier league titles and two European cups. Ferguson retired before in 2002 but then came back saying it “Wasn’t the right time then.” Now, eleven years later he does think it is the right time to retire. Rumours had been swirling around for quite some time but still the retirement comes as a surprise to most people.

Personally I find it astonishing that a man aged 71 is still able to coach a football club. Within the club he was apparently known as an Old boot, but a sturdy one. His training and effort have undoubtedly been of great importance and value to Manchester United. I hope that in the future Manchester United is able to find a coach that is just a great, or even better, than Alex Ferguson. However I do think that is a feat extremely difficult to acquire. In the future we’ll see if the next coach can one up Ferguson.

BBC. (2013, 05 08). KeithCutey. Retrieved 05 12, 2013, from Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rGQH3BznHQ

 Attempted murder on Irish Policeman

This article is on the investigation of the attempted murder on a policeman in Northern Ireland. The police have arrested two men. The police man discovered a bomb tied under his car when he was just about to leave his home on a Sunday, in the city of Belfast. The men who were arrested, aged 29 and 35 are now being held into custody and are being questioned. The possible motive for the attempted murder remains, so far, unknown. The police hopes that through the arrest of the men there can be some clarification and justice done.

I think the police man was very lucky to have found the bomb tied under his car. I personally would never even bother looking under my car so I wonder how he got around to checking. Perhaps it was a gut feeling? Either way I am glad the attempted murder was a failure and that two men are being held under interrogation by the police. I hope the two men admit to the attempt so that the policeman can continue his life without worrying about future murder attempts. I am looking forward to finding out what was the motive for the murder.

BBC. (2013, 01 01). nuggetsofwisdom99. Retrieved 04 28, 2013, from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQqeYoY32xA 

More legal challenges for bullet train linking London to the North of England

This article is on the everlasting effort to get clearance for the high speed railway line connecting London to the North of England. This time the project faces opposition from Yorkshire activists. This opposition was of little value however, seeing how recently the government has won in court, granting them green light to proceed their operations. The first phase of the railway line is linking London to Birmingham. The second phase would expand the lines from Leeds to Manchester. The green light is a victory of grave importance to the government. It had the potential to shut down the project for good if the government was to lose.

I can understand the opposition against a high speed bullet train through the center of England from multiple parties such as the Yorkshire party. However, I do think it is necessary to continue with a project that so many people could benefit from. A high speed connection rail through the center of England might not be the best looking thing ever, but it will make for a vast improvement in Public Transport for all Brits. On the other hand I do deem activist parties a necessity, it’s always great to hear the voice of your people.

 

Bibliography

 

BBC. (2013, 03 15).Sam Smith. Retrieved 05 05, 2013, from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsgW_UDoZmA

 

 

 

Which? calls for government to crack down on cold calls

This article is on the growing nuisance of the direct marketing calls, also known as cold calls. Thousands of people have signed up to the Telephone Preference Service in order to stop such said calls. They often find the TPS doesn’t really have any impact on the amount of calls, and say they still get bombarded by calls. Especially the elderly find these calls bothering and can get really offended. A new report by the consumer group Which? Is now calling on the government to crack down on cold calls. Hoping that in the future people could stop getting the calls whatsoever.

I think the people complaining have a very valid point. Often getting called by these companies myself I can understand the nuisance and frustration they can bring up. I find it odd that the Telephone Preference Service has no actual use and that people are still getting at least 10 calls a month. I hope the future holds hope through reports such as the one given to the government by the consumer group Which? I believe the responses given by Jenny Driscoll are kind of vague though. He tells you to complain whenever you can and promises to start working on the problem. We’ll see what the future holds.

Bibliography

BBC. (2013, 6 10). BBC News. Retrieved 6 10, 2013, from BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22838826

 

 

MP STOLEN MOBILE

This article is on labour MP Siobhain McDonagh, she has accepted central damages and apologies from the Sun Newspaper for the theft of her mobile phone. Her phone was taken from her car in south-west London in October 2010. The Sun Newspaper claims to have never stolen her phone in first place, but research has concluded that they did access her text messages. Following the theft of her mobile phone, newer stricter regulations have been implemented to prevent theft in the future, and to punish information thieves in a more severe way.

I believe it is quite shocking that well-known newspapers like the Sun must steal mobile phones in order to get their information. Even though they never admitted to stealing her mobile phone it is without a doubt they have accesses her information, thereby violating her privacy. I hope the stricter regulations that have been implemented will prevent such things from happening ever again. It doesn’t matter how important you are as a person, you should never ever have your mobile phone stolen and your text messages read by strangers, who will then most likely use that information and publish it online. What do you think of this?

 

Bibliography

BBC. (2013, 5 7). BBC News. Retrieved 6 10, 2013, from BBC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4XBTbm1wG8

 

 

 

Indecent images teacher Geoffrey Bettley cleared to work in schools

This article is on a religious education teacher who was suspended from a West Yorkshire school in December 2010. The motivation for his suspension was the discovery of nearly 200 child abuse images on his computer. Bettley’s computer was seized and his images rated on the Copine scale, a scale indicating the severity of the graphic nudity. The majority of his pictures was rated 1 out of 10 and some others on 3. The latter, upon further investigation, have never been opened however.  The National College of Teaching and Leadership panel said the images viewed we’re not serious enough to be considered dangerous, therefore he could resume his work in the near future.

In my opinion Bettley should not be allowed to teach again. According to the pole report Bettley hadn’t just accessed these pictures one, he had been accessing them for over two years. Furthermore I believe if you browse for such said images in first place you should never ever be allowed near children. Next to that, Bettley got away with his crime this time only on the fact his images weren’t that severe. Still, in my opinion, he should be punished for his crime and at least never be allowed near children again.

Bibliography

BBC. (2013, 6 6). Indecent images teacher Geoffrey Bettley cleared to work in schools. Retrieved 6 6, 2013, from BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-22793239

 

 

Beatles ‘mentor’ Tony Sheridan dies

This article is on the loss of Tony Sheridan, a music composer and performer who has been collaborating with the Beatles for years. Originally the Beatles started out as Sheridan’s backing band in the 1960s, they were then known as the Silver Beatles. Sheridan was often described as the catalyst which helped in the Beatles’ rise to fame. Sir Paul McCartney had this to say about the loss of an old collaborator: "Tony was good guy who we knew and worked with from the early days in Hamburg. We regularly watched his late night performances and admired his style. He will be missed."

My best wishes go out to the family of Tony Sheridan. Personally I never listened to the Beatles much, and little did I know Tony Sheridan was involved in their rise to fame. I think Sheridan deserves more respect for ‘Kick starting’ the Beatles. However I am glad to see that Sir Paul McCartney posted his condolence on his website as a last goodbye. Ringo Starr also wrote this on his twitter: "Goodbye to Tony Sheridan… I had a great month 1960-61, playing with him was great."

Bibliography

BBC. (2013, 2 19). Beatles 'mentor' Tony Sheridan dies. Retrieved 6 6, 2013, from BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21503570

McCartney, P. (2013, 2 18). Tony Sheridan 1940-2013. Retrieved 6 6, 2013, from Paul McCartney: http://www.paulmccartney.com/news-blogs/news/27448-tony-sheridan-1940-2013

Starr, R. (2013, 2 18). @ringostarrmusic. Retrieved 6 6, 2013, from Twitter: https://twitter.com/ringostarrmusic/status/303745588627922945

 

 

　

　

Bentley Flying Spur, the quiet killer.

 

This article is on the British car manufacturer Bentley, situated in Crewe.
Bentley, in the past, never had to worry about something called competitors or market plants. They would make cars only and exclusively for the rich and wealthy. The company used to be run by landed gentry and sultans, but they can now no longer sustain and have passed the company over to Volkswagen. Now Volkswagen has come up with a new model Bentley, the Flying Spur sedan.  Over 2012 going into 2013 the Flying Spur has racketed in sales and is now crushing the competitions, as if to say it is a quiet killer.

I am quite pleased about the fact that the Bentley Flying Spur sedan is making a huge leap in sales. I was always fond of the Bentley and I was fearing the worst when the manufacturing was passed on to Volkswagen, a brand not typically known for its super luxurious, super-fast, models. With the new edition of the Flying Spur they have replaced the old Continental Flying Spur with a sedan model. I hope this will guarantee a future for Bentley, one of the finest British car manufacturers next to Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce, and MG.

Bibliography

Schultz, J. (2013, 6 6). Bentley Flying Spur, the quiet killer. Retrieved 6 6, 2013, from BBC: http://www.bbc.com/autos/story/20130605-bentleys-power-play

 

 

Game consoles: Taken to the next level or game over?

This web article is on the unquestionable struggle modern day gaming consoles face. The article was released shortly after the unveiling of the new generation of Xbox, the Xbox One.  Modern day gaming consoles have to deal with soaring budgets and an ever growing competition versus the smartphone.  The new Xbox, aiming to integrate itself into households by innovating in user experience is also competing against the upcoming console by Sony, the PlayStation 4. While the Xbox is focusing on user experience and the ease of watching TV, the PlayStation is a hard-core gaming console focused solely on games. The future will unfold which console will turn out to be the best.

I am curious on how the big console war will turn out. In the past the competition was purely for profit, whereas nowadays consoles and brands fight over survival. The game industry is on a low whilst developers continue exploiting past successes. Mobile phones are currently selling top ranking apps for a pound or two. Games have to compete, but with prices ranging above 50 pounds this is becoming more and more difficult. The new generation of consoles is hopefully going to ignite a new spark and light the old fiery enthusiasm people had for gaming in the past.

 

Bibliography

Chatfield, T. (2013, June 3). Game consoles: taken to the next level or game over? Retrieved June 3, 2013, from BBC: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20130602-game-over-for-games-consoles/1