Skill Zone News issue 101
We are less than a month from the EU referendum. With all the power of the internet, surely the Civil Service could have created an objective and unbiased website very easily and cheaply which sets out all the facts on both sides of the argument and made this the most well-informed referendum in history. Instead we are being asked to vote for personality cults, shaped by escalating scare stories, and the most negative ballot campaigns I can remember. Whatever the outcome on June 23rd, the UK has missed an opportunity to be a world leader in smart democracy.
25th May 2016
Digital driving licenses
In the march towards a paperless future, the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) is working on a digital version of its driving license for smartphones. But is there more to it than meets the eye?
Smart TVs
Several years ago, TV manufacturers and Hollywood claimed 3D TV was going to be the next big thing. High end sets costing thousands of pounds were brought to market, Hollywood produced 3D movies and put them on Blu-ray DVDs, and the marketing men said it was the must-have technology for the home.
Smart Cars
Samsung has showcased a device in San Francisco which is a three-inch long black box which fits under the dashboard and instantly turns your vehicle into a "smart connected car".
Smart Cities
Chances are you haven't heard of a smart city, or be sure what one is, even though its a worldwide buzzword in city councils.
Smart Shoes
Yes, really, Smart Shoes, which have just been proposed by EasyJet of all people, and prototypes demonstrated on the streets of Barcelona.
The Daleks are coming
China has developed an intelligent autonomous security and service robot, the AnBot, which was unveiled at the Chongqing Hi-Tech Fair in April. To some the bodywork looks like it was inspired by a vacuum cleaner, others say it looks the shell of a Russian doll, but most have dubbed it a Dalek.
Changeable Weather
Computers and the capacity to process tons of data has revolutionised the science of weather forecasting. Most of us only see the front end of all that work, the TV weather forecaster who has about thirty seconds to present the results of a day's number crunching.
This article comes from the SKILLZONE email newsletter, published monthly since January 2008, and covering topics related to technology and the internet. All articles and artwork in the SKILLZONE newsletter are orignal content.