Just tried this (well, for one of the books anyway).
Thief of Time: 8.49 on the page 8.49 at the checkout too, so it this was happening it's obviously been fixed since.
(of course, by the time you add on carriage it takes it up to not much cheaper than in the shops anyway...)
Not strictly related to meteors but the DNA page at h2g2 now has links to two of his favourite charities:
The Dian Fosseey Gorilla Fund and
Save the Rhino for those who would like to make donations in his memory.
We'll certainly see a 3G launch fairly soon (the telco's have far too much money invested in the system not to launch) but it's probably not going to be as soon as some were initially predicting. Certainly, even post launch it's going to be a fair while until services start to gain mass acceptance, especially since there still seems to be a fair bit of doubt as to what the 'killer-app' which needs 3G type speeds is (any ideas?).
What this does mean is that there's going to be an increasing focus on getting the most out of 2G and 2.5G systems. Companies such as Pogo are already claiming 3G type functionality across GPRS networks and with increasing PDA sales, people are beginning to realise (after being put off by WAPs poor marketing) that you can actually do quite a bit with the older systems. Certainly a lot of the proposed 3G tools (Email, Location-based services, Office apps etc) can be done pretty well with a PDA and some clever software.
The delay also raises the possibility of Wireless LAN technology appearing to fill some of the gap for mobile services of course and if more PDAs/laptops begin to appear with W-LAN capabilities out of the box, I think you'll start to see infrastructure appearing to support them.
What's potentially interesting is how this sort of thing impacts on future 3rd generation cellular technology.
All across Europe telcos have been spending vast sums of money to secure access to frequency spectrum for 3G services based, essentially, on the increased functionality made possible by high-bitrate mobile connections.
If, however, 802.11 becomes a unbiquitously available data connection in high population areas I can see it damaging a lot of the market forecasts for 3G takeup in the future.
Soon as someone produces a mobile device with inbuilt cellular and 802.11 access I can see some interesting new markets developing..
Re:Free Tacos For All - This IS RELEVANT.
on
Mir Deathwatch
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· Score: 1
There's at least one in London (or at least there was last time I was down there).
Still looks like it missed anyway, so it doesn't make much difference!:-)
Re:Free Tacos For All - This IS RELEVANT.
on
Mir Deathwatch
·
· Score: 1
Not quite the world. Little (well, quite big actually given the size of the target!) "Valid for US residents only" disclaimer on the bottom of that target.
No free Tacos for us Brits obviously:-(
Re:Mir and the commecialisation of Space travel
on
Mir Deathwatch
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· Score: 1
Bad form to follow up my own post I know, but it is mentioned briefly on the BBC Mir timeline here
Chap's name is Dennis Tito and it was $20 million he's splashed out.
Mir and the commecialisation of Space travel
on
Mir Deathwatch
·
· Score: 2
Interesting bit on the news here this morning about how the Russians have been attempting to finance their future space-programme by selling trips out into space and, until recently obviously, seats on Mir itself.
Can't find any links from a quick look round, but the gist of the story was an American millionaire had paid the Russians $20 million (figures from memory, so that may well not be the correct value) a few years ago for a trip out into space.
Obviously he's not going to get out to Mir now, but they've been trying to get him onto the International Space Station as an alternative, but the other project partners have refused permission, saying it would be too dangerous to have a non astronaut floating around up there while it's still essentially a building site.
The BBC reporter did suggest that there might also be a certain amount of clique-ism going on with the professional astronauts there too however, not wanting a civilian to get the chance to get up there. Final suggestion was that he might still make it up, but only be allowed to visit the Russian section of the ISS.
Be interesting if this starts a trend for space-hopping tourists up there tho!
Whatever your take on CCTV and the whole privacy issue, Mark Thomas' (British comic, bit like Michael Moore for all you State-side folks) recent take on the issue was interesting.
Seems CCTV footage is now covered by the UK Data Protection Act, which means that, for a nominal fee (ten pounds in most cases) the owners/operators of the cameras have to release any footage they might have of you.
Mark's taken this to the obvious conclusion by hosting a competition for the most creative short film captured via CCTV and obtained via the DPA. Details here.
As to whether CCTV is a good thing or not, I'm still sitting on the fence on the issue I must admit. Key point seems to be how the use/availability of any captured film is regulated and policed, but you're probably looking at cases on a site by site basis, which naturally makes it very hard to administrate.
At the time of the court-case the platform was in international waters. Now it isn't.
Obviously there's the potential for something like this to drag on in the courts, but I'd say that the onus of proof of sovereign status rests firmly on Sealand's head rather than for the UK Government to prove otherwise.
The 1987 Act just ratified a previous agreement over sovereignity with France for that bit of the Straits of Dover (details here and that sounds like international agreement to me.
Getting rid of the occupiers is another matter entirely. As long as they don't violate UK law I'd imagine they can stay there as long as they like!
Whole thing sounds far too much like an Ealing comedy to me. Passport to Pimlico anyone?
Sealand has survived up till now by not doing anything that annoyed anyone very much.
Officially it's a British crown dependency (its independence certainly hasn't been recognised by anyone that I know of) and if enough pressure is put on the British Government then they'd probably end up shutting it down. The UK extended her territorial waters a few years back, so it's no longer outside them (as it was in '67).
Slashdot Mirror
Just tried this (well, for one of the books anyway).
Thief of Time: 8.49 on the page 8.49 at the checkout too, so it this was happening it's obviously been fixed since.
(of course, by the time you add on carriage it takes it up to not much cheaper than in the shops anyway...)
Not strictly related to meteors but the DNA page at h2g2 now has links to two of his favourite charities: The Dian Fosseey Gorilla Fund and Save the Rhino for those who would like to make donations in his memory.
We'll certainly see a 3G launch fairly soon (the telco's have far too much money invested in the system not to launch) but it's probably not going to be as soon as some were initially predicting. Certainly, even post launch it's going to be a fair while until services start to gain mass acceptance, especially since there still seems to be a fair bit of doubt as to what the 'killer-app' which needs 3G type speeds is (any ideas?).
What this does mean is that there's going to be an increasing focus on getting the most out of 2G and 2.5G systems. Companies such as Pogo are already claiming 3G type functionality across GPRS networks and with increasing PDA sales, people are beginning to realise (after being put off by WAPs poor marketing) that you can actually do quite a bit with the older systems. Certainly a lot of the proposed 3G tools (Email, Location-based services, Office apps etc) can be done pretty well with a PDA and some clever software.
The delay also raises the possibility of Wireless LAN technology appearing to fill some of the gap for mobile services of course and if more PDAs/laptops begin to appear with W-LAN capabilities out of the box, I think you'll start to see infrastructure appearing to support them.
What's potentially interesting is how this sort of thing impacts on future 3rd generation cellular technology.
All across Europe telcos have been spending vast sums of money to secure access to frequency spectrum for 3G services based, essentially, on the increased functionality made possible by high-bitrate mobile connections.
If, however, 802.11 becomes a unbiquitously available data connection in high population areas I can see it damaging a lot of the market forecasts for 3G takeup in the future.
Soon as someone produces a mobile device with inbuilt cellular and 802.11 access I can see some interesting new markets developing..
There's at least one in London (or at least there was last time I was down there). :-)
Still looks like it missed anyway, so it doesn't make much difference!
Not quite the world. Little (well, quite big actually given the size of the target!) "Valid for US residents only" disclaimer on the bottom of that target.
:-(
No free Tacos for us Brits obviously
Bad form to follow up my own post I know, but it is mentioned briefly on the BBC Mir timeline here
Chap's name is Dennis Tito and it was $20 million he's splashed out.
Interesting bit on the news here this morning about how the Russians have been attempting to finance their future space-programme by selling trips out into space and, until recently obviously, seats on Mir itself.
Can't find any links from a quick look round, but the gist of the story was an American millionaire had paid the Russians $20 million (figures from memory, so that may well not be the correct value) a few years ago for a trip out into space.
Obviously he's not going to get out to Mir now, but they've been trying to get him onto the International Space Station as an alternative, but the other project partners have refused permission, saying it would be too dangerous to have a non astronaut floating around up there while it's still essentially a building site.
The BBC reporter did suggest that there might also be a certain amount of clique-ism going on with the professional astronauts there too however, not wanting a civilian to get the chance to get up there. Final suggestion was that he might still make it up, but only be allowed to visit the Russian section of the ISS.
Be interesting if this starts a trend for space-hopping tourists up there tho!
Whatever your take on CCTV and the whole privacy issue, Mark Thomas' (British comic, bit like Michael Moore for all you State-side folks) recent take on the issue was interesting.
Seems CCTV footage is now covered by the UK Data Protection Act, which means that, for a nominal fee (ten pounds in most cases) the owners/operators of the cameras have to release any footage they might have of you.
Mark's taken this to the obvious conclusion by hosting a competition for the most creative short film captured via CCTV and obtained via the DPA. Details here.
As to whether CCTV is a good thing or not, I'm still sitting on the fence on the issue I must admit. Key point seems to be how the use/availability of any captured film is regulated and policed, but you're probably looking at cases on a site by site basis, which naturally makes it very hard to administrate.
At the time of the court-case the platform was in international waters. Now it isn't.
Obviously there's the potential for something like this to drag on in the courts, but I'd say that the onus of proof of sovereign status rests firmly on Sealand's head rather than for the UK Government to prove otherwise.
The 1987 Act just ratified a previous agreement over sovereignity with France for that bit of the Straits of Dover (details here and that sounds like international agreement to me.
Getting rid of the occupiers is another matter entirely. As long as they don't violate UK law I'd imagine they can stay there as long as they like!
Whole thing sounds far too much like an Ealing comedy to me. Passport to Pimlico anyone?
I wouldn't get too excited.
Sealand has survived up till now by not doing anything that annoyed anyone very much.
Officially it's a British crown dependency (its independence certainly hasn't been recognised by anyone that I know of) and if enough pressure is put on the British Government then they'd probably end up shutting it down. The UK extended her territorial waters a few years back, so it's no longer outside them (as it was in '67).
There's an article about it from Wired here