Meganet

Ofcom, the Super regulator is proposing to allow the use of UMTS 2100 and LTE 1800 license free in aircraft. The use of 2G on the 1800MHz bands has been allowed since 2008. This is in-line with European spectrum frameworks.

This extends the harmonisation of mobile communications service on Aircraft (MCA) services to cover 3G technologies in 1920 -1980 MHz and 2110 - 2170 MHz (the "2100 MHz" frequency band) and 4G in 1710-1785 MHz and 1805 - 1880 MHz (the "1800 MHz" frequency band).

Though MCA services are not mandatory, more and more airlines are installing MCA services and they will be responsible for the installation and operation of such services and to ensure they don't interfere with ground based systems.

The consultation is available on-line and closes on 12 March 2014 and Ofcom is proposing to bring the regulations into force by May 2014.

HTC the company that produces innovative mobile phones and Futurizon have produced "The Future of Football" report.

They have made some predictions (that may or not become actual reality).

Ones that are more realistic are: -

• By 2020 footballs will have impact sensors and accelerometers embedded in the ball, as well as in the kit that players wear, which will allow precise measurements on how players are playing and what the ball is doing.
• By 2014 players could have 'active skin' which could entail electronics printed on to the skin (or built into the materials of the clothing players wear) which can measure such things as blood chemistry and even link to their nervous system which will be linked to external monitoring system.

Some of the more "interesting" predictions are: -

• By 2050 fans will be able to receive full sensory information so they will 'feel' like it's like to actually be playing on the pitch.
• By 2060 Android (as in robotic humans, not the Google OS) players remotely controlled by fans.

They have also produced an infographic about football.

By 2018 fans will be able to hold a small flexible card display displaying players and info about them as well as links to social networks etc.

Then by 2045, phones will have 3D holographic type displays which can display the action in realtime.

And (this is more realistic, though maybe not in insect form) there will be tiny drones giving access to views that aren't possible now.

Isn't the future going to be fun.

Some very sad breaking news out of Bowling Green, Kentucky. A sinkhole has opened up underneath the Skydome of the National Corvette Museum. Currently, 8 cars in the museum have been affected. And it's heart breaking because it affects several of the most significant Corvettes built. It sounds like a very bad April Fools joke started by some Corvette haters, but it's very real and very scary. We have even included a picture broadcasted out to Twitter. This is a very sad day for the automotive world. Below is the media release from the museum.

We received a call at 5:44am from our security company alerting us of our motion detectors going off in our Skydome area of the Museum.  Upon arrival it was discovered that a sinkhole had collapsed within the Museum.  No one was in or around the Museum at the time.  The Bowling Green Fire Department arrived on the scene and secured the area.  The Fire Department has estimated the size of the hole is 40 feet across and 25-30 feet deep.

It is with heavy hearts that we report that eight Corvettes were affected by this incident.  Those cars include:

    1993 ZR-1 Spyder on loan from General Motors
    2009 ZR1 “Blue Devil” on loan from General Motors

The other six vehicles were owned by the National Corvette Museum including:

    1962 Black Corvette
    1984 PPG Pace Car
    1992 White 1 Millionth Corvette
    1993 Ruby Red 40th Anniversary Corvette
    2001 Mallett Hammer Z06 Corvette
    2009 White 1.5 Millionth Corvette

None of the cars affected were on loan from individuals.  The Skydome exhibit area of the Museum is a separate structure connected to the main Museum.  A structural engineer is now on-site to assess the existing damage and stability of the surrounding areas.  The Museum is closed to the public for the day to allow us to carefully assess the situation.  We will keep everyone informed as we know more.


Source: National Corvette Museum.

Nominet are the domain registry for .uk (i.e. all domains ending in the UK suffix), which is a Country Code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) - as an aside it should really be .gb but companies such as Demon Internet broke that it in the early 90's.

Nominet have generally been very sensible in the past when it comes to domain registration policy and other matters relating to the UK domain space.

Now Lord Macdonald QC has published (PDF) a "Review of .uk Registration Policy" and made some recommendations which Nominet have now adopted.

The summary of the report is this: -

• Nominet should remain an open registry. Amongst other reasons set out in the body of this Review, this is because the market in domain names requires a speedy and efficient registration process and because the screening technology currently available is blunt and incapable of judging context. In circumstances where Nominet registers between 150,000-200,000 new domain names every month, this inevitably means that any pre-registration scrutiny of applications will throw up unmanageable numbers of false positives, slowing down registrations to no purpose and to a point that is likely to become commercially unviable.
• Nominet should consider instituting a system of post-registration screening, to be conducted within 48 hours of registration, for domain names that appear to signal sex crime content, or to amount in themselves to sex crimes. Where examples in this category are discovered, they should be reported to the police and suspended or de-registered. This process, in so far as it is designed to detect grave criminality, is plainly consistent with an open registration policy.
• Nominet should restrict post registration scrutiny to domain names in the serious sex crime category. This is because the relevant screening terms for sex crime are highly specific and have a stronger chance of identifying true positives. Post-registration screening for other forms of criminality will inevitably rely on very general terms that are bound to throw up unmanageable numbers of false positives.
• Nominet, which is a private company, should have no role in policing questions of taste or offensiveness on the Internet. It is not set up, trained or by culture competent to act as Internet censor, in contrast to identifying possible examples of criminality for onward reporting to the police. Furthermore, there are no objective, generally accepted standards of taste that could guide Nominet in undertaking such a role. This means that any decision- making on its part would risk uncertainty and inconsistency, which are highly undesirable ingredients where the restriction of free expression rights is concerned. Nominet would not have public confidence as censor, and it should not be expected to assume such a role in circumstances where government and police are content not to act.
• Where domain names that are alleged to signal criminal content, or to amount to crimes in themselves, or to be attached to criminal content, are brought to Nominet’s attention, Nominet should, if it agrees that they might fall into any of those categories, refer these cases to the police for further action. In consultation with the police, this could include suspension or de-registration. It is only in these circumstances that Nominet, which is not a content provider, should involve itself in the examination of website content for any regulatory purpose.
• Nominet should amend its terms and conditions to make it clear that any registration of a domain name that signals criminal content, or amounts in itself to a crime, will constitute a breach of Nominet’s terms of business, and is liable to be reported to the police and suspended or de-registered.

This all sounds very reasonable at face value, however this can lead to lots of ambiguities ... as Adrian Kennard points out in his well written blog piece ... so someone registering therapist.co.uk can fall foul of these recommendations as it may be interpreted as TheRapist.co.uk which is a sex crime.

A registrant could quite happily register murderwhoever.co.uk as this is NOT a sex crime.

It's also quite easy to circumvent as Nominet will only check the top level domain, so (again thanks to Mr Kennard) children.co.uk can be registered with no problem, and then the registrant can just use a sub-domain like f*ck.children.co.uk which Nominet have NO control over.

The law is an ass and this is a good example where it can rapidly lead to a horrible mess.

The University of Southern California (USC) hosts the Shoah Foundation and it's video testimonial archive (set-up by Steven Spielberg).

The archive has video testimonials of 52,000 survivors (including my father's testimonial which was so long it was in two parts which can be seen here and here), unfortunately around 5% of these had degraded audio and/or video due to errors in the recording equipment in use at the time (Betamax SP video cameras which is 20 year old technology).

Ryan Fenton-Strauss, video archive and post-production manager at ITS was takes with the restoration project. He worked out that the videos could be broken down into sequences of individual frames and used Google's Picasso which could do facial recognition and then duplicate previous good frames into where a frame was corrupt.

The system now uses Nation Instruments Vision Builder to automate the process which now requires almost no manual intervention and Ryan hopes to go into production with this system early next year.

Lots of top job shake ups this week. In a surprising turn over at Volkswagen of America, President and CEO Jonathan Browning has announced that he is leaving the company and will be replaced by Michael Horn. Horn will assume the President and CEO position effective January 1st.

Browning came to Volkswagen in 2010 after a distinguished career at both Ford and General Motors. During his time at VW, he oversaw 23 percent gain in 2011 and an additional 30 percent rise for 2012. This year,  sales of Volkswagen, Porsche, Audi and Bentley models are up 1 percent in a market that’s risen 8 percent. Sales at VW  have been falling for the last 8 months.

Michael Horn who will replace Browning, has been with Volkswagen since 1990. And is currently head of Volkswagen Global After Sales. A position he has been in since 2009.

Browning says that he is leaving the company for personal reasons and is planning to return to England.


Source: Automotive News.

General Motors has announced that chairman and CEO Dan Akerson will step down from his post effective January 15th, 2014.

Akerson joined General Motors in 2009 as a member of the Board of Directors and was named Chairman and CEO in 2010. He successfully led General Motors through it's difficult bankruptcy and restructuring.

Mary T. Barra, Executive Vice President, Global Product Development & Global Purchasing & Supply Chain will replace Dan Akerson as CEO of GM. She has been responsible for the design, engineering, program management and quality of General Motors vehicles around the world. She has 33 years of experience with GM and began her career in 1980 as an intern at Pontiac.She becomes not only the first female CEO of GM, but also the first female CEO of a global
car company.

The Board also named Theodore (Tim) Solso to succeed Akerson as Chairman.  Solso, was formerly chairman and CEO of Cummins, Inc., and has been a member of the GM Board since June 2012.


Source: General Motors

Ofcom, the Super regulator, has produced and Easy Reading guide to mobile phones for people with learning difficulties. The guide uses the Easy Read system which uses pictures as well as text to explain things. The guide can also be used by people with limited English skills.

The guide offers advice on mobile phone use and costs as well as information: -

• the different types of mobile phone handsets available
• the costs of mobile phone calls and ways to pay
• free services available for disabled customers
• how to complain when things go wrong.

Ofcom has printed 5,000 copies of the guide which is being made available to every social services Director in the UK. It can also be made available in braille and ordered in large quantities on request.

The guide is also available on-line.

As promised, here's the all new 2015 Ford Mustang. The first completely new Mustang with inspiration from 50 years of production (yes even the Mustang II years). What can I say about the 2015 Mustang? Well for one, it looks fantastic. While overall the car is just a tad larger than the current Mustang. The new car actually looks smaller than it is. Which I really like. It gives the look of a sporty European sports car. The design is fresh and crisp, and when you get in to GT trim, it's very aggressive. The styling was critical when it came to the new Mustang as this is the first Mustang to be designed for global distribution. Believe it or not, all previous Mustangs were not made for global sales. And because of this new focus for the Mustang. Ford is pulling out all the stops to make a truly world class product. The new car is lower and wider with a wider rear track. And for the first time in a number of years, a true fastback body that leads to three dimensional LED, sequential tail lamps. You may notice the lack of the faux gas cap that had become a staple of the previous Mustang is absent in the photos. We have been reassured by a source that there will be a faux cap offered on some trim levels of the new car, however not all of them. Up front, we find LED running lamps, and a design treatment heavy on Ford Design DNA that still captures the Mustang's grille and shark bite design we have come to love on the GT 500.

The big news for the new Mustang lie in the performance and suspension. The traditional V6 and 5.0 liter V8 engines remain. But they are now joined by an optional 2.3 liter Ecoboost 4 cylinder. A first for the Mustang for nearly 30 years. And don't think this will just be a fuel sipping Focus in a new body. The Ecoboost Mustang is expected to pony out 305 Hp with 300 lb.-ft of torque. So you'll still get all the performance while saving some gas. The Ecoboost features a cast aluminum cylinder block with forged steel crankshafts and connecting rods. It also includes a newly designed high flow cylinder head with integrated exhaust manifold and a new twin scroll turbo charger that will make its debut on the Mustang.






The 5.0 liter will have in the neighborhood of 420 hp on tap while the standard 3.7 liter V6 will be at 300 hp. The V8 features larger valves, revised and re-balanced camshafts, and forged connecting rods and valve springs, for optimum high RPM performance. The engines will be backed by an updated 6 speed manual trans or a new select shift 6 sped automatic that will offer for the first time in a Mustang, paddle shifters. Very European no? The Getrag manual trans has had the shifter location moved closer to the drive and away from the cupholders (a complaint in the outgoing car). The new output shaft has been designed with a new ball bearing that will allow the GT to have a top speed of 155 miles per hour.

Flipping the shiny side over is where the Mustang is going to get really exciting. The Mustang is setting new benchmarks in terms of handling. The suspension has been redesigned from the ground up. The outgoing Boss 302 was the benchmark which has now been exceeded. A new perimeter subframe reduces the overall mass of the car while also making it stiffer. Thus allowing for more predictable wheel control to allow for better ride quality, handling, and steering. This new front suspension also allows for larger brakes to be utilized. And for 2015, there will be three different brake packages available. One will likely be Brembos.

In back where the rubber meets the road, a new integral-link independent rear suspension, again designed for the ultimate in ride quality and handling. This marks the first time the Mustang has ever had an independent rear end. Though I'm sure many diehards will miss the old live real axle, we're sure they'll take to this one.

Like all new Fords, the 2015 Mustang will feature the SYNC system and the new My Key system. The drive will also have different drive modes available (not sure if available on every model) allowing the driver to adjust engine, suspension, and steering settings at the touch of a button. A new advanced stability control system and the GT's standard launch control round out a powerful performance punch.

Looking at the interior pictures, I'm seeing a lot of new, and more upscale additions. First, a source at Ford confirmed that the material quality will definitely be far better than what we have seen on the previous Mustang. Better quality materials and leathers for a more quality feel. For instance, a leather covered dash top and center console, memory power seats, and it looks like the GT will have two additional gauges in the center of the dash. All 2015 Mustangs will also wear a special badge on the dashboard saying "Since 1964" In honor of the Mustang's 50th anniversary April 17th, 1964. An interesting fact, even though the Mustang's launch considered the car a 1964 1/2. Most states did not recognize a half year for title and registration purposes, thus making all 64 1/2s really 1965 Mustangs.

Pricing hasn't been released yet, though I wouldn't expect it to be far off from the current Mustang's base price. Ford is expecting the 2015 Mustang to hit showrooms in late 2014.


Source & Photos: Ford Motor Co.

It was bound to happen. Ford's plan was to reveal the 2015 Ford Mustang on Thursday. But as usual, things don't always go to plan. An adept reader of AutoWeek magazine received their December 9th issue and smack on the cover is the completely new Mustang.

It's a very tasteful mix of American Muscle meets European Tuning. I was worried that the car would be too much Ford Design DNA (i.e. Fusion, Taurus, etc). But this car isn't. You look at it, and instantly think Mustang. I won't go in to too much detail now, that is until I get my hands on the official photos and specs from Ford on Thursday, so stay tuned.






Source: Mustang6g.com

Blackberry moving into the consumer space was a bad idea on many accounts and rushing out BB10 with many features that were standard with BBOS while adding bells and whistles was also maybe not so clever.

However, now with all the fuss about the US's NSA and UK's GCHQ snooping everybody, businesses and Governments may now seriously be thinking about returning to the venerable Blackberry platform as it's the only phone with an encrypted end-to-end email service.

The German Government has already ordered 40,000 secure Blackberry Z10 phones (who knows why they didn't go for Q10's - maybe a bargain basement sale?). This trend could continue as other governments must also be worried about email snooping.

Blackberry seem to be moving back away from the consumer market and concentrating on what they're good at, encrypted secure communication devices which can meet regulatory approval for organisations such as banks and governments, maybe they'll survive after all, but in smaller markets where people are prepared to pay for the secure services they need.

After ten years and 14,022 cars, the Lamborghini Gallardo has come to the end of the road. The Gallardo was the first Lamborghini to really break the mold so to speak. Prior to the car's production, the company would average around 250 or so cars a year, The Gallardo brought a whole new way of thinking at the company in terms of volume by jumping to 2000+ per year. Since Lamborghini was founded in 1963, nearly half of all the cars produced are Gallardos.

Like all Lamborghini's, the Gallardo name was derived from bullfighting. The Gallardo bloodline was known for its exceptional courage and undaunted nature. ans was bred during the 18th century. When the Gallardo was introduced in 2003, it also brought many new advancements for Lamborghini. Including an all new aluminum space frame, the first ever Lamborghini to have full time all wheel drive, and a robotized electronic shifting system (e-gear). The Gallardo also set records with 32 different variants of the car over it's 10 year run. My particular favorite was the Superleggera. It was also the first Lamborghini to have a special service record with 2 cars built for the Italian State Police.

The 2013 Gallardo LP 570-4 Squadra Corse boasts a dry weight of 1340 kilograms, 70 less than the already lean Gallardo LP 560-4. With a stunning power-toweight ratio of 2.35 kilograms per hp it delivers breathtaking performance: from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds, from 0 to 200 km/h in just 10.4 seconds.

Now, the final car produced? It is a Gallardo LP 570-4 Spyder Performante in Rosso
Mars (red) and it is destined for a private collector.

Source: Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.

Ofcom, the Super regulator, is holding a consultation on its mobile data strategy, potentially looking as far forward as 2030.

Ofcom has recently sold off spectrum in the 800MHz and 2.6GHz bands and is looking to award spectrum in the 2.3GHz and 3.4GHz in the near future as well as opening up the use of TV whitespace and even the 700MHz band (which is currently used for DTT) which would mean moving the DTT band to 600MHz (and using MPEG-4 and DVB-T2 technologies).

This can be summarised in a table: -

 

Relative priority for potential release	Bands for consideration
Current priorities	700 MHz, 2.3, 3.4 GHz, UHF white space
High	1452-1492 MHz, 1980-2010 / 2170-2200 MHz (2 GHz MSS), 3.6-3.8 GHz, 5350-5470 MHz, 5725-5925 MHz
Medium-High	2.7-2.9 GHz, 3.8-4.2 GHz
Medium	450-470 MHz4, 470-694 MHz, 1350-1518 MHz

Some of these bands are in use and therefore current users will have to migrate off them or shared use is being considered.

Newer WiFi technologies make more use of the 5GHz band (Ofcom have noted the 2.4GHz band is already congested in many areas), however the 5GHz band would have to be extended (currently the bands are either licensed or lightly licensed as some of it is used for things like military radar).

Other parts of the spectrum would be expected to be used to extend mobile usages for 4G and 5G services.

The full statement (PDF) can be found here (it's 113 pages long).

Stakeholders can respond on-line.