Computer Weekly Editor's Blog

We've put together a redundancy tracker to help us compile all the redundancies in the IT sector as the recession in 2008 starts to bite. It's not pleasant reading, but its useful to know how the recession is impacting the IT sector. If you know of any we have missed then lets us know through this blog or by emailing Faisal Alani.

For those of you who have been unfortunate enough to have lost your job and are contractors we have put together a guide on the state of the contracting sector and 10 actions you could take to get yourself back into work.

It's all doom and gloom with all the the talk of a recession dominating the media. There was not one jot of good news throughout the whole of today's Today programme on Radio 4 but that's how it is at the moment.... lots of bad news. I know Computer Weekly has its fair share of it.

So here's a little bit of light relief ... browse through our joke book of gags doing the rounds on the credit crunch..... Alright so they are not all LOL funny, but nor is Bruce Forsyth on Strictly Come Dancing and people to still laugh along with Brucey.

The downturn is beginning to bite it appears, with one of the big boys of the industry - BT, announcing a large slew of redundancies. What does this mean for the industry as a whole, or more importantly the average jobbing contractor?

I had a friend who decided to become a contractor just as the last bite began to hit in early 1998 - he found it tough, but there was work to be had. I think this downturn will be the same, regardless of how hard it hits the rest of the economy.

IT will always be in demand, and highly skilled IT professionals even more so as companies lean down and take on the best with a view to using their skills as an investment to keep their systems in tip top shape, and to make good sound decisions that will make sense in a new business landscape that will favour the more cautious roadmap.

I think this is the first time that global media has been able to ram down our collective throats the concept that we are nearing or now in fact in recession.

Will this relentless media onslaught rig the scales in how quickly we launch ourselves into or indeed, out of the bottom of the barrel?

The next few months will be an interesting time. Share with us how you are going to plan for the lean times.

A few months ago we launched a competition with Firebrand Training to find a new generation of IT superheroes - people who have the power to fight the stereotypical image of the geeky IT Pro.... well we sifted through the list of the entrants and invited our shortlist to send us a video pitch explaining why you should vote for them..... congratulations to all those who have gamely taken part, it's not an easy thing to do.

So who gets your vote... watch the six short videos and cast your vote!

It's been a hot topic all year - will the IT sector be hit by the recession?

Well mounting job losses shows it is being hit and it is being hit hard already - LinkedIn, Wired and Virgin have all cut jobs in the past few days.

Keep up-to-date with the latest job losses in the industry through our special report and map mash-up showing all the latest cuts.

I know its not nice reading, but i do think its important to know how the IT industry is being affected by the UK economy's serious downturn. Tonight I'm going to a CW500 club event when this will be discussed at length tonight - look out for our video coverage soon.  

Our picture story on James Bond's gadgets attracted lots of attention and plenty of comments (162 all together) and as we don't have comment on an article functionality yet (doh!) we have posted the best of them here in my blog, where you can add your comments too.

by ceoyoyo
Myth Busters build a remote controlled car every other episode (they always seem to build it from scratch... odd).
Here's a toy car retrofitted to be controlled by an iPhone: http://www.walyou.com/blog/2008/09/10/how-to-remote-control-rc-cars-using-the-iphone/ [walyou.com]

If you are smart, phone control of a car works
by pimpsoftcom

I know this because I designed/created a system to do it a few years back.
Its actually not very hard, I did this with a app on my then-new smart phone, using its internet access to connect car based computer I also gave internet access and configured to use a static host name using a dy-dns like setup on the car based computer system.
The hardest problem I had was calibration of the electronics to interface with the actual driving of the car; I never realized how much we as humans compensate for a slight directional drift on the steering wheel, or how refined our ability to break slowly is. Also, the brakes are an issue as the correct leverage for the breaks can be broken easily if you don't set it up correctly; Get it wrong and you cant actually use the car outside of the remote control because the assembly to drive it is in the way.
In general, The older the car, the more issues you will have. Also, the power and electrical systems are the picture of inadequacy if you are looking to build your own 'Kit'. I actually may try to dig out my old notes, many of my ideas for additions may be possible now.

by snspdaarf
Google this: invisibility suit wiki
It works, but not nearly as well as in the Bond movie. But, that's the point, isn't it?

by UncleWilly

In the first Bond book, Casino Royal, the only high tech is that J Bond has oversized headlights on his car. He is more a international detective, smoking two packs a day, and drinking hard liquor.

by Drakkenmensch

What about Oddjob's razor-brimmed bowler hat? That's the one I always wanted! Mythbusters tried to make one, and managed to knock off the head of a concrete statue (with Kari throwing no less) even though it was a hollow core molded statue. Still, that hat put a new spin on the old "dressed to kill" standard!


The Bensen Gyrocopter
by Animats 

They didn't mention the Bensen Gyrocopter [msgyro.com] from "You Only Live Twice". That was a real, flyable aircraft, although the version that came in four big suitcases (a scene stolen from "Thief of Baghdad") was a dummy.

Aston Martin + Champagne refrigerator
by jbeaupre

May I direct you attention to the one gadget we all really want: the Aston Martin with champagne refrigerator. You might want some of the other features http://www.aston-martin.us/007/goldfinger.html [aston-martin.us] but I submit that the combination of the two were the most useful for defeating the other side. Really, how often will you ever "retractable tyre slashers" to impress a woman? And even for guys here on Slashdot, you're 1000 times more likely to need an advantage when dealing with women than ever have to douse flame throwing motorcycles.

Re:Car-sub!
by steveha
Fascinating. Here's a link to the text explaining the car:
This is an actual car, but the Bond version remains sheer fantasy. The Rinspeed's passenger compartment is not pressurized; it's designed to let the water in. According to the above cited text:
With an enclosed volume of just two cubic meters of air the vehicle weight would have to increase by two tons (!) to counteract the unwanted buoyancy, giving the "sQuba" the land mobility of a turtle.
The James Bond movie car drove fast on land, and shot wet cement onto the windscreen of a pursuing car, before driving into the sea and then firing a missile to shoot down a helicopter. This is cooler, though, because it actually exists.
steveha

just don't stop to ask where the energy comes from
by petes_PoV

super-strong electromagnets built into wristwatches, finger-sized lasers that can cut through metal, electric saws in you watch (again). If we had the technology to supply these things with the power they need, we'd never need to switch off our laptops, as the batteries would never run out. However, they'd have far too much stored energy to ever be let through airport security.

I was just reading the Bond gadget roundup, and I have to say that the one that is missing that I used to LOVE as a kid (I always imagined I had one!) was the dartgum wrist-watch from one of the older Bonds (I think that Roger Moore was 007, but I can't remember the actual movie title). The device could be outfitted with different types of darts, including lethal and non-lethal. One of the humor points of the movie is where Bond is given the device, and, in true Bond curiosity / initial ineptitude style, he shoots a dart into a portrait of the Queen, to a disapproving look from Q.

I can think of a couple of James Bond gadgets you forgot. There was the machine gun equiped gyrocopter (Little Nellie) used in "You Only Live Twice". There was also a BD-5J "Acrostar" Microjet used in "Octopussy" that was launched from a horse trailer and which, when it ran out of fuel, James pulled up to a roadside gas station with the wings folded and casually said "Fill her up please" to the gas station attendant.
 
The air planes

And the flying car from The man with golden gun.


What about the miniature helicopter assembled from a few brief cases that Sean Connery used? I think it was called Nellie.
 
-Eric
 
In response to the "15 best Bond gadgets", I have only to ask: why are there only 14?  #15 is just a picture of daniel craig, with no gadget included - or perhaps the best gadget is bond's brain, brawn, and flexibility?

I recall "Little Nellie" the combination hang glider / helicopter that shot missles.
 
Jim Laragy

If you haven't seen our James Bond gadget photo gallery, have a look.

We've been inundated with emails calling for Little Nellie to appear on the list. So here she is!

If you have any information on Nellie or any of the gadgets, let us know!

Take a look at this... something completely different from ComputerWeekly, a funny video round....This guys good and I wouldn't fire him. Guess I would say that as I hired him!



 

My colleague and new ComputerWeekly.com blogger Adam Tinworth has been posting some great content from the Web 2.0 Expo in Germany this week on his Social Enterprise blog.

One post I found really interesting was Why Web 2.0 matters in the Enterprise.

Watch this video below and listen to Tim O'Reilly's comments about what Web 2.0 in the enterprise means..... and its not about setting up a corporate blog or a corporate wiki.... that's just ticking boxes. Listen below as its absolutely spot on and if you've been struggling to work out what it means to you then watch this.




 

Web 2.0 & The Enterprise from Adam Tinworth on Vimeo.

You have to read this from the bottom up, which I know is not a particularly user friendly experience. But it is worth it.... and demonstrates that the wonders of collaboration and networking online can come to bite you in the ass... This is one such instance, when someone was well and truly caught with their pants down! 

Hi Kyle,
I believe the proof that you are after is below:

NIRESH REGMI
Real Time Manager, Workforce Operations
Ground Floor, 30 Ross Street, Glebe, NSW, 2037
T: +61 2 9009 1329 Extn:61329
F: + 61 2 9009 1734
W: www.aapt.com.au
E: niresh.regmi@aapt.com.au
_____________________________________________
From: Kyle Doyle
Sent: Wednesday, 27 August 2008 9:43 a.m.
To: Niresh Regmi
Subject: RE: Absence on Thursday 21^st 2008

Hi Niresh,
My leave was due to medical reasons, so you cannot deny leave based on a line manager's discretion, with no proof, please process leave as requested.
Thanks

Regards,

Kyle Doyle
Resolutions Expert - Technical

 

From: Niresh Regmi
Sent: Wednesday, 27 August 2008 9:39 a.m.
To: Kyle Doyle
Subject: RE: Absence on Thursday 21^st 2008

Hi Kyle,
Usually that is the case, as per your contract. However please note that leave during these occasions is only granted for genuine medical reasons. You line manager has determined that your leave was not due to medical reasons and as such we cannot grant leave on this occasion.

NIRESH REGMI
Real Time Manager, Workforce Operations
Ground Floor, 30 Ross Street, Glebe, NSW, 2037
T: +61 2 9009 1329 Extn:61329
F: + 61 2 9009 1734
W: www.aapt.com.au
E: niresh.regmi@aapt.com.au
____________________________________________
From: Kyle Doyle
Sent: Wednesday, 27 August 2008 9:38 a.m.
To: Niresh Regmi
Subject: RE: Absence on Thursday 21^st 2008

Niresh,
1 day leave absences do not require a medical certificate as stated in my contract, provided I have stated that I am on leave for medical reasons.
Thanks
Regards,

Kyle Doyle
Resolutions Expert - Technical

 

From: Niresh Regmi
Sent: Wednesday, 27 August 2008 9:35 a.m.
To: Kyle Doyle
Subject: Absence on Thursday 21^st 2008
Hi Kyle,
Please provide a medical certificate stating a valid reason for your sick leave on Thursday 21^st 2008.
Thank You

NIRESH REGMI
Real Time Manager, Workforce Operations
Ground Floor, 30 Ross Street, Glebe, NSW, 2037
T: +61 2 9009 1329 Extn:61329
F: + 61 2 9009 1734
W: www.aapt.com.au
E: niresh.regmi@aapt.com.au