g7uk » data

Data costs threaten social networking sites

GS — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 15:47:24 +0000

Recently I wrote about the closure of free video-hosting services at both AOL and Brightcove. I suggested that no free hosting service can be relied on to be around forever, or even a year from now in the current economic crisis.

Today the Daily Telegraph reports that social networking sites, such as Facebook, face a ‘data cost crisis’, as advertising revenue declines from a position that wasn’t exactly lucrative in the first place.

Research by the consultants Deloitte suggests that the cost of storing electronic data ‘has soared to more than $100m (£68m) a year for larger sites, as users increasingly want to upload memory-hungry photos and videos’.

Sackville Park village fete (video)

GS — Wed, 30 May 2007 01:03:48 +0000

Sunday afternoon was the final day of the Queer Up North arts festival and a village fete was held in Sackville Park. There was a cake judging competition, stalls and a great punch and judy show.

Strange grey blur and circles on photographs

GS — Mon, 21 May 2007 12:29:20 +0000

These are three photographs that I took on 11 February 2004 at about 6pm. At the time I thought they were rather odd and sent them to a few friends. Now it seems that other people have experienced strange circles and ‘orbs’ on digital images, so I thought I would publish them with some information.

Photographer loses image library in fire — how safe is your audio and visual data?

GS — Wed, 16 May 2007 09:59:53 +0000

As a photographer myself, I broke out into a cold sweat reading how this poor man lost most of his image library in the Lever Street fire. Equipment can be replaced but unique transparencies, negatives and digital images can’t be.

Help needed after the fire in Lever Street, Manchester on 30 April

GS — Sun, 13 May 2007 11:14:04 +0000

On 30 April, just four days after I wrote about the Basement Social Centre in Manchester city centre and said what a unique and absolutely spiffing place it was, a huge fire ripped through a building to the rear of it.
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Data collection by United Utilities’ foreign call centres

GS — Thu, 10 May 2007 11:19:14 +0000

Recently I mentioned how I called United Utilities and was asked for my date of birth for ‘data protection’ reasons. I refused to give it and they wouldn’t discuss my water bill.

In the news

GS — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 03:55:42 +0000

Good manners to be taught in schools

Scientists demand inquiry over Wi-Fi

Birds and bees are hit by phone waves

Britain becoming a Big Brother society, says data watchdog

April was the hottest in 350 years

Online sales ‘will hit £78bn’

Deluge of complaints on minimum wage abuse

Video-recorder switches TV channel?

GS — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 17:32:58 +0000

Have you ever experienced that annoying situation where, every time you press ‘play’ or ‘stop’ on your video player, it switches the television from the AV input to a TV channel? Sometimes it can be a real pain in the bum when, for example, you’re rewinding a tape and want to see the onscreen counter.

Data protection

GS — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 10:35:59 +0000

Have you noticed how many companies are trying to get the most unnecessary personal data these days? My favourite a few months ago was when I called United Utilities and they told me they couldn’t discuss my water bill over the telephone unless I gave them my date of birth.

‘Planet’ steam locomotive (video)

GS — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 01:41:12 +0000

On Sunday, after seeing the Chinese dragon, I went to The Museum of Science and Industry, where I shot this short video. On certain dates and holidays they have steam train rides.