Archive for April, 2009

Deputy Leader, Cllr Paul Tilsley views all that's left of a computer hard drive after shredding, watched by Secure IT Disposals' MD, Martin Burke

Research last year showed that only 20% of the 6 million items of electronic equipment thrown away annually are recycled. It’s good to see then that the scheme that we put in place last year together with Birmingham City Council, Service Birmingham and Secure IT, to recycle IT waste such as computers, printers and laptops is starting to have a positive impact on the community. So far around 15,000 items of unwanted IT kit have been collected from businesses and schools. In addition Secure IT provides a door to door residential collection service which to date total 108 collections. A nominal fee of £15 is charged for up to four items though for the registered disabled it is free of charge. More – Green IT initiative is a winner all round

This morning the Community Broadband Network came to Birmingham today with its roadshow to highlight the need for the UK to get to grips with the next generation of broadband access. We’re talking about a network where 100 megabits per second is the norm with the potential to deliver 1 gigabits per second (which will be the universal service obligation in South Korea by 2012 – yes, that’s what they’ll get as a minimum).

So I suspect delegates there may not have greeted with much enthusiasm the news in the Budget that the government has confirmed its commitment to just 2 megabits per second access for all. However, that’s not to say it’s ignoring the issue of next generation networks. Alastair Darling also announced funding for Yorkshire’s Digital Region project and there may be something in the £750m strategic investment fund for digital industries to get stuck into. More – Budget confirms broadband commitment

The European Commission has reiterated the importance of an individual’s online and technological privacy, through an online video posted by Viviane Reding’s (Commissioner for Information Society & Media) office yesterday. She forcefully reminds EU member states that all “Europeans must have the right to control how their personal information is used”.
 

More – Privacy is still vital

….or at least that’s the fancy title of the pilot project we’re running with funding from the department for Communities and Local Government. As announced by Hazel Blears, Birmingham is one of ten English councils who secured funding for a ‘Timely Information for Citizens’ pilot project.

The idea behind ‘Birmingham – Open City’ is to develop a community of practice around developing new resources to empower citizens. When Digital Birmingham were working up the bid we went on the basis that we shouldn’t presume what kind of services could be developed, or indeed, what kind of data sources could be made available to develop them. Instead we’re focusing on putting some resource into generating the collaborations, discussions, creativity and debate from which new services can spring.

More – Birmingham – Open City

Shopping websites could soon become more popular than high street stores, a survey, reported in the Telegraph, from TNS Worldpanel, suggests Tesco remains top of the league, Amazon is now the second favourite retailer in Britain, while eBay has risen to 10th place.

Gaming fun in the digital family house joined by Ian Binks, BT and Birmingham City Council Deputy Leader, Paul Tilsley

Our Digital Family are now 8 months into their digital journey and have taken their technology skiing, used it to keep up to date with the football right down to the local league level of 9 year old Kieran and shopped online for holidays. This month is dad Simon’s turn to get some one-to-one support and a digital makeover for his business.  Dave Harte here will be giving Simon, a self-employed builder, some advice on setting up a website and promoting his services through online business communities such as BT Tradespace. More – Digital Family soon to be a green family

As the largest collection of world leaders descend on the capital this week for the G20 Summit, the biggest UK police operation for many years has gone into full swing. The Metropolitan Police has been joined by a number of other forces to mount a security operation like no other, to ensure Barack Obama’s first visit to the UK as President of the United States goes as smoothly as possible.

More – G20 = 3000 CCTV cameras