The intelligent age: Big Brother or Big Enabler?

Posted by Judith on August 3, 2007 8:55 AM

The amount information available to us today is staggering; news on demand, email, text messaging, and even the ability to share your holiday photographs with anybody in the world who has an internet connection and might be remotely interested. It is estimated that almost 60% of UK households have access to the internet and nearly all medium to large size businesses are connected.

There is more data held about individuals than ever before cumulating in conspiracy theories and big brother hype. Ok, so I am not a fan of ID Cards or talking CCTV cameras, but I think it is an incredibly exciting time to live in. On-line banking and shopping has made my life easier and I don’t have to worry about the mundane things in life like paying bills or walking around supermarkets in a daze. I use the internet to plan days out with my family, catch up on the latest news or watch TV programs on demand.

In a strange way technology is a victim of its own success. We all love and take for granted the freedom it has granted us but we are all deeply suspicious of how Governments, Police or criminals may think of sinister ways of using it. I doubt the big brother hype is not as bad as it seems, it’s just we all hear about it faster, easier and through a vast array of different mediums – is it really all that bad?

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Nothing But The Truth?

Posted by Julian christopher on August 3, 2007 12:08 PM

The source of that faint rumbling noise that you’ve no doubt heard in the distance recently has finally been confirmed as a large number of London television executives moaning as they beat their breasts in penitence and supplication.

Over the last few weeks, a whole host of programmes have been found to be ‘fake’ in one way or another.

From Children In Need and Blue Peter to Richard & Judy and GMTV, so many of our broadcasting institutions have been found to be built on shifting sands that it’s almost become easier to list the ones that aren’t under suspicion.

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The digital revolution?

Posted by Judith on August 10, 2007 3:07 PM

As I sat watching a repeat of “Life on Mars” on my digibox this week it struck me just how much technology has transformed our lives. The series, set in the 1970s showed a young officer being set the task of manually searching a mountain of files to see whether a suspect’s name came up in any cases over the last thirty years. This task would have taken her days or even weeks, but with the help of a modern database this time would be reduced to seconds.

The introduction of “Sky plus”, hard drive recorders and online video streaming has transformed the way in which we watch TV – you can now watch what you want, when you want and even pause live TV if you want to make a cuppa. You can shop for groceries, holidays, clothes or pretty much anything without leaving the comfort of your home and more mundane tasks such as banking and paying your bills have never been easier. You can even pay your car tax online now saving you that inconvenient trip to the post office.

But it’s not all as brilliant as it should be. The NHS is constantly in the press with news on the failings of its patient records system. Individuals are threatened with identity theft and credit card fraud as retailers such as TK Max make security blunders.

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Cultural Differences

Posted by Katie Pringle on August 13, 2007 11:37 AM

It's only when you see another way of doing things that you begin to question the merits of the system you currently work within.

Whilst away on holiday I visited a place in America called Cape Cod. It's located on the coast of Massachusetts and is made up of lots of little towns, about twelve in total. Venturing into one of these little towns I was struck almost immediately by something.

In this bustling town centre with flocks of holiday makers and locals out on the streets enjoying the sun and the breeze there wasn't a single Starbucks or Macdonalds or Gap or indeed any chain store whatsoever.

These places were notable by their absence . Insead there was streets full of small independent shops, some good and some bad, all with their own identity and all being allowed to thrive without the presence of chain stores.

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Middle Eastern fortunes

Posted by Andrew Mernin on August 13, 2007 3:00 PM

While so many British firms are looking to cash in on the rapidly emerging markets of India and China, an increasing number have realised now many lucrative opportunities are available in the Middle East.

In this week's Monday Interview, Bill McPherson, Emirates Airlines' recently appointed man in Newcastle, talks about the amazing growth he has seen in Dubai since moving there in 2000.

He also told me about the many business opportunities in the Gulf region for North-East firms.

Having spent some time working in the Middle East myself, I would say the Gulf region certainly offers fantastic opportunities for businesses looking to expand overseas.

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A-Level playing field

Posted by Ross Smith on August 16, 2007 12:11 PM

Today is a vital day for the future of thousands of teenagers across the North East as they find out their A-level results. These youngsters are among the cream of the region's crop, and we should all be proud of our high achievers.

What would be a tragedy is if large numbers are now lost to the region that nurtured them. So it's incumbent on the region's businesses to ensure we make the most of that talent, whether that be now, or after they develop their skills further at university.

For too long there's been talk of a 'brain drain' in the North East. Such is the changing nature of our economic landscape, with growing numbers of hi-tech and creative businesses, that should no longer be the case. Those 18-year-olds toasting their success today could be the backbone of a soaring North East economy in a decade's time. Let's make sure that's the case.

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Just what is a knowledge worker?

Posted by Judith on August 16, 2007 4:50 PM

For this blog I would like to introduce Waterstons’ Managing Director, Mike Waterston to talk about the revolution of the knowledge worker:

In my time in business I have seen a slow revolution in the attitude of many companies to the people they employ; they are increasingly seen as strategic assets to be nurtured and encouraged rather than driven and exploited.

The recent drive to outsource basic tasks and raw manufacturing has fuelled this new level of interest as companies have had to look at ways of adding value to base products while at the same time vastly improve productivity.

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Shoppers Paradise?!

Posted by Katie Pringle on August 20, 2007 10:26 AM

On saturday I was in the co-operative shop I'm a member of doing a duty day. A duty day is basically an un-paid days work in what has become a depressingly quiet shop.*

Quiet that is apart from one distinct group of shoppers.

Several times over the last few weeks the shop has been the target of shop lifters who have stolen then 'returned' items for a full refund.

Bearing in mind we're a co-operative and everyone makes the products we sell, you may be thinking that these people are the lowest of the low but when they're the only potential customers you're getting through the door I think I can be forgiven for trying the hard sell on them as they try to edge their way back out the door.

'Photo-journal to record your most special theiving experiences madam?!'

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Newspapers Slow To Come To Cameron’s Party

Posted by Julian christopher on August 20, 2007 2:54 PM

Newspapers have always played a central role in making and breaking our political leaders.

When I was growing up in the 1970s and 80s, there was never any doubt about which papers supported which party, and numerous red-top proclamations, such as “It Was The Sun Wot Won It” and “The Sun Backs Blair,” mark more recent key moments in British political history.

Tony Blair and Peter Mandelson fully understood the power of the media and made utilising it to its fullest extent one of the key elements of the ‘New Labour Project.’

Three successful election campaigns and a decade in Government were the results of this strategy, and there was a great deal of expectation that David Cameron would take up this media baton as he attempted to lead the Conservatives back to power.

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Working in Partnership

Posted by Alastair MacColl on August 23, 2007 12:06 PM

I think many of us have felt for a long time that navigating the world of business support needs to be made simpler.

Making business support easy to understand and accessible is a key priority for Business Link North East.

Not just through improving our own services, but through working with a wide range of partners to simplify the business support network and the environment in which it operates.

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Development Hell

Posted by Katie Pringle on August 23, 2007 1:54 PM

The process of developing and making a new product is not always a happy one. Time and effort and more than a few arguments must all combine in a crucible of ideas for sometimes weeks and months until finally a product emerges from the smoke and debris and you look it up and down and say (suck air between teeth) 'ooh I'm not sure...'

Designing a new product is definitely one of the most creative parts of running a business. Myself and my business partner get to um and ah to our hearts content, research stuff on the old tinternet and fanatasize about how popular it's going to be and how we'll easily sell a couple thousand before Christmas. Ha.

Ha. Ha. Ha. Designing a product is not always easy but it is the easiest part of running a sucessful business. Without products you don't have a business right? Wrong. Without sales you don't have a business. That's right, it's harsh.

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Using technology to reduce your carbon footprint

Posted by Judith on August 24, 2007 2:18 PM

Public consciousness is being raised over the increase in average temperatures across the planet. The debate on man-made contribution versus planetary cycles is still contentious and makes the carbon footprint very much an issue of the moment.

Considering that two thirds of the population drive to work it is not surprising that commuter traffic and ongoing air travel are the largest contributors to air pollution.

Printed paper documents – which are immediately out of date once they are printed – produce a massive amount of waste; as it takes effort, consumes unnecessary paper, printer toner and electricity all adding up to an unintentionally increased carbon footprint. Doing business in the most efficient way with the least amount of waste could have a significant impact to climate change.

Technology can help reduce an organisation’s carbon footprint whilst saving money in the long term by making processes more efficient and improving communication and travel.

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Enjoy Your Free Lunch While You Can

Posted by Julian christopher on August 28, 2007 10:18 AM

The late, lamented Spike Milligan once very perceptively wrote that 88.2% of statistics are made up on the spot.

Pausing briefly to consider the acres of ‘interesting’ PR-led survey stories that grace our newspapers at this time of the year (of which I’ve been just as guilty as the next man over the years), I’d like to offer another, slightly more accurate one that I noted recently.

More than a quarter of all the material picked up and recycled across London every day is a discarded free newspaper – and a recent trip to the capital city showed me just how this situation has arisen.

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It's the final countdown...

Posted by Katie Pringle on August 30, 2007 11:02 AM

First up some revelatory news that I know will help thousands of self-employed people across the region today. Come in close... closer...o.k that's close enough...

ahem...TAX DOESN'T HAVE TO BE TAXING

I know I know, when I first heard those magical words I too was confounded as to why I had ever put off doing my tax return. Here is the answer to all our fears, these six words of carefully chosen copy can allay our worry and bind us to the kitchen table for hour after hour of mind-numbingly enjoyable form filling ^^raises eyebrow^^

So it's only 1 month until all those self-assessment tax returns have to be, well, returned and that clock is a ticking.

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