Technology

Observations on technology.

The Government’s plan to “decarbonise the transport fleet”

by Steve Baker 8 August 2012 in Technology, Politics 3 comments

Following a Transport Committee oral evidence session on Low Carbon Vehicles, I have received a letter from the Minister, Norman Baker MP (no relation). It’s not necessary to reproduce the lot, but I do wonder if car enthusiasts, or indeed drivers generally, realise that: … the Carbon Plan 2011 showed […]

I didn’t seek election to roll forward Labour’s surveillance state

by Steve Baker 4 April 2012 in Technology, Politics 7 comments

Via Government web surveillance: ‘Expensive, impractical, totalitarian’ – Telegraph: The Government’s plan to make Internet Service Providers capture personal communications data is nothing new. It was brought up under the last Labour government as the “Intercept Modernisation Programme” and received heavy criticism from the Tory party in opposition. The article […]

Give the Games industry a (tax) break

by Ex-staff 3 August 2011 in Technology, Politics, Business 3 comments

NB: this post is by Tim Hewish, my Parliamentary Assistant, and the views expressed are his own. Jim McGovern, Labour MP for Dundee, called a Westminster Hall debate to address the growing disparity between the UK and other nations on the latter’s favourable tax credits towards the video games industry. […]

New Report: Shale Gas Shock Challenges Climate and Energy Policies

by Steve Baker 8 May 2011 in Natural world, Business, Technology, Politics Comments are Disabled

Via the GWPF, a new report – Shale Gas Shock Challenges Climate and Energy Policies: London, 4 May – The Global Warming Policy Foundation today publishes a detailed report about the shale gas revolution and its likely implications for UK and international climate policy. The report The Shale Gas Shock, written by Matt Ridley […]

Cella Energy – Our Technology

by Steve Baker 28 February 2011 in Technology Comments are Disabled

Here’s interesting. Cella Energy seem to be solving the problem of how to replace gasoline: Cella Energy have developed a method using a low-cost process called coaxial electrospinning or electrospraying that can trap a complex chemical hydride inside a nano-porous polymer that speeds up the kinetics of hydrogen desorption, reduces the […]

The Apple App Store and other innovations

by Steve Baker 9 January 2011 in Technology, Fun, Business Comments are Disabled

Apple just added the App Store to OS X: Suddenly, it is as easy to find and install new applications on Apple computers as it has been on iPhone and iPad. No doubt this will catch on… And I just discovered how much progress Ubuntu Linux has made. It’s interesting […]

Why we need Big Brother Watch

by Steve Baker 22 November 2010 in Technology, Politics 1 comment

Something posted by Big Brother Watch on DNA prompted me to glance back at Albert Speer’s Inside The Third Reich. In the conclusions to this book, the war criminal wrote, referring to his final remarks at Nuremburg: The criminal events of those years were not only an outgrowth of Hitler’s […]

Steve Baker, MP: “The People are the World’s Influencers” | Global Thinkers

by Steve Baker 21 November 2010 in Technology, Politics Comments are Disabled

Via Global Thinkers, an interview on social networks: Q: Being connected: There is a surprising power in social networks. They seem to shape our lives one way or another. How do you view this trend? A: I’m deeply encouraged by people’s desire to associate with one another more broadly and more […]

Comments and contact – constituents first

by Steve Baker 16 October 2010 in Technology, Politics 3 comments

An erstwhile and would be commenter complained that he could not comment. This was due to a configuration issue which I have now changed. Previously, commenters had to be registered and logged in to comment. I had so many spam registrations — getting on for a thousand — that I […]