A group of MPs has announced the formation of a Parliamentary Inquiry into online child protection which will be taking evidence over the next few months from parents, ISPs and child protection expert.

We recognise that the convergence of device manufacturers and content creators is opening up new challenges around online issues and Intellect is therefore considering providing evidence to the inquiry. We have therefore invited member’s to give their views and will be holding a meeting to discuss this issue.

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Technorati Tags: online child protection, online pornography, Parliamentary inquiry, social media

Yesterday’s post-riots debate in Parliament thrust the role of communications and social media into the spotlight, with suggestions that networks such as BBM should be closed down to prevent rioters communicating. Labour MP Tom Watson called the move “Luddite” and the users of social networking sites erupted in disbelief according to the FT. I was at an Arab IT conference in Damascus earlier this year just after the Egyptian’s closed down their networks. The “hands-off our network.” chatter here does bear a striking resemblance to the chatter there and across the Arab region at the time. But the reality is that things are different here. There is a wider understanding across much, if not most of society of the benefits we enjoy from fast, secure and private communications, and extensive use of social media; from getting a good picture of what’s going on in the street to organising clean-up parties. The Metropolitan Police is using its flickr pages to display images from the disturbances of people they want to identify and Sussex police has 30,000 twitter followers, up from 19,000 a month ago.

Intellect and the tech industry we represent have been working closely with the government since 7/7 to improve intelligence gathering in our connected world, always of course within the legal framework that society has decided it wants. I’d be surprised if, with years of experience of dealing with tech-savvy international criminal gangs and terrorists, the UK authorities need more powers and know-how to deal with communications between rioters. As for turning off the networks – well that really would be Luddite.

Technorati Tags: copycat criminal activity, London riots, Looting and violence, parliament, riot management, rioting, tottenham

DECC has announced their proposed simplifications to the CRC (Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme). This hideous piece of legislation, conceived under the last administration is costly, pointlessly cumbersome, of byzantine complexity and heavily adorned with bells and whistles. When the new administration decided to review it, I saw this as the chance for them to demonstrate their political courage by recognising its inadequacy and replacing it with something more enlightened.

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Technorati Tags: CRC Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme

Recently I’ve been at the EU’s first Digital Agenda Assembly held in the Brussels’ Autoworld, surrounded by a superlative collection of cars and planes from the past century. Issues discussed included fixed/mobile superfast broadband, green IT, creative content, smart grids, cyber and many other ICT related themes. Rather than discussing about specific policies, I’d like to share some general thoughts on Europe’s ambitions and Britain’s role in technology-driven innovation.

Continental Europeans still chuckle when I say “the UK and Europe” but I’m serious. As a Southern European who has spent enough time in this country, I’ve changed from being a EU enthusiast to being pragmatically critical about this noble but thorny project. Neither cynicism nor tribalism would help here. Political realism should be the answer: too many “Europeans” still don’t grasp how hard is to keep a Union together but – fortunately or unfortunately – the UK knows better… (more…)

Technorati Tags: Digital Agenda, EU, ICT, single market

Next year sees the release by Ofcom of two blocks of spectrum, 800 MHz and 2600 MHz, a move which will have a major impact on the mobile broadband market. The House of Commons Culture and Media Select Committee has been hearing evidence from interested parties, including Intellect.

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Technorati Tags: Arqiva, DCMS, Everything Everywhere, Inmarsat, intellect, Ofcom, Parliament House of Commons, Satellite, Select committee, Spectrum, Telefonica O2, Vodafone

The future of the music industry is rarely far from the headlines as the digital revolution has swept through the sector. CD sales are dwindling and the downloading of single track rather than whole albums seems to be the future. Free file-sharing sites continue to cause headaches to record labels and artists complain that they’re not getting enough money through sales. The main revenue streams are now live performances, which has seen a dramatic rise in ticket prices and an increase in touring and festival dates for many acts. (more…)

It has been over a year now since 3D TV sets first arrived in Britain. At launch there was very limited content, so what has happened since?

Initially, sales were slow to pick up, but have quickly risen to reach more than 200,000 sets. Whilst there are a range of solutions utilising glasses,the biggest challenge for manufacturers is to quickly bring glasses-free 3D devices to market. Around the world, the big news in Japan recently has been the 52inches Dimenco glasses-free 3D screen.  Toshiba has launched glasses-free devices in Europe as well, It will be interesting to see how other manufacturers tackle this challenge.

So what’s going to happen over the rest of the year? Broadcasters apparently rate 3D content as their lowest priority, so a lack of programming looks set to continue. Rapid TV News reported that 3D TV sales are increasing in China, and now account for 10% of all LCD TV sales. But will the rest of the world pick up on the trend soon?
3DTV will be discussed at one of the focus sessions during Intellect’s conference on the Future of Digital Entertainment on the 05 July 2011. The discussion will be led by Tom Morrod, Head of TV at IHS Screen Digest and taking part will be Keith Evans, MD Panasonic, Thomas Wrede VP Reception Systems, SES Astra and John Cassy, Channel Director, Sky 3D.

‘Owning a slice of the new value chain’ will the first topic debated at this year’s Intellect CE conference on 05 July 2011.

In the digital age, companies need to re-think how they deliver value to their customers. Traditionally, retailers were adding value through customer services, giving advice on the products and direct sales. These days, consumer can choose to do all of that online, cutting the ‘middleman’ out. However, the role is not being eliminated completely – it is changing and companies need to realise quickly how to adapt to those changes. Those that ‘make the right moves can tap into $10 billion in revenue opportunities made possible by the growth of digital electronic entertainment. Those that don’t will be left on the sidelines.’ (Source: http://www.instat.com/promos/10/IN1004828WHT.asp)

When thinking of what electronically brings value to your product of service, a wide range of opportunities emerge. You may develop new business models that generate revenues from previously undiscovered sources. Companies need to ask themselves how to improve the customer experience if they choose to buy online. What would bring the best possible value?
This new value chain is still largely uncharted territory. If you have experience of re-structuring your business to take advantage of digital opportunities – please share you tips here!
 

Technorati Tags: Consumer Electronics, customer services, digital electronic entertainment, retailers

One of the focus sessions at Intellect’s CE conference, will concentrate on ultra-mobile devices. We will discuss prolific growth of tablets and smartphones and their role in shaping the future of digital entertainment. Let’s start an online debate on smartphones first!

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In its Future of digital terrestrial broadcasting paper, Intellect reported that the completion of digital switchover in the UK will most likely be a success. The vast majority of homes in the UK are already enjoying digital television, but what does it really mean for consumers? Because digital information is sent compressed, you can enjoy higher quality of pictures and sound, as well as more channels. Homes with TVs connected to the internet can benefit from more interactive features, such as online voting in live TV shows.

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Technorati Tags: 3D HD., digital cinema, digital entertainment, digital television, Future of digital terrestrial broadcasting, Google, high-speed broadband, Kiran Adimatyam, YouTube