New look for BBC

In December the homepage of many internet users in the Uk is going to change - well in reality it won’t properly change until January unless they actually decide to view the new version - but thats a technicality.

What am I waffling about? OK I’ll tell you - bbc.co.uk has lived in its current form for a fair few years now - the blue/white boxes and the large image at the top - people know it and whether you like it or not - it works.

But there has been calls for more interactivity on the homepage, for more flexibility and for more emphasis on what the BBC offers across the output.

Well this is what the new look bbc.co.uk will do when it’s launched, as a preview in December and then fully (with the old homepage being turned off) from January 2008.

As you can see from the image - everything is bigger and there is less to see. Well actually there isn’t that much less but it uses newer web technologies to allow you to view multiple things in each box.

It’s basically bringing the homepage into line with some of the stunning new designs being introduced across the rest of bbc.co.uk (see BBC Music, Nature, Lifestyle) and makes the whole things easier and more personal.

You even have a big link at the top of the page to customise the homepage - at the moment this just allows you to drop or add a selection of pre made BBC widgets but I’m sure this will increase in functionality over time.

You can even change the colour of the homepage - although not permanently.

The colour thing seems to be tied to the main promo space - so the colour of the page depends on which of the four options you choose - in this case Radiohead, Top Gear, Spooks and Robin Hood.

This is a nice touch and really draws attention to the main promo and in turn will make it a much more valuable place for promoting what the BBC is doing - across TV, Radio, Online and Podcasting.

The search box is also MUCH more prominent - mainly thanks to the top bar (that appears on every bbc.co.uk site) being dropped from the main homepage - this gives the site much more freedom.

The directory has moved to the bottom of the page.

All in all I think this is a great development for the BBC - but there is still a chunck of work that needs to be done in terms of adding functionality and being able to create custom widgets - say a features widget for your home town.

For example - in the settings I’d like to be able to put in my post code and have it customise the whole homepage to where I live - so news from the news online site for say Hemel Hempstead, weather for Hemel, what’s on in Hemel and stories from the Where I live site for the town.

But that’s not overly important - the functionality is there to customise things so its just a matter of time.

Nice one - and it will launch December as a ’see our new homepage’ and then fully in January.

Sphere: Related Content

MPH: Noise

Here is a video clip, recorded by some nice person at the MPH show featuring the Top Gear boys (when will they do an official DVD?) and is the segment about noise.

Richard and Jeremy argue over who has the loudest car and then they get Marc Parnell to come in and play a drumkit made out of car parts and it is amazing.

Sphere: Related Content

iPlayer Air

According to an interview the BBC Backstage team did with BBC Directory of Future Media, Ashley Highfield, the new version of the iPlayer will be cross platform and will use Adobe Air - something I’m sure is already widely known.

What’s more interesting is that it’s going to be a streaming solution - like the way ITV went with ITV.com and personally I think this is a MUCH better idea.

Several reasons for this. First it means I can watch a show straight away without having to wait for the download and secondly it will clear things up in peoples minds.

You see iPlayer really is supposed to be a catch up service - it isn’t a download to keep solution - the rights holders would never allow it. That’s the reason for the DRM and we all know DRM just makes life a lot harder.

So if you make it a streaming solution instead of download then people realise that this works like television, it’s a chance to watch a show again in your own time, without having to record it - but you don’t get to keep it.

The download iPlayer, despite the millions spend on it should just be dropped, feed it to the wolves and let it die a slow and painful death - it’s bloaty and pointless if a workable, high quality streaming service can be implemented instead.

This will then open the door for the BBC and rights holders to offer the shows as permanent, to keep, limited drm downloads through iTunes or other services.

Or in the case of shows the BBC owns all the rights for, or at least enough to be able to negotiate the rest of the rights, to be able to offer them as podcast, DRM free video downloads.

Listen to the interview here.

Sphere: Related Content

Is broadband essential?

I was reading the Jersey Evening Post the other day and there was a letter to the editor about the new goods and services tax, I’m not going to talk about GST but instead about a question underneath the image put next to the letter.

The image was a picture of a girl at a computer with a caption saying “Is broadband essential?” I thought about this for a minute, wondered if I could live without broadband, stored it in the back of my head and moved on.

For the rest of this post read broadband as internet - broadband is cheaper than dial-up, 85% of all British web users are on broadband connections and so dial-up is something I’d never consider, not even on the radar as a viable option.

Anyway, I forgot about it until this morning when I read a comment on my, feb up with blogging, self flagulation of a rant by the ever fabulous glasses friendly Raindog.

Thought you’d been quiet of late. I have the same problem. I just blog when I find an interesting designer or agency site now. It’s always better to be doing something irl anyway. That said, I’ve been without internet for a week and I feel like I’ve lost a limb.

Now I’m not saying going without the internet is worse than losing a leg - that would be rediculous BUT I don’t think I’d be able to survive without the net. And when I say survive I mean live a normal 21st Century life - not that I’d actually die if I couldn’t check my e-mail.

But stupid descriptions aside, now that you’re feeling like a scolded 8 year old - I can get to the point of the post.

My bank account is all online, my wifes bank account is online, I communicate with my family online and I use the internet to make contacts with people, research stories and stay in touch with friends around the world.

It’s also how I catch up on TV shows I’ve missed, listen to the radio (in podcast form) and loads of other bits and pieces.

So, when working out my monthly income and expenses Broadband is put in the essential column, it is as important a part of 21st Century, developed world life as food, gas and electricity. It should also be available to those in developing countries as well.

If I had to drop things because my expenses where higher than my income Broadband wouldn’t be on the list.

First thing to go, despite screams from my children would be Sky. Next I’d drop my blog and pay for subscriptions and DVDs. We’d then look at cutting back on food or buying cheaper stuff instead of organic and big brands - then finally, as a last resort, if it was that or heating I’d drop the broadband.

Fortunately I’m not in that position but broadband is a vital part of life in this millenium - it’s the future of television, radio and communication and should be available to every home in the world.

Sphere: Related Content

God bless PR

One of the things I have to do in my job is interview people, I’ve spoken to a wide range of people on an even wider range of subjects - from Jersey bands and politicians to CEOs of major companies and big UK bands/artists.

The Jersey bands are all cool, they come in, have a chat and enjoy the limelight - the uk unsigned bands do much the same - but the UK bands that have been signed, once they’ve reached a certain level of success have a barrier around them.

Don’t get me wrong - the band themselves are usually pretty cool, nice bunch of guys that just want to have a chat in the same way as an unsigned band would - but they often have a pitbull of a PR person who will 1) ask you what questions you intend to ask, 2) stand there staring at you to make sure you ask the right questions and 3) rush them away as quickly as possible.

Not all PR people are like this, some just want to help you out but others take the role of minder a little too seriously.

That can be seen in the latest video to come to You Tube from Channel 4 news where a reporter asks a red flag question - using the monopoly word and then has the PR minders step in.

This video clip doesn’t involve a band though - it’s Apple’s Phil Schiller who’s supposed to be asking questions about the iPhone.

As you can see he strayed off the pre-approved list of questions - as any good journalist would to be honest - and suffered the wrath of the PR team because of it.

I hate pre-approved questions but sometimes the only way you can get someone to interview is by giving your question list and sometimes you need to interview that person - I’ll try to find somebody else first, someone that can talk about it who won’t demand a list of what I’m going to ask - but failing that I’ll send them off - then throw the list in the bin and ‘wing it’ on the day.

You then start with the questions you know they won’t mind to get at least something that can be used in a story to give the basic facts - then you start by asking slightly tougher questions as the interview goes on.

So far I’ve never had an interview stopped but have had (no names) interviewees stonewall me or give me so much bollocks in the answer that its unusable. Another trick of bands in pre-recorded interviews is to swear so much when answering a tougher question they know you won’t be able to use their answer.

That didn’t happen to S Club 7 when they were interviewed on the late great Liquid News by Claudia Winkleman. She asked them a question about money (another red flag) and the PR attack dog stepped in to pull them off - this was on a live show.

It’s not uncommon and PR people are just trying to protect their brand - but it is one of the things thats led to so much duming down of the news agenda. The big companies, bands and products are at the centre of 21st Century life but their respective PR teams make asking difficult questions almost impossible - or at least getting an answer.

What will happen to Channel 4 now is that they will find it VERY difficult to get anyone from Apple to talk to them again at least for a long time anyway. But I don’t think thats a bad thing - Channel 4 news is one of the best news services in the UK and they will find other, more creative ways to deal with Apple stories in future.

What annoys me most about all this PR bollocks though is that companies that stonewall difficult questions are also the first to shout, scream and whinge when a pissed off news service reports a ‘negative’ story about them.

Still - at least we have insider blogs to give us the story PR people won’t let us have.

Sphere: Related Content

Lost the bug…

When I first started writing a blog back in November 2004 (god have I really been blogging for three years?) it was like a bug, everything I saw that was of even the slightest interest made me want to blog it.

I’d compose blog posts in my head if I was out and try my best to remember them when I got back to a computer - I’ve written blog posts on my crappy little mobile phone and even found scraps of paper to jot down ideas.

This all came from a desire to share my opinion, however worthless or pointless it might of been, regardless of whether anyone is actually reading it or not.

That bug seems to have gone - for a while blogging has been more like a chore - sort of like having this space I need to fill every day and thanks to boring grown up things - I haven’t had time to do it.

A lack of time then led to a loss of interest and now I only post when I can scrape a few spare minutes - which 1) doesn’t lead to a paticularly interesting blog and 2) isn’t particually fullfilling in terms of developing my writing style, getting stuff of my chest and generally just … doing something with my thoughts.

So the questions I’m asking myself are, and this comes after two weeks of no posts:

“do I let upyourego.com lay fallow and only update when I can be arsed”

“should I just shut down the blog and be done with it - use jaiku, pownce and twitter to express an opinion”

“should I try my best to keep it going, instead of keeping opinions to myself just get on with a quick post”

The reason I’m asking these questions is that I still have ideas for posts - all the time - I just don’t seem to be able to muster the desire to take it from an idea in my head to actual text on the page.

I know it doesn’t take long to write a quick page but I just don’t seem to have been able to get beyond writing a headline.

I’ve opened the Wordpress control panel countless times in the last two weeks, I’ve even half written posts but don’t seem to have been able to take any of them to a conclusion - if I had there would have been at least two posts a day for the last two weeks and no need for this piece of self flagulating bollocks.

Thanks!

Oh and the first episode of my new, new music show (focusing on the Jersey music scene) goes out on Friday 7 December (18:00-19:00) on 88.8fm in Jersey or bbc.co.uk/jersey if you live outside the island.

Sphere: Related Content

An iPhone in Six Months

I wrote yesterday about why I don’t intend to get an iPhone - several reasons but most to do with the nonsense cost difference between the UK and US versions.

But having spoken to an Apple expert this morning I’m thinking of changing my mind - in six months time.

Let me explain. The iPhone goes on sale in France on 29 November 2007 through Orange. Under French law mobile operators have to make a phone available unlocked, or provide a way to unlock the phone within six months of it going on sale.

So in France the iPhone can only stay locked for six months - this doesn’t mean Orange won’t still be the sole, official, retailer in six months time, they’ll still have exclusivity to sell the phone - but you will be legally allowed to put another operators sim card in your iPhone.

So in six months, on 29 May 2008 I should be able to go to France, buy an iPhone without a contract, bring it home and put my Sure Telecom sim card in it.

Alternatively - O2 in England will notice an increase in underground iPhone sales through eBay etc and decide to make the iPhone available unlocked as well - but also make a heavily subsidised version available with a contract.

So if that happens I could go to England in six months and sign up for a contract with O2 (£35 per month) and get an iPhone for something like £80 - that would bring it in line with most of the rest of mobiles sold in the UK.

Either way - good things come to those who wait.

Sphere: Related Content

Not getting an iPhone

I’ve been on holiday for the past two weeks or so and haven’t fell the desire or pull of the blogosphere, not so much because I’ve had a thrilling time - but more because I went with my wife and two small children and was too stressed to blog.

Fortunately I’m now home again and can get back to my real holiday, the one that lasts for 47 weeks a year - work.

While away in England I saw posters, adverts and signs everywhere proclaiming the iPhone being on the way - it wasn’t as manic as the original iPhone release in Americaland but it was pretty heavy duty.

This annoyed me - mainly because I live in Jersey and the chance of one of the islands operators being allowed to sell the iPhone is pretty slim - but also because of the cost.

I visited the o2 site to find out just how much an iPhone would cost to buy and what the monthly rental would be - thinking maybe I could get one with a contract in the UK - I don’t make many phone calls so am not that bothered about the roaming costs.

I currently pay £25 per month for my mobile contract and that gives me something like 120 free minutes, 120 text messages and a few other bits I never use.

The cheapest o2 iPhone subscription is £35 per month for 200 minutes, 200 SMS and unlimited data (with a fair use policy). It also gives you free access to over 7500 WiFi Hotspots and visual voicemail.

This isn’t bad - it provides about the same level of extras as a mid tarriff for about the same price as most mid tarriffs but those tarriffs would also normally provide you with a free smart phone.

In this case you’d also have to pay £269 for the iPhone - this isn’t an awful price on its own, for a top iPod with phone functionality but with the £35 per month as well - it’s a bit much.

If I could pay £269 for the iPhone and then just use it on a Pay as you go contract it would be fab value - but with a £35 a month contract - it’s a bit steep.

That’s one reason why I’ve decided to get an ordinary phone and buy an iPod Touch instead - but there are other reasons.

£269 doesn’t sound too bad when you first look at it - it’s comparable with other similar products but if you take a look at the cost of the iPhone in the USA our price starts to get a bit on the steep side.

The price for the same iPhone in the USA is $399 dollars - at the current exchange rate that is £191 or £78 less than buying the same product in the UK. Even counting for VAT thats still a LOT more.

So I’m sticking to my current phone, getting an iPod Touch and holding out for the first phone with the Google Stack software.

Sphere: Related Content

Says it all really…