Category: Society

Unless you’ve been living under a stone, or on Mars, you will have doubtless heard that Charles and Camilla are finally going to tie the knot.

I notice that the BBC’s web site was carrying one of those online polls: "Should Charles Marry Camilla" – Yes/No. I looked in vain for the third option: I don’t give a fig.

I fear that we are in for an avalanche of sentimental twaddle. Even the Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant today carried a large picture of the happy couple on its front page. Although perhaps there was a hint of Dutch humour contained in it: the picture was somewhat bizarre – Camilla and Charles are both pointing to their faces as though a bystander has just asked: "And where did you have your last zit?".

Smart Water is an interesting set of products being used to protect property. One product is an aqueous solution that contains microdots coded to the owner. Police can use this to identify who an item of stolen property belongs to.

However, for every new lock that is invented, someone will come up with a way to break it. And the ideas often come from those working in the field of security itself. Bruce Schneier is one such person. His comment on Smart Water?

"The idea is for me to paint this stuff on my valuables as proof of ownership. I think a better idea would be for me to paint it on your valuables, and then call the police."

Read more here.

– #1 in an occasional series.

Janine Gibson has a witty piece in today’s Guardian about the tyranny of the Blackberry – that insidious piece of organisational gadgetry that delivers your email to you at all hours of the day or night.

It looks so innocent and so convenient at first, but I reckon the associated addiction bears many of the hallmarks of addiction to class A drugs. What is worse is the subliminal expectation from those senior to you in the organisation that you are expected to respond instantly to their emails at all times.

Whatever happened to the pause for thought?

What is it about MSN Spaces? I have yet to find anyone out there who is even approaching my age. The vast majority seem to be students who are less than 20. And looking at what they blog about, I fear for the future of the human race. Victor Meldrew lives!