Important! UK based readers need to read the first part of this post!
Terrestrial TV
As of Wednesday next week (3rd August 2011), the analogue signal for TV in the UK are being shut down. This has been a long time coming, and (credit where it’s due) we’ve been warned for several years that this was going to happen.
If you receive TV through a satellite system (BSkyB, etc) or through a cable system then the signal you receive is in digital, this does not affect you.
If you receive TV through a Freeview box, then you will have to retune your Freeview box on Wednesday 3rd of August 2011. Otherwise you will lose a whole bunch of channels and services.
If you receive TV through an standard (possibly Yagi) antenna (LINK), then you will need to either get a Freeview box (then retune it) or a digital satellite or cable system. Otherwise you will lose all of the channels and services on your TV.
If you don’t watch TV (like me), then it wont affect you, at all.
That’s not all, though. As you’ll have to retune on the 17th of August 2011 – supposing you have a Freeview box.
This is because the powers that be are “turning the signal” off in two stages. This is to reduce the amount of stress and worry relating to the digital changeover.
Following several long conversations with some of my friends, I’d decided to delete/deactivate/whatever (delete as appropriate) my Facebook profile. The main reason for this was that I wasn’t using Facebook any more. Back in the day (probably in ’06), I’d created my profile to keep in contact with my friends – most of whom where based all over the globe.
Recently, most of my friends that I was keeping in contact with using Facebook, had either deleted their Facebook profiles or we’d kept in contact using other technologies (in writing or person or using VoIP, for example). For this reason I wasn’t using my profile for long periods of time.
Add to that the fact that I’d had enough with the guys at Facebook selling my personal information, statuses, pictures and videos on to whoever wanted to buy them. I agreed to the original Terms of Service (ToS) when I first signed up and I agree that they have to make money somehow, but I really detest the fact that the legal team at Facebook constantly made changes to the ToS without notifying the users of these changes.
Google+
I’ve recently been invited to Google+. I’d created my profile on there just before the massive spike (10 million users in a week!?) of new users, but I could care less about that. What I really like about Google+ is that the guys at Google are upfront about the things they will and wont do with your data.
Basically, your posts are searchable on Google (unless you set your profile information to private). Google wont sell your information, posts, pictures or videos on to anyone. Google may use your photo’s on the Image search function, but only if you allow them to (ie, if your profile is publicly searchable on Google)
I really like the way it’s set out. It’s very minimalistic, something that I’m getting into recently. And the system by which you find people is completely different to Facebook.
On Facebook, you become friends with someone, or a fan of a business or band. All of your posts, pictures, videos, links, etc are viewable by everyone who is “friends” with you.
On Google+, you add them to social circles – just like real life. Your posts, pictures, videos, links, etc are only visible by those YOU choose.
Is That All?
That’s, pretty much, all I’ve been up to recently. I’ve not been doing much else.
Oh, wait!
I’ve been playing a lot of retro games. Mostly, games on the old consoles from the 3rd and 4th generations of consoles. I’ve been playing a lot of Super Mario RPG on the SNES, Panzer Dragoon Saga on the Sega Saturn and the Streets of Rage series on the Sega Mega Drive.
Aside from that, though I’ve not been up to much.
Until next time,
J
