britain

The 404 130: Where Justin dances like a Muppet

Fridays are always the craziest days at the 404--hopefully you saw today's preshow where Justin danced his little Muppet heart out to Journey's "Don't Stop Believing." If you missed it, you can still check out the video below. We have the pleasure of speaking to the great Lou Bakalar today over the phone; he gives us his take on cutting edge tech and we pick his brain about the dangers of driving a taxi in the city. The story rundown is equally zany, filled with strip clubs, celebrity death predictions, vegetable oil automobiles, and of … Read more

British ISP, recording industry warn illegal downloaders

Virgin Media and the British Polyphonic Industry will work together to "educate" broadband customers on avoiding legal action while downloading music with peer-to-peer software, the organizations said Friday.

A joint release posted on the British Polyphonic Industry (BPI) Web site said Virgin Media broadband customers using their accounts to illegally share music will receive letters from Virgin Media and the BPI. Customer names and addresses will not be disclosed to the BPI--which is comparable to the Recording Industry Association of America--and the release says the letters will be of an "informative" nature.

According to the BPI, … Read more

Bloggers mixed on jail time for phoning while driving

We know better, but we all do it anyway. We're negotiating traffic, the cell phone rings and it's that call we've been waiting for...the one that has to be answered. We take it, knowing full well we're putting ourselves, our passengers and others on the road at risk.

In Britain, that offense might just land you in jail for two years, according to an article on the Evening Standard's Web site. The story, which has bloggers typing away, says penalties for "dangerous driving" are being stiffened because of widespread public concern about … Read more

Of patents and constitutional authority

Wow. Michael Tiemann sent me this link to the text of Gordon Brown's speech to the British parliament. Brown is Britain's new prime minister, which would seem to be the time to ask for more power. But he's asking for less:

I propose that in twelve areas important to our national life, the Prime Minister and executive should surrender or limit their powers - the exclusive exercise of which by the Government should have no place in a modern democracy.

These are:

the power of the executive to declare war; the power to request the dissolution of Parliament; the power over recall of Parliament;… Read more