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LiteratureRecently at Boing Boing Gadgets
Recently at Boing Boing Gadgets, we endured Black Friday (which turned out to be Gray Friday for gadgets) and mundane gadget spam to bring you delights like humping USB M.U.S.C.L.E men. John spotted Stephen Fry's laconic review of the BlackBerry Storm, a tiny computer that screws into your monitor's VESA mounts, and new wireless earbuds from Sennheiser. With netbooks threatening to cannibalise general computer sales, Intel would prefer you bought things with profitable hi-performance chips. TechCrunch hates 'em, too: or at least 7" ones with 256MB of RAM running Vista on Via Nano processors. Lori Drew, who taunted a youngster on MySpace, was convicted of computer hacking. Boing Boing Gadgets...
Published: Mon, 01 Dec 2008 06:57:01 GMT - Source: Boingboing.Net - Read the articleEuropePerformers fear 'safety first' will lead to exodus of talent as programme makers feel the chill
Fears are growing among performers that the BBC will become too risk-averse in the wake of this week's furore over Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand, as the backlash against the departure of the Radio 2 controller Lesley Douglas also swelled yesterday. Some fear there will be an inevitable "chilling" effect despite attempts by the BBC Trust chairman, Sir Michael Lyons, to quell worries that its looming review of editorial guidelines and a management clampdown on "high-risk" areas would have an adverse effect on its output. Dara O'Briain, the comedian who hosts a BBC2 show that became a minor player in the drama when newspapers picked up on a rude joke about the Queen made by one of the Mock the Week panellists, said the corporation should not clamp down on risky comedy. "We are now entering day six of man-has-his-feelings-hurt-gate. I stand by 100% any of the things we've ever said," he said. "There's no way we can ever do a show while thinking 'Will David Davis MP approve of this?' Not all shows are intended for all people."The controversy was sparked when Brand and Ross left a series of lewd messages on the answer machine of actor Andrew Sachs. When the Mail on Sunday picked up the story a week later, it resulted in 37,500 complaints, an Ofcom investigation, a three-month unpaid suspension for Ross, and the resignations of Douglas and Brand. The BBC director general, Mark Thompson, attempted to wrest back control of the spiralling crisis on Thursday by suspending Ross and announcing the resignation of Douglas. He will deliver a full review on November 20 to the BBC Trust, which said it was "dismayed" and ordered an overhaul of editorial and compliance controls in BBC radio. Ross will not return to the screen until next January, losing £1.3m in pay, and some BBC insiders questioned whether he could return to his Radio 2 slot at all, given his part in Douglas's downfall. It was announced that he would not host the British Comedy Awards on ITV in December during his suspension from the BBC. He has special dispensation in his £6m a year contract to present the awards. A spokesman for Ross said: "He would not want his participation in this year's event to take away from the awards themselves." Some BBC executives said that compliance procedures had already become more onerous in the wake of last year's scandals over faked competitions and that new systems would inevitably mean erring on the side of caution. Comedian Jimmy Carr, who has worked for both the BBC and Channel 4, said the furore was "a storm in a teacup" and said there was a "silent majority" who didn't believe Ross' punishment fitted the crime. "Being on TV at the moment is like being at school and getting told off all the time," he said. Lyons, who has faced criticism for not acting publicly quickly enough, said: "What this incident shows is that there are still areas of the BBC where the editorial responsibilities are not being taken seriously enough and they need to be reinforced." The departure of Douglas, the Radio 2 and 6 Music controller who brought the curtain down on a 23-year BBC career after saying she ought to carry the can for mistakes made "on my watch", was widely lamented. DJs including Terry Wogan and Chris Evans have spoken of their sadness at her decision to resign. "I just hope that at least her sacrifice will bring everything back down to earth a little bit and will give a sense of proportion," Wogan told BBC News. Brand, who resigned on Wednesday in a failed effort to take responsibility for the scandal, said of Douglas's decision: "I think it's really sad and I am upset." Asked if he felt responsible for her departure he quipped: "I do. I wish I could resign twice but I'm not Peter Mandelson." Douglas could re-emerge in the music industry, where she was considered one of the most powerful and passionate figures in breaking British acts to mainstream audiences. Christian O'Connell, the breakfast DJ on Absolute Radio, said: "I think it's a terrible over-reaction. I know how well respected Lesley is across the industry. I know I will [be more risk-averse]. If you're a producer at the BBC right now, you're not going to be taking any chances." But others said that Douglas was undone by her determination to give Brand a slot on the station, seen by some as one step too far in her policy of bringing in younger audiences and wooing key television talent. "The analogy I make is: Achilles, great body - shame about the heel," broadcaster Paul Gambaccini said. "She had all of these amazing qualities and wonderful abilities - but she had this one obsession that proved to be her downfall." John Lloyd, the producer of Spitting Image who is also behind the Stephen Fry-fronted panel show QI, said he hoped the incident led to a reappraisal of how risk- taking television was defined. "What passes for risk-taking in television today is showing people having sex on Big Brother. That's not a risk - it's just grubby," he said.BBCComedyTelevisionRadioTelevisionRadioJonathan RossRussell Brandguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Published: Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:08:32 GMT - Source: Guardian.Co.Uk - Read the articleCyclingCelebs on Twitter: Britney, Lance Armstrong, Stephen Fry and more
The tech blogosphere went crazy over the weekend with news that Britney Spears had opened a Twitter account.
Published: Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:32:58 GMT - Source: Blogs.Zdnet.Com - Read the article
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