Britain's New and Improved Bullsh*t Internet Laws

“The British government has brought down its long-awaited Digital Economy Bill, and it’s perfectly useless and terrible. It consists almost entirely of penalties for people who do things that upset the entertainment industry (including the “three-strikes” rule that allows your entire family to be cut off from the net if anyone who lives in your house is accused of copyright infringement, without proof or evidence or trial), as well as a plan to beat the hell out of the video-game industry with a new, even dumber rating system (why is it acceptable for the government to declare that some forms of artwork have to be mandatorily labelled as to their suitability for kids? And why is it only some media? Why not paintings? Why not novels? Why not modern dance or ballet or opera?).

So it’s bad. ?50,000 fines if someone in your house is accused of filesharing. A duty on ISPs to spy on all their customers in case they find something that would help the record or film industry sue them (ISPs who refuse to cooperate can be fined ?250,000).

But that’s just for starters. The real meat is in the story we broke yesterday: Peter Mandelson, the unelected Business Secretary, would have to power to make up as many new penalties and enforcement systems as he likes. And he says he’s planning to appoint private militias financed by rightsholder groups who will have the power to kick you off the internet, spy on your use of the network, demand the removal of files or the blocking of websites, and Mandelson will have the power to invent any penalty, including jail time, for any transgression he deems you are guilty of. And of course, Mandelson’s successor in the next government would also have this power.

What isn’t in there? Anything about stimulating the actual digital economy. Nothing about ensuring that broadband is cheap, fast and neutral. Nothing about getting Britain’s poorest connected to the net. Nothing about ensuring that copyright rules get out of the way of entrepreneurship and the freedom to create new things. Nothing to ensure that schoolkids get the best tools in the world to create with, and can freely use the publicly funded media — BBC, Channel 4, BFI, Arts Council grantees — to make new media and so grow up to turn Britain into a powerhouse of tech-savvy creators.

Lobby organisation The Open Rights Group is urging people to contact their MP to oppose the plans.

“This plan won’t stop copyright infringement and with a simple accusation could see you and your family disconnected from the internet – unable to engage in everyday activities like shopping and socialising,” it said.

The government will also introduce age ratings on all boxed video games aimed at children aged 12 or over.

There is, however, little detail in the bill on how the government will stimulate broadband infrastructure.”

from: www.boingboing.net – Britain’s new Internet law — as bad as everyone’s been saying, and worse. Much, much worse.

news.bbc.co.uk – government lays out digital plans

Graeme Obree dumps hour record plans

?Oh well, nobody died,? says the Flying Scotsman Graeme Obree as he reveals how depression and his home-built bike wrecked his latest World Hour record bid.

Obree was intent on reclaiming the title he won twice in the 1990s later this month. But the 44-year-old came unstuck when his psychologist warned his mental health was too fragile.

The lanky Obree had self built a typically unique bike. With an enormous 67-tooth chain ring for speed, Reynolds 653 tubing and silver soldering, it was ridden with an extreme flat back style and extended arms.

Obree’s home-built bike.: obree’s home-built bike.

Obree spent a year and a half training on the bike which worked brilliantly on the road. Despite his age he was clocking some promising times. Obree said: ?I was just a smidgen short of the form that I had when I was racing Jason MacIntyre.? Friend MacIntryre was a triple British and Scottish champion time trial cyclist who was killed, while training, in 2008 by a careless driver. Obree says he was regularly beating MacIntyre two years ago.

Some thought Ayrshire-based Obree might just take the World Hour record for the third time. Two years ago Obree was riding sub-20 minute 10-mile time trials in Scotland.

But when Obree took to Manchester?s velodrome for a trial run in August it went badly wrong. Watched by former national British cycling coach Doug Daley, Obree?s bike proved useless.

?That whole riding style that I was reliant on to support your arms didn?t work on the bankings. And most of it is banking, let?s face it!? said Obree.

It was the end of the dream for the sponsorless former champ. Obree, who could have asked for help from British Cycling, had done things his own low-tech way. No sports scientists, no coach.

?If I had to go back to scratch and spend five weeks on the track, like Chris [Hoy] did, it would cost a fortune without a sponsor,? he said. ?Then I became so depressed that I wasn?t allowed step up for it.? Obree twice attempted suicide in the past and has a history of clinical depression.

?I spent weeks under the duvet,? said the softly spoken rider. ?I never had back up plans, I was so sure about the bike. A normal person would just have been bitterly disappointed but it went beyond because of who I am.

?I had to find out. I would have regretted it if I didn?t give it my best shot.?

But he says it hasn?t taken away from his achievements. Obree broke the World Hour record in 1994 with 52.713km and held the World Champion Individual Pursuit 4000m title in ?93 and ?95.

Speaking before his attempt Obree said: ?If you have to win every race then there’s something not right about you. I don?t have any choice ? once I started thinking that I could get onto that pace ? I had to do it.?

Obree is now writing a book: A Survivor?s Guide to Depression, which will be packed with ?good, solid advice?.

At least Obree can rest on his laurels, despite never receiving the recognition due to him.

?Muhammad Ali got his jaw broken but he’s still known as the best boxer ever,? he said.

bikeradar.com – Graeme Obree dumps hour record plans

Cancellara for Hour Record?

from cyclingnews.com – Fabian Cancellara to attempt hour record

Time trial world champion to break 50 kilometres?

Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara is likely to be the first of cycling’s modern stars to attempt the hour record.

“I have the hour record on my mind,” he told Bicisport magazine in its November issue. “I am certain that sooner or later I will make it happen.”

Cancellara won his third time trial World Championship in Mendrisio, Switzerland, September 24 in such a dominating manner that he had time to raise his arms crossing the line. He set an average speed of 51.58km/h and finished 1’27” ahead of Swede Gustav Larsson.

“I think I showed that I am suited for this type of effort in Mendrisio,” he continued. “But it is not enough to go strong. You need to know how to give that same effort on the track. I will find time to do it.”

Czech Ondrej Sosenka set the current hour record of 49.7 kilometres in Moscow, July 19, 2005. Before Sosenka, Brit Chris Boardman (49.441km) in 2000 and Belgian Eddy Merckx (49.431km) in 1972 made successful record attempts.

The hour record is established by riding the furthest distance on a velodrome in the time of 60 minutes. The International Cycling Union (UCI) standardised equipment limits in 2000. It banned aero helmets, wheels and frames.

A project exists to convince Cancellara to attempt the record in Montichiari (Brescia), Italy, according to Tuttosport. The 250-metre, wood surface velodrome opened in May.

The last world record set in Italy was in 1967 at the Rome Olympic Velodrome by Belgian Ferdi Bracke. He beat the distance set by Frenchman Roger Rivi?re eight years earlier, 48.093 kilometres.

Fix Samsung Galaxy's 3D

This assumes you are running II5 firmware and know what adb is.

– Download ‘signed-google_ion-ota-14721.zip’ (51.5MB) from developer.htc.com.

– Extract ‘libhgl.so’ from the /system/lib folder in the zip file.

– In a command prompt, run adb remount

– In a command prompt, run adb push [location of file] /system/lib/libhgl.so

Originally: www.android-hilfe.de

Hounslow and District Wheelers HHC011 Hill Climb

1st place in 1:47.

Today’s weather wasn’t looking good and I almost stayed in bed. I’m glad I didn’t though. I usually do better in bad weather since all the actual fast people are all scaredy bed wetters. 😉

I finally left the house and rode 30k to Windsor Hill. At the top of the hill there were a few people milling around but I assumed the sign-on was at the bottom and rode down. Nope. Doh! So I had to ride back up to the top of the hill and sign-on. Extra warm-up for the win. I met mitre_tester from lfgss here and he pinned my number on. Cheers!

The course was maybe 100m shorter than the last time I rode it, starting after the bridge. This worked to my advantage since I had wasted time on the flat start last time spinning too fast. This time I would be geared higher and take off on the actual hill. It also meant the ride would be shorter, so it wouldn’t really start to hurt until half way up.

I was #12 and got the countdown from 30 seconds.. 5..4..3..2..1 off strongly (in a good gear this time so no faffing with changes). Around the first corner ok and now the breathing starts to get ragged. There’s some photographers on the right and I get out of the saddle and grind on for a bit further, getting a little wheel spin here since the roads were damp but nothing too serious. Back in the saddle and now the real misery is all systems go. I feel like I’m moving at 1kph, my legs are like wet bags of concrete and breathing is gasps. I get out of the saddle approaching the finish and think what a waste of time this was, coming back here only to finish so slowly.

I’m over the line and roll to a stop almost immediately, lying over the bars and gasping for air. I have an ice cream headache. I think the blood that was supposed to be going to my brain has been directed to my legs (no change there, some of you will think). I have the same wobbly legs as last time but I make an effort to get the bike moving again and slowly roll down the road a bit, drop the gears down and spin a bit before returning to the finish to be congratulated for a good ride. Really?! What time did I get? “1:47, the next guy is 15 seconds down on you”. “Wow”, I’m thinking to myself, that’s pretty odd since it felt like I was riding through treacle. “Not the record, that’s something like 1:32, but still a good ride”. Also met clubman from lfgss after the ride. Had to skip the cafe stop for some xmas shopping but a big thanks to the Hounslow Wheelers for running this.

The S-Works even got washed after the event and now has (almost) white bar tape again. This will probably be the last ride it does until well into next year so it’s only fair. It has served me well this year.

I’m pleased that these show bigger power numbers than the last attempt. Even if it didn’t feel like I’d worked as hard or was going as fast, power doesn’t lie (much). 🙂

Distance: 551m

Time: 1:47

1114W max

620W avg

www.londonfgss.com