It’s been a mad few weeks for Research In Motion the creators of the BlackBerry mobile platform.

They’re in a bitter battle with several governments over the encryption and privacy they offer their users.  RIM use a secure sever set up to transmit data from their devices, this is what has angered the governments.

RIM categorically say that even they do not have access to the encrypted data that runs through their server, but as you can guess this isn’t enough.

Governments love to snoop on people, they love to look at what you’re doing and who you’re talking to, and do they do this just for the sake of a nations security.

The question must be asked: what measures are put in place to prevent random access without a justifiable need?

In the US the government must get a court order to access the data and must provide reasons as to why they want to view it.

Will this happen in other countries?

National security is an important issue but should it be protected at the sake of ones privacy. You could argue that accessing usage data is as far it should go, but governments always want more to quench the thirst they have for keeping an eye on people.

The UK for example as the highest amount of CCTV in Europe and its been allowed because it ‘helps’ protect national security, but does it?

Should a government be allowed to keep an eye on everyone at all times, I guess we have to live with being monitored but it doesn’t entirely make you trust the people running your country.

Why do you feel the need Mr. Eater, to open your mouth when you chomp your food? I can hear the splashing as the bits hit your jowls, I raise from my seat and wonder towards you, and utter in three words, something you needed to hear.  I raise up my fist from down by my side, a justifiable knock to the side of your face.  See how you like eating with no teeth, you won’t make the noise I loathe so much.

But now, it’s much worse with your gummy appearance, the sloshing has loudened and now it’s coherent, from across the room, I’m going to scream.  So next time you eat, I’ll make sure you know how much it annoys me, and drives me insane, your annoying, irritating, little game.

Political or not, you’ve got to agree that we live in a changing world and indeed a changing country, the ebb and flow of our nation is changing in drastic terms weekly, it’s a new country we’re all learning to live in.  Sixty years ago, the country was radically different, a stunning landscape of engineering and export, but today’s Britain is something entirely different.

We’re no longer a manufacturing nation and the skills developed by those who pioneered those crafts which made us great are sadly dying and we have no one to take over and continue the trend.  I was watching a programme earlier and it made me wonder something.  We have a great history of keeping heritage alive; a case in point are those that run steam railways or preserve vehicles for future generations but what happens why they die? Who takes over? Do we people these days who are interested in running a steam railway or learning how a traction engine works?

Or are we living in a nation that is computer obsessed and doesn’t want to embrace and nurture for our past, this is question without an answer at present.

So you’ve got your iPhone 4 and you’re extremely impressed with it’s retina display, and you love it’s glass back and swish stainless steel corners and Apple’s fantastic new antenna system, what?

Wait?

Haven’t you heard that you’re gonna have some reception issues?

You see Apple have implemented this fantastic new antenna, they’re wrapped it around the outer edge of the phone.  It’s supposed to make the reception better, but alas in true Apple style it’s lacking a basic vital feature; the ability to stay connected to the Mobile Network.  The problem stems unbelievably from a design oversight by Apple which means as you can see in the picture below, you make a circuit with your hand with bridging that little gap, therefore rendering the signal to the network dead.

iPhone 4... Good? Maybe...

You’re bassically absorbing the cell signal with your hand.  This issue has been recognised by several leading antenna scientists but strangely Apple are not willing to recognise the fault.  They’ve been saying that there is no reception issue, that so brings me on to the two things you’ll need.

Firstly One of these:

Elastic Bands

Temporary fix, stops you from bridging the antenna.

Alternatively…

A bible...

You can get one of these and pray that Apple recognise the problem and attempt to fix it by whatever means they deem reasonable.

Evenin’ Kiddies,

As you may be aware I’ve been taking some time off from this website for a little while, I am still alive (not that you’d be that bothered anyway :-p). Regardless I’ve been taking sometime off to try and get my life sorted pretty much, no easy task there. This website has been great for me, it’s been so good to be able to blog away about any old crap and get away with it.

I sort of dropped off with posting at Christmas, I’d had a very busy few weeks and the site got forgotten; periodically I’ve been stopping by to check things and to make sure it’s still here. I haven’t also been podcasting at all.

I think maybe I’ve wanted to just have normal life for a while. I still plan to keep up with The Rant, but for now it’s got to take a back seat. I haven’t been twittering either, unless it’s a special event; you might have seen my Tweets for Eurovision and some for the MHL Parties which I have a big hand in running, but other than that it’s been pretty quiet on this website.

I’m still toying with the idea of semi-closing the site.  I haven’t a clue whether that’s a good idea or not.  This website still gets a fair few visits which is a testament to you dear reader.  When I stared this site a little over three years ago, I spent a large amount of time getting it right, it was a labour of love and I still love it, I always will.  The Rantastic is my baby, she’s a bit screwed up and very raw but she’s a big part of my internet based life.

I’m not sure I’m ready to say goodbye to her just yet; but something has to break for me to carry on with a ‘normal’ life and maybe The Rant is that thing.  Maybe it won’t be? I honestly can’t say.  We’ll see what the next few months bring, if I haven’t got back into it by August I think that might be a sign that maybe I shouldn’t be running this website any more.  If I do close it and I’m not ready to, I’ll miss it a lot.  So for now you’re stuck with reading back over the 156 posts I’ve made in the past.  It’s funny looking back over the development of my writing style from post one to this very one.

I’m still very proud of this website and my writing.

“Keep holding out for Mr. Rant”

That’s the motto I’m living by at the moment.

Thanks for reading.

So the election campaign for the 2010 elections kicked off last week with all three main parties agreeing to a series of Live Debates to be held on consecutive Thursdays in the build up to Polling Day on May 6th.

Tonight see’s the first of these debates on ITV, produced by them live from Manchester. The format may seem a bit cooky but damage limitation is what’s being aimed for with these events. They’re structured so that the Leaders don’t get carried away with what they say so they ultimately stay on topic.

It will be interesting to see the differences between the styles of the leaders. Gordon Brown is notoriously old-school in his leading style, whereas both Nick Clegg and David Cameron are younger and somewhat hipper, or at least that’s what they’re aiming for – it remains to be seen if they’ll be found out as the typical politicians we expect them to be.

Personally I don’t think it’s gets much better than having all the Leaders on edge as they’re grilled by an audience of ‘average, demographically diverse people’, of course it’s likely that the audience have been vetted in advance to ensure there is limited unrest.

We’ll see what happens expect a full review here tomorrow and also a running commentary on my Twitter feed.