Hard though it may be to believe, by most metrics, things are getting better in Britain. Maybe not year on year, but certainly decade after decade, crime is falling, poverty is falling, education is improving. There are blips and blots on this record: sometimes for a period society becomes less equal rather than more; rates of pay may not balance as fast as we might like; we still have recessions, as we all know. Yet it seems the majority of us remain convinced that the world is falling apart. Phrases like ‘Broken Britain’ get bandied around...read more.

Second Flashback year of the day on BBC Radio Manchester this afternoon at 4:25 is 2008. Listen live on 95.1FM, or via the iPlayer if you’re outside the Manchester area. I’ll be talking about the technology stories of 1979, and 2008 – details of the latter below: Blu Ray defeated HD DVD, with the HD DVD consortium surrendering on the 19th February. The Tesla EV1 Roadster became available to the public. This Lotus-based electric car redefined what was possible, with an electronically-limited top speed of 125mph and a 0-60 time under 4 seconds. A seven seat...read more.

It’s Flashback time again on BBC Radio Manchester, with two years I haven’t posted about before: 1979 and 2008. Listen live at 4:25 this afternoon on 95.1FM if you’re in the Manchester area, or on iPlayer if you’re not. First up, the tech stories of 1979: VisiCalc was launched, the first spreadsheet program for PCs. Accountants rejoiced, or at least the more progressive ones (like my dad) did. The rise of the robots began: an industrial robot at a Ford car plant in Michigan killed Robert Williams, resulting in a $10 million dollar lawsuit. Hayes introduced...read more.

You have to feel a little sorry for the Liberal Democrats. And if, like me, you consider them the party that most closely represents your own beliefs, you also have to feel a little frustrated by them. I feel sorry for them because, as a marketer, there’s nothing harder to promote than the middle ground. Common sense just isn’t sexy. Being practical rarely attracts fanatical support. Yet it is the pragmatism that appeals to me. Unlike Simon Jenkins, writing in today’s Guardian, I don’t want a radically liberal party, unlikely to ever get elected but with...read more.

I love cars. I love their complexity, their style, their power and their function. I was lucky enough to have a car from a young age: while I was still learning to drive my parents very kindly bought me a slightly dilapidated 1970 Volkswagen Beetle, which I proceeded to clean up and respray (following the application of copious quantities of filler), and fit with a series of ever-more Heath Robinson-esque stereo arrangements. This fabulous transport became the group taxi for my friends for the next few years, and took me down to Cardiff and up to...read more.

Just been down to the BBC studios and not for Flashback as usual – I was too slow confirming my availability with the producers so they replaced me this week. Instead I recorded a short interview about the history of computer games for a show going out tomorrow might at 10pm – 95.1FM in the Manchester area or nationwide on iPlayer. Being more of a tech generalist than a games specialist I did a bit of digging around in advance and came across the great site at: http://www.thegameconsole.com/. The copy tells you enough to see how...read more.

Just been interviewed by Real Radio about the newly announced high-speed rail link between London and Glasgow. I haven’t expanded my remit to cover transport now – just a random collaring at Piccadilly station. Good topic for a quick blog entry though, while I ride the standard speed train down to London. Do we need a high speed rail link? My natural inclination is to say ‘yes, of course’. It’s cool new(ish) tech; it will make me more time-efficient; it cuts the arguments for the more carbon-intense options of flying and driving. But I find I’m...read more.

It has been a hectic few weeks. And Digital, the main business with which I am involved (as shareholder and ‘strategy director’) is rising rocket-ship fast, and has been consuming all the time I could spare to keep it flying on course. Since ‘launch’ at the start of June we have added three full time staff to supplement the support we have from our close colleagues at new parent company And Partners. The latest achievement for the company has been appearing on the 5 Live breakfast show with Nicky Campbell this morning to comment on ITV’s...read more.

I’ve been watching Babylon 5 for the last couple of weeks. One of those sci-fi shows I never got into when it was on originally, but felt that I ought to know better. The special effects are definitely of their time (early 90s), the sets are cheap, the scripts less than subtle and the acting occasionally hammy. But the consistent plot arc over the series is fantastic and highly addictive. As with most sci-fi though, what’s really intriguing is the technology and the culture. This was a series that was made less than 20 years ago,...read more.

Over at the BBC this afternoon for Flashback with Becky Want, talking about the gadgets of years past. Listen live around Manchester on 95.1FM, or on the iPlayer if you’re more digitally inclined. Today’s years are 1991 and 2002. The latter year I’ve already posted some notes on previously, so here’s a few points on 1991 – not the most exciting year in technology… The World Wide Web went live, which is clearly huge, but I believe much of the work on it including its specification, was completed the previous year. Trevor Baylis introduced the wind-up...read more.