There’s a mixed picture of the UK’s technological advancement presented by two government reports today. According to Ofcom, though we are behind on 4G and ‘superfast’ broadband adoption (greater than 24Mbps), we are the greatest online shoppers in Europe and the biggest users of the mobile Internet on smartphones. But according to Ofsted, we are failing to teach young people about technology in any useful way. Where ‘Information and Communications Technology’ or ICT is taught (despite being compulsory in the curriculum, it isn’t taught in 20% of senior schools), it isn’t taught well.

I popped in to 5live last week to talk about Twitter’s review of the year with Aasmah Mir. In the process I did some thinking about what it is about Twitter that has so captured people’s imagination. I didn’t get a chance to squeeze what I came up with into the chat on air so thought I’d put it down here. For me Twitter is a bit like the red button for your TV: rather than passively observing what’s happening in the world it gives you a feeling of interacting, of being involved. Getting your information...read more.

I’ve been trialling a watch that could replace your wallet. The device contains a small slot for what looks like a SIM card from a mobile phone. This is in fact a payment card that communicates with the till when then watch is held to a reader, now being installed in shops around the UK. There’s no PIN number, but there’s a limit on transaction size and the account has to be topped in advance, so that you can’t be cleaned out if the watch is stolen. This is, in short, a replacement for cash. It...read more.

Talking about 4G on 5live last weekend, one of the issues that was raised was that of coverage: even with the next generation of mobile network, won’t we still have the same issues that we do in rural areas with 3G? The answer is a complex one, but with a potentially positive outcome for users. It is pretty hard to give 100% coverage of the UK with a single network technology. There’s just too much terrain to cover and it isn’t economically viable – nor necessarily desirable to local residents – to stick in a base...read more.