Microsoft bows to EU privacy concerns: “Microsoft has agreed to make substantial changes to its Passport online identity system to make it comply with European privacy laws.”

Amazing photos of the snow storms across England.

Video games without frontiers: interesting article about the implications of better AI for games. I’m still waiting for games that allow you to act naturally rather than force you to discover the narrative the game developers had in mind.
“By limiting what players can do, game makers keep their story on track but this can make players feel like extras rather than the star of the unfolding drama.
But if players get too much freedom, game makers face the impossible task of working out the consequences of any and every action.”
They’re developing “story management system[s]” that draw “on narrative theory to create convincing stories that explore the consequences of player actions.”

BBC: Women spurning tech jobs vs Women offered taste of tech.
The basic computer skills course sounds completely useless, I can’t imagine it’d give anyone enough skills to move into an IT course or job.

What a London day. It snowed this morning, and a proper East End funeral just went past the office. Horse-drawn hearse with ‘My sister Rosie’ in flowered letters on the sides, limo after limo with ‘Aunt’ or huge bouquets. The plumed horses and liveried footmen looked quite odd waiting at the traffic lights.
One of my bosses has a new whoopee cushion and he’s like that kid in your class with undiagnosed ADD.

Age: Catholic Church backs ‘cure for gays’

Police and MI5 tapping of phones and emails doubles under Labour Don’t you hate it when left-wing parties are worse than right-wing parties?

Linux Australia votes in first female president

Incredibly stressed at work the past few days but rate my kitten makes me go ‘awww!’

Bush meets Nigerian scam