Stacking practical example

Stacking ... an adventure game like no other

If guaranteed success, adoration would Tim Schafer undoubtedly be a multi-millionaire now. Gamers, who loved Monkey Iceland adventure, Grim Fandango and Psychonauts has practical is deified him. In person he is too self-effacing, smart and fun. He loves games, he believes in them. He called Bobby Kotick a prick.

He has also ideas like this: in the middle of development hell on Brutal Legend, and inspired by improvisational film-making tactic Chinese director Wong Kar-wai, Schafer Split his workforce at double Fine in small groups and got them all to prototype small games.

It was meant as a team-building exercise, but when brutal legend 2 fell, he returned to the interesting ideas his staff came up with and spied a new production model: contained, digitally distributed titles, which could be struck as cheaper, riskier prospects to the right publishers. So they beat four of them and sold them all. First out was costume Quest, designed by ab-Pixar animator James Harris, next will be Stacking, an adventure game like no other.

The Setup is typically Schaferian. Charlie Blackmore is a teeny Russian doll, whose family has been kidnapped by an evil person, who has put them to the despicable work around his empire. But a little Charlie is not helpless, he has the ability to pop itself into progressively larger Russian dolls, takes on each host abilities. Cut adrift in a world that is in part looks like a Victorian theatre and partial set of a silent film, he must use this gift to track down his siblings.

But although this sounds typically Schafer, the concept came from Lee Petty, art lead on Brutal Legend. "I was really interested in doing something in the adventure game genre, but I didn't want it, to a retro throwback," he says. "The things I focused on was the history of ideas, to be able to play the game at your own pace, logic puzzles. But I also wanted to be more immediate, I would that be a dynamism to the gameplay. I saw my daughter, playing with a stack of Russian dolls, and thought, wow, that could really work, because rather than having an inventory of objects, each of the dolls to objects. And stacking dolls is fun in itself.

But it could not have been an easy sell, right? During the process, how amnesia Fortnight he inspire other members of the double fine to join his group? "At the end of my presentation, I had this list of reasons to join the Stacking team," he explains. "The top one was alcohol at each meeting. And there were no other reasons, I ran out of ideas.

"And it was a lie," adds Schafer.

Stacking begins in a cavernous railway station, where a noisy strike is in full swing. Charlie need to persuade four members of the mighty train guild out of their gentlemen Club meet with picketers and get trains running again. But how will a humble urchin make it? Pretext. With the Setup, which is established, you can freely wander beautifully ornate station, "talk" to other Dolls (which would normally cause a daft speech bubble or a useful clue) or stacking inside them When he can. in access to unique special ability of the greatest doll – one plays violin, one can burp, one farts and one slaps passers-by with a white-gloved hand. It does not sound useful, but keep in mind that this is a double beautiful game.

These abilities are in fact needed to complete the areas, where Charlie challenge is given a substantial puzzle to solve. Access to the gentlemen club he needs to distract the janitorial, but he does it by living a doll if scream requires help and attention from all colleagues? Or perhaps by popping in an attractive blonde if the skill is simply named, ' seduce '. In fact, he could do either-in Stacking, each puzzle has multiple solutions, and if you want, you can try to find them all. A practical guide menu, pause shows how many are available for each challenge.

What immediately captures your attention, however, is the beautiful set of design. From cardboard cut-out animals to steam the deck of the ship made of lollipop sticks, the effect part proscenium arch Theatre, part model village. At the beginning of each challenge, there is a flicker silent film clip-scene, full of visual gags that trade off le Bretonneux, pompous look of dummy characters. It is so watchable and lovely.

Later, when the strike is broken, the trains will be available, and each leads to a different area of the operator and a member of the family Empire second to save. In our demo we head to a steamship, where Charlie's sister is hired to clean out much steam channels with a toothbrush. There is a nice puzzle game that the player needs to cause chaos on an onboard safari exhibition. One method is to break into the big game hunter in hand luggage, stack in his stuffed bear and run to alert passengers – leaving piles of sawdust in the wake terrified.

While you don't solve the key challenges, there are other activities. Players can earn bonuses for stacking in matching sets of dolls. There is an illusion, if minimum family member is a dog doll – stack to him, and you can do tricks like dragging your bottom half across the floor. (The team has an amazing amount of mosaic animative depth from a bunch of limbless Dolls in two bulbous halves.)

You are also able to involve themselves in the hijinks, a series of daft mini-challenges, which employs selected Dolls special abilities. When Schafer demos game us, he shows off a task in which the dummy white-gloved has slapping 10 other characters – their affronted yelps and screams of pain makes it more comfortable.

Schafer is the appeal of the game is obvious. "I started out working on adventure games with characters, stories and puzzles, games, moves at a pace, certain, and I could play with my family. This is not a throwback, but the have fun section of these games are placed in a whole new mechanic. "

In the meantime, he also supervises the other two titles from the fortnight research methods, and there is a growing cooperation with an old LucasArts colleague. "Ron Gilbert and meet regularly in our Office to discuss the top secret project, he has," teases Schafer. "This is something very new ... and very cool."

• Stacking will be released on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network on March 31st

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Public data corporation: the end of our world or just beginning?

Public data corporation announced by Francis Maude. Photo: Martin Argles/guardian

Announced to Downing Street fanfare Wednesday, is the new public Data Corporation already worrying Community open data-key vote mainly because no one knows what it is.

In writing on his Countculture blog today, says Chris Taggart:

None of the open data activists and developers, which I have spoken to know what it is, or what the real motivation is, and remember these are people who did much to get us into a place where the British Government has stated that the public has a right to the ' Data ', and to the excellent ' open government license "should be standard license.

And Martin Moore Media standards trust tweets today

People the right to be skeptical abt public Data Corporation-says @ countculture http://ow.ly/3DQ9t > supporters of # opendata to get stuck in

Taggart adds that it is important that the announcement comes from BIS, considered to be a little slow on the open data front by human rights defenders:

My sources tell me the proposal in fact originate from BIS, and thus could be seen as an attempt to operators to exploit the sending open data agenda, as a way to close it down, stifle it, if you like

The official release makes it sounds vague, but soothing. Business Minister Edward Davey from BIS, that says:

It will provide stability and legal certainty for companies and entrepreneurs, attract investments these operations must retain their capabilities and drive growth in the economy. It will also provide better value for taxpayers by driving down costs and make the process more efficient

And Francis Maude, champion open data under the Liberal-Conservative coalition Government says that it is about "maximizing the benefits of" opening up public data:

Are faced with a conflict between maximizing revenue from the sale of data and make data freely available to be used for social and economic loss on the current number of government agencies. Create PDC will enable conflicts in at least to be managed consistently to the opening of access and, at best, be eliminated

Mysociety's Tom Steinberg-much a part of the Government's transparency agenda as a member of the public sector transparency Board-wrote, however, on a BULLETIN BOARD, it could go to MySociety either way:

This change could be good or bad … I do not believe the changes, which could be neutral. This is because the current situation is in my opinion so crappy that ' no change ' definitely would be a bad thing.

If you are a natural cynic, you just say the Government has already decided to discuss everything off to the highest bidder. If you take this position, and give up without a fight, will people in Whitehall and trading funds who wish to make it almost certainly win.

But if you believe me when I say things are finely balanced, to either side could win, and enough well-organized external pressure could really make a difference in the next year, so that you don't just bitch, you get the hang of.

I give up on some of my time almost every week in order to fight this battle, and so people like Michael Cross and Charles Arthur [co-founders of free our Data campaign]. But retrieves the PDC to be things hackers need to be will take more than that-it will take real grass-roots pressure, and the pain and happiness.

Computerworld's Glyn Moody is also sceptical or at least agnostic:

[Open data] is actually part of a wider move towards a more transparent, collaborative kind of democracy-and this means seeks input from all interested parties before major decisions. It is particularly important for an organization that calls itself the public Data Corporation: we need to know just how open, and just how public it will really be

Here at Datablog, we will try to get to the bottom of this in the next few weeks. Because it sounds like we need a lot of time. Taggart quit his piece with a call to arms:

We have been perhaps 6 months to make this story, turn out good for open data, and good for the wider society

What do you think?

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Welcome online activism

Avaaz activists take part in a climate change protest. Photo: Toni Albir/EPA

There are many disturbing trends in this modern era of globalization, particularly the ease which companies can operate, and the banks move money around, apparently without any democratic parameters of Nations or an international community, which is struggling to keep pace with the rapid liberalisation context. But I have never been part of the movement "anti-globalisation", because there are so many positive aspects of globalization.

The most important are those that are related to the incredible improvements in communication, the world witnessed in the last two or three decades, largely down to the Internet. If Governments and UN fails to hold excesses of private capital and corruption in check, could these new global society to be an important part of the answer.

Some in the United Kingdom would select Michael Buerk broadcast on the famine in Ethiopia as a turning point in their consciousness, but there are many other examples of when people in one part of the world realize the suffering and injustice thousands of miles away is concern them when we cared. Whereas only about the poor and homeless in our own villages, the world is now our village.

Nowhere is this more obvious than in a internet campaigns phenomenon who, in the course of four years has announced a new vision for what kind of world COMMUNITY is possible: Avaaz. When my cousin forwarded me an email from the organization around a year ago, I clicked in support of campaigns, ranging from the ban on cluster munitions, stopping by a woman, be stoned to death in Iran, the protection of the seas and this week, calls on chocolate companies to boycott Ivory Coast until Laurent Gbagbo steps. So I have been busy.

But not busy. The beauty of Avaaz is, of course, how easy it is-you simply click on your support and within days 800 000 people call on the United States and the EUROPEAN UNION to ban a pesticide, you have probably never heard of, but which killer bees, and thus threaten the ecosystem.

Some have criticized this kind of "clicktivism", claiming that it is a shallow form of protest, compared with skakten hands of demonstrators the famous campaigns of the last century. But it is not an either/or situation. All campaigns Avaaz supports depends on firmly committed defenders of their heart, documentation and credibility. But Avaaz gives me and its 6.5 million members worldwide the chance to say we care and. Imagine how much more effective campaigns would have been in the past with this ability to mobilize national, regional or global Pres. Apartheid, Viet Nam, women's rights.

ECPAT is a small British charity fighting for human trafficking and abuse of children. Last year, Avaaz has decided to give a boost to Ecpats pioneering work by focusing on the Hilton hotel chain refuses to sign a code of conduct fundamentals for the training of its staff to complete possible abuse in its hotels. Rather than deliver the petition to the company's headquarters, Avaaz, announced that it would put up billboards in CEO – boldly linking professional responsibility for a solid business with personal responsibility as a member of the human race's home city. Risky, but it worked. One week and 310 000 signatures later, promised to sign the Hilton Group (before billboards went up).

Last year the Brazilian Congress voted on a measure to bar politicians convicted of corruption from standing for office. Most trøde that the vote would fail, like so many of those in Congress itself was corrupted (estimated at 25%). But in the biggest internet campaign in Brazilian history, 2 million people signed a petition supporting the legislation. Passed.

These and many other successes could make a real difference for millions of people. Attractive on the exercises in this manner is that it combines surprising perspectives (not the same old problems) with a sharp understanding of reality in politics. Common theme is ødelæggelsesmaskine in power – one of my favorites was a campaign against Murdoch press takes more of a monopoly grip of British media. This is not about to give, it is about participating. While charity fatigue is a well-known phenomenon, I have not yet encountered solidarity fatigue.

Some have suggested in an age of "accountability", to the small team running Avaaz and send us his latest campaign nifty is rampant. But the key to success is precisely Avåzs its accountability model, one that some of the traditional non-governmental organisations (who will be pleased and more than a little envy as you see this phenomenon) may want to copy. Each potential campaign are trialled on a sample of a few thousand members, before it goes live. If there is low spread, are interrupted. Avaaz reacts to its members, as much as it informs and leads them.

One funky gimmick Avaaz has allows you to see the names of the signatories, which supports a particular campaign. "Jane from Canada, Nikolay from India, Colin from Wales". I have wasted plenty of time to look at these names, as they roll, strangers in another part of the planet demonstrate that they care about things I care about. In real time. In my mind, I think: "Nice one, Jane, nice one Anonymous." Like the neighbourhood watch group operates in my street makes Avaaz you realize that there is a global Community calls for Justice and common sense in our globalising village.

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Guide: Internet pick of the week

Higher than war.

Higher than war is a music and pop culture site led by journalist and one-man punk rock army John Robb – late of rebellious combos membranes and Goldblade. A TV page suggests he has ambitions extend beyond blogging, but for now it houses the interviews with Johnny Marr, Crass and Howard marks, plus video clips of high from Motörhead's Lemmy insubordination. Elsewhere is feisty pieces on the Office's Cabinet behavioural insight team, rise of Shanghai, ageism on BBC and music opinions, there appears the breakdown between defends new acts and reprinting vintage music paper interviews with Nick Cave and Joe Strummer.

Lead sheet.

This repository of movie posters "and stuff" began life spoofing celebrity culture. Tiring of Kim Kardashian home, decided editor Russ Ryan instead to pay tribute to that he describes as the "Picassos, Monnet ' S and Matisses of movie poster world". A little of that gossip site snarkiness remains but means sheet is primarily a celebration of the classic posters yesterday's and the artists who created them. There are also positions dedicated to lips, belly buttons and the enormous number of films with "Me &" in the title, while the current trend in Photoshop nonsense contains a recent contest, which asked what movie posters would be like If your mum designed them ...

Nigels Web hosting.

Nigels Web hosting

Stunning collection of British football cards and stickers from 1965 to 1980.

Studs up

Daily comic strip mocked the Premiership snood trend among other offenses.

Kickette

Footballer fashion, gossip, pap Snaps Wag and unabashed ogling "mancandy" and Gareth Bale.

Two hundred percent

Home to the Baker & Kelly podcast archive, transfer gossip and essays on the world and non-league football.

Soccer economy

Look at the money and politics of football, from the scrap for the Olympic Stadion David Mr Milliband are links to Sunderland.

Run play

Man Utd rewritten as King Lear, clock is "Beckhams anti-Americanism charming" and other intellectual sliding tackles history.

Photoshop rap.

How Learn Photoshop in verse

The alien caused corridor fetish

We is not very musical

Scent of broccoli can make engines run too fast

Banksy 's sketch pad for The Simpsons intro

Why there will be a wave of ugly fonts in the future

The differences between supermodels and zombies

Three as for awesome

Things real people do not say about advertising

it is like to work at a Disney park

CEE Lo Grøns F you much improved by sign language

Dark side of Barbie

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Tunisia's revolution is not a product of Twitter or WikiLeaks. But it helps

Like Kleenex Revolution "? I believe in a way not. Unless you follow the Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi. In a tv denunciation of the popular uprising has set aside his friendly neighbouring dictator he ranted: "even you, my Tunisian brothers, you can read this like Kleenex and empty rhetoric on the Internet." (Like Kleenex is how Gaddafi refers to WikiLeaks). "Any useless person any liar, any drunkard, someone under the influence, no high on drugs can talk on the Internet, and you read he writes and you believe. This is talk, which is free of charge. Should we become victims of Facebook and like Kleenex and YouTube? " That, since the speaker is another dictator, Andean Pact, I hope that the answer is "Yes". Let like Kleenex wipe them away, one after the other, just as blobs of SLIM.

But will it? What contribution do websites, social networks and mobile phones to popular protest movements? Is there any justification for marking the Tunisian events, as some have done, a "Twitter Revolution" or a "WikiLeaks Revolution"?

A remarkable young Belarusian activist-analyst, Evgeny Morozov, has just challenged the lazy assumptions behind such political-journalistic marks in a book entitled The Net illusion, which went to press before the Tunisian rises. Subtitle of the British edition is "how not to liberate the world". Morozov has fun and run the naively went optimistic vision, which in particular in the United States, seems to accompany the emergence of each new communication technologies. (I remember an article a quarter of a century ago with the headline "the fax will set you free".)

He shows that claims for Twitter and Facebook contribution to Iran's green movement had been overstated. These new technologies can also be used by dictators to see entrap and pursue their opponents. He insists above all that the Internet does not suspend the usual places of work of power politics. It is policy, decides whether the dictator will be toppled in Tunisia or bloggers severely beaten and locked up, as in Morozov's native Belarus.

His challenge is beneficial, but like most revisionists Morozov exaggerating in the opposite direction. Tunisia offers a timely corrective to his corrective. For it seems that here the Internet play a significant role in spreading news of suicide, which triggered protests, and then multiply these protests. Estimated 18% of the Tunisian population is on Facebook, and neglected to block the dictator in time.

Among the well-educated young people who came out in force, can we be sure that the level of online (and mobile phone) participation was higher. Scholar Noureddine Miladi offer an estimate, half-Tunisian tv audience watch satellite TV, and he notes: "Al-Jazeera heavily relied on referring pages Facebook and YouTube in reporting raw events." So professional satellite TV fed off online citizen journalism.

In addition, these leap media borders. A leading British scholar of Maghreb showed me his Facebook page, which has many of his former students as Maghrebian Facebook friends. Several of the Moroccans had turned their Facebook icons to the Tunisian flags or Tunisia-Morocco love-heart, to show their enthusiasm for the first people-power overthrow a dictator Arab in more than 45 years. It is a small group, to be sure — but the elites case in opposition movements as in everything else.

Before Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali's case, his regime had turned back toward the netizens, installation "phishing" attacks on Gmail and Facebook accounts, harvesting passwords and e-mail lists of suspected opponents and then arrest prominent bloggers such as Slim Amamou. This reinforces the Morozovs point that the Internet is a double-edged sword: and yet it is also a back-handed tribute to the importance of these new media. As I write, become the former prisoners Amamou a member of a new, interim coalition Government.

No one knows what will happen tomorrow, but so far the Tunisian growing has been a tremendously encouraging development – especially because it was an authentic, homemade, largely spontaneous movement with a little active support from the Western powers. (Sometimes the contrary: France was until the last minute, offer its security expertise to keep the Tunisian Louis XVI in power. For shame, Madame Liberté, for shame.)

Transformed information and communication technologies in our time played a role in enabling this rising success. The cause is not it, but they helped. Specialists claim that Tunisia, with its small, relatively homogeneous, urban, educated population and (for now) moderate, peaceful, largely exiled Islamists, can be a beacon of change in the Maghreb. If things go well, the spreading of the internet and satellite-TV, news across the Arab world.

So yes, the Internet presents weapons for oppressors and the oppressed — but not which seems to imply in Morozov equal measure. To balance offers more weapons for the oppressed. I think Hillary Clinton is therefore the right to identify global information freedom in General and internet freedom in particular, as one of the defining opportunities in our time. But there is also here, the dangers which Morozov will usefully points out.

If the fight for internet freedom is also closely identified with American foreign policy, and on the other hand, with us companies such as Google, Facebook and Twitter – as in personnel terms have begun to have something of a "revolving door" relationship with the US Government – this may end up damaging it is meant to serve the purpose. Authoritarian regimes everywhere will redouble their efforts to censor and monitor these American platforms that are not accidentally, among the best and most open, we have. Instead, these regimes promote their own, more limited native alternatives such as Baidu in China.

The American Government as a whole is also very inconsistent in its approach to internet freedom. The berates China and Iran for hidden monitoring of opponents while doing the same himself against them it defines as threats to national security. It lauds global information freedom at the same time condemning WikiLeaks as, in Clinton's extraordinary words, "a threat to the international community".

Tunisia is again instructive. Talk about a "WikiLeaks revolution" is just as absurd as to a "Twitter revolution", but WikiLeaks revelations United States knew Ben Ali regime's rampant corruption contribute something to the pot misery is boiling. There was even a special website to disseminate and discuss Tunisia-related us cables (tunileaks.org). Of course needed the Tunisians not WikiLeaks tell you that their presidential family was a goon-protected self-enrichment cartel; But having detailed chapter and verse with the authority of the U.S. state department, and see how much the American superpower publicly regime-friendly private disliked it, and knowing that other Tunisians should know, also, because the American reports there were online for all to see – all this surely had an impact.

So if Clinton wants to argue, as think she can legitimately, that the u.s. pioneered infrastructure exchange of global information has contributed to the fragile rebirth freedom in Tunisia, then she should really put in a word of appreciation for WikiLeaks – or for like Kleenex, if you prefer Gaddafi version. But don't hold your breath.

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Websites and apps for bargain hunters

An iPhone comes in handy at St Pancras International. Photograph: Linda Nylind for the guardian

the Groupon property is according to many, about to take over the world. Group discount service is the fastest growing company in the history of the web, and recently secured $ 950 m investment to fuel its ongoing growth. But what is it for you? Well, the site is dependent on a lot of people signing on daily offer increasing demand to justify the enormous reductions. Most quotes for more than 50% discount, and UK hotel and spa deals with pop up daily – recent search found 60% savings on country Hotels in Sussex and four-day luxury breaks in Morocco down from £ 1,080 to £ 268. It is also worth bearing in mind the voucher code such as vouchercodes.co.uk websites and myvouchercodes.co.uk, for the regular coupon offers – for example, 40% off Expedia deals with, and 30% Discount Hotels.com bookings.

also check out:netvouchercodes.Uk co. , livingsocial.com

Darling online travel junkies Kayak.co.uk world, remains best flight comparison site in your organization. The format is simple: enter your point of departure, your destination and your travel dates and then Let kayak do the rest. Trawl through your Web site just about each airline in the world, from non-transparent regional budget equipment for big-gun national carriers, to find the cheapest solution. Feature Kayak Buzz (Kayak Trends on the mobile app) is a nice touch – show the best fares found by fellow users for a number of popular destinations. Turn this with its brilliant interactive map cheap routes and you find yourself on a £ 20 return flight to Billund (Denmark) for some time. OK, perhaps you'd like not to a weekend in Billund in mid-February, but you get the point.

also check out:Fly.com, Skyscanner.NET, Momondo.com

In the last few years have hundreds of travel apps exploded on to the smartphone market. A number of hotel finders are particularly good fun – helping travellers find a last-minute cheap sleep. The Trivago app, which is free to download, is so easy to use as its excellent online site, allows users to search the cheapest bed within a variable radius of exactly where the standing. Alternatively, you can connect in a few parameters – say, a three-star bed to under 60 € within a half an hour walk – and it will spit out whatever it was. Once you've found your hotel, you can book through the app. Hotels.com Manufacture of app (also free to download) is worth a play also, as it includes the hostels in parallel with hotels, regularly table wine sub £ 10 beds in some of the world's most expensive cities.

Also check out: hotels near me app, LateRooms app, Tripadvisor app

Travel – with just about every consumer market – is comparison websites a very big deal. Which is not to say they are especially glamorous. But when it comes to partially annoying business of organising travel insurance and car rental, you would be crazy not to use a bit of time jumps around on the Internet. Car rental Traveljungle.co.uk is reliably good, comparecarhire.co.uk is. Try for travel insurance deeply exciting shops travelsupermarket.com,, comparethemarket.com (if you can banish images of meerkats from your mind) and squaremouth.co.uk. For packages (a complex comparison field, which have not yet really be cracked) see again, travelsupermarket.com on and dealchecker.co.uk. Then pour yourself a stiff, well-deserved drink.

also check out:Insureandgo.com(insurance)car-hire-centre.co.uk(car hire)

A small savings, but a very practical in emphasis as well as cash. The average paperback travel guide cost at least £ 10, but you rarely pay more than £ 3 for a app guide. Hundreds of thousands have flooded in to the market. Yelp, Spotted by Locals and Lonely Planet apps are all worth a look, show tips, according to where you are standing. Keep in mind that unless these apps used in the free zones Wi-Fi, taxes may spiral quickly. New guides from Time Out is probably the best, and usable without connection to the terribly expensive 3 G abroad – hundreds of tips they contain is native to the app, requires only your location (as the phone tracks for free). Hunting for food Urbanspoon, is a lot of fun and lets you search for local restaurants, according to the price and Toptable, is a decent app to find local restaurant offers in the United Kingdom.

Also check out: in your Pocket city apps, Foodspotting

Do not be afraid of the Twittersphere. Many, quite understandably, can not be bothered with it it is a very noisy place with a lot of chaff disguising tiny grains of wheat. But it is a common misconception that you for the good things have to Tweet even. You do not. Hundreds of travel companies use Twitter to broadcast their latest offers and competitions, TravelZoo from ever handy top 20 quotes of the week Skyscanner to often tempting deal of the day. You do not need to be signed to see them because we are nice, we have rounded up some of the most reliable travel deal Twitterers at @ GuardianTravel Twitter deal list, where you can find quotes (and occasionally other bits and bobs) from 13 companies all in one place.

Also check out: @ STATravelUKDeal, @ UKTraveloffers, @ Letsgo2holidays

• free Wi-Fi finder app: lists free Wi-Fi spots in more than 10,000 locations worldwide.
• Skype app on the phone: turns your phone to a free phone device – in zones, Wi-Fi.
• Parkatmyhouse.co.uk: Park by houses near airports for less than half price of official parking spaces.
• Flycheapo.com: easy to use directory of the European budget of flight routes.
• SitOrSquat app: finds free public toilets in thousands of destinations across the globe

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The iPhone is about to lose its mojo?

A Tokyo shopper brandishes his iPhone 4 after product launch in June 2010. Photo: Toru Yamanaka/AFP/Getty Images

A growing number of tech experts predicting iPhone is in danger of losing its "smart phone wars" for an upstart operating system from Google, in a dramatic reversal of fortune for one of the world's coolest high-tech products.

For many people is the iPhone still the last word in digital chic. Its sleek style and touch-screen changed the way many used their mobile phones.

Next month, Apple's device will be launched on a different network, phone in the United States, make it available to millions more customers. The news has created a huge buzz, and some have whispered that Apple may one day become the first billion-dollar company in the world. This should be a great time for angry Apple chief executive Steve Jobs. Or it would be if not for the growing commercial clout of Google's Android.

"Too late for the iPhone," read a headline last week in a daily Beast column of tech author Dan Lyons. Many experts agreed. "Android has taken over from what I can see," said Joe Sullivan, founder of site Journerdism who studies mobile technology industry. Some commercial statistics bear. Android mobiles now outselling iPhones in the United States. Latest figures from the United States shows the Android and iPhone neck and neck in market share – but with 40.8% of the new smart phone sales in six months to November will Android and 26.9% to iPhones.

Critics say that the iPhone launch on Verizon network is too late, and that it too long relied on AT&T patchy service. That has allowed Android to take off with such speed that it has left a time cutting-edge iPhone in its wake. "It was almost comical how much people said they hated AT&T," said Rob Jackson, editor of Phandroid, a tech site that tracks Android market.

But the greater problem lies with the real differences between iPhones and Android. While the iPhone is the whole package of network technology and phone, Android is an operating system, many different phone models can use. It allows users of an enormous number of choices Androids about how complex (or not) they want their phone be. IPhone users are in the meantime, mainly bound to what Apple only allows them to do and buy.

"Personally, I prefer Android. I would like to change things around my need. But if I recommend my mother had a phone, I would recommend an iPhone, "says Sullivan. Lyon was in his article for the daily beast even more concise about the limitations of the iPhone. ' [It] is a bit like the situation you had with Henry Ford Model T, where you could have any color you wanted as long as it was black, ' wrote Lyon.

The IPhone has always had critics. Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, took last year to its own Facebook page to slamming the unit in order to have a bad battery and release the phone call. "I got four Chargers so I can keep it charged everywhere I go and a landline, so I can actually make phone calls," he posted.

But not all depreciate Apple. Verizon will open iPhone to 100 million new customers in the United States. There is also no doubt the excitement, that many people get from products, created by Apple. "It arguably has the strongest brand in tech. it is cool. It stands for more than just a phone. It is a fashion statement. It is a lifestyle, "said Jackson.

It is important. The market is for one of the great success of the development of smart phone, phone call on the devices have been supplanted by email, instant messaging and chat. A huge business ecology "apps" are also grown up allows smart phones do anything from checking the weather to pick out a local restaurant. In this new world of mobile communications believe many, it would be foolish to make solid predictions. "So much can change again in five years, that I not only know what will happen," said Jackson.

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Global digital music sales slowing

Global growth in digital sales from stars such as Lady Gaga slowed during 2011. Photograph: Rex Features

Punishment on sites participation distribution of pirated content, such as LimeWire and Pirate Bay failed to stem the decline in music sales last year, according to industry figures, which show that global growth in digital music be halved by 2010.

Record companies are struggling to replace the revenues from tumbling CD sale gently hailed a shift in government positions to take action against illegal downloads – led by France, Ireland and South Korea – and the potential growth in revenue from music consumption via smartphones and tablets.

Online piracy is still the greatest challenge for the music industry with total global sales estimated to be between 8% and 9% in 2010 and the growth of digital revenue halving to 6% globally, at $ 4.6bn (£ 2.88bn).

"As an industry, we remain very challenged," said Frances Moore, chief executive of international music industry body in IFPI. "Around 95% of downloads are still unlicensed, 19 out of 20 is illegal ... This has a knock-on effect on jobs, investment in artists and a dwindling pool of choice for consumers.

IFPI report found that digital music subscriptions for 29% of music companies ' total revenue last year, up from 25% in 2009.

In the United States a little digital sales accounted for almost half of the total music company revenue as CD sales "sharp decline".

However, there were only "single digit" percentage growth in the sector more mature U.S. digital music, a worrying signs, other developing countries markets can be next to experience dramatic slowdown.

Thomas Hesse, President of global digital business at Sony Music, shrugged off these fears are quarrelling, mobile music consumption had only "scratched the surface" in the United States, and to download services like iTunes and Amazon have plenty more growth potential. "There is reason to believe growth will continue and accelerate again," said Hesse.

IFPI report said that the European digital music sales grew almost 20% year on year in 2010. BPI said earlier this year, UK digital growth was up 30% year on year.

Moore said that 2010 was the year in digital music subscriptions took off, insert Spotifys 750 .000-strong paying customers as an exciting example with enormous potential to extend the current a la carte service is provided by iTunes.

Digital sales have grown by more than 1000% from 2004 to 2010, but global recorded music revenue fell by 31% over the same period as piracy remains a critical issue.

Last year, LimeWire, the largest source of online piracy in the United States, was declared illegal and action was taken against the Pirate Bay.

"Governments are beginning to realize that this is a question about unemployment and that it is also a matter of industries, including film and books come behind," said Max Hole, chief operating officer of Universal Music Group International. "The ball has started to scroll; It has been a heavy ball difficult to move in the first place, but it definitely moving. "

Despite this, said Moore, that industry is unsustainable sat "in a time of grave danger", with a patchy approach of Governments worldwide. Spain and Brazil topped the list of countries with the highest number of Internet users access to illegal services.

"The Spanish market is such a warning," said Moore, who criticised the attitude of the Government and the telecoms companies in Spain. "If other European markets road Spain we can shut down and go home. If we fail where next Beatles, Amy Winehouse or Luciano Pavarotti tomorrow come from? "

IFPI pointed out that more than 400 legal digital music services exist globally, with more than 200 available across Europe, and expressed little concern about the failure of Bskybs sky songs and the protracted negotiations for Virgin Media to get a service from the ground in the United Kingdom.

Hole said that skies service is facing a number of issues, including the billing system, the company is "not quite get it, you must have something kids like".

In Virgin Media deal, Hesse said that an agreement has to be achieved on "conditions, which are ultimately acceptable to us, you cannot put a gun to someone's head".

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BBC future media: What is Huggers ' heritage?

It was the highest profile jobs in UK Technology – Director of BBC future media and Technology Department. But from this week that job disappeared without warning together with Erik Huggers, the BBC will leave at the end of February to play a leading role at Intel in California.

BBC the split role in two, welcomed by the staff I spoke to the decision. Technology will be the responsibility of John Linwood, while Ralph Rivera, Director of digital media, becomes Director of future media.

BBC FM & T: scorched earth? Photo by Stig Nygaard on Flickr. Some rights reserved

Stepping up to the BBC is most senior board – with only a handful of people more senior in corporation – not a bad achievement for a man, who joined the BBC just two months ago. Without a doubt was Huggers ' output designed with that in mind.

BBC gig was never an easy fit for Huggers. Easy and corporate, was his appointment aroused suspicion in the traditional and regaled corners of our national broadcaster kind of. He had no public service genes in him at all, according to one source, who said many of the BBC will be glad to see him leave. But Erik Huggers ' heritage is more complex than the.

"FM & T was a nightmare, before he took office," said the source. "Budgets was a disaster, no one knew what they do, there was no process, no vision and no goals. They were all on the war, there was no autonomous decision-making, no control over expenditure and no external partners. Huggers took to dysfunctional Department … and destroyed a lot of feuding and fiefs. It has be scorched earth, but you can build something on it ".

Huggers was described by another source such as a Alex Ferguson shape; a macho manager, who many will be glad to see leave. But it took that kind of attitude and a detached from the sentimentality of BBC insiders to sort out chaos of future Media & Technology Department – left by Ashley Highfield. Sorting out says he scores 8/10, our source. For his understanding of the BBC, 2/10. And cooperation, 1/10.

"He leaves your organization a better organization and Online better as a whole," said another source on BBC. "He changes to make my life easier. He was brought to create a more streamlined Department with more efficient technology and the larger scale, he is succeeded. "iPlayer and project canvas, now YouView is also projects he defended.

Director of future media is a very reduced role for Rivera, and perhaps not quite trophy it once was. Staff sees him as also corporate, but likeable and with an impressive knowledge of public sector broadcasting – for an American.

The impression of an influx of us directors in the tech Department is not quite right either. Rivera is from New York, but brought in a rich Huggers mixture of Dutch and South African talent too, although most of them have left. Richard Titus, who left in 2009, and Mark Kortekaas – who is about to leave the BBC redundancy as part of FM & T cuts – is both American, which is the user experience Manager Marcelo Marer.

Huggers hands Rivera a future Media division in a better shape than he found it, but very reduced and with the underlying problems. So how to move it forward? Despite the impending job cuts is missing the right talent corporation still was told. Is it, as well as Channel 4, retrenching in TV programming, cut any online project not related to core TV programming?

"The BBC's online presence is now like the TV was in 1963. They can still do not know what they are doing. It is about combining an understanding of technology, editorial and the BBC – and there is still not enough people in your organization who understands all three. "

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Thompson warns ' two-speed ' net

Mark Thompson is now entered into the debate about net neutrality. Photograph: Felix Clay/guardian

BBC Director General, Mark Thompson, has warned broadband providers not to impose charges for the supply of the corporation's programs to homes via the Internet.

Thompson said today the continued success of online TV services, such as the BBC iPlayer could not be guaranteed, if internet service providers (ISPs) introduced a "fast lane", which would allow them to charge customers to receive content faster.

Thompson said in a speech to the Oxford Media Convention "fast lane" could undermine the BBC has a responsibility to ensure its content is accessible to all licence fee payers of each platform.

"As the Internet becomes a vehicle for the transport of richer and richer content, the question whether all content from all providers be treated equally by the network is becoming increasingly tougher," he added.

"We know the ISPs routinely allay speeds well below published headline rates. They also have the capacity, as they have used in the past – though none of the ISP is currently – to convey some content from some providers at slower speeds than others. "

Does decision to join the debate on "net neutrality" signals, he is ready to mount a robust defence of the BBC the right to provide free online content.

There has been discussion recently about whether Isps should have the right to charge premium rates for companies who are willing to pay extra to ensure their own content delivered first.

Opponents of this idea argue all content should be treated equally and supplied through the network on a first come, first served basis.

Thompson, expressed its support for the latter point of view today, telling an audience of media directors: "net neutrality ... mean [s], no matter how many fast lanes there are basic Internet services – standard lane if you like – should itself provide a very good, and consistently and fairly delivered, service."

The Director-General said he was not opposed to premium services, however, which allow broadband customers pay for faster connections, so that they can download movies and TV programs faster.

"Support net neutrality does not mean being against high-speed premium services like households can choose to subscribe to, and which guarantees the highest quality experience catchup and other Internet resources," added Thompson. "Such premium services is a good idea".

Thompson also highlighted the success of the BBC technological innovations, which he said included the iPlayer and Freeview, agreed to add that it would continue to spend money on research and development, despite the licence fee freeze last year.

"Those who seek to be digital gatekeepers would be only too happy, if the BBC and other broadcasters left technological innovation and platform and network development to others," he said. "They claim that the market can deliver. What I think they mean, in fact, is that they want to give and actually control. "

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