:00:04. > :00:14.industrial action as the annual conference this week.
:00:14. > :00:29.
:00:29. > :00:34.Hello? Hello? Just how far are you prepared to go
:00:34. > :00:38.to get a signal? This week, we find out why your mobile cannot always
:00:38. > :00:44.connect, no matter what position you adopt. And should phone
:00:44. > :00:48.companies be let off the hook? And Bordeaux purifies in geekiness.
:00:48. > :00:52.The report from its second digital week.
:00:52. > :00:56.All of that plus the latest Tech News, the data store which is so
:00:56. > :01:06.secure, it self-destructs if you lose it. And more moon then you can
:01:06. > :01:08.
:01:08. > :01:14.Welcome to Click. This week, our mobile-phone expert has been a bit
:01:14. > :01:19.secretive regarding the contents of his report. I know it is about
:01:19. > :01:29.phones but he said he would call me with more detail. In fact, that is
:01:29. > :01:31.
:01:31. > :01:39.him. Hello. Hello? Hello? Hello? Can you hear me? Can you hear me?
:01:39. > :01:42.Hello? This is useless! Don't you just hate it when that
:01:42. > :01:48.happens? This handset has more advanced processes than rockets
:01:48. > :01:53.that sent the first men to the moon. It can hold my personal diary, my
:01:53. > :02:01.video player, it can even monitor my blood pressure. But I cannot
:02:01. > :02:04.make a decent call. Not that he ever makes sense anyway.
:02:04. > :02:07.The user experience of phone calls, while it has become more ubiquitous,
:02:07. > :02:14.you can make a call anywhere, has not fundamentally changed in 100
:02:14. > :02:17.years. It sounds the same as it did when telephones were first invented.
:02:17. > :02:23.Phone technology has radically changed since 1876 but the basic
:02:23. > :02:27.desire in making a call is still the same. To hear and be heard
:02:27. > :02:37.clearly. So why do we still suffer from bad connections and dropped
:02:37. > :02:39.
:02:39. > :02:42.calls? The smartphones of today have nothing to do with the phones
:02:42. > :02:46.of yesterday. They are purely focused on noise, managing voice
:02:46. > :02:50.signals and grabbing onto that antenna to get the perfect signal.
:02:50. > :02:53.We have to deal with data, mobile broadband and applications. What
:02:53. > :02:59.happens is the operators are having to start applying this new
:02:59. > :03:02.technology in their networks. a real-estate issue. There are two
:03:02. > :03:09.aspects. One is room for electronics that can help voice.
:03:10. > :03:13.The other is space for microphones and speakers. What little space
:03:13. > :03:19.there is for electronics seems to be earmarked for glassy extras. The
:03:19. > :03:23.kind of stuff in advertising campaigns. People's priorities have
:03:23. > :03:29.changed. Most people are interested in cameras, what apps they can get,
:03:29. > :03:35.things like that. And then there are efficiency measures as we
:03:35. > :03:39.demand better performance. They are designed with a view to saving
:03:40. > :03:43.battery life. So they connect and disconnect multiple times. This
:03:43. > :03:48.puts a lot of strain on the signalling network which is not
:03:48. > :03:58.designed to cope with all of that signalling traffic. As a result,
:03:58. > :04:01.Mobile sales can only carry a certain number of calls. So if your
:04:01. > :04:05.call disconnects from the network and there are no free spots when
:04:05. > :04:10.you want to call, you may have to wait, even if your handset is
:04:10. > :04:13.showing several bars of signal. But arguably one of the biggest hurdles
:04:14. > :04:20.facing the mobile industry today is the distribution of the spectrum
:04:20. > :04:25.available for their traffic. Imagine I am a mobile operator and
:04:25. > :04:30.this tomato is my available bandwidth. When we want to provide
:04:30. > :04:38.a few different services, we can slice it nice and thick. We make
:04:38. > :04:40.sure everybody gets a sizable, reliable chunk. But in today's
:04:40. > :04:44.world, where operators need to slice their available bandwidth
:04:44. > :04:48.ever more thinly to feed the hunger for things like video, apps and
:04:48. > :04:55.research projects, it does not take a master chef to realise there will
:04:56. > :04:59.be a trade off. In data terms, voice does not need
:04:59. > :05:05.much bandwidth. Typically, one- third of streaming music or one-
:05:05. > :05:09.tenth of video. But it needs to be a consistent connection. Where as
:05:09. > :05:16.data for a webpage can be sent in fits and starts, slowly building up
:05:16. > :05:19.the image, we tend to notice if our caller's voice breaks up or drops.
:05:19. > :05:23.But dropped calls may not be solely down to the network.
:05:23. > :05:31.Have you ever had a phone that was particularly good at making for
:05:31. > :05:35.taking calls? Not all handsets are made the same. Where you put your
:05:35. > :05:41.antenna, for example, is important. Apple's revolutionary idea to wrap
:05:41. > :05:44.it around the outside of the handset seemed like a step forward.
:05:44. > :05:51.Until users quickly found the signal dropped nothing if you held
:05:52. > :05:55.the iPhone 4 a certain away. Red- faced Apple offered free covers.
:05:55. > :06:05.And there are different frequencies so the number of chips can also
:06:05. > :06:07.
:06:07. > :06:10.interfere with call quality. It is a real challenge for the equipment
:06:10. > :06:13.manufacturers to get it all packed into the same device and have it
:06:13. > :06:22.work in different countries and across various spectrum's that a
:06:22. > :06:25.given operator may have within any single country. Sometimes, your
:06:25. > :06:30.handset struggles to lock onto a signal, even though you know there
:06:30. > :06:37.is one there because you made calls from that location before. But zero
:06:37. > :06:41.bars does not necessarily mean you cannot make a call. If your display
:06:41. > :06:46.shows no signal, do not fear. It may actually have stopped hunting
:06:46. > :06:50.around for one. It does that to save battery but you can force your
:06:50. > :06:58.phone to check for a signal by simply turning the airplane mode on
:06:58. > :07:05.and then back off again. And then it should go hunting. And as 4G
:07:05. > :07:09.networks move out, more calls can be made over internet protocol.
:07:09. > :07:14.That solved some of the issues. Other recent advances could help
:07:14. > :07:18.with the call experience as well. Noise reduction technologies in
:07:18. > :07:21.phones have been around for a few years. But they are evolving as
:07:21. > :07:28.well by isolating your voice and eliminating background noise, even
:07:28. > :07:31.if you are in an incredibly busy environment. With the technology
:07:31. > :07:41.available, you can transmit a full audible bandwidth which only humans
:07:41. > :07:44.
:07:44. > :07:48.can hear. You can transmit a few audible bandwidth. So some
:07:48. > :07:55.operators have already added the new Kodak to their networks
:07:55. > :07:58.delivering what is being marketed as her HTC voice. But does it work?
:07:58. > :08:02.I can hear the voice coming through clearly, even over the microphones
:08:02. > :08:12.and craziness in the background. is very clear. There was no static.
:08:12. > :08:16.There did not seem to be any blanks. good. Our chips are very small and
:08:16. > :08:22.we have taken full advantage of the miniaturisation that is possible.
:08:22. > :08:26.That is actually the size of our chip. I am sure Alexander Graham
:08:26. > :08:30.Bell would not even recognise the device we call a telephone today.
:08:30. > :08:40.But he may find it a little easier to recognise the voice of the
:08:40. > :08:43.
:08:43. > :08:47.person calling. OK, next is a look at this week's
:08:47. > :08:51.Tech News. A government plan to monitor emails
:08:51. > :08:54.and web surfing in the UK has sparked a row with civil liberties
:08:54. > :08:58.groups and some MPs who say the proposed laws would be an invasion
:08:58. > :09:01.of privacy. Downing Street has not finalised the proposals but say any
:09:01. > :09:04.new legislation would focus on who was communicating with who, when
:09:04. > :09:10.and where, rather than the content of any exchanges which would still
:09:10. > :09:15.require a warrant. It says the changes are needed as more people
:09:15. > :09:23.use online communications. Users of the TomTom sat nav have
:09:23. > :09:26.been driven around the bend by what they say is interference. Some of
:09:26. > :09:29.the devices have stopped working. Drivers in Switzerland, the UK and
:09:30. > :09:33.Denmark say the screen went grey and the machine said it had no
:09:33. > :09:35.signal. The firm said it was working on a fix and promised
:09:35. > :09:41.further updates. Imagine seeing all of the
:09:41. > :09:45.information you need by looking at the world around you. This is
:09:46. > :09:49.Google's vision of how augmented reality may work in a few years. It
:09:49. > :09:56.revealed what it calls Project Glass - a display that offers
:09:56. > :10:01.information triggered by voice or location. Keep your eye on Click
:10:01. > :10:07.for a closer look at this. These villagers in Lancashire have
:10:07. > :10:10.gotten bored with waiting for a super-fast broadband connection. So
:10:10. > :10:14.they have started laying their own network. Many volunteers with
:10:14. > :10:17.spades took part in digging an 83 kilometre long trench. When
:10:17. > :10:24.finished, it will connect to several villagers and provide fibre
:10:24. > :10:28.optic cables. They hope to be switched on by July.
:10:28. > :10:30.Finally, we may be one step closer to the flying cars we were promised
:10:31. > :10:36.as two companies say they have successfully concluded the first
:10:36. > :10:40.test flight. The transition vehicle from a US company has two seats,
:10:40. > :10:46.four wheels and wings that fold so it can be driven like an old
:10:46. > :10:56.fashion car. Meanwhile in Europe, the Dutch made personal air and
:10:56. > :11:01.land vehicle folds down to a three- wheel car. Lovely!
:11:01. > :11:05.Now, how many of these have you lost in your life? It is too easy
:11:05. > :11:09.to leave one plugged into somebody else's machine or let it slip out
:11:09. > :11:18.of your pocket. But we are increasingly storing more valuable
:11:18. > :11:27.things on these. This could help. It is like a simple USB flash drive.
:11:27. > :11:31.But it is not a simple USB flash drive. This is armed to the teeth.
:11:31. > :11:38.Used by the secret service, inside it has a GPS receiver, a battery
:11:38. > :11:45.and a mobile SIM card. That means you can track its location if it
:11:45. > :11:49.goes walkabout. The battery recharges every time it is plugged
:11:49. > :11:57.into the PC, which means you can track it to the nearest mobile cell
:11:57. > :12:00.or, if it can see the GPS satellite, right down to a volcanic lair. If
:12:00. > :12:09.your documents are for your eyes only, you can block access to them
:12:09. > :12:15.remotely through the online console or by sending a coded text message.
:12:15. > :12:19.And if locking it is not enough, it has one final trick. With one fatal
:12:19. > :12:23.click, you can shoot a high-voltage charge into its core, melting the
:12:23. > :12:33.chip, destroying the evidence and saving the world. But it comes with
:12:33. > :12:42.
:12:42. > :12:50.The French city of Bordeaux, famous for wonderful wines and fabulous
:12:50. > :12:52.food. It is on a drive to promote its geeky side. It is hosting its
:12:52. > :12:59.second Digital Week, getting those who have turned cold by technology
:12:59. > :13:09.a little more involved. Skateboarders are not normally
:13:09. > :13:17.found in Bordeaux city centre, but this is Digital Week. Town Hall is
:13:17. > :13:20.giving skaters some licence. Skateboarders are getting radio
:13:20. > :13:30.frequency ID bracelets so that photographers can fire off snaps of
:13:30. > :13:34.
:13:34. > :13:44.them to their Facebook pages and post them on the website. Radio
:13:44. > :13:45.
:13:45. > :13:48.frequency ID is like the key. We check the bracelet, that is the key.
:13:48. > :13:58.The smartphone sends the picture on the service. We can send it on
:13:58. > :13:59.
:13:59. > :14:02.Facebook. When we think of Bordeaux we think of wine and food. This
:14:02. > :14:12.local technical company has knocked together a recipe finder called the
:14:12. > :14:23.
:14:23. > :14:26.Saveur Digital. You can find cooking tips on the website. The
:14:26. > :14:31.idea is to build a bridge between the traditional products of this
:14:31. > :14:40.region and new technology. Particularly useful when it comes
:14:40. > :14:50.to ingredients that could be difficult to swallow. Like tripe.
:14:50. > :14:52.
:14:52. > :14:56.If it is not cooked properly it can be dangerous. If you have the right
:14:56. > :15:02.instructions it can be easy to understand and nice. Bordeaux's
:15:02. > :15:08.town hall wants to promote local IT companies. They are running a
:15:08. > :15:10.ground-breaking design course. It includes data visualisation, data
:15:10. > :15:15.collected by governments or companies is illustrated so that
:15:15. > :15:25.people can physically manipulate and understand it. It is where data
:15:25. > :15:31.
:15:31. > :15:41.design and democracy meet. We live in a society where information is
:15:41. > :15:46.
:15:46. > :15:56.omnipresent. It is a way to understand them better. It is a way
:15:56. > :15:58.
:15:58. > :16:04.of summing up data in a clear presentation. When Bordeaux's
:16:04. > :16:08.design students graduate they will need a place to work.
:16:08. > :16:16.Town hall is giving over one of its unused buildings as a nursery for
:16:16. > :16:24.IT start-ups. The idea is to get people with ideas and drive
:16:24. > :16:32.together under the one roof. It is not just exploring what is possible
:16:32. > :16:35.with technology, but what is not. They do not buy into the widely
:16:35. > :16:39.held belief that it is easy to work on Skype with someone in India as
:16:39. > :16:42.it is to work with someone in the same room. They believe if you want
:16:42. > :16:51.to get something started from the ground up, you need to have all
:16:51. > :16:54.your expertise in one place. Giving people a hand up early on is what
:16:54. > :16:57.allez less e-filles is about. Girls like technology, not just as
:16:57. > :17:07.consumers, but they are put off by the stereotype of the anti-social
:17:07. > :17:11.
:17:11. > :17:15.geek. TRANSLATION: Boys are often stronger in technology. As soon as
:17:15. > :17:24.a girl sits down at the computer they say, leave it to me because I
:17:25. > :17:33.am better. Companies are looking for women in website positions.
:17:33. > :17:42.Mostly because they are more perfectionist in their tasks. This
:17:42. > :17:45.is an added value for a company to meet a woman. When you look at the
:17:45. > :17:48.make-up of classes and technical schools there are an enormous
:17:48. > :17:51.number of boys but very few girls. That is what we are trying to
:17:51. > :17:59.succeed with his operation, attracting girls to this profession,
:17:59. > :18:04.which is the profession of the future. Bordeaux's Digital Week has
:18:04. > :18:06.outlined some audacious plans for the future. Plans that could turn a
:18:06. > :18:16.beautiful French city renowned for its culinary expertise into a
:18:16. > :18:18.
:18:18. > :18:26.Now, as we reported a few weeks ago, next year you'll be able to take a
:18:26. > :18:28.trip into space for $200,000. If you do not have that kind of spare
:18:28. > :18:31.cash lying around, do not worry because NASA is offering a
:18:31. > :18:41.different trip with a down-to-earth price tag where you can put space
:18:41. > :18:45.
:18:46. > :18:49.40 years after we put the first man on the Moon, now you can hold of
:18:49. > :18:59.the Moon in your hands with NASA's free smartphone app for Android and
:18:59. > :19:09.
:19:09. > :19:12.iPhone. There is enough video to satisfy any armchair astronaut. If
:19:12. > :19:16.you want to find something random to read, the features section is
:19:17. > :19:24.where you should head. All of the articles are accompanied with high
:19:24. > :19:33.quality imagery that we have come to expect from NASA. You can have
:19:33. > :19:43.the app set your wallpaper with NASA's image of the day. Who needs
:19:43. > :19:45.
:19:45. > :19:48.a $200,000 ticket to the Earth's outer atmosphere anyway? When you
:19:48. > :19:52.are starting out in business getting the right advice can be
:19:52. > :19:55.vital. When it comes to technology that advice can be expensive.
:19:55. > :19:58.Hackerbuddy.com is a great social concept that works to put together
:19:58. > :20:07.start up coders and designers so they can help each other out with
:20:07. > :20:11.free advice through e-mail. You think hacker, you think bad guy,
:20:11. > :20:15.right? He wants to break into your bank account or bring down a blue-
:20:15. > :20:17.chip website. In computer programming circles the word hacker
:20:17. > :20:26.can describe anyone who knows how to code useful and interesting
:20:26. > :20:33.websites. Mark Zuckerberg and the Facebook team are examples of non
:20:33. > :20:41.malicious hackers. The website is young but it is already home to
:20:41. > :20:44.5,000 members. If they accept your plea for help you are given e-mail
:20:44. > :20:53.addresses. You can progress the project without the website's
:20:53. > :20:57.involvement. When it comes to school sports day
:20:57. > :21:03.you need to be there in person. For top-flight sport supporters
:21:03. > :21:13.catching it live on TV is the next best thing. Livesport.co.uk bills
:21:13. > :21:19.
:21:19. > :21:23.itself as the definitive UK Sport TV Guide. You'll never miss a match.
:21:23. > :21:25.The navigation bar on the left let's you search for a sport from
:21:25. > :21:35.American football to wrestling. There are listings for 3D TV
:21:35. > :21:41.
:21:41. > :21:44.broadcasts. It is a free app for iPhone, Android and Blackberry. You
:21:44. > :21:54.can save it in Google Calendar. As the saying goes, in the back of the
:21:54. > :21:56.
:21:56. > :21:59.net my son. If you are stuck for something
:21:59. > :22:06.creative to do with your cover image, this post on design and
:22:06. > :22:09.photography, MachoArts, showcases some brilliant ideas. After racking
:22:09. > :22:19.up 30 million iPhone users, Instagram finally released their
:22:19. > :22:30.
:22:30. > :22:34.free app on Android this week. Only if you have 2.0 and up.
:22:34. > :22:37.Finally, the story of the disposable camera. Camera Obscura
:22:37. > :22:40.Project is the home of the snap happy project where a throwaway
:22:40. > :22:47.camera was left with instructions for whoever found it to take a
:22:47. > :22:50.photo and leave it somewhere else to be found again. The experiment
:22:50. > :22:56.was such a success they are sending out a batch of cameras around the
:22:56. > :23:01.UK, in London, Brighton and Manchester. What will they catch on
:23:01. > :23:11.their travels this time? Will any of them make it home to be
:23:11. > :23:16.published on this blog? Watch this space to find out.
:23:16. > :23:26.That was Kate Russell with Webscape. If you missed any of the links, you
:23:26. > :23:28.