Hasta La Gadget!

UK ISP BT Broadband has taken the step to block all access to porn by default if you happen to be a new customer. This should not be seen as a particularly new move, since from earlier this summer, there were whispered changes that were to be made for Web users in the UK. UK Prime Minister David Cameron has supported the rather extensive campaigning by special interest groups over the last few years, for internet service providers (ISPs) to block access to adult content by default, and if they refuse, a new legislation would force them to do so.

I do not see what is the issue here, as it is not as though users are unable to opt out of such content blocks should they choose to view adult content over the Internet. Basically, for new BT Broadband customers, when they are hooked to the Internet for the first time, they will have to choose whether to leave the block enabled or not, and anyone who does not opt out at that point in time will be able to check out the range of content that they are able to access via a compatible device such as a PC, tablet, smartphone or notebook. Three levels of protection, namely Strict, Moderate and Light make up this porn blocking effort, where each level can be customized accordingly. Every time a change to the settings are made, an email will be sent to the account holder to alert them of the changes made.

BT Broadband Will Block Porn By Default For New Customers original content from Ubergizmo.

Though rural dwellers are often broadband-poor, there seems to be plenty of companies lining up to serve them in the UK. Regulator Ofcom just announced participants for its “white space” or unused spectrum trials, including Microsoft, Google, Click4Internet and British Telecom. Redmond’s going to test WiFi-like services to underserved Glasgow, while Click4internet will assess rural broadband in remote or tricky locations. Google has signed on as a potential database provider, and other use cases like traffic management will be tested by BT and others. Ofcom wants to launch such services by next year and released a blueprint detailing how existing mobile and digital terrestrial TV spectrums could be divvied up. To see all the companies and what each plans to do, check the source.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Wireless, Internet

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Source: Ofcom

Despite receiving hundreds of millions of pounds in government subsidies, the effort to bring high-speed internet to rural parts of the UK seems to be running seriously behind schedule. The National Audit Office (NAO) says the original goal of providing 90 percent of Brits with access to at least a 25Mbps connection by May 2015 will likely be pushed back to the end of 2016 — and at a cost that’s £207 million ($312 million) more than first anticipated. A big part of the problem, according to the NAO, is a lack of competition among those bidding to help with the project. BT has already been awarded more than half of the local contracts and no other company is in the running to scoop up what’s left. As well as slowing things down, this effective monopoly may also be adding to the financial pain; whereas before the government expected BT to foot 36 percent of the bill, that’s now dropped to just 23 percent. Microsoft’s whitespace idea could avoid all these issues, but in terms of schedules it seems just as remote.

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Source: The Telegraph

YouView, the relatively young set-top TV service has managed to establish itself in 400,000 houses, the company revealed today. Its CEO, Richard Halton added that 2.2 million video streams are now being consumed every week. To celebrate all this viewing, it’s going to be launching an Android app in the coming weeks, which will remotely control the TV and recordings, essentially catching up to the iOS version already out there. The app will be optimized for several Google-powered handsets, including the Galaxy S2, S3, Ace, Nexus 4 and (perhaps oddly) the HTC One S. However, according to Pocket-Lint, the incoming app will still work on handsets running Android 2.3, just, well, unoptimized.

Better still, YouView promises to launch multiple new internet channels (through providers BT and TalkTalk), adding to the 70 broadcast channels available on the box at the moment. It’ll likely be ready in time for BT’s own sports channel, although YouView mentioned a loosely-defined summer launch. YouView promises that its new internet channels will include the ability to rewind and search for content, behaving almost identically to typical channels. There’s no specified channel list just yet, but we’re sure TalkTalk and BT will be filling us in on all the details ahead of any launch.

Filed under: Displays, Internet, HD

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Source: Pocket-Lint (1), (2), (3)

BT’s plan to match Sky on sporting rights has already seen it spend big to buy ESPN UK, but how does it plan on recouping that cash? By giving away £738 million ($1.1 billion) worth of live Premier League games for “free” to new and existing BT customers. The headline-grabbing move will see 38 games available to BT Vision and BT Broadband customers, while the latter can upgrade their streams to HD for £3 ($4.70) per month. Customers will also be able to watch 69 live Aviva Premiership rugby games, as well as football soccer matches from the Bundesliga, Ligue-1 and Serie A. Of course, while it may sound great, there is a catch — BT has decided that Tim Lovejoy will host some of the channel’s coverage.

Filed under: Internet, HD

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Via: BTLife

Source: BT Sport (Twitter), BT