I like to think I keep ahead of the technological wave in terms of using new Technology.

As such, I believe online streamed/downloaded services are due to increase with online movies, tv, and such to increase over the coming year.   This is to comment on one service that I personally use called Metaboli which I think is one of the most advanced services on offer right now.

Metaboli basically are the Napster for PC gaming (for lack of a better way to describe them), and I’ve personally been using them, and paying up with my own cash for around 8 months now.  Technology basically downloads an encrypted version of the game to your hard disk which you can play as long as you continue to subscribe.

They offer a library of currently 80 PC games for £6.95 a month (older budget titles), with a library also including a ~30 selection of newer (some even pre-shop release) games available for £12.95 a month.    As time goes on titles move from the latter collection to the former.   I subscribe to the latter.

Why?   Well, I look at it as spending £12.95 a month for what has been a minimum of 4 titles a month to be reasonable.

The installer/downloader also is sweet in terms of what it allows.   I only have a total of 250Gb of storage, which in modern games terms is tiny.   This allows me to keep a library of ~20-30 games on my 120Gb of scratch space for the kids.    Whats clever about metaboli is that if I delete a game (which is a simple 20 sec operation), for the cost of 20Mb or so, I can retain the saves so if I choose to return to a game its no big deal and only takes the download time to get back (which on 8Mbit/sec broadband isn’t too long).   It also streams the games so you don’t need 100% to be downloaded to play (and it will keep downloading whilst you play).

As above, recently they have been putting games on Metaboli at the same time as they arrive in the shops in some cases, and in one recent case a month ahead of the retail release.

The only problem to all these services really comes in ISP’s download limits - I’m currently downloading ~ 60Gb of legally allowed stuff a month - luckily with my ISP this isn’t a problem as I get a unlimited out-of-hours transfer deal - but knowing ISP’s cost bases - this could become a problem in the future?     And I’m someone who doesn’t use Bittorrent for non-legal purposes!

If I take Metaboli, SkybyBroadband, and other such services, and as does the entire country - will the broadband network cope?   As a network designer, and having seen the BT Wholesale network’s architecture in places (through contacts at ISP’s - I used to work at one!) - I think not currently.   Some exchanges only have low levels of backhaul to the national network (10-34Mbit/sec) - so if everyone does what I do right now, there WILL be problems/slowdown!

Do you actually get more done when working at home?

I’ve not read any official studies on this, but I personally find that it varies depending on the type of work.  Some things are better, some worse from experience.

For example if I am working on a project plan or a long running complex piece of work - working at home certainally is beneficial - and allows you to knock out more work without distraction.

However, if I am working on problem tickets then again it is beneficial as I can just knock loads out in a day.

What I miss from being in the office is the walk-in shop type of problems - which in my line of work can often be the most interesting issues - you know the “Why is this (insert very wierd network/security issue here) happening?” - this can be a benefit or a problem depending on my work for that day generally.

Other aspects you miss are office interactions - which when working on a large project can be critial - example we recently caught was a router failing to be ordered in a huge project project (one of 100 - but a critial piece nonetheless) due to a misunderstanding of whether it was actually needed due to the parties all being at home that day.

I have recently had the pleasure of staying in a NHS Hospital.    Which of course meant I was disconnected from the outside world in terms of IT, and was therefore made to read books, listen to mp3’s and watch the inane 12 (20 total, but some had limited hours) channels of freeview available at an extortionate 3 pounds a day.

The unit I had on my bed did have Internet access but it was in a limited browser which appeared to be powered by a 9600 baud modem.   It also had a touch screen interface, and no capability to change.   This made actually using the thing near impossible and thus I gave up.   The system was made by the below, and was however better than the alternative of the dreaded “day room” and having to listen to other people who seemed to want to talk all day (and repeat themselves constantly which is a habit I find very annoying).   Anyhow, the system was made by a outfit called Premier Bedside.

A few tips to the above:
1/  Get a better Internet connection in west suffolk hospital please!
2/  Supply keyboards/mouses
3/   Allow user installed software/java etc - the limitations of this browser couldn’t be stated - most webmail interfaces wouldn’t work.

Overall the TV quality was very bad.   I think the whole system may have worked off a cat-5 ethernet with multicast delivery of the TV - which was suffering far worse than Freeview normally does in terms of artifacts, so it may have gone through a local recompression on site (ie 2 mpeg 2-4 compression).   It may be feasible for them to not use multicast at all currently I suppose.

With modern technology they  should try to send all 6 freeview multiplexes direct to bedside on multicast… now that would be good, low cost, and shouldn’t have as many artifacts.   And when CBBC/Cbeebies finish, put BBC3/4 on - its not like that should be hard.

And to make my day complete:
I’ve found out off my Sister who is studying at Addenbrooks (Cambridge) that wireless is available throughout the hospital.    Now thats a good idea!