Never let it be said that I’m a little slow or behind the times but I’ve only just got round to watching that new horror series everyone’s been raving about.

You know, the one based in the Big Brother house starring Jaime Winstone and some other people? Where they have to fend off flesh eating Zombies, including Davina McCall? It’s called Dead Set.

It’s a bit silly but also a little bit addictive and I’ve now watched it to the end. Although the ending is a little bit non in my opinion.

My favourite line in the whole thing is when they stand on the roof looking down at all the zombie action going on outside the sanctity of the BB house.

Joplin, played by Kevin Eldon of Big Train and Brass Eye fame, says: “The government or Army must have tested something they shouldn’t.”

Veronica (played by Beth Cordingly who’s been in Family Affairs and the Bill for those who care about that sort of trivia) replies: “What, like GM foods or something?”

Joplin is quick to respond, adding: “Maybe. Or Wi-Fi. God knows what that does to your molecules.”

“Does this mean we’re not on telly anymore,” is fame-hungry Veronica’s reaction to finding herself standing on a roof while zombies rip bodies apart just yards from her feet.

It’s amazing how quickly your ears prick up at tech references when your job immerses you in IT. And, I’m connected to Wi-Fi while writing this blog, so watch out people. You never know how it might affect me!

I’m feeling a bit sorry for myself today. You see, I flew back from Germany with BA last week and I’m heading off to Las Vegas with Virgin next week and my confidence has just been shattered. Apparently I’m a chav and I smell….

Well that’s what some ex members of staff from the aforementioned airlines reckon anyway!

It would seem some staff have been using social networking giant Facebook to be a bit anti-social about passengers.

Virgin Atlantic was the first airline to deal with the offending members of staff – 13 apparently – by sacking them and issuing a statement detailing how unacceptable it found the behaviour.

An airline spokesman added weight to the statement by telling the BBC: “There is no justification for it to be used as a sounding board for staff of any company to criticise the very passengers who ultimately pay their salaries. We have numerous internal channels for our staff to feed back legitimate and appropriate issues relating to the company.”

Then news broke that some of BA’s clan were behaving in a similar way, getting irritated by our odour and the fact that some of us like to use our mouths to hold boarding passes while embarking.

Media reports suggest the staff are being investigated.

I’m as much a fan of Facebook as the next person but, as the Virgin spokesman rightly pointed out, there is a time and a place. I would never dream of venting my 9-5 woes or rant about people I work with on such a public forum. Some thoughts are definitely best left unsaid.

I was always taught that if you don’t have anything nice to say you should just keep schtum. Or at the very least don’t go sounding off on the interweb.

The next instalment in the 007 spy series – Quantum of Solace – opened at the cinema this week as is likely to be enjoyed as much for its high-tech coolness as it is for its stunts, baddies and bond girls.

In fact, according to media reports, it’s already broken box office records by raking in just short of £5 million in ticket sales in its opening day.

A child of the 80s, I grew up on such cheesy but oh-so-enjoyable televisual fodder as (both from that era and a hangover from the 60s and 70s) Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun, Octopussy and Licence to Kill. The other staples in my viewing diet consisted of Bless This House, The Good Life, On the Buses and the Carry On series. But Bond – whether Roger Moore, Sean Connery or Pierce Brosnan but not so much Timothy Dalton and George Lazenby – always had a special place in my heart.

As an aside, did you know that Bob Holness of BlockBusters fame also starred as James Bond? Yep, he played the lead role in a 1956 South African radio production of Moonraker.

From a young age, I was fascinated by the weird and wonderful technology used both to fight against the baddies and by the likes of Blofeld themselves in their quest for world domination.

That’s why I have high hopes for The Quantum of Solace. While many of my colleagues and friends in the industry have already rushed to preview screenings, I prefer to savour the build up and intend to watch it later this week.

Daniel Craig managed to rock the role in Casino Royale so I’m hoping for great things from him in this film. As a bit of a gadget freak, I’ll be paying close attention to what phone(s) he’s got and how many countries he visits to call/text from - creating a mental picture of just how big that roaming bill would be in reality because I might just be that sad!

One of my all time favourite pieces of Bond tech has got to be the leg cast missile sported by Q in GoldenEye. What’s yours?

There’s something in that old cliche of working hard and playing hard. As such, welcome to the first instalment of the IT PRO Fridge.

Here, we’ll bring you a pick of the coolest stuff around to play with, attend, consume or just plain old enjoy when you’re having some well-deserved R&R from the day job.

Enjoy!

Run to the beat this Sunday

What better way to de-stress from the week gone by than by running? It just so happens that Sony Ericsson has the answer… The mobile maker has created an event called Run to the Beat. So if you’re keen to do a half London marathon, get yourself over to Greenwich this Sunday. If it’s too late to join in, you could also stand by and watch. After, all it’s the thought that counts!

As a precursor to the event, Sony conducted some research into what tunes people like to listen to while they’re running.

Apparently, the band that gets people’s legs moving quicker than anything is The Killers. Queen is also up there as a running-inspired group and, what runner wouldn’t want to listen to Eye of the Tiger by Survivor?

Apparently, tennis supremo Andy Murray chooses ‘Let’s Get It Started’ by the Black Eyed Peas when he wants to get in the mood for a game, while rowing champion James Cracknell opts for something from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ ‘Blood Sugar Sex Magik’ album.

And it’s not just all a bit of fun either. As well as the obvious health benefits of such exercise, research by Brunel University’s Dr Costas Karageoghis has found that an indvidual’s running perfomance could be boosted by as much as 20 per cent simply by picking the right tunes.

What music gets your motor ready to speed race?

So, Twitter has dropped its SMS offering in the UK because it’s costing the company too much ( http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/218880/twitter-drops-uk-text-message-support.html).

I must admit, I did always wonder how long it would last. It’s a great idea, but unfortunately – like so many great ideas that have come and gone before – great ideas cannot survive on love and air (and popularity, of course) alone.

Twitter hopes to continue talks with operators in the coming months with a view to perhaps breathing new life (and a less expensive one at that) into the service. Fingers crossed it has some success as I know many Twitterers out there who are feeling a bit naked as a result of the loss.

A recent survey by internet service provider (ISP) Plusnet and YouGov revealed that 92 per cent of Brits see their broadband pipes as such a necessity now that, even when tightening their belts during the current credit crunch, the tech is on their ‘keep’ list.

As an online addict who can’t cope being more than a few hours away from my next fix of web, I can fully understand why the figures are so high. What’s more, the survey showed that more than a third of people would rather ditch cigarettes, alcohol and magazine subscriptions than lose their precious web access.

I’m guessing if the same survey was conducted among businesses, the percentage would probably be much higher. After all, if we as consumers can’t get our web fix we just get a bit grumpy and feel a bit disconnected from goings on. The story is somewhat different for corporates, with loss of reputation and earnings on the menu if the online world puts them in purgatory.

How much time do you spend online each day/week? Do you feel your web usage is borderline addictive? I’m intrigued to find out if I’m ‘normal’ or not. Whatever that may be….

I’m in shock. I’ve just moved house. Both my gas and electric are provided by British Gas. That was until today. I plan to change to another provider as a result of yesterday’s price hike news (a whopping 35% for gas and 9% for electric for anyone that didn’t hear) and today’s announcement that its parent company’s bank balance is looking pretty healthy.

Other energy providers are expected to announce prike hikes very soon. ‘Tis sad but true but it’s more a case of when rather than if.

Although this is obviously bad news for many consumers and does nothing to help the ‘verge of recession’ doomsayers, but what impact will this have on businesses?

We all talk about IT budgets and how expensive kit is, but there’s no point whatsoever in having lots of shiny new boxes if they have nothing to power them. Gas and electricity are big overheads for business. When the price goes up, what happens? Staff cut backs or possibly increased prices for customers? In short, yet another blow to hit Joe Public where it hurts.

Comparison sites like uSwitch are helping consumers navigate their way out of the energy doldrums and I suspect businesses will not be short of alterative providers or consultants vying for their attention and business. But how long can this energy crisis go on? How long before all businesses start dedicating a couple of meeting rooms for exercise bikes. Not to ensure their employees are healthy but to power the company on? Sounds a bit far-fetched but you never know. Going green and creating your own energy might just be the way to hit the energy players where it hurts in return. Back atchya!

First of all, I’m still deeply in love with the iPhone 3G. It’s as nice to look at as the original, but it has a little more between its ears which is very pleasing indeed.

Keen to ensure the first gen device doesn’t feel too unloved, I decided to jazz it up a little by turning it into a light saber. I’m a big kid at heart and I am having a lot of fun with my new found toy. Granted, this is not a business application, but all business peeps need to relax now and again. What better way to do so than with a light saber?

Had difficultly filming myself enjoying Luke Skywalker-esque fun, so here’s a reconstruction of the event courteousy of a You Tuber.

Fighting Darf Vader is thirsty work so if you need a drink after all that light sabering, developers are one step ahead of you!

This is probably going to be one of the shortest blog posts I ever write, but I just wanted to share my excitement.

As you all know, the iPhone 3G launches today (well, a few hours ago to be precise as stores opened at 8.02am) and I have a briefing with O2 later today where I’ll get the chance to play with the new device and check out the new features.

In a nutshell, I can’t wait. I’ll be posting more information, another in-depth blog and some pics as soon as I’ve had a chance to get to know the handset a little better.

So, what are your thoughts on launch day, then? Worth the build up or a bit of an anti climax?

Another month, another product launch to keep me entertained/busy/excited/bemused/annoyed etc…

But the product we’re all waiting for this month is different. Some are hoping it will be in a league of its own. It hardly needs any introduction, but the product in question is, of course, the new iPhone (iPhone 3G to be precise). It’s going to hit our shores on July 11th and I’m already counting down the day, hours and minutes. My brain keeps losing track though so I won’t show up my poor maths skills by publishing the exact number!

Are you excited or nonchalant about the new arrival and, more importantly, will you be getting one?