News about or from Bristol Wireless
It’s summer again (allegedly) and Bristol Wireless is sitting in the countryside playing with technology. We’re providing the technical infrastructure and running some of the workshops at Hacktionlab (news passim), which is being held this weekend at Stepping Stones Housing Co-operative, Highbury Farm in the picturesque Wye Valley. We’re using the barn as a dining […]
The last 2 weeks yer ‘umble scribe has been to 2 events organised by DC10plus, a collaborative project that has grown up between the finalists (Bristol, Birmingham and Shropshire, Ealing, Hull, Norfolk, Nottingham, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Stratford on Avon and Sunderland) of the Government’s Digital Challenge, who have formed an alliance to spend £2 million […]
We’ve been on new ground this week at Bristol Wireless. All week we’ve had Guy and Isaac, two pupils from Fairfield High School, with us in the lab as part of their work experience. BW: “What have you been doing with us this week?” Guy: “We’ve been learning about Linux, LTSP, hardware, building a computer […]
Malcolm, a friendly chartered accountant who helps with our books, recently emailed our treasurer his opinions on Gnucash, the personal and small-business financial-accounting software that runs on GNU/Linux, BSD, Solaris, Mac OS X and that other unspoken OS from Redmond. His words are reproduced below: Couldn’t resist the lure of FREE* software, so downloaded it […]
Bristol Wireless are hosting an evening of radical geekery at St Werburghs Centre (Horley Road) on Sunday 11th May from 5.30pm. You’re invited to try out some of the excellent projects they’ve been developing with free software and discarded computer kit, listen to talks on the rise of the Creative Commons movement, learn about the […]
Digital Inclusion Conference, The Brewery, London, Tuesday 30 April 08 Only two-thirds of people go online in the UK. The remaining third don’t use the internet at all. That’s 17 million people who are ‘digitally excluded’. This conference set out to address this remaining third. The government are so keen to address this issue that […]
Ben Green writes: We are in Debian Weekly News! We are down the bottom with: “Co-operative Breathes New Life into Old Machines with Debian” We’re in the news for the 21st April 2008 and the actual piece in question highlighted by Ben reads: Co-operative Breathes New Life into Old Machines with Debian “Bristol Wireless is […]
A date for your diaries: on Sunday 11th May next, Bristol Wireless will be hosting an event entitled ‘The Virtual Commons’ at St Werburghs Community Centre. It will form part of Bristol Radical History Group’s forthcoming ‘Down With The Fences’ programme, which runs from Thursday May 1st to Sunday May 11th 2008. The fortnight of […]
As part of a longstanding commitment to Dove Street Action Group (DSAG), Bristol Wireless are developing a wireless network around the flats. This work had been funded by UFI under the user journey project. There is still some infrastructure left to install, but the first two households have now been connected. Both are really pleased […]
Your average canine lives in a world of smell: they have nearly 220 million smell-sensitive cells over an area about the size of a pocket handkerchief (compared to 5 million over an area the size of a postage stamp for humans). Needless to say, this facility has been put to use in so-called sniffer dogs, […]
Easterhegg 2008 in Cologne has now vanished, like the rabbit down the hole in Alice in Wonderland and – besides the souvenir mug and T-shirt – what’s left besides memories? I hope to try and answer that question. It’s been a wonderful long Easter weekend in the Rhineland, including the unexpected sight of snow […]
It’s Easter Sunday in Cologne and, while the rest of the world is tucking into confectionery normally involving chocolate, the main hall at Easterhegg 2008 exists in a world of its own. Indeed, in the lobby just outside is a sign pointing outside and reading ‘Real World‘. Yesterday was very profitable. As I mentioned […]
Every year Germany’s Chaos Computer Club (CCC) organises a cosy event (250 people or thereabouts). This year’s is being held in Cologne in a converted 19th century chocolate factory (which has also served time as an armoury) now owned by the city council and run as a community building with art gallery plus cafe. I’m […]
It’s just over a week to go to Document Freedom Day on 26th March and Bristol Wireless’ promotional pack – full of stickers, leaflets and a flag – has been received safely from the Free Software Foundation Europe (thanks 🙂 ). Here at Bristol Wireless, we’ve worked since our creation with open standards and are […]
In the last few weeks, the lab has paid host to some newer versions of Toshiba’s perennial Satellite line of notebooks. Our mobile LTSP suite runs on donated Toshiba satellites that are over 12 years old! 😉 The new batch is a bit newer – they’re mere youngsters of 3 or 4 years vintage. They’ve […]
D.R.O.I.D; a club: big and heavy. An extraordinary occasion featuring a stellar cast of 21st century dance music from top draw live guests, DJs and some virtual avatar stars. The line-up includes: Luke Vibert: (Warp / Rephlex) Various Production dj (Deep dub / Spooky beats / Dubstep) Bass Clef (Dub / 2-step / Electronica) Vexkiddy […]
Earlier this week the first two of the cabinets for the lobby at St Werburghs Community Centre (news passim) arrived and we hope you agree they look very attractive indeed. The cabinets feature a galvanised metal outer with a powder coat finish and the flat panel monitor kept safely away from sticky fingers behind a […]
Do you work in the voluntary or community sector? Do you want to learn how free and open source software (FOSS) can meet your ICT needs and save you money? Then make a date in your diary to visit the Social Source Conference (PDF flyer here) being hosted by Bristol Wireless at St Werburghs Community […]
The cabinets for the public terminals in the lobby at St Werburghs Community Centre (news passim) are getting nearer being finalised. Yesterday John Chilcott, the designer, brought along the latest prototype for appraisal. It got more than that – as the pictures below show; its insides were given a complete working test under the steady […]
Germany’s Chaos Computer Club (CCC) is one of the longest established (founded 1981) and most influential organisations dealing with the security and privacy aspects of technology; and its links with Bristol are growing. Back in the autumn, Si, a good friend of Bristol Wireless and a couple of friends decided it would be worthwhile trying […]