Here comes the techlash - interviewing Carl Miller author of Death of the Gods, the new global power grab

Carl Miller has travelled the world meeting people at the forefront of digital change - Russian spies in Prague, fake news merchants in Kosovo, hackers in Las Vegas, powerful Silicon Valley titans and the British soldiers training in information warfare. I interviewed him in Manchester last week, above is a link to the raw and uncut recording of the event. Fascinating.

A holiday in Estonia - where people dress in black

I don't think I've sat in a political conference before, enjoyed listening to a speaker and thought 'I'd like to go there on holiday'. But it was listening to Arto Aas, an Estonian MP and former minister, that sparked a real interest in the former Soviet state.

Arto was speaking at Andy Burnham's Digital Summit in Manchester last December, a really stimulating conference full of ideas and smart thinkers. A local Manchester perspective from Chris Maguire and a more political take from Richard Angell both conveyed very well the energy generated by his talk and huge interest in Estonia that Arto sparked.

It was good to get a perspective from someone from somewhere with such ambition. Since the break-up of the Soviet Union, Estonia has forged a completely new identity, joining the European Union and NATO, building stronger links with the Nordic countries and making a giant leap forward towards being a modern digital state.

I had a vague idea I'd be able to replicate our tour of western European cities last summer, by zipping through the Baltic states. Unfortunately it isn't as simple as that, as Matthew Engel explained in his Estonian odyssey as part of his excellent tour of Europe series for the New Statesman. The trains between the Baltic states are still Soviet-era, and the flights from the North of England are pretty much non-existent. If you think about it, there are vanishingly few reasons to do so: Tallinn has taken itself off the stag circuit and precious few Estonians have sought the path to a 'better life' in Britain. Instead we flew to Helsinki - itself a great city to visit and spend a day or two - then caught a ferry across the Baltic. It was all pretty seamless, technically and culturally, the people looked similar and had a cool and precise aura. I’ve thought that too when I’ve met visiting delegations of FinTech specialists from Nordic countries in Manchester. I can tell the Finns and Estonians from the Swedes and Danes. And between the cities, there was less of a difference the two than between ,say, Manchester and Edinburgh, or London.

Flaneuring around the old part of Tallinn was great. There were loads of groovy coffee shops, quirky museums and cute squares to hang out in. I was gutted the Museum of the Occupations was closed for refurbishment when we were there, and it’s almost a reason to return another time. The national museum of Estonia placed it all in a long context, but the former KGB cells were a brutal reminder of how much Estonia's history is tortured and steeped in suffering.Yet the character of confidence and fierce pride now is all the more remarkable.

For me the highlight was the Telleskivi part of the city (pictured), a collection of refurbished warehouses and railways sheds, populated with food stalls, a market and funky offices for tech start-ups. It was like Manchester’s Sharp Project, with a Borough Market and an Affleck’s. But the vibe had something more than just a hipster hangout; Estonia is also a deadly serious place for business. Skype was invented there and the profits from the sale invested in Estonia’s latent venture capital industry.

Culturally, we saw the spaces where the Estonians love to gather and sing, but not any actual singing. Our time there coincided with the World Cup, so I watched England beat Colombia in a hotel with my non-football supporting son who had more in common with the rest of the residents - marked indifference. So go, take it in. One of most intriguing places I've been to, in turn both inspirational and modest. Not only a brave country with a tough past, but somewhere with such a bold grasp of the future.

A podcast on the future of work - should we be afraid of the robots?

I enjoyed chairing this podcast with Grant Thornton's Karen Campbell-Williams and Herb Kim from Thinking Digital about the future of work. It was recorded around the first Vibrant Economy lecture with Matthew Taylor of the RSA. Enjoy.

Made in Blackburn - I'm backing this Kickstarter campaign for Northern fashion, jobs and pride

In the week I've restocked Northern Monkeys - the epic anthology of the history of Northern working class fashion, I've also backed a Kickstarter project called Community Clothing, aiming to support the creation and manufacture of fashion staples in Lancashire.

Designer Patrick Grant has responded to the plight of one of his suppliers - Cookson and Clegg in Blackburn - by raising £75,000 for future orders of classic jeans, jackets and raincoats. I love each piece, especially so for what the project represents.

So much of the garment manufacturing business is seasonal, while there's a consistent demand for staple basics. The project aims to fill the capacity at the factory during the quiet times with production of these pieces of beauty and simplicity.

It didn't surprise me to learn that the factory produces clothing for my favourite British label Albam Clothing. But these will bear the label Made in Blackburn. How good is that?

It's had great coverage in the fashion press, including Monocle, and the London Evening Standard.

There are only 8 days to go and the campaign is nearly there.

Evolving Manchester video - the start of everything

Video interviews with random but amazing people next to the statues in Albert Square Manchester on February the 29th 2016. First shown at the Pro Manchester Great Manchester Business Conference on March the 4th at the Hilton Hotel. Videography by Michael Simensky at the Centre for Enterprise at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Blair this week - correct in every possible way

I was fortunate to be back on my old stomping ground of Chartered Accountants Hall on Wednesday for a seat in the audience for a change to listen and to watch Tony Blair.

The whole thing is here.

Jason Prince of the neighbouring parish has written a superb and deeply personal summary - Change, or we consign ourselves to the wilderness. I can't better it, so won't.

From that same stage I've humbly provoked debate about theories of the future with audiences of accountants and businesses and encouraged a new way of looking at the world, while putting together the Tomorrow's Practice project. There is indeed, as Blair said, a huge market out there for ideas about the future. But you have to want to hear it. There was no doubt the true believers in the room did, but outside?

I was with business colleagues yesterday talking about change in one of our businesses we run - iterating, adapting, thinking about how technology and shifting regulation is shaping what we do in different areas. We have to constantly adapt. But we have core values, a strategy and goals in mind.

"Labour shouldn’t despair. We can win again. We can win again next time. But only if our comfort zone is the future and our values are our guide and not our distraction."

Footnote. Quentin Letts of the Mail made the following observation: "Yesterday’s audience included a lot of 40-something men in black suits and unbuttoned shirt collars, Blakeys in their heels so that their shoes clicked when they entered." Nice to be noticed.

We've done another Podcast

In this episode of the Discuss podcast we again 'grasp the nettle', returning to the controversial topic of the recent DISCUSS debate: 'Is religion a force for good?' Joining me and Tom Cheesewright in the Pod this month: Angeliki Stogia, a Labour councillor for Whalley Range, Manchester City FC chaplain and Manchester's 'Minister for Business', the Reverend Pete Horlock. Also covered: Uber, 'the dismal science', whether Philip Blond has lost it, and the usual recommendations for your reading and viewing pleasure.

Downtown welcomes you to TechHub

One of my priorities for Downtown Manchester in Business is to introduce groups of people to one another so they can make the city a better place to do business.

This was my motivation behind an event at TechHub, the incubator and shared workspace in Carver’s Warehouse in the Northern Quarter. It was a great success, Doug Ward from TechHub, Gareth Burton from Burton Beavan who provides me and techHub with financial advice, and Josh from Melbourne Hosting all gave their own perspective on how this ecosystem can connect in Manchester.

I’ll mention the context a little more – the event was informal, laid back and we served pizza and bottled beer. It also took place at 4pm on a Friday before the spring bank holiday at the end of May, a complete no-no in every events handbook I’ve ever read (or written). But it worked. All to do with the spirit of thinking differently.


via WordPress http://michaeltaylorevents.wordpress.com/2013/05/27/downtown-welcomes-you-to-techhub-2/

On getting an Honorary fellowship from UCLAN

I was awarded an honorary fellowship today, my birthday, by the University of Central Lancashire. It was a really special day. My Dad and his wife were there, so was Rachel. I had to do a short speech to the students and their parents, which I include here.

Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, recent graduates, parents and friends.

First of all, could I thank the University of Central Lancashire for this award.

50 years of running the journalism course is some achievement and I am honoured and humbled to be here today.

The kind words bestowed on me made several references to the journey I’ve been on through my career.

My hero, my inspiration to get into journalism, was Hunter S Thompson, the Godfather of Gonzo journalism. This was a quote attributed to him that fuelled my fire in the late 1980s:

“Journalism is a money trench, a long plastic hallway where pimps and thieves run free and good men die like dogs. It also has its downsides.”

I’ll come back to that.

But I am mindful today of the uncertainties that confronted me on my graduation day in 1988. And at many other occasions at crucial turning points in my life over the last 24 years.

None of what has happened to me was part of a masterplan.. Some things I fell into. Others I made happen.

Sometimes, I’ve been lucky. And you will be too.

But it’s hard out there, I know that.

But if I may, I would like to address my brief remarks to those of you receiving your first degrees and MA certificates today.

As an external marker and guest lecturer at this university, I know how hard you have worked to achieve your degrees today.

And I recognize too that many of you will be looking for careers in industries where the structures have crumbled and the very foundations of the media sectors you want to work in are in undergoing a constant period of change.

When I did a series of mock interviews with students from this university recently I was struck by a number of things.

Firstly, I was impressed at the lengths to which Cathy Darby (left), a wonderfully generous and devoted course leader had gone to extraordinary lengths in order to make you even more employable.

Secondly, it really struck me what a fantastic education you have received here. As I said to the group afterwards, I saw something in all of them that would have made me want to employ them and help them along.

But thirdly, I emerged with a certain sadness from the day because of the reluctance many of them displayed in wanting to show off their remarkable achievements.

The one skillset I never learnt at University, or I properly gripped until my second job, was entrepreneurship and enterprise. Don’t confuse that with selling your soul to the advertising devil. Or compromising your values and journalistic integrity.

And don’t think I mean becoming a big head.

But sell your achievements. Be proud of who you are and what you have done. Make the person sat opposite think that you can make their life easier and better by working with you. The same applies to a film graduate pitching an idea, or those of you with business degrees looking to raise funds for a business idea.

Realise that old people like me need young people like you, to understand how the emerging generation use social media tools like Facebook and Twitter as instinctively as we use our thumbs.

But think too what advertisers want, but create for yourself a space to do what you do best – to tell stories and speak truths.

But how you do that is changing too. Like at no other time in the 50 years of this course.

Rightly, this University, through the Journalism Leader’s Programme, is at the forefront of research and debate about the future of media. Get involved and stay close to that work.

The most successful amongst you will start to work out a new and different economic model for content. I’m sure you are doing that already.

A friend of mine used to have a suitcase full of contact cards that he’d drag around between the Sunday Times and the Manchester Evening News and, God help him, the Daily Star.  Now of course they’ll be his contacts on LinkedIn, or saved on his phone – and backed up on a cloud.

It shows the power of networks, the connections between people that make things happen.

Contacts are currency – so work hard on building your own networks, starting today on this day where all of you in the room, from countries all over the world, have something that links you for the rest of your lives – your graduation day.

Back finally, to Hunter S Thompson. That quote I shared at the start is made up. It’s a composite, a twisting of the truth. These things often are.

Don’t rely on Google and Wikipedia. Talk to real people and get real quotes.

But there is a further skill you will all need. 

Kindness.

You just never know who will be able to help you. So in everything you ever do, remember these three things. Be honest, be loyal, be kind.

And remember the old Chinese proverb, which may also be made up, but it still stands – “the wise man knows everything, the shrewd one knows everyone.”

A cool video from the Learning Journey event

We're off to World Scratch Day 2012 tomorrow

I have been very excited by the movement to encourage coding for kids. So much of what is called ICT in schools seems to be using Microsoft products and low level gamification. It's not enough, frankly. I love the idea of the Raspberry Pi and will order one soon. But when it comes to creating content, something some of my lads are very adept at, I was really taken with Scatch, a program and technique developed by MIT in Boston. We're going to a session in Sheffield tomorrow as part of World Scratch Day. An added bonus is it's being run by Stuart, one of my Rovers Podcasting chums, who knows about such stuff. The video shows something of how it works.

The only way is Wood

Tony Wood has some incredible stories to tell. He's worked alongside and inspired some of the best creative talents this country has produced. He knows about what makes a special creative space where good ideas can fly. And at Lime Pictures, where he's the creative director, he's now making what he thinks is the most ground breaking television he has ever been involved in.

But here are some things you might learn if you come to this event in Manchester next month. Like, how he won over 100 awards in his time with Coronation Street, including a BAFTA in 2004 (pictured, left with my pal Richard Bell and me). Why Jimmy McGovern walked out of Brookside twenty years ago this month. What it was like working with Chris Evans, Guy Ritchie and Mathew Vaughn on the TV series of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. How the highest rated kids TV drama in the USA is made in Liverpool.

And now? The Only Way is Essex. What's that all about?

There's an evening event I'm involved with next month - part of the MPA World Class Series on May 18 at Deloitte - hence the picture above. I'll be interviewing Tony in front of an audience. Come along. Details here.

OK Computer

For the first time I have a computer that didn't make me weep when I tried to set it up on my own. Sure I've had computers at work that the IT manager sorts out, but this new Hewlett Packard Pavilion is a joy to drive. The kids are using for homework and games. Well, games, really. But it has to be a sign of progress that the computer industry is making more consumer friendly products that pretty much plug and play.

My headache was the simple act of buying it from Currys. I know, there will be plenty of you who will tell me I should build my own, or get one from Dell, or some specialist in Altrincham, but I was paranoid about it not working for the kids on Christmas Day, so bought it a while back in the expectation I would be taking it back. I had some help from Daniel Labella, one of the Rose Hill Commuter Crew, who I just happened to bump into that day. Having already successfully guided me through getting Virgin Cable, his advice was excellent and we shopped around and found the best deal. The trouble is they try and chuck so much  extra surplus crap at you - Norton (got it), back up drive (got one already), warranties and insurance (go away) and this cloud storage product that I knew more about than they did. I also wanted a camera, but such was their insistence on added extra accessories I just decided there and then to give someone else my money.

I can't say I'm happy or hopeful at having to relocate iTunes on the old box of frogs and transfer the preferences and playlists over, but so far, so good.

Some good telly

By jove there's some good telly kicking around at the moment.

First of all, there's this tourist video made by Michael Winterbottom for the NWDA called The Trip. From what I've seen so far it's Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan doing impressions and just talking and then taking in some incredible scenery. I'm curious as to whether this can sustain itself, but I rather suspect it can.

Second, the new Jimmy McGovern series The Accused got off to a barnstorming start with a mesmerising morality tale starring Christopher Eccleston. There was little love and no humour, which felt wrong, but it made for a greater impact.

Thirdly, I probably would have enjoyed Any Human Heart on Channel 4 much more if hadn't been on Channel 4. Sorry, but I was tired, it was a late night and the adverts just made it drag on. The next one I will watch on the V+ recorder and skip the ads. Thanks for new technology even an idiot like me can work. That aside it was clever, funny, observant and expansive. Brideshead meets Our Friends in the North. Epic.

Finally, I really, really enjoy Match of the Day 2 on Sunday nights. Obviously I really enjoyed this week because Rovers' win over Aston Villa was on (last, of course, last out of two, but still last). The presenter and pundits are SO much better than the smug old farts on Saturday's version.

I insulate myself from cooking programmes, reality TV, Pop Factor, Jungle Fever and all of that utter, utter crap. Life is too short, it really is.

A few web gems from round and about

Here are a few links to some poignant, thoughtful and inspiring things I've seen in the last week.

Helen Newlove has started a blog in her role as the champion for active, safer communities.

A mountain I'm willing to die on. A mother's thoughts on bullying. Hat tip: Toby Scott.

A warm and revealing profile on Christopher Hitchens by Andrew Anthony. 

Social enterprises and public service delivery. From the Guardian today.

Richard Littlejohn gets mugged on his own show by Johann Hari. Hilarious. Even though Hari is an irritating dweeb, this is great.

A very good new blog I've found from Solly. The egotistical musings and mutterings of a tabloid journalist with too much time on his hands who is determined to post a new blog every day for a year without mentioning football. Hat tip: Ear I Am.

Jay Rayner on The Trip.

Yotam Ottolenghi. That is all.

I was going to review the new "i" newspaper, which I quite like. But this review says it all. Hat tip: Bracknell Blog.

Technology addiction. From Fast Company.

What did God give us, Neil? God gave us life, Nigel? Tribute to Half Man Half Biscuit from Ear I Am.

Finally, business, the big society and Bolton. From North West Business Insider.

Back on Facebook

I've registered with Facebook again. I got round to thinking I couldn't ignore it any longer. Anyway, it was instantly proven to be a good decision. I'm back in touch with an old pal now living in Tasmania. We had failed to find one another using other social media and searches, but bang, there he was. Another mate has started a new job in Dubai, and clearly uses Facebook to keep in touch much more than he uses email.

I also had a couple of chats last night with a mate in Morecambe and a bloke I know in China.

I'm going to keep it very social, much as I do with this blog I suppose. But look forward to staying in touch.

Nobel prize winners at University of Manchester

Two scientists who discovered graphene at The University of Manchester have been awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. There's some news here, from Wired, as to why.

Professor Andre Geim and Professor Konstantin Novoselov got the highest accolade in the scientific world for their pioneering work with the world’s thinnest material. Graphene was discovered at the University in 2004. It has rapidly become one of the hottest topics in materials science and solid-state physics.

This is great news. A real boost to this fine institution. I'm just ever so slightly sad that Professor Alan Gilbert didn't live to see this day. He'd have been so proud.

What have I been up to this week

Don't take my word for it, but our Business of Media Summit was brilliant this week.

Will Bentley, here, has produced an excellent summary. So has Nigel Hughes, here. And then there's the Twitter stream, here.

Some random summer links

Great analysis of the Raoul Moat story by Adrian Slatcher. (The Art of Fiction blog)

Grooming tips from Frank McKenna - the chamber of commerce with hair wax - I think you'll find I coined that one. (Liverpool Confidential)

Are the Conservative Party turning into Christian Democrats? (Cardus)

How to downgrade your iPhone if the slow grind of IOS 4 is making you grind your teeth with rage. (The Tech Journal).

The Fish and Chip Festival in Barga, my favourite place in Italy. (Guardian)

When blogging and tweeting is just about showing off. (Wired)

Modern life is rubbish

I've felt very disconnected this last two weeks, and we are far from back in the land of the living.

Our sorry technology saga began when I got fed up with our TV digital recorder box crashing. It's always been a flimsy bit of kit. It has failed to record programmes for the kids, so we bit the bullet and ordered cable from Virgin. Please note, the primary purpose was better TV and a more robust digital recorder. Our order was processed from a call centre in Manila and there were some awkward linguistic ticks but all was well.

They came and installed the TV, when they said they would, but not with a V+ recordable box, they also installed a phone line. When I realised this would disconnect BT, and thus our wifi connection through Orange, I asked them NOT to switch our BT connection, but to install it as an additional line. They messed this up. As did BT, who cut us off anyway, despite saying in a letter that all would still be connected until the 28th of May.

The TV is great. I love that it has BBC iPlayer and a few other things like that. But the one thing I actually wanted I still don't have. Now a Virgin customer I was told from Manila that it was my fault that I didn't have a V+ recordable box because I didn't order one. I said I thought I did, wasn't familiar with their product names, but would certainly like one now. £99 please.

Once it was clear, last weekend, that BT had cut us off I asked them to get me back online. Some people were helpful, some were useless, but none could answer my query. Someone in Scotland acknowledged a mistake in the cut off date, someone else said there was a SLAM system that could have us back in 24 hours. This involved speaking to people in India, Scotland, Liverpool and somewhere down south. Eventually I was told this would take two weeks. And that it was my fault for switching providers.

So, our home phone number is now with Virgin, something we didn't want, but have accepted. The only problem is there's only one phone socket on their connection into the house. So, we got our mate Anton Koropisz to hook them up while he was doing a few other wiring jobs around the house.

Patience duly snapped we canvassed opinion on the best alternative and Virgin's broadband came highly recommended. In for a penny, in for a pound, I called them again. A lovely lad called Kevin, in Manila again, put a decent package together for us. I asked for the V+ and a new channel package.

A lad came and plugged in the modem this afternoon, he also left us with a box to install the wireless router ourselves. I'm not wholly convinced this is working terribly well yet and reserve judgement on whether we have been well served. He told me I had "customer not happy" on his call sheet, so I expected a bit better to be honest. He also bypassed an installation stage when our name and postcode wasn't recognised. And there was no V+ box again. Computer says no.

As I sit and compose this the kids are trying to connect their Wii to the household network I think I've installed, but it has parental controls still set up from the previous person who owned it (we bought it 2nd hand).

It's also exposed how crap our home PC and the wireless dongle I attached to it. This is also going to cost us, but genuinely I think we're better off.

I find myself getting annoyed and stressed about this sort of thing not because this is a vital part of our lives, but mainly because it actually seems quite unimportant; quite ephemeral and a bit of a whimsy.