This has to be one of the best headlines ever on the BBC News -

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7390109.stm

It's currently top of the "most read" stories, surprising really for an ornithological piece..

Funny old bit of news today - the website Digital Spy has been bought out by a big magazine company - the publisher of titles like Elle, Red, Inside Soap etc.

There's an interesting article over on the Register about the growing acrimony between the BBC and ISPs over Iplayer. The basic problem is that the Iplayer, the BBC's new system for making its programming available online, is very popular - and since it's video, it also takes a lot of bandwidth. Internet Service Providers in the UK are finding that carrying all this data to so many users is quite costly, and we're supposed to feel sorry for them.

The Register is generally quite scathing about the BBC, and predictably they're taking the ISP's side in this argument as well. The BBC are being branded as arrogant and abusive of their position in setting up Iplayer in the first place, and in criticising the industry's suggestions that they should subsidise the ISPs in some way for having to carry all this extra content.

Apple (they of the increasingly annoying adverts) are coming for in for some stick after finding ways to sneak their latest web browser onto Windows PCs.

Their Safari browser, previously found only on Macs, now has a free Windows version. Nothing wrong in that, except rather than wait for people to choose to download it, Apple are using the Apple Update software that comes with their ubiquitous Itunes and Quicktime applications to offload Safari onto Windows punters - often without their knowledge.

I was particularly upset to read this article on el Reg today - http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/01/31/myspace_fb_comscore_drop/ - confirming my very worst fears, that the dominance of my favourite social networking sites may be shortlived.

Yes, sadly, Facebook is on the wane. Myspace (remember that?) is on the slide too. All three of the big social networks - yes, even Bebo - are losing visitors. Apparently they're not quite as addictive as all that - or at least, many people are finding ways to kick the habit.

I am, naturally, deeply saddened at this turn of events.

The first five who reply to this will get a Forest II DVD sent to them, completely free (even if you're in America!). I've made a DVD and I'm excited about it. We're talking early February for this.

It has all the usual DVD stuff - outtakes, scene selection, subtitles, and ofcourse the first Forest film. Nice animated menus... it's pretty good. I'll present it as well as I can, case-wise, but I can't guaruntee that part of it will be brilliant. But it will be. Oh yes, it will be.

Anyway. Like I say, first five, free. After that, you can buy me a Guinness.

It's been nearly two years, but we're finally done. We had a premiere on Saturday, and it was lovely. Thanks to the 50 or so people who showed up - many more than we were expecting!

THE FOREST II: RELENTLESS THIRST
A year or two after the grim events that led Mike and Liam to take a shortcut through The Forest, they find themselves once again beerless and in desperate need of a fix. They must battle The Simons to retrieve beer. This 20-minute, tongue-in-cheek deadpan action comedy is directed by and stars Liam Comerford and Michael Connor as themselves, and Simon Plant as The Simons. 3D work by Paul Canning.

The Forest II on Stage6
The Forest II on Secret7000.co.uk

We hope you all enjoy. I am now going to sleep for the next few months at least - I'll see you all in the spring.

Congratulations to the masterminds behind a recent internet campaign to bring back the Wispa bar - thought consigned to history's confectionary dustbin back in 2003. Following "unprecedented" demand whipped up via Youtube and elsewhere, not to mention a bizarre "Bring Back Wispa" stage invasion during Iggy Pop's set at Glastonbury, Cadbury's have given way and announced that the long lost choccie bar will be back in stores from October 7th.

Hi all!

I decided it was about time I got to know myself. Searching about on something they call "Google" (when I invented it, I never realised it would become so popular. I would have chosen a different name if I would have known) I stumbled on this crazy site. I must say I didn't know I had something like this lying around! It's great!