Bankwatch: Judge attacks “timewasting” Lloyds TSB
Following the latest on bank charges is becoming a tiny bit of a hobby for me now as - in common with millions of other customers - my bank takes more and more of my money in penalty charges to cover their “costs”.
If you've read much of my blog, you might have spotted that a lot of my charges come from one charge taking me over my overdraft limit, with more charges piled on top to add insult to injury. Again, this is a common problem for lots of bank customers.
In the news today, I spotted this story about Lloyds TSB being accused by a judge of timewasting behaviour - not the first time such tactics have been used by the banks according to the BBC's article - and another story involving my personal favourite bank, the Alliance & Leicester (not that I ever write about their poor service or anything… ahem) tacitly admitting their charges should only be around the
Posted by Alex on Fri 27th April 2007
AJAX, weather, news and opinions
(This is another really, *really* boring blog entry. Why not Google for “noodle mining” instead of reading it?)
Posted by Alex on Sun 14th January 2007
This is how the web should be…
This is awesome - a brilliant way of bringing different communities and groups of people together, pioneered by a group of Parisians. It's also exactly what I'd love to see on UPSU.net with Portsmouth's student population (and why stop there? Why not make it all-inclusive?).
(Or maybe the whole social groups thing on t'internet is just a manifestation of us web geeks' collective desire to find non-threatening ways of making new friends? Where's a psychology student when you need one? ;o) ).
/al - bedtime
Posted by Alex on Sat 6th January 2007
Never lose your keys, toys, car, laptop, whatever, again?
(Off-topic. This isn't an endorsement or recommendation by UPSU - I just happen to think it's rather cool. And yes, I'm a gadget freak… ;o)
I've just seen this mentioned on BBC news.
It's hand-held gadget that lets you home in on a postage stamp-sized tag which you can stick on to anything (or anyone) valuable. Handy for finding lost keys, laptops, kids, cars, and I'm sure there's at least one stalker and/or private detective out there who'll want fifty of these…
Posted by Alex on Tue 21st November 2006
Publicity you can’t buy. Thankfully…
With an eerie sense of timing, just as Alexander Litvinenko - the former Russian spy with an outspoken hatred of Russia's spying tactics - finds himself in the news after his apparent poisoning, this month's issue of Pugwash carries a story on the subject of the similarities between Russia's long-standing spying culture, and Britain's apparent move towards such a culture in the name of fighting terrorism.
Alexander Litvinenko claims his poisoning attempt - which has resulted in serious illness, and appears to have been caused by a poison formerly used as a rodenticide until its use was banned due to health fears - was the work of his former KGB employers, who are apparently somewhat underwhelmed by his criticisms of the Russian government.
You can read Agnes Smedley's “Under Surveillance” in this month's Pugwash online, or grab a copy of the magazine from the Union.
UPDATE: According to BBC News, Litvinenko has died of a suspected heart attack shortly after 9pm, Thursday 23rd November. Doctors believe he may have been poisoned with radioactive Thallium. Not a nice way to go!
Posted by Alex on Tue 21st November 2006
“Security pointless” claim Pompey students
BBC.co.uk's magazine today published an article on how home security is largely useless in the fight against burglaries, citing a study by the University of Portsmouth.
Depressing stuff, but there's plenty of information available online on securing your home, so don't have nightmares :o)
Posted by Alex on Wed 26th April 2006