24/01/2012

Available for over a year

As Iran heads into parliamentary elections in March, the battle for online supremacy in the country has begun in earnest. As part of a package of reforms aimed at cracking down on dissidents, the government has promised the delivery of a 'Halal' internet, which aims to store data inside of the nation and reduce the availability of external websites. But how does such a network function, and will it be enough to counter Iran's famously tech-savvy dissidents? Gareth discusses the matter with Behrang Tajedin, a journalist with BBC Persian. The first anniversary of the devastating earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan approaches, and with it, the question of how we respond to natural disasters looms larger than ever. In particular, locating loved ones after a major event can prove difficult, sometimes taking many weeks. Gavin Brown, of Manchester University, may have the answer with the REUNITE project he has been supervising. He talks to Gareth about what it is, as well as why it might help relatives locate each other just days after a natural disaster. For many of us, life without the mobile phone is now incomprehensible - with the latest models being a way to surf the internet, play games and organise your calendar. But are they essential to modern life? Gareth talks to Sam Mountford, director of Global Insights at Globescan, a polling organisation who were behind the BBC's mobile technology poll, to find out more about the world’s attitude to this most convenient communications device.