Orange, T-Mobile merge to create UK's largest carrier

Orange and T-Mobile are to merge their British operations to create the UK's largest mobile carrier, their parent companies said on Tuesday. The as-yet-unnamed joint venture will have a combined customer base of about 28.4 million people, or 37 percent of the market, with the deal expected to complete in November. Orange chief executive Tom Alexander will be chief executive of the new company, with T-Mobile UK chief executive Richard Moat as chief operating officer. The companies said the merger will cost between £400m ($656m) and £600m ($984m). It is expected to deliver savings of around half-a-billion pounds per year by 2014, by removing duplicate base stations and retail outlets, as well as other efficiencies in operational staff and customer support. Timotheus Höttges, chief financial officer of T-Mobile UK's parent company Deutsche Telekom, said in a statement: "We will become [the] market leader — our customers will benefit in many ways, for example from the best mobile broadband offer in Britain. "In the second-biggest market in Europe, which is undoubtedly one of the toughest and most competitive, we are giving T-Mobile UK a clear and strong future." The deal will include T-Mobile UK's 50 percent holding in its 3G network joint venture with Hutchison. It is not known how or if the deal will affect the status of Virgin Mobile, which runs on T-Mobile's network. Deutsche Telekom lost €600m (£525m) ($878m) in the first half of 2009, down from €1.3bn profit in the same period last year, with its T-Mobile UK division writing off €1.8bn ($2.58bn) and losing 100,000 customers. The period saw gains in the German company's other European mobile operations. Orange said its UK first half sales were down 2.6 percent from last year, at €2.54bn ($3.64bn). The deal will need shareholder approval from both companies and will also have to be cleared by British and European regulators. The UK mobile telecommunications market is widely regarded as highly competitive, and no regulatory problems are anticipated. (my two cents or pennies here in th uk)-if this goes ahead....will my 10 year old phone work ie:will they change the network into something new,so my phone will not work)

Zero Creative's 71-inch 3D LCD will make environmentalists weep

As Sony's notoriously power-thirsty PS3 receives a major boost in efficiency, you might think the age of the gluttonous gadget is at an end. Zero Creative, however, is here to show us that some manufacturers just aren't interested in being green. The company has created a 71-inch version of its xyZ (not xYz) lineup, a 3D LCD that sucks down an impressive 1 kilowatt when turned on. Given your average eco-friendly display tends to require something like 20 to 50 watts to bring you an image, that's quite an energy premium to pay -- and that's on top of the €70,000 price tag (about $100,000). Of course, what those eco-friendly LCDs can't do is give you a 3D image without glasses, a feature that is the very specialty of the commercially-minded xyZ lineup. An inability to display anything in plain 'ol 2D is something of a shortcoming, but we're told switchable versions are coming -- as is an even bigger, 100-inch screen that will ship with a dedicated coal-fired power plant

Probe into child nursery injuries

Five people have been questioned by police after children at a day nursery in Nottinghamshire suffered "unexplained" injuries. Police and Ofsted have started a joint investigation into allegations relating to the Rocking Horse Day Nursery in Station Road, Plumtree. Officers were called in after a number of children suffered physical injuries. The nursery has been closed and its registration suspended by Ofsted while the inquiry continues. Details of when or where the injuries were thought to have been sustained have not been released. A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said: "Detectives are working with Ofsted to investigate the cause of unexplained physical injuries suffered by children attending the Rocking Horse Nursery in Plumtree. 'Immediate steps' "Officers have questioned five people, but the investigation is still in its early stages and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time." An Ofsted spokesperson said: "We have received reports of a number of injuries to children attending Rocking Horse Nursery and we are working closely with other agencies to investigate and determine the circumstances. "While the investigation is ongoing, we have taken immediate steps to ensure the safety of children by suspending the provider's registration. "This means that the nursery is closed until further notice. We will review this situation once all investigations have been concluded." Director of the nursery Bryn Orme said: "This is an ongoing investigation by police and Ofsted, we are unable to make any comment at this time save to say we are fully co-operating with all the agencies concerned." Rocking Horse Nursery opened in 2004 and is one of the largest of eight nurseries run by The Rocking Horse Nurseries Ltd. ----The nursery has been closed by Ofsted

Microsoft and Tesco strike up 'virtual DVD' partnership

Starting this autumn -- which is sort of like now -- Tesco stores in the UK will be offering "virtual DVDs" to customers who purchase certain home video titles. Promising no less than a "DVD-equivalent" experience, the new service will be replete with all the menus, copyright warnings and extra bits you'd find on the disc itself, plus additional exclusive content and movie viewing parties with online chat. We're not entirely sure films need all the added interactivity Microsoft has cooked up, but ambitions are to expand the bonus content and to offer the service in other markets "eventually." And hey, seeing as it's based on Silverlight, all that good stuff will be available on Mac too(my view)-isn't MS making enough bread as it is?.....i mean!the more they got the more they want..........ASSHOLES!

Pudding Cowardly Renamed

The traditional suet pudding Spotted Dick has been renamed "Spotted Richard" at a council canteen - because customers keep making jokes. The new name for the dessert, with another alternative Sultana Sponge, has appeared on the menu at Flintshire Council headquarters in Mold. The council said catering staff made the decision after "immature comments" and it was not a policy decision. But one councillor described the move as "political correctness gone mad". Staff from the nearby court complex in Mold also use the council canteen. Spotted Dick is a steamed suet pudding containing dried fruit, and is thought to have originated in the middle of the 19th Century. The "spotted" part of the name refers to the currants, which resemble spots, and "Dick" is believed to derive from the word dough. The council spokesman said: "The correct title for this dish is 'Spotted Dick.' However because of several immature comments from a few customers, catering staff renamed the dish 'Spotted Richard' or 'Sultana Sponge'. "This was not a policy decision, canteen staff simply acted as they thought best to put an end to unwelcome and childish comments, albeit from a very small number of customers." But Flintshire Councillor Klaus Armstrong-Braun criticised the ban on the original pudding name. He said he had made an official complaint about the name change which he called "ludicrous" and said had cost money because a new label was needed for the food. The councillor said the bosses who had made the decision would soon be "frightened of their own shadow". "People make silly comments about everything in life, there is no need to change the name over it." (my view)- fuck you,i will call it"Spotted Dick" as its ALWAYS been called that since it was invented,some immature comments....lol..your immature for caving into them and letting a silly thing like this ruin an icon of a name.....you cowards