westminster
Latest
Government proposal aims to legalise Airbnb rentals in London
Hop onto a site like Airbnb or One Fine Stay and you'll find plenty of houses, flats and rooms available in London for short-term rental. While these are perfect for visitors after a more homely (and sometimes cheaper) stay in the capital, those wanting to squeeze a few quid out of their dormant spaces aren't exactly doing things by the book. A law, which many see as outdated, essentially prevents Londoners from letting their pads out for less than three months at a time (without appropriate planning permission), and some of the city's boroughs have tried taking legal action against wannabe landlords on this basis. This is especially true in upmarket areas like Westminster, the City of London, Chelsea and Kensington, where local councils argue it could foster housing shortages and turn residential areas into nuisance-ridden, decentralized hotels. So, in an effort to curb patchy implementation of the law, and to support Londoners wanting to tap into the "sharing economy," the government has announced a proposal that would make short-term rentals through sites like Airbnb legal; though unsurprisingly, it's already drawing flak.
O2 begins rolling out 'Europe's largest free WiFi network' in London this month
UK carrier O2 will be rolling out its ambitious free WiFi network this month, just in time to let the throngs of tourists update their Facebook statuses during the 2012 Olympic Games and Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee. The plan will cover London's Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea boroughs, creating Europe's largest free wireless network, according to O2. The deal, which the company adds will not be footed by the taxpayer, is part of a larger plan announced this time last year. Official information and lots of quotes from important sounding people after the break.
Eidos Life President Livingstone speaks out against mainstream media's game coverage
During the Westminster eForum this week, Eidos head (and Life President) Ian Livingstone had some less than favorable things to say about the mainstream media's coverage of the gaming industry. "People just couldn't accept that games are a great learning tool," Livingstone told the crowd of "industry representatives and their advisors, interest groups, local authorities, the voluntary sector and academia, along with members of the reporting press," reports MCV. He asked for mainstream news outlets to focus less on violence in games and to instead look at "the poor skills the UK has to make games." In his eyes, the mainstream media's overwhelming focus on violence in games -- and consistent ignoring of the economically beneficial side of the game industry -- certainly isn't helping to bring the development tax breaks he's been pushing in the UK for quite some time now. To help change minds, we suggest that Mr. Livingstone get in touch with the two people who have been most able to clearly convey our feelings on the violent video game debate -- Penn and Teller, of course!
HDTV Listings for February 12, 2007
What we're watching: Two hours of 24 pretty much ensures a rise in a Jack Bauer kill count that, quite frankly, has been disappointingly low as of late. Still, the 131st Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is coming on Universal HD and we wouldn't miss that for the world. Decisions, decisions.Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
