Interim Digital Britain Report Released

By Digital Trends Staff Published October 25, 2009

Interim Digital Britain Report Released

The interim Digital Britain report was finally released yesterday, four days later than planned, outlining plans for the UK’s digital feature. The man behind it, Lord Carter, the communications minister, set out a platform that includes broadband for all by the time Britain hosts the Olympic Games in 2012.

The broadband speeds would be “up to” two megabits per second, fast enough to watch or download a movie, and will employ a mix of landline, mobile and wireless technology, with the impetus coming from telecoms companies and broadcasters, rather than from large government subsidies.

Recommended Videos

But the government will be involved in possible legislation forcing ISPs to notify illegal downloaders that they’re breaking the law. The government has said that evidence from other countries shows that two-thirds of illegal downloaders alter their behavior when warned.

ISPs will have to collect both anonymous data and personal details, so that in the event of a court order, rights holders can take legal action. However, the proposal doesn’t support a move to throw repeat offenders off the net.

The full report will be published later this year.

Digital Trends Staff

Digital Trends has a simple mission: to help readers easily understand how tech affects the way they live. We are your…

Computing

How to change margins in Google Docs

Laptop Working from Home

When you create a document in Google Docs, you may need to adjust the space between the edge of the page and the content --- the margins. For instance, many professors have requirements for the margin sizes you must use for college papers.

You can easily change the left, right, top, and bottom margins in Google Docs and have a few different ways to do it.

Computing

What is Microsoft Teams? How to use the collaboration app

A close-up of someone using Microsoft Teams on a laptop for a videoconference.

Online team collaboration is the new norm as companies spread their workforce across the globe. Gone are the days of primarily relying on group emails, as teams can now work together in real time using an instant chat-style interface, no matter where they are.

Using Microsoft Teams affords video conferencing, real-time discussions, document sharing and editing, and more for companies and corporations. It's one of many collaboration tools designed to bring company workers together in an online space. It’s not designed for communicating with family and friends, but for colleagues and clients.

Computing

Microsoft Word vs. Google Docs

A person using a laptop that displays various Microsoft Office apps.

For the last few decades, Microsoft Word has been the de facto standard for word processors across the working world. That's finally starting to shift, and it looks like one of Google's productivity apps is the heir apparent. The company's Google Docs solution (or to be specific, the integrated word processor) is cross-platform and interoperable, automatically syncs, is easily shareable, and perhaps best of all, is free.

However, using Google Docs proves it still has a long way to go before it can match all of Word's features -- Microsoft has been developing its word processor for over 30 years, after all, and millions still use Microsoft Word. Will Google Docs' low barrier to entry and cross-platform functionality win out? Let's break down each word processor in terms of features and capabilities to help you determine which is best for your needs.
How does each word processing program compare?
To put it lightly, Microsoft Word has an incredible advantage over Google Docs in terms of raw technical capability. From relatively humble beginnings in the 1980s, Microsoft has added new tools and options in each successive version. Most of the essential editing tools are available in Google Docs, but users who are used to Word will find it limited.