Tallinn (Estonia) hosted an Ironman weekend with the long distance (226km or 140.6 miles, aka the Full Ironman) event on Saturday, and the middle distance event (113km or 70.3 miles, aka a Half Ironman) on Sunday. In brief: Highly recommended. Fast flat course, brilliantly well-organised for amateur athletes in a great location. (I was [ ] The post Race report: Tallinn Ironman Middle Distance…
The Government is considering whether and how to introduce digital government identities. This is partly because the Tony Blair Institute has made the case (here) and also because as the Institute correctly says Britain is falling behind other countries in using technology to make Government services more efficient, effective and reliable. This is [ ] The post Why we need government digital…
President Trump's letter to 17 pharmaceutical companies has potentially seismic implications. His grievance is understandable, but his approach is disastrous. Here is why, and what we should do instead. The post Are we ‘freeloading’ on US innovation? first appeared on Owen Abroad .
I am in favour of the requirements in the Online Safety Act which require platforms that publish some kinds of content to verify the age of their users. It is also understandable why many people do not want to upload their photo, or a scan of their passport or credit card, to an age verification [ ] The post Age verification as digital public infrastructure first appeared on Owen Abroad .
This article in the Guardian is a cautionary tale. EE texted to say they had processed my sim activation request, and the new sim would be active in 24 hours. I was told to contact them if I hadn’t requested this. I hadn’t, so I did so immediately. Twenty-four hours later, my mobile stopped working and money [ ] The post Do not use text messages for 2-factor authentication if you can avoid it…
I love this. The post The bike bus first appeared on Owen Abroad .
Rishi Sunak has a photo of Nigel Lawson on his wall. But is he the heir to Lawson? The post Rishi Sunak and the legacy of Nigel Lawson first appeared on Owen Abroad .
Good article on Devex Pro about Precision Development based on an interview with our excellent India Country Director, Niriksha Shetty. The post Devex on Precision Development first appeared on Owen Abroad .
Framing this as a cost of living crisis creates the misleading impression that inflation is the problem. Our standard of living is lower for a combination of reasons: the war in Ukraine, the covid pandemic, Brexit, and structural problems in the British economy. These hits mean that real incomes will fall. There are distributional choices [ ] The post Rising prices are not what is making us poor…
President Trump s decision to cut funding to the World Health Organisation calls for a Love Actually moment. There is a precedent. One of George W. Bush s first acts as president in 2006 was to reinstate the global gag rule which withdrew US aid from organisations that counsel women about abortions or to advocate for liberalized [ ] The post Time for a “Love Actually” moment first appeared on Owen…