Week in Review: Why did TfL cut short the Oyster contract?

published 15 August 2008

TfL terminates 100 million Oyster contract early

Transport for London decided to take advantage of a clause in its contract and ended a 100 million contract seven years early. The question is was it to do with recent mishaps such as the system failing twice in the space of a week and research which revealed that the Oyster cards could be hacked? TfL claimed that it was a cost cutting measure and nothing to do with these incidents but they surely couldn't have helped.

Criminal gangs targeting Chip and PIN readers

IT PRO reported how researchers managed to hack Chip and PIN devices earlier this year, so it was only a matter of time before the criminal world joined in. Evidence of this came when police raided a factory which contained all the equipment needed to steal numbers and create fake cards. This only goes to show that once technology like Chip and PIN is out there, it's doesn't take long for somebody to try and take advantage of it.

Government wants to store all text, email and browsing data

Many would look upon new Government proposals to store billions of incidents of data exchange' as another step towards a Big Brother state. Not only the police but local councils, health authorities, Ofsted and even the Post Office will be able to access information. It raises the age-old question about protecting the public versus the issues of civil liberty would you be happy for outsiders to see your browsing or email habits?

Dell shows off new Latitude business laptops

The entire Dell Latitude line aimed at the business market is upgraded, with the company claiming that changes such as a new colour scheme, longer battery life and better durability were made because of consultations with end-users and IT administrators.

Review: BlackBerry Bold

IT PRO editor Chris Green reviewed RIM's Blackberry Bold, and sees whether it is up to the task of competing in a crowded business smartphone market in where Apple, Nokia and others are scrambling to take a piece of the mobile phone pie.