The Times Online - a new future?

I've just had a sneak preview of the new Times and Sunday Times websites.  At first glance I have to say they look fantastic.  A brave mix of modern and traditional layout, coupled with some clever navigation to ease a smooth journey around the site. Great work.

However, they have GOT to make money out of it.  Owners News International nailed their colours to the mast when Rupert Murdoch declared he was going to make his websites pay.

Punters will soon have to shell out to read the times online.  In many ways I wish him luck.  He has huge power in the media and it would be ironic that the man I opposed as a young journalist should turn out to be the saviour of reporting - but sadly I doubt it.

For a start News International simply has too much competition.  I downloaded the iphone app for Metro and it is great.  Effectively you are reading the Press Association news feed - the same copy that forms the basis of a great deal of national news reporting.  Metro made its name on being free so it can hardly go paid for.

The Times is relying on its highly paid columnists to attract paying customers and what it would refer to as higher quality news coverage.  That's a big ask.

Younger readers especially are conditioned now to getting their news for free.  The whole industry needs a rethink.. There will always be a demand for material written by good journalists.  They need to brainstorm a whole new way of making it pay.

The biggest strength national newspapers, and local ones for that matter, have is their brand. Times, Mail, Echo, Gazette, Post, etc.  But time is running out on these brands.  As people get older and starting dropping off that powers wanes.  Readerships are literally dying and publishers need to act fast to retain the brand value in a whole new way.

Personally I would make local papers virtually free (say 5p a copy) to bag more quality advertising and run the web and hard copies in unison rather than the half way house situation that exists at the moment.

Death of the Quango: Cuts, Deficit, Cuts, Quango, Budgets - Happy days!

And there off. After months of talking, waiting, predicting, the cuts are finally here.  It's almost a relief that they are finally here.

They spent ages hiding them from us that it was becoming a case of wanting them more the less we knew.  If that makes sense. Hurrah! They are here!

Travel Lodge for civil servants and the crappy train carriages like the rest of us - fair do's.  Meaningless quangos to go - fair enough.  I'm really beginning to enjoy this.

Bye bye Becta - I didn't even know what they did? Apparently they are, soon to be were, the education IT procurement quango!  What a laff!

Let's get some more!  Someone create a Wii game - Get Quango! I thought of it first!!!!

Cut fuel costs by saving petrol. Easy?

A report in a national newspaper highlighted how many drivers have slipped into bad habits while behind the wheel, which is costing them dear.

Over-revving is a very common way of wasting petrol. Typically drivers let revs run to over 3,000 rpm in a petrol car and 2,500 in a diesel before moving up a gear.

But drivers should be changing up at 2,500 in a petrol car and 2,000 in a diesel. While this might not sound much, the difference can make quite a dent on your fuel tank and in turn your pocket!

Going into too high a gear can also be bad for petrol use as when an engine labours you are using too much fuel.

Negotiating speed bumps badly can also drink petrol as speeding up and slowing down is bad for consumption. Instead drivers should go a steady 15-20mph over speed bumped roads to save fuel.

Speed is also an issue. Driving at 55mph or 65mph makes little difference but as soon as a car goes over 75mph it drinks petrol.

It pays to remember that an efficient driver is a smooth driver as every time you slow down and then accelerate the car uses more fuel. Another petrol saving tip is to keep tyres inflated to the right level.

Annabel Green of national IFA Moneygate said: “A recent fuel economy test drive in The Observer newspaper demonstrated how much could be saved. Based on a monitored test run, the motorist revealed that driving efficiently could save him £7,734 over 10 years driving a mini car and save 16 tonnes of CO2 if he did 15,000 miles a year.

“This is a massive saving. Many people are looking to trim their budgets and this is another example of how it is best to look at all household products and services to cut costs.”

For advice on how to save money go to www.moneygate.co.uk