Andrew Orlowski

Collected Journalism

  • At Esquire: Alien Oil

    At Esquire: Alien Oil

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    Andrew Orlowski

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    For Esquire‘s May edition, an in-depth feature on the implications of new synthetic hydrocarbons, including interviews with Dr Craig Venter, and Vladimir Koutcherov. An excerpt We’ll have to get used to thinking of oil as a renewable, low carbon energy source. The difference is this oil is harvested, not excavated.  Oil will be something you’ll…

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  • Stephen Fry explains how GPS and the Internet work

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    Andrew Orlowski

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    Writer, broadcaster and National Treasure™ Stephen Fry has struck again. The ubiquitous luvvie revealed the depths of his technical understanding on the the panel show QI XL, the self-styled “home of highbrow know-how”. First, GPS. How does that work, Stephen? “You send a signal from your GPS device,” he explained. “You’ve got to be at…

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  • Shale ignorance

    Shale ignorance

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    Andrew Orlowski

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    Is it time to decouple “Climate Change” from the Department of Energy and Climate Change? If it was the plain old “Department of Energy” again, it might spend more time researching new fuel sources. Is it time to decouple “Climate Change” from the Department of Energy and Climate Change? If it was the plain old…

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  • Stephen Fry chucks cash at hopeless browser plugin

    Stephen Fry chucks cash at hopeless browser plugin

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    Andrew Orlowski

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    Stephen Fry’s reputation as a technology expert has taken another dent. The ubiquitous luvvie has invested in Pushnote, a commenting system for websites. “Makes the web one big democratic comment platform,” Fry tweeted. It’s actually a social network – but one that’s parasitic on other sites. There’s just one catch. …

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  • Why recycling is rubbish

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    Andrew Orlowski

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    In a utopian report, the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) says the UK needs £20bn additional spending on recycling infrastructure over the next decade. The recommendation is made in a report today that proposes “unlocking value locked up in the UK’s current waste” – which sounds great – but the report fails to tell us…

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  • EU wants to erect opt-in hurdle for creators

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    Andrew Orlowski

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    A potentially incendiary EU report released today recommends making changes to the Berne Convention – and creating several new layers of bureaucracy in order to deal with the digitisation of cultural stuff. Creators would have to “opt-in” to a new database before getting their rights, which have historically been guaranteed by Berne signatories since 1886.…

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