• 18 thousand complaints - to the BBC over the Ross/Brand prank call (ref)
  
• 6.4 billion pounds - BP's profit for the three months July-Sept '08 (ref)
• 6.6 billion pounds - Shell's profit for the three months July-Sept '08 (ref)
• 13 billion pounds - losses incurred by hedge funds and other short-sellers of shares in Volkswagen AG (ref)
  
• 1.8 trillion pounds - estimated losses of world's financial firms (ref)

Labels: numbers

The 10BigThings forum was held yesterday at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Edinburgh. It preceded the ScotSoft 2008 Gala Dinner with the aim of bringing together software and ICT professionals with cutting-edge ideas, and insights from leading industry figures.

Amongst the ideas discussed were:

• The future of Cloud Computing
  
• Developing Software as a Service
  
• Microsoft's interactive table - Surface
  
• Rich media experience - Silverlight
  
• Three-dimensional photographic environments - Photosynth
  
• The evolution of personal computing devices into fashion items
  
• Social Networks on the balance sheet
• Online governance with Emergent Democracy
  
• The professionalism of security as a market opportunity
  
• Perpetual Beta
  

This was followed by champagne reception and a slap up meal, many thanks to Net Resources for inviting me along as their guest.

Labels: events, software