The Age of Innocence and Experience

I presented the bomber with a laptop on the occasion of his eighth birthday at the end of September; it's interesting to watch someone grow up in this information age.

It was fun to try and explain to him and a similarly uncomprehending cousin that there was no wireless Internet access at Grandma's. They just couldn't imagine such a thing. "What I want to show him is on YouTube, not on the Internet," offered Isaac helpfully.

Ben has taken to the BBC IPlayer - and to the live streaming - like a duck to water and his music is stored on PC, so the box is becoming his personal TV, DVD player, stereo, and games console. He's getting a digital camera for Christmas, so it will be his scrapbook then as well.

I realise we appreciate this intellectually, but it is quite something to see it in the wild with someone so young. (A trivial thought: perhaps I should get him a remote control for it?)

Also if I hear that "the BBC is working on a major update to its iPlayer media download service that will see it integrate Microsoft’s Live Mesh technology alongside audio and video content," personally I am filled with inertia.

The notion that “we will be able to add seamless access to iPlayer content between the desktop and mobile device with all the same recommendations and the ability to pick up playing on one where you left off on the other, " makes me yawn yet I can imagine him using it; possibly pausing something he is watching to share it with a friend, or bringing it up on another screen in a different room for me to see.

I ruthlessly exploit him a free consultant.