Digital Life Matthew Webster
‘Virtual’ is a much-used word these days. When I was a boy, I think it only ever meant ‘almost, but not completely’: my headmaster would observe that ‘There is a virtual absence of common sense in the fourth form.’
It has now been hijacked to mean almost anything that has no apparent physical presence; we often hear of virtual businesses, even virtual assistants, to describe activity that takes place entirely online. There is, of course, plenty of actual presence: data centres, undersea cables and networks of computers, but the dream is that it’s all taking place in a magic city in the clouds.
There are two current uses of this changing word I want to mention: one with a recommendation, one with a warning. First, the warning. You may have heard about the development of virtual reality headsets. Typically, they are like motor bike helmets or heavy glasses that have small screens and earphones within them. They are plugged into a computer, and the pictures and sounds change to reflect your movements or the operation of a hand control. In other words, they are exactly the same as a video game except that you have to wear an uncomfortable hat.
I’ve tried one of the cheaper ones (about £150) and from that limited test my firm recommendation is that you should stay well away. Firstly, it didn’t really work properly, freezing and hiccupping, and when it did work it made me feel ill. Virtual reality, in my experience, is distinctly less attractive than the real thing.
Now, a good ‘virtual’ gadget. If you are not aware of the possibilities of something called a ‘Virtual Private Network’ (known as a VPN), you probably should be, especially if you travel, are concerned about security or want to see websites that are blocked to you because of where you are; BBC iplayer outside the UK, for example. or American TV channels within the UK.
A VPN (there are many) is a network of computers spread over a large number of countries. You log in to their network and pick any country in which they operate that you would like to pretend to be in; for example, if you are in France, a VPN can make it look as if you are in the UK, and so the BBC iplayer will happily show you the stuff it reserves for home viewers only. I can’t say that you won’t be breaking the BBC’S terms of use, but it works.
VPNS also offer much-enhanced security by encrypting everything. This is especially important if you use public wifi connections, such as those in hotels and coffee bars: without a VPN, your online activity is open to a determined hacker in the same place; with a VPN he’ll still be able to see what you do, but it will all be gibberish.
A VPN effectively creates a secure pipe through which your data travels. It can also allow you to circumvent national restrictions. I’m writing this from China, behind what is known as the Great Firewall of China, which blocks access to many western websites (including Google and Facebook) but a VPN bypasses these controls. Strictly speaking, using one is against the Chinese rules, but I can tell you that educated locals and all expats in Shanghai use them all the time, and no one has been clapped in irons yet.
For more on this, and which VPNS you might try, visit my website. They are cheap and it would not surprise me if they soon became free. One of the smaller browsers, Opera.com, now includes a free VPN. If Opera starts pinching traffic from the big boys as a result, they might all follow suit.
might live because the cost depends on your age. The older you are when you buy into the scheme, the less you pay so, if you are close to your next birthday, hang on. You can check your life expectancy on http://visual.ons.gov.uk/how-long-willmy-pension-need-to-last/.
Centenarians have to pay £127 to buy an extra £1 a week but the cost is substantially more – £22,250 – for 65-year-olds wanting £25 a week or £1,300 a year. You could compare this return to keeping money in a savings account where, on £22,500, you might earn £110 a year. But it is more accurate to compare it to an annuity because once you have handed over your money, you do not get it back. A similar annuity would cost twice as much.
It will take 17–26 years, depending on how much tax you pay, before the top-up you earn equals what you have paid. A 65-year-old man can expect to live another 21 years so the decision is finely balanced.
You could do better looking at other ways to boost your state pension. If you do not have a full thirty-year National Insurance record, you might be eligible to make voluntary contributions which give better returns than the top-up scheme. Check on the website www.gov.uk/ voluntary-national-insurancecontributions/rates.
You will earn more if you can afford to delay taking the state pension. For every year you defer, the Government adds 5.8 per cent. Check on www.gov.uk/deferringstate-pension. You won’t receive any pension meanwhile, so need to live quite some years before the higher payments match the income you have foregone.
There is more information about the top-up scheme on www.gov.uk/statepension-topup or phone 0345 600 4270.