Despite IT's image of being invented by wild-eyed loners in pizza-fuelled bedroom frenzies, by far the greater part of research and development takes place in well organised laboratories staffed by teams who can easily pass for normal human beings. A good example of this approach to R&D can be found in Bristol, where HP has one of its most significant research efforts -- and where yours truly was invited last week to look over some of their work.

The laboratories -- the first HP opened outside the US -- investigate a mix of practical and theoretical developments. These range from quantum information technology through to camera design, location-based services and grid computing, but the focus of this visit was security -- as evidenced by the movie posters up in the lab windows promising to "save the Earth from the scum of the universe".

By Rupert Goodwins at ZDNet.

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