Tech Weekly: Microsoft buys Skype, Alphagov - your government services online 4e512j

This week Aleks Krotoski and Charles Arthur are ed by Tom Loosemore to look at and analyse this week's biggest tech stories.We begin with Microsoft's purchase of Skype for $8.5bn. At the time of recording, the deal was only expected, and so the team look back at Skype's 7 year life, and how it has changed hands in that time. Charles finds it hard to see why Microsoft needs the VoIP service - and predicts a hard time for it within their Redmond HQ.Charles also takes a look at the latest sales figures of mobile phones in western Europe, and finds Nokia has been pushed into second place by… Samsung and Apple in the handset and smartphone markets respectively. It's more bad news for Nokia, and neither Tom nor Charles can foresee a rosy future for Nokia - with Tom predicting fatal consequences for the company.The team also discuss an apparent schism within Anonymous, and examine the group's denial of an attack in which credit card details were stolen from Sony's PlayStation Network. Aleks, Charles and Tom talk through the group's aims, ponder the ramifications of a split, and attempt to describe the structure and motivation of Anonymous - with mixed success.And finally, Tom talks to us about his attempts to build a single, central government website which will deliver information and services from recommendations made by the UK's digital champion Martha Lane Fox. Tom explains what his aims are for Alphagov and what it has been like working on such a large project, and within a huge government beauracracy.Another full programme from your Tech Weekly team. Please leave us your comments below, tweet and re-tweet us. And you can answer Aleks's poser about sites that sum up Britishness below too.Don't forget to ...• Comment below• Mail us at [email protected]• Get our Twitter feed for programme updates or follow our Twitter list• Like our Facebook page• See our pics on Flickr/Post your tech picsAleks KrotoskiCharles ArthurScott Cawley 3y4m3h