Not every building in Cambridge is old obviously. This modern edifice is the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory, better known as the William Gates building. William is the father of Bill Gates and Microsoft just happens to have a research campus next door to this building--hmm, I suspect a small donation from Bill got his pop's name on the computer lab, don't you.
I attended a meeting at the computer lab a few weeks ago and was reminded that Cambridge is a high-tech oasis in England. In fact, to highlight the comparison to California's Silicon Valley, people call the Cambridge area Silicon Fens (Fens being the name for the wetlands area we live in) because of all the computer startups in the area.
The tentlike structure in the picture is to protect bikes from the rain--the building is on the edge of town and though there is good bus service, many people still bike to it and the Microsoft research campus. I snapped this picture with my new cell phone which is a PocketPC running Windows Mobile and then I emailed it wirelessly using Microsoft Outlook--so I've obviously added a few pennies to Bill's overflowing coffers.
--jt
