Emil Larsen (.com)

The Danes have got one up on the Brits because their Freeview HD service is already up and running, while UK audiences have to wait until 2010 for the pleasure.

Mpeg2 digital TV, which is what UK Freeview uses, is already being phased out by the Danes, with only four channels in the format remaining now and until it is laid to rest in 2012.

The replacement format, Mpeg4, is up and running with TVs and set-top boxes all advertising the newer standard. While there is only 75 per cent Mpeg4 coverage at present, this is set to hit 100 per cent on November 1st when the analogue signal is switched off.

If you spend around £100 on a set-top box, you’ll get one capable of receiving Mpeg4 HD channels, sent out in glorious 720p. I’ll be doing that before Christmas, so I can gloat to my friends over the holiday season.

I lost my bag with camera and wallet on Copenhagen’s S-tog today.

The bag is a blue/white BMW F1 rucksack and the camera is a Sony Alpha-100 SLR.

It occured to me that there are no other Emil Mahler Larsen’s in the world, so if you’ve Googled for me, here I am. Call me on 50 66 83 75 so I can pick up my stuff.

Frankly though, I don’t expect to see any of my things again. Terrible day.

Denmark is one of Vodafone's passport countries

Vodafone’s free summer roaming promotion doesn’t work in Denmark and/or for pay as you talk users, despite the website and shop assistants saying it does.

I switched from Orange to Vodafone at the beginning of July, hoping to avoid the £90 I spent on roaming charges last summer. But when I arrived in Denmark, both my unlocked mobile phones wouldn’t call out, although they would receive calls and send/receive text messages. As a frequent traveller, I immediately knew there was something wrong with Vodafone’s service, especially since I had international calls unbarred and Vodafone passport enabled.

Vodafone customer service had this to say to me:

“Emil, I’m sorry to let you know that you’ll not be able to make calls on the Denmark network using the Pay As You Talk service, as we do not have an international roaming agreement for this service with any Denmark networks.

We always advise our customers to contact us before going abroad to make sure they have all the necessary information about the usage of their phone and charges.

You can check the details online just by clicking here .”

Vodafone's website confirms Danish coverage for Pay As You Talk customers

So I went to the link and it told me calls in Denmark are enabled for Pay As You Talk customers – contrary to what Vodafone’s costumer service told me. So I complained some more and got this response:

“I’m sorry to know that you’re not able to use your phone Denmark.

I apologize for all the mis-information provided by one of my colleague.

Emil, what I’ve done for you is I’ve credited yoru account with £10 which you’ve spent on freedom pack.”

My experience leads me to suspect Vodafone is playing dirty tricks with its summer roaming promotion. Vodafone has to pay phone operators in other countries to connect customers like me via their networks, so its summer roaming promotion is probably a money-losing campaign. But, perhaps, it just blocks some users to reduce its losses.

I hope Ofcom investigates Vodafone’s practises… if it has any balls at all.

SMP, the north London theatre company I’m a member of, will be putting on Disco Inferno June 17th-20th. Go to the website and buy your tickets now if you want to see me sing, dance and wear flares (you won’t see much “acting” though).