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Your Computer and Cell Phone Are Lying To You

Ant writes with a story from Dan's Data, which says that the battery meter and connection-strength displays in your portable electronics are lying to you, "and not just when they whisper to you in the night." Quoting: "Mobile phones, and most modern laptops, have signal strength and battery life displays. One or both of these displays has probably been the focus of all of your attention at one time or another. Neither display is actually telling you what you think it's telling you. The signal strength bars on a mobile phone or laptop do, at least, say something about how strong the local signal is. But they don't tell you the ratio between that signal and the inevitable, and often very considerable, noise that accompanies it ..."

15 of 479 comments (clear)

  1. Pshaw by MistaE · · Score: 5, Funny

    And I bet you're going to tell us next that DRM isn't for our own good and is just a way for conglomerates to steal more of our money with little effort done on their part. Hah!

    1. Re:Pshaw by Godji · · Score: 5, Funny

      And I bet you're going to tell us next that DRM isn't for our own good and is just a way for conglomerates to steal more of our money with little effort done on their part, just like car manufacturers are telling you that driving an SUV is good for your safety while they make them with cheap truck chassis that are less maneuverable and do not reduce the impact of a collision nearly as much as a car chassis. Hah!

  2. Re:pedantry by PlatyPaul · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hey! My battery bar is full! That's must mean I have at least a few hours le

    --
    Misery loves company. Online misery loves unsuspecting random strangers.
  3. GASP by oodaloop · · Score: 4, Funny

    Are you trying to tell me that the constantly changing field of electro-magnetic radiation pouring through my laptop does not always match up precisely to the five bars in the display? Frankly, I find that hard to believe.

    --
    Tic-Tac-Toe, Global Thermonuclear War, and relationships all have the same winning move.
  4. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 5, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  5. Re:Ummm, doesn't "lying" imply free will? by hansraj · · Score: 4, Funny

    I would have given you the answer, but I suppose you would rather that I speak axiomatic set theory or such.

  6. Re:Wifi meters by lisaparratt · · Score: 5, Funny

    Not only can I write software, but since I can multitask, I can do your mom at the same time.

  7. Easier for sales by glindsey · · Score: 4, Funny

    Cingular loves to tout "More bars in more places".

    "Higher signal-to-noise ratio across a broader range of the United States" just isn't quite as catchy a slogan.

  8. Re:[Citation-Needed] by fabs64 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I know it's de rigeur, but that was quite a lot of writing for someone who didn't RTFA.

    Dan is claiming that (at least in cell phones) there is a deliberately misleading fudge factor.

  9. Oh thank God! by oahazmatt · · Score: 4, Funny

    Your Computer and Cell Phone Are Lying To You

    Oh, thank God! I was worried I was the only one who could hear them!

    --
    Those who believe the Internet is private,
    find their privates are on the Internet.
  10. Re:Ummm, doesn't "lying" imply free will? by rodney+dill · · Score: 4, Funny

    anthropomorphism is a common human tendency... get over it.

    now if I can just get my laptop to stop humping my leg....

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    Use your head, can't you, use your head,
    You're on earth, there's no cure for that
    - S. Beckett
  11. Re:pedantry by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    These types of posts are getting on my nerves.
    If you battery went you would not of made the post at all...I'm not stupid.

  12. Re:pedantry by travdaddy · · Score: 5, Funny

    Maybe he was dictating it.

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  13. Re:pedantry by jez9999 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Actually, (s)he could have made the post if their battery went half way through, and here's why. The char

  14. Re:pedantry by dotancohen · · Score: 4, Funny

    what's the English word for using a meme incorrectly?

    /.

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    It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.