My first thought on reading this article was the long distance fee. How long before a "free" version of this come in, where the web site, on taking my source and destination number, connects us.
I've always had a problem with implantable technologies for non-medical purposes (i.e. not pacemakers, replacement valves, etc.). Basically, you wind up with
Having to make all sorts of backward compatibility on a single standard.
Competing standards requiring multiple implants. (and you thought browser wars were bad!)
Surgery every few years to upgrade (would Best Buy take an old implant back?)
A lot of old chips collecting in your arm, leg, neck, etc.
I used to use the ones you describe, as well as "fatchance@nospam.com." Then, I discovered Mailinator. This is pretty handy. You make up an address @mailinator.com. Mail can go there, and the address is "created" on the fly. Later, if you are really interested (say, a registration for a newspaper site), you can pick up the mail. After a few hours, the account is deleted.
'Schultz and MacKinnon came to believe that the core Starbucks customer, an affluent 25- to 50-year-old who's likelier to be tuned in to NPR than to MTV or one of the nine gazillion radio stations owned by Clear Channel Communications Inc., probably feels ignored by the music industry.'
I'm a 33-year old, relatively affluent, NPR listening (WNKU) Starbuck's customer (I have a First Edition Duetto Card). All I have to say is that I feel quite ignored by commercial radio.
Assume, for a moment, the information were truly worth classifying. And, for a moment, we'll assume that USB connectivity would be a requirement for other functions.
If I ban all USB keyfobs, pens, watches, and plush dolls, then having a USB keyfob, pen, watch, etc. would not be "normal." If I see a coworker pulling one out of his butt (literally, in your example), a red flag would be raised, and, as a good employee, I would contact the appropriate security officer. Its mere presence would be the concern, not just its use--there would be no legitimate reason for it to be on site. If there were, the security officer would have a documented exemption.
True, I could have a policy by which the iPod would be allowed but not connecting it to the machine. In this scenario, its presence would not raise any flags. I'd have to observe that it is connected to a company system to raise a flag, which might not be as obvious. The iPod would just be part of the landscape, and wouldn't get a second thought.
What of laptops? I admit that it is a bit odd to have that open while the USB drives would not be allowed. My assumption would be that, for the most secure information, wired desktops would be the norm.
Further, if the concern is the introduction of viruses, etc, it is not the same thing. Lord knows where the USB keyfob has been, but a corporate-issued laptop ostensibly should have security standards, up-to-date anti-virus software, patches, and other precautions (similar precautions for data protection, but that's another story). If the company doesn't have such policies, well, they have only themselves to blame. If they do, and the precautions are circumvented, and a virus is released, disciplinary actions can be taken against the employee (just as though they propped the back door open). This would also be why unauthorized systems would not be on the network.
Wired I look at this as more "Esquire for the Geek." Though the technology trends are interesting, often it isn't providing something that is practical for day-to-day use on the job.
InfoWorld More business-oriented.
Road Road bike culture. Good pictures, but, so far, fluffy. I may not keep getting it.
Velonews I buy this sporadically, and hit the web site regularly. Good coverage.
Time Everyone needs a news magazine.
Food & Wine I dig cooking.
Chili Pepper I dig spicy food. This one is kinda neat--it has a narrower scope, but can find a breadth of culture to cover.
I'll state the obvious: there are too many factors in mileage to compare. Let's take me, for example. I drive a 2001 Volvo V70 (great car!). EPA says 22 city, 30 highway. It has a little computer in it that shows MPG (instantaneous and average), and my figures are based on what that shows.
Most of my driving is within roughly five miles of my house. This is in a fairly hilly part of Cincinnati, in residential neighborhoods, with twisty streets, overgrown areas (a mall where one wasn't five years ago), and lots of traffic signals. Did I mention it was hilly? The street I live on is about a quarter-mile long but has a 500 foot altitude gain.
When I go through a period of driving mostly in that area (grocery stores, restaurants, dance class, malls that weren't there five years ago), I usually get something on the order of 20 mpg.
On the other hand, we drove to Ottawa last year. The first day, after we got out of Cincinnati, it was more-or-less flat (relative to my neighborhood). And we got something on the order of 32-36 mpg. That, of course, was all interstate.
My recent tank is doing about 23 mpg, a blend of my neighborhood, plus some driving to places relatively far off (flatter, more highway-like conditions). Again, it's all about how I'm using it at the time.
These aren't the only factors I've notices. For instance:
How much weight I'm carrying. If it's me, my wife, and perhaps a few bikes, I do better than when hauling a piece of furniture, a bunch of groceries, and me and my wife.
Load on engine. Air conditioning causes a hit on mpg.
Season. Overall, I get better mileage in the spring/fall than summer (A/C) or Winter.
Germany also looked into a suborbital "Amerikabomber." It would skip across the atmosphere, and attack, say, New York.
Another concept was built by the Japanese. A floatplane bomber was to be launched against the West Coast from a submarine. One sub was built, with three aircraft. The war ended before it could be launched.
drivers could surrender control to another human-driven PM and relax as someone else drives them to work.
That technology is here today! I was able to read a magazine as someone else drove me and twenty-or-so other people to work this morning. It's called the city bus!
One interesting and vaugely related artical details that the performance enhancement effects of caffine can be realized by "social" consumption of the drug. Thought it was interesting.
The concept (handwritten letter->intermediary format->printed copy) reminds me of V-Mail in World War Two. People states-side would write a letter to their man in uniform on a special form. This form would be printed on microfilm, and carried over to Europe or the Pacific. The letters would be printed and handed out to the troops.
I think there are two issues. First is the use of a personal cell phone for personal calls during the day. Ignoring the fact I disagree with a strict "no personal call" stance (so long as work is done, it's not disruptive, and it's infrequent and quick, it should be OK), it is the right of an employer to request these distractions not be present.
I personally, as both a "PHB" and an employee, not want my workplace so tied to my personal equipment. It's one thing to have a day planner/Palm Pilot, or use a cell for business. It's quite another to have alerts sent to your cell phone.
Like another poster pointed out, tyeing it to your cell phone means that, should you get run down by a bus, the alerts won't go to your successor. In fact, it's conceivable that your management isn't even aware of this monitoring capability. It might die with you! I would think that arranging for a company provided and dedicated device (I'm personally fond of pagers for this) would be the way to go. I'd take it further to suggest alerts go to a ticketing system then the pager, but that's another story.
As an employee, I just don't want to have to provide my own stuff. Once you are using your equipment for IT work, you lose control over what can be on it. Load up a laptop and use it for work? They may insist on a particular firewall or virus software loaded (or ban a particular OS from being on their network). Better just to bypass it.
Ohhhh...the Parker Jotter is a classic! Major advances in ballpoint technology came with that pen (seriously). It had a textured tungsten ball, to allow better ink flow and writing. The cartridge rotates 90 degrees with each extension, to promote even wear (that's what the literature claimed--even had a demonstrator version to show it).
Parker has now come out with gel ink refills for the Jotter. Nice, because gel is less susceptible to check washing that most inks (certainly more than standard ballpoint ink). Have you given those a shot?
I think handwriting technology (pens, inks, paper) will be another one. I admit that I have never hidden my love of fountain pens, but even the average Bic has a role. Jotting down a small bit of information while on the phone or standing somewhere is just simpler and quicker with pen and paper.
PDAs have their role, but they can be slow. Plus, I can't jot something down and tape it do a doorway or under a windshield wiper with an LCD screen.
How technical do you really want to be? If you are willing to be semi-technical (or semi-non-technical), you might consider looking into careers that would leverage your experience in the medical profession. Doing consulting or sales of medical IT systems would probably be the best route to go for a career change. I'm sure that, on the flip side, there are a number of medical technology companies who would be interested in taking on someone who is interested in doing tech design/architecture/implementation work but can still "speak doctor" to the client.
On the other hand, I'm in IT consulting, so I might be biased. I also really don't know that industry. Everything in this book may be wrong.
Rob Cockerham has made a little sticker for your shopper card, making you one of his Safeway clones. All over North America, people are sticking this UPC code over the one on their card. As a result, he appears to buy a lot of stuff.
This bring an interesting wrinkle to his experiment.
Point taken. I have read other material that indicates that Clear Channel participates in this practice.
Further, in 2003, several Clear Channel morning programs advocated violence against cyclists. There was limited response at the corporate level. It occurred over a several month period. Happening in one market is an anomaly. Two, and it could be that they didn't spread the word. After that, though, and it's really a question of why the corporate parent didn't say, "knock it off all of you!"
First, there has been much concern about media conglomeration. More stations in the hands of fewer people means that fewer views are presented, less choice, more homogenization. Further, if something does become a problem (say, DJ's advocating violence against cyclists), then it is in fewer hands to try to do something about it. So long as it doesn't cause the FCC to investigate, those few hands don't have to. Likewise, the lack of music choice that is often lamented (hey! It's Britney Spears Clone #192!) is part of the problem The practice described in the article is both a symptom of this problem as well as a way for it to be masked.
Second, I think there is the inherent dishonesty. You're right, on the Great Scale of Things to Worry About, it probably isn't that great (though, on \., I've seen far more trivial matters argued in great detail). However, there is a sense that implying you are "local" when you are in a different timezone just isn't fair.
Further, creating this "generic" show just strikes me of corporate disrespect. I read another article about this practice, and it describes how one DJ does a dozen morning shows from one control booth. He creates this illusion that he is local with little tweaks.
I think there is an expectation (mostly through historical means) that the person they listen to on the radio is like them--actually go to the same places, had to deal with the same conditions on the way in, etc. I know when, growing up in southwest Louisiana, you could even hear hints of the areas accent and slang. By making the radio generic, you lose that connection.
Slashdot Mirror
My first thought on reading this article was the long distance fee. How long before a "free" version of this come in, where the web site, on taking my source and destination number, connects us.
Using a $2.50/minute long distance service.
Routed through South America.
I used to use the ones you describe, as well as "fatchance@nospam.com." Then, I discovered Mailinator. This is pretty handy. You make up an address @mailinator.com. Mail can go there, and the address is "created" on the fly. Later, if you are really interested (say, a registration for a newspaper site), you can pick up the mail. After a few hours, the account is deleted.
'Schultz and MacKinnon came to believe that the core Starbucks customer, an affluent 25- to 50-year-old who's likelier to be tuned in to NPR than to MTV or one of the nine gazillion radio stations owned by Clear Channel Communications Inc., probably feels ignored by the music industry.'
I'm a 33-year old, relatively affluent, NPR listening (WNKU) Starbuck's customer (I have a First Edition Duetto Card). All I have to say is that I feel quite ignored by commercial radio.
Yes and no.
Assume, for a moment, the information were truly worth classifying. And, for a moment, we'll assume that USB connectivity would be a requirement for other functions.
If I ban all USB keyfobs, pens, watches, and plush dolls, then having a USB keyfob, pen, watch, etc. would not be "normal." If I see a coworker pulling one out of his butt (literally, in your example), a red flag would be raised, and, as a good employee, I would contact the appropriate security officer. Its mere presence would be the concern, not just its use--there would be no legitimate reason for it to be on site. If there were, the security officer would have a documented exemption.
True, I could have a policy by which the iPod would be allowed but not connecting it to the machine. In this scenario, its presence would not raise any flags. I'd have to observe that it is connected to a company system to raise a flag, which might not be as obvious. The iPod would just be part of the landscape, and wouldn't get a second thought.
What of laptops? I admit that it is a bit odd to have that open while the USB drives would not be allowed. My assumption would be that, for the most secure information, wired desktops would be the norm.
Further, if the concern is the introduction of viruses, etc, it is not the same thing. Lord knows where the USB keyfob has been, but a corporate-issued laptop ostensibly should have security standards, up-to-date anti-virus software, patches, and other precautions (similar precautions for data protection, but that's another story). If the company doesn't have such policies, well, they have only themselves to blame. If they do, and the precautions are circumvented, and a virus is released, disciplinary actions can be taken against the employee (just as though they propped the back door open). This would also be why unauthorized systems would not be on the network.
Condition of car. I put new tires on my car, and mileage improves. Likewise, it seems to do better after a scheduled service.
Most of my driving is within roughly five miles of my house. This is in a fairly hilly part of Cincinnati, in residential neighborhoods, with twisty streets, overgrown areas (a mall where one wasn't five years ago), and lots of traffic signals. Did I mention it was hilly? The street I live on is about a quarter-mile long but has a 500 foot altitude gain.
When I go through a period of driving mostly in that area (grocery stores, restaurants, dance class, malls that weren't there five years ago), I usually get something on the order of 20 mpg.
On the other hand, we drove to Ottawa last year. The first day, after we got out of Cincinnati, it was more-or-less flat (relative to my neighborhood). And we got something on the order of 32-36 mpg. That, of course, was all interstate.
My recent tank is doing about 23 mpg, a blend of my neighborhood, plus some driving to places relatively far off (flatter, more highway-like conditions). Again, it's all about how I'm using it at the time.
These aren't the only factors I've notices. For instance:
- How much weight I'm carrying. If it's me, my wife, and perhaps a few bikes, I do better than when hauling a piece of furniture, a bunch of groceries, and me and my wife.
- Load on engine. Air conditioning causes a hit on mpg.
- Season. Overall, I get better mileage in the spring/fall than summer (A/C) or Winter.
As always, your mileage may vary.Germany also looked into a suborbital "Amerikabomber." It would skip across the atmosphere, and attack, say, New York.
Another concept was built by the Japanese. A floatplane bomber was to be launched against the West Coast from a submarine. One sub was built, with three aircraft. The war ended before it could be launched.
drivers could surrender control to another human-driven PM and relax as someone else drives them to work.
That technology is here today! I was able to read a magazine as someone else drove me and twenty-or-so other people to work this morning. It's called the city bus!
AMD selling more chips.
AMD is sponsoring USPS (Lance Armstrong's team) this year.
Coincidence?
Screwing everything up with their crappy unsecure software.
Wait--everyone's vulnerable?
How can this be? This is Slashdot: it has to be Microsoft's fault.
No...wait...it was 2002. I'm sorry--I mean 2001. One of these years Linix will dominate...
I mean really....
Ewe!
One interesting and vaugely related artical details that the performance enhancement effects of caffine can be realized by "social" consumption of the drug. Thought it was interesting.
The concept (handwritten letter->intermediary format->printed copy) reminds me of V-Mail in World War Two. People states-side would write a letter to their man in uniform on a special form. This form would be printed on microfilm, and carried over to Europe or the Pacific. The letters would be printed and handed out to the troops.
The advantage was that the mail took up significantly less weight. 150,000 letters could be reduced from 2,500 lbs to around 45 lbs. The space savings could be used for war material.
I personally, as both a "PHB" and an employee, not want my workplace so tied to my personal equipment. It's one thing to have a day planner/Palm Pilot, or use a cell for business. It's quite another to have alerts sent to your cell phone.
Like another poster pointed out, tyeing it to your cell phone means that, should you get run down by a bus, the alerts won't go to your successor. In fact, it's conceivable that your management isn't even aware of this monitoring capability. It might die with you! I would think that arranging for a company provided and dedicated device (I'm personally fond of pagers for this) would be the way to go. I'd take it further to suggest alerts go to a ticketing system then the pager, but that's another story.
As an employee, I just don't want to have to provide my own stuff. Once you are using your equipment for IT work, you lose control over what can be on it. Load up a laptop and use it for work? They may insist on a particular firewall or virus software loaded (or ban a particular OS from being on their network). Better just to bypass it.
Already, De Beers is working on exclusive rights to the diamond, in order to maintain prices at current level.
Ohhhh...the Parker Jotter is a classic! Major advances in ballpoint technology came with that pen (seriously). It had a textured tungsten ball, to allow better ink flow and writing. The cartridge rotates 90 degrees with each extension, to promote even wear (that's what the literature claimed--even had a demonstrator version to show it).
Parker has now come out with gel ink refills for the Jotter. Nice, because gel is less susceptible to check washing that most inks (certainly more than standard ballpoint ink). Have you given those a shot?
I think handwriting technology (pens, inks, paper) will be another one. I admit that I have never hidden my love of fountain pens, but even the average Bic has a role. Jotting down a small bit of information while on the phone or standing somewhere is just simpler and quicker with pen and paper.
PDAs have their role, but they can be slow. Plus, I can't jot something down and tape it do a doorway or under a windshield wiper with an LCD screen.
On the other hand, I'm in IT consulting, so I might be biased. I also really don't know that industry. Everything in this book may be wrong.
Rob Cockerham has made a little sticker for your shopper card, making you one of his Safeway clones. All over North America, people are sticking this UPC code over the one on their card. As a result, he appears to buy a lot of stuff.
This bring an interesting wrinkle to his experiment.
I'm left handed. :)
Point taken. I have read other material that indicates that Clear Channel participates in this practice.
Further, in 2003, several Clear Channel morning programs advocated violence against cyclists. There was limited response at the corporate level. It occurred over a several month period. Happening in one market is an anomaly. Two, and it could be that they didn't spread the word. After that, though, and it's really a question of why the corporate parent didn't say, "knock it off all of you!"
I have real non-made up reasons.
I think there are three things.
First, there has been much concern about media conglomeration. More stations in the hands of fewer people means that fewer views are presented, less choice, more homogenization. Further, if something does become a problem (say, DJ's advocating violence against cyclists), then it is in fewer hands to try to do something about it. So long as it doesn't cause the FCC to investigate, those few hands don't have to. Likewise, the lack of music choice that is often lamented (hey! It's Britney Spears Clone #192!) is part of the problem The practice described in the article is both a symptom of this problem as well as a way for it to be masked.
Second, I think there is the inherent dishonesty. You're right, on the Great Scale of Things to Worry About, it probably isn't that great (though, on \., I've seen far more trivial matters argued in great detail). However, there is a sense that implying you are "local" when you are in a different timezone just isn't fair.
Further, creating this "generic" show just strikes me of corporate disrespect. I read another article about this practice, and it describes how one DJ does a dozen morning shows from one control booth. He creates this illusion that he is local with little tweaks.
I think there is an expectation (mostly through historical means) that the person they listen to on the radio is like them--actually go to the same places, had to deal with the same conditions on the way in, etc. I know when, growing up in southwest Louisiana, you could even hear hints of the areas accent and slang. By making the radio generic, you lose that connection.