Heck, the only background you need for a credit card is to be a college student who either does or doesn't have any other credit cards... not too tough a background to have (yes even community college and junior college work, too).
The only places I use cash are the exceedingly few places that don't take credit (stupid hair-cutting place) or places where it is advantageous to pay cash (no extra tax at the bar if you pay cash).
Almost everyone has heard of a $100 bill referred to as a "Franklin" (mostly due to such great cultural innovations as illegal drug use and associated "music" groups), but how many people know who Salmon P. Chase was, or what denomination he is on? (of course, I'll almost definitely never hold any of those, but hey... that's life) --
Yeah - I see where it could come in handy, but I really don't run into those situations (I also don't have call waiting - another good waste, by the way)... I guess I never have trouble meeting people somewhere because I don't live in a city (Rochester, MN is just a large town ~80k persons)... and even when I was back in the NYC area, I never had those problems, but that probably comes from the people I'm around and the places I go. The being caught up and being late is probably the only example that I can think of that would be relevant, and that only works if the other person is by a known phone (be it cell or land-line).
Like I said - it could be convenient in some situations, but really, it wouldn't make much of a value add to my life (I'd always have it off except when I'd be calling out...) and they certainly aren't worth the price - it's a lot per month to play snake, that's for sure:)
If they aren't earth-shatteringly important and it doesn't make it that much harder to cope, it can't be "becoming pretty indispensible"... not any more than extra ricotta cheese with stuffed shells, anyway:) --
Wow... I haven't seen a car with a floor headlamp switch since... what was that... a Ram Charger in the early 80's. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
That was more a statement of personal use... for everyday life, I have no need for one - my 5 minute commute leaves me withing sight of many buildings at all times, and with my home calling plan, having a cell wouldn't make sense financially (too many long-distance minutes). I don't/can't have a cell at work (no real regulation, but it sure doesn't seem like a good idea if it in't a work phone). For longer travel I have a CB in my car (a full set and a handheld), which more than cover those trips for emergency matters. I don't want a cellphone when I am at the bar after work, at the bookstore, libary, grocery store, or at a restaurant. I *really* don't want to talk on the phone when I am playing sports, at the zoo/museum, or just relaxing somewhere outside my house. I shouldn't (read: There isn't anyone who should) be using one if I am (one is) the driver of a vehicle (unless it truly is a fully hands-free model, dialing and all). At home, I can't see the value of talking on a cell instead of a landline, especially when signal degrades horribly in certain parts of the house (i.e. basement), while my cordless works just fine... add in the high cost, and it doesn't seem worth it. One of my friends here moved into a new house recently, and doesn't have a land-line phone, just his cell... but he doesn't even use that all that much.
If I'm not home or at work, barring a major disaster, there's no reason for me to call anyone and no reason for anyone to reach me... heck - I'll probably be home or at work soon enough, and if it happens to be a life-threatening event, chances are I can't do anything about it or get wherever it is anyway. That's just my situation and desire.
I currently run four computers (Linux x86, BSD x86, NT x86, Linux Alpha) at home, have X-10 integration with the systems, and love technology in all its many forms, but I have yet to see the value add of a cell phone in my life.
That being said - I will probably get one for my fiancee for her driving to school an hour each way on fairly desolate roads this fall (of course, by then she'll be my wife)... I don't think the phone will ever be used, but it is more of a peace of mind issue.
What I would like is a portable e-mail device. No voice - just turn it on and off when I like, and it can stat my other mailboxes (doesn't need its own) and let me browse through what is waiting there. I don't need to send anything, just see if a message I'm waiting for has arrived yet with tracking info, etc... of more use when I'm in another room than out on the go (802.11 would be fine), but that's all I really want/need.
I guess I don't understand the utility for cellphones in people's everyday lives (non-buisness). I use my regular phone quite a bit, but I really haven't met a moment where I wish I was there when someone called and left a voice message...
Sorry for the extended rant 8^) For all that I do, I can't see cell phones as "becoming pretty indispensible." --
The handoff between towers is a really neat idea, and I'll agree that is a pretty nifty feat... the original poster made the distinction on size, though ("not the fridge-sized things from the 80s"), and that's what provoked my comments. The cellular networks are far more of an innovation than the cellular phone itself - that's probably a more accurate statement.
I'll agree, a lot of the battery stuff was a linear progression, but again, I had a narrower focus on the phone rather than the all-encompassing 'cell-phone idea'. They still haven't changed my life at all - I have yet to find a use for one in my life... unless the prices dramatically drop for service...
Cell phones aren't really an innovation - they are just the progression of other parts... they are essentially just small two-way radios, and those have been around for quite some time. The light, small, long-life batteries are more of an innovation than the cell phone itself, and that isn't really all that ground-breaking...
Now magnetic storage, atomic-scale self assembly, quantum computing... that kind of stuff is innovative...
I'll take milk over fruit juice any day - I've always liked the taste (not from those little paper pint containers, though - real plastic or glass bottles only). I also don't like anything less than 2%, and I prefer whole milk - fat and sugar are the two items that make food taste 'better'. I'm not lactose intolerant, and I'm certainly not forcing anyone who is to drink it, but hey - a glass of milk helps *calm* my stomach, as bad as it may be to others. I can't stand cranberry juice, but one of my friends (who is lactose intolerant) loves the stuff... go figure 8^)
Good thing there are lots of beverage choices, with plenty of ways to get the nutrition we need... kind of like Guinness vs. Midwest "beer" (Miller/Bud/Pabst/etc) - to each his own.
>If only there were a way to send a registered FAX.
Well, you get a transmission report at the end of the fax anyway, and if you had the correct number, there's really no difference from a registered letter... there's no way to prove anyone read the fax, but there is also no way to prove or force them to open and read the registered mail, either... --
I've used Turbo Tax for the Web(tm) each of the last two years (got this year's refund a week or so ago). Last year it was free, since I have Vanguard funds, this year it cost ~$20 for state and federal combined. I used it from regular Netscape (4.7x) instead of Mozilla (on all three of WinNT4, Linux(2.2.x) and AIX 4.3.3.4). You see a lot of gain year to year, since they automatically fill in last year's tax info for the current year (state taxes for deductions, etc). Easy to use, and platform independant. I've been happy with it, and my life wasn't complicated enough the last couple years to warrant a CPA... it is starting to get that way, though... --
Who are these *real scientists* of which you speak? I could make a link to *real technologists* and point it to/. or K5, but that doesn't give it any creditbility...
I'm not in agreement with the original poster, but just posting a link to a site that looks like somebody's personal bitch section (kinda like the Drudge Report), and who's credibility is linked to Fox News... that's hard to swallow, especially when your only rebuttal has been "blah blah blah, *real science* blah blah"...
Or as overheard from the Bob & Tom morning show (check your local radio listings):
"We'd like to say she comes with her husband, but she doesn't... she does, however, come with Pedro, the pool boy!" - (as best as I remember)excerpt from 'Trophy Wife Barbie' --
Certificate of Deposit. A fixed-length savings plan with a fixed or variable interest rate that usually exceeds a standard savings account by a fair amount. Not sure how this relates to the size of a quarter, since there aren't usually any real 'certificates' anymore...
I'll second most of that, but honestly, Cow&Chicken over SportsCenter... I've never understoon the geek aversion to sports... I'm a computer engineer, and sports have always been a fun part of life (aside from the asthma attacks and what not). Statistics and projections - heck, creating your own fantasy sport leagues and simulations runs with a lot of the same characteristics as character attibutes in D&D... neat stuff, and fun.
I'd go in for a pseudo democratic system... each of the table within proximity of a given TV votes for what they want, and the appropriate stuff gets shown. Either that, or personal flat panel TVs in each booth. Simple, and easy.
I'm not crazy about sushi, but hey - a nicely varied menu would be great. As long as they have Guinness, I'd be happy 8^) --
Another reason is that DLT drives and DAT autoloaders have *vastly* larger capacities than a CD-R. A small DAT cartridge could have 6 12/24GB DDS-3 tapes in it. At only a couple bucks per tape, that's dirt cheap, and you can reasonably store 72-120GB for each cartridge load. Less changing, more automation == nice.
DLT drives are great, but definitely toward the high end of the scale. A basic DDS-3 DAT will only set you back a few hundred, and gives you a lot of room to work with.
Jamming a cellphone in a hospital or other "high-risk" area would probably have an effect contrary to the intended. All you are doing is filling the air even more full of the waves you are trying to avoid. --
"Pig Latin, eh? This is getting serious."
"We can get all of those filtered out..."
"Yes, but what of the several variations of Pig Latin - this could get complicated."
"I'm sure we could..."
"What next? Encoding the titles in some foreign language, I suppose. Where will it end?"
"How would they do that???"
"I've heard there is some type of fish that performs translations on the Internet. Very Un-American... modeled after some British fish, I believe."
"We can get altavista.com shut down, too - we've been looking for a good excuse to go after the big search engines!"
[tapping fingers]"Excellent."
Hmmm, that's exactly what I experienced in my old apartment... with my DVD player hooked up to my roommate's TV (one of the TV/VCR combos). The only RCA input on the thing, and the TV did the bright/dark thing constantly... it's what prompted me to buy a real TV. Who would think that the only input to a TV would be protected... --
Slashdot Mirror
Heck, the only background you need for a credit card is to be a college student who either does or doesn't have any other credit cards... not too tough a background to have (yes even community college and junior college work, too).
The only places I use cash are the exceedingly few places that don't take credit (stupid hair-cutting place) or places where it is advantageous to pay cash (no extra tax at the bar if you pay cash).
Almost everyone has heard of a $100 bill referred to as a "Franklin" (mostly due to such great cultural innovations as illegal drug use and associated "music" groups), but how many people know who Salmon P. Chase was, or what denomination he is on? (of course, I'll almost definitely never hold any of those, but hey... that's life)
--
Yeah - I see where it could come in handy, but I really don't run into those situations (I also don't have call waiting - another good waste, by the way)... I guess I never have trouble meeting people somewhere because I don't live in a city (Rochester, MN is just a large town ~80k persons)... and even when I was back in the NYC area, I never had those problems, but that probably comes from the people I'm around and the places I go. The being caught up and being late is probably the only example that I can think of that would be relevant, and that only works if the other person is by a known phone (be it cell or land-line).
:)
:)
Like I said - it could be convenient in some situations, but really, it wouldn't make much of a value add to my life (I'd always have it off except when I'd be calling out...) and they certainly aren't worth the price - it's a lot per month to play snake, that's for sure
If they aren't earth-shatteringly important and it doesn't make it that much harder to cope, it can't be "becoming pretty indispensible"... not any more than extra ricotta cheese with stuffed shells, anyway
--
Wow... I haven't seen a car with a floor headlamp switch since... what was that... a Ram Charger in the early 80's. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
--
most of the VCRs sold now automatically set the time from a broadcast signal... Anything over $70(US) should do that...
--
That was more a statement of personal use... for everyday life, I have no need for one - my 5 minute commute leaves me withing sight of many buildings at all times, and with my home calling plan, having a cell wouldn't make sense financially (too many long-distance minutes). I don't/can't have a cell at work (no real regulation, but it sure doesn't seem like a good idea if it in't a work phone). For longer travel I have a CB in my car (a full set and a handheld), which more than cover those trips for emergency matters. I don't want a cellphone when I am at the bar after work, at the bookstore, libary, grocery store, or at a restaurant. I *really* don't want to talk on the phone when I am playing sports, at the zoo/museum, or just relaxing somewhere outside my house. I shouldn't (read: There isn't anyone who should) be using one if I am (one is) the driver of a vehicle (unless it truly is a fully hands-free model, dialing and all). At home, I can't see the value of talking on a cell instead of a landline, especially when signal degrades horribly in certain parts of the house (i.e. basement), while my cordless works just fine... add in the high cost, and it doesn't seem worth it. One of my friends here moved into a new house recently, and doesn't have a land-line phone, just his cell... but he doesn't even use that all that much.
If I'm not home or at work, barring a major disaster, there's no reason for me to call anyone and no reason for anyone to reach me... heck - I'll probably be home or at work soon enough, and if it happens to be a life-threatening event, chances are I can't do anything about it or get wherever it is anyway. That's just my situation and desire.
I currently run four computers (Linux x86, BSD x86, NT x86, Linux Alpha) at home, have X-10 integration with the systems, and love technology in all its many forms, but I have yet to see the value add of a cell phone in my life.
That being said - I will probably get one for my fiancee for her driving to school an hour each way on fairly desolate roads this fall (of course, by then she'll be my wife)... I don't think the phone will ever be used, but it is more of a peace of mind issue.
What I would like is a portable e-mail device. No voice - just turn it on and off when I like, and it can stat my other mailboxes (doesn't need its own) and let me browse through what is waiting there. I don't need to send anything, just see if a message I'm waiting for has arrived yet with tracking info, etc... of more use when I'm in another room than out on the go (802.11 would be fine), but that's all I really want/need.
I guess I don't understand the utility for cellphones in people's everyday lives (non-buisness). I use my regular phone quite a bit, but I really haven't met a moment where I wish I was there when someone called and left a voice message...
Sorry for the extended rant 8^) For all that I do, I can't see cell phones as "becoming pretty indispensible."
--
The handoff between towers is a really neat idea, and I'll agree that is a pretty nifty feat... the original poster made the distinction on size, though ("not the fridge-sized things from the 80s"), and that's what provoked my comments. The cellular networks are far more of an innovation than the cellular phone itself - that's probably a more accurate statement.
I'll agree, a lot of the battery stuff was a linear progression, but again, I had a narrower focus on the phone rather than the all-encompassing 'cell-phone idea'. They still haven't changed my life at all - I have yet to find a use for one in my life... unless the prices dramatically drop for service...
--
Cell phones aren't really an innovation - they are just the progression of other parts... they are essentially just small two-way radios, and those have been around for quite some time. The light, small, long-life batteries are more of an innovation than the cell phone itself, and that isn't really all that ground-breaking...
Now magnetic storage, atomic-scale self assembly, quantum computing... that kind of stuff is innovative...
--
I'll take milk over fruit juice any day - I've always liked the taste (not from those little paper pint containers, though - real plastic or glass bottles only). I also don't like anything less than 2%, and I prefer whole milk - fat and sugar are the two items that make food taste 'better'. I'm not lactose intolerant, and I'm certainly not forcing anyone who is to drink it, but hey - a glass of milk helps *calm* my stomach, as bad as it may be to others. I can't stand cranberry juice, but one of my friends (who is lactose intolerant) loves the stuff... go figure 8^)
Good thing there are lots of beverage choices, with plenty of ways to get the nutrition we need... kind of like Guinness vs. Midwest "beer" (Miller/Bud/Pabst/etc) - to each his own.
--
>If only there were a way to send a registered FAX.
Well, you get a transmission report at the end of the fax anyway, and if you had the correct number, there's really no difference from a registered letter... there's no way to prove anyone read the fax, but there is also no way to prove or force them to open and read the registered mail, either...
--
I'm still waiting for "History of the World: Part II", with 'Hitler on Ice'...
--
>I had to carry my abacus in my teeth while crawling on broken glass. Uphill.
Both ways... in the snow...
--
I've used Turbo Tax for the Web(tm) each of the last two years (got this year's refund a week or so ago). Last year it was free, since I have Vanguard funds, this year it cost ~$20 for state and federal combined. I used it from regular Netscape (4.7x) instead of Mozilla (on all three of WinNT4, Linux(2.2.x) and AIX 4.3.3.4). You see a lot of gain year to year, since they automatically fill in last year's tax info for the current year (state taxes for deductions, etc). Easy to use, and platform independant. I've been happy with it, and my life wasn't complicated enough the last couple years to warrant a CPA... it is starting to get that way, though...
--
Who are these *real scientists* of which you speak? I could make a link to *real technologists* and point it to /. or K5, but that doesn't give it any creditbility...
I'm not in agreement with the original poster, but just posting a link to a site that looks like somebody's personal bitch section (kinda like the Drudge Report), and who's credibility is linked to Fox News... that's hard to swallow, especially when your only rebuttal has been "blah blah blah, *real science* blah blah"...
--
>Did you get that smart arse from RPI or Rochester? ;)
:)
Actually, I was born with it, and it just got more honed at RPI 8^D Can't reveal too much more to an AC, tho
--
Or as overheard from the Bob & Tom morning show (check your local radio listings):
"We'd like to say she comes with her husband, but she doesn't... she does, however, come with Pedro, the pool boy!" - (as best as I remember)excerpt from 'Trophy Wife Barbie'
--
Certificate of Deposit. A fixed-length savings plan with a fixed or variable interest rate that usually exceeds a standard savings account by a fair amount. Not sure how this relates to the size of a quarter, since there aren't usually any real 'certificates' anymore...
oh, compact disc... oh yeah, that...
--
I'll second most of that, but honestly, Cow&Chicken over SportsCenter... I've never understoon the geek aversion to sports... I'm a computer engineer, and sports have always been a fun part of life (aside from the asthma attacks and what not). Statistics and projections - heck, creating your own fantasy sport leagues and simulations runs with a lot of the same characteristics as character attibutes in D&D... neat stuff, and fun.
I'd go in for a pseudo democratic system... each of the table within proximity of a given TV votes for what they want, and the appropriate stuff gets shown. Either that, or personal flat panel TVs in each booth. Simple, and easy.
I'm not crazy about sushi, but hey - a nicely varied menu would be great. As long as they have Guinness, I'd be happy 8^)
--
Another reason is that DLT drives and DAT autoloaders have *vastly* larger capacities than a CD-R. A small DAT cartridge could have 6 12/24GB DDS-3 tapes in it. At only a couple bucks per tape, that's dirt cheap, and you can reasonably store 72-120GB for each cartridge load. Less changing, more automation == nice.
DLT drives are great, but definitely toward the high end of the scale. A basic DDS-3 DAT will only set you back a few hundred, and gives you a lot of room to work with.
--
actually, it seems to be 14 (13 is the phone, page 12 looks like something from battlebots, if only it were larger).
--
Can't seem to view that link...
--
Jamming a cellphone in a hospital or other "high-risk" area would probably have an effect contrary to the intended. All you are doing is filling the air even more full of the waves you are trying to avoid.
--
"Pig Latin, eh? This is getting serious."
"We can get all of those filtered out..."
"Yes, but what of the several variations of Pig Latin - this could get complicated."
"I'm sure we could..."
"What next? Encoding the titles in some foreign language, I suppose. Where will it end?"
"How would they do that???"
"I've heard there is some type of fish that performs translations on the Internet. Very Un-American... modeled after some British fish, I believe."
"We can get altavista.com shut down, too - we've been looking for a good excuse to go after the big search engines!"
[tapping fingers]"Excellent."
--
Hmmm, that's exactly what I experienced in my old apartment... with my DVD player hooked up to my roommate's TV (one of the TV/VCR combos). The only RCA input on the thing, and the TV did the bright/dark thing constantly... it's what prompted me to buy a real TV. Who would think that the only input to a TV would be protected...
--
Neither Sun nor Compaq builds mainframes... not sure what you are referring to...
--
_PowerPC Concepts, Architecture, and Design_ by Chakravarty and Cannon (McGraw Hill, 1994) mentioned the 64-bit architecture.
--