Yes. You're making a down payment of $199 on the phone and paying off the balance in $10 monthly installments for 24 months. Makes perfect sense to me. Same approach many people take to buying a car. I don't agree with it - I have a Nexus 4 and am on a prepaid plan - but if that's what people want to do, I see nothing legally or morally wrong with it.
Remember how cable TV was supposed to be ad (commercial) free, because the subscription fee was supposed to be the primary source of revenue? How long did that last?
2. Those in a recording can sign a release to allow for earlier public release...
Seriously? Are you going to log on daily to the web site hosting the recordings and scan every minute of footage for your image (or images of family members/loved ones)? Just because you weren't arrested doesn't mean there isn't an image out there of you that you would prefer not to be in the public domain. The ability to record everything/everyone/everywhere necessitates a new set of laws and controls to protect our privacy.
Half of all credit card holders carry a balance from month to month, and a lot of them make the minimum monthly payment. Those people won't move to CurrenC as it would be a step backward in their eyes. That will slow the adoption of it and eventually lead to its demise.
You are assuming that capitalism would survive and there would still be "rich" and "poor" people. At some point the economy will start to shrink because there are not enough people earning enough money to buy more than just essentials (e.g., cars, trips, consumer electronics). Once automation displaces enough workers, discretionary spending would plummet, taking with it any company that depends upon it. That would lead to more unemployment and even less discretionary spending, reducing corporate earnings and dividends/capital gains for the upper class. The economy craters, much like the Great Depression, throwing millions out on to the street, including members of the middle class whose taxes support the state. Where is the state going to find money to run these three letter agencies if no one is paying taxes? The rich? They would have abandoned the state long before that, forming their own feudal territories in an attempt to protect themselves from the roaming hoard of hungry and desperate peasants. I believe society will have to find some alternate approach to capitalism. I'm not sure what that is, but I do believe it is coming in our children's lifetime.
- Waterproof to 30m - Seven day battery life - Ability to do basic functions when away from a phone (date/time, calendar, GPS tracking, pulse monitor), with an auto sync function as soon as you are back in range - $100 price point
... I predict that in the not too distant future, things will flip-flop with phones: The thing on your wrist will provide the connectivity for the other devices you carry.
The engineering challenge will be to come up with a battery small enough to fit in a watch, that can power all the functionality of a phone.
What if it's not intimate photos? What if you have a bad day and type out a rant about your employer or the government in a document on your PC, and it gets auto-sync'd to the cloud? Most of my family and friends who mentioned this issue had no idea that when they checked the "backup" option on their phone, that it was copying EVERYTHING to a cloud server. They're just not that technically-literate.
...but as a Canadian (and ex European) I look to the US for leadership on the world stage, as the only remaining superpower. Despite all the problems with US foreign policy, the alternatives to US primacy are all far worse.
Look elsewhere. I too am Canadian and my father grew up in Ukraine and barely survived Stalin's reign of terror. The US is entering a period of isolationism after the debacle in Iraq, and they don't have the stomach to confront Russia. And any tussle between those two nations will result in the global economy shitting itself big time. Russia will get eastern Ukraine with its agriculture and access to Crimea and the Black Sea, and Europe will get a frightened and bankrupt remainder in Western Ukraine.
Yeah but there is a large number of ethnic Russians in eastern Ukraine and many are sympathetic to Putin. I predict the country will be partitioned: Western Ukraine will align itself with Europe and be fast-tracked for NATO membership, and Eastern Ukraine will fall under Russian control.
I can't speak for Comcast, being Canadian, but Rogers (my ISP and cable provider) has been calling me a couple of times each year. They thank me for being a customer and then start in with a pitch on how much I can "save" if I increase my internet service level or add more services to my bundle. Bell Canada (my phone provider) does the same. My wife hates it so much she screens all calls through the answering machine.
In my last eye exam the optometrist noted my corneas are starting to show signs of cataracts. Given my family history (both parents have had surgery for cataracts), I'll probably need corrective surgery within 10 years. I'm hoping that when it comes time to do it I can get intraocular lenses (IOLs) to fix my vision. Since I can get through the day without glasses and only really need them for reading, I've never given laser surgery much thought.
I agree...IF the insurance company publicly discloses what it deems is a "good" driver versus a "bad" driver (e.g., stays within xkm/h of the speed limit, makes % mistakes per month like failing to signal), and IF they provide me with every piece of data they collect so I can do my own verification. Otherwise, no way! If I can't audit it, I won't agree to it.
People in power would benefit. China suppresses information on the Tiannamen Square protests. A politician would benefit from hiding a scandal or criminal record. "Knowledge is power" but so is the suppression of knowledge.
Does this mean that all websites need to obey all nations' laws at once?
No, it means that all websites have to tailor their content to the location of the viewer. There are lots of nations that have restrictions on internet content. I do not agree with this, as it destroys the open and global nature of the internet. However, there is no utopia, the world is a messy place, filled with politics and agendas, and the powers that be will break the internet to suit their needs.
Ever had a break-in at your home? How did you feel? Violated? Even if nothing of value was taken your sense of security is diminished. This is what an average person will feel when their "connected" home is breached. There are asshats who will do this for a thrill, or to get back at a neighbour for a real or perceived slight.
I agree Paul Krugman is a expert in economics. However, he is completely ignoring the role of politics in his solution. Does he think big corporations like Wal-Mart, who profit handsomely from the flow of cheap goods from China, is going to allow such tariffs to be implemented? Is he oblivious to the existence of lobbyists? Sorry, but I've become very cynical in my middle age. In terms of slowing the effects of climate change by reducing fossil fuel emissions, I think we are done. Collectively we are too stupid to see we are shitting where we sleep. Now it is all about surviving the coming climate catastrophe. Unless we begin a massive program to look at alternative agricultural methods (giant greenhouse domes?) millions will starve to death as today's fertile land turns to desert or bog.
Then why bother announcing there is a trial? If it needs to be that secret, throw a gag order over the whole damn case. Why tease the public by saying "we caught some bad guys, but you're not smart enough to deal with it like we are"? I hate the idea of secret trials but I also live in the real world and know that sometimes the government has to work in the shadows.
No, it's because most people only get outraged when something bad impacts them (or their loved ones) directly. And by then it's too late to be outraged, because you're too busy trying to recover and protect yourself against further damage.
Other physical ailments can look like depression. It's important to rule out something like low iron/B12 levels, which can result in extreme fatigue and make someone feel like every activity is equivalent to climbing a mountain.
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Yes. You're making a down payment of $199 on the phone and paying off the balance in $10 monthly installments for 24 months. Makes perfect sense to me. Same approach many people take to buying a car. I don't agree with it - I have a Nexus 4 and am on a prepaid plan - but if that's what people want to do, I see nothing legally or morally wrong with it.
Remember how cable TV was supposed to be ad (commercial) free, because the subscription fee was supposed to be the primary source of revenue? How long did that last?
2. Those in a recording can sign a release to allow for earlier public release...
Seriously? Are you going to log on daily to the web site hosting the recordings and scan every minute of footage for your image (or images of family members/loved ones)? Just because you weren't arrested doesn't mean there isn't an image out there of you that you would prefer not to be in the public domain. The ability to record everything/everyone/everywhere necessitates a new set of laws and controls to protect our privacy.
Half of all credit card holders carry a balance from month to month, and a lot of them make the minimum monthly payment. Those people won't move to CurrenC as it would be a step backward in their eyes. That will slow the adoption of it and eventually lead to its demise.
You are assuming that capitalism would survive and there would still be "rich" and "poor" people. At some point the economy will start to shrink because there are not enough people earning enough money to buy more than just essentials (e.g., cars, trips, consumer electronics). Once automation displaces enough workers, discretionary spending would plummet, taking with it any company that depends upon it. That would lead to more unemployment and even less discretionary spending, reducing corporate earnings and dividends/capital gains for the upper class. The economy craters, much like the Great Depression, throwing millions out on to the street, including members of the middle class whose taxes support the state. Where is the state going to find money to run these three letter agencies if no one is paying taxes? The rich? They would have abandoned the state long before that, forming their own feudal territories in an attempt to protect themselves from the roaming hoard of hungry and desperate peasants. I believe society will have to find some alternate approach to capitalism. I'm not sure what that is, but I do believe it is coming in our children's lifetime.
- Waterproof to 30m
- Seven day battery life
- Ability to do basic functions when away from a phone (date/time, calendar, GPS tracking, pulse monitor), with an auto sync function as soon as you are back in range
- $100 price point
... I predict that in the not too distant future, things will flip-flop with phones: The thing on your wrist will provide the connectivity for the other devices you carry.
The engineering challenge will be to come up with a battery small enough to fit in a watch, that can power all the functionality of a phone.
What if it's not intimate photos? What if you have a bad day and type out a rant about your employer or the government in a document on your PC, and it gets auto-sync'd to the cloud? Most of my family and friends who mentioned this issue had no idea that when they checked the "backup" option on their phone, that it was copying EVERYTHING to a cloud server. They're just not that technically-literate.
...but as a Canadian (and ex European) I look to the US for leadership on the world stage, as the only remaining superpower. Despite all the problems with US foreign policy, the alternatives to US primacy are all far worse.
Look elsewhere. I too am Canadian and my father grew up in Ukraine and barely survived Stalin's reign of terror. The US is entering a period of isolationism after the debacle in Iraq, and they don't have the stomach to confront Russia. And any tussle between those two nations will result in the global economy shitting itself big time. Russia will get eastern Ukraine with its agriculture and access to Crimea and the Black Sea, and Europe will get a frightened and bankrupt remainder in Western Ukraine.
Yeah but there is a large number of ethnic Russians in eastern Ukraine and many are sympathetic to Putin. I predict the country will be partitioned: Western Ukraine will align itself with Europe and be fast-tracked for NATO membership, and Eastern Ukraine will fall under Russian control.
I would think Putin would continue south rather than tack north. Moldova would be the next candidate. Then maybe Bulgaria and / or Romania.
I can't speak for Comcast, being Canadian, but Rogers (my ISP and cable provider) has been calling me a couple of times each year. They thank me for being a customer and then start in with a pitch on how much I can "save" if I increase my internet service level or add more services to my bundle. Bell Canada (my phone provider) does the same. My wife hates it so much she screens all calls through the answering machine.
In my last eye exam the optometrist noted my corneas are starting to show signs of cataracts. Given my family history (both parents have had surgery for cataracts), I'll probably need corrective surgery within 10 years. I'm hoping that when it comes time to do it I can get intraocular lenses (IOLs) to fix my vision. Since I can get through the day without glasses and only really need them for reading, I've never given laser surgery much thought.
I agree...IF the insurance company publicly discloses what it deems is a "good" driver versus a "bad" driver (e.g., stays within xkm/h of the speed limit, makes % mistakes per month like failing to signal), and IF they provide me with every piece of data they collect so I can do my own verification. Otherwise, no way! If I can't audit it, I won't agree to it.
People in power would benefit. China suppresses information on the Tiannamen Square protests. A politician would benefit from hiding a scandal or criminal record. "Knowledge is power" but so is the suppression of knowledge.
Does this mean that all websites need to obey all nations' laws at once?
No, it means that all websites have to tailor their content to the location of the viewer. There are lots of nations that have restrictions on internet content. I do not agree with this, as it destroys the open and global nature of the internet. However, there is no utopia, the world is a messy place, filled with politics and agendas, and the powers that be will break the internet to suit their needs.
Ever had a break-in at your home? How did you feel? Violated? Even if nothing of value was taken your sense of security is diminished. This is what an average person will feel when their "connected" home is breached. There are asshats who will do this for a thrill, or to get back at a neighbour for a real or perceived slight.
I agree Paul Krugman is a expert in economics. However, he is completely ignoring the role of politics in his solution. Does he think big corporations like Wal-Mart, who profit handsomely from the flow of cheap goods from China, is going to allow such tariffs to be implemented? Is he oblivious to the existence of lobbyists? Sorry, but I've become very cynical in my middle age. In terms of slowing the effects of climate change by reducing fossil fuel emissions, I think we are done. Collectively we are too stupid to see we are shitting where we sleep. Now it is all about surviving the coming climate catastrophe. Unless we begin a massive program to look at alternative agricultural methods (giant greenhouse domes?) millions will starve to death as today's fertile land turns to desert or bog.
Then why bother announcing there is a trial? If it needs to be that secret, throw a gag order over the whole damn case. Why tease the public by saying "we caught some bad guys, but you're not smart enough to deal with it like we are"? I hate the idea of secret trials but I also live in the real world and know that sometimes the government has to work in the shadows.
Or keep an old router and use it as the "access point" for all these devices.
Because it's the right thing to do. And heaven forbid we do the right thing. That could lead to a "gasp" functioning government.
No, it's because most people only get outraged when something bad impacts them (or their loved ones) directly. And by then it's too late to be outraged, because you're too busy trying to recover and protect yourself against further damage.
Other physical ailments can look like depression. It's important to rule out something like low iron/B12 levels, which can result in extreme fatigue and make someone feel like every activity is equivalent to climbing a mountain.
grow wheat in the Sahara...
You'd better bring lots of fertilizer
Because sometimes even the vaccinated get the disease.