One for the conspiracy theorists....



http://ow.ly/4EkCn

Why do they do this? What use is it - except for Big Brother?
It is worrying that they do this as I can think of no real use for this information except for "covert security". If the file is linked to the PC when you sync where else is is sent to over the airwaves?
RoJo
Nokia N97 and pleased with it (except battery life)

They do it because they can!

My guess would be some sort of sweet arrangement with "Homeland Security".

Welcome to the NWO, Mates. As ever, just another way of keeping the plebs under control. Folk get "hooked" on (must have) technology of all kinds, literally. Hooked by the Powers That Be, that is.

People say that blokes like me should "get a life" (what a tired old phrase that has become). Perhaps they need to step back, smell the roses, and take a look at themselves. It seems that most folk out in the street can't even waddle down to the corner shop without yapping away on their mobile, tweeting, texting, thumbing down their PDA (sometimes all of the above) ... or whatever it is they are doing. Either way, oblivious to the Real World around them. The sad [censored]!

Meanwhile ... Siemens A-55. £ 40 from Woolworths. Remember them?

Twitter ye not!

Don't think that Geoff is far off the mark with the comment about 'Homeland Security'.

When Apple make a public statement I guess it will go along the lines of 'We are always seeking to enhance and improve our services to our customers. In no way are we seeking to intrude or invade the private lives of our customers'. It will be words to that effect and probably more.

However, people should see the news report on the BBC this morning. It highlights the fact that in your contract you agree that Apple may track movement history for purposes of blah, blah blah etc.

Nokia G3 (not sure of the model). Not really happy with it either.

Surely this sort of "app" should be turned off by default and only switched on with the express consent of the owner. I bet the News of the World reporters wished they had this a few years ago when they were bugging "celebs"!

Just turn the location setting off in settings, simple! How ever very handy to have on using many of the apps for the phone.

Everybody needs an iphone

Just out of interest, how much does it cost to buy, and then run these toys?

To buy one outright... several hundred pounds.

With a phone contract... well it varies, but as an example, O2* will let you have one for a mere £140 provided you agree to give them £47 per month for the next two years. Seems a bit steep to me.

* other networks are available.

Personally, I get on just fine with my Nokia... something or other. There's no mobile signal at work anyway, and I have a computer at home for all the internet-y stuff.

As an engineer i am constantly amazed at what new technology brings, but sometimes we lose sight of what we "need". Smartphones are great, technology wise, but what happens when they go t*#s up? The old adage "don't put all your eggs in one basket" springs to mind. A similar trend is sweeping through the medical equipment world, multifunction devices. Why do we need computer controlled anaesthetic machines, defibs with full monitoring & recording or infusion pole stands with nine I.P. addresses, RTC, IRDA, cat5 etc.. Medical devices, especially life support types should be easy to operate, extremely robust and the last word in reliability. Over recent years we have seen Defibs that "crash" because of software bugs, problems with anaesthetic machines that caused lengthy downtimes due to programming errors or waititng for the right version of a motherboard to be delivered. These devices should not be reliant on software which can give rise to unexpected outcomes or render the device unuseable. We need to get back to basics, proven designs that can be tested to destruction. I am thinking of starting a club called the "Latter day Luddites" to ptomote the sensible use of new technology and less reliance on software. Probably a bit off topic but it relates to the fact that we rely too much on software that we have no control over.

You're preaching to the converted there, Bill. I can recall banging on about "appropriate technology" as long ago as 1984 (whilst in Nigeria ... all of it falling on deaf ears, of course:- "we want the same equipment as you have in London")!

Wants and needs. Two different things entirely. In my opinion, proper hospitals (that is, not monuments to architects, engineers and government ministers) should be minimalistic. Oh yes, back to "less is more".

That way, there would be a fighting chance of keeping them airy (that is, ventilated) and clean. All that, plus decent, basic, grub and a return to basic nursing (aka caring) would surely lead to Positive Patient Outcomes! The UK has tried bunging mega-bucks at government hospitals. All the latest "must-have" kit. Cost-effective? Money well spent? I'll let you decide. But just remember that (as I have said many time before), patients are looked after by nurses not equipment.

But I digress!

Just imagine the fun to be had when all today's "Gee Whiz" techno-crap finds its way out to "other parts of the world" in ten or so years time.

I totally agree that the kit doesn't need to have all those "essential" (not) features, and neither does the anaesthesia machine have to be able to talk to the ... er, toaster!

But ... about the code. The only way to retain any sort of control is to write it yourself, of course. Either that, or re-engineer the garbage (mostly) that's already been written (usually in a tearing rush to be "first to market").

Unfortunately, and as we have discussed before, Britain no longer manufactures much in the way of good old basic kit that could be beaten back into shape with a plough spanner. Be it motor-bikes, real Land-Rovers, aircraft, BMC motor-cars, tractors ... or medical equipment. In fact, what was once the "Workshop of the World" now hardly makes anything at all.

The best we can hope for these days is for blokes like us to develop the advanced Aralditing skills needed to keep the imported rubbish hanging together long enough for someone to order up a new one. Let's be honest, most of the junk is cheap enough.

But ... about the defibs:- that's why it's best to keep them on "crash" carts!

Geoff said "But ... about the defibs:- that's why it's best to keep them on "crash" carts!"

Is there an app for that?

There is, its called the bill, one look at it may stop your heart

I have a slide rule* sitting under my monitor with a note on it saying "In case of network or power failure". However its database and spreadsheet functions are not as good as the PC's.
Technology does move on and so does our reliance on it.
RoJo

* And I know how to operate it!!!
It is a fancy one with log log scales as well as the normal ones and on the back it has L & C and frequecy & resistance scales.

Man after my own heart.
I still have a "British Thornton" slide rule though I must confess I have long forgotten how to use most of the functions.
My sister in law told me many years ago of having a cylindrical slide rule, something I would like to have a play with I must confess.
Great tools and no need for batteries

One of the great things about the slide rule is that you need to already know the magnitude of the answer. That is, you need to have an idea in advance what sort of answer you are expecting. And often enough (in my experience anyway), that is all you actually need.

In preparation to using the slide rule, I was taught estimating the magnitude of the answer, and I agree Geoff, that was one of the most useful things I ever learnt in math’s class!

If anyone is that interested the slide rule is:
The Nelson-Jones Circuit Designers Slide Rule designed and marketed by KEY Electronics of Bournemouth and its copyright date is 1974. How many calculators etc will still be functioning in 37years time?
RoJo

A friend's dad had a Rockwell 8R calculator from about that date and I bet someone out there has a still functioning one?

My father still has the Casio calculator he took to Uni, working fine. And the guys in the workshop here have another of the same model.

So - would the ludites reunited reinvent the wheel every time you needed a processing unit be it in a ventilator, infusion pump, CD player or computer - Or would you as I expect take a common processor and write code for it to perform the functions you need of it? After all we sort of do this with power supplies.

No I do not,

an app to split a bill fives ways? nope
an app to tell me where I parked the car? nope
an app to tell me what pants to wear? nope

Thankfully I was born with a brain with a considerable capacity turn run various apps and uploading is (still) fairly simple.

I find it quite depressing to see how people are dumbed down and become reliant on these devices to know how to think, act and interact socially.

I have no sat nav either- relying on instincts and map reading ability.

And....I am in the generation that grew up with computers - it's not an 'age thing'

That's an interesting take on things, Reg.

Myself, I am from the era who grew up before computers were everywhere (that is, well before the IBM PC), but - and unlike many biomeds of my generation - pretty quickly saw the value in them.

However, like you (I guess) I'm by no means an "early adopter". My own philosophy (oft quoted before on this forum) remains:- "take what is good (meaning, useful) and reject the rest"!

For instance, I've not had a TV set for over twenty years. But I admit I would be a bit stuck without the internet now. But on the web, you can roam to wherever you want, whenever it suits you, can you not? And ... what would we do now without tech forums and such ... just like this one in fact!

And what about mobile phones? You can now do things that simply weren't possible before. Like (for instance) as I saw but an hour or so ago, a bloke out in the meadow checking on his horses ... and phoning the vet for on-the-spot advice!

About "dumbing down":- again, as I've probably mentioned before, it's all part of the Master Plan. Making the Plebs dependent (reliant) on the State, and evil [censored] like that.

iPhones may track your location (so what?) ... but at least they usually work (just as long as you have your rubber band handy, that is)!

Just imagine the pressure on the engineers at RIM (at Slough, apparently) yesterday when "the world stopped" for thousands of BlackBerry users.

I can't help wondering whether "certain options" are being explored in order to shut down so-called "social networks" should the need arise (as perceived by the Regime, that is). How about:- a test that went wrong, and in doing so exposing itself and location?

To my mind, if nothing else stuff like this serves to remind us not to put too much reliance on network technologies. Anything beyond your reach is vulnerable, almost by definition. Always keep your core (essential) data on a stand-alone system somewhere within your own control. That way at least you can carry on working!

Meanwhile ... Apples, BlackBerry's ... Orange?

I think I'll have a banana with my cup of T(-Mobile)!

Not sure about your statement Geoff regarding iPhones "but at least they usually work".
It appears that the latest version of iTunes has a glitch, but this is needed to download OS5 for the iPhone. As a result, it can end up wiping all of your OS from the phone (first hand experience).
Could this be a worldwide Blackberry & Apple Crumble!!?

Ba-boom-tish.

Seriously though, do they not test this stuff before putting it out?

Three points there:-

1) The kit (code) is so complex that it's difficult to test each and every possible thread.

2) There is always a tearing rush (or deadline) to get the thing to market.

3) As we know, history is littered with examples of stuff (software, usually) being released too early. Indeed, there was a time when it was almost the norm (you know, let the users find the bugs)!

Meanwhile, the Apple and BlackBerry Crumble pun was widely circulated even before the iOS5 release. It's almost as if folk were willing it to happen!

Myself, I'm wondering if the Great Magician (although sadly no longer around in person) isn't still pulling the strings (having a laugh, whatever) from somewhere in the Great Beyond.

Yet again I advize:- resist any temptation to be an Early Adopter, but rather wait until others have "ironed out the problems" first! Meanwhile, the Psion Series 3A is a mature, reliable and well proven product that I can heartily recommend. You can pick them up off eBay for "pocket money prices"!