Robert Watcher
Well-known member
Vehicles that passed by me yesterday.
-
Please use real names.
Greetings to all who have registered to OPF and those guests taking a look around. Please use real names. Registrations with fictitious names will not be processed. REAL NAMES ONLY will be processed
Firstname Lastname
Register
We are a courteous and supportive community. No need to hide behind an alia. If you have a genuine need for privacy/secrecy then let me know! -
Welcome to the new site. Here's a thread about the update where you can post your feedback, ask questions or spot those nasty bugs!
What would we do without our cellphone?
- Thread starter Robert Watcher
- Start date
Tom dinning
Registrant*
You can ask me.
I don’t have one.
Obviously it’s not an offence to operate a motor vehicle while using a mobile d vice where your are Robert.
I don’t have one.
Obviously it’s not an offence to operate a motor vehicle while using a mobile d vice where your are Robert.
Robert Watcher
Well-known member
No it’s crazy here. Even bus drivers are on the cell phone all the time as they weave around traffic throughout the cities and on the open highways through the mountains.
In our home of Ontario, Canada - drivers who are caught talking on their phones, texting, dialing or emailing using a hand-held device, such as a cell phone and other entertainment devices will be fined up to $1,000 with a three-day licence suspension and three demerit points. Drivers with more than one distracted driving conviction will face a fine of up to $2,000, a seven-day licence suspension and six demerit points, while motorists who have been caught driving distracted more than two times will pay a fine of up to $3,000 and lose their license for 30 days.
Asher Kelman
OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Unforgivable and worse, are mothers and baby minders who cross the road on the phone chatting or with ear buds, listening to music and texting!
I find that stunning
Asher
I find that stunning
Asher
James Lemon
Well-known member
My cell phone has made me money over the years,it would be difficult to justify the cost of one for just the sake of convenience or amusement.
Asher Kelman
OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
How?
Tom dinning
Registrant*
My lack of a mobile (cell) phone has saved me money.
James Lemon
Well-known member
Business Asher! I certainly would not have one for the mere social activity and one day I will through it into the ocean or a river while crossing a bridge and that will be the end of being held hostage by a phone.
Asher Kelman
OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
For me it’s like a part of my brain that I can inspect! So when I think of a flower, tree, Cactus, family member or idea, I can see it too!
A rich addition to my life. Worth every penny! It’s a valuable as my huge refrigerator! Makes life so much more enjoyable!
Asher
Tom dinning
Registrant*
It does seem strange that a digital, in fact, ny devise can hold one captive.
Like walking to the supermarket or reading a book, these seem simple activities that require little effort, energy or commitment.
Yet our lives are filled with the complexities of technology.
Being in contact with other humans seems to be a dominant influence.
Being more so is an obcession.
Like right now.
I’ve just woken from a nap and immediately search for human contact.
No, wait. It’s not human contact. I can’t smell them. They are not present.
The conversation Is in paragraphs.
The rules of engagement have changed.
I am not at ease with such interaction.
Like walking to the supermarket or reading a book, these seem simple activities that require little effort, energy or commitment.
Yet our lives are filled with the complexities of technology.
Being in contact with other humans seems to be a dominant influence.
Being more so is an obcession.
Like right now.
I’ve just woken from a nap and immediately search for human contact.
No, wait. It’s not human contact. I can’t smell them. They are not present.
The conversation Is in paragraphs.
The rules of engagement have changed.
I am not at ease with such interaction.
Jerome Marot
Well-known member
These pictures tell us about smartphones in Guatemala (is it Guatemala?).
This forum is mainly populated by members from relatively affluent countries. We may therefore ignore how many smartphone users there are in less developed countries and what they do.
The reality is that there are about 3 billions smartphone users on this planet or even a bit more depending on the definition of smartphone. I was surprised to see phone models in Africa I new nothing about, yet were advertised as able to connect to Facebook and Whatsapp. A quick check at alibaba will show the models in question, too cheap to run Android as an operating system, yet capable of connecting to these social networks. These simple phones cost a few dollars on alibaba. Simple Android phones can be bought for 30$.
Consequently, the majority of worldwide Internet traffic happens on smartphones and the percentage is higher in less developed countries.
What do people do with their smartphones? They use social apps, as explained above, but the game changer is that more and more people use the smartphone to pay. It is a real revolution in countries which were largely devoid of banking systems just a decade ago. The popular paying apps have names you are not likely to have heard about (it is neither google nor apple pay...) and usually only cover a country or a small groups of countries.
Last but not least, the safety of these devices and privacy protection are abysmally bad, for devices which, by construction, can record what you say, do and your gps position 24h a day. It is a frightening development, especially in countries which use the word "democratic" in their official name and less so in practice.
This forum is mainly populated by members from relatively affluent countries. We may therefore ignore how many smartphone users there are in less developed countries and what they do.
The reality is that there are about 3 billions smartphone users on this planet or even a bit more depending on the definition of smartphone. I was surprised to see phone models in Africa I new nothing about, yet were advertised as able to connect to Facebook and Whatsapp. A quick check at alibaba will show the models in question, too cheap to run Android as an operating system, yet capable of connecting to these social networks. These simple phones cost a few dollars on alibaba. Simple Android phones can be bought for 30$.
Consequently, the majority of worldwide Internet traffic happens on smartphones and the percentage is higher in less developed countries.
What do people do with their smartphones? They use social apps, as explained above, but the game changer is that more and more people use the smartphone to pay. It is a real revolution in countries which were largely devoid of banking systems just a decade ago. The popular paying apps have names you are not likely to have heard about (it is neither google nor apple pay...) and usually only cover a country or a small groups of countries.
Last but not least, the safety of these devices and privacy protection are abysmally bad, for devices which, by construction, can record what you say, do and your gps position 24h a day. It is a frightening development, especially in countries which use the word "democratic" in their official name and less so in practice.
James Lemon
Well-known member
Voice recognition is big with banks for identity verification purposes here in Canada and this type of technology will grow bigger I suspect.
Asher Kelman
OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Jerome,
Great overview of phone usage and pricing.
Security: The security issue is frightening but remember, we have the Catholic Church with hundreds of thousands of confessionals getting weekly updates on hundreds of millions of the faithful for centuries!
Was that information really secure or does some filter up to authorities to measure the pulse of huge populations?
Cost: in West African countries, at least, the phones are even recycled in open shanty town street markets. For pennies one can get new screens, chips or whatever.
Empowerment of Women: in Bangladesh and India, at least, NGO,s have for a decade been distributing phones to woman taught to handle the sales of their own locally produced goods, be it baskets or clothes or crops and fruit. Previously, a mail would be the middle man and take the bulk of the profits. Giving women their own purse allows their daughters to continue education. Added to the micro-bank loans, opportunities are endless!
Asher
Great overview of phone usage and pricing.
Security: The security issue is frightening but remember, we have the Catholic Church with hundreds of thousands of confessionals getting weekly updates on hundreds of millions of the faithful for centuries!
Was that information really secure or does some filter up to authorities to measure the pulse of huge populations?
Cost: in West African countries, at least, the phones are even recycled in open shanty town street markets. For pennies one can get new screens, chips or whatever.
Empowerment of Women: in Bangladesh and India, at least, NGO,s have for a decade been distributing phones to woman taught to handle the sales of their own locally produced goods, be it baskets or clothes or crops and fruit. Previously, a mail would be the middle man and take the bulk of the profits. Giving women their own purse allows their daughters to continue education. Added to the micro-bank loans, opportunities are endless!
Asher
James Lemon
Well-known member
Mobile phones emit radiofrequency energy, a form of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation, which can be absorbed by tissues close to the phone. The amount of radiofrequency energy a mobile phone user is exposed depend on many factors as the technology of the phone, the distance between the phone and the user, the extent and type of mobile phone use and the user’s distance from cell phone towers.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4350886/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4350886/
Jerome Marot
Well-known member
The Catholic Church lacked the ability to directly feed all that data to a computer system.
You are telling this to a person who bought a new cell phone battery for much less money than list price and exchanged it himself. You can get all the relevant equipment on ebay, including the silly screwdrivers built to deter casual repairmen and replacement seals for restoring water resistance.
Yes, that is part of allowing these population access to bank services.
Banks is something we take for granted in the West, yet they are not universal. Access to bank services has the potential to start a real revolution in the third world.
While phones indeed emit electromagnetic radiation (that is how their work...), studies to show harmful effects at the frequencies and power level used have all been inconclusive, as the document you cited note. Either there are no risks or they are so small that they are negligible.
This is not true for much higher levels (e.g. Radars, which may transmit megawatts...), but the risks are known (e.g. for radar operators, which undergo regular medical check-ups). This is not yet known for much higher frequencies, which may be used in future development.
James Lemon
Well-known member
Yes good points you make Tom.
James Lemon
Well-known member
What about the adverse effects of addiction among children and young people?
Asher Kelman
OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
That could be said for technologies like electric lights which allowed folk to escape the limitations of candle light and have work shifts 24/7/365!
We can adapt. My grandchildren have allotments for iPhones and iPad! Many families do!
There is also a similar issue with over abundant fat, sugar and starchy foods!
This is the price we pay for efficiencies in production and seduction by taste optimization, LOL!
Robert Watcher
Well-known member
My wife and I depend on our smart phones. While I do have a MacBook for some serious work that I do (example I find it easier to do my coding and transfer files to and from my servers for my business) —— most of the time I use my iPhone and Anne her Android phone.
They are an essential part of communicating, keeping in touch with the world especially with the high risk of natural disasters, and doing business for the people of El Salvador where we are living. For us they hold the same value. WhatsApp is the most essential means of contacting people and is more prevalent than phone use. That is because Internet plans for phones are very economical and dependable (electricity isn’t always dependable at home where home internet relies on it) - generally a simple plan includes free WhatsApp or Facebook or Instagram for the whole month, even if you run out of your data allotment. Plus there is free WiFi in most businesses and all city parks, so people without the financial means to pay for a plan can still be contacted or contact others.
Beyond that, my phone is portable and always with me - and I use my iPhone and iPad for just about everything that I used to require a computer for. Photography, Audio and Video production. I run my web hosting business from remote locations in the world and while I am involved in other activities wherever I might be, including clients keeping in contact with me through email, invoicing each month and payments. My wife does all of our banking in Canada and many business transactions on her portable devices - even when home payments and banking are online She doesn’t have a computer.
So while I agree with safety and not being distracted by them when driving as an example, I would not want to live without mine. That’s the way I check in here and write this response. LOL
———
They are an essential part of communicating, keeping in touch with the world especially with the high risk of natural disasters, and doing business for the people of El Salvador where we are living. For us they hold the same value. WhatsApp is the most essential means of contacting people and is more prevalent than phone use. That is because Internet plans for phones are very economical and dependable (electricity isn’t always dependable at home where home internet relies on it) - generally a simple plan includes free WhatsApp or Facebook or Instagram for the whole month, even if you run out of your data allotment. Plus there is free WiFi in most businesses and all city parks, so people without the financial means to pay for a plan can still be contacted or contact others.
Beyond that, my phone is portable and always with me - and I use my iPhone and iPad for just about everything that I used to require a computer for. Photography, Audio and Video production. I run my web hosting business from remote locations in the world and while I am involved in other activities wherever I might be, including clients keeping in contact with me through email, invoicing each month and payments. My wife does all of our banking in Canada and many business transactions on her portable devices - even when home payments and banking are online She doesn’t have a computer.
So while I agree with safety and not being distracted by them when driving as an example, I would not want to live without mine. That’s the way I check in here and write this response. LOL
———
Last edited:
Asher Kelman
OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Well put, Robert!
...and for me it’s my note book and aide memoire!
All in all Steve Jobs gave us a great advance to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.
Add to that the empower any citizens to report the truth!
Think of the “Rodney King beating”, The Arab Spring, Women’s Marches and the like!
Asher
...and for me it’s my note book and aide memoire!
All in all Steve Jobs gave us a great advance to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.
Add to that the empower any citizens to report the truth!
Think of the “Rodney King beating”, The Arab Spring, Women’s Marches and the like!
Asher
James Lemon
Well-known member
Addiction is different than excess consumption.
Tom dinning
Registrant*
I find it quite illuminating as to the individual approaches of members here.
My preference is the iPad. It’s wi-fi only so I’m limited to home use. It’s a source of information, a reading device, a note taker, an access to OPF and emails.
Christine sends me messages from her phone. I yell back my responses down the hallway.
The grandchildren play games or read from it when here, which is more than often.
The youngest has claimed the iPad as part of her inheritance, along with my index finger.
I do find it most satisfying when out and about to be free to look at the birds and flowers.
It’s also gratifying to know that I’m the only person who knows where I am. I can talk to myself without interruption.
My mother told me I’d go insane if I listened to jazz when I was young.
I told my daughter she’d rot her brain if she continued to smoke dope.
My daughter told her children they’d all go to hell if they listened to me.
Those children now have something else to tell there’s.
Such is the cycles of life.
My preference is the iPad. It’s wi-fi only so I’m limited to home use. It’s a source of information, a reading device, a note taker, an access to OPF and emails.
Christine sends me messages from her phone. I yell back my responses down the hallway.
The grandchildren play games or read from it when here, which is more than often.
The youngest has claimed the iPad as part of her inheritance, along with my index finger.
I do find it most satisfying when out and about to be free to look at the birds and flowers.
It’s also gratifying to know that I’m the only person who knows where I am. I can talk to myself without interruption.
My mother told me I’d go insane if I listened to jazz when I was young.
I told my daughter she’d rot her brain if she continued to smoke dope.
My daughter told her children they’d all go to hell if they listened to me.
Those children now have something else to tell there’s.
Such is the cycles of life.
Doug Kerr
Well-known member
I depend wholly on my cellular telephone to call the pharmacy and doctors' offices, to call the kids, and to call Carla when she is out running errands. I have had no success at all making calls like that on my Windows tower computer or on our microwave oven.
Best regards,
Doug
Best regards,
Doug
Asher Kelman
OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Go figure! ??