10 technological changes in 10 technological years

Have you realized how much things have changed in a mere decade.

My goddaughter is now of an age where she can talk, understand, and learn pretty well. She’s six, so she’s pretty on the ball with things already. The things that she experiences and sees are so different to mine, and she’s only 16 years younger than me. Times change quickly, I know, but it hit me like a wave of elderly welfare benefits disguised as a petrol tanker last night.

The differences between her generation and mine, even though separated by a few years, are stark and somewhat terrifying in hindsight.

1. There were nine planets in the solar system.

For years it was always nine planets and then one day, they decided it was either going to be eight, or about twenty. They chose eight. After seven years of primary education, the world I knew it was, well gone actually; they had just declassified it as a planet.

2. A BlackBerry was a fruit, and so was Apple.

I wouldn’t be too surprised if people heard either “blackberry” or “apple” and genuinely thought of the fruit. But I cannot seem to shake the association now built with my mobile device. People say, “have at least one of your five a day”, whilst I have my BlackBerry in my hand making a call. I’d say that counts, right?

3. To load up a program, you’d have to slam in a cassette tape and wait 20 minutes for it to load.

My first computer, a CPC-464. It was so heavy you could have used it as a concrete block in a mafioso novel. A ten year gap is a bit of an exaggeration but I knew people still word processing back then on green-screened computers. When the 5″ floppy disk came out, we saw that as a mini-revolution in itself.

4. You had to dial into the Internet.

You couldn’t just have the Internet flowing in and out of the computer like an out of control waterfall. No, you had to tell it to dial another computer and information would be sent to and fro through, what was essentially a computer-to-computer phone call. What’s even more weird is that it’s still available, even today.

5. A single gigabyte hard drive simply couldn’t be filled, through no will of trying.

My first computer bought for the family at Christmas 1996 (yes, it had Windows 95) had a 64MB memory and a single gigabyte of storage. My dad said, “we will never, ever fill that”.

6. Video tapes the size of Bibles would be the only way to record a television programme, and even then it’d only be able to record an hour and a half at best.

Even though I’m far too young to remember the Betamax vs. VHS war, I most certainly remember hoping to watch back an episode of The Simpsons which I’d recorded on the oldest VCR in the world, and it failing miserably with tape lodged and jammed in every bit. It was heartbreaking.

7. The only porn we could find was the shredded remains of a dirty magazine under a bush in the local park.

This generation of Internet kids has seen more porn than any other generation of children, ever. When I was a lad, one morning you’d be lucky enough to find a shred of it near where the local dirty old man sleeps in the evening. “Kids having kids… blame the parents”: no, blame the Internet.

8. There was only one computer in the house, and if there were more, only one would connect to the Internet at a time.

No such things as wireless back then. The only wireless you’d know of was the radio, and that would have been a main source of entertainment. It may sound like wartime England, 10 years ago wasn’t that far away. Windows XP hadn’t come out yet, I was still in a school uniform and the computers we used were running Windows NT.

9. There were no such things as flat screen televisions.

At least commercially, anyway. I come from a generation where our eyes are slightly closer together yet facing slightly the opposite way from being transfixed by a CRT television for all these years. And I laugh now at the “radiation warnings” from the sticker on the side of the box…

10. Twitter was called “text messaging” and the “tweet” only went to one other person.

Yes, a new phenomenon which many don’t realise that was basically text messaging. While sending a text is still far more popular than Twitter, the days where news would slowly seep its way through a friendship group (nowadays a “social network”), whereas now you can update literally anyone and everyone in the space of 160 characters.

A lot can happen in ten years.

HR-4646, The Debt Free America Act, Proposed a 1% Tax On All Financial Institution Transaction-Mostly Truth! But Never Passed!

Summary of the eRumor:

This is a forwarded email that says President Obama's finance team is planning to impose a 1% tax on all transactions conducted in financial institutions and that they plan to sneak it in after the November election.

The Truth:

There is a Congressional House Bill, HR-4646, the Debt Free America Act, that was introduced in Congress on February 23, 2010, but we have not found any evidence that the bill is being snuck in by any finance team members as the eRumor alleges.

Details at: http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/d/debt-free-America-act.htm

Do You Complain When You Get bad Service?

We've all been there -- ignored by a waitress, given the "wait a second" gesture by a clerk finishing a phone call. But instead of enduring it, you should let the management know about it. A report in Time magazine says that consumers experience disrespectful treatment about once a month.

And I am willing to bet that most of us do exactly what the magazine reports. (It's exactly how I react.)

Instead of complaining to a supervisor after being treated poorly, most disgruntled customers just go home and gripe to family and friends about their experience. The customer who was the initial target of the employee’s bad behavior is less likely to return to that business in the future. If they’re angry enough, they may abandon the brand entirely, and they’ve given their circle of acquaintances a heads-up to avoid it, too.

I avoid one big-box retailer at all costs because I've encountered too many surly clerks and gum-snapping cashiers. A department store is on my "don't shop there" list because I can never find an employee, and when I do, it seems they are usually on what sounds like a personal call and too busy to answer my question.

Even though it's been many years, I worked in retail for two years at a big box discount store in high school. Just as there are rude clerks and cashiers, there are rude and obnoxious customers, too.

When you get poor service or bad treatment in a retail business or restaurant, do you complain to a manager? Or do you endure it as a part of life? Is there one particular bad behavior that will send you in search of a manager?

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/columns/talk-of-the-day/article_89524822-e83f-11e0-b885-0019bb30f31a.html#ixzz1Z5nbS0uJ

‘Extravagant’ Spending, $16 Muffins Found at U.S. Meetings

U.S. Justice Department agencies spent too much for food at conferences, in one case serving $16 muffins and in another dishing out beef Wellington appetizers that cost $7.32 per serving, an audit found.

“Some conferences featured costly meals, refreshments, and themed breaks that we believe were indicative of wasteful or extravagant spending,” the Justice Department’s inspector general wrote in a report released today.

The inspector general reviewed a sample of 10 Justice Department conferences held between October 2007 and September 2009 at a cost of $4.4 million. The Justice Department spent $73.3 million on conferences in fiscal 2009, compared with $47.8 million a year earlier, according to the report.

The muffins were served at a conference of the Executive Office for Immigration Review and the beef Wellington was offered at a meeting hosted by the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys. A conference of the Office on Violence Against Women served Cracker Jacks, popcorn and candy bars at a single break, costing $32 per person, according to the report.

The report is a follow-up to one from 2007 that found the Justice Department had few controls to limit the costs of conference planning, food and beverages. That audit cited a reception that included Swedish meatballs costing $5 apiece.

What Do the Dress Descriptions Like “Business Casual,” “Summer Wedding,” “Cocktail Attire,” and “Black Tie” All Really Mean?

Fashion etiquette isn’t what it once was, but that doesn’t mean dress codes don’t apply. You probably won’t be shunned for wearing white after Labor Day, but showing up to a wedding sporting the latest Lady Gaga style probably isn’t a good idea. It can be hard to know just what the rules are for all of the various codes you see on invitations. To take the guesswork out of your next invite, just follow the basic rules in this helpful little primer.

Black Tie

Men don’t have actually have to wear a black tie, but they should wear a tux-- and the powder blue one with the ruffled shirt they wore to the prom back in 1976 won’t cut it. Women should wear a fancy-shmancy cocktail dress or long formal dress.

Formal

In most cases this means a monkey suit for the man again. If the invitation is to an uber hip party, where trendy counts, a tux with an expensive shirt but no tie might be acceptable. For women, the same rules as Black Tie apply.

Black Tie Optional

This is Black Tie with an out for those who can’t afford a tux or can’t fit into the one they have anymore. Men should go with a dark suit if they’re sans tux. Women should wear a nice cocktail dress or long gown.

White Tie

For the ultra high class party, the invite might designate White Tie. If someone puts this on their invitation, they mean it. Men should wear a white tie and vest with their tuxedo and women should wear a long formal gown. No cocktail dresses.

Semi-Formal

Semi-Formal means men are free of the tuxedo requirement but should wear a nice suit. A dark colored suit is preferred for evening events. Women don’t have to trip over long formal gowns for this one-- a cocktail dress in the evening or a nice dress during the day will suffice.

Business Formal

Business Formal has the same rules as Semi-Formal for men, but women should opt for more business-appropriate attire like a well-tailored suit.

Cocktail Attire

Dark suits for him and that little black dress for her.

Informal

Don’t let this one fool you. It does not mean come as you are, ripped jeans and all. It’s just another way of saying men should wear a suit and women should wear a dress. Think Cocktail or Business Formal.

Dressy Casual

Men should choose nice slacks and a sports coat. Women should wear a dress or nice pants suit.

Business Casual

Men can drop the blazer if they want, but should still wear nice pants and an oxford-style shirt. Women can wear dresses or skirts as long as they’re not too short or a nice pair of pants and blouse.

Casual

Finally, you can take out those jeans. You shouldn’t wear the stuff you clean your yard with, but something clean and without too many holes will do. These are your running errands or going to the movie clothes.

More information at: http://www.weisstoyotanews.com/Articles/Dress_Descriptions/

Coins Costing Taxpayers?

Federal government mints coins that nobody uses.

 

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/coins-costing-taxpayers-14076274

 

Presidential One Dollar Coins.  Pretty dumb. 

Can the Post Office Survive the Digital Age?

An article earlier this year asked, "Is email killing the post office?" Well, the post office is not dead yet, but it's not helping from the looks of it. The U.S. Postal Service doesn't have the money it needs to pay its bills, and email and the web are clearly major factors.

Can the post office survive the digital age? 

A report from the New York Times is all but predicting the U.S. Postal Service's demise. "The agency is so low on cash that it will not be able to make a $5.5 billion payment due this month and may have to shut down entirely this winter unless Congress takes emergency action to stabilize its finances," the report says.

"If Congress doesn't act, we will default," Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe is quoted as saying.

When the subject was discussed , Bloomberg BusinessWeek had put out a lengthy report looking at the decline of the USPS and its contributing factors. While touching on email, it looked more at comparison of USPS performance versus that of FedEx, UPS and DHL, as well as their international counterparts.

Despite talk that social media might one day kill email, email has proven time and time again that it is still a vital part of the Internet. A report from Pew Internet recently found that email (along with search) is the top activity online adults engage in on the web - way more than social media (though that's growing significantly).

Facial Recognition is Unreal

Do you think this technology will make the perpetrators think a bit before starting riots? Or maybe they don't think - that is the point.

This is the crowd before the riot in Vancouver. Put your cursor anywhere in the crowd and double-click a couple of times and then use the scroll button in the centre of your mouse to zoom in . . . all the way in.

You can zero in on one single face. The clarity is unbelievable.

This is the photo taken by Port Moody photographer Ronnie Miranda that appeared in our Tri-City News on Friday (24-June).

This is actually scary. You can see - perfectly - the faces of every single individual - and there were thousands!

Privacy? Just think what the police and the military have at their disposal.

http://www.gigapixel.com/image/gigapan-canucks-g7.html

Available for your credit union? Yes, indeed. Many financial institutions - banks, credit unions, investment organizations, etc. already use this technology.  It's called "Facial Recognition."  Do a search on Google.com using FACIAL RECOGNITION.

Also check out the following:
Credit union lauds facial search application
http://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/credit-union-lauds-facial-search-application

Members 1st VP: 'It really improves your relationship with a police force'
MECHANICSBURG, Pa.—Does facial recognition technology work? For Chip McBreen, vice president of fraud and security services at Members 1st Federal Credit Union it does. “It’s allowed me to gather additional information that I might not know is out there,” he said. “In a strict date and time search, I’m looking for a specific event and that’s what I’m getting. With the addition of facial recognition, I’m able to do an enterprise-wide search, allowing me to gather evidence that I just didn’t know about.”

http://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/credit-union-lauds-facial-search-application