I guess you will never win this Mark, as there is sooo much going for the smartphones,
heck even the recycling bins have taken interest in them.
Heh …
Within five days, the City of London ordered the tracking devices to be disabled.
Kinda explains why the “ID card” idea was suddenly and quietly scrapped when smartphones took off 
–
Mmm, don’t think so. Anyone who’s worried about being tracked can simply switch out their SIM for a PAYG …
(or switch it off … or stick it in a foil wallet … )
I’m glad they did fail, but the “why” is still a bit hazy to me …
(cost? incompetence? the fact they they’ll typically let you track the people you’re not interested in?)
- and the people they wanted ID cards “for” are far less likely to be owning a smartphone (registered in their name …)
What I’m finding really interesting at the moment is the ping-pong between Google, M$ and the NSA. For the (first time ever?) Google is working with M$ to sue the US government, wonderfully entertaining.
Google/M$ :: Dear Mr Government, if we don’t disclose how much information we give you, nobody will use our services and we’ll go out of business.
Government :: Dear Google/M$, once we disclose how much information you give us, you’ll go out of business anyway!
So … if you want any sort of privacy what-so-ever, don’t use an email hosting company that’s on the NSA’s radar!
I’ve a google mail account, but I think I’ve used it twice
ID cards were never about catching terrorists (how would that work ?) … they were about keeping tabs on everyone else … do they keep their phones switched off and in foil.
Or is your average criminal … you know the guy who puts a bag over his head to hide his identity fro the security cameras, but leaves his company logo t-shirt on … really that smart.
I just figure when smartphone took off they decided ID cards were no longer neccessary … how long till all the cameras that are watching you, and using facial recognition (inaccurate) are also grabbing your ID from your “always on/always connected” phone … jeez it’s as close to RFID chipping kids at birth as their likely to get for the time being, though that’s coming too
They’ve already proven over and over they have no qualms about intercepting your comms and/or trampling your privacy in the name of anti-terrorism … keep em scared they’ll let us do anything, particularly as they’re too busy playing angry birds to notice.
They’ll sell (and probably believe) the idea that anyone WITHOUT a smartphone they can grab/analyse data from is suspicious.
And the dumb-a** public will fall for it (as it doesn’t require them to change their behaviour) whereas carrying ID cards would have been mandated … big brother gets a MUCH better tool and joe public never even looked up from fekbook.
I just figure when smartphone took off they decided ID cards were no longer neccessary .. how long till all the cameras that are watching you, and using facial recognition (inaccurate) are also grabbing your ID from your "always on/always connected" phone .. jeez it's as close to RFID chipping kids at birth as their likely to get for the time being, though that's coming too
Just another anti social aspect of the smartphone age, but it’s nobody else’s fault but our own
freedom is hard fought but easily lost
whereas carrying ID cards would have been mandated
Quite possibly, but for the record I will never carry one, I own multiple phones and a foil pouch, and I won’t ever be driving a car with a GPS tracker (Mr Cameron) unless I can find an effective foil shield for it.
As Mr Fassbender states in X-Men 1st Class;
The first stage is identification ...
… and there’s no point in telling me I would have to because I’ve never been that good at doing what I’m told.
… if they were to tell me that I’m not allowed to carry an ID card they’d have more of a chance …
Gotta agree with you there, I’d have gone to prison first …
Ok, another one;
Just plugged in an “Owl Intuition” to monitor my electricity usage (for the house) and I now have an app running on my phone to tell me what the current usage is, in Watts and p/hr. (changes every 5s) Just wandered round the house and come to the conclusion my fridge is costing between £250 and £300 a year to run. Also discovered another reason why I should be drinking water instead of coffee … (!)
[smg id=1585 type=full]
If I suddenly go offline it means the missus got one too
If you get one of those, switch the kettle on and watch it fly, it’s fu@@@ing scary
and the missus still fill the kettle for 2 cups of coffee ???
Mmm, switching on the kettle … 450w becomes 2.45Kw for the duration of the boil.
So the kettle uses more than 4x the rest of the house (!)
It is interesting, my TV table in it’s entirety when on standby eats £35 pa …
(majority of that seems to be the Sky+ box!!)
hehe … ammunition for the next argument … I barely ever have a hot drink, the missus has about 20 coffee’s a day
@ Mark
I’ve seen you on this forum all through the night helping someone with their PC
How the hell do you do that without coffee ?
You gotta be using something illegal
How the hell do you do that without coffee ?How about Nicotine?
It's a mild stimulant and increases activity in the brain just like caffeine, cocaine and amphetamine.Read more
Yup, nicotine … I drink about a coffee a day (if that), I don’t really like the stuff that much.
Ok, so there is a radiation spill from fukashima on it’s way the the US, due to hit sometime in 2014 - this is the [real] projection;
[smg id=1586 type=full]
Anyone fancy moving to California?
And BP thought their clean-up operation was expensive … [!]
Mmm, three of the fukashima cores have melted their way through the bottom of the plant and are burning their way downwards towards the earth’s core. As they go they are coming into contact with ground water which is boiling and coming back up through the ground, and some is seeping into the sea.
To stop this leakage into the sea, TEPCO is building an ICE wall (which extends to a depth of 30m) between the plant and the sea … this ICE wall is made of … well … ICE … i.e. frozen water. Is it just me - or can anyone else see the flaw in their plan ??
I think Mavis should have a good read of this before putting the kettle on …
http://fukushimaupdate.com/ground-under-fukushima-unit-4-sinking-structure-on-verge-of-complete-collapse/
Now I can’t get Mrs Doyle from Father Ted out of my head … Oh, go on … go on go on go on go on go on
On an earlier (and brighter note!).
Mark. I am on holiday in Provence France. My Samsung Note 2 so far has made these tasks for me:
- Made phone calls!
- Replied and sent 27 emails
- Five text messages
- Used Copilot Sat Nav (superb too)
- Taken Pictures
- Taken Videos
- Translator
- Checked the BBC news in ‘Blighty’
- Accessed and sent numerous files via cloud for various means.
- Reading ‘Down and out in Paris and London’ on E-book reader.
- Watching several Youtube videos.
- Checked the results of my crap football team (just makes me drink more!).
- Paid online bills with bank app and checked my ever decreasing balance.
- Listened to various American blues internet radio channels.
- Checked my Ebay acount.
All done with a small powerful device that can fit in a (large) pocket.
I love Linux and also use a netbook, but it (netbook) cannot match the portability and power of a modern high end Andriod phone.
Mark, throw the two cans and piece of string away and embrace new modern technology. 
Better still try and get the peppermint boffins to get a working PP distro working on mobile…I’d adopt it.
Back to my Pastis. (that’s a drink not a west country savory!)