Unknown's avatar

Driver-less Cars, the Way of the Future?

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Recently, there was an article about driver-less cars on Yahoo. it was quite interesting, dealing with both facts and possibilities as to what it could mean. The article talked about how laws might have to be rewritten, insurance rates and accident rates would go down, and how there would be a “transition” from the cars we now have to the driver-less variety. So, what are some of the issues and what are some of the facts?

How close are we to having driver-less cars become commonplace? They are being developed now, and Google actually has a working model, but they are still in their infancy. Most likely, the first ones that are made available to the public will be very expensive, as is usually the case with any new technology. And like the newest technology, they will have the least features and most bugs. As to how far away the first generation of widely produced and seen models are, some articles on the subject say that it could be in as little as ten years’ time. But a lot of hurdles will need to be overcome, and they are not just about the technology.

Even if the first models available for public purchase make an excellent debut, many, many people will be reluctant to trust a vehicle to drive itself. I once read an article that said that the biggest reason that people fear flying is that they know that they have so little control if anything goes wrong. At least in a car, despite it being far less safe than flying, people feel that they are in control. People will perceive having less control being in a car that drives itself, and will be reluctant to trust driver-less cars. Of course, it depends how the technology is introduced. If gradually, with only a few functions being taken over by each progressive car model, then more people will get used to the idea of the fully driver-less car. However, even then, actually giving up the wheel itself will make many people reluctant.

Then there are other issues and questions.

Will a driver-less car really, really, be able to avoid an accident or be able to tell if a route has construction or some other obstacle ahead of time?

Can it predict, during the transition time from driver required to driver-less cars, what the driver of a driver required car will do?

And of course, “Can we now text, since we won’t be ‘driving'”

Then, there are those who just like the idea of driving themselves. In a world where there are only driver-less cars, you won’t be able to take those winding roads the way you  want to, for instance. And, that rite of passage of getting your first license may become history.

On the plus side, there’d be fewer illegal drag races, and drunk driving would be far less of a problem, hopefully leading to greatly reduced insurance rates.

And possibly, people who, today, cannot, or will not, drive, may have more transportation options on the table, since, you may no longer need a driver’s license.

To get some picture of the myths and facts of driver-less cars at this time, November, 2014, go to http://www.techrepublic.com/article/8-truths-and-myths-of-driverless-cars/

If driver-less cars become a reality, it could mean some really big changes down the road, so to speak.

If you like what you’ve read here, please let others know of this post, blog, and site.

And thanks for reading!  🙂

Unknown's avatar

Is a Smartphone the Best For You?

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My first cell phone, which I got in 1996, was one of those big Motorola flip phones. While it did clip onto my belt, it was big and heavy enough for me to feel its weight as I moved. Also, its battery had a short life and because it was analog, the number could be cloned, and it was, twice.

Thankfully, cell phones quickly improved and the next phone I had was not much larger than what I have now. And, with each progressive phone I’ve had, I’ve gotten more features.

The latest one is an LG Extravert with a slide out miniature keyboard, for easier texting. Now, it can also accommodate a data plan as well, though I don’t have one as I don’t feel the need for one. I don’t know if it is considered to be a true “smart phone”, but if not, it is as close as one could get. It is still as small as my previous phone, however, it was slippery and easy to drop as a result, so I had to get a protective rubber covering for it, as well as a screen protector.

As a result, I couldn’t use a standard flip phone clip-on case. I had to purchase a small Lowepro camera case that clips on to my belt (Lowepro makes the best and most user friendly cases!), and it works with the phone just fine and is still small enough not to feel like an added heavy appendage to my belt.

Recently, I was on a trip, visiting family, and my cousins had smartphones. The were able to see each other as well as talk, and the visual quality was great! The phones looked easy to use, too, and I could see how they could do so much. One of my cousins also used the navigation feature on her phone with no problem. While the car had its own navigation system, the phone’s worked just fine, and we could have been in a Model T, and it wouldn’t have made a difference because my cousin’s phone had its own portable navigation system!

But is a phone that can do everything really for you? Only you can answer that, but, having seen what they can do, and having checked them out in stores, I’ve made my own observations.

Being able to see one another while talking, at least for now, as I understand it, requires a data plan, which costs more money than just a talk and text plan. Readers, If I’m wrong about this as I write, please let me know.

I do know, however, that data plans, at least in the “Paygo” world, of which I am a part and highly recommend, are coming down in price.

And some smart phone class phones are being offered at cheaper prices with some plans.

But, here’s a problem. The phones are getting larger, and some are approaching tablet size. The good thing about this is, you can now find a size that fits your needs.

But, on the plus side of this, while getting larger, the size increase is only one-dimensional. They are getting thinner and are much lighter than those old Motorola phones, so that still means less bulk.

But, they can be more obtrusive and vulnerable to breakage when worn on a belt or put in a pocket. I can see them breaking if they are on a belt or in a front or back pocket when you get into your car. If they are in one of the lower pockets on a pair of cargo pants, or in someone’s purse, handbag, or day pack, they should survive. But they are not as convenient to carry as my phone still is. And recently, there was an issue with a recently released phone that bent too easily.

So, while true smartphones phones now have more and better features, I’m satisfied with what I have. Of course, if you are in the market for a smart phone, do check them out, as there are so many kinds, from Androids to Galaxies, and others.

Of course, bear in mind that new and more advanced phones are coming out all the time now, and plans are constantly evolving, so, if you can’t quite find what you really want in a phone, just give it some time before buying. Sooner or later, the phone, and plan, that you want will be here.

If you like what you’ve read here, please let others know of this post, blog, and site.

And thanks for reading!  🙂

 

*** Update! In January, 2015 I did get my first smart phone! An LG Optimus Zone 2. To see what transpired and what I have to say about it, see my post, Again, Before Jumping In, Do Your Research! (Or how I got a $149 phone for just $49!)

Unknown's avatar

How to Stay Safe with Craigslist Transactions

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You may have read my earlier posts regarding Craigslist and how to buy and sell using Craigslist. But what happens after you find that item, buyer, or job offer? How do you know if it’s safe to meet or do business here?

Well, Craigslist is a lot like working with the classified ads in a newspaper, except that you can tell how old a Craigslist ad is. Other than this, Craigslist is a pretty much a free for all marketplace. They don’t act as a middleman, like Ebay or Amazon, where buyers and sellers are regulated to an extent and can be penalized for bad behavior, and where there’s a secure system for payment and shipping. And there are lots of scammers and other nefarious types using Craigslist, sometimes to commit horrible crimes.

But you can stay safe with Craigslist if you use it right and know what to look for.

When selling or buying a physical item, and you either want to see the item or you have an item that someone wants to see, there obviously has to be a meeting. And you can’t blame someone for wanting to see your item, as they are following the rule you probably follow yourself that says, “Don’t buy something sight unseen from someone you don’t know”. So, what to do?

My advice is to not meet at your place, or theirs. Not yours, because they can see what you have and case out your place for future burglary or worse.

Not theirs, because they can rob you or worse, and you be on “their territory”, so to speak, and won’t know what to expect. The only exception to this is, if they are having a garage sale. And then, drive by first to see if they really are having a garage sale. See nothing there? Drive on.

Solution? Meet in a public place, where lots of people are. A fast food place, mall, or even a police station can be good. And take someone with you if possible. There’s safety in numbers. But if you can’t take someone with you, always meet in a crowded public place.

Now, before you meet, be sure to get the person’s name and description, and also learn to pick up what ever else they say that can help. One guy I sold something to suggested meeting at a fast food place where he worked. I came early and asked one of the employees there about him, mentioning his name, and the employee knew him and verified that he worked there, so this made it much safer.

If you or the person you want to deal with is selling items at a flea market, you can also have them meet you there, since there will naturally be people there, too.

What about large items that are hard to move, or even homes? If you are the buyer, and the item is being sold by the owner and not a dealer or agency, go early and check out the area. This may not always help, but sometimes it can. And definitely take someone with you, even if they are just an acquaintance. And let someone else know where you are going.

If you are the seller, make sure that someone is with you. Having a garage sale with neighbors, friend, and relatives helping out would be ideal.

In my opinion, if it’s your house that you’re selling and you’re selling it yourself, it would be wise to move everything out, including you and your family, out first. This way, anyone who comes to see your home, will think you no longer are actually living there and they’ll see no items to steal. However, having said this, I would still speak to a realtor first before selling the house myself. They may have better ideas regarding this.

What about posts in the jobs or gigs categories? Same applies. When inquiring or responding to ads in these categories, always ask for the business name if it is not in the ad. If they are vague or won’t tell you outright, move on. If it is a private party, as is often the case in the gigs category, be extra cautious, especially if it involves modeling, entertainment, or the arts. Many scammers will claim that they can get you in but instead will empty your wallet or worse. If someone appears legit, check them out further and anytime someone won’t give you information that they should give you, like their name, or details about what they require, again, move on!

Lastly, regarding any job or gig posts, don’t give out personal information until you can really confirm that you’re dealing with someone legitimate and that it is required! If you answer a gig where they just want you to dig a ditch for cash, they do not need your social security number, and if they demand it, leave!

If you are selling a service on the side, you will have customers and they will be paying you. To stay safe, if the service, or business that you do can be done online and delivered by using shipping or e-mail, try to keep from having to meet clients if possible. I do this with my resume business.

Clients call me or e-mail me and send me what they want on their resume. I put the resume together and send it to them as an e-mail attachment. They then send payment to my P.O. Box, or via PayPal, which is safer than having it sent to my home address. If the client does need to meet with me, I make sure that it is in a public place.

While none of what I said will absolutely guarantee your safety, they will lessen the odds significantly that something bad will happen to you during a Craigslist transaction. Craigslist can be a great site to use if you just use common sense and keep your eyes and ears open. Stay safe!

If you like what you’ve read here, please let others know of this post, blog, and site. And thanks for reading!  🙂

Unknown's avatar

What Really Will Happen if Automation Phases Out Work?

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Last month, I wrote a post called, “Will Automation Phase Out Work?“, in which I talked about how a fully automated world is still along ways off and that there will still be plenty of jobs for humans to fill, even if there aren’t enough jobs.

But what may happen if that fully automated world were to come about?

First, this assumes that the machines are so well made and systems so well-developed that there would almost never be breakdowns of any kind and those few that do happen would be taken care of by other machines.

With humans not being able to get any job no matter their credentials or who they know, the concepts of income and the world of work would have to change. Only CEO’s of large companies and those fortunate enough to have machines working for them could realise any sort of “traditional income”. 

What about the rest of us? Well, most likely, at first, people would still try to find jobs of a sort, but these would be few and far between for probably little money or just barter. Once most people run out of money, it would have to be barter only. Some might become entrepreneurs, but even here, such people might have to resort to accepting items in payment instead of actual money.

Now, to prevent the possible widespread poverty that might result from this scenario, a new concept of work and income might have to be instituted.

Here’s one scenario that I can imagine.

Both taxes and money might have to be eliminated, at least temporarily, and people given a certain amount of “credit” to start their lives with, and have a robot given to them as well. It would be the robot that would go looking for a job and ultimately support the person or family, as no human would have the skill to do any job as well as the robot could. And, combined with barter, perhaps the family could obtain a second robot and “second income”. Money could then be reintroduced into the economy.

Now, of course, this is a very simplistic example, and in real life, there would certainly be lots of possible variations, but I believe that something like this scenario would have to be the result, or there would be a widespread revolution, as people would not want to live with the level of poverty and unemployment that would otherwise result if we tried to hang on to today’s economic culture and mores in a fully automated world. How can anyone expect one to get a job in a world where truly none can be had?

People will always need something to do and, more importantly, an attainable means of supporting themselves.

A fully automated world may be a long ways off, but it is an interesting thing to think about.

If you like what you’ve read, please let others know of this post, blog, and site.

And thanks for reading!  🙂

Unknown's avatar

Get Rid of that E-Mail Clutter, Too!

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Awhile back, I published a post called “Don’t be a Hoarder! or Do You Really need All That Stuff?“, where I talked about getting rid of items that you no longer need. Well, many people, myself included, have the same problem with their e-mail in boxes and folders, holding many saved e-mails and folders that they no longer need.

Well, this isn’t as big a physical problem as the hoarding of physical items, as all of the e-mails are on the computer, which, thankfully, doesn’t get bigger and bigger with the more e-mails you save.

But, depending on how much unneeded e-mails you have, it could be infringing on the amount of storage space your e-mail account provides, and could also cause you to wade through many more e-mails to find the one you want than is necessary.

So, it’s a good idea to go through your e-mail every so often and delete those e-mails and folders you no longer need, as well as checking to see if you can better organize the ones you do decide to keep.

But, this may not be all. You may be getting e-mails from sources that you no longer want to be subscribed to. And some of these may be “3rd party” subscriptions, lists that you were automatically subscribed to when you subscribed to that one list you wanted to be on. It happens all the time. You may have signed up to receive e-mails from, say, a crafts website, and, as a result, the website automatically subscribes you to a crafts supply website, a particular craft store’s website, and maybe others as well. And you may decide you don’t want all those extra e-mails that just keep on coming.

So, you need to unsubscribe from those lists. Fortunately, most e-mails from a subscription list will have an “unsubscribe” link in their e-mails, usually at or near the bottom. Just click on the link and follow the instructions to unsubscribe, but beware, some sites will have additional ads or links along the way that may look like they are part of the unsubscribe process.

You’ll find that cleaning your e-mail of unwanted e-mails and folders will keep your e-mail account easier to manage and navigate.

Good Luck and happy computing!

If you like what you’ve read here, please let others know of this post, blog, and site!

And thanks for reading!  🙂

 

Unknown's avatar

Are all Lies Bad?

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Don’t you just hate being lied to? I sure do. But, and this is a big “but“, I haven’t been offended by all lies told to me. Why? Because some lies were told to keep pleasant surprises as surprises, for one.

Most lies are bad, but some are good. I was told that the club I belonged to was changing its meeting place. I went to the new place and was treated to a surprise party for my birthday one year. It was great! It happens all the time.

Also, we tell “white” lies. These are lies to avoid offending people or to prevent people, often older parents or grandparents from worrying. Can you imagine if we always spoke our thoughts. Saying to Aunt Marge, “Your hat looks dumb and too big for your head!”, when she asks you what you think, or saying, “Cousin Tom and his girlfriend lived together before they were married.” to your old-fashioned grandfather, or saying how dangerous your job in law enforcement can be to your worrying grandmother, will only cause trouble.

Of course, the truth may still come out and, in the above examples, the idea shouldn’t be to deny the truth as much as to lessen the full impact of the truth.

In that last example of your law enforcement career, God forbid if you are killed, everyone knows that your grandmother won’t accept the idea that you just decided to take a very long trip without any communication with her or anyone else when you’ve always been a stickler for keeping contact with all family members. What needs to be done is to gradually let her know what your career is and assure her that you are taking extra care to protect yourself.

But what these white lies can do is to prevent the truth from being too blunt. Instead, in all 3 examples, the truth can be brought out in stages so the recipients won’t suffer as much mental shock with the resulting tumult in the family.

And of course, your child home alone telling an inquiring stranger on the phone that you are home in the shower is also a very good lie.

So, there are times when the lie can be more helpful than the truth. Just something to think about.

If you like what you’ve read here, please let others know of this post, site, and blog.

Thanks for reading!  🙂

Unknown's avatar

Freedom to Grieve

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There was a death in my family recently. Oftentimes, when there’s such a tragedy, people, especially those closest to the one who passed on, are bombarded with often well-meaning advice on how to grieve. They may hear things such as, “You have to cry”, or, “You must pray”, or “You must do this,… wear that…have this type of ceremony”, etc.

Luckily, for me, there was very little of this, for which I am grateful. You see, everyone grieves in their own way, and just because one grieves in any particular way that is different, doesn’t mean they love the deceased person any less. Not everyone has a funeral. Not everyone wears black. Not everyone grieves for the same amount of time or to the same degree all of the time.

So, to keep this short, my advice is, to let people grieve in their own way. Please. They’ll appreciate this as greater respect, and they are more likely to respect you in turn.

Thanks for reading.

If you like what you’ve read here, please let others know of this post, site, and blog. 🙂

 

Unknown's avatar

Will Automation Phase Out Work?

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Recently, I read an article online where it was said that one of the reasons for the future growth of unemployment will be that more and more jobs will be done by robots and other forms of automation.

Among the jobs that were listed as ones that could fall to automation were dental assistant, delivery driver, and restaurant wait staff.

Actually, this may turn out to be true, and I understand that there is a restaurant in France that does have automated wait staff.  Driverless cars are being tested. And sure, we’ve all seen, or rather, heard automated answering systems (“…press one, for customer service, two, to leave a voice mail..”, etc.), and automated toll booths, among others. But a fully automated world where no human will hold a job?

Possibly, but only after a very long time, for several reasons I can think of.

First, and possibly the strongest reason is, though we are encountering more and more automated systems, we still tend not to like them. We still want to talk to a human being. And this is especially true in medical situations and those situations where things have gone wrong in general. I’m sure most people simply don’t feel comfortable with a robot diagnosing their symptoms and prescribing medicine just yet.

And then there’s the hassle factor, which I have dealt with. Some automated phone systems will simply not let you get to a human being, and their voice recognition systems will often misunderstand what you are saying. And, of course, they cannot think so when your situation falls through the cracks because it doesn’t neatly fall into one of the categories you’ve been presented with, so you get nowhere.

Second, is reliability issues, which is related to the first reason. Again, many voice recognition systems won’t understand what you are saying. A company may be reluctant to completely rely on a fully automated customer service system without some kind of human backup.

Third, which is, yes, related to the second reason. It’s a lack of an ability for self correction, or to think, period. That is, if a human employee makes a mistake and sends you a toaster instead of the blender you ordered, it may be caught by another employee before it even gets to you. If a human employee has to leave suddenly for the day, another will see it and offer to cover for the now absent employee. And if the employee is a mistake prone jerk, the boss can let the employee know that his or her job is at stake unless they shape up.

But with robots, at least for now, if one makes a mistake, you’re getting that toaster and you’ll have a real hassle trying to straiten out the mess through the company phone system. If one machine breaks down, it stays broken and the other machines don’t know it. The pumping machine may just keep filling that tank until it explodes. The other machines cannot make a call for repairs. Production and other functions stop until a human notices, by which time much more damage may have been done. And if a machine or robot just will not work, no amount of threats will make it start working.

Lastly, we’re not quite there yet. That is, while certainly, we have been able to successfully bring automation to areas such as the factory floor, and yes, the example of the exploding tank above has been solved by adding sensors and systems that will shut down the pumping machine, the technology for having robots completely replace humans in many areas is a long way from reality, even now. And while many businesses are looking to use more and more automation, it is still very expensive to start, and somewhat risky, so many businesses, especially small ones, are not yet on that bandwagon and won’t be for a good while.

We don’t have a robot that can go door to door delivering mail, or selling items and services, and people are not ready to deal with a robot salesperson or clerk unless there’s another human from the company there who understands what you’re saying and who can correct any problems on the spot. And no one’s yet ready to trust a robot surgeon acting alone in the OR just yet.

So, not to worry yet, humans will still be needed for jobs, including those that robotics and growing automation will generate, for a long, long time to come.

If you like what you’ve read here, please let others know of this post, blog, and site.

And thanks for reading! 🙂

 

Unknown's avatar

Another Craigslist Tip

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If you’re posting ads on Craigslist, here’s another tip for you. After a time, when you log into your account after your ad has been posted for 48 hours, it will show that it can be renewed.

If your ad is in one of the more “general” categories, such as “small biz ads”, then you should have no trouble renewing it. It probably won’t be automatically flagged due to “overposting”.

But some categories have much fewer ads, resulting in your ad being on the first page for a longer period of time, even longer than 48 hours, so, even if you go into your account and your ad is showing to be renewable, it may still get flagged by Craigslist due to overposting if you click on “renew” to renew your ad.

So, if your ad is in one of these “sparsely populated” categories, your best bet to avoid getting your ad flagged is to wait until your ad is no longer on the first page when you go into that category.

This happened to me when I had my ad for resume services under “write/ed/tr8”. I would go into my account and my ad would show that it could be renewed, so I clicked on “renew” and the ad would get flagged. I finally checked by going into the “write/ed/tr8” category on Craigslist, and saw that my previous ad was still on that first page that came up, even though it had been posted more than 48 hours before.

Worried that your ad won’t be seen if you don’t renew? Go and check to see if your previous ad is still on the first page. if so, then you don’t need to worry about renewing.

Just check on the category your ad is in after the 48 hour period has passed. If it’s no longer on the first page, then try renewing. If it doesn’t get flagged, then you’re ok.

Hope this helps and good luck posting your ads on Craigslist!

If you like what you’ve read here, then let others know of this post, site, and blog!

And thanks for reading!  🙂

Unknown's avatar

New Tech Toy has Just Arrived! Don’t Get It Now!

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That new tech gizmo that just came out? Like the title above says, don’t rush out and buy it now! Why?

Here are a few reasons:

1. Fewer features and capability. Oh, it will probably do things that other gadgets cannot do or haven’t been done before, but it won’t have those things and features that people will find they inevitably want after they try out the new tech toy. Those first models just won’t have what the later versions are sure to have due to popular demand.

2. Bugs. The first model of any new tech toy, from I-Phones to cars, will have the most bugs and problems. Always. Advice for car buyers often includes the advice to not buy a new model the first year it comes out just for this reason alone.

3. Cost.  The first version will usually cost the most. Or, if not, it will have less bang for the buck, due mainly to the two reasons listed above.

4. No Line in the rain. You’ve no doubt heard about or have seen stories of people waiting to be the first to get that new tech toy, usually an I-phone or something similar. They’ll be interviews with people standing in that long line in the rain or snow, willing to pay twice what would be paid in just a few short months! You can avoid this just by waiting! The product won’t go away, unless it proves to be a real lemon, in which case, you won’t have wasted time or money, and won’t have had to endure discomfort on top of that.

To illustrate this, I remember when I saw my first handheld calculator, in 1970. This calculator cost $100 and could only do basic math, that is, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. And that was it!

By the late 1970’s, you could get calculators at 1/5th the price that could practically do back flips for you!

Computers also show this. When computers with a new version of Windows comes out, the most bugs are reported. By waiting a year or two, you can often get a computer with that new version of Windows for somewhat less and also with fewer bugs.

And later versions of I-phones tend to have fewer problems and a greater range of features.

So, it’s often best not to stand in one of those long lines in anticipation of getting that first new tech toy. I know you are chomping at the bit to get it, but try to wait. Sometimes waiting as little as 6 months could mean paying just half the price, with the gadget actually doing more for you with less hassle.

And you won’t have to stand in a line in the rain.

If you like what you’ve read here, let others know of this post, blog, and site!

And thanks for reading! 🙂