Mobile Telephones – A Modern Menace

A good response is, "the only accident I'm aware of is the night your parents conceived you."

 

Thanks. The key question for me though is do they work on the Mumbai railway?

 

I genuinely have no idea what is being sold.

 

I think somebody's a little bitter they didn't get that Nokia 3310 they wanted for christmas all those years ago...

 

Moog's post in no way suggests he is a loved one, which is perhaps your point. Just defending you, moog .

 

This is the phone I keep in the car for emergencies. I don't otherwise have a mobile for reasons of not wanting to be contactable at all times. I borrow Mrs ratrap's phone if I'm out so she can contact me. Beware man clad in Watford merchandise sporting bright pink iPhone he can barely use.

You can triangulate a phone's location and there are apps to do this. Police often use this to help in their investigations.

 

Whenever it got to the bit about occupation and I replied "Hertfordshire Constabulary" for some inexplicable reason (presumably technical) the call ended. Just how clever are your bl00dy mobiles now, then?

 

Do you issue the same advice to your mum?

Actually, off-topic but while I'm here , my mum is in her 70s, poshish, and recently tripped on the pavement in front of a group of people sitting on a bench. She used the c word in its plural and you should've seen the shocked faces. V funny.

 

In fairness the OP makes some good points. I just believe he's a little aggressive in how they're put across.

As others have said, what annoys me is the amount of people at gigs for instance who spend the whole night with their faces in their phones updating Facebook/Twitter and taking photos and recordings rather than just enjoying themselves. As someone who is obsessed with live music this is a major bugbear of mine.

 

I'm not personally planning on committing any crimes, so I'm absolutely fine with this.

 

I'm completely comfortable with the fact that someone is able to trace me via my phone. What I'm not comfortable with is being actively traced at all times even when there is no reason to do so.

Fortunately we live in the world where the former is the reality, not the latter.

 

What, do you you think that someone is watching your location right now? I thought that would be done either retrospectively, if there was a reason to do so.

So who is watching the 7 billion mobile phone holders? Martians?

Worrying if true.

 

I think his third sentence makes it really clear he doesn't think that.

 

Whoops, sorry Arakel, for some reason I missed your last sentence. My apologies.

 

Yeah, my dog is hungry and he's staring pretty intently.

 

An excellent article in the Guardian this week about portable telephones and how users cut themselves off from interaction with those around them.



Looking at your mobile? You’re cutting off a world of creativity – and flirtation


Simon Schama issued a heartfelt and sympathetic plea last week, which he must know sounded like Canute facing the waves with pretend dignity. Opening the new displays at the National Portrait Gallery, he reflected on the habit of looking outwards that created art in the first place, and regretted that we now seem to be in an age that looks downwards, or inwards. The exchange of looks, he said, citing Hogarth, is the “foundation of human interaction”. To observe what is there is the only place that art, thought, literature can start from.

It would be nice if people understood, not just the rudeness of preferring your phone to the physical presence of your friends, but how stupid it makes the phone-wielder look. In a room of people gazing down, or wielding their phone as an intermediary, the conspicuous intelligence, the obviously interesting presence is the face looking upwards and outwards, with curiosity; the best company is the one that meets a frank, flirtatious gaze with another one.

 

I saw 4 girls sitting in pub around a table, obviously out together for the night. ALL looking at their phones, tapping on their phones and completely oblivious to each other.
What a night!

 

Wow I hate that "phubbing", where you're with someone and they start looking at their phone.

I saw an excellent response from a woman the other week. She carries a paperback book in her bag for just such occasions. When they start reading their phone, she takes out the book and starts reading that...and why not? It's the same thing.

 

I can smell that burn from over here.

 

So what's new in the world of the portable wireless device, which continues to keep y'all in drooling thrall and marching out obliviously into traffic whilst wearing earphones and gawping at a little screen.

What are the latest developments I'm missing out on through declining to have one?

Well leaving aside yer obvious 10 million Android malware infections (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-36744925) and the OFCOM probe into the systematic fleecing of portable telephony enthusiasts due to a (cough) 'glitch' (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/06/vodafone_under_fire_computer_glitch_overcharge/), it has transpired that I'm missing out on the great new fashionable trend that's gripped the fascination of the whole cellular world!

Oh no! Another fashion boat that's left me behind on the dock! If only I had one of those things to lug about all the time, I could be a part of it with yer all.

Apparently what you have to do, is dial up an imaginary children's Pokeyman monster on your (ha!) 'smart' device and then pretend to look for it. And then you get imaginary children's points!

Brilliant that is, I bet. You can compare how many points you've got with each other too! Marvellous.

But since I can't join in, I'll just have to read books instead.

 

Wild Clive appears!
Clive used moan!
It's not very effective!

 

My kids have talked about this. From what I understand it gets groups of kids out of the house and into the great outdoors, getting some excersize, a bit of independence and socialising with their mates. I'm not sure it's the bad thing you're making it out to be Clive.

 

It's not.

Last weekend, I saw more groups of kids out and about than I have ever seen since moving over here. Parks are bustling. I've seen many fathers exploring with their little sons who are too small to go out on their own. I've seen more dogs getting walked than I've ever seen before.

People are getting out and about, especially kids. That's a great thing.

 

Yeah...ummm..great. Except the ones whom I've seen mainly doing it are fully grown adults (physically at least).

They march along staring at their little screen, oblivious to the beautiful summer countryside surrounding them. Oblivious to the real world.

I must say I'm amazed that people are defending this utter, utter shiny shyte.

 

I'll probably download it just to see what all the fuss is about. I see this as something big for the future. If they can build and adapt this AR type well enough there is definitely scope for better more adult gaming/fun/information versions.

 

Cheer up Gary!

 

I love the fact this is a real possibility nowadays.

 

I'm going to be looking for Pokemon at the Stevenage game tonight.

 

A wild Capoue appears!
Capoue uses shoot!
It goes miles over the bar!

 

Nah, clearly Magikarp.

 

I'll bet Clive's glad he started this now.