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Comments on news posted 2011-12-13 18:35:25: • US calls for near total in-car phone ban, even with bluetooth [MSNBC.com] • Domain seizure oversight lax and broken [arstechnica.com] • Did AT&T let T-Mobile acquisition ambition put them in a position of going 'extinct'? [fool. ..

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FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

RE:US calls for near total in-car phone ban, even hands free

Nanny government at work once again. There is absolutely no lengths the gov't won't go to to save "JUST ONE LIFE". Of course the insurance industry is a big driver of this attitude. But there will always be a government bureaucrat or elected nonentity that will be willing to remove our freedoms to save that 1 life.
quote:
"No call, no text, no update, is worth a human life," Deborah Hersman, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said at a news conference in Washington.

Besides calling for government action, the NTSB also urged consumer electronics manufacturers to figure out a way to "disable the functions of portable electronic devices within reach of the driver when a vehicle is in motion" while at the same time being able to turn themselves back on in an emergency.
And what drove this NTSB recommendation? 2 dead.:
quote:
The recommendation comes following the NTSB's investigation of an August 2010 accident in Gray Summit, Mo., involving a pickup truck, two school buses and several other vehicles.

Driving and texting: msnbc.com cartoonists weigh in
The accident was blamed on the 19-year-old driver of the pickup, who sent or received 11 texts in the 11 minutes before the pileup, which killed two people and injured 38 others.
Other studies question the NTSB study and recommendation:
quote:
But similar studies linking cellphone use to poor driving have been challenged, most recently by researchers at Wayne State University in Detroit, who concluded last month that some earlier studies were seriously flawed.

The report, published in the journal Epidemiology, examined to earlier studies that examined crashes in which cellphone records showed that the driver had used a cellphone. Those studies "likely overestimated the relative risk for cellphone conversations," the researchers said, because they improperly assumed that the drivers were actually in motion when they were on the phone — in other words, they didn't factor in such so-called part-time driving.
FFH5

FFH5

Premium Member

RE:Is the Kindle Fire going to crash and burn?

»www.nytimes.com/2011/12/ ··· =general

Jakob Nielsen, a usability expert, denounced the Fire, saying it offered “a disappointingly poor” experience. For users whose fingers are not as slender as toothpicks, he warned, the screen could be particularly frustrating to manipulate.

“I feel the Fire is going to be a failure
,” Mr. Nielsen, of the Nielsen Norman Group, a Silicon Valley consulting firm, said in an interview. “I can’t recommend buying it.”

But take Nielsen's words of wisdom with a grain of salt. This moron also thought the iPad was destined for failure when it came out. He is a book smart PhD with no common sense. Maybe he should mix in a little marketing savvy with his UI opinions.
»www.useit.com/alertbox/i ··· 92676125
Mr Matt
join:2008-01-29
Eustis, FL

Mr Matt

Member

US calls for near total in-car phone ban even with bluetooth

The proposal by the NTSB recommending a total in-car phone ban and a proposal by the law makers listed below to allow robocalls to cell phones, demonstrates that the government and particularly those lawmakers are morons. While the NTSB recommends a total in-car phone ban we have the following lawmakers cosponsoring a bill to allow robocalls to cell phones:

Cosponsors:
Marsha Blackburn [R-TN7]
John Gingrey [R-GA11]
Leonard Lance [R-NJ7]
Blaine Luetkemeyer [R-MO9]
David McKinley [R-WV1]
Mick Mulvaney [R-SC5]
Pete Olson [R-TX22]
Michael Rogers [R-MI8]
Edolphus Towns [D-NY10]

See this article on the MSNBC website:

»bottomline.msnbc.msn.com ··· comments

On the other hand all concerned parties should be required to watch the movie It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World. Particularly the scene where the loud mouth mother in law Mrs. Marcus played by Ethel Merman wackes J. Algernon Hawthorne played by Terry Thomas in the back of the head while he is driving which causes him to lose control and damage the vehicle he is driving. There were no cell phones in 1963 when the movie was released.

Any driver caught texting while driving should have their cell phone shoved up their stupid ass. On the other hand there are always distracted drivers. In one case many years ago before children were required to be strapped in, a mother reached for her child to prevent it from falling off the seat and lost control of her car causing a horrendous accident.

Whatever
@bellsouth.com

Whatever

Anon

Ironic?

US calls for near total in-car phone ban, even with bluetooth [MSNBC.com]

FAA approves iPads in the cockpit [zdnet.com]
rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO

rradina

Member

FAA approves iPad for all phases of flight

OK -- did they add special shielding to the cockpits or iPads or do the airlines revel in holding the power to annoy a Baldwin brother resulting in hilarious SNL skits?

Isn't it time to question the airlines archaic electronic device policies?

I'd argue that LightSquared's planned LTE network has a better chance of crashing a plane than airline passenger electronic devices.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned) to FFH5

Member

to FFH5

Re: RE:US calls for near total in-car phone ban, even hands free

said by FFH5:

Nanny government at work once again. There is absolutely no lengths the gov't won't go to to save "JUST ONE LIFE". Of course the insurance industry is a big driver of this attitude. But there will always be a government bureaucrat or elected nonentity that will be willing to remove our freedoms to save that 1 life.

So I guess you're mad there are drunk driving laws too then? You do NOT have the freedom to text and drive. Driving by the way is a PRIVELIDGE not a RIGHT.

What you think people should just do whatever they want and ANY laws are bad? That's anarchy. And sorry anarchy is not freedom. I'm sorry but even in a free society there are rules and laws that must be adhered too. If you do not wish to be "ruled" then LEAVE and find a secluded island somewhere..
88615298

88615298 (banned) to Whatever

Member

to Whatever

Re: Ironic?

said by Whatever :

US calls for near total in-car phone ban, even with bluetooth [MSNBC.com]

FAA approves iPads in the cockpit [zdnet.com]

HUGE difference. Most planes today fly themselves.
Wilsdom
join:2009-08-06

1 recommendation

Wilsdom to FFH5

Member

to FFH5

Re: RE:US calls for near total in-car phone ban, even hands free

Writing new laws is what legislatures do, freedom or sanity be damned. A kid somehow drowns in MA and his guilt-ridden father gets a law passed to get kids to "swim" in life-vests at camps.
Goldman
join:2002-06-21
Maumelle, AR

Goldman to Whatever

Member

to Whatever

Re: Ironic?

The pilot's maps and charts are on the ipad now. It's more convenient to carry one ipad rather than 20 pounds of paper.

GeekJedi
RF is Good For You
Premium Member
join:2001-06-21
Mukwonago, WI
ARRIS TM1602
Apple AirPort Extreme (2013)
Ooma Telo

1 recommendation

GeekJedi

Premium Member

C'mon LightSquared...

I think I'll buy a Kia, tell my investors it's a limo, then stand outside the dealer yelling and screaming and bullying them until they trade me even-up my Kia for a Limo.

That's what LS is doing. They don't have any standing to try and make "deals" with the FCC. They knew what they were getting, and in fact can use their licenses now - no questions asked - if they use them as stipulated when they got them.

I simply don't understand what LS's problem is. The license is very specific - it's for satellite communication in that band. If they choose not to, then they should either turn the licenses in or sell them off. Sorry it doesn't fit in your business plan, but maybe you should have thought about that BEFORE you made the investments.

They're acting like a three year old child. Ask the same question 100 different ways trying to get their parents to change their minds.

I also don't understand the people here who defend them. This is not a "bait and switch" nor are these frequencies "owned" by LS to be used however they'd like. When you win a frequency (or block of frequencies) at auction, the FCC is very specific with what you can do with them. It's not as if LS spent all this money and then the FCC said "Oh, by the way, you can't do that!" They knew the limitations when they got the licenses.

Caveat emptor.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5 to 88615298

Premium Member

to 88615298

Re: RE:US calls for near total in-car phone ban, even hands free

said by 88615298:

said by FFH5:

Nanny government at work once again. There is absolutely no lengths the gov't won't go to to save "JUST ONE LIFE". Of course the insurance industry is a big driver of this attitude. But there will always be a government bureaucrat or elected nonentity that will be willing to remove our freedoms to save that 1 life.

So I guess you're mad there are drunk driving laws too then? You do NOT have the freedom to text and drive. Driving by the way is a PRIVELIDGE{SIC} not a RIGHT.

I didn't say anything about drunk driving laws at all. But even there the idiots in government take things too far. First it was .10% BAC, then .08% BAC; and in some states even lower than that. The idiots want to take it to a point that you couldn't wash your mouth out with an alcohol containing mouthwash or you would be prevented from even starting your car by an interlock system.

Hands free cell call is not causing accidents any more than arguing with a passenger would(some studies agree; some don't). So, where does it end? I'll tell you - the Google dream of a machine driven car with ZERO human control after plugging in the destination. And all in the name of trying to remove ANY human risks at all from life. Like I said - oppressive nanny government run by those who want to control your every waking moment.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned)

Member

said by FFH5:

I didn't say anything about drunk driving laws at all.

Basically you did. You said any laws are just the naanny state taking away your freedom. The fact is texting an drive is as bad or worse than drunk driving. There is PROOF of that. Thuis is drunk driving is illegal and you're ok with that then you shouldn't have an issue with a ban on texting. If you do you are either obtuse or a hypocrite. Not trying to offend you but logically you'd have to be one of the two is you're for one law and not the other.

jseymour
join:2009-12-11
Waterford, MI

jseymour

Member

Financial Interests

quote:
"This most recent leak ... is a part of the multi-million public relations/lobbying campaign being coordinated by GPS manufacturers, who have a financial interest in the outcome of this debate."

As if Lightsquared didn't have a "financial interest" in the outcome of this debate.

Lightsquared's assertions about the motivations of the GPS manufacturers doesn't hold water, in my view. It seems to me the GPS manufacturers win either way. For example: If Lightsquared gets their way, their trashing of the GPS system will surely result in millions of dollars of new sales for GPS makers, no?

ropeguru
Premium Member
join:2001-01-25
Mechanicsville, VA

ropeguru to Goldman

Premium Member

to Goldman

Re: Ironic?

said by Goldman:

The pilot's maps and charts are on the ipad now. It's more convenient to carry one ipad rather than 20 pounds of paper.

I don't think that was his point at all.

His point was that airlines require all electronic devices to be turned off by passengers due to they may interfere with the plane's systems. Yet an iPad in the cockpit where all the instruments are actually located, mysteriously will not cause any interference but the ones belonging to those pesky passengers will.

And I really cannot believe that dropping 33.5 pounds off a plane will save over 1.2 billion dollars a year. Seems like some creative math there.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned) to Wilsdom

Member

to Wilsdom

Re: RE:US calls for near total in-car phone ban, even hands free

said by Wilsdom:

Writing new laws is what legislatures do, freedom or sanity be damned. A kid somehow drowns in MA and his guilt-ridden father gets a law passed to get kids to "swim" in life-vests at camps.

So texting and driving are cool with you. Like getting high or drunk and driving are cool with you too?
Kearnstd
Space Elf
Premium Member
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ

Kearnstd to 88615298

Premium Member

to 88615298
said by 88615298:

said by FFH5:

Nanny government at work once again. There is absolutely no lengths the gov't won't go to to save "JUST ONE LIFE". Of course the insurance industry is a big driver of this attitude. But there will always be a government bureaucrat or elected nonentity that will be willing to remove our freedoms to save that 1 life.

So I guess you're mad there are drunk driving laws too then? You do NOT have the freedom to text and drive. Driving by the way is a PRIVELIDGE not a RIGHT.

What you think people should just do whatever they want and ANY laws are bad? That's anarchy. And sorry anarchy is not freedom. I'm sorry but even in a free society there are rules and laws that must be adhered too. If you do not wish to be "ruled" then LEAVE and find a secluded island somewhere..

now remember he does not support no laws at all. he does seem to back up draconian anti-piracy laws that support the MAFIAA.

somehow ICE being allowed to steal domains illegally without a court order or any body of proof a site is in the wrong is not taking away rights, but banning driver usage of a cell phone is taking away rights.
Kearnstd

Kearnstd to Whatever

Premium Member

to Whatever

Re: Ironic?

Guessing the FAA can trust the pilot to shut off the radios more than a passenger. I bet its impossible to detect an operating iPad outside of a shielded lab when all its radios are off. if you where to set an ipad in this room I am in all radios off I bet any detection gear would pick up the motor in my ceiling fan first.
Kearnstd

Kearnstd to FFH5

Premium Member

to FFH5

Re: RE:Is the Kindle Fire going to crash and burn?

well I think many people also expected too much from the Fire. they went in expecting a cheap ass Ipad/DroidPad.

really its a super fancy Kindle that does a few other things but not very well but its cheap and attempts to fill a niche.

Rogue Wolf
An Easy Draw of a Sad Few
join:2003-08-12
Troy, NY

Rogue Wolf to Mr Matt

Member

to Mr Matt

Re: US calls for near total in-car phone ban even with bluetooth

On the upside, if you ever get a call from a politician, you can just say loudly "I CAN'T TALK NOW, I'M DRIVING" and hang up.

We get about the same level of attention from them now, anyway.

ArrayList
DevOps
Premium Member
join:2005-03-19
Mullica Hill, NJ

ArrayList to FFH5

Premium Member

to FFH5

Re: RE:US calls for near total in-car phone ban, even hands free

said by FFH5:

I didn't say anything about drunk driving laws at all. But even there the idiots in government take things too far. First it was .10% BAC, then .08% BAC; and in some states even lower than that.

They made it illegal to drink & drive with .1% BAC or higher. That apparently was not low enough. Driving is not a right, nor should it be. Driving is dangerous and as such we need to have laws to minimize any unnecessary risks that happen behind the wheel. How anyone would be against this is truly mind boggling. What good reason does a person have to drive and not concentrate completely on the road? If you can come up with one, you shouldn't be driving in the first place.
ArrayList

ArrayList to rradina

Premium Member

to rradina

Re: FAA approves iPad for all phases of flight

sounds like apple paid off the right people

Vchat20
Landing is the REAL challenge
Premium Member
join:2003-09-16
Columbus, OH

Vchat20 to rradina

Premium Member

to rradina
Here's the key bits: They only disallow using electronic devices during takeoff and landing up to around ~10K feet. Likely the unseen reason for the policy that wasn't used in favor of a more believable and solid reason of possible electronic interference is to actually keep passengers alert and not nose glued into an electronic device when the takeoff and landing portions of the flight are the most likely to have an accident or failure of some kind.

And like another poster above: I'd much sooner trust a pilot to abide by the policy than a passenger. They have a much more vested interest in piloting the plane safely. Although it should be the same for the passengers, they aren't sitting in the cockpit either.

redxii
Mod
join:2001-02-26
Michigan
Asus RT-AC3100
Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH2

redxii to jseymour

Mod

to jseymour

Re: Financial Interests

Right, because only standalone GPS units exist. Nevermind the one in the phone, the cost to replace the one in the car..

Have the government mandate the telcos and cable companies wire everyone for broadband and get it over with. No silly spectrum wars, and nothing getting done because the wireless companies are always jumping on a new 4G 'Flavor of the Month'.

toby
Troy Mcclure
join:2001-11-13
Seattle, WA

toby

Member

Ban driving!

Ban driving, then no one will die from driving.

More people die each year from eating peanuts than most things, including driving and terrorism.

It is really easy to ban peanuts.

Ban alcohol, ban fatty foods, ban everything....

Live would be fun!

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

1 edit

FFH5 to 88615298

Premium Member

to 88615298

Re: RE:US calls for near total in-car phone ban, even hands free

said by 88615298:

said by FFH5:

I didn't say anything about drunk driving laws at all.

Basically you did. You said any laws are just the naanny state taking away your freedom.

Prove it. Show where I said that. I didn't.
FFH5

FFH5 to Kearnstd

Premium Member

to Kearnstd
said by Kearnstd:

said by 88615298:

said by FFH5:

Nanny government at work once again. There is absolutely no lengths the gov't won't go to to save "JUST ONE LIFE". Of course the insurance industry is a big driver of this attitude. But there will always be a government bureaucrat or elected nonentity that will be willing to remove our freedoms to save that 1 life.

So I guess you're mad there are drunk driving laws too then? You do NOT have the freedom to text and drive. Driving by the way is a PRIVELIDGE not a RIGHT.

What you think people should just do whatever they want and ANY laws are bad? That's anarchy. And sorry anarchy is not freedom. I'm sorry but even in a free society there are rules and laws that must be adhered too. If you do not wish to be "ruled" then LEAVE and find a secluded island somewhere..

now remember he does not support no laws at all. he does seem to back up draconian anti-piracy laws that support the MAFIAA.

somehow ICE being allowed to steal domains illegally without a court order or any body of proof a site is in the wrong is not taking away rights, but banning driver usage of a cell phone is taking away rights.

Off topic rant. please stay on topic.
Goldman
join:2002-06-21
Maumelle, AR

Goldman to ropeguru

Member

to ropeguru

Re: Ironic?

The point IS that paper maps and charts are going away.

Maps and charts are in-flight reference materials for pilots. They aren't trying to figure out where they are going and trying to plot a course during takeoff and landing. If the pilots think the ipad might interfere with electronics in the cockpit they will turn them off during takeoff and landing just like passengers are required to do.

thedragonmas
Premium Member
join:2007-12-28
Albany, GA
Netgear R6300 v2
ARRIS SB6180

thedragonmas to Kearnstd

Premium Member

to Kearnstd
said by Kearnstd:

Guessing the FAA can trust the pilot to shut off the radios more than a passenger. I bet its impossible to detect an operating iPad outside of a shielded lab when all its radios are off. if you where to set an ipad in this room I am in all radios off I bet any detection gear would pick up the motor in my ceiling fan first.

ever use a portable am radio and walk around your house? i know this is a bit extreme but, i cant set my weather radio with in 5' of my 22" lcd tv because of the RFI from the light in it. i happen to have a portable "air band" radio, you cant use it in the house because of the CFL's.

now, i will grant you the RFI emitted from those examples are magnitudes higher than that of a cellphone/ipad screen, and i seriously doubt they put out enough interference to cause harm to an airplane radio especially considering how much RFI the inflight entertainment probably pumps out..
talz13
join:2006-03-15
Avon, OH

talz13 to Rogue Wolf

Member

to Rogue Wolf

Re: US calls for near total in-car phone ban even with bluetooth

said by Rogue Wolf:

On the upside, if you ever get a call from a politician, you can just say loudly "I CAN'T TALK NOW, I'M DRIVING" and hang up.

We get about the same level of attention from them now, anyway.

Something like "I CAN'T TALK NOW, I'M MAKING LAWS!" Please feel free to substitute in "THINK" for "TALK" in that last sentence and it makes just as much sense
rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO

rradina to Vchat20

Member

to Vchat20

Re: FAA approves iPad for all phases of flight

said by Vchat20:

Here's the key bits: They only disallow using electronic devices during takeoff and landing up to around ~10K feet. Likely the unseen reason for the policy that wasn't used in favor of a more believable and solid reason of possible electronic interference is to actually keep passengers alert and not nose glued into an electronic device when the takeoff and landing portions of the flight are the most likely to have an accident or failure of some kind.

What? Those "key bits" will remain "unseen". They don't stop you from reading something made out of paper and someone reading a book is no more alert or aware of impending doom than someone using an e-reader. If you believe differently, please elaborate.

Regarding pilots following the rules, they approved use of the devices for ALL aspects of flight, not just cruising at altitude.

I think the "key bits" and "unseen reason" is that our litigious society has created an environment where absolutely NO AIRLINE wants to be the first to lift this policy. If they do and even if there's video proof of a fire in the engine on take off, some conspiracy nut will say, "You know, they were the only ones to allow folks to use electronic devices. I wonder if little Johnny's GameBoy caused that fire in the engine." ...and let the class-action lawsuits begin.

I discussed this yesterday with a colleague and he said that private planes don't have this policy. Having flown on our corporate jet numerous times, I looked at him and realized that I think he's right. I don't remember ever being told to turn off electronic devices on our corporate jet.
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