Rant of the Day v2.

[ian16th]

Wotsapp is no cost, so as long as you have internet is preferred to the phone or SMS certainly by me as I have to pay for them.

WotsApp is not 'no cost'.

It can be free at the points of use, provided both the sender and receiver are are both connected to the Internet, and are not using data that has not been paid for in one way or another.

Today, my son in Oz sent me a whatsapp message, it arrived while I was away from any WiFi hub.
Its data use came out of my 2GB monthly allotment. If I had used my months 2GB, it would have had significant cost.

[Boac]

ian - there should be setting (depending o your phone) to stop apps connecting via mobile data.

[Mrs Ex-Ascot]

Wotsapp is no cost, so as long as you have internet is preferred to the phone or SMS certainly by me as I have to pay for them.

From my understanding, Wotsapp is owned by the Facebook people. Therefore your personal data is at risk.

I honestly can't see what advantages it provides; if a person can't get me by phone,SMS or calling me from the gateway, they can email me as we have solar eleccy and our own satellite Internet.

[Slasher]

if a person can't get me by phone,SMS or calling me from the gateway,

You forget to mention Skype TS!

[Mrs Ex-Ascot]

if a person can't get me by phone,SMS or calling me from the gateway,

You forget to mention Skype TS!

[Slasher]

Just sayin' Skype is pretty useful TS as well as phone and SMS. Whatsapp is ok but yes there's a risk of personal data being flogged off to the highest bidder.

I never do long distance business with any mob who insists on using Facecrap or Twotter. Fortunately Skype is quite common around these parts and oft used for individual and conference business calls.

[OFSO]

WhatsApp is a smoother op than anything else, brilliant interface. We use it daily for text, voice, images and video. At both ends of our miserable lives we have cheap unlimited broadband so it costs nothing to use WA over the usual ten pounds a month for the 32 WiFi channels in London and 64 in Spain. French express(TGVs) trains have free WiFi. Would be lost without it !

[ian16th]

ian - there should be setting (depending o your phone) to stop apps connecting via mobile data.

Thanks.
I am aware, but some might not be.

[OFSO]

At the top of the page on my phone's screen there are little teensy-weensy icons for things like WiFi, bluetooth, mobile data etc. Some are bright (on) some are dim (off) and a quick tap on the icon switches things on if they are off and off if they are on. Sadly the weather symbol does not make the sun come out....and the traffic symbol does not ease congestion.

[Slasher]

French express(TGVs) trains have free WiFi. Would be lost without it !

Be careful with free wifi mate. I nearly got stung in Changi (T2) meself!

[llondel]

Here, and presumably in many other places, the council has gon to great lengths to provide cycle tracks and lanes.
Why don't the selfish bastards use them ?

As someone who uses a car and a bike (but not at the same time), there are some cycle lanes that are positively dangerous, so it's much safer to remain on the road proper. Often, because they're next to the gutter, they accumulate all the crap and the councils never bother to sweep them clean so again, it's safer to remain on the road where the larger vehicles tend to clear the stuff (ironically, usually into the cycle lane).

It's always worth using the bus lane if there's one provided, that way you get to piss off the bus drivers and their passengers too.

[OFSO]

Indeed, Mr Slasher. When I used to be naughty (in my former life) I'd sit with my tablet in Pret a Manger near London University and do a Bluetooth scan. I could see people around me with their dinkly little Apples, typing away. Most Americans give their Apples silly names like "Betty McNallys Tablet" and I could usually match faces to names and tell who was who (winding signal strength in and out to check far and near Bluetooth users).. Several times when I got up to leave I'd say "Bye, Joe"
to the guy on my table and they would look amazed that I knew their name. On one occasion two guys opposite me on the table were talking and one mentioned in which State he lived. Using Peeple and then a paid tracer I tried his name (which was unusual) by which he'd called his Apple laptop, and found his street address, wrote it on the back of my Pret receipt and put it down In front of him as I left. He called after me"hey, do I know you ?" but I was out and heading down Tottenham Court Rd by then. I hasten to add that I only did this because I was bored and these days I rarely am ! Of course technology continues.....Huawei phones can be coupled together wirelessly by a Huawei data-swapping system and with each connected to different Bluetooth users you can wind total strangers up. If you have two phones in your possession, that is.

[4mastacker]

The saga with E.on continues. Whilst I've been out today, they have left a message on the answerphone and also sent an e-mail saying they require a reason why I don't want a Smart meter. I think the bastids have got a right cheek to even ask the question.

Before I send another snotogram asking them which part of 'No' do they not understand, I would like to consulate the great collective of the Ops-normal population on what would be an excellent riposte to their crap attitude. Me, never having been to Cranners, didn't have the advantage of learning to write proper.

[OFSO]

Contractual obligations ! If there is nothing in the contract / letter of understanding with which you agreed to take E.ons power which states you agree to accept their infrastructure or installation on the date of signing or any subsequent modifications or improvements or updates, either originating with E.on or imposed by statutary regulations.....Then you don't. Coincidentally Mrs OFSO has just said no to the same company for the estate for which she is executor. "No ! No !" ("Oh my", said the E.on lady, "you do sound positive..."

[ExSp33db1rd]

What part of obeying local rules don't Tourists understand ? Whatever happened to "When In Rome ....... "

Whilst filling up the m/bike with petrol this morning, a women drove in single handed, the other hand glued to a phone occasionally angled to keep the camera on her as she, presumably, was using Facetime, or similar, all the while talking in a loud, foreign accent - Spanish ? She kept this up whilst filling up her car, despite the notice prohibiting the use of cellphones on the forecourt, and also whilst negotiating the credit card payment exercise inside, then climbed back in to the car, still actively using the phone and re-started the engine. At this point, with her window open, I loudly advised her of the NZ rule prohibiting use of a cellphone whilst driving. I received the "finger" as she accelerated smartly into the traffic, still gabbling, and photographing, away.

[llondel]

That's the point at which you note her reg number and advise the local plod of her whereabouts should they happen to have someone nearby who wants an easy ticket.

[OFSO]

Fake news: mobile phones used while filling the tank have caused explosions. Never happened, not ever, not once. If my memories are correct, Mythbusters tried it. The t/x power of a mobile phone cannot cause sparking.

Using phone while driving - see it everywhere in Europe despite being illegal. Many car owners don't know they can couple their phones to the car audio system.

[ExSp33db1rd]

and advise the local plod

Not many plods around Northern NZ during the middle of the day, local station closed - most of NZ closes for the weekend - or I would have driven around and lodged a complaint, but I do have the number should I see that car around again anytime soon. But .... some years ago I was nearly knocked off my m/bike by another female motorist, and I turned around and caught up with her and drew alongside, indicating that she should pull over and explain why she nearly killed me, i.e. what part of the word STOP didn't she understand on a large red sign at the end of the road that she had pulled out of whilst looking at her phone ? She didn't even slow down, and actually edged out into the middle of the road, pushing me into oncoming traffic, so I gave up, went home and rang the Police. Nothing more was ever done about it. The next day I saw the same car at the petrol station, but driven by a totally different female, blonde instead of brunette for a start, no contest. I stopped and asked her who owned the car, 'cos the day before I had nearly been killed by the then driver. No answer, as she got in and drove away, but when I got home my wife told me that I had been telephoned by the Police, and they wanted me to explain why I had been harassing women in the town ? Incident eventually closed with no charges.

At the same gas station another women who had completed her filling, paid, got back into her car whilst I was still filling mine, started up and drove straight into the back of my car. I asked her what she was thinking of, and as she was clearly under the influence of something, I called her a stupid bitch. A man came across and said that she was a friend of his, and if I called her a bitch again he would hit me, so I did, and he did. At that point I stood in front of his car and called the Police - sometimes mobile phones are useful ! - and surprisingly they arrived fairly quickly, seperated us, and asked me to wait on one side. Eventually the female officer let the man and woman go their seperate ways before hearing me, and then came over to talk to my wife and I, and started by saying that she was considering charging me with using insulting language in public, i.e. calling someone a bitch ! No mention of the physical assault on my person, or the slight damage done to my car when it had been run into, albeit slowly. Call the Police ? Yeah ! Right ! The victim is rarely considered in NZ, and the perps. are let off with a slap on the wrist with a wet bus ticket.

mobile phones used while filling the tank have caused explosions. Never happened,

I might agree with that, but the service stations have a right to stop mobile phone use on their premises if they wish, and driving and phoning is illegal, and potentially dangerous.

[Capetonian]

The victim is rarely considered in NZ, and the perps. are let off with a slap on the wrist with a wet bus ticket.

Sadly the same in most places.

Not everywhere though. This guy narrowly escaped the death penalty.

But ‘soft justice’ Britain is in the grip of a violent, and often drug related, crimewave which is claiming young lives on an almost daily basis, whereas Singapore, with its unflinching, uncompromising approach to law enforcement, is one of the safest places in the world.
Ex-Westminster public schoolboy caught dealing drugs in Singapore opens up in his first interview since learning he'll be strapped naked to a frame and caned 24 times.
He'll serve 20 years in jail in Singapore after being convicted of supplying drugs

[Woody]

Fake news: mobile phones used while filling the tank have caused explosions. Never happened, not ever, not once. If my memories are correct, Mythbusters tried it. The t/x power of a mobile phone cannot cause sparking.

Using phone while driving - see it everywhere in Europe despite being illegal. Many car owners don't know they can couple their phones to the car audio system.

A lot of petrol stations have a sign encouraging people to pay for their fuel via an app, this being next to the do not use mobiles

Edit- I would share a picture, but I can’t use my phone