Comments on: News Canadian Travellers Can Use!

By: Rick

Rick — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:30:01 +0000

January 30 (when this post was first published) is getting alarmingly close to being a week ago. Could it be that work and life are getting in the way? Naturally we forgive you… but you only have 19 weekly posts left ’till we get home, and I would adly hate to miss out on ANYTHING…
.
I wrote a long boring post about books we’ve read on the trip, that I told everyone else they don’t have to read. You DO have to though, since there’s a cryptic message to you burried somewhere in there Tim.

By: Rick

Rick — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:10:32 +0000

Here’s another tech story about big bad companies that I’ve been following for quite awhile. Sony, and all other major video & telecommunications distributors were attempting to hurt the consumer even more with the sale of new spectrum in the US. It was actually the old analogue TV waves, which are going to be switched over to digital completely pretty soon. They are highly valuable since they travel long distances and penetrate buildings easily.
.
Google, lobbied, and lobbied the government to put an open source provision into the license issuance. The gov reluctantly did, but Disney & Sony et all, made the gov stipulate a minimum bid price for such a good, consumer beneficial idea to take place. Luckily Google has the big bucks behind it and made sure the minimum bid was achieved.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080131/ap_on_hi_te/spectrum_auction_10

By: Rick

Rick — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 06:53:01 +0000

Linux baby! That’s the ONLY way to fly… (Well, other than gaming of course.)

By: Timg

Timg — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:09:45 +0000

Thanks for the comments, guys. Alex, I am at work now, but I will show Gracie your reply tonight. She will be very happy to hear from you.

Rick, I knew with your frustration over the iPod that yolu would enjoy that story about the iPhone. Apple is quite the heavy-handed organization. It is behaviour like that that stops me from switching to mac computers, regardless of ym immense frustration with PCs.

By: Rick

Rick — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 08:19:17 +0000

This is ‘zactly perfect Tim! Can’t think of anything yer missing, ‘cept maybe some Halifax news…. Isn’t yer sister sitting around doing nothing anyways? Get her going as a field office of “NCTCU”.
.
The I-phone story labels Apple’s tactics as trying to “curb unlocking”. In truth they are “INTENTIONALLY CRIPPLING” the device in order to limit consumer choice. This forces much higher than usual fees on consumers, and hands over control of the device they purchased (and THOUGHT they “owned”) entirely to Apple! They’ve done the exact same thing with I-pods for several years now, and only thoughtless consumers driven by style rather than functionality have succumbed. (Well, also people with too much money and not enough brains for their own good.) There are lots of I-pods (and Sony PSP’s) hacked as well to return control to the consumer who owns them. Unfortunately numbers are unreleased by the corporations and are untraceable by third parties. This I-phone story was great because it showed (and publicly announced) the huge discrepancy that Apple can not hide. OK, sorry… Enough of my soapbox for now I guess. It just pains me so much to see brainless consumers not inform themselves before following down a high priced, out of their own control, path. Very much like cattle gleefully walking down any old path following the cow in front, that eventually leads to the slaughterhouse. (The slaughterhouse being a metaphor for corporate raping of the consumer and general greed.) Maybe make sure that Michelle and John read the I-phone story, so they can begin to learn their rights as consumers, (since their in every other way Wonderful Father has failed them in this regard). Maybe don’t push them to read my comments here yet though…
.
Tell GG that I made absolutely sure to bring Alex to the internet today. Also, please beg forgiveness on my behalf for such a transgression as not doing so the previous day.

By: AJ

AJ — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 07:53:09 +0000

Hi Gracie!! (And Tim, & Jo, & Ian too!) Thanks for writing me. Tell us some more news from home please. Like, what friends you played with, what fun things you did on the weekend, and what you are learning in school. I really miss you and make sure to smile at the carnival for me!!! I can’t wait for your Dad to put up the pictures here!
.
xoxoxoxo
Alex
.