Technology Is Wonderful

[Geof]

I am on (another) trip, this time starting with ten days in New Zealand where I grew up.

Before leaving I bought a new, unlocked, Nokia 5800 XpressMusic cellphone and as soon as I arrived got a prepaid SIM card. It turned out there was a free offer going from Vodafone so I get three months free internet on the SIM card. The cell phone can be a 500Kbps modem for my laptop so I can go online anywhere, literally, New Zealand is small with lots of hills so cell phone coverage is excellent.

The cellphone is also a fully fledged GPS and I have maps loaded for all over the place. So if I wanted I could find out exactly what my location is all the time (to within two or three meters). And, of course, given a phone number I can phone to practically anywhere in the world.

Half a century ago when I was a young teenager I had never used a rotary dial telephone and probably some younger people here on the forum have never used one either, or even know what they are. To place an overseas long distance call we had to book it through the operator who would give us a time period for some hours later when we had to be by the phone. The link would be established with the overseas recipient and then the operator would phone us so we could have the conversation.

Arthur C. Clarke, the science and science fiction writer who dreamed up the concept of geo-synchronous satellites wrote something like; "to the uninformed, any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic".

I am informed, I have a reasonable knowledge of how all these things work, but I still think it is magic.

[RICHARD ZASTROW]

Geof, I'm not quite a Luddite. My daughter made me get a cell phone to carry around in case of emergency. She said she doesn't want to find me frozen in a snowbank come spring.

I get 400 minutes a month and they roll over. They accumulate for 12 months then the 13th month drops off. My current roll over balance is 4,533 minutes. Not many emergencies.

Keep in touch and tell us what you're up to down under.

Dick Z

[Geof]

I used to pretend I was Luddite but considering I own a few million dollars worth of CNC machines and computers it was a slightly hollow pretence.

I do think it is neat with cellphones and online access; My wife is in the process of boarding a plane in Vancouver on her way to Sydney to meet me tomorrow. I am out on the west coast of New Zealand wrapping up a fantastic 8 days of meeting old friends, sightseeing, playing golf and swimming in hot pools. I was emailing with my wife right up to boarding time at no cost on either end. Last night I was texting my daughter at a few cents a message. On Monday my wife and I board the Queen Mary 2 for a leisurely voyage to Capetown over the next eighteen days then we fly back to Vancouver. The first time I have ever circumnavigated the globe. Life is good and well worth all the work I put in decades ago getting my business up and running.

[KIMFAB]

Congratulations on yet another trip.
I understand what you mean about the technology.

I used to be one of the guys behind the curtain at the telephone co. Started out with mechanical dial equipment and 37 years later it's all computers and fancy lights running down miles of hair thin fibers.
Telephones in the middle of nowhere. Look at a palm sized instrument and have the exact time and location within a couple of feet. Information about anything at your fingertips. Music and news anywhere, anytime. Its been an interesting ride.

Your industry has had plenty of magic too with machines controlled first by clunky old tapes that were laboriously punched to computerized machines that can make a crankshaft in its entirety by itself.

YouTube- WFL M60 Millturn part 1

YouTube- WFL M60 Millturn part 1

Kind of makes us old duffers wonder what will happen in the next 10 or 20 years.

[ger21]

I used to pretend I was Luddite but considering I own a few million dollars worth of CNC machines and computers it was a slightly hollow pretense.

Not really. You still hand write the g-code, don't you?

[MyCattMaxx]

Here my modem is my cell phone. Works good for me. Speed isn't as fast as cable but it's pretty fast.

[Geof]

Originally Posted by ger21 Not really. You still hand write the g-code, don't you?

I said it was slightly hollow.
The company uses Mastercam so I use CAM-by-proxy.

PS: As another example of the advantages of technology this is coming via a broadband connection in my Sydney hotel room. These are ubiquitious now but hardly existed ten to fifteen years ago. I do think they charge usurious rates, $10 per hour. The funny thing is I have stayed in cheap hotels that provide the same service completely free.

[ger21]

Yep, when I go to the Casino, where they can surely afford it, and the rooms are quite pricey, they charge $10/day for internet. But I have stayed in plenty of other places with free internet.

[Geof]

I guess I was not as extravagant on this cruise; the balcony furniture is plastic.

Just had a pleasant day with a friend driving us around Sydney and down to Bondi and other beaches. Maybe if I was forty year younger and still a surfer I could be convinced to move to here.

[skippy]

So Geof,
where are you this week? What, they don't have internet nor mobile phone coverage on the cruise ship? Jealous, who me? You bet!
Seriously though, I and probably all of us here at cnc zone wish you the best and hope you enjoy your long awaited holiday. What's it been? Three whole months since the last minor displacement (round the world trip). Jeez, I can't help it. I'm jealous!
Phil

[Geof]

Fortunately I have a thick skin so I do not feel guilty about indulging myself.

Currently sitting in my cabin looking out over Adelaide, South Australia, having had an exhausting morning wine tasting at two wineries in the Barossa Valley. Picked up six bottles of wine which should keep us happy over the next few days along with the bottles I bought in New Zealand.

Sail later this afternoon heading for Fremantle the port for Perth in Western Australia; where we will have some more exhausting winery tours.

[RICHARD ZASTROW]

Geof, the Aussie's make good beer too. Give the breweries a look, you might be offered a complimentary pint to taste. lol

Dick Z