<nettime> imho, another bad idea.

[Bill Spornitz <spornitz@pangea.ca>]

People who plan for the electric future must have no real lives in 
the present. Either that, or they never quite got over those 
fantastic images of communication devices they were exposed to in 
their formative years. But somehow, they can't quite remember the 
good things these devices did and can only come up with bad, stupid 
and useless things. If my cellphone rang, beeped, whistled or farted 
a message that there were tables available in some restaurant I 
passed, I would throw it at the nearest hard surface. No - I'd 
probably throw it at the restaurant.

Please, somebody give these print journalists another drink and put 
them to bed...  ;->


b


ps - is there anybody out there for whom these *services* would be useful?


>
>from edupage
>http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/edupage.html
>
>
>USE OF LOCATION DEVICES RISES, PROMPTING PRIVACY CONCERNS
>Location-based services could be the next big thing in the
>wireless communications industry. International Data values the
>segment at nearly $600 million today and projects that it will
>soar to $5 billion over the course of the next three years.
>Companies see enormous commercial potential in installing
>wireless location systems in vehicles, handheld computers, cell
>phones, and even watchbands. Restaurants hope to use the
>technology to alert cell phone users when they approach that there
>are available tables; stores plan to alert cell phone users of
>sales; and hotels want to inform people that they have vacancies.
>A company in Florida wants to use the technology to help parents
>keep track of their children. Some researchers are ready to
>imbed the technology, in the form of a chip, beneath the skin.
>The federal government has played a major role in the development
>of wireless tracking technology. The federal government wants to
>use the technology to make it easier for local authorities to
>determine the precise location of emergency 911 calls.
>(New York Times, 4 March 2001)
>
>----- End forwarded message -----

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