I should be clear, when I say "us" I mean the population in general. I'm a huge technophile and am always shocked that people get so paranoid about new technology.
What is YOUR flying car?
- Thread starter TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME
- Start date
I should be clear, when I say "us" I mean the population in general. I'm a huge technophile and am always shocked that people get so paranoid about new technology.
Oh, I know, I just think it's probably more evenly split. There have always been luddites and always will be, but if the majority of the population were true technophobes we would never have reached the level of advancement we have.
My "flying car" is world peace. In the mid to late 80s (this would be from when I was 10 - 14 or so), I was convinced that by the year 2000, we would have a peaceful planet, either because some of the cultural trends I was seeing (80s TV was deceptively optimistic in some ways) would win out, or because we would finally nuke our civilization away. And I was looking forward to either one, because if I survived the nukes I had (naive) plans for how I would survive and even prosper in the post-apocalyptic world that mainly revolved around having taught myself how to build electrical generators and motors from natural materials.
But just like flying cars, we don't have world peace, and I now believe I understand that we never fully should unless we meet extraterrestrial civilizations to unite in our dealings with. Just us, humanity, we should never have fewer than five nations, and probably always more than that - consolidate too much power in one place and there goes freedom.
But just like flying cars, we don't have world peace, and I now believe I understand that we never fully should unless we meet extraterrestrial civilizations to unite in our dealings with. Just us, humanity, we should never have fewer than five nations, and probably always more than that - consolidate too much power in one place and there goes freedom.
The world is actually more peaceful now than it was in the 1980s. Violence between nations has been instead decline since 1945 and even intrastate violence is in decline. Violent crime has also been on a steady decline.
While total world peace (the absolute absence of violence) will probably never happen, barring some sort of worldwide catastrophe, we should probably get pretty close.
By over here, I take it you mean the USA?
^ Yep.
Although I'm hoping that this thing with Target will kind of jump-start the whole process.
Although I'm hoping that this thing with Target will kind of jump-start the whole process.
What I'm hoping it will jump start is the optional use of single transaction credit card numbers. If you aren't familiar, the way that works is:
1. You find out how much you need to pay for something.
2. You go to your bank's site, log in, and get a single use number generated for only that amount.
3. You pay with that number.
4. Even if the number gets stolen or abused, it can only be abused for the amount that was assigned to it - your actual account is safe (well, safer).
What is it they don't have in the US?
^ Our credit cards still use magnetic strips. We don't have the smart cards with chips that most other countries have. With those smart cards, you scan the card then enter a 4-digit PIN. Our cards, you swipe through a reader, and then sign the receipt. (Which is less secure than a smart card.)
(The only reason I even found out about this is that I'm planning a trip to Canada this summer. But their systems are still in transition so I can still use my old style cards there.)
(The only reason I even found out about this is that I'm planning a trip to Canada this summer. But their systems are still in transition so I can still use my old style cards there.)
^ If - IF - flying cars ever exist IRL, I'm sure they will all be driverless. You punch in your destination and it takes over - under no circumstances do you actually control the car.
And the lawyers would also have a shit-fit.
And the lawyers would also have a shit-fit.
One of the great advantages of that is the flying car would be able to operate without any occupants.
Which means you could send for it when you wanted it, or send it away when you no longer needed it. No convenient parking near the club or restaurant? No problem, get out in front and send the car a mile away to park it self, call it back when you're ready.
I would probably use public transportation more, if I knew I could summon my car if I felt I needed it.
(Go Seahawks)
Fixed that for you.
^Oh god. There's no fucking escape. As a Seattle native, 80% of my Facebook feed is Seahawks...or whatever that freaking 12 thing means.
Apropos FB, here's another of my flying cars: when I FB going to allow gifs?
Apropos FB, here's another of my flying cars: when I FB going to allow gifs?
How is this different from using a debit card? Yes it still has a magnetic strip instead of a chip, but I just punch in a PIN, no signature required.
^ My debit card is also a credit card. When I use it at places, I swipe it and sign the receipt just like any other credit card.
I'm waiting for someone to be able to digitally insert a younger Sean Connery as Bond, overwriting George Lazenby in On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
Well in the UK most places should still accept a non chip and PIN card, after all the Chip and PIN machines do have a slot for swiping cards. But in case of fraud in the case of a swipe card the retailer is liabel, where as in the case of a Chip and PIN card the bank is libel.
I migh be wrong but I can imagine the argument in the USA is something like this.
Bank: As the retailers don't have the EPOS for Chip and PIN we won't issue Chip and PIN cards.
Retalier: As the Banks don't issue Chip and PIN cards we won't invest in new EPOS terminals.
The solution might be to say make the Banks liabel for fraud commited with Chip and PIN cards and the retailers libel for fraud commited with Swipe cards.
Is this chip and pin thing anything like Pay Pass?
