In the meantime in my world…

[Wambli Ska]

LG just started manufacturing a new generation of automotive telematics products with 12 5G antennas in it. It will be capable of sending and receiving massive amounts of data to/from cars. High def streaming of movies and other entertainment services. Pretty cool…

https://www.lg.com/global/newsroom/news ... automaker/

[PFD45]

If someone wants to "connect" to my 2002 Sequoia, they better have insurance.

[shotgunshooter3]

If someone wants to "connect" to my 2002 Sequoia, they better have insurance.

As someone who's probably going to end up with an EV with self drive in the next five years... I wish you could still find that gen of Sequoia for a bargain like you could before COVID. 80% of a Landcruiser for 20% of the price back in the day.

[Wambli Ska]

This addresses the target markets which are the vast majority of the population equally divided between:

1- I want new tech as fast as I can because I use it to my benefit
2- Hey! Didn’t know I could do that, is there more?!?!?

[FJB]

I have great respect for those who make their living, my daughter included, for enabling ever advancing technology. Without it, we’d still be walking or riding horses. However, the rapid and seemingly uncontrolled ascendancy of such just scares the hell out of me. Yes, I’m right now on my smart phone and on this forum and I enjoy both even though I’m damned near 70. (I at this point don’t care who might be tracking this old fart.) That said, I do worry about the world our children and grandchildren will inherit and very soon.
Sorry for the whine Wambli but I’m not going to eat bugs either! (If I know it.)

[CPJ 2.0]

Much closer to cars as a subscription. Of course there’s already examples of such with extra features, but soon you’ll need to pay for the privilege of being able to start it.
You’ll own nothing, and you’ll like it.

[Wambli Ska]

Much closer to cars as a subscription. Of course there’s already examples of such with extra features, but soon you’ll need to pay for the privilege of being able to start it.
You’ll own nothing, and you’ll like it.

That model exists today, it’s called a lease. Works for some better than others. But it’s always good to have options. When the Tesla Taxi comes out you can buy one and use it for personal use, and when you’re not using it you can set it lose to go out by itself and make you money. Not a bad gig…

[Wambli Ska]

Just left a meeting where we were discussing the much higher level of integration and support we have achieved between a regional level network and the Global infrastructure, and how we will improve it even more and faster going forward.

At some point, a small time doctor doing a surgery he’s never done before in a dirt road village in South America while consulting real time and being directed by a world class surgeon at NYU who can see everything he does in high definition video will be really grateful. So will the patient.

But what’s even better sometime later that surgery will be done by a $30,000 robot that only has to be fed 20 mins of 110 AC current twice a day and his work will be flawless.

[Freezer]

Ah....No to all of the above!

I saw those chineese robots on the news today....AI drones...Nobody is talking about cloning anymore, why. I;m glad I'll be gone before this goes too far!

[Wambli Ska]

Ah....No to all of the above!

I saw those chineese robots on the news today....AI drones...Nobody is talking about cloning anymore, why. I;m glad I'll be gone before this goes too far!

Those Chinese robots are turds with someone on an iPad running them, I’ve been given plenty of dud demos. But the real badazz ones that are truly AI powered are already impressive.

When I’m 80 I’ll be happy to have a real robot doing all my housework, cooking my meals and helping me get dressed so I can get in my smart self driven car car to drive me to do my errands.

[CPJ 2.0]

Much closer to cars as a subscription. Of course there’s already examples of such with extra features, but soon you’ll need to pay for the privilege of being able to start it.
You’ll own nothing, and you’ll like it.

That model exists today, it’s called a lease. Works for some better than others. But it’s always good to have options. When the Tesla Taxi comes out you can buy one and use it for personal use, and when you’re not using it you can set it lose to go out by itself and make you money. Not a bad gig…

They train you to gaslight like that, right?



Anyway, enjoy your AI overlords. And the money you make peddling them. I’ll be here enjoying human autonomy, sitting in a dim room lit by an oil lamp telling kids to get off my lawn.


And *when* all the data centers suffer a coordinated terrorist attack and the US grinds to a screeching halt, whoever’s alive won’t be so keen on the clankers they’ve grown to rely on. It’ll be after we are dead, but certainly in the near future. There’s still enough people around who can function without a connected everything, but they are dying off. But my grandsons world won’t survive long.

[Wambli Ska]

Not trained to gaslight. It’s what I know to be truth and I believe. I have reached a point in my life in which I gratefully don’t have to peddle anything to anyone. I do what I do because I love my job and what it brings to those that appreciate it and use it to better their lives.

Every once in a while I try to give you guys a glimpse of what’s coming. Whether you like it or not, it’s the tide. No more no less. Most will thrive in the new environment. Some will sit by the light of an oil lamp. It’s just a choice and neither means anything to me.

I live how I live and I just spent 1/2 an hour FaceTiming with my beautiful granddaughter, my wife, my daughter and they are 1,000 miles away but I see them in excellent video and great audio quality. Beats the poop out of a scratchy conversation on a flip phone by a whole lot. Tech is just a tool, good or bad is up to the user, just like a gun.

[Bigslug]

This addresses the target markets which are the vast majority of the population equally divided between:

1- I want new tech as fast as I can because I use it to my benefit
2- Hey! Didn’t know I could do that, is there more?!?!?

Put me in the category of:

3. Can you sell me the car for 30% of the price after you take all that stuff off and shove it where the sun don't shine? If it can drive itself while I sleep, or just beam me to my destination, we'll talk.

[Wambli Ska]

This addresses the target markets which are the vast majority of the population equally divided between:

1- I want new tech as fast as I can because I use it to my benefit
2- Hey! Didn’t know I could do that, is there more?!?!?

Put me in the category of:

3. Can you sell me the car for 30% of the price after you take all that stuff off and shove it where the sun don't shine? If it can drive itself while I sleep, or just beam me to my destination, we'll talk.

It will ABSOLUTELY drive you while you sleep and be safer than you driving.

[Freezer]

I don't knock the technology and I'm not afraid of it, I only embrace the technology I need. I ponder how some evil SOB will manipulate it or how far AI will advance. Remember Robo Cop and Space Oddyssey. Everyone thought Brave New World and 1984 was futuristic fiction, it was a prophecy. Remember the low speed OJ helicopter chase? We can do it with AI drones today...or satllites...heck, his car's computer tracking devise!

I can't help but wonder if AI isn't the downfall of humanity predicted in the Bible? The anti Christ is born of a Jackel, not human. Without the mark of the beast you can not buy, sell or trade. The Law of God is written on every man's heart. AI has no heart or conscience. It is absorbing knoweldge, learning and evolving on it's own and will continue to evolve in the future, without human guidence.

I have a simple Chrome book with no extra apps. I don't do face book, it's a horrable gossip place where text is hard to express true intention or feeling. I use this lap top for banking, invesetments, email, research and two websites. I use my smart phone as a communication devise and for drive directions since you can't find a map today. I prefer conversation to text. People don't understand that I don't have it on my person 24-7. I must admit, I like my Kindel, I use it like a book and haven't added any apps to it. Again, I don't need them. If my wife dies before me I will bury Alexa with her. Our TV has over 300 chanels and my wife still can't find something she wants to watch, I'd prefer peace and quiet with a book! When I'm in the woods, I don't need a Garmin, the sun, terrain and a compass will do. I know moss grows in the north side of the trees and where the big dipper is!

I like the technology my P/U has, AC, power windows, cruse control, push button 4x4 lock-up, and a CD player, which I don't use often. What more do I need? Oh and its an automatic transmission, with my knees and ankles I wouldn't want a stick!

I believe kids need to put their tablets down, go outside and play! Their world should not be sterile! Dirt and bugs are a good thing.

[Justsomedude]

Much closer to cars as a subscription. Of course there’s already examples of such with extra features, but soon you’ll need to pay for the privilege of being able to start it.
You’ll own nothing, and you’ll like it.

Im happy to have the capabilities to bypass what I want, from learning what I did as a Master Mechanic. At the end of the day, even data sent via satellite to vehicle modules use BUS data lines that still use binary code (flipping switches.) Give me a wiring diagram and I'll put it back to manually operated. I ain't paying for poop.

[Zorba]

Yet another iteration of THE MACHINE. Its amazing how **** up the world has become because of THE MACHINE, yet the apologists still swarm out of the woodwork.

[Wambli Ska]

No one forces anyone to use technology in any way shape or form. You can buy 40 acres in the middle of the desert near me for $20,000. For a few dollars they’ll drop off a couple of containers and solar panels are cheap, though not sure what you’d power with them. You can buy a 1960s PU and do your own wrenching as needed and you’re done. If that’s the existence you want it’s right there for the taking and some do

Right now I just received a notice on my phone and my smart watch that my flight gate was changed so I can stay comfortably seated in the restaurant I’m having lunch in and just walk to the correct gate with my electronic ticket in my phone whenever I want. The folks with the paper boarding passes will have to walk a bit more and maybe run if they get to the old gate late. But hey, they made their choice too. Getting into this country used to take an hour and getting out even longer. Now it’s facial recognition both ways and it takes 2 minutes.

I’m having a great time with the life that suits me, others will do what they want. Technology offers a choice. And I can solidly say that even though the whole world knows where I am, no one gives a crap.

[Freezer]

I'm a retired stationary engineer, I repaired comercial buildings. I had little use for a computer outside energy management programs, parts research and inventory. Our secratary and foreman managed a preventive maintenance program. Since I retired I still have little use for a computer. I only fly once every five years. I can understand how pratical and time saving technology can be and saw my attorney sister-in-law use AI for boiler plate lettters, impressive! I know how far the medical fields have advanced with technology. When I was a Navy Hospital Corpsman I had to develope X-ray films in a dark room by hand, perform hearing tests by hand and an EKG took twenty minutes with a machine you turn knobs on for the different strips and we had suction cups and KY jelly for the leads. I get it and like where things have gone. I have steel knees and a steel ankle so I live in a lot less pain than I would have 25 years ago. At my age and position in life I just don't need much tech I question where it's going, but I do appreciate it.

[Orchidman]

A hunting story from 2045
Decided to go hunting tomorrow so did all my preparation this afternoon.
Programmed my AI robot to rise at 5am and pack my hunting gear into my autonomous personal vehicle. Using its AI programming it selected the ideal hunting area based on data gathered from various sources.
The following morning, while I slept on, my personal vehicle, accompanied by my hunting robot left my house at 5am and drove to the site selected where my robot alighted and headed into the hills. My alarm triggered to wake me up and as I sat up my bedroom wall reverted to a 20’ x 10’ screen with full stereo sound and high definition visuals. My AI house maid brought me bacon, eggs and hash browns for breakfast and while eating I watched my hunt take place. Nothing like being in the great outdoors ( virtually) and eating breakfast while hunting. It was exciting watching my robot hunt and the adrenaline was coursing through my veins triggered by the hunting implant I purchased and had installed in my cerebral cortex.
Using both infrared and thermal selectors, My hunting robot located a 12pt whitetail buck quietly feeding in a clearing. Firing up its programmable laser it dropped the animal on the spot with a brain shot at 1432yds. Immediately after the shot an electronic message was sent to my selected processor and a drone was despatched to uplift the carcass and deliver it for processing to the fully automated processing unit. The tag details were also sent to Fish and wildlife electronically and logged into their database. At the same time, the carcass was scanned and all details were recorded like weight, age, blood, condition, DNA etc and a report was forwarded to me by email.
While my hunting robot returned to the vehicle the carcass was processed, packed, the head was appraised and a full head mount was carried out.
On the return journey the processed animal was uplifted along with the now mounted head and bought back to be placed in my freezer. The whole process was completed by 8am.
Later that day, I went online, logged in to my virtual hunting camp to see how my hunting buddies had got on. While sitting around our virtual log fire we all told our stories of how the days hunt went while enjoying a glass or two of Govt sanctioned zero alcohol ‘moonshine’.
At 6pm I was presented with a fine meal of fresh back steaks seared over a charcoal grill accompanied by fresh salad and roast veges which were cooked in my fully automated kitchen. We all enjoyed a meal together, and looked at each others trophies which were now mounted in our hunting rooms.
What a fantastic day….out in the great outdoors ( virtually) enjoying the camaraderie of my hunting buddies and having a successful hunt.
Might go again tomorrow……

[Japhy]

Orchidman has it about right in a few years right up until 6PM dinner arrives maybe the grasshopper plate or the larvae combo with a chocolate ant brownie as dessert. Then much like our futurist insectivore, Wambli, finds the meal delicious.

[Zorba]

Don't worry about the insect protein. It will be fed to you intravenously by THE MACHINE, but your implants will tell you its a delicious favorite meal. This is the end game of THE MACHINE and the transhuman movement. The rot is already well along, the claw of Mordor is everywhere. Choose wisely.

[Wambli Ska]

You guys never fail to amuse

Again no one is force feeding anything to anyone, I provide these little updates as information for those that are interested and as aneurisms inducing tidbits for some that crawl from under their rocks to shake their fists at the sky.

Just came through customs and thanks for electronic passport control, and Clear+ I made it from my international flight gate to my domestic connection gate in less that 10 mins and that’s because I went into an Apple Store to shop. Their new wireless headphones are amazing. Never had to show my actual passport, never had to fill out a customs form

But I’m sure some of the folks that flew in with me are still happily waiting in the old paper world line for the next hour. Damn that line looked long……. I’m exhausted, I think I’ll go hang at the bar for a beer.

[Wambli Ska]

While I’m at it all the Ubers Blacks I rode this week were Chinese cars and they are NICE!!! Those guys are making some very cool vehicles. It’s a good thing they don’t let them in our country. The Japanese carmakers would be out of business.

[Freezer]

You never get to see pics of Russian or Chineese cars, I have something to research. Thanks Wanbli!