Archive for the 'Future things' category

The truth about Digital Television

Mar 10 2009 Published by under American Consumer, Changing scene, Future things, Geek stuff

analog_tv3Will my Old fashion TV stop working and go black after June 12, 2009?
No and Yes.
No, If you are using a satellite service or Cable. You will see no change in your picture. Yes, If you are using rabbit ears or an outside antenna, your in trouble. Your TV will not display a picture.

I can only receive Digital Television content  on a NEW expensive HDTV device?
Not true.

You can receive the new Digital transmissions on your old fashion analog TV by using a “Converter Box”. The converter box receives a digital signal and converts the signal to analog so your old TV can display it.

So I Need a  “Converter Box”  and I will get  High Definition Television ?
Again No and Yes.

NO, you will not get a High definition 1080 picture on your old fashion TV. YES you will get a picture but, and it is a big but, your picture will be reformation and down graded to fit and display on your old fashion analog TV.

Digital television (DTV) and High Definition Television (HDTV) are the same thing?
False, No way!
Digital Television(DTV) is how the signal is broadcast vs. the old analog. Digital is just a bunch of ones and zeros being broadcasted and analog is a modulated wave signal. High Definition Television (HDTV) is based on a Digital signal, but is a higher resolution picture. Digital television is a picture defined as 480 lines of resolution. High Definition television it 720 or 1080 lines of resolution. So with HDTV you get a picture that is much cleared and finer detail.

So if you are using an old analog television, with an antenna, you must buy a converter box or a new digital television to watch over the air programs after June 12, 2009.

One response so far

Behavior monitored auto insurance plan

Mar 03 2009 Published by under American Consumer, Dumb Americans, Future things

recorder_deviceUnder the umbrella of saving the consumer money, insurance companies are offering a new kind of auto insurance. Kind of a pay for what you use model. You pay for how, how much, when and where you drive. Drive in a high risk part of town in the wee hours of the morning you pay more. If you accelerate quickly and slam on your breaks a lot, you pay more. Drive more then the average person or if you exceed the upper speed limit of 65 MPH and you pay more.

How is it monitored? You plug a small computer, smaller then size of a bar of soap, in to your cars diagnostics port. The computer monitors how you drive. Current monitoring does not include a GPS to monitor where you drive. But is the GPS function that far off. Imagine your insurance company knowing where you are all the time. They would know if you just left a sports bar. So does your insurance rate for the trip home cost you more because you could  have been drinking and the insurance company has more risk, even if you did not drink.

The implications are not that far off. Most companies, with fleet vehicles, already moniter their driver is real time. They know exactly where there vehicles are. The monitoring system will notify the manager when a driver exceeds the top speed limit. The system will also alert the manager when a car or truck leaves the GPF fence area.

So how far will insurance companies take technology to save us money? And how much of our privacy are we willing to give up to save money? Or are we just dumb Americans and follow the trend?

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