. . . just links from HayYoo.com and DanKostecki.com
The first text message (“Merry Christmas”) was sent way back in 1992 in the UK. Text messaging spread as mobile phones became more popular in places like Japan, creeping into places like the US sometime later, but by the late 2000s, it was everywhere. By 2012, it’s estimated that 14.7 trillion messages were sent from mobile phones worldwide. That number grew to 28.2 trillion in 2017.
LifeHacker published a very helpful article and video –
When you don’t know how to connect with a deaf or hard of hearing person, you can complicate the process—or worse, shut them out entirely. If you need to communicate with a deaf person, here’s what you should do.
ClassicRotaryPhones.com presented a booklet from 1951, that was published by Bell Telephone to instruct people how to use the newfangled rotary dialed phones. They also have a PDF of the booklet available for downloading.
Using sheep to alert shepherds of an imminent wolf attack by text message might sound fanciful, but testing is already under way in Switzerland where the predator appears to be back. During the experiment, the change in the flock’s heartbeat was found to be significant enough to imagine a system whereby the sheep could be fitted with a collar that releases a repellent to drive the wolf away, while also sending an SMS to the shepherd. “It’s the first time that such a system has been tried outdoors,” said biologist Jean-Marc Landry, who took part in testing on a Swiss meadow this week. In the trial, reported by the country’s news agency ATS, around 10 sheep were each equipped with a heart monitor before being targeted by a pair of Wolfdogs — both of which were muzzled. During the experiment, the change in the flock’s heartbeat was found to be significant enough to imagine a system whereby the sheep could be fitted with a collar that releases a repellent to drive the wolf away, while also sending an SMS to the shepherd. The device is aimed at owners of small flocks who lack the funds to keep a sheepdog, Landry said, adding that it could also be used in tourist areas where guard dogs are not popular. A prototype collar is expected in the autumn and testing is planned in Switzerland and France in 2013. Other countries including Norway are said to be interested.
THE aliens are out there and Earth had better watch out, at least according to Stephen Hawking. He has suggested that extraterrestrials are almost certain to exist — but that instead of seeking them out, humanity should be doing all it that can to avoid any contact. He suggests that aliens might simply raid Earth for its resources and then move on: “We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn’t want to meet. I imagine they might exist in massive ships, having used up all the resources from their home planet. Such advanced aliens would perhaps become nomads, looking to conquer and colonise whatever planets they can reach.” He concludes that trying to make contact with alien races is “a little too risky”. He said: “If aliens ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America, which didn’t turn out very well for the Native Americans.”
