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Isn't it ironic
Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 1:49 pm
by BackInTex
For $199 a year you can have your $25,000 Chevrolet tracked mile by mile and automatically signal a control center when it wrecks, but a $300,000,000 plane can only send a 'ping' to a satalite that gives its position withing 1,000s of miles and can't tell anyone "I'm down".
Maybe ironic isn't a strong enough word.
Re: Isn't it ironic
Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 4:07 pm
by Bob Juch
BackInTex wrote:For $199 a year you can have your $25,000 Chevrolet tracked mile by mile and automatically signal a control center when it wrecks, but a $300,000,000 plane can only send a 'ping' to a satellite that gives its position withing 1,000s of miles and can't tell anyone "I'm down".
Maybe ironic isn't a strong enough word.
It could have done more if it hadn't been disabled. It remains to be seen if that was intentional or due to a fire or electrical problem.
If a Chevrolet crashes so the battery is destroyed it probably won't be able to signal a control center either.
Re: Isn't it ironic
Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 5:33 pm
by ghostjmf
People are starting to make noises about the cargo of lithium batteries on board. Known to catch fire. Not known to cause planes to turn off course by themselves, though.
Re: Isn't it ironic
Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 6:50 pm
by Bob Juch
ghostjmf wrote:People are starting to make noises about the cargo of lithium batteries on board. Known to catch fire. Not known to cause planes to turn off course by themselves, though.
The course change is consistent with them turning to fly to the closest airport if there was an emergency. However, the lithium batteries were supposedly few enough that they posed no danger.
Re: Isn't it ironic
Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 7:20 pm
by lilclyde54
Well yeah, that is definitely odd. To me, we have too many ways to be tracked in our lives.
Re: Isn't it ironic
Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 7:45 pm
by Bob Juch
lilclyde54 wrote:Well yeah, that is definitely odd. To me, we have too many ways to be tracked in our lives.
Does Houston have red light cameras?
Re: Isn't it ironic
Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 10:17 pm
by BackInTex
Bob Juch wrote:lilclyde54 wrote:Well yeah, that is definitely odd. To me, we have too many ways to be tracked in our lives.
Does Houston have red light cameras?
I doubt Clyde would know, but, no, they all got pulled after 2 years. The company and the city are in a legal battle over the lost revenue.
Jersey Village, a suburb near where I live, still has them. But JV cops will give you a ticket for just thinking about speeding.