BaltACD....$50B here, $100B there and pretty soon you are talking real money.
If you like that page, consider our national debt (now over 22 trillion, DOUBLE what you will see):http://www.pagetutor.com/trillion/usdebt.html
Yikes.
So much humor in this thread.
CMStPnPA large chunk of the Federal Government is moving its IT systems to the Amazon Government Cloud over the next few years. Productivity improvements from that alone is going to be worth a few 100 billion.
Perhaps you can tell me exactly where this amount of actual savings will come out of migration of current systems to the cloud?
... Then throw in some major Corporations doing the same, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence and you have a Skynet sized or larger Technological leap forwards.
Problem is that "the cloud" has been touted as the next big IT thing since the late '90s. I have only somewhat less belief in this as a cyberspace platform than I did in Larry Ellison's continued if uniformly worthless attempts to get me to buy into SaaS all those years Oracle and its cognates were peddling the idea. Which is not to say distributed resources and distributed data aren't a good idea... just that they aren't any real good to anyone that doesn't have the right kinds of AI/ES running together just to keep it controlled, configured, and genetically evolving correctly. No one I know is currently doing that publically, or selling the algorithmic support to instantiate it.
It's going to produce fairly large returns in GDP growth and efficiency.
If those returns show up functionally as anyone's benefit other than the 'owning classes' I'll be astounded. I'm sure there will be more broker's
Amazon Alexa is going to have a DB at her fingertips probably as large as you see on Star Trek if not larger. Imagine for example a nationwide DB with voice activated interface that can help you with and submit your taxes for you.[/quote]
Not much different from Vannevar Bush's Memex, except now with a cheap clone of Dragon running as an overlay like a kind of vocal PTC. All the joys of SEO now being used to "optimize" access to you by secret protocols. Hell, not *quite* 75 years late, but that's progress for you.
With back-end hacks that let the Government, the Chinese, and probably various insurers and credit providers know exactly what jots and tittles of income can be gleaned from you, and of course targeted advertising and 'offers' to separate you from as much of the rest as possible.
No more CPA fees or potentially wait times for that.
I know what we'll call it! It's the TurboTrain of tax providers ... we'll call it TurboTax! And make millions! No CPA for filing your own... wait? what? It's been done? And not with thousands of distributed processors in the cloud running genetic algorithms? Rats!
Now imagine that cloud is not only the U.S. Government but also several large Economic block European Governments as well on a large and growing worldwide cloud type system where they are able to interface with like systems with ease on a common and standardized computer platform....
Imagine a hobnailed boot stomping a human hand on a mouse ... forever.
But seriously, we've had effective systems harmonization since at least the mid-1990s, and a likelier model for interfacing systems involves considerable 'unhackable' AI that is as complex, and in many ways as powerful, as the human immune system. You can readily see where the problems with pervasive cloud instantiations are, particularly when run by governments, and how little chance the average person's little Alexa has against organized hacking ... often by governments, although of course they have plausible denial.
Aside from this is the problem of assuring 'identity' of your personal AI system and attached devices in a cloud environment. More than a little reminiscent of the Biblical reason why we shouldn't contact the dead ... you may get a reply, but is it from what you thought you were contacting? Having spent considerable time and effort on the question of assuring local control of safety-critical equipment, the situation was difficult enough managing PANs or extended home-control networks. It's fun to buzz about 'putting it all in the cloud' (and not paying now for the hardware and software) and 'running it from your phone' -- thing is, there's nothing particularly new about connected environments that do the things you're talking about, and neither the consumer markets nor the cloud providers have particularly delivered on the promise these last 40 years or so.
Convicted one: I am not using credit cards and may not in the future. But what will we do if our worlds move to "cashless economy" where everything is done by computer banking and internet payment? I'm worried, frankly.
daveklepperBut what will we do if our worlds move to "cashless economy" where everything is done by computer banking and internet payment?
Closer than you think: legislation was being discussed in Pennsylvania last week to preclude a premium being charged for 'cash' payment.
Admittedly this involves Web-based transactions, where good service and cash payment may be functionally difficult to assure simultaneously (many business models rely upon payment in full via a confirmed card payment before something like a food order or expensive tchotchkes will be sent to a customer) and it is difficult to trot out the hoary old 'but it's legal tender!' argument in such cases.
But just as with self-serve fuel stations, you can clearly see the camel's nose poking a very good way into the tent, and I expect it to become much worse as we go to a distributed 'cloud' economy where handling and exchanging dirty cash becomes a 'needless' use of time and effort and an actionable exposure to unsafe working conditions, etc.
The likely alternative is to establish an analogue of the Jitterbug phone service, which provides a free Government-sanctioned 'credit card' secured by the minds that helped give the world Stuxnet. To this and from this would then flow all the 'cash' transactions previously handled by dirty money, with inherent control over things like the large cash transfers that required RFID or magnetic inductive stripes in the bills and the large 'underground' economy that sequential administrations would so, so love to stamp out.
Why much of that hasn't happened already, I really don't know -- probably that we still have Obama-grade IT programming in so much of the Government. It would be nice if it would stay that way; current trends in IT development indicate it well might stay that way; but I have little faith in the assurance of incompetence.
Everything moves to online. What's there to worry about? The government and the industry know what they're doing with technology!
CIA hacked: https://www.wired.com/2015/10/hacker-who-broke-into-cia-director-john-brennan-email-tells-how-he-did-it/
NSA hacked: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/602201/security-experts-agree-the-nsa-was-hacked/
Federal Reserve hacked: https://www.infowars.com/federal-reserve-hacked/
Microsoft hacked: https://www.securitynewspaper.com/2019/04/15/microsoft-was-hacked-outlook-and-employees-accounts-have-been-hacked/
Apple iCloud hacked: https://www.zdnet.com/article/icloud-accounts-breach-gets-bigger-here-is-what-we-know/
The list goes on and on. Yet we rush headlong into insecure control systems.
Some people worry about a stock market crash.
I worry about a technology crash.
York1 John
York1The list goes on and on. Yet we rush headlong into insecure control systems. Some people worry about a stock market crash. I worry about a technology crash.
The era of the real 'Bond Villians' is here - a Cloud hijacker!
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
York1 Everything moves to online. What's there to worry about? The government and the industry know what they're doing with technology! CIA hacked: https://www.wired.com/2015/10/hacker-who-broke-into-cia-director-john-brennan-email-tells-how-he-did-it/ NSA hacked: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/602201/security-experts-agree-the-nsa-was-hacked/ Federal Reserve hacked: https://www.infowars.com/federal-reserve-hacked/ Microsoft hacked: https://www.securitynewspaper.com/2019/04/15/microsoft-was-hacked-outlook-and-employees-accounts-have-been-hacked/ Apple iCloud hacked: https://www.zdnet.com/article/icloud-accounts-breach-gets-bigger-here-is-what-we-know/ The list goes on and on. Yet we rush headlong into insecure control systems. Some people worry about a stock market crash. I worry about a technology crash.
Most all of those are examples of outside the firewall systems that need to operate there in order to be public facing. Hacking someones Email is pretty easy because most Email systems allow you to interrogate the server to see what persons have a mailbox on it. From there it is a matter of phishing Emails and/or calling gullible people to get the rest of the missing information. Public facing websites are also very difficult to secure. Where I would be worried would be hacking of internal systems within the firewall of any organization.....that would be something to worry about. Why the Fed was storing sensitive information on a largely insecure public facing website is anyones guess but hopefully someone was fired internally for that. That information should be stored only behind the Corp Firewall. Even behind firewall systems are vulnerable if you have a inside person that has access. So no system is perfect.
At any rate, all those systems above were external to the Amazon Cloud, which is supposed to improve security and lessen the risk of hacking.
Oh and John Brennan head of CIA storing anything work related on AOL, shows you what a genius he was at being our country's intelligence chief. So was the Clinton Campaign guy (Podesta) that used "password" as an actual password to their personal email with sensitive items in it. In such an environment of careless people........can we really blame a hostile foriegn power for observing the stupidity and taking advantage of it? Almost like taking candy from a baby.
daveklepper I am not using credit cards and may not in the future. But what will we do if our worlds move to "cashless economy" where everything is done by computer banking and internet payment? I'm worried, frankly.
You and I are 100% on the same page here. I prefer cash where ever it is practical, just because it doesn't leave a trail that "potentially interested" parties might hope to make use of.
My personal gut is that the program changes that this thread's subject is based upon, is going to be much more than we expect. I'm thinkng full real-time integration of the banking syatem with homeland security.
If I go to Seattle and try to cash a check, the "Fed" will have that informtion at it's immediate disposal.
Now, since I personally am doing nothing wrong, I have nothing to really worry about....but suppose that I was a fugitive from injustice.....
As I posted earlier, the noose is tightening.
Convicted OneNow, since I personally am doing nothing wrong, I have nothing to really worry about....but suppose that I was a fugitive from injustice.....
Or a good alibi...
I read sometime back that one day everything you purchase, from soup to nuts to a new refrigerator, will have an RFID tag. The article even suggested that at some point you'll be able to load up your cart at the grocery store and just walk out the door, all of the items in the cart, as well as your "loyalty card" having been scanned and the appropriate amount of money deducted from your account.
This does beg the question, though - if we go "cashless," how do I pay you for that used refrigerator (the one you replaced with the one you just bought)? Or the kid on the corner with the lemonade stand?
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
tree68at some point you'll be able to load up your cart at the grocery store and just walk out the door, all of the items in the cart, as well as your "loyalty card" having been scanned and the appropriate amount of money deducted from your account.
So then if I picked up a copy of the Anarchist's Cookbook, or the latest issue of Soldier of Fortune Magazine......the goons would already know about it....well, that's just....wonderful.
tree68 Convicted One Now, since I personally am doing nothing wrong, I have nothing to really worry about....but suppose that I was a fugitive from injustice..... Or a good alibi... I read sometime back that one day everything you purchase, from soup to nuts to a new refrigerator, will have an RFID tag. The article even suggested that at some point you'll be able to load up your cart at the grocery store and just walk out the door, all of the items in the cart, as well as your "loyalty card" having been scanned and the appropriate amount of money deducted from your account. This does beg the question, though - if we go "cashless," how do I pay you for that used refrigerator (the one you replaced with the one you just bought)? Or the kid on the corner with the lemonade stand?
Convicted One Now, since I personally am doing nothing wrong, I have nothing to really worry about....but suppose that I was a fugitive from injustice.....
Some grocery/retail stores are already trying that out. I remember seeing something on a business program about Walmart being one of them at a couple of locations. One of the cashiers at our local Walmart said they expect to no longer have cashiers, only self-checkouts within 5 years. And now a couple of the self-checkouts at our local store are set up so they won't take cash.
Jeff
tree68The article even suggested that at some point you'll be able to load up your cart at the grocery store and just walk out the door, all of the items in the cart, as well as your "loyalty card" having been scanned and the appropriate amount of money deducted from your account.
Kroger has done the practical equivalent of this for some time. There's a board with what used to be called 'pocket computers' with scanners built in: you pull one off the board, scan your items as you put them in the cart, and then just let the computer interface briefly with the self-checkout terminal, pay with card or cash, bag your items, and away you go.
In practice you would need complex electronics to read cost-effective RFID tags going into the cart, the antenna structure to read a jumble of tags lying in the cart is no fun, and the errors are likely intolerable whether you 'fail safe' by charging for items or not charging. The technology works much better for things like automated warehousing where optical code scanning is secondary. It remains easier to print UPC on grocery and consumer 'mass packaged' items than to integrate even an RFID circuit using conductive ink; this is much less true for custom-labeled pallets or 'kits' with custom-printed labels.
I suspect the 'cash economy' functions will be served by a modern online analogue of the Pitney-Bowes mailers: the seller uses the app to generate a printed code of some sort with metadata describing the item, and the buyer makes some sort of PayPal or /Bitcoin transaction, with some sort of physical handshake or exchange of metadata to preclude the usual sorts of fraud, after which completion (now near-immediate, remember) the item would change hands.
I just got notice from the State that they want me to schedule a appointment to show up with PAPER to prove that I am me. 70% of the 'forms of identification' that they will accept as being valid - THEY SHOULD in one variety or another actually possess at the present time. I was born in this state! I have been filing income taxes in this state for 48 years which contain my SSA number and my address that was applicable at the time of filing. I have been getting electricity delivered to and billed to my address for 29 years.
But they can't address the records they have in their possession to determine that I am real.
Convicted One CMStPnP They project the system will be fully implemented in the next 4 years. OWwwww! And starting next year you won't be able to buy tickets on a commercial flight without having "real ID" which includes a personal RFID chip in the device...Things are really starting to clamp down. What's next? "Everything that is not mandatory is prohibited!" I'm glad that I lived most of my life back when real freedom existed
CMStPnP They project the system will be fully implemented in the next 4 years.
OWwwww! And starting next year you won't be able to buy tickets on a commercial flight without having "real ID" which includes a personal RFID chip in the device...Things are really starting to clamp down.
What's next? "Everything that is not mandatory is prohibited!" I'm glad that I lived most of my life back when real freedom existed
You're partially correct about this, you will need a "Read ID" to fly, not having one will not prevent you from buying a ticket, the airlines don't care if your ID is valid for flying or not, they'll still take your money.
Secondly, the "ReadID" does NOT unclude and RFID chip, that is already in todays passports, how do I know this, because I work at an airport and I've seen RealID's, there's no chip in them, they still use the magnetic strip to store information on them, besides it all being printed on them as well, but most of the information required to get one is supposed to remain on file with the State and is not to be included with the ID, things like a utility bill, SS#, original or certified copy of a Birth Certificate, etc., etc.,.
You also do not need to get a RealID to fly if you already have a Passport or Passport Card(and those require even more information than the RealID does).
GERALD L MCFARLANE JRs, how do I know this, because I work at an airport and I've seen RealID's, there's no chip in them,
Do you think it's possible that this varies by state?
DHS said it wanted RFID chips in driver's licenses by 2015 or so, as I recall, but some states either resist using them or haven't implemented them fully. Those states use a scannable barcode in a special area.
I'm not aware of RealIDs using a magnetic stripe; I believe that's passports.
GERALD L MCFARLANE JR Convicted One CMStPnP They project the system will be fully implemented in the next 4 years. OWwwww! And starting next year you won't be able to buy tickets on a commercial flight without having "real ID" which includes a personal RFID chip in the device...Things are really starting to clamp down. What's next? "Everything that is not mandatory is prohibited!" I'm glad that I lived most of my life back when real freedom existed You're partially correct about this, you will need a "Read ID" to fly, not having one will not prevent you from buying a ticket, the airlines don't care if your ID is valid for flying or not, they'll still take your money. Secondly, the "ReadID" does NOT unclude and RFID chip, that is already in todays passports, how do I know this, because I work at an airport and I've seen RealID's, there's no chip in them, they still use the magnetic strip to store information on them, besides it all being printed on them as well, but most of the information required to get one is supposed to remain on file with the State and is not to be included with the ID, things like a utility bill, SS#, original or certified copy of a Birth Certificate, etc., etc.,. You also do not need to get a RealID to fly if you already have a Passport or Passport Card(and those require even more information than the RealID does).
The thought being that 'Real ID's won't be counterfeited. If it is made one time by man - another man can make a working copy that will have all the features, checks and balances of the original.
Lets face facts - they will be.
Gerald is completley correct about this..
.I did some digging. Real IDs do not require the RFID feature...it's the "Enhanced Drivers Licenses" that have the RFID.
I mistakenly assumed that the two were one and the same, since their intended use is virtually the same.
States may at their option incorporate the RFID into their Real ID, but to date none have.
OvermodI suspect the 'cash economy' functions will be served by a modern online analogue of the Pitney-Bowes mailers: the seller uses the app to generate a printed code of some sort with metadata describing the item, and the buyer makes some sort of PayPal or /Bitcoin transaction, with some sort of physical handshake or exchange of metadata to preclude the usual sorts of fraud, after which completion (now near-immediate, remember) the item would change hands.
The solution is easier than that, and already frequently in use by Millenials.
Apps such as Venmo allow near-instant money transfers by debiting and crediting debit cards through a (theoretically) secure portal. The buyer finds the seller on the app, the seller puts in the price, and the app debits the buyer's card and credits the seller's.
It also makes splitting the check at restaurants considerably easier, as you can have everyone simply send their share to one person.
CMStPnP This was actually intended as a serious question. I thought most transportation companies or a good percentage of them invoice for their services to the client on terms of net 30, net 60, etc. Is that a mistake? If that is the case, now that part of that net period before was bank clearing (I thought) wouldn't the net 30 become perhaps net 20? Just saying there could be cash flow implications here. Also, I thought for the net 30 they charge an interest rate % on top of the invoice charge but I can't remember what I was taught the terms were......too long ago. Folks that pay immediately get a slight discount off the invoice amount?
This was actually intended as a serious question. I thought most transportation companies or a good percentage of them invoice for their services to the client on terms of net 30, net 60, etc. Is that a mistake? If that is the case, now that part of that net period before was bank clearing (I thought) wouldn't the net 30 become perhaps net 20? Just saying there could be cash flow implications here.
Also, I thought for the net 30 they charge an interest rate % on top of the invoice charge but I can't remember what I was taught the terms were......too long ago. Folks that pay immediately get a slight discount off the invoice amount?
In trucking most are net 30. CN (who I use occasionally) is net 15.
Managing cashflow can be tricky.. especially when there are sudden spikes in volume. But for the most part alot of it is timing.. I charge my customers net 30 but generally pay my own suppliers in net 15 or faster .. I'm fussy (maybe for no good reason) about keeping my credit profile in top shape. I can do this easily when volumes are stable, and I have the same dollars coming in every week and the same dollars going out. I also have an operating line for the volume spikes and to take care of supplier payments should customers slow down or not pay at all.. (that happens too). But I'm careful about going down the borrowing rabbit hole as it can easily turn into a one way trip if relied upon too heavily.
For me the most frustrating aspect of managing cashflow has been getting the vendors to submit invoices and in the correct posting of payments. Had one today.. vendor invoice dated July 5.. payment submitted July 15... out of my account July 20.. equals 42 days to pay as posted to TransUnion and presumably the others as well.
As for a discount for early payment.. doesn't work... at least not for my customers. I tried that and what they'll do is mail in a check for the discounted amount late.. and then good luck trying to go back to them for the little bit that you're still owed because they didn't in fact pay early. Charging extra for a late payment is also difficult.. you have to prove they paid late..and even then you risk upsetting the apple cart over a few dollars and losing the account. And to top it off.. you're spending dollars to collect pennies.. accounting people cost alot of money..and you don't want them jammed up with collecting small amounts here and there.. no point in paying someone $100.00 to collect $40.00. The only real solution is to maintain quality accounts and simply ditch the rest. We do that every year by going through our problem accounts and jacking up their rates to astronomical levels...i.e. $1500.00 to move a skid 60 miles general kills them off so we can focus our efforts elsewhere.
jeffhergertSome grocery/retail stores are already trying that out. I remember seeing something on a business program about Walmart being one of them at a couple of locations. One of the cashiers at our local Walmart said they expect to no longer have cashiers, only self-checkouts within 5 years. And now a couple of the self-checkouts at our local store are set up so they won't take cash.
This last week, I was on vacation (as a retiree, isn't everything vacation?) on Washington Island and the one and only grocery store was having computer problems. Cashiers could not scan the bar codes and they effectively were closed. They would sell ice ($2/bag) and I was able to buy OJ & margarine as I could tell them the price and pay cash. They ignored the sales tax. At some point, I think we may be too dependent on computers says I typing this on one.
Electroliner 1935 jeffhergert Some grocery/retail stores are already trying that out. I remember seeing something on a business program about Walmart being one of them at a couple of locations. One of the cashiers at our local Walmart said they expect to no longer have cashiers, only self-checkouts within 5 years. And now a couple of the self-checkouts at our local store are set up so they won't take cash. This last week, I was on vacation (as a retiree, isn't everything vacation?) on Washington Island and the one and only grocery store was having computer problems. Cashiers could not scan the bar codes and they effectively were closed. They would sell ice ($2/bag) and I was able to buy OJ & margarine as I could tell them the price and pay cash. They ignored the sales tax. At some point, I think we may be too dependent on computers says I typing this on one.
jeffhergert Some grocery/retail stores are already trying that out. I remember seeing something on a business program about Walmart being one of them at a couple of locations. One of the cashiers at our local Walmart said they expect to no longer have cashiers, only self-checkouts within 5 years. And now a couple of the self-checkouts at our local store are set up so they won't take cash.
When you rely on computers - you can't go back to what you did before computers. The manual systems no longer exist to get the job done and most of the personnel involved have no idea how the manual systems operated.
I've also experienced delays due to human error. A couple of times left the store because no cashiers on duty or out for smoke break and no self checkouts available.
BTW.. self checkouts are temporary. Around here engineers have been testing a system that would allow shoppers to fill their carts up and simply walk out of the store after swiping their debit or credit card. No scanning involved. The other day I was used as a test subject at my local food store late one evening. It worked well.. I simply rolled my loaded cart under something that looked like a door frame.. swiped my Visa and away I went. The people running the demo went over my purchases with me, and everthing was correct.. even the fruit was correct! I asked them how it worked, but they politely declined to elaborate.
UlrichBTW.. self checkouts are temporary. Around here engineers have been testing a system that would allow shoppers to fill their carts up and simply walk out of the store after swiping their debit or credit card. No scanning involved.
Some stores allow you to just scan and pay as you put stuff in your cart via an app on your phone.
That's if you dont just order the stuff on the app and pick it up curbside or have it delivered.
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
NFC on phones is more and more the way to pay here, almost universal in Europe. It's safer than credit cards.
zugmannThat's if you dont just order the stuff on the app and pick it up curbside or have it delivered.
Those that can order their grocery stuff on a app are much more organized and rigid in their needs than I am. I still like walking the aisles and letting my gray matter interact with what I see and detirmine what I actually want to purchase on any particular trip.
BaltACD zugmann That's if you dont just order the stuff on the app and pick it up curbside or have it delivered. Those that can order their grocery stuff on a app are much more organized and rigid in their needs than I am. I still like walking the aisles and letting my gray matter interact with what I see and detirmine what I actually want to purchase on any particular trip.
zugmann That's if you dont just order the stuff on the app and pick it up curbside or have it delivered.
Best system of all is to send your son or daughter out with a list. They come back with the groceries AND they put them away too. Only problem is when they get to be about 18 they start to talk back and give attitude.. but at 15 or 16 it works just fine... Now my wife sends me out with the list.. I talk back and give attitude but she ignores it.
Ulrich BaltACD zugmann That's if you dont just order the stuff on the app and pick it up curbside or have it delivered. Those that can order their grocery stuff on a app are much more organized and rigid in their needs than I am. I still like walking the aisles and letting my gray matter interact with what I see and detirmine what I actually want to purchase on any particular trip. Best system of all is to send your son or daughter out with a list. They come back with the groceries AND they put them away too. Only problem is when they get to be about 18 they start to talk back and give attitude.. but at 15 or 16 it works just fine... Now my wife sends me out with the list.. I talk back and give attitude but she ignores it.
My children both have their own familes now. Not a option. The ex is not an option either.
BaltACDmy gray matter interact with what I see and detirmine what I actually want to purchase
I agree. There is too much variance in quality in items such as produce or meat to allow a "picker" to do my shopping for me. Who'll thump the melons if I'm not there to do it personally?
And even on more mainstream items, who wants a box of crackers that has one corner crumpled?
UlrichBest system of all is to send your son or daughter out with a list. They come back with the groceries AND they put them away too.
Canadian children must be more obedient. My kids would always come home from the store with a handful of "magic": beans and a far fetched story.
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