Are people who use smart phones smarter?

[Antonymous]

1 hour ago, SheungWan said:

'A slave to the machines'. You have got to be joking George. One simple question. Given that you are presumably a 'productive and active person', why should anybody have to spend money sending you a text message or making a phone call to you?

One simple answer: email.

 

Free and many benefits over voice.

 

Speaking as a socially active and also productive (running multiple businesses in Thailand) entrepreneur I made the decision 17 years ago to stop using any telephone, other than the landlines at my office. No mobile phone and no home phone.  I use email for all communication and have had the same Thai email address for over 20 years so all my friends and acquaintances have no difficulty getting in touch. I also use several anonymous and encrypted emails for business and personal communication that I wish to remain completely private.

 

The greatest advantage that I found after banning phones from my life was an increase in productivity. I was able to plan my time and fill it without interruption.  Not to mention the advantages of peace of mind and privacy. Not being at the beck and call of all and sundry who hitherto interrupted me all day and night has been a blessing and I’d say that that decision I took 17 years ago was one of the best I have made.

 

Neither my successful business nor my lovely social life has suffered as a result of not having a telephone. Please don’t try to tell me that I am missing something!

 

Telephones are invasive and distracting. Smart phones even more so.

 

I use the latest technology and computing power to great advantage in my personal and business life, but smart phones have no place in it and are entirely unnecessary to my well being.

 

Don’t forget also that mobile phones and particularly smart phones are tracking devices. If you have grown to accept total lack of privacy as the ‘norm’ then this won’t bother you. For many smart people, that simply isn’t acceptable.

[ColeBOzbourne]

1 hour ago, amvet said:

Basically down to your choice of women and employment.  I worked for the Thai Army and considered Soi Six a marriage agency.  The smart phone remembers my cache of defensive implements, maps with back doors of pubs, and emergency phone contacts for high speed extractions and language assistance when flight to other countries seems wise.  Ever had a major operation alone in a Thai hospital where no one spoke English?   Ever paid hill tribe people to smuggle you over a border?  Ever had a stroke in a Thai entertainment complex during a riot?  Or try flipping off a group of motorcycle taxi drivers when they insult your girlfriend (that's a fun one).

Ever tried being an anonymous troll on the internet making a crap load of claims that can't be proven or disproven?

[amvet]

8 minutes ago, ColeBOzbourne said:

Ever tried being an anonymous troll on the internet making a crap load of claims that can't be proven or disproven?

Ever tried being an anonymous troll on the internet attacking peoples veracity instead of participating in a meaningful discussion?  It is much easier to attack people than thinking of something meaningful to say.  I'd suggest getting a smartphone and "5 Apps to Increase Your IQ"  http://www.techgyd.com/5-apps-increase-iq-android-ios/15764/

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, amvet said:

Basically down to your choice of women and employment.  I worked for the Thai Army and considered Soi Six a marriage agency.  The smart phone remembers my cache of defensive implements, maps with back doors of pubs, and emergency phone contacts for high speed extractions and language assistance when flight to other countries seems wise.  Ever had a major operation alone in a Thai hospital where no one spoke English?   Ever paid hill tribe people to smuggle you over a border?  Ever had a stroke in a Thai entertainment complex during a riot?  Or try flipping off a group of motorcycle taxi drivers when they insult your girlfriend (that's a fun one).

Given that flipping off a bunch of m'cycle taxi drivers would be very stupid, it sort of goes against the premise that phones make one smarter.

 

The rest of your post is incomprehensible.

A cache of defensive implements , high speed extractions, on Soi 6 , being smuggled by hill tribes over the border 5555555555555555555.

Sounds like something out of a James Bond movie.

 

A riot in a Thai entertainment complex! You are taking the piss there, ain't you.

 

Thanks for the laff, but you lost me there.

[amvet]

42 minutes ago, Antonymous said:

One simple answer: email.

 

 

 

Free and many benefits over voice.

 

 

 

Speaking as a socially active and also productive (running multiple businesses in Thailand) entrepreneur I made the decision 17 years ago to stop using any telephone, other than the landlines at my office. No mobile phone and no home phone.  I use email for all communication and have had the same Thai email address for over 20 years so all my friends and acquaintances have no difficulty getting in touch. I also use several anonymous and encrypted emails for business and personal communication that I wish to remain completely private.

 

 

 

The greatest advantage that I found after banning phones from my life was an increase in productivity. I was able to plan my time and fill it without interruption.  Not to mention the advantages of peace of mind and privacy. Not being at the beck and call of all and sundry who hitherto interrupted me all day and night has been a blessing and I’d say that that decision I took 17 years ago was one of the best I have made.

 

 

 

Neither my successful business nor my lovely social life has suffered as a result of not having a telephone. Please don’t try to tell me that I am missing something!

 

 

 

Telephones are invasive and distracting. Smart phones even more so.

 

 

 

I use the latest technology and computing power to great advantage in my personal and business life, but smart phones have no place in it and are entirely unnecessary to my well being.

 

 

 

Don’t forget also that mobile phones and particularly smart phones are tracking devices. If you have grown to accept total lack of privacy as the ‘norm’ then this won’t bother you. For many smart people, that simply isn’t acceptable.

 

Paranoia.  It was a Mel Gibson movie. 

 

I just went out to give the dogs a bath and put in a waterproof earpiece because I'm expecting a call from my daughter in the States.  She called and we had a nice conversation while I bathed my animals.  The phone has been instructed to answer automatically when my daughter calls and when I have a bluetooth earpiece in. 

 

I like the tracking aspect as I can find my wife in the mall and if I have an emergency she can locate me if I fall down. 

 

I have always been involved in life and death businesses where my presence was deemed necessary on a moments notice and my whereabouts constantly known so this is not new to me. 

 

Your statement, " Telephones are invasive and distracting." could have been made shorly after the invention of the phone by Alexander Bell. 

Edited September 17, 2017 by amvet

[amvet]

12 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Given that flipping off a bunch of m'cycle taxi drivers would be very stupid, it sort of goes against the premise that phones make one smarter.

 

The rest of your post is incomprehensible.

A cache of defensive implements , high speed extractions, on Soi 6 , being smuggled by hill tribes over the border 5555555555555555555.

Sounds like something out of a James Bond movie.

 

A riot in a Thai entertainment complex! You are taking the piss there, ain't you.

 

Thanks for the laff, but you lost me there.

First my hand went numb and then I started to feel dizzy and that's all I remember till I woke up in the hospital. Those who recognize the place will know it's very close to the hospital.  I was lucky and that ended my drinking.  How I stopped smoking was even more interesting but if you are having problems understanding people who have had interesting experiences in Thailand you are not ready for my stop smoking story.

Edited September 17, 2017 by amvet

[thaibeachlovers]

2 minutes ago, amvet said:

First my hand went numb and then I started to feel dizzy and that's all I remember till I woke up in the hospital. Those who recognize the place will know it's very close to the hospital.  I was lucky and that ended my drinking. 

I wasn't referring to your stroke. I was referring to your unbelievable claim that there was a riot in an entertainment complex.

 

[amvet]

15 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I wasn't referring to your stroke. I was referring to your unbelievable claim that there was a riot in an entertainment complex.

 

I've seen a number of riots in entertainment complex's in Pattaya.  One was ladyboys shooting at each on Soi Buakhow another was Elephants charging a bar again on Soi Buakhow and another at a wedding party on Soi Buakhow and another by motorcycle taxi drivers attacking each other with machetes again on Soi Buakhow and the last one was bar girls attacking a group of drunks with metal poles (the ones used to raise and lower doors) again on Soi Buakhow. 

 

You are correct I should not have flipped of the motorcycle taxi driver but he called my GF a very bad name and I wanted to hit him and would have been justified in doing so it was only my girlfriend who prevented me from getting in a fight and only flipping him off. 

Edited September 17, 2017 by amvet

[Antonymous]

36 minutes ago, amvet said:

Your statement, " Telephones are invasive and distracting." could have been made shorly after the invention of the phone by Alexander Bell. 

It could yes. But you see, they didn't have the perfect alternative of internet and email back then did they?

[JLCrab]

It would seem the gent above went through far more dangerous circumstances than I have ever encountered and did most all of it (given his age) well before the advent of smart phones and still somehow survived.


... and thank you my Thai is good enough for me to be in hospital where nobody speaks English with the occasional help of my hard copy Becker dictionary.

[thaibeachlovers]

11 minutes ago, amvet said:

I've seen a number of riots in entertainment complex's in Pattaya.  One was ladyboys shooting at each on Soi Buakhow another was Elephants charging a bar again on Soi Buakhow and another at a wedding party on Soi Buakhow and another by motorcycle taxi drivers attacking each other with machetes again on Soi Buakhow and the last one was bar girls attacking a group of drunks with metal poles (the ones used to raise and lower doors) again on Soi Buakhow. 

 

 

Elephants don't riot, motocy taxi drivers fighting isn't a riot and neither is bar girls beating up a group of drunks.

Sounds like a normal sort of day to me.

 

Is THIS what you refer to as a "riot" between ladyboys?

 

 

Here's the real story. http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000003732

The Sun is a garbage paper and it's not surprising they completely made up a story filled with every negative stereotype about Thailand in order to sell papers. In reality there were no ladyboys, underage gay hookers, or British sex tourists involved at all, the fight latest minutes rather than 3 days, and it was between Thai males over a Thai female in a karaoke bar.

 

 

 

[amvet]

3 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Elephants don't riot, motocy taxi drivers fighting isn't a riot and neither is bar girls beating up a group of drunks.

Sounds like a normal sort of day to me.

 

Is THIS what you refer to as a "riot" between ladyboys?

 

 

Here's the real story. http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000003732

The Sun is a garbage paper and it's not surprising they completely made up a story filled with every negative stereotype about Thailand in order to sell papers. In reality there were no ladyboys, underage gay hookers, or British sex tourists involved at all, the fight latest minutes rather than 3 days, and it was between Thai males over a Thai female in a karaoke bar.

The elephants got spooked and charged the bars wherein the customers fled.  I don't know if you have ever seen an elephant charge but it sure messed up the bars and the customers fled as in a normal riot.  Ladyboys shooting guns and pole wielding bar girls also cause panic among drunks trying to find a way to safety.

 

  I was responding to a personal attack by a poster who accused me of using a smart phone as a security blanked.  I responded writing, " I moved from a nanny state 20 years ago to face the hazards and trials of living in a 3rd world country and the excitement that life here brings."  I believe what I described above as riots fits the bill as hazards and trials of living on Soi Buakhow in Thailand.   If you like many others here choose to personally attack me rather than discuss the issues so be it.  It is what passes for discussion on Thai Visa.  It's OK being anti smart phone I didn't expect to converse with the best and brightest. 

[amvet]

15 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

It would seem the gent above went through far more dangerous circumstances than I have ever encountered and did most all of it (given his age) well before the advent of smart phones and still somehow survived.


... and thank you my Thai is good enough for me to be in hospital where nobody speaks English with the occasional help of my hard copy Becker dictionary.

How does that work when you are passed out on an operating table?

[JLCrab]

How does it help you if you are passed out on an operating table and all the doctors speak English?

I know -- they can read your medical history on your smart phone if they can get past the security key.

But heck if you wash the dog and talk to your daughter in the USA at the same time, what more do you have to prove?

Edited September 17, 2017 by JLCrab

[amvet]

22 minutes ago, Antonymous said:

It could yes. But you see, they didn't have the perfect alternative of internet and email back then did they?

Since the majority of people access the internet and email on a smart phone I really don't know what your point is.

[amvet]

3 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

How does it help you if you are passed out on an operating table and all the doctors speak English?
 

Doctors can access my medical records from my smart phone in English or Thai when I'm passed out. 

 

It's a smart phone and knows when I want it open and when I want it locked.  That's one reason they call it a smart phone.

Edited September 17, 2017 by amvet

[JLCrab]

Well since you might never know when you might pass out due to stroke, heart attack, or brain aneurysm that means it must always be unlocked unless you have previously given the key to the doctors that you know will be treating you because you know in advance where you're going to pass out.

Edited September 17, 2017 by JLCrab

[thaibeachlovers]

2 minutes ago, amvet said:

Doctors can access my medical records from my smart phone in English or Thai when I'm passed out. 

 

It's a smart phone and knows when I want it open and when I want it locked.  That's one reason they call it a smart phone.

If your phone is locked and you pass out, how do they access your records?

What happens if someone steals your phone when you are passed out?

 

Anyway no competent Dr is going to accept anything just because it's on your phone. It doesn't work that way. If your Dr's phone number was on it they would call them, but I have my Dr's number on a bit of paper in my wallet, so don't need a phone.

 

[Kadilo]

20 odd years visiting Soi Buakhow and never seen a "riot" let alone an elephant. I must of been very lucky..


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

[thaibeachlovers]

14 minutes ago, amvet said:

How does that work when you are passed out on an operating table?

Drs have been trained since Drs have existed to diagnose unconscious patients, and all without the benefit of computers too.

For allergies, people wear a bracelet with the allergies on it. That's in case they are brought in unconscious. No need for a phone.

 

 

[JLCrab]

I have 2 Android smart phones which I seldom use (on a PC now) because I am rarely away from home while in Thailand for any extended period. That also means I am near the hospital that has my complete medical record for the last 14 years. Odds are if something would happen to me while in Thailand, I would be close to that hospital less than 10 minutes away.

Edited September 17, 2017 by JLCrab

[thaibeachlovers]

17 minutes ago, amvet said:

Since the majority of people access the internet and email on a smart phone I really don't know what your point is.

Proof please.

You have no way of proving it, because there is no way of calculating how many people access the internet through internet cafes.

The local IT café where I used to live was always full of gamers on the internet, and many that used it for e mail and stuff. Open 24/7.

Cost 10 baht an hour. Even small children could afford to use it.

[amvet]

2 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Drs have been trained since Drs have existed to diagnose unconscious patients, and all without the benefit of computers too.

For allergies, people wear a bracelet with the allergies on it. That's in case they are brought in unconscious. No need for a phone.

Medical science has spent billions, that is billions, on research for smart phone apps to transmit medical information so doctors can better diagnose and treat patients.  

 

They didn't know what you seem to that those billions spent was and is unnecessary.   

 

To re phrase you are writing that an unconscious patient with a allergy bracelet will get the same care as a patient where the doctor has access to a thousand pages of medical history and records.  Ya sure.  

[ColeBOzbourne]

1 hour ago, amvet said:

Ever tried being an anonymous troll on the internet attacking peoples veracity instead of participating in a meaningful discussion?  It is much easier to attack people than thinking of something meaningful to say.  I'd suggest getting a smartphone and "5 Apps to Increase Your IQ"  http://www.techgyd.com/5-apps-increase-iq-android-ios/15764/

Participating in a meaningful discussion is exactly what I was trying to do until you indicated that your mind is completely closed on the subject and then called anyone who is anti-tech a 'nutter'. The other guy backing you up said anyone using a dumb phone is 'dumb'. With those points I realized a meaningful conversation with you isn't really possible. I disagree with your point of view, but still try to have an open mind. Never say never. Some day life without a smart phone might become too complicated and I'll be forced to get one to travel or collect my pension. In that case I'll use it as needed but I won't worship it.

[amvet]

30 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Proof please.

You have no way of proving it, because there is no way of calculating how many people access the internet through internet cafes.

The local IT café where I used to live was always full of gamers on the internet, and many that used it for e mail and stuff. Open 24/7.

Cost 10 baht an hour. Even small children could afford to use it.

More email is read on Mobile than on desktop email clients. Stats say 54% of email is now opened on a mobile device – Litmus ”State of Email” (March 2017)

 

Forbes.

By 2021 there will be 9B mobile subscriptions, 7.7B mobile broadband subscriptions, and 6.3B smartphone subscriptions.

 

Ericksson

Mobile broadband subscriptions

are growing by around 25 percent year-on-year, increasing by approximately

240 million in Q1 2017 alone. The total number of mobile

broadband subscriptions is now around 4.6 billion.

 

Subscriptions associated with smartphones have surpassed

those for basic phones. Of all subscriptions, 55 percent

are now for smartphones and, in Q1, smartphones

accounted for 80 percent of all mobile phones sold

 

https://www.ericsson.com/assets/local/mobility-report/documents/2017/ericsson-mobility-report-june-2017-raso.pdf

 

Do you live in Thailand?  Have you noticed almost all the IT cafes are gone?

 

Edited September 17, 2017 by amvet

[amvet]

17 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

20 odd years visiting Soi Buakhow and never seen a "riot" let alone an elephant. I must of been very lucky..


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

I didn't visit Soi Buakhow I lived there for 3 years and walked the whole length of the Soi every day twice for exercise (once in the morning sober and once at night drunk).

[Kadilo]

I didn't visit Soi Buakhow I lived there for 3 years and walked the whole length of the Soi every day twice for exercise (once in the morning sober and once at night drunk).

Ok I'm guessing you saw the elephants rioting at night.


Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[amvet]

18 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

Ok I'm guessing you saw the elephants rioting at night.


Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

Confirmed the damage the next day in daylight as the critters left a large path of damage.

[thaibeachlovers]

13 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

20 odd years visiting Soi Buakhow and never seen a "riot" let alone an elephant. I must of been very lucky..


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

Used to be a few elephants wandering around begging for people to buy bananas to feed them. Same in Bkk. One of the tragedies that happened when they stopped logging.

Unfortunately, many were injured by vehicles and the law now forbids it, I believe. Anyway, there haven't been elephants wandering Pattaya for years.

My photo from 1997.

 

 

Rioting elephants, I think not.

[thaibeachlovers]

34 minutes ago, amvet said:

More email is read on Mobile than on desktop email clients. Stats say 54% of email is now opened on a mobile device – Litmus ”State of Email” (March 2017)

 

Forbes.

By 2021 there will be 9B mobile subscriptions, 7.7B mobile broadband subscriptions, and 6.3B smartphone subscriptions.

 

Ericksson

Mobile broadband subscriptions

are growing by around 25 percent year-on-year, increasing by approximately

240 million in Q1 2017 alone. The total number of mobile

broadband subscriptions is now around 4.6 billion.

 

Subscriptions associated with smartphones have surpassed

those for basic phones. Of all subscriptions, 55 percent

are now for smartphones and, in Q1, smartphones

accounted for 80 percent of all mobile phones sold

 

https://www.ericsson.com/assets/local/mobility-report/documents/2017/ericsson-mobility-report-june-2017-raso.pdf

 

Do you live in Thailand?  Have you noticed almost all the IT cafes are gone?

 

Yes, the IT cafes catering for tourists have gone in Thailand, but not the IT cafes for locals in small towns and villages. Do you live in Thailand?

Anyway, I thought you were talking globally, not Thai specific. No one knows how many are using desktop or laptop all around the world. So, no one can say for sure how many using mobile as opposed to computer.