It took only two months after we had just moved to North Idaho for some bozo with a backhoe to slice through the phone lines. That’s what prompted me to get my first cell phone.<\/p>\n
Now I’m sure the guy on the backhoe had a big heart. I’m sure that it was his boss that told him to cut the 4-foot wide trench all the way across the road. Not only did the trench sever the phone lines, but it effectively cut off four homes from the rest of civilization. Thanks to our 4-wheel drive Explorer, we were able to get in and out.<\/p>\n
Oh, and I didn’t mention that after he sliced across the road, and obviously cut the phone lines, he didn’t bother to notify the Phone Company? Nope, it was noise on the line a few houses up the road that got Mr. Telephone Repairman out.<\/p>\n
Did I mention this was on a Friday?<\/p>\n
The next day I bought my first cell phone. This was in 1993. The phone cost me $600. It was an analog mobile phone, and I paid $40 a month for 80 minutes of talk time. The battery lasted for 30 minutes, but the phone came with two batteries. And when I got home, I discovered that I could get no signal. But that was okay: by next Tuesday the Phone Company had fixed the broken phone lines.<\/p>\n
I mention this bit of historical trivia because yesterday, Sunday February 17, was the last day that analog mobile phone service worked in the United States. Any remaining networks were shut down on that day. We’re all digital now. Ta-da!<\/p>\n
Digital Picture Frame Virus.<\/strong> There is apparently a nasty computer virus stored on some of those digital picture frames. The virus is transmitted to your PC when you sync the picture frame with your photo collection. Read more about it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n I ♥ Cringely Dept.<\/strong> Cyber gossip columnist Robert X. Cringely has an interesting take<\/a> on Microsoft’s failed hostile take-over of Yahoo. Good, valid points there.<\/p>\n