[chadbang]

In Thailand EVERYBODY had a cellphone. Everybody showed off their cellphone. Everybody talked about their cellphone. Everyone was always changing cellphones - with every new upgrade. Did anyone have anything much else in the way of technology? Nope. Hardly a thing. But cellphones can be bought cheaply and are flashed about easily as a status symbol. (God, they were the most obnoxious thing in Hollywood for years - and that's probably the city in the US that still sees the most in action. How appropo). For some reason, I think people in the US are less concerned about keeping up with the technological Joneses, which cell phones make easy -- they're cutting edge on the cheap. Plus they're a pragmatic buy: they're just telephones, right? About as sensible as transmission work. Maybe it's party because every US home is saturated with five TVs, two broken vcrs, one and a half dvd players, three stereos, four dead radios and a boombox, two Cuisinarts, one electronically massaging Barco Lounger and a partridge in a pear tree. Tech saavy isn't a big deal, it's a broom closet curse. Like others have said, cars and homes.

 

[pigmode]

Don't forget the $67000 loudspeakers and the $15000 wires to go with it, and of cousre the all too ubiquitous plasma tv.

Me? I have two surfboards, a brand new Porter cable Whisper Series 4" x 24" belt sander, *and* a cel phone.

 

[averydonovan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Permonic Well, FYI the call plans of my provider here in HK starts from 80 HKD (about 10 USD) per months. On the other side Hong Kong is a pretty compact area, thus the maintenance costs are low. The first 3G provider started this year I am intrigued by its video calls, however I rather wait for next year when more competitors are announced to enter this segment.

Wow, those are some very cheap plans. Even their pay for what you use plan is incredibly low. Some providers have unlimited local service in certain cities in the U.S., here in Denver there is a service called Cricket that starts at $30/month, but that definately beats even that plan by a large margin.

 

[chadbang]

"Me? I have two surfboards, a brand new Porter cable Whisper Series 4" x 24" belt sander, *and* a cel phone."

Yeah, sure. Your postings alone in the "For Sale" forum, speak otherwise.

 

[nanahachi]

Actually, we invent things, and let others perfect them.

The ultimate in creative laziness.

 

[knuxed]

Over at Malaysia,handphone plans don matter a lot as we ussually buy handphones without a plan.Then only we go to the respective companies and subcribers in the country.There are around only 3 companies having mobile coverage in Malaysia.But SMS rates in Malaysia are dirt cheap,ranging from USD0.0078 to USD0.039 for international SMS

 

[r3cc0s]

Acctuality IMO
having my background of my parents being Hongers and still having relatives in Hong Kong

and alot of them moving thru to Australia (sydney), Boston MA, San Fransico, Vancouver, Toronto, London

I think that gadets are more part of the metropolitic lifestyle
a lack of room, causes the requirements of effeciency
and alot of these product why we think these gadgets are "cool"
is they take alot of everyday functions and either minuiturize it or almagamate it with another product
Also due to lack of room, things like Aibo is possible, as the requirements of a house pet is limited in places like Japan

In America/Canada, we have more than enough space to have a place for an item and an item in every place

but admittedly... the other biggest other reason why metropolitic lifestyle has so many gadets is the sake of being cool!
crazy euro's japs and chinese people and their mini car's, and their high fashion
and unlike the North American culture, lack the conservative manuerisms

 

[Welly Wu]

Out of curiosity,

Which country has the most sophisticated and advanced (if not most expensive) super computers? Why?

More down to earth, which country has more computers per capita?

Which countries typically have the most cutting edge computers?

These are all random questions. I wish there was some sort of quasi reliable database with all the answers. :shrugs:

 

[viviorunitia4]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Welly Wu Which country has the most sophisticated and advanced (if not most expensive) super computers? Why?

from this website , it looks like it's probably the United States, with Japan and the UK in second and third. IBM just created a supercomputer using 16,000 processors that surpassed Japan's Earth Simulator by about a teraflop. They also announced that they planned to build a version of this computer that had 130,000 processors IBM's Blue Gene Supercomputer
Quote:

Originally Posted by Welly Wu More down to earth, which country has more computers per capita?

according to this website, it's San Marino with 727 per 1000, with the US second at 554 per 1000 people.
Quote:

Originally Posted by Welly Wu Which countries typically have the most cutting edge computers?

I would think that the US probably has the highest amount of high end computers, because of the enthusiast gaming market, but I may be wrong

 

[Permonic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Welly Wu Out of curiosity, Which country has the most sophisticated and advanced (if not most expensive) super computers? Why? More down to earth, which country has more computers per capita? Which countries typically have the most cutting edge computers? These are all random questions. I wish there was some sort of quasi reliable database with all the answers. :shrugs:

These questions are irrelevant to the issue. Obviously US has many advanced technologies for mobile communication. E.g. Motorola introduced a first cell phone in 1983 and is still in the competition even in the 3G segment (http://www.3g.co.uk/MotorolaPhones.htm).

The problem is with a market itself. As described above, an average American seems to have different priorities, buying houses, cars, etc. rather than gadget things.

 

[pigmode]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chadbang "Me? I have two surfboards, a brand new Porter cable Whisper Series 4" x 24" belt sander, *and* a cel phone." Yeah, sure. Your postings alone in the "For Sale" forum, speak otherwise.

I've down-scaled (sounds better that downgraded).

But seriously, I dropped the extra bucks for the Motorola V something or another--the small folding one. Everyone who borrows it at work comments on the neat design. It is very ergonomic (folded), and is a piece of industial art. Sawadee-kup!