Once CEO once mentioned that he can make money on a bunch of rich people by having high prices or make money on millions by keeping costs low. It seems his message was lost. Henry Ford once capitulated on a strike because he realized that if he gave in, his workers could afford his cars and would likely buy them. That lesson has been lost in the modern US economy.

It's just a matter of time, and that time is getting close, where there's nobody has jobs, and therefore there's no market for... anything.

I'd be concerned about things like thermal runaway happening if something happens in the sky. I'd be worried about escape time, but that is generally a problem with aircraft powered by jet fuel already.

You're on the right track. Add a cell phone ban. You could make sure the computer lab doesn't have access to the internet and that papers are printed on the local computer, say a dot matrix or a hidden mark that tells you that the paper was printed on one of the schools computers. Basically, the same process that printer manufacturers use. It's so nice that I use black and white printers from before the current era.

Next Tuesday is a bit late when the missiles were launched at you today.

There's been efforts to require carriers to sell unlocked phones here in the US. I'm not sure how much they've succeeded.

Yep, and this is the most avoidable thing around: don't connect your experimental models to the internet. You have an ethernet cable, pull it out of your connection to the internet.

And I can actually see if I like the phone before I buy it? A picture on the internet doesn't compare to an in-store experience. I've been to stores before I buy a phone online, but I'm interested in unlocked dual-SIM phones for when I travel, which are often not available in the US, but are on sites like Amazon.

Google is of course well known for it's exceptional privacy policies.

Who^2?

I can't help but wonder how long it will be before there are enough layoffs where there's nobody to call the call centers.

I can't agree more. You don't need to be a trail running to go 18 miles with a 6000 ft climb in a single hike. Doing the math, you can complete the trail in about 10 hours, which is more than reasonable if you just bring enough food and water. In fact, it's considered a long day hike or a short overnighter. I trail run between 5 and 7 miles 3x weekly and the 7-miler I can do in under 2 hours. There's around 600ft of elevation gain on it and at times I take a detour that adds another somewhat steep 300ft. I hike up a 720ft mountain in about 1/2 an hour over a 1.5 mile trail, and only at the last 1/2 mile does the trail start climbing, and in that stretch it is steep. I'm not considered fast runner, but I am a fast hiker. What you do need to know is how to do long distance hiking. Ideally, you need to bring lots of carbs (short and long-term), protein and water. You also need to consolidate your stops (eat, drink, piss, etc.) so you're not constantly stopping. Also, this isn't a "3 meals a day" atmosphere. Bring foods that can be eaten while you're moving and eat frequently. I've seen a number of inexperienced hikers do the 31.1 mile Art Loeb Trail in a single day and it has 10,000 ft of elevation gain. They brought the right stuff.

Google is not really to blame, here, because it lacks the ability to differentiate between somebody trail running and somebody hiking. A jogger is not that much faster than a fast hiker, but an experienced runner can be substantially faster. Google probably averaged trail running speeds with hiking and jogging speeds because it didn't know the difference, thus went by averaging the overall usage of the trail. Several trail runners who go frequently will seriously distort the average if Google is tracking them. In the future it could possibly use median rather than average speed and let the end user decide what will best match their pace.

Coincidentally, the Art Loeb trail is named after my friend's father-in-law.

Or that I've had 5 phones in 6 years. I'm not accountable to you, but here it goes:

• Bought the initial phone. I required a dual sim phone because of extensive overseas travel.
• Bought the 3 because I wanted the upgrades. I continued to use the original strictly for business purposes.
• Traded in the 3 for a 5 because Samsung offered a great upgrade offer. The phone was later stolen.
• Bought a 4 as a replacement. I hated the huge screen on the exterior of the 5 because it made the phone less durable.
• Bought a 4 as a replacement for the original a few weeks ago when the folding screen finally gave out.

Yup. 5 phones. All legit.

I've owned 5 Z-Flips. Never had issues. The crease, while there, visually disappears when you're looking at the screen.

I've had 5 Z-Flips. 1st gen, 3, 2x 4s, and a 5. The 4 was the last well though out phone. You can drop it and earlier editions and it's nearly indestructible without a case. My 1st gen only died a few weeks ago when there was a short between the bottom and top portions of the screen. 6 years old, 5 weeks of being dropped over and over multiple times per day in the hospital by hospital staff in 2021 and it kept working and the screen never cracked. The 5 was a turning point. They added a large screen to the exterior. Suddenly, you had a screen on the exterior of the phone that can break. After my 1st gen broke a couple of weeks ago, I replaced it with another 4. Here's another truth: when you add the thickness of the phone case on a slab phone, the Z Flips I've owned, including the 5, are about the same thickness. The large exterior screen on the 5 and later defeated the benefit of the earlier phones and were an example of somebody who reviews phones for 2 weeks not experiencing day to day usage over a long period of time.