Comments

# Ed said on April 27, 2004 11:52 PM:

You write that you wish to simplify your life. That you don't carry a keychain, and you ride the bus to work. Firstly I must question how you securely enter and exit your own home; that aside, one thing you might consider is removing the credit card from the equation.

Perhaps you can't get rid of it for xyz reasons, but you could leave it at home, somewhere "safe." Firstly, it would be one less thing to carry. Secondly, it would discourage you from spending money you don't actually have, which could infact benefit your life considerably. If you are a "credit addict," then the first week or so can be testing, where the withdrawel symptoms kick in. After that though, you'll find your mind reassuring yourself that you're saving money whilst others drive themselves into credit debt.

Regarding T68i, what about ditching it for a PDA with integrated Smart Phone capabilities. A secure(? -- debate!) way to store your passwords, no need for additional phone, and no need for tablet pc. There are plenty on the market, including those from PalmOne. Here in the UK we have the XDA also. The right PDA for you would also come with an expansion slot, quite possibly matching whichever digital camera you have. That way, you could use the same memory cards for your camera as you do on your PDA.

Avoid the T6xx series. Whilst they're technically great, they also have piss-poor software. (I speak from experience.) Nokia are the dominent force in Europe, and for a reason, but Symbian blows (as far as Joe Average is concerned,) so it won't be long before they lose that title. Often, us geeks forget that the average person just wants a simple phone, not an advanced scriptable operating system.

Hope that gives you something to chew on!

# bronney said on April 28, 2004 2:58 AM:

Dude,

You've got to come to Hong Kong on your next trip and pick up any small sized tri-band phones. They'd work great in the states. Just make sure it's tri-band. They can do all the tricks and comes with color monitor also. My friends owned 2 T68i and both failed. One screen shut down, and the other OS hanged. :)

I am still using the good old Nokia 8210 dual-band only. I think it's called 8260 in the states.

# J. Daniel Smith said on April 28, 2004 5:54 AM:

The thing I hate are all the promotional cards (10 punches for a free something); I refuse to carry them.

Why can't Microsoft use the magnetic stripe on the back of your driver's license to identify you?

I use my credit card as a substitute for cash; paying off the balance at the end of the month. And as a result, carrying < $100 in cash. Why can't my ATM and credit card be the same - especially since they are both from the same bank?

# Westin said on April 28, 2004 7:04 AM:

Check out this article about too many credit cards. http://weblogs.asp.net/wkriebel/archive/2004/03/09/86755.aspx

# jaybaz [MS] said on April 28, 2004 9:25 AM:

Great responses on this post, I dig it.

Ed: I've never maintained a balance on my credit card. It's just more convenient than carrying cash. I particularly despise carrying change. I want the US to phase out the penny, nickle, and dime.

Perhaps I could switch to using my debit card for all purchases, saving me a card. Hmmm...

I could go for a smart phone, like the Samsung i700. It would add a lot of value (browsing, email, photos, music). But what I'm trying to do here is reduce cost (weight & size in my pocket, complexity of the system). I don't carry the tablet everywhere I go, so there's no replacing to be done.

The T68i software does suck, agreed.

# jaybaz [MS] said on April 28, 2004 9:31 AM:

Daniel: I don't like those cards either, and avoid them. My exception is the coffee stand at work, which I visit often enough that it works well. I'm still annoyed by it, though.

Microsoft needs a security system they can control. Our cardkeys today contain both a radio activated authentication chip to get in the building, and a smart card for authentication on the network at unsecured locations (home).

# jaybaz [MS] said on April 28, 2004 9:34 AM:

Westin: If they can build a pocket PC phone with that functionality built in, then I can remove two cards from my walet. There's hope.

# Ed said on April 28, 2004 9:45 AM:

I understand the convienience issue and this is why I did not mention ditching the ATM card. Indeed, I carry my ATM card but not my store cards, or credit card.

Admittedly I am completely oblivious to how many stores in America will accept ATM cards; over here in the UK they double up as debit cards. And almost everywhere throughout Europe accepts them. Visa Delta, for example.

Only carrying your ATM card still means you have cash available, but it also means you can only withdraw what you have.

Those who constantly live on credit (which is not a good way to live in economical reality,) will argue this is impractical. However, this is a very good way to keep yourself out of debt, reminding yourself to save rather than spend friviously, and God forbid your wallet is stolen - you've only lost one card, not both. The credit card remains safe at home, pulled out only when absolutely needed.

.. Of course, this is all completely useless if ATM cards in America can't be used as debit cards. :-)

# jaybaz [MS] said on April 28, 2004 9:57 AM:

ATM cards in the US typically act as Debit Cards, as well. Stores with debit card service ask you to enter a PIN to use it, like if you're at an ATM. Otherwise you use it like a credit card. I'm not sure if the protections of the credit card are maintains when you use it as a debit card.

I also remembered that I get airline miles when I use my current credit card. It seems to be a good trade that I don't want to give up.

# Westin said on June 3, 2004 8:58 AM:

The US Department of Homeland Security awarded Accenture with right to build a system to use biometric smart cards to track entry into the U.S.
http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/press_release/press_release_0425.xml

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