myurbandream (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
myurbandream) wrote2011-06-02 09:28 am
myurbandream) wrote2011-06-02 09:28 am
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I just had a surreal experience.
I was reading a preview of a book called "Always On" by Brian Chen, a reporter for Wired (here's the link on Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Always-iPhone-Unlocked-Anything-Anytime-Anywhere-Future/dp/0306819600/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_2 ). It's about how the iPhone has totally changed not only the world of technology but how we interact with the physical world - how the internet and smartphones and mobile devices have changed every aspect of our lives, from education to business, and how they're affecting economy from multiple directions.
And then I finished that and read an article from Businessweek about the failure of the US Postal Service. (that one's here - http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_23/b4231060885070.htm ) The article explains how, thanks to the internet, the USPS ships more junk mail ("job security") than regular mail, how the volume of snail mail is falling like a rock, how the USPS is belly-up to its unions and not allowed to lay off employees or close branches that are taking a loss. In fact, the entire postal system is taking a loss. They've been borrowing money from the government to stay afloat, but the prediction is that the USPS will be totally defunct by this time next year, unless they adapt as postal systems in Europe have already done.
The overlap was a bit surprising. Cool stuff, y'all.
I was reading a preview of a book called "Always On" by Brian Chen, a reporter for Wired (here's the link on Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Always-iPhone-Unlocked-Anything-Anytime-Anywhere-Future/dp/0306819600/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_2 ). It's about how the iPhone has totally changed not only the world of technology but how we interact with the physical world - how the internet and smartphones and mobile devices have changed every aspect of our lives, from education to business, and how they're affecting economy from multiple directions.
And then I finished that and read an article from Businessweek about the failure of the US Postal Service. (that one's here - http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_23/b4231060885070.htm ) The article explains how, thanks to the internet, the USPS ships more junk mail ("job security") than regular mail, how the volume of snail mail is falling like a rock, how the USPS is belly-up to its unions and not allowed to lay off employees or close branches that are taking a loss. In fact, the entire postal system is taking a loss. They've been borrowing money from the government to stay afloat, but the prediction is that the USPS will be totally defunct by this time next year, unless they adapt as postal systems in Europe have already done.
The overlap was a bit surprising. Cool stuff, y'all.