# We sometimes moan about new technology . . . .



## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

. . . but I was just thinking how bloody marvellous it can be!

Our friends are coming home from Spain because of illness (_not too serious_) so they want to make good time on the journey. Knowing Steve, he will have planned (_last night_) where he wants to get to today, but . . . .

Each afternoon if they are making faster or slower progress than anticipated, they can text me and say approximately where they would like to stop for the night.

Autoroute will then show me all the aires in that area.

I drop the co-ordinates into Google Maps and have a look on Street View to choose a good one, preferably with somewhere to exercise the dogs.

I text the coordinates to our friends, who receive it within seconds.

They enter them into their satnav, which deposits them at the entrance to the aire, thus reducing stress on a journey which, by its very nature is not one of their most enjoyable.

Captain Kirk would have been chuffed to have such sophisticated gadgetry!! :wink:

Dave


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

But only if he had had your operating skills Dave :wink:


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

And I have to manage without Lt. Uhura!!


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

It's technology Zeb but not as we know it

tony


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Zeb ...the best is yet to come...

Quantum teleportation will make motorhomes* a thing of the past :wink: 

( * and every other form of vehicular transport )


Mike


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

A couple of weeks ago we wanted to return a cheap MP3 player that would not charge up. The young man left i/c the local Chinese shop that we bought it from did not speak English and our Spanish did not include the vocabulary necessary to explain.

No problem: he whips out his mobile phone, we type in the English, he translates to Chinese, he writes ( not types - something to behold !) his reply and translates to English and all is sorted and we are given a new one that works.

Hope your friends are sorted as easily,

G


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Thanks Grizz

They are doing fine. La Mailleraye tonight, then dogs to the vet just up the hill tomorrow (_and a couple of slices of the best flan nature in the whole of France, from the little boulangerie across the road_).

Just makes me look forward to our next trip even more! :roll:

Dave


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## Jamsieboy (Jan 14, 2011)

Come on guys - why not just "beam them up" saves journey time :lol:


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

All this is OK and wonderful if you remember to take the right charger, batteries are up to snuff, adaptors are all working, you can get a signal, don't mix the 12v with 240v.

I feel there are more things that can let you down or frustrate today.

My 11 year old Golf is due another service at €99.
But I am told it now needs a cam belt €600.
And with this a water pump and pulleys €200.
Oh yes and the brake fluid is due a change €160.
Plus I now find a miniscule door micro switch has develoed a fault at 5/-
But €200 to change it.!!!!

Yeah, aint it great.

Ray.


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Ray

Have you taken a deep breath yet?

I agree that those prices seem high.

Have you thought of getting a quote from a decent small independent garage near Dover/Portsmouth(better for you) and maybe, just maybe, the total cost could come in cheaper. 

I am sure it would be cheaper here in Poland, but it would be a bit of a sklep for you.

If as an alternative you are thinking of getting-rid, and it is LHD with a Cert. of Conformity, please PM me with details/price as we are starting to think of changing Basia's car. 

Geoff


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## wobby (May 1, 2005)

Zebedee said:


> . . . but I was just thinking how bloody marvellous it can be!
> 
> Our friends are coming home from Spain because of illness (_not too serious_) so they want to make good time on the journey. Knowing Steve, he will have planned (_last night_) where he wants to get to today, but . . . .
> 
> ...


That's brilliant Dave, perhaps you can set up shop charge an annual fee 
A bit like Britstops, and we can all avail of your great idea. You could be the next Google for motorhomers.

Wobby


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Cheeky git Wobby. :lol:

Daft as it sounds though, it could be very useful if mutual friends on here arranged to help each other in that way. The one on holiday probably has very limited, or no WiFi, while the one at home can easily do the looking up and make the recommendations.

*Only *if the one on holiday has plenty of spare load capacity though. The cost in beer for the service is astronomical!! :lol:

Dave


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Well now Geoff.
It's not that prices in France are any higher. In fact the hourly labor rate is considerably lower than in UK. But it's all come at once.
I guess I could get the local 'Mobile Mechanic' to do it all but VW agent has all the parts on 'tap' and stamps me book.

I intend to keep the Golf for at last another 10 years so sorry it won't be up for sale for quite a while yet. 2003 Match 130hp and only 120,000km. I have had two French ask if it was for sale as they regard it as the best model. 

I am getting the mobile man to do the camper cam belt and service but nailing him down is another thing.

Ray.


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## DJP (May 9, 2005)

Grizzly said:


> A couple of weeks ago we wanted to return a cheap MP3 player that would not charge up. The young man left i/c the local Chinese shop that we bought it from did not speak English and our Spanish did not include the vocabulary necessary to explain.
> 
> No problem: he whips out his mobile phone, we type in the English, he translates to Chinese, he writes ( not types - something to behold !) his reply and translates to English and all is sorted and we are given a new one that works.
> 
> ...


Try the new Google translate.
Point the phone at the text you want to translate e.g. Spanish, as the camera follows the text it appears on the screen in English (other languages available). Best thing is, you don't need an internet connection to do it. 
How do they do that!


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## wobby (May 1, 2005)

G[/quote]

Try the new Google translate.
Point the phone at the text you want to translate e.g. Spanish, as the camera follows the text it appears on the screen in English (other languages available). Best thing is, you don't need an internet connection to do it. 
How do they do that![/quote]

I thought you were joking, you weren't, it's very good, what next I wonder.

Wobby


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

> Grizzly said:- Try the new Google translate.


Thanks Grizz.

You have reminded me to look for an update. I installed it some months ago, and while it was impressive it did need a very steady hand if the text was small(ish) or the image became quite unstable.

Might be improved now, and certainly well worth having - specially in restaurants where some of the items on the menu are beyond your vocabulary!

Dave


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## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

And sometimes one just has to go for a technology rollback.

After having lost yet another expensive, electronic, all-singing, all-dancing dual phone kit to the daily load-shedding, power-surge demon, I have just replaced my house phone with a £10 model. 

It has a handset, (yahoo) dialling tone, buttons to dial numbers, volume controls... and it still works without electricity, and I understood - and remembered - all the functions just by reading the tiny user booklet. What a pleasure!!!


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

HermanHymer said:


> And sometimes one just has to go for a technology rollback.


Talking of which....We rented a car last week. Our car at home is X reg and we have not kept up with the new technologies. This one started at the press of a button - providing both driver and keys were in the car .

Wonder how many on here remember when all cars were started using a button ?

G


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

I can remember when some of them were started with a big bent handle!!

Dave


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Grizzly said:


> Talking of which....We rented a car last week. Our car at home is X reg and we have not kept up with the new technologies. This one started at the press of a button - providing both driver and keys were in the car .
> 
> Wonder how many on here remember when all cars were started using a button ? G


Yes G we have one like that now. I dread it ever going wrong as it might be cheaper to throw it away and buy another one.

All the old Merc 508D and 608D vans back in the 70s and 80s had a button.

Ray.


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

My first Mini had a starter button on the floor, with a guard round to prevent activating it by treading on it  :lol: 

Geoff


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

> I can remember when some of them were started with a big bent handle!!
> 
> Dave


I'm not quite as old as Zebedee :wink: but my mum used to have a little nineteensixtysummat mini which had the starter button on the floor.

Pete


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

I've not heard of a starter button on the floor but I used to use a floor button to dip the lights. That car, when it needed starting, used to be pushed to the top of the hill by several willing 6 th formers and , if it hadn't started by the time it got to the bottom of the hill, we'd all push it back up the hill again and I'd get a matatu taxi. 


G


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

wobby said:


> G


Try the new Google translate.
Point the phone at the text you want to translate e.g. Spanish, as the camera follows the text it appears on the screen in English (other languages available). Best thing is, you don't need an internet connection to do it. 
How do they do that![/quote]

I thought you were joking, you weren't, it's very good, what next I wonder.

Wobby[/quote]

The same app can interpret a conversation in real time.
You say something in English, the app repeats in Portuguese. The other person says something in Portuguese and the app repeats it in English.


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

wobby said:


> G


Try the new Google translate.
Point the phone at the text you want to translate e.g. Spanish, as the camera follows the text it appears on the screen in English (other languages available). Best thing is, you don't need an internet connection to do it. 
How do they do that![/quote]

I thought you were joking, you weren't, it's very good, what next I wonder.

Wobby[/quote]

The same app can interpret a conversation in real time.
You say something in English, the app repeats in Portuguese. The other person says something in Portuguese and the app repeats it in English.


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