Stuff gets too reliant on being “connected.”

All the cool people are telling us that the future will have all our data AND applications in “the Cloud,” while we just use what are basically terminals to access stuff.

No way, pal.

I like to keep my crap where I can see it. I use the Cloud for one type of data backup, along with old reliable backup drives and other methods. That’s it.

If the net goes down, I can run everything here (except net access of course) just fine.

It’s not just computers that are getting lazy. Those wall clocks I told you about that set their time from a radio signal? If they don’t get their nightly signal check, they start to drift off time. And not just by seconds, either. It’s like the manufacturer decided it didn’t really have to have any decent quartz-or-whatever “clock” hardware in there any more.

“George, your bladder is getting full. The Docs say to plan on a pee in about 12 minutes.”

“Sergei, there is a differential in the voltage across your eyeglass lenses indicating they are dirty. Korolyov says to clean them or else! They asked me to remind you it’s a long walk home.”

My AirPort supports several computers, my wife’s IPod, and an expansion node. I don’t know how it sorts everyone out. My cell phone hooks up to a hands-free setup in my van when I get into it, and the van has its own WiFi which it somehow pulls out of cell signals and who knows what when I’m travelling. Google broadcasts its own WiFi signal for free from the streetlamps near here.

My cell phones talk to thousands of towers and work out how to move conversations between them. This happens even as I drive around, moving from cell to cell.

Phones, cars, and wristwatches all talk to GPS satellites to place themselves on the planet.

My clocks listen to something in Colorado which tells them what time it is.

Neighbors get their TV, internet, and maybe even phone service from a dish on their balcony talking to a satellite in geosynchronous orbit.

That’s just stuff I’m associated with personally.

Magic.