March 12, 2008 Archives

I have resisted addressing the Southwest Airlines story, but I guess I should chime in. I'm talking about Southwest's failure to inspect their 737s for metal skin cracks in a timely manner. I am incredibly disappointed in this company I have used so faithfully over the past decade.

I'm not an airplane expert. I don't know how serious the cracks are. However, today Southwest grounded 41 airplanes. These were not spares. The way Southwest flies, 41 planes is well over 150 flights/flight segments a day.

The problem is, I had hoped the people running airlines and hospitals and meat processing plants were somehow different. Sure, you can get away cutting corners if you're making shirts or pencils - and companies do.

Unfortunately, every time a rock is turned over, we see these same revenue friendly shortcuts in businesses with much more worrisome safety concerns. Corporate safety issues have become a recurring theme on the news.

The people who run these businesses should be able to say no. Instead, it seems they just don't want to hear no.

Who, exactly, has the chutzpah to screw around with airplanes that fly 600 mph, five miles off the ground? Obviously someone... in this case, multiple someones, as the airline and FAA seem complicit.

I applaud the whistle blowers at the FAA who brought this to light. It takes courage to do what they did. The promise of protection when you 'drop a dime' on your boss is often an empty promise.

I have a lot invested in Southwest, with all our free tickets and Helaine's companion pass. It would be difficult for me to switch allegiance. If I have to, I will.

Southwest, please don't test me.

I don't want those companies in which I entrust my safety to value anything over my safety. I always thought that was part of the bargain. I'm much too naive.

I made an ebay purchase this morning. I bought a GPS tracking logger.

"Honey, I got something for the camera," I told Helaine.

"You mean you bought a toy," she replied.

I explained what it does. She still thinks it's a toy.

Oviously, I'm unconvincing when it actually is a toy.

Here's the link. This guy must have a million of them, because they're constantly listed. I bid the minimum, $31, and took it home.

The little box I bought records translated GPS output. In other words, it keeps track of where you are. The batteries are recharged through a computer's USB port, which also transfers the data, so it can be read.

There is software to add this information to the EXIF data which is already part of digital photography. Now every picture I take will have its location tagged. The tech term is, geolocating.

If I upload the photo to Flickr or Picasaweb, that location tag will call a map, showing where the picture was taken. It's a pretty cool idea. Soon, it will be directly built into all cameras (and cellphones). That's an easy prediction to make.

Here's some of the data that's available now, before the geolocating data is added. As a photographer, it's helpful to be able to go back and see how I set my camera to get an individual shot.

The GPS recorder I bought is the cheapest of the bunch. No surprise there. But, I didn't buy in the dark. I looked at a review from CNet's Singapore site!

While searching the other units available, most significantly more expensive, I noticed one thing. There are a lot of people around who don't trust their spouses/employees/kids and are looking to track them! Many of the GPS recorders have magnetic backs and can be installed under a vehicle.

Ads for some of the more sophisticated units don't beat around the bush: "It's ideal for the busy executive, a concerned parent with a watchful eye.. to track their teenager's late night activity (like speeding) or to track suspicious spouse. It's a real time and money-saver -- and in some cases, a lifesaver."

Yeah. Thanks Mr. Altruism.

Correct me if I'm wrong. If you get around to the point where you're putting one of these on the car, your relationship is already over!

I'll just be happy to track my photos.