Disqus - Latest Comments for 419onscene

Re: Google, Porsche spar over how much data the search giant collects

419onscene — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 21:51:21 -0000

I trust Google a little more than the car companies. Google's at least transparent about what they collect, and whom they sell to. The car companies are far less transparent. Google at least discloses, offers data downloads and allows you to delete your data.

Re: Erie County lawmakers tackle ambulance response time issues

419onscene — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 21:47:43 -0000

There's a relatively simple fix. Don't expect something for nothing when you outsource to private companies. If you don't have the call volume to support the service, you get lousy service, or you will get the contract canceled. It's up to the community to fund the level of service they expect. Rural/Metro nationally had gone bankrupt several times over the last decade getting contracts by offering something for nothing.(or less than cost). AMR is simply shutting off the spigot. It's like A Field Of Dreams, if you pay them, they will come....

Re: Uber As Ambulance

419onscene — Mon, 18 Jul 2016 20:57:46 -0000

Subscription models are an extreme rarity.

Re: An Update on Todoist PowerApp and Developer Challenge

419onscene — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 07:46:37 -0000

Haven't seen any updates. Is this still alive??

Re: Catskill Ambulance goes ALS - Columbia-Greene Media: News

419onscene — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 00:47:35 -0000

Trust me, paramedics are very skeptical, and don't hand out narcotics on a whim. Too much paperwork....

Re: The “go to the ER” mentality of American medicine

419onscene — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 14:57:54 -0000

The only problem is that the issue isn't limited to the US. Other countries with single payor, government funded healthcare (the NHS in the UK stands out). also has significant issues with overutilization of their A&E systems, and overburdened emergency ambulance services. This is not something solely caused by insurers or EMTALA, it's cultural and individual.

Re: A Fleet Of Private Ambulances Rolls Out In D.C. Today

419onscene — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 20:42:39 -0000

I wonder what the plan is to pay for these services. The people utilizing 911 for non-emergency services (like the rest of the nation) most likely skew towards the non-insured and medicaid population, which will not support the cost of services.

If the current contract isn't heavily subsidized with tax monies, AMR will be pulling out of the contract ASAP, leaving you right back where you are. And IF there IS enough money to subsidize AMR, why is there not enough money to properly staff the department??

Re: Free Standing Emergency Room: Boom or Bust?

419onscene — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 18:54:26 -0000

Good article, with one caveat. EMS providers would love to utilize these facilities as alternative transport destinations, however are far more constrained than a belief they may not be appropriate. EMS is often greatly hampered by a reimbursement model that will only pay for transportation to a hospital.

Re: 'Visual hacking' a big concern for healthcare, 3M report says

419onscene — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 15:02:51 -0000

Of course, 3M just happens to have a line of "screen protectors" . Any source of information can be diverted or misappropriated by a rogue employee if they are truly determined to do so. So what is the ultimate solution for "Visual Hacking"?. Should we be partnering with the national organizations for the blind to reduce our reliance on information displayed on screens and only offer a tactile rapid braille output? Surgical implants to cast text in your field of vision against a white wall, no screen required? If Visual Hacking where employees are photographing PHI is a real problem, then why is a worker writing down the same information on a screen in a notebook not a problem? Because 3M can't sell a pen and paper blocker.

Re: Google, Porsche spar over how much data the search giant collects

419onscene — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 15:40:12 -0000

They're already trying to with bluetooth dongles that plug in to the diagnostics port. Right now it's for a discount, but you know they're going to slowly heat the water till the frog boils...

Re: Google, Porsche spar over how much data the search giant collects

419onscene — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 15:38:00 -0000

This is already an option with toll systems or plate scanners at roadway entrances. If you got on the Florida Turnpike in Miami at noon, and got off in Orlando (usually abuot three hours) at one, chances are good you were exceeding the posted limit. Today, it's hard to reliably (court standards) prove whom was driving.

Re: Google, Porsche spar over how much data the search giant collects

419onscene — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 19:07:47 -0000

Volkswagon (owns Porsche) doesn't really have a leg to stand on when it comes software and data these days. If they'll cheat the EPA, no reason to believe they would not just feed Google dummy data...

Re: iOS Ad Blockers Help You Browse Faster And Save Money, NYT Study Finds

419onscene — Sun, 04 Oct 2015 02:45:28 -0000

Funny a company that sits behind a paywall says adblockers good....

Re: Ubuntu, Canonical, and IP

419onscene — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 23:09:16 -0000

I think one of the most significant roadblocks to desktop linux in the enterprise is the lack of a true competitor to MS Office. Until Open Office/Libre Office are really competive options (or MS finally gives up and ports Mac Office to Linux), forget it. If you really want desktop linux to be an effective option, there needs to be a frictionless office suite. That will get Ubuntu on the enterprise desktop, and people will pay for it.

Re: FL fire commissioner wants to arm firefighters with military style weapons

419onscene — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 18:48:48 -0000

My Dad lives in Bonita Springs, and in the off season there is NOTHING going on there at all. If anything, they might need body armor to protect them from errant golf balls coming off all the golf courses...This is just a bored old retired guy that ran for an elected office looking to make some noise...Even the chief seemed surprised...

Re: Hefty amount of cash stolen out of stuffed animal in Slingerlands

419onscene — Fri, 28 Aug 2015 19:46:21 -0000

What exactly are we supposed to be keeping an eye out for???

Re: Hulu Considering Ridiculously Expensive Ad-Free Subscription - by Esteban Esposito

419onscene — Fri, 17 Jul 2015 22:34:06 -0000

Hulu started off good, but I think they've been hindered by too many network owners and affiliations. They started off reasonable with the free online ad supported version, half the ads of regular tv. Now they've doubled the ad's, and it's a poor experience. I tried the paid version, totally not paying for ads on a subscription service. Plus, they show the same ad fifteen times, even after you click their this isn't relevant to me button. They just don't get that consumers don't want to pay for ads, and they have competitors.

Re: Carrots Vs. Sticks: Can Consumer Data be Used to Promote Healthy Habits?

419onscene — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 21:01:28 -0000

NO, Consumer data should absolutely not be brought to bear in ANY health care setting, UNLESS that data can be uniquely tied to a patient, which it currently cannot.

Case in point, I'm paranoid abut consumer data tracking, participate in no consumer rewards systems that can be accurately tied to me, personally. But hey, all walgreen's asks for is a phone number, and they tie rewards point to spending, so I pass my mother's phone number into Walgreen's systems. I get the discount's they offer to rewards members, and my mother gets the rewards points. And she's thrilled when she gets a free clock radio or whatever with the points.

I smoke, drink, and eat poorly. Walgreen's, a self described "Health Care" company, tell's me to "be well" every time I go in and buy a carton of cigarettes (Walgreen's, a so called "health care" company still sells cigarettes at one of the lowest average national prices), a liter of rum, and Walgreen's branded bacon wrapped filet mignon tips. All of these purchases are happily recorded under my mother's Walgreen's rewards card. More points to a free clock radio.

Should the cardholder be faced with penalties, higher insurance rates, or notifications from their doctor about the bad behavior of the transactions under the card?

What if I just don't like the card holder and I know their phone number? What if I change cell carriers and get a new phone number? I have gotten robocalls from three different CVS, pregnancy services and a few other things covered by HIPPA because I've changed my cell number, and the old owner of that number never changed the number with the vendor.

ANY transactions made with my debit/credit card should be prohibited from sale/transfer by the card vendor as protected information.

Chad Albert, EMT-

Re: Sprint Nixes Unlimited 4G Data for Tablets, Hotspots

419onscene — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 18:37:51 -0000

Goodbye Sprint. I have both a data card AND the 4G Hotspot, which puts me at close to $100 a month for data services. I will not pay $100 for 10 gigs of data.

Re: Rumor: Sprint Launching LTE Network Early 2012

419onscene — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 16:05:33 -0000

Great, another Sprint network they'll never deploy in Albany, NY

Re: Can the NYPD Shoot Down a Plane? Kinda, Sorta, Not Exactly.

419onscene — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:55:51 -0000

The capability to shoot down an aircraft could be very simple. A telephone connected to one of the branches of the military which has airplanes.

Re: 9 Reasons You Didn't Get The Job

419onscene — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 18:15:46 -0000

The only thing I can disagree with a little bit is not being willing to travel for interviews. Just this week I traveled 1500 miles for an interview on my own dime. The day after I got back I got the call that I would be getting an offer of employment, a relo package and reimbursement for the trip. I took the risk, and it paid off for me in a big way.

Re: Motorola EX225 could be next ‘Facebook phone’

419onscene — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 18:44:57 -0000

I guess nobody got the memo that Google bought Motorola.

Re: HP’s “Everything Including the Kitchen Sink” Conference Call

419onscene — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 17:22:05 -0000

Any of this is a surprise? A CEO from a software and consulting company is eliminating consumer products to focus on software & services??

Re: Report: HP to buy software company, spin off PC division

419onscene — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 16:28:54 -0000

HP's PC's are a race to the bottom of the junkpile. The Envy's not a bad machine, but it's overpriced. All of the other HP machines I've seen look and feel like cheap junk.