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Speaking of stupid officials: a friend in Louisiana tells me that when she called to ask for evacuation status and directions, she was told, “Download our app.” She was outraged. She has a smart phone, but she told the official in brisk language that many poor elderly people, or just plain elderly people, do NOT, and they had better develop some more traditional ways of telling the non-technologically oriented and those people who can’t afford a data plan. Also, cell towers may well be out of operation during a major emergency, so where are all your fine apps then, Mr Emergency Official? God help us.

Around here, when the landlines go out (a regular occurrence) they have the nerve to tell customers they can't get out for a week to 10 days. Excuse me, but this is a retirement area where many of the old folk don't have cell phones. Not to mention cell phone service is spotty to begin with. A few complaints to the utility commission lights fires under them, snicker.

Would this be under Gov. Jindal’s control?

Speaking of stupid officials: a friend in Louisiana tells me that when she called to ask for evacuation status and directions, she was told, “Download our app.” She was outraged. She has a smart phone, but she told the official in brisk language that many poor elderly people, or just plain elderly people, do NOT

I'd have told her, "Look, here, I don't have time to download your app, so I'll just write one quickly. Are you using the dot-NET framework so I can use remote reflection to discover your methods and properties? Or are you using Web Services and the more traditional WSDL and DISCO files? HURRY! HURRY! TELL ME! THIS THING WILL TAKE A WHILE TO WRITE, TEST, DEBUG AND DEPLOY!!!!!"

Speaking of stupid officials: a friend in Louisiana tells me that when she called to ask for evacuation status and directions, she was told, “Download our app.” She was outraged. She has a smart phone, but she told the official in brisk language that many poor elderly people, or just plain elderly people, do NOT, and they had better develop some more traditional ways of telling the non-technologically oriented and those people who can’t afford a data plan. Also, cell towers may well be out of operation during a major emergency, so where are all your fine apps then, Mr Emergency Official? God help us.

I know, it seems like we've gone "app crazy." What if we get into a situation where the apps, GPS and cell phones die or are out of service? (as you touched on) That's why I'm glad I have an amateur radio license and can tell which way I'm driving by looking where the Sun is and/or finding the North Star Polaris. At least my 99 Blazer has a compass in it. I can read a paper map if I had to. Heck, I don't have a phone that uses apps. Heck, I still watch a TV from 1982 for the last 30 years and still uses Gramp's 1953 5 tube Philco radio. I love the internet but there is a side of me, especially with the "App happy" culture all of a sudden, we are not quite ready for all of this. Guess I'll have to rely on my amateur radio and police scanner (or my 1972 vintage VHF multiband radio) to hear the weatherradio. B-)