Author Topic: what I have learned today.  (Read 847403 times)

fuaran

  • rothair gasta
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #4525 on: 23 August, 2020, 06:28:17 pm »
Intruigued by the payments by QR code statement...
Seems to be quite popular in China, especially with Alipay. The shop displays a QR code, then you scan that with the Alipay app on your phone. That will send the payment to them.
Or can work the other way around. ie you show the QR code on your phone, for the shop to scan.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #4526 on: 23 August, 2020, 08:31:12 pm »
I think payment by QR code is used at some parking machines in UK?
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

FifeingEejit

  • Not Small
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #4527 on: 23 August, 2020, 08:54:28 pm »
That my daughter, who is 43, has had grapheme-colour synaesthesia since she was small.  She never mentioned it to us before.  She said that it's great for spotting errors in spreadsheets, but not what you'd put in your CV.

One of my many children has this. I found out one day when he was about 8 or 9 and told us that 2 is orange, and was quite bemused that we didn’t all see numbers etc like this. He doesn’t really mention it much (he’s 16 now) so I’m not sure how it effects his day to day life. I’ll have to question him again soon. One day. Maybe.

One of my hiking club mates also has this, extends beyond numbers so Left and Right are Red and Green in such order that the colours of port and starboard when transposed to shoes are the wrong way round for her, says it's a bit stressful when things don't match her perception.

The full article is here! https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20200821/p2a/00m/0bu/025000c

Apparently Japan is running out of credit card numbers with the COVID-driven shift from cash to credit cards. 

Since the population is less than 120 million, how do larger countries cope?

Urgh, <digs into memory> nope but here's a better explanation from "how stuff works"
https://money.howstuffworks.com/personal-finance/debt-management/credit-card1.htm

---

The first digit in your credit-card number signifies the system:

3 - travel/entertainment cards (such as American Express and Diners Club)
4 - Visa
5 - MasterCard
6 - Discover Card
The structure of the card number varies by system. For example, American Express card numbers start with 37; Carte Blanche and Diners Club with 38.

American Express - Digits three and four are type and currency, digits five through 11 are the account number, digits 12 through 14 are the card number within the account and digit 15 is a check digit.
Visa - Digits two through six are the bank number, digits seven through 12 or seven through 15 are the account number and digit 13 or 16 is a check digit.
MasterCard - Digits two and three, two through four, two through five or two through six are the bank number (depending on whether digit two is a 1, 2, 3 or other). The digits after the bank number up through digit 15 are the account number, and digit 16 is a check digit.

---

The issuers have their own way of allocating bank numbers, so presumably the problem is they are running out themselves rather than the system.


Actually Wikipaedoia  have another descruiption that's in more depth

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payment_card_number

Also the UK allocator of PANs and IINs
https://www.wearepay.uk/what-we-do/standards/iin/


T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #4528 on: 24 August, 2020, 08:24:23 am »
Just saw in the Graun that Japan is running out of CC numbers.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/24/japan-running-out-of-credit-card-numbers-amid-online-shopping-boom

I suppose that means the rest of us won't be far behind.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #4529 on: 24 August, 2020, 04:36:50 pm »
From trying to decipher a client's procedure I now know how to count to 3 in Bahasa,

Not sure why the client's numbering goes satu, dua, tiga, 9 though?
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

TheLurker

  • Goes well with magnolia.
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #4530 on: 24 August, 2020, 07:32:01 pm »
Three possibilities occur to me.

a)  Rogue value used to indicate end of input / don't care / invalid.
b)  The language is one that has a 1, 2, 3, [4], lots numbering scheme and 9 is was chosen as a convenient way to represent "lots".  Special case of (a).
c)  The word for 9 is too long for a lazy typist or contains a character not available on the keyboard(s) in use and which can't be represented accurately by a latin character combination.
Τα πιο όμορφα ταξίδια γίνονται με τις δικές μας δυνάμεις - Φίλοι του Ποδήλατου

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #4531 on: 24 August, 2020, 08:17:40 pm »
or, they built LNG trains 4-8, and then mothballed them (unlikely), and then built 9

or, whoever paid for the 4th train had 9 as a lucky number (no idea)

or, it's all a big joke
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #4532 on: 24 August, 2020, 08:44:38 pm »
I think payment by QR code is used at some parking machines in UK?

I’ve used it in Tesco with the Tescopay app. 
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #4533 on: 24 August, 2020, 08:47:45 pm »
From trying to decipher a client's procedure I now know how to count to 3 in Bahasa,

Not sure why the client's numbering goes satu, dua, tiga, 9 though?
Don't know, but it's interesting to see the similarity to Indo-European numbers.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Guy

  • Retired
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #4534 on: 25 August, 2020, 08:49:54 am »
The word 'iridescent' was coined by Erasmus Darwin.
"The Opinion of 10,000 men is of no value if none of them know anything about the subject"  Marcus Aurelius

Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #4535 on: 25 August, 2020, 10:17:24 am »
I've learned about Timpsons, the high street cobbler/repair shop, and their owner,

Stuff like they will dry clean an unemployed person's clothes for free, no proof required
https://www.timpson.co.uk/services/dry-cleaners/dry-cleaning-unemployed-interview

John Timpson, the founder, has fostered 90 kids
https://www.nfa.co.uk/story/blog-news/fostering-spotlight-interview-with-sir-john-timpson/

They are one of the largest ex offender employers in the UK
https://www.timpson-group.co.uk/timpson-foundation/ex-offenders/

Worth spreading about, how come I knew none of that before?

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #4536 on: 25 August, 2020, 11:08:49 am »
I have seen some of that stuff before, with an interview with John Timpson just pointing it out as being a full member of society
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #4537 on: 25 August, 2020, 11:26:18 am »
I'm surprised to learn the chain is still owned by the Timpson family.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #4538 on: 25 August, 2020, 11:27:50 am »
Worth spreading about, how come I knew none of that before?

AFAIK, he does it because it seems to him both the right thing to do and decent business sense - it's no secret, but he doesn't seek out publicity for it.

robgul

  • Cycle:End-to-End webmaster
  • cyclist, Cytech accredited mechanic & woodworker
    • Cycle:End-to-End
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #4539 on: 25 August, 2020, 12:05:38 pm »
Worth spreading about, how come I knew none of that before?

AFAIK, he does it because it seems to him both the right thing to do and decent business sense - it's no secret, but he doesn't seek out publicity for it.

Don't want to take Timpsons down as a philanthropic employer - but their prices are very high . . . . key-cutting especially - sadly the traditional ironmongers that cut keys at a more realistic cost are disappearing (and not because they were losing money on keys - mainly rent, rates and the DIY sheds)

ian

Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #4540 on: 25 August, 2020, 12:14:40 pm »
Maybe those costs are high because they need to be?

Anyway, cheap always comes at a cost. Something we don't like to think about as we hammer the purchase button online. We live in a country where we want our first world benefits but aren't prepared to pay for them.

Tim Hall

  • Victoria is my queen
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #4541 on: 25 August, 2020, 01:13:30 pm »
I've learned about Timpsons, the high street cobbler/repair shop, and their owner,

Stuff like they will dry clean an unemployed person's clothes for free, no proof required
https://www.timpson.co.uk/services/dry-cleaners/dry-cleaning-unemployed-interview

John Timpson, the founder, has fostered 90 kids
https://www.nfa.co.uk/story/blog-news/fostering-spotlight-interview-with-sir-john-timpson/

They are one of the largest ex offender employers in the UK
https://www.timpson-group.co.uk/timpson-foundation/ex-offenders/

Worth spreading about, how come I knew none of that before?
I learnt some of that from his appearance on Desert Island Discs.

It tickles me, for I am a simple soul, that Old Bailey hack and occupant of Pomeroy's Wine Bar, Rumpole of The Bailey earns much of his income defending various members of the Timson clan of minor South London villains. I wonder if they're related.
There are two ways you can get exercise out of a bicycle: you can
"overhaul" it, or you can ride it.  (Jerome K Jerome)

jiberjaber

  • ... Fancy Pants \o/ ...
  • ACME S&M^2
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #4542 on: 25 August, 2020, 03:55:46 pm »
Jiberjaber OTP.

For my part - what I've learned today - what Flotsam and Jetsam are. Human pollution and whale crap. Great. It all sounded so enticing and mysterious as I was growing up on various family beach holidays. Now it just sounds miserable and nasty.

TY  :thumbsup: :-[ :-[
Regards,

Joergen

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #4543 on: 25 August, 2020, 04:08:40 pm »
Jiberjaber OTP.

For my part - what I've learned today - what Flotsam and Jetsam are. Human pollution and whale crap. Great. It all sounded so enticing and mysterious as I was growing up on various family beach holidays. Now it just sounds miserable and nasty.

TY  :thumbsup: :-[ :-[

Jetsam: goods thrown overboard, e.g. Treaty of Rome
Flotsam: goods lost overboard, e.g. membership of the second-largest trading bloc in the world
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
  • Custard Wallah
    • Mr Larrington's Automatic Diary
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #4544 on: 25 August, 2020, 05:59:51 pm »
The word “chuckies”.
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #4545 on: 25 August, 2020, 06:08:05 pm »
As in 'chuckie stanes'  ?

Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
  • Custard Wallah
    • Mr Larrington's Automatic Diary
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #4546 on: 25 August, 2020, 06:11:29 pm »
That too, probably, but also as Stuffs Aberdonians Park Their Motorhomes On.  Mrs Pingu again.
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

Mrs Pingu

  • Who ate all the pies? Me
    • Twitter
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #4547 on: 25 August, 2020, 06:16:45 pm »
Granite chips, if you're posh.
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #4548 on: 25 August, 2020, 07:24:16 pm »
That the smallest balance bikes have child resistant valve caps on their tires/tyres and tubes. I prefer not to say how long it took me to figure that one out.

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #4549 on: 25 August, 2020, 07:40:36 pm »
That the best way to get my waterbutts filled is to order a new barbequeueueueueueue on the interweb
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens