"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
ll.co.uk...
On Fri, 27 Dec 2013 18:21:53 +0000, robert wrote:

With smart phones accessing such information has become feasible as long
as the local Mobile network is not down.

Which in the event of a wide area power outage the mobile networks
are very likely to be down. Very few cells have much, if any, backup
power.

The more we rely on technology and get used to resilient services ...

The mobile networks are anything but resilient. If they were
resilient they would stay working short of the aerials/masts failing.
A simple loss of mains power should not be a problem for *any* half
decent resilient system.

... the more we are unprepared and suffer when they do occasionally
fail.

Agreed, I wonder how many people have a reliable, non-tech, backup
for their satnav, in the car where they are most likely to need it?

I don't see that as much of a problem, essentially because
most don't actually use a satnav all that much of the time,
only really when they are in an area they aren't familiar with
or when they want to get to a specific location efficiently.

And I don't use mine anymore even for that, I use the smartphone instead.

And if the smartphone does die, there is usually
someone else in the car that has another.

And of those how many would know how to use that backup?

It isnt hard to work it out with a decent smartphone
or to get someone else to use theirs if yours dies.