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Message no. 1
From: Mike Elkins <MikeE@*********.COM>
Subject: Mobil's Smartpass
Date: Tue, 27 May 1997 10:14:11 -0500
I looked at a flyer for Mobil's (a gas station for
non U.S.A. posters, petrol place for those UKers
etc) Smartpass, which is a little keychain fob
that bills your credit card automatically when
you wave it at the pump. I looked at the picture
of the thing and said "That looks familiar." 5
minutes later I figured it out.

The thing is a credstick.

Double-Domed Mike
Message no. 2
From: Spike <u5a77@*****.CS.KEELE.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: Mobil's Smartpass
Date: Tue, 27 May 1997 17:46:47 +0100
|
|I looked at a flyer for Mobil's (a gas station for
|non U.S.A. posters, petrol place for those UKers
|etc) Smartpass, which is a little keychain fob
|that bills your credit card automatically when
|you wave it at the pump. I looked at the picture
|of the thing and said "That looks familiar." 5
|minutes later I figured it out.
|
|The thing is a credstick.

<penfold>
OOOO-ECK!
</penfold>

It's starting to happen guys.....
Only 23 more years, and well have elves and dwarves toddling around.....
--
______________________________________________________________________________
|u5a77@*****.cs.keele.ac.uk| "Are you pondering what I'm pondering Pinky?" |
|Andrew Halliwell | |
|Principal subjects in:- | "I think so brain, but this time, you control |
|Comp Sci & Electronics | the Encounter suit, and I'll do the voice..." |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|GCv3.1 GCS/EL>$ d---(dpu) s+/- a- C++ U N++ o+ K- w-- M+/++ PS+++ PE- Y t+ |
|5++ X+/++ R+ tv+ b+ D G e>PhD h/h+ !r! !y-|I can't say F**K either now! :( |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Message no. 3
From: "MARTIN E. GOTTHARD" <s457033@*******.GU.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: Mobil's Smartpass
Date: Wed, 28 May 1997 20:06:20 +1000
> |I looked at a flyer for Mobil's (a gas station for
> |non U.S.A. posters, petrol place for those UKers
> |etc) Smartpass, which is a little keychain fob
> |that bills your credit card automatically when
> |you wave it at the pump. I looked at the picture
> |of the thing and said "That looks familiar." 5
> |minutes later I figured it out.
> |
> |The thing is a credstick.
>
> <penfold>
> OOOO-ECK!
> </penfold>
>
> It's starting to happen guys.....
> Only 23 more years, and well have elves and dwarves toddling around.....

Well, maybe not..... *grin* But in all seriousness, the world of
shadowrun (minus the magic) is looking closer and closer every day.....
We've got our first AAA mega-corp in the form of Microsoft, and our
records are becoming amalgamated and very detailed (Tax-File Numbers,
Social Security Numbers, Bank information, etc.)

Some time ago, Australia was going to issue a card a bit like the
credstick.... Called the "Australia Card", it would incorporate a
computer chip with all the info you'd need to identify yourself on it.
Basically you wouldn't need a driver's license, birth cerificate or
passport as separate documents.

The idea was very unpopular and was defeated in parliment for
reasons I'm not enitrely familiar with; Australians generally are very
anti-authoritarian, and the idea of a big-brother pisses us off. There
may have been practical problems with the implementation, as well.

But in any case, the idea is out there, and it's probably going to be
re-introduced at some later stage. Credstisks for all.


Marty
Message no. 4
From: Lady Jestyr <jestyr@*******.DIALIX.COM.AU>
Subject: Re: Mobil's Smartpass
Date: Thu, 29 May 1997 08:20:44 +1000
> Well, maybe not..... *grin* But in all seriousness, the world of
> shadowrun (minus the magic) is looking closer and closer every day.....
> We've got our first AAA mega-corp in the form of Microsoft, and our

Well, perhaps not Microsoft. Big and/or powerful as they are, they still
only make software. Now, some of the Japanese/Korean companies... Mitsu,
Matsushita, Daewoo... Daewoo makes *everything*; they have fingers in
every pie. I'd say they are the modern day megacorps, not some
unimaginative half-assed software company (hmm, is my computer going to
blow up now?)


Lady Jestyr

-----------------------------------------------
A titanic intellect in a world full of icebergs
-----------------------------------------------
Elle Holmes jestyr@*******.dialix.com.au
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/1503/
http://jestyr.home.ml.org/
-----------------------------------------------
Now a Geocities Times Square Community Leader!
-----------------------------------------------
Message no. 5
From: Ray & Tamara <macey@*******.COM.AU>
Subject: Re: Mobil's Smartpass
Date: Thu, 29 May 1997 09:51:53 +1000
> > Well, maybe not..... *grin* But in all seriousness, the world of
> > shadowrun (minus the magic) is looking closer and closer every day.....
> > We've got our first AAA mega-corp in the form of Microsoft, and our
>
> Well, perhaps not Microsoft. Big and/or powerful as they are, they still
> only make software. Now, some of the Japanese/Korean companies... Mitsu,
> Matsushita, Daewoo... Daewoo makes *everything*; they have fingers in
> every pie. I'd say they are the modern day megacorps, not some
> unimaginative half-assed software company (hmm, is my computer going to
> blow up now?)

Knowing Microsoft, yes it probably will, but not as revenge, just as a
matter of course.

Ray.

-----------------------------------------------------
| The universe is a big place, and whatever happens,|
| You will not be missed |
-----------------------------------------------------

EMAIL: macey@*******.com.au
Message no. 6
From: Drekhead <drekhead@***.NET>
Subject: Re: Mobil's Smartpass
Date: Thu, 29 May 1997 20:09:19 +0500
On 29 May 97 at 9:51, Lady J. wrote:

> > company (hmm, is my computer going to blow up now?)

Your computer stopped working when you installed the bloody mess.
But I digress ....

--
#@&%*===========================================================*%&@#
# DREKHEAD - drekhead@***.net, drekhead@***.com - Tim Kerby #
#@&%*===========================================================*%&@#
#@&%*===========================================================*%&@#
# --- http://users.aol.com/drekhead/home.html --- #
#@&%*===========================================================*%&@#
People are idiots that deserve to be mocked.
-Dogbert
Message no. 7
From: Tuvyah@***.COM
Subject: Re: Mobil's Smartpass
Date: Thu, 29 May 1997 03:33:56 -0400
Lady Jestyr wrote:

>> Now, some of the Japanese/Korean companies... Mitsu,
Matsushita, Daewoo... Daewoo makes *everything*; they have fingers in every
pie. I'd say they are the modern day megacorps, not some unimaginative
half-assed software company (hmm, is my computer going to blow up now?)<<

The Korean companies are actually not good examples, IIRC. The diversity of
their product lines is an artifact of South Korean government interference.
The banking and stock systems in South Korea are such that the Korean
"chaebol"s have no place to put their cash flow but back into new product
lines, whether or not this is the best move for the company. In other words,
the companies are forced to pursue this strategy regardless of overall
profitability, while (presumably) megacorps like Fuchi and Shiawase enter a
new market because they see the potential for profit.

It's been a while since I read up on South Korea's companies, but I'm fairly
sure I'm correct.

Smilin' Ted
"...who's too tired to smile right this instant...."
Message no. 8
From: Flo <florian.goll@******.UNI-WEIMAR.DE>
Subject: Re: Mobil's Smartpass
Date: Thu, 29 May 1997 19:19:08 +0200
> Well, perhaps not Microsoft. Big and/or powerful as they are, they still
> only make software. Now, some of the Japanese/Korean companies... Mitsu,
> Matsushita, Daewoo... Daewoo makes *everything*; they have fingers in
> every pie. I'd say they are the modern day megacorps, not some
> unimaginative half-assed software company (hmm, is my computer going to
> blow up now?)
And what about GM or Mercedes or BMW... they've got their fingers in
everything also... just under different names!!!
Message no. 9
From: david lowe <dlowe@****.COM>
Subject: Re: Mobil's Smartpass
Date: Thu, 29 May 1997 13:37:50 -0800
At 7:19 PM 5/29/97, Flo wrote:
>> Well, perhaps not Microsoft. Big and/or powerful as they are, they still
>> only make software. Now, some of the Japanese/Korean companies... Mitsu,
>> Matsushita, Daewoo... Daewoo makes *everything*; they have fingers in
>> every pie. I'd say they are the modern day megacorps, not some
>> unimaginative half-assed software company (hmm, is my computer going to
>> blow up now?)
>And what about GM or Mercedes or BMW... they've got their fingers in
>everything also... just under different names!!!


I've said it before, I'll say it again, look at food based corporations,
esp Coca-Fraggin'-Cola. They own a little peice of everything. Petroleum,
telecommunications, manufacturing. In SR we are used to the big name corps
who control everything, but I belive in real life the biggest players are
one's we don't see. Or at least don't think of right off.

D.
Message no. 10
From: Brett Borger <bxb121@***.EDU>
Subject: Re: Mobil's Smartpass
Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 08:41:52 -0400
>telecommunications, manufacturing. In SR we are used to the big name corps
>who control everything, but I belive in real life the biggest players are
>one's we don't see. Or at least don't think of right off.

I use this in Shadowrun...the runners are often involved with several 1st
and 2nd tier corps....which are of course run by the big boys, BUT the
runners don't know which....and often, the ownership isn't all that
obvious....my guys don't use deckers too heavily, so often they spend a lot
of the run playing "guess the megacorp".

-=SwiftOne=-
Message no. 11
From: Brett Borger <bxb121@***.EDU>
Subject: Re: Mobil's Smartpass
Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 08:41:51 -0400
>> Well, perhaps not Microsoft. Big and/or powerful as they are, they still
>> only make software. Now, some of the Japanese/Korean companies... Mitsu,
>> Matsushita, Daewoo... Daewoo makes *everything*; they have fingers in
>> every pie. I'd say they are the modern day megacorps, not some
>> unimaginative half-assed software company (hmm, is my computer going to
>> blow up now?)
>And what about GM or Mercedes or BMW... they've got their fingers in
>everything also... just under different names!!!

You really can't get a megacorp in the US due to our anti-trust and other
such laws. As for BMW, and Mercedes and such, I don't really know, but I
seriously doubt they can compete with Daewoo....

-=SwiftOne=-
Message no. 12
From: Arnat <kajohnson@*******.TEC.WI.US>
Subject: Re: Mobil's Smartpass
Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 12:53:40 -0500
> You really can't get a megacorp in the US due to our anti-trust and
> other such laws.

Huh?

PepsiCo
Shell Oil
USX


Antitrust laws only prevent the total control of a single interest by one
organization, but say nothing about, say, 1/3 control of everything!!!

Gossamer
Message no. 13
From: "Steven A. Tinner" <bluewizard@*****.COM>
Subject: Re: Mobil's Smartpass
Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 13:40:57 -0400
> You really can't get a megacorp in the US due to our anti-trust and other
> such laws. As for BMW, and Mercedes and such, I don't really know, but I
> seriously doubt they can compete with Daewoo....

Daewoo is big in the asian and european markets, but has minimal exposure
in the US.
IMO the only true mega's are Masushita (sic?) Who make Panasonic, Technics,
and a host of other products.
Mistubishi who make almost everything they utilize themselves - from the
TV's to the trucks they deliver them in.
And surprise, surprise ... GOLDSTAR!
This little company started as a two-bit Korean electronics manufacturer,
but has expanded into research, and other fields through many selective
buyouts.
This is the company that now owns Zenith, and many other old school corps.
They're the third largest electronics corp in the world!

Also, the Japanacorp Funai/Fuji is right up there too.
They are the company that manufactures 85% of all VCR's in the world, they
own all the Fuji stuff, most of Magnavox, just purchased the Sylvania name
.. they're growing.

Steven A. Tinner
bluewizard@*****.com
http://www.ncweb.com/users/bluewizard
"These Catholic Girls are like Wiffle Balls ... they just don't go very far
.."
Message no. 14
From: Sascha Pabst <Sascha.Pabst@**********.UNI-OLDENBURG.DE>
Subject: Re: Mobil's Smartpass
Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 19:01:00 +0000
On 29 May 97 at 13:37, david lowe wrote:
[snip]
> I've said it before, I'll say it again, look at food based
> corporations, esp Coca-Fraggin'-Cola. They own a little peice of
> everything. Petroleum, telecommunications, manufacturing. In SR we
> are used to the big name corps who control everything, but I belive
> in real life the biggest players are one's we don't see. Or at least
> don't think of right off.
But it's the same in SR. Most people will not see Megacorp X owns
small-tier corp A, B and C. Shadowrunners might notice (when suddenly
they face Desert War veterans instead of simple guards :-), but Joe
Average will most probably don't know... As we don't know many details
of who-owns-who today.

Sascha
--
+---___---------+----------------------------------------+--------------------+
| / / _______ | Jhary-a-Conel aka Sascha Pabst | 'If I'd had to buy |
| / /_/ ____/ |Sascha.Pabst@**********.Uni-Oldenburg.de| you, you wouldn't |
| \___ __/ | | be worth the |
|==== \_/ ======| *Wearing hats is just a way of life* | price.' |
|LOGOUT FASCISM!| - Me | - E.Weatherwax |
+------------- http://www.informatik.uni-oldenburg.de/~jhary ----(T.Pratchett)+
Message no. 15
From: Tuvyah@***.COM
Subject: Re: Mobil's Smartpass
Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 15:49:20 -0400
>Joe Average will most probably don't know... As we don't know many details
of who-owns-who today.<

Some of the BIGGEST shareholders in the world today are not even companies or
individuals -- they're pension plans. So if you've worked for Podunk Inc. for
the last thirty years, contributing to your pension fund, you may have an
infinitesimal stake in one of the most powerful market forces in the U.S.
today.

Pension funds might make interesting Mr. Johnsons....

Smilin' Ted
"...who knows why he's smilin'."
Message no. 16
From: "MARTIN E. GOTTHARD" <s457033@*******.GU.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: Mobil's Smartpass
Date: Sun, 1 Jun 1997 12:30:55 +1000
> The Korean companies are actually not good examples, IIRC. The diversity of
> their product lines is an artifact of South Korean government interference.
> The banking and stock systems in South Korea are such that the Korean
> "chaebol"s have no place to put their cash flow but back into new product
> lines, whether or not this is the best move for the company. In other words,
> the companies are forced to pursue this strategy regardless of overall
> profitability, while (presumably) megacorps like Fuchi and Shiawase enter a
> new market because they see the potential for profit.
>
> It's been a while since I read up on South Korea's companies, but I'm fairly
> sure I'm correct.
>

True or not, the mordern yuppie can accesorise enitirely with Deawoo;
They make laptops, mobile phones, cars..... and guns.
I've seen an advert for a semi-auto rifle by Daewoo, basically a cut-down
version of the Korean Army-issue rifle

That rifle's just the thing for that early-morning incident of road rage.


Marty

Further Reading

If you enjoyed reading about Mobil's Smartpass, you may also be interested in:

Disclaimer

These messages were posted a long time ago on a mailing list far, far away. The copyright to their contents probably lies with the original authors of the individual messages, but since they were published in an electronic forum that anyone could subscribe to, and the logs were available to subscribers and most likely non-subscribers as well, it's felt that re-publishing them here is a kind of public service.

Thwap!