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hummingbird
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 Posted:
Tue Nov 01, 2005 5:36 pm Post subject:
Re: what electronic stuff is there in UK postboxes? |
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Was it David Blunkett inside the box I wonder? ;-)
--
"Turkey should join the EU 'because it is a European country'"
....Jack Straw 2nd October 2005 in Luxembourg.
BBC: "only 22% of citizens across Europe want Turkey to join the EU"
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Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 01, 2005 5:36 pm Post subject:
Re: what electronic stuff is there in UK postboxes? |
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Indeed. I also recall the story of J B Morton ('Beachcomber') who
would attract a crowd by walking up to a postbox and shouting into the
letter slot 'It's safe to come out now!' |
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Hognoxious
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 01, 2005 11:45 pm Post subject:
Re: what electronic stuff is there in UK postboxes? |
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| Quote: | Our local one has its own midget MI5 agaent inside, who takes X-ray
photocopies of each letter as it drops through the slot.
Does he masturbate though, in the post box?
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Of course, how do think he reseals any envelopes that he opens?
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Archie
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Nov 02, 2005 1:41 am Post subject:
Re: what electronic stuff is there in UK postboxes? |
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On 1 Nov 2005 02:25:40 -0800, "joeh" <j.hutcheon@jisc.ac.uk> wrote:
| Quote: | Our local one has its own midget MI5 agaent inside, who takes X-ray
photocopies of each letter as it drops through the slot.
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All foreign language letters are sent to GCHQ for translation prior to
sending on. I got this from a man in the pub last night. |
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banana
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Nov 02, 2005 5:06 pm Post subject:
Re: what electronic stuff is there in UK postboxes? |
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Maybe it's one in a country wall, the sort that birds sometimes nest in?
But when collecting mail from ordinary free-standing cylindrical
cast-iron boxes, posties use a handheld electronic device. I am open to
the idea that this is simply a barcode reader. I am also open to the
idea that there is at least an RFID circuit together with the barcode
inside the box. (Barcodes are very easy to print). I assure you,
however, that there is electronic logging of the visit, involving the
pointing of a handheld device at what's behind the door.
If the box were an 'ordinary' one, you could not avoid noticing this.
| Quote: | I feel like I'm on one of the video bits of the Teletubbies - why don't
you know this?
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Why should I know what you can see from your window, what you feel like,
or what TV programmes you watch? :-)
| Quote: | What electronics were you expecting?
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See above.
As for radio interference, I only know about such interference in the
vicinity of a number of business postboxes - as I said, the ones that
only take franked mail. I have had reports from several. Obviously I
haven't had reports from all of them...
--
banana "The thing I hate about you, Rowntree, is the way you
give Coca-Cola to your scum, and your best teddy-bear to
Oxfam, and expect us to lick your frigid fingers for the
rest of your frigid life." (Mick Travis, 'If...', 1968) |
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banana
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Nov 02, 2005 5:15 pm Post subject:
Re: what electronic stuff is there in UK postboxes? |
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In article <1130863035.718061.240020@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>, Jay
<jason@pcandy.demon.co.uk> writes
| Quote: | banana wrote:
In article <1130856751.053723.239350@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>, Jay
jason@pcandy.demon.co.uk> writes
banana wrote:
In article <Tohcy+A7mzZDFwPv@borve.demon.co.uk>, banana <banana@REMOVE_T
HIS.borve.demon.co.uk> writes
snip |
| Quote: | My old fella works for the P.O.
There are no devices. They scan a barcode at each post box, into a hand
held device. This lets the gaffers know when and which boxes are empty.
Thanks for this. Also it lets them know what time the worker has visited
the box. Are you saying there's only a printed barcode in the box...no
electronic tag of any kind?
Why is there so much interference on car radios close to business boxes?
He is sure of no devices, just called him. Just the barcode.
Gonna find out about the business boxes for you.
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Many thanks!
(I've heard a report of a postie complaining about this, seeing it as a
time-and-motion sort of thing... I don't doubt that it does serve this
function. But printed barcodes are low-tech and many people know how to
get them printed.
People who work for the AA [Automobile Association, not Alcoholics
Anonymous!] have also been subjected to a huge amount of time-and-motion
crap... It can be almost like working in a call centre. Spend too long
doing this or that, and they're told they're 'costing' the AA so much).
I'd also be interested to know whether there's any electronic security
in postboxes - e.g. if some nutter tries to break into one or smash it
up...
--
banana "The thing I hate about you, Rowntree, is the way you
give Coca-Cola to your scum, and your best teddy-bear to
Oxfam, and expect us to lick your frigid fingers for the
rest of your frigid life." (Mick Travis, 'If...', 1968) |
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banana
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Nov 02, 2005 5:35 pm Post subject:
Re: what electronic stuff is there in UK postboxes? |
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I should add that in one case, the business postbox is practically
adjacent to a phone booth. I don't know whether anyone has checked to
ensure that interference is not just coming from the latter. I will try
to check this about the others.
--
banana "The thing I hate about you, Rowntree, is the way you
give Coca-Cola to your scum, and your best teddy-bear to
Oxfam, and expect us to lick your frigid fingers for the
rest of your frigid life." (Mick Travis, 'If...', 1968) |
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Ian Bailey
Guest
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| Posted:
Thu Nov 03, 2005 1:35 am Post subject:
Re: what electronic stuff is there in UK postboxes? |
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banana wrote:
| Quote: | Maybe it's one in a country wall, the sort that birds sometimes nest in?
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Nope. Its a free-standing box on a pole.
| Quote: | But when collecting mail from ordinary free-standing cylindrical
cast-iron boxes, posties use a handheld electronic device. I am open to
the idea that this is simply a barcode reader.
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Surely if a system existed it would be on all post boxes - otherwise
what use it it? I can categorically assure you that my post box has no
electronics, no barcodes and my postie has no handheld device.
I am also open to the
| Quote: | idea that there is at least an RFID circuit together with the barcode
inside the box. (Barcodes are very easy to print). I assure you,
however, that there is electronic logging of the visit, involving the
pointing of a handheld device at what's behind the door.
If the box were an 'ordinary' one, you could not avoid noticing this.
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I couldn't - apart from the fact that my postbox has no electronics or
barcodes inside it.
Ian |
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banana
Guest
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| Posted:
Thu Nov 03, 2005 1:35 am Post subject:
Re: what electronic stuff is there in UK postboxes? |
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Maybe the system is being phased in. Maybe it's considered more useful
to the bosses to have it in most postboxes than in none. Whatever,
'ordinary' postboxes do contain (at least) barcodes that the postie
points an electronic device at.
But even the smallest postboxes would have room for a printed barcode,
e.g. on the back of the door - or indeed an RFID chip. Maybe
bureaucratic idiocy is involved somewhere along the line.
| Quote: | I can categorically assure you that my post box has no
electronics, no barcodes and my postie has no handheld device.
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--
banana "The thing I hate about you, Rowntree, is the way you
give Coca-Cola to your scum, and your best teddy-bear to
Oxfam, and expect us to lick your frigid fingers for the
rest of your frigid life." (Mick Travis, 'If...', 1968) |
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Guest
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| Posted:
Thu Nov 03, 2005 4:11 pm Post subject:
Re: what electronic stuff is there in UK postboxes? |
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banana wrote:
| Quote: | In article <1130966370.045134.120920@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>, Ian
Bailey <a690houghtoncut@hotmail.com> writes
Surely if a system existed it would be on all post boxes - otherwise
what use it it?
Maybe the system is being phased in. Maybe it's considered more useful
to the bosses to have it in most postboxes than in none. Whatever,
'ordinary' postboxes do contain (at least) barcodes that the postie
points an electronic device at.
But even the smallest postboxes would have room for a printed barcode,
e.g. on the back of the door - or indeed an RFID chip. Maybe
bureaucratic idiocy is involved somewhere along the line.
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Apologies for my earlier flippancy. The press notice below states
(note 6) that 'Barcode readers are used extensively in the Cardiff,
Flintshire, Newport, Rhyl and Swansea areas.' They seem to be simply
for recording when a collection is made.
A TIMELY REMINDER
15 April 2004 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Collection tabs on post boxes, which tell postal users which
collections during the
day have been carried out, are being reintroduced.
The reintroduction follows a year-long campaign by consumer watchdog
Postwatch.
Says Eifion Pritchard, Chairman of Postwatch Wales "This is what the
public have
been telling us they want. People want to know they are catching the
last post and
their letters will not be left in the box overnight."
"We have been pressurising Royal Mail to bring back tabs on post
boxes for quite
some time. I am glad the company is listening to the voice of the
consumer."
Eifion Pritchard adds, "To help press the case for the collection
tabs to be
reintroduced, Postwatch Wales carried out a survey. The results show
that the
overall picture in Wales is that customers for the most part, can rely
on post boxes
being emptied on time every day."
The survey's co-ordinator, Postwatch Wales Committee member Gordon
Donaldson
says, "Our test letters were posted from boxes around Wales some 5-10
minutes
before the last collection time. The findings show that 6.8% of these
test letters were
delayed. We suspect this is because post was collected earlier than the
advertised
last times."
Eifion Pritchard concludes "It seems the picture for Wales is better
than that for the
UK as a whole. A research project commissioned by Postwatch earlier
this year
showed that UK-wide, 18% of post was collected early."
"Postwatch Wales's findings are good news for postal users in
Wales, but people
want a guarantee that their post will be collected on time."
- ENDS -
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Collection tabs, the numbered metal plates on post boxes, are being
reintroduced during the remainder of 2004.
2. UK-wide research commissioned by Postwatch and published in January
2004, showed that 18% of post was collected early or late i.e. before
or after
the time advertised on the post box.
3. Postwatch Wales conducted an in-depth review into the situation in
Wales.
4. There are 9,000 post boxes in Wales. 477 (5.3%) post boxes were
included in
the Postwatch Wales survey.
5. The 601 test letters for the Postwatch Wales survey were posted 5-10
minutes
before the last collection time.
6. 6.8% of the test letters were delayed because of suspected early
collections.
In areas of Wales were barcode readers are used by Royal Mail suspected
early
collections were as low as 3.3%. Barcode readers are used extensively
in the Cardiff,
Flintshire, Newport, Rhyl and Swansea areas. |
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oO
Guest
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| Posted:
Sat Nov 05, 2005 5:35 pm Post subject:
Re: what electronic stuff is there in UK postboxes? |
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| Quote: | I'd be grateful for info as to what electronic gadgetry is installed in
UK postboxes.
How are visits by Royal Mail workers to empty the boxes logged
electronically?
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Using RFID presumably?
| Quote: | Presumably the vans are all satellite-tracked. But what gizmo do the
workers use to 'shake hands' with the gadgetry in the box?
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An RFID reader?
| Quote: | And what about 'business postboxes' - the ones for franked mail only?
Just try using your car radio near one. You probably won't be able to,
because of the electromagnetic interference.
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Where would the electromagnetic interference be coming from?
Royal Mail to spend £2m on RFID - Part and parcel of the supply chain
http://www.silicon.com/research/specialreports/enterprise/0,3800003425,39128187,00.htm
This may also be of use:
RFID for Postal and Courier Services -
http://www.idtechex.com/products/en/printview.asp?productcategoryid=87
In the major new report "RFID for the Postal and Courier Service", IDTechEx
estimate that the global market for RFID systems, including tags, in this
sector will be $3 billion in 2016. It could be much bigger if current
efforts to tag individual items gain widespread acceptance. In due course,
over one trillion postal items will be tagged yearly, making this the second
largest application of RFID in the world after the retail supply chain. |
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banana
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 08, 2005 1:36 am Post subject:
Re: what electronic stuff is there in UK postboxes? |
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In article <3t3o3rFqg8s8U1@individual.net>, oO <o@o.org> writes
| Quote: | "banana" <banana@REMOVE_THIS.borve.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:Tohcy+A7mzZDFwPv@borve.demon.co.uk...
I'd be grateful for info as to what electronic gadgetry is installed in
UK postboxes.
How are visits by Royal Mail workers to empty the boxes logged
electronically?
Using RFID presumably?
Presumably the vans are all satellite-tracked. But what gizmo do the
workers use to 'shake hands' with the gadgetry in the box?
An RFID reader?
And what about 'business postboxes' - the ones for franked mail only?
Just try using your car radio near one. You probably won't be able to,
because of the electromagnetic interference.
Where would the electromagnetic interference be coming from?
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Dunno what they are up to, but:
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/01/15/wireless_lamp_posts_take_over>
| Quote: | "If you look at how much electronics you can get into a lamp-post,
or a traffic light, or any other bit of ordinary street furniture
such as a 'Keep Left' sign or a 'No Entry' indicator, it's
impressive," said Abell [CEO of Last Mile]
Royal Mail to spend £2m on RFID - Part and parcel of the supply chain
http://www.silicon.com/research/specialreports/enterprise/0,3800003425,39128187,
00.htm
This may also be of use:
RFID for Postal and Courier Services -
http://www.idtechex.com/products/en/printview.asp?productcategoryid=87
In the major new report "RFID for the Postal and Courier Service", IDTechEx
estimate that the global market for RFID systems, including tags, in this
sector will be $3 billion in 2016. It could be much bigger if current
efforts to tag individual items gain widespread acceptance. In due course,
over one trillion postal items will be tagged yearly, making this the second
largest application of RFID in the world after the retail supply chain.
|
--
banana "The thing I hate about you, Rowntree, is the way you
give Coca-Cola to your scum, and your best teddy-bear to
Oxfam, and expect us to lick your frigid fingers for the
rest of your frigid life." (Mick Travis, 'If...', 1968) |
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