ARM Community: How the US Embassy made me read a paper book! - ARM Community

It’s only when preparing for my US Visa interview that I realised how much technology I was using and abusing daily
With a look back on my experience, you might see that you too are nearly as much of a geek as I am

First, I needed to submit my application online (DS-160) so I used the ARM Cortex-A8 based Toshiba AC-100 to fill-in the form (of course). The webcam came in handy to submit the picture and an ARM Powered^® HP Photosmart C309n gave me all printouts needed for the interview.
Having to go to London, I thought the train journey would be a great occasion to organise emails and catch up on some work… But no laptop allowed within the Embassy (and no storage offered).

As I could configure my work iPhone or my personal Cortex-A8 based HTC Desire to fetch at some work emails, I thought “Never mind, less practical than a full keyboard but I’ll use my ARM Smart Mobile Device”. Well, no luck either: no mobile phone; actually all electronic devices (as well as guns and cameras) are banned!

This meant that I had to travel in silence (no podcast, music or radio) and I had to prepare my travel instead of relying on technology at the exit of Kings Cross Station:

• no GPS with Google Maps / Street View,
• no car keys because of the transponder and radio transmitter included,
• no SMS / emails for more than half a day,
• having to find a watch! to keep time…

Still, I managed to keep my Oyster card (should probably have used ARM SecurCore IMHO) which is using RFID technology to get you through London public transport. Some headphones forgotten in my jacket unfortunately ended in the bin.

And why did I have to bear such awful technology cravings? Simply because my passport does not feature the latest security technologies! Laughable, isn’t it?!

In the meantime, I have been able to go through a good chunk of my book and scribble this, so all good.