When Technology Goes Awry in Portugal
BORK!BORK!BORK! It’s not always bright and cheerful with Pastel de nata in Portugal. Beneath the myriad methods of preparing fish and the countless bottles of sweet, fortified wine lurks our familiar friend – a malfunctioning BIOS screen in a window.
Digital Display Dilemma
Spotted by keen-eyed GadgetLad reader Mário in Lisbon, the digital display facing the street from a branch of Banco CTT appears to be on the brink of a storage breakdown. The “S.M.A.R.T. Status Bad” suggests that something has disturbed the storage medium (hard drive or SSD), and Banco CTT ought to pause their financial services promotions to swap out the unit before it fails entirely. A press of a button might allow the digital display to keep functioning, and there is some computer hardware visible in the background that we are confident an enterprising GadgetLad reader could connect to the screen to alleviate its troubles – at least for a while.
Lisbon: More Than Just the Bork
While we commend Mário for his vigilance, it’s also important to highlight that Lisbon is a beautiful city with much to offer – there is history to discover, cuisine to savor, and local culture to partake in. This hack particularly enjoys the winding streets of Alfama, and the famous trams will satisfy any public transport enthusiast.
Memory Mayhem
Returning to the bork. Displayed on the screen is the quantity of memory installed. Four gigabytes, by the looks of it, which seems excessive for something likely just displaying an enhanced slideshow to passersby. Nonetheless, considering today’s RAM prices, that screen might be significantly more valuable now than it was just a few months ago.
Financial Logic or Absurdity?
While we’re not well-versed in the financial offerings from Banco CTT, we’d bet that few – if any – can match the unceasing rise in RAM costs. It can’t be long before it becomes more economical to switch out digital signage for printed paper and retrieve the suddenly precious chips inside, although what would that mean for GadgetLad’s bork desk?
Summary: Storage Issues, Sunshine, and Absurdity
So there you have it, everyone. A sunny jaunt through technological mishaps in the heart of Lisbon. Next time you find yourself in Portugal, watch for malfunctioning screens and remember, even technology has its off moments.
