XN000022-1982-12-06 — Page 8

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1982

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+YOURS IS AN ARCANE WORLD, IT IS ONE OF THE GREAT IRONIES OF OUR AGE THAT DEVELOPMENTS WHICH HAVE ALREADY CHANGED OUR LIVES, AND WHICH WILL CERTAINLY SHAPE OUR FUTURES THROUGH WHAT HAS BECOME KNOWN AS THE SECOND INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION' ARE SO LITTLE UNDERSTOOD BY OTHERWISE WELL-INFORMED PEOPLE.

+THIS IS A MEASURE, OF COURSE, OF THE SPEED OF DEVELOPMENT; AND THE DEGREE OF IGNORANCE SEEMS TO INCREASE IN RATIO TO AGE. I WATCH WITH WONDER AND NOT A LITTLE DISCOMFORT AT THE EASE WITH WHICH THE YOUNG ADAPT TO THE MICROCHIP IN ITS VARIOUS MANIFESTATIONS.

+IT IS NOT ALL THAT LONG AGO THAT THE SCHOOL CHILDREN EQUIVALENT TO THOSE NOW CASUALLY USING MICRO COMPUTERS WERE USING SLATES ON WHICH TO WRITE THEIR ARITHMETIC AND SPELLING.

+ IT IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO TALK OF THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY', FOR THE APPLICATION OF ITS TECHNOLOGY SEEMS TO KNOW NO BOUNDS AND PERMEATES VIRTUALLY ALL ASPECTS OF INDUSTRY, INDEED ALL ASPECTS OF SOCIETY.

+THE ONLY LIMITATIONS APPEAR TO BE IN WHAT PRACTITIONERS OF THE ART CALL NOT THE HARDWARE OR THE SOFTWARE, BUT RATHER THE 'WETWARE', THAT IS TO SAY THE BRAINS, THE INGENUITY AND THE COMPETENCE OF THE USERS.

+1 SEE FROM YOUR PROGRAMME THAT PAPERS WILL BE PRESENTED ON SUCH DIVERSE APPLICATIONS AS ROBOTICS, SPEECH SYNTHESIS, MEDICAL CARE, OFFICE AUTOMATION AND CHINESE LANGUAGE PROCESSING.

+ I DO NOT NEED TO STRESS TO THE HONG KONG MEMBERS OF THIS AUDIENCE JUST HOW IMPORTANT THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY HAS BECOME FOR US. AND HOW MUCH WE SHALL BE DEPENDENT IN FUTURE ON THE DEVELOPMENTS INSPIRED AND CREATED BY THE PARTICIPANTS IN THIS CONFERENCE. I WISH YOU EVERY SUCCESS WITH TENCON '82+, MR DORWARD SAID.

MORE PARKING SPACES IN COMING YEARS

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THE ACTING COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT, MR JAMES SO, TODAY (MONDAY) ASSURED MOTORISTS THAT MORE PARKING FACILITIES WILL BE AVAILABLE WITHIN THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS.

HE SAID THAT IMPROVEMENTS IN SERVICE MIGHT BE EXPECTED WHEN

THE FACILITIES ARE TAKEN OVER BY PRIVATE CONCERNS.

HOWEVER, HE ADDED THE COSTS OF THIS SERVICE ARE LIKELY TO INCREASE, THOUGH IT WILL NOT BE BEYOND THE REACH OF THE AVERAGE MOTOR IST.

SPEAKING AT A ROTARY LUNCH MEETING, MR SO STRESSED THAT THE LEVEL OF CHARGES WILL BE DETERMINED BY MARKET FORCES AND THAT IT IS IN THE INTEREST OF PRIVATE MANAGEMENT TO ENSURE THAT THEY DO NOT PRICE THEMSELVES OUT OF THE MARKET.

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