this post was submitted on 08 Dec 2023
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I got a task to buy a smart phone for my grandparents, they are not techsavy but they know how to use basic functions. Iam looking for an andoid because it has language pack i need. I dont need it to have lots of functions, onley a good camera and a big screen. Bonus points if it can be flashed with some kind of simplefied version of android.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

SOS doesn't stand for anything. People made it up later.

The original distress signal was CQD, which stood for "seeking you, distress" or "all stations, distress," according to PBS. This was widely used by the British, while Germans used SOE and the Americans used NC, which meant "call for help without delay."

A 1906 International Telegraphic Radio Conference effectively standardized communication by suggesting the simpler SOS, which is easier to signal because of its distinct dots and dashes sequence.

See the difference for yourself:

CQD: -.-./--.-/-..

SOS: .../---/...

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2023/05/12/what-does-sos-mean-its-history-and-what-it-means-on-your-iphone/11746118002/

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

SOS doesn’t stand for anything. People made it up later.

Ah, so is it a backronym, then? Neat, I didn't know that.

The original distress signal was CQD, which stood for “seeking you, distress”

How did they decide on those letters? Is it relevant that "CQ" sounds a bit like "seek you"?