Nor should it be regarded as the sole option for communication in biobank research: Relying heavily on electronic communication strategies will exclude individuals and groups from taking part in activities like biomedical research, because of what has been labelled 'the technological and digital divide'.
But the adventure was too tempting, and rejecting a radio, off he sailed from Plymouth, a slingshot his sole means of communication.
They were the sole means of communication between Spain and its Philippine colony and served as an economic lifeline for the Spaniards in Manila.
However, if the phone is your sole means of communication and cracking it open to upgrade or fix it makes you nervous, consider finding a local repair shop or mail-in service with a fast turnaround to handle the job.
It may seem an anachronism, but if Google aims to be the main or even sole conduit for communication in the areas it is expanding to, it does have to offer this.
With smartphones serving as a primary source of entertainment, a catalog for encrypted passwords, and the sole form of communication for many a geek, few tech-related mishaps suck worse than having your handset stolen.
"Most assistive technology is overpriced and yet may be a student's sole means of communication or may give someone the ability to use a computer," says Chris Schlechty, a senior at the University of Washington studying computer science.
Pub/sub, however, is inappropriate as the sole means of communication for emerging healthcare, as it provides only for stream-based interactions (request-reply is cumbersome), and the layer of indirection (event-bus) favours anonymous interactions through a shared communication channel, which is inappropriate for healthcare as it raises identity, security and policy enforcement concerns.
Smuggled letters are their sole means of communication with the outside world.
Over 20,000 pigeons and 370 handlers were used during the war, and at times, they were the sole means of communication.
The issue here is that relationships start to suffer only when electronic communication is the sole or preferred form of contact, since relationships based solely on electronic communication lack the emotional depth of relationships that include face-to-face contact.
