[nandemo]

> Beyond OS kernels , drivers and embedded systems is there any real use for this?

If you're parsing a binary format you'll probably use bit shifting.

Bit shifting is just bitwise arithmetic. Assuming you did CS or a related degree, it's more likely you forgot about being taught about it. In fact it'd pretty hard to come up with a CS syllabus that does not mention bitwise arithmetic.

These are some subjects where bitwise arithmetic is bound to appear: Intro to Programming, Data Structures, Operating Systems, Computer Architecture/Organization, Graphics, Cryptography, Implementation of Programming Languages.