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This is the the exact reason I'm keeping a 15 year old vehicle until the wheels fall off.
Haven't had an accident since 1986, and new vehicles are over-priced.
In the auto forum here, many new owners are complaining there are too many gadgets they don't wish to pay for; adding unnecessary cost.
I must concede this though, I did upgrade the stereo and love music on demand. But again, who needs 5 different shades of purple to choose from on the monitor?.
See, I'm the opposite - give me the technological complexity if it increases the safety, the reason being I can control my own driving and to some extent anticipate other drivers' behavior, but ultimately I cannot control other drivers on the road. This can be especially concerning in a high-density urban areas where bad drivers and traffic accidents are plentiful. I lived in the Midwest for years with not even a fender bender, but since moving to the East Coast the risk has increased exponentially. Just a couple months ago, I was violently rear-ended by another vehicle while waiting at a red light. The driver was texting and didn't stop. We implicitly rely on the driver behind us to also recognize and stop at a red light, but it doesn't always happen. If his car had auto-brake functionality, we could have avoided an accident and thousands of $$ in repairs due to negligence and lack of attention. I hope these things become mandatory eventually - humans are generally terrible at driving.
See, I'm the opposite - give me the technological complexity if it increases the safety, the reason being I can control my own driving and to some extent anticipate other drivers' behavior, but ultimately I cannot control other drivers on the road. This can be especially concerning in a high-density urban areas where bad drivers and traffic accidents are plentiful. I lived in the Midwest for years with not even a fender bender, but since moving to the East Coast the risk has increased exponentially. Just a couple months ago, I was violently rear-ended by another vehicle while waiting at a red light. The driver was texting and didn't stop. We implicitly rely on the driver behind us to also recognize and stop at a red light, but it doesn't always happen. If his car had auto-brake functionality, we could have avoided an accident and thousands of $$ in repairs due to negligence and lack of attention. I hope these things become mandatory eventually - humans are generally terrible at driving.
Yet technology was the reason you were rear ended.
Those little gadgets make a bad driver even worse, I see it all the time.
20 years ago all we had were one button push speaker phones, those were safer.
But I do love the new Tesla I was in the other day, amazing technology.
Yet technology was the reason you were rear ended.
Those little gadgets make a bad driver even worse, I see it all the time.
20 years ago all we had were one button push speaker phones, those were safer.
But I do love the new Tesla I was in the other day, amazing technology.
Yep! Any non hands-free cell phone usage while driving is (rightly, in my opinion) illegal in my state, but it doesn't stop a lot of people from texting anyway. Perhaps if they raise it to a misdemeanor offense with automatic points and revocation for repeat offenses, similar to negligent or reckless driving, that might get peoples' attention.
Technology continues to make the world a better and better place with more to do and more control of the world around us. I wouldn’t even have my business without technology as it depends on the Internet, smart phones, tablets, computers, video production gear and inexpensive editing software, etc. My entire new house will be a smart home complete with Alexa integration for everything. A simple phrase and I can control numerous systems at once and make the house bend to my will. It’s an incredible world we live in and always improving!
Yep! Any non hands-free cell phone usage while driving is (rightly, in my opinion) illegal in my state, but it doesn't stop a lot of people from texting anyway. Perhaps if they raise it to a misdemeanor offense with automatic points and revocation for repeat offenses, similar to negligent or reckless driving, that might get peoples' attention.
There was a study by the University of Utah I believe, using both alcohol and smartphones.
The smartphone user rated as poorly as the legally impaired driver.
But here's the variable that blew me away, there was a third tested driver; having conversation with a passenger sitting next to driver.
That driver rated as poorly as the first 2.
They just made it a moving violation in my state, yet I still see blatant violations of phone to ear.
Yet with the above knowledge, it seems any distraction or impairment is a risk for other drivers.
*Shrugs*
The “scam” is in the fond belief that our lives will become substantially better. They have not. New conveniences are accompanied by unforeseen problems. New options bring new frets. I like my smart-phone well enough, and am grateful for the shortcuts that it enables. But with everyone having smartphones, the settled expectation is that everyone takes those shortcuts. So, more is demanded of us. And if we fail, or misunderstand the technology, we look like idiots.
For example, in the days of paper maps, there was ready excuse for a newcomer to be late for an appointment. One might simply have gotten lost, or stuck in traffic, not being familiar with the place and not knowing what to expect. Today, it is assumed that not only does the phone guide us along optimum path, but warns of traffic, and routes us around it. The tardy arrival has no excuse. Or consider ordering a meal at a take-out place. I arrive, get in line, reach the counter and place my order, expecting the filling of that order in 10 minutes or so. But several other people have already ordered by internet. They arrive, their order is brought out; they grab it and leave, while I seethe petulantly in my corner, waiting. Had all of us arrived in-person to place our orders, at least I’d be aware of the line ahead of me, or considering said line to be excessive, I’d leave, and find some other restaurant.
But to the OP’s immediate concern, we ought to be mindful of generations of technology. The original concept of using electricity for communication was profoundly revolutionary. I speak of the telegraph. Next came the telephone – a very useful improvement, but more a variation on the telegraph’s theme, than something totally new. Then came wireless phones, connecting by radio to networks of towers, which then used wires or satellites. Finally, the smart-phone, which upgraded the wireless phone with a beautiful screen and a powerful computer-processor. As technology evolves, it does precisely that – evolve. The telegraph was revolutionary. The telephone, less so. The cell phone and smart-phone even less so. They’re evolutionary changes, not revolutionary changes. This is why the OP can type on a 10-year-old laptop and not feel enormous deficit relative to the latest laptops. But had the OP’s computer been from say the 1980s, the deficit would be large indeed. Had the computer been from the 1960s, the deficit would be enormous. Go back one or more decades, and the very act of typing on an electronic machine would have been impossible.
This is also why I think that innovation is slowing down, rather than accelerating. Will we have some presently-inconceivable innovation over the smart-phone or laptop? Likely so. But how much better would it be? 10 or 20 years from now, would the devices that we use to record our thoughts and to communicate them, be all that much more powerful, faster or more useful? Somehow I doubt that.
Your 1st paragraph says it all.
If I understand you correctly, the faster things go, everyone is expected to keep up. Thus no one is getting further ahead or further behind than before Tech evolution. Everyones place in line in comparison to each other is still the same. Computers, cell phones, etc to me are no different than a Frisbee. Just something to spend $ on and mess around with, Like C-D. Did anyone ever miss a microwave before they were invented.
Life would go on without all this new tech just fine. Just another part of consumerism.
Technology continues to make the world a better and better place with more to do and more control of the world around us. I wouldn’t even have my business without technology as it depends on the Internet, smart phones, tablets, computers, video production gear and inexpensive editing software, etc. My entire new house will be a smart home complete with Alexa integration for everything. A simple phrase and I can control numerous systems at once and make the house bend to my will. It’s an incredible world we live in and always improving!
You did not reveal what you do. Perhaps we can exist fine without your business.
As I sit here using a 12 year old computer with Vista software, I am pondering this question.
Supposedly this non-supported Microsoft product should function very poorly at best.
Yet it only slows down at night, when my poor ISP is at peak usage.
And the cell phones, mine is outdated after only 4 years. My next one will be even more outdated, a waterproof/shock proof flip phone. Smartphones cost as much as laptops now, and I do need a new computer.
Taking into account our destruction of the planet, are we as a society more efficient in 2017 than we were in 1990?.
I think we accomplished more without all the distractions.
Money making? Yes. A scam? Ummmm, no. Technology pushes us forward and keeps the world turning. Technology is used daily, and we're definitely more efficient with it now than we our back in the 90's. What can be stored on the world's smallest thumb drive would've taken over 20 floppy disks to compensate. The 90's was the digital age though, which helped us get to where we are know.
And as an IT Pro, I fail to believe your computer and network connection function as great as you say it does. Same for your phone. Tech is like anything else; wears out/slows down, and eventually dies. As a user running Windows Vista, you have ZERO protection while browsing the web. Microsoft hasn't released security patches for Vista in ages. Hope you don't do a lot of online shopping or use any service that requires your info, because you are seriously at risk. Also, give it some time before your cell phone company keeps improving their networks. Won't be long until 5G is fully incorporated, and your flip phone won't be able to pick the frequency/signal.
It's like my sister always says: "The cheap comes out expensive." No point in bragging about that. Upgrade before you're a victim of a nasty virus, or even worse, identity theft.
Money making? Yes. A scam? Ummmm, no. Technology pushes us forward and keeps the world turning. Technology is used daily, and we're definitely more efficient with it now than we our back in the 90's. What can be stored on the world's smallest thumb drive would've taken over 20 floppy disks to compensate. The 90's was the digital age though, which helped us get to where we are know.
And as an IT Pro, I fail to believe your computer and network connection function as great as you say it does. Same for your phone. Tech is like anything else; wears out/slows down, and eventually dies. As a user running Windows Vista, you have ZERO protection while browsing the web. Microsoft hasn't released security patches for Vista in ages. Hope you don't do a lot of online shopping or use any service that requires your info, because you are seriously at risk. Also, give it some time before your cell phone company keeps improving their networks. Won't be long until 5G is fully incorporated, and your flip phone won't be able to pick the frequency/signal.
It's like my sister always says: "The cheap comes out expensive." No point in bragging about that. Upgrade before you're a victim of a nasty virus, or even worse, identity theft.
Had no choice but to upgrade, as Microsoft ceased supporting vista around the same time I created this thread(and the reason I started the thread). Windows 10 isn't a whole lot better, a few upgrades make life easier; but certainly nothing that gave me the wow factor.
The new Moto phone was definitely an upgrade over a flip, as I can do more with pics and have music on demand in the car now; which also required a new receiver.
So here I am spending $$ on technology.
There is no question some is a scam, but as previously mentioned; I do enjoy the gadgets to an extent.
Another scam gadget, and 2 1/2 years later; I still use the same laptop over the dumbphone.
It's faster, and has a much larger screen; so I can actually watch movies.
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