Like most, I like technology and gadgets. Some of the best technology, is the "simple" things that make you smile and think .... "that's clever" For example : My car has climate control and built in sat nav. On days like this, the climate is set to low. Start the car and the fan kicks in a full blast. So, as the fan is loud, the stereo gets turned up a few clicks as well. Now the clever bit, when the sat nav kicks in with instructions, the speed of the fan is slowed to half and the stereo drops in volume. Then when directions are done, the fan builds up speed and the stereo volume comes up again. Only simple stuff, but, nice to see someone thought about the small things. So, what simple technology makes you smile?
The thought is simple, not sure about the application to achieve it. For me its the stuff that comes in a betterware mag...super simple cheap solutions to problems you never knew you had
I think that's clever technology rather than simple technology, clever technology IMO are just simple bits of every day design, for Example I cant believe the Ant chair was designed in the 1950's and the Anglepoise dates back to the 1930's. My personal favourite is the Eames Chair and Ottoman designed in the '50's, still selling like hot cakes over 60 years later.
I agree that the execution of my "simple" technology is not simple. But, it's not the kind of technology that screams at you. It just happens in the back ground, and shows someone has thought about it. Also agree with Carlos, love the Eames chair. I have a set of 6 Pantone S chairs in red in my dining room. Simple design and timeless.
Many years ago I hired a fairly basic Ford in the Lake District. It had, unbeknownst to be, intelligent windscreen wipers with a rain sensor. In spitting rain, they wiped periodically. Overtaking a lorry on the motorway, they would go made with the spray thrown up to clear it. Brilliant! You may all take it for granted. My 13 year old Alfa may have 4 intermittent settings for the wipers, but no rain capture. The next car I buy will definitely have one. I hate windscreen wipers. The noise is one of the most depressing in existence. Intelligent wipers are just a fab piece of technology - no more constantly faffing with the thing to get the right cadence (which can often not be achieved). Another brilliant piece of technology is the hole-in-the-wall. The amount of time I must have saved not queuing in banks. And you can get cash out any time. I never ceased to be amazed at how useful that is.
Mcdonalds drive thru. Inspirational, means I can get my early monring coffee without getting out of hot/cool/dry car
Just changed from a crap Blackberry to an iPhone 5 why didn't I do the iPhone thing years ago, what a fantastic bit of kit!
TiVo! It's not what you call simple technology but it's definitely my favourite bit of tech. I'm not much of a gadget person but that's the one electrical widget that I'd rescue from the burning building. Setting up multiple season passes to record, being able to fast forward through adverts, pausing to go and put the kettle on/go to the loo, while the programme is still recording. Ace! We had one of the original old school TiVos years ago, and then when Virgin Media launched their TiVo package a few years back, we went for it then.
Mrs C, have to agree. The ability to pause live TV, rewind if you missed something ..... Seems simple now, but awesome. A technology that you can easily take for granted, and fits into your world with ease. Perfect example of what I mean.
Carbon749, i agree totaly with what you say, its the little things, in my car my radio adjusts to the speed, faster i go the louder it gets, slower i go the quieter it gets, how cool is that !! Also found a "Tow away" alarm button the other day, if the front or rear of the car lifts beyond x degress it sets an alarm off, clever stuff !!
That sounds a bit like a Merc, with he tow away alarm. I love the "simple" technology, the kind that just fits into your life .... Without you having to think too much about.
And in the same vein, the intelligent lights that come on when it gets dark. Genius. The trouble is you get very lazy and eventually lose all sense of direction with it :frown:
Automatic wipers ? No, no, NO ! I have them on my Honda and they drive me insane ! I know when it's raining, and when it is I turn the wipers on. Trying to set the sensativity to match what I actually want is impossible - it would be far easier with adjustable intermittent wipers ( like I used to have ). I love pretty much every other feature on the Honda, but thgis is the one thing that I wish was not there. The best thing about it - and this is probably my favourite gadget - is split zone climate control. Being able to have the driver's side at 19c and the passenger side at 22c has ended years of arguments about what temperature the inside of the car should be. Simple and brilliant ! Oh, and btw, Pegeout had automatic wipers years before Ford copied them...
Yep, the auto wipers on my Astra are shite, like most of the cars I've tried with it. I had an old MG Metro years back that had 5-speed intermittent wipe, and that was far more useful. And what's this crap where you wash the screen and the wipers carry on for a few more wipes? If you're following a lorry in the rain it just makes the screen dirty again straight away. Bloody useless technology, that is
The Ford ones are worse than that Fig... They go for a couple of swipes after you stop the washing, then stop and wait a couple of seconds, then go again... What's that all about ? And I agree about the MG Metro - I had one of those too...
