Good tech, bad tech

Random thought for today was on tech ...

Tech is getting ever deeper involved in our lives nowadays, to the point where we'd struggle to do anything without it. My recent pet subject (cars!) shows this to the nth degree, as cars have gone from purely mechanical carburettors and pumps and pulleys and chains to computer control, sensors, motors and all sorts of weird stuff that wasn't invented 10 years ago let alone strong enough to put in a car.

And now there's things like laser spark plugs coming through development ...

Some tech's good, some tech's a waste of time. Cars used to be pretty bombproof, albeit rather temperamental and never really at 100%. Nowadays, the computers keep the noisy bits working at top efficiency but if something ickle breaks ... Problems.

Phones are another example - my latest phone does everything. You could probably hook up a keyboard and screen and use it as a full computer. I could use it as a satnav instead of the clunky iPaq I use now. But ... with its tiny screen and short battery life, I'm not sure I'd want to use it as a satnav. Plus it's not much good for its primary function (it's a PHONE!) when it's being a satnav. Oh and you need a mobile phone signal and available data on your allocation.

Had a play with tech today - and it surprisingly went ok. We have an IT system at work that is much derided (they keep adding stuff before it's ready) but its major achievement is that we can log in from any site belonging to our organisation and get the access we expect. (That's if the hamsters have been fed of course) Could have done with a bit more tech to help out though, as I was jumping between doing notes and clicking a button to make the slides go. A wireless mouse would have been handy.

People go for the shinies ... but don't really consider "Is Shiny Better ?"

Wireless seems to be the next big thing. And it does have its place. Thing is though, that "place" isn't everywhere. Why have a wireless keyboard and mouse if they're used with a desktop type PC that doesn't move ? No point, plus the wireless stuff has limits that aren't an issue with a simple wire.

Connectivity - wireless uses either Infra Red (light we can't see) or radio. Put more than one of those together and you get interference. One IR device triggers off another, one radio causes mysterious jamming. I have to occasionally hit the reset button on my network stuff to make the iTunes audio streaming work ok.

With my wireless mouse (no longer in use), it was actually more restrictive than a wire because it used a sensor with a limited view that needed to keep its IR eye on the mouse. That's tech Gone Bad.

Batteries - most wireless kit works off batteries (duh !). The trouble there is that Strange Things happen when the batteries go down. Like a mouse or keyboard that goes to sleep (usually at the worst time) or a Totalbiscuit headset that deafens him because of those Strange Things.

Some tech is good, some tech is bad.

When you're buying stuff, always ask yourself whether what you're getting is :

Actually going to be of use.
Going to be reliable
Still be in use in 6 months (I don't use my PDA as a PDA any more, just as a satnav)
Too much or just enough

Shiny is good but too shiny can blind you.

And I think you're probably guessing by now that an early start and 4.5 hours (240 miles + lunch) on the road today means my capacity for rational thought is deserting me.

Signing off. Enjoy the shinies ! But don't waste your cash on stuff that's too shiny to be actually useful.