What modern technological equipment baffles you?

[ColinJ]

The one thing I cannot really grasp is the rapid development of technology over the last 80-100 years comparatively to the previous few thousand. Even in my lifetime which is minuscule in the timeline the development graph is almost vertical.

Better tools make it easier to make better better tools and better better tools make it MUCH easier to make better better better tools. Once you have better better better tools then things that would have been horribly tedious become relatively simple.

I did a short course in technical drawing in 1974. You know, paper, pencils/pens, rulers etc. - remember them? It took ages to draw a few objects properly. These days you could fire up a CAD package and easily draw amazingly complex stuff. In the 1990s I was stunned when I saw what the drawing office could do with ORCAD. They were churning out designs for huge multi-layer printed circuit boards.

 

[Drago]

Alexa doesn't answer back like the Wife does.

 

[BoldonLad]

Alexa doesn't answer back like the Wife does.

My brother, (his wife is called Linda), got an Alexa. For a while, he amused himself giving orders to Alexa. One day, he thought it would be amusing to try the same technique with his wife. “Linda!, bring coffee”, he said. He should be out of hospital next week, I believe.

 

[Tim Hall]

Actually most of it doesn't. Boring old undersea cables still carry the overwhelming majority of data - including most phone calls and texts (unless you're using a satellite phone).

Damn. I was going to say that. Although carrying that many conversations and/or that much data down a bit if glass doesn't count as boring in my book. Finding broken cables on the bottom of the sea is getting on for "sufficiently advanced technology" too. The museum at Porthcurno is worth a visit if you like that kind of thing. It's not too far from Goonhilly, where you can learn about that old fashioned satellite stuff.

 

[MichaelW2]

German executive cars. On oneboring drive I tried to read the manual. Does anyone have full command ofall of thefunctions?

 

[MichaelW2]

AndroidphoneAsoft keypads. WtfWamWI typing

 

[MikeG]

Phones without a wire. What's that all about?

 

[Andrew_P]

Having been using the Smartphone far more in the last 6 months than ever before and turning everything on and using OK Google read my text etc I was mortified when I was prompted to view my "months Activity" Everywhere I had been to the nearest few feet, number of miles driven the searches on my phone, the worst of all recording of my voice asking Google a load of bollocks. bastards.

Showed my wife and she wanted to see hers it had over 25 recordings of her over 3 months and she never uses OK Google it I assume its where she presses assistant and doesn't know!

Is it wrong I find Alexa voice far more comforting and knowledgably than OK Google? My one cannot make her mind up one minute a slightly graty English UK next some really grating US voice. Then on navigation will pronounce a road name wrong the first time and then suddenly gets it right the second WTF is that about. Where as on my Android Phone Alexa is seamlessly efficient on Amazon Music.

 

[Drago]

View attachment 396950

Sir, you do me great honour!

 

[oldwheels]

I used to have 3 thread overlockers and a terrifying Pom Pom machine which I managed to keep going for many years. Self service tills in supermarkets tho’ baffle me and I always have to get someone to come and sort out the mess. It would save a lot of bother ( I am looking at you Lidl) if they would just open up a normal till when they see me coming. Yesterday I stalled a fuel filling station as I could not find the right button to press for paying at the desk.

 

[colly]

This is the IBM Quantum Computer.

I won’t try to explain for obvious reasons.

View attachment 396786

In 20 years time something like that will be the size of a grain of rice and we will all have them sewn into our jackseys at birth.

 

[Tin Pot]

In 20 years time something like that will be the size of a grain of rice and we will all have them sewn into our jackseys at birth.

I’m with you until the sewing part...how archaic? Does anyone sew anything anymore?

 

[Drago]

I used to have 3 thread overlockers and a terrifying Pom Pom machine which I managed to keep going for many years. Self service tills in supermarkets tho’ baffle me and I always have to get someone to come and sort out the mess. It would save a lot of bother ( I am looking at you Lidl) if they would just open up a normal till when they see me coming. Yesterday I stalled a fuel filling station as I could not find the right button to press for paying at the desk.

Do you find yourself arguing with, and then threatening g violence towards the self service tills? The lass in Tesco comes running across to help whenever she sees me before I have a chance to thump the machine.

 

[tyred]

Does anyone know how to switch on the light? This switch is very complicated.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Better tools make it easier to make better better tools and better better tools make it MUCH easier to make better better better tools. Once you have better better better tools then things that would have been horribly tedious become relatively simple.

I did a short course in technical drawing in 1974. You know, paper, pencils/pens, rulers etc. - remember them? It took ages to draw a few objects properly. These days you could fire up a CAD package and easily draw amazingly complex stuff. In the 1990s I was stunned when I saw what the drawing office could do with ORCAD. They were churning out designs for huge multi-layer printed circuit boards.

Soon, the tools will learn to make better versions of themselves, and SkyNet will be upon us.