Technology: It’s part in my downfall
Smart devices are now are cropping up everywhere and almost anything that can socially connect you or stream you something can be a considered a smart device, I’m necessarily going to be talking about the devices themselves so no crap about which is better iOS or Android no, I will be talking about the continuous bewilderment of just how mad companies will go to make you buy their product or download their app and lets face it we all fall for it and if you don’t you will in time.
So what is a Smart device? I’m not going to be scientific here but all I will say is that for something to be considered Smart it has to do something well…Smart. Easiest is of course the mobile phone or tablet, a device used to let you call or text people but many of us hardly do that any more of course not! Not when you’ve got a Smart Phone! It does email, web browsing, game and a shit load more that I’m not going to bother to list cause you already know!
The way I see it is for something to be Smart it will have to be meet the following criteria:
1. Can be connected to internet and can communicate with your other devices (i.e smart phone…obviously)
2. If it doesn’t connect to the internet, then it can be still Smart it just means it can do something else other than what it was originally designed to do (i.e a pen that records your deepest darkness thoughts…)
3. Provides you pointless information that isn’t necessary but hey it’s Smart so it’ll tell you anyway (i.e Suggestions and shit)
4. Sells you something on top even though you already bought it or it’s Free then it pisses you off until you buy something (i.e in app purchases / micro transactions)
There is probably a lot more set criteria in the professional world but to me that’s all you need for it be considered Smart to the people and that’s even if it’s a damn toaster (and they exists!)
Reason for this is cause of science and innovation! It’s not, its more like ignorance and blissfulness but still even you say to yourself I don’t need that or that’s pointless you’ll want to see it in action or even end up buying or wanting it anyway, we all do it, more so than others. This is why we receive the same product annually but with new features or slightly better specifications than before! It’s because it sells why stop? Stop when it stops selling and then release a S model or model with a higher number on the end or just stop supporting that device until they say “Hey, isn’t it about time you got the new model?”
I have a terrible habit of wanting but not necessarily owning. It’s just one of those things in life where we think, If I had this I could do this and that and I can fucking draw on it so I’ll start drawing or I’ll get this so that I can post my social status using my voice or whatever is going through your mind at the time of you seeing that particular new device you think I bet I could do great with that.
What happens next becomes just a repeat next year when they announce the new model at double the price and you ask isn’t that nice? Cause it can do things you couldn’t do before!
Moving on being a bit serious I want be actually be a bit technical about technology, just to kind of show you that I’m not just a rambling idiot.
Over the years I’m amazed at far we’ve come with technology from all manufactures and designers, It can be at times mind blowing, in past few years, we’ve gone from what can be considered your PC being the most powerful device at home to the device that is in your pocket being just as powerful or in some cases more powerful. This is down to companies focusing on what people want and that is everything at hand on the go.
In the early days I would never consider a PDA or mobile phone a PC replacement, but now I could happily go days without using the PC and just use my phone or tablet. This is why we want them be faster and more powerful and more recently bigger with better battery life (defiantly on this one).
Now though there has to be a limit and I don’t even think the manufactures know their limit but they’ll keep pushing them pixels on their displays until our minds explode PPI (pixels per inch) madness and to be honest I love it. I love just far and crazy they can go, we’ve got 5″ 1080p displays soon be a crazy 5.2″ 1440p displays, we got tablets and laptops with retina blowing 4k displays and processors with quad and eight cores processors with dragons that snap and it will keep going as long as your pockets are deep.
Now, I know many don’t care and sometimes I don’t either but when the time comes and you hold long enough some company will launch a product which will make go I fucking want it! And nowadays it comes from the people you’ve never heard of and that’s why I love the rise of the Chinese market, they’ve hit it head on, and I’m not talking about their Apple or Samsung knock off’s. The rise of new Smartphones and Tablets from Chinese companies like Oppo and OnePlus that match or even better the big dogs for prices that make you question whether they’re too good to be true, it’s just incredible and I wish the bigger manufactures do it more often without actually gimping the product to sell it for less.
The thing that I love about them is that in the same way as Indie game developers create big projects in small teams, you can see the care, attention and even love put into it and you know they’re clearly not in it for the money when you see the price.
It’s becoming a nice trend and I want to see more, but regardless when you see something that’s so good and you can’t help but want it’ll be always our downfall.
Good night.
Laminate Evil 