The Most Useless Piece Of Modern Technology

pajo1981

Autonomous cars are already here and it will only be a matter if time before they are commonplace. That's obvious.

jimgoose

razorblunt wrote: »

No, it's Jim Nerdelaum Frink you're thinking of.

Mwa-hey! Yes, the Cork office.

jimgoose

VinLieger wrote: »

I do have to LOL at the "super computer" in a car comment.... cus techonology doesn't ever improve and become cheaper over time......

The first machine that could be credibly called a supercomputer was the Cray-1 vector machine from 1976. It's CPU ran a clock-speed of 80MHz and the machine's performance was 160 MFLOPs. These days a telephone will pull three and four times that.

gctest50

grahambo wrote: »

The equipment on the self driving cars is very complicated.
Such to the extent that mass producing it will not make it cheaper.
The equipment alone on the Google Self driving cars is about €150,000
Now factor in the software costs and the price of the car itself and it would easily be north of €250,000 per unit.
.

A Model 3 Tesla should be about 32,000

https://www.tesla.com/en_IE/autopilot

All Tesla vehicles produced in our factory, including Model 3, have the hardware needed for full self-driving capability at a safety level substantially greater than that of a human driver

Allah snackbar

DontThankMe wrote: »

I believe the underwater hairdryer is fairly useless.

antodeco wrote: »

Not as bad as the inflatable dartboard!

jamesbere wrote: »

The chocolate teapot is hugely disappointing aswell

Ashtray on a motorbike ftw

Jayop

gctest50 wrote: »

A Model 3 Tesla should be about 32,000

He doesn't seem to grasp the difference between the cost of building a few prototype cars and the cost of full production.

Beta Ray Bill

VinLieger wrote: »

You have quite literally no clue what your talking about, the wii sold consistently well throughout its life cycle from 2006-2013 obviously tapering off near the end yet still outselling its more powerful competitors

The wiiu was a failure however again you show your complete ignorance by trying to claim the switch and wiiu are the same thing. ...

The switch only launched in march of this year so trying to claim it as a failure when its been on the market for just 2 months might be a bit premature

I wasn't claiming they were the same thing, just making a statement that collectively their sales are barely a 5th of that of the Wii.

That being said I've been contemplating buying the Switch, but I'd probably only use it for MK

Bambi wrote: »

Have a VR headset for over a year now, novelty hasn't worn off. They will become pervasive.

Self driving cars will be cost effective and will happen

I don't use blue tooth anything but the head phones have proven utility

How about them mobile phones eh? Never catch on

I accept that most technology does get cheaper over time. But I don't think this will be one of those things.
There's loads of Technology that's been around for donkeys years that hasn't gotten cheaper.

Self driving makes sense for farming equipment etc, but for use on public roads is a waste of time.

Aside the technical cost of getting it right, there's a whole heap of other legal crap to get around. Liability in the event of an accident etc.
Even if they were to start to take off, there would be a long overlap period between driver and driverless cars. How would that work?
Not to mention every road will need to marked 100% correctly in order for it to work.
At the moment the cars don't even work in rain or snow, can't avoid pot holes, swerve to avoid things like paper debris on the road, cant recognise a Garda directing traffic or recognise temporary lights/road markings.
There is just to many variables in the real world for them to work.

Then there's the social aspect of it; you think Ireland (where we have laws against blasphemy and our TD's have morning prayer) would ever embrace a car driven by a computer on a public road? It's not going to happen.

Think about this: Being driven around in a driverless car is the basically the same as being driven around in a taxi. You don't really care what you're being driven around in (most of the time ) so long as it gets you there. So why would manufactures such as BMW and Mercedes that market their cars as "Drivers Cars" ever embrace such a thing. I certainly wouldn't pay extra for a BMW brand that I wouldn't get to drive. Would you pay extra ensure the taxi that picked you up was a Merc?
People who buy high end cars enjoy driving, if they didn't they'd just buy a sh*tty little fiat Panda.

Finally lets looks at the companies actually trying to develop driverless cars.
Of all the car manufactures only Audi and Tesla are doing research on driverless cars, and in both instances it's driverless program is geared towards motorway driving.

VinLieger wrote: »

I do have to LOL at the "super computer" in a car comment.... cus techonology doesn't ever improve and become cheaper over time......

Well it's certainly not a PC now is it...
The Kit in the boot of these cars and the remote Kit that the Waymo use's is substantial to say the least.

VinLieger

grahambo wrote: »

I wasn't claiming they were the same thing, just making a statement that collectively their sales are barely a 5th of that of the Wii.

Again I point to the fact trying to lump the switch in after its been on the market for 2 months is completely pointless.

Your basically trying to compare the first 5 minutes of the next iphone's sales to the entire lifespan sales of the previous version and saying cus it hasn't sold more already its a failure by comparison

Jayop

Lol yeah that's why the wealthy are chauffeured around in ford's and opels as opposed to big rollers. They don't care how it looks once they get there if they're not driving.

Ferrari3600

Jedward.

Beta Ray Bill

Jayop wrote: »

Lol yeah that's why the wealthy are chauffeured around in ford's and opels as opposed to big rollers. They don't care how it looks once they get there if they're not driving.

You're actually proving my point

You think they'd allow themselves to be driven around in a driverless Car?
They want "Jeeves" to drive them around, and open the door. Not some software.

VinLieger

grahambo wrote: »

Well it's certainly not a PC now is it...
The Kit in the boot of these cars and the remote Kit that the Waymo use's is substantial to say the least.

By current prices yes its expensive but you continually seem to miss the points people are making that overtime and through bulk production things become cheaper thus nullifying your bizarre statement that self driving cars are never going to happen cus right now they are very expensive.

Skylinehead

jimgoose wrote: »

Mwa-hey! Yes, the Cork office.

Mulhuddart4lyf

Beta Ray Bill

VinLieger wrote: »

By current prices yes its expensive but you continually seem to miss the points people are making that overtime and through bulk production things become cheaper thus nullifying your bizarre statement that self driving cars are never going to happen cus right now they are very expensive.

Even with bulk production there are limits to how cheap something can be made for.

Mobile phones are a perfect example.
The latest Iphone (32GB) is the guts of 700 euro. (that's not cheap)

The tech that's in phones across the board is basically the same.
RAM, CPU, storage, touch screen and Antenna.

If you want a decent new phone (SIM free) it's still gonna cost you a fair whack despite the components that are in them are, without a doubt, the most widely produced components on the earth.

Anyway, I'm not getting through to you
And you're not getting through to me (sorry)

We'll agree to disagree!

Glenster

grahambo wrote: »

You're actually proving my point

You think they'd allow themselves to be driven around in a driverless Car?
They want "Jeeves" to drive them around, and open the door. Not some software.

They'd rather 'Jeeves' didn't exist.

If they invented AR glasses that made all people who earn under 30K a year invisible they'd sell out in Blackrock tomorrow.

jimgoose

Skylinehead wrote: »

Mulhuddart4lyf

Beta Ray Bill

Glenster wrote: »

They'd rather 'Jeeves' didn't exist.

No they wouldn't I don't think they would. Isn't the whole Idea is that "I'm so important and rich that I can pay another person to drive me around in my car and open the door etc"

Glenster wrote: »

If they invented AR glasses that made all people who earn under 30K a year invisible they'd sell out in Blackrock tomorrow

Lol
Yes.... Yes they certainly would! (Unless they were employed by said wearer)

annascott

Me_Grapes wrote: »

What's the most pointless piece of modern equipment that exists today.

For me, it's the ipad/tablet. Just such awkward things to use and to hold. If I want something portable to access media, I'll use my smartphone, and if it's more storage I'll use my portable laptop thank you very much. Currently in hospital with the arm in a sling, and was given one of these to keep me entertained, but the thing is just such a dreg to use, notwithstanding the fact my good arm in incapacitated. I really can't see how these things have taken off.

Anything else that beats the portable tablet in the useless stakes?

(Not sent from my tablet)

There are ipad cases to go with them so that they sit up on a flat surface and you can watch things on them without having to hold it. I was in hospital too recently and my ipad was perfect. A phone is too small to watch films etc on and a laptop is too cumbersome. Ipad fits into a large handbag. I wouldn't be without mine.

jimgoose

annascott wrote: »

There are ipad cases to go with them so that they sit up on a flat surface and you can watch things on them without having to hold it. I was in hospital too recently and my ipad was perfect. A phone is too small to watch films etc on and a laptop is too cumbersome. Ipad fits into a large handbag. I wouldn't be without mine.

Some people have a niche for a tablet somewhere between a phone and a laptop, and some people don't. It all depends. I don't have a tablet, my brother has three I think, at last count. :pac:

VinLieger

grahambo wrote: »

No they wouldn't. The whole Idea is "I'm so important and rich that I can pay another person to drive me around in my car and open the door etc"

Why do you insist on posting opinions as absolute facts?

Beta Ray Bill

VinLieger wrote: »

Why do you insist on posting opinions as absolute facts?

Fixed!

mfceiling

grahambo wrote: »

Finally lets looks at the companies actually trying to develop driverless cars.
Of all the car manufactures only Audi and Tesla are doing research on driverless cars, and in both instances it's driverless program is geared towards motorway driving.

And ford and volvo and most other large scale manufacturers. Seriously anyone who doesn't believe self driving cars are coming need to take their heads out of their arses.

http://www.volvocars.com/au/about/innovations/intellisafe/autopilot

Jurgen Klopp

mfceiling wrote: »

And ford and volvo and most other large scale manufacturers. Seriously anyone who doesn't believe self driving cars are coming need to take their heads out of their arses.

http://www.volvocars.com/au/about/innovations/intellisafe/autopilot

Volvo's big launch in the I think LA was very funny. Surrounded by journalists the car refused to take off as the local road marking were not fresh and a little faded stating it was unsafe

The Volvo reps solution was to scream at the local politicians to paint the damn roads! :pac:

el_gaucho

jonnycivic wrote: »

Selfie sticks

Not completely useless - they double up as lightning rods.

Thargor

grahambo wrote: »

Even with bulk production there are limits to how cheap something can be made for.

Mobile phones are a perfect example.
The latest Iphone (32GB) is the guts of 700 euro. (that's not cheap)

The tech that's in phones across the board is basically the same.
RAM, CPU, storage, touch screen and Antenna.

If you want a decent new phone (SIM free) it's still gonna cost you a fair whack despite the components that are in them are, without a doubt, the most widely produced components on the earth.

Anyway, I'm not getting through to you
And you're not getting through to me (sorry)

We'll agree to disagree!

Terrible example, one of the worst you could have picked to disprove your own point. There are €150 phones that would have been impossible at any price even 5 years ago and the same will be true in 5 years time again. Your average smartphone has all the processing power you need to run this fabled on board supercomputer thats apparently holding back driverless cars.

Jayop

grahambo wrote: »

You're actually proving my point

You think they'd allow themselves to be driven around in a driverless Car?
They want "Jeeves" to drive them around, and open the door. Not some software.

How the Jesus does that prove your point. Every single point you've made has been pulled apart and you move the posts every time. Waste of time discussing or tbh.

Ursus Horribilis

diomed wrote: »

Wireless headphones:
you can walk around the house and listen to music.

kindle:
I used it once.

I use both on a regular basis.

Ursus Horribilis

I use an iPad on a daily basis. Also, my parents and several older relatives use tablets to go online. Few of them have smartphones and they're not the type who use computers.

Samuel T. Cogley

Moore's law has stalled and we're reaching the limit of processing power on the current platform (silicon). The current Intel processors run on a 14nm process and I believe 7nm is expected to be the limit - that's 5-7 years away IIRC. No doubt we'll adapt but it's not the continual trend we've come to expect from the last 40 years or so.

VR - I doubt the novelty will ever ware off for me either but the uptake has been extremely slow and the industry has stalled. This is not the first time we've had a VR revolution. If the software developers get on board we may see it slowly grow over the next few years but we really need to see a generation of VR consoles which might be the next generation or might not. It could very easily go the way of 3D.

Self driving cars - No, just no. It's not the technology side which is what so many people can't get into their heads, that's there or will be there. It's adoption rates and the changes that are required in the law. Trams/Trains first, then as someone has pointed out farm equipment. The unofficial adoption in a niche market (Tesla et al). If I'm lucky it'll be there for when I'm too old to still be driving (a good 35 years) but I doubt it.

bnt

You can get decent phones at a fraction of what Apple are charging. When you pay that much, it's only partly for the hardware, but a good chunk of it is for the Apple logo on the back. On the topic of "phablets", I've long wanted one because I like to read e-books, and wanted a phone good for that. I finally picked up one witj a 7" screen, a few months ago for just over €100 from a Chinese company with a depot in the EU (so no import duties or delays). It's not the latest and greatest technology, but doesn't need to be. Works great wih the abovementioned wireless headphones too.

Most useless? There are many candidates, but the Juicero saga cracked me up ...