Examples of technology 'thinking' going backwards . . .

Chain Smoker · 09-09-2016 12:23AM

endacl wrote: »

The hold ups in Lidl and Aldi aren't down to the tills. The staff there are pretty quick. The delays are alway due to customers foostering around with handbags, purses and packing.

Well, that's partially it, but the system in Aldi/Lidl is pretty much designed around having the person manning the till to always be busy. So even when the store is relatively quiet, there will be a bit of a queue on account of there only being one person on the tills.

wil · 09-09-2016 12:32AM

e-readers.

There's a reason they barely made any more inroads in the last few years and book sales are going up again.

e-books are too fffffn dear when all you are getting is a heap of electrons . No printing costs, no binding, no distribution cost, no transport costs, just big fat profit for mostly Amazon.
And a paper book is still just so much easier to read.

Bigger faster bendable cheaper and I'll reconsider.

TallGlass · 09-09-2016 12:36AM

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

I am actually surprised Lidl or Aldi haven't adopted these yet. I mean we're talking about the German efficiency both companies incorporated which is mental. Such as having the products packaged in boxes that the top can be easily ripped off and plopped on the shelf. You'd think self-service would be right up their alley.

I'd say Tesco pay a fair wack on licencing and a massive support contract. They'd be better off with staff. Reasons that would turn Lidl off them, Lidl workers do everything from changing light bulbs to packing shelves, also there stores only have 5/6 checkouts, the self service units would do away with one or two or them tills and cause more stress on the other checkouts.

TallGlass · 09-09-2016 12:47AM

Oh yeah, forgot to mention. Some times I think boards does be going backwards with some of the frontend updates. Then the whole GearBest incident in bargain alerts.

YFlyer · 09-09-2016 12:50AM

The F-35 fighter.

sligojoek · 09-09-2016 12:59AM

LordSutch wrote: »

My Dad used to say that getting rid of the 'starting handle' was a real backward/retrograde step!

https://youtu.be/BjLiGqC_YsI

I guess it was a great feature if the car had a flat battery, no jump leads or donor battery needed, just a few turns of the handle & you were off .....

The same as taking kick-starters off motorbikes.

Ash.J.Williams · 09-09-2016 01:01AM

riffmongous wrote: »

Is there also not a monthly limit? There is on mine I think because after a while I wasn't able to use it anymore, it wasn't very much either, maybe around 100-200 euro

From my understanding of it, I'd say digital versus analog synthesisers

And tube amps vs modeling amps

Peregrine · 09-09-2016 01:13AM

wil wrote: »

e-readers.

There's a reason they barely made any more inroads in the last few years and book sales are going up again.

e-books are too fffffn dear when all you are getting is a heap of electrons . No printing costs, no binding, no distribution cost, no transport costs, just big fat profit for mostly Amazon.
And a paper book is still just so much easier to read.

Bigger faster bendable cheaper and I'll reconsider.

By that logic, book prices are too dear because printing and distribution costs are only a fraction of a book's price.

It's not Amazon or the author that makes the most money from a book, it'a the publisher. Amazon has to pay the publisher. I think Amazon gets around 30% which would be less than a regular bookseller. AFAIK, all price discounts come from Amazon's profits and the publisher still gets paid the same.

Chain Smoker · 09-09-2016 01:34AM

eReaders are great, they've been held back by some proprietary rights regarding eInk iirc but they're dead handy and the battery life is brilliant. Just lack the achievement of turning pages. Much easier lugging an ereader around with you than a big clunky book.
eBooks are way too expensive though, yeah.

Regarding Lidl and Aldi with self checkouts. They've a few in some urban areas in other countries. Pretty much the kind of places where hardly anyone would be buying more than ten things at a time.
...however, when you look at what the average person brings out of a regular Aldi or Lidl, self service would get messy fast. They run a lean ship where it simply wouldn't be justifiable to bring them in.

ED E · 09-09-2016 01:40AM

IP/Patent law.

wil · 09-09-2016 01:53AM

Peregrine wrote: »

By that logic, book prices are too dear because printing and distribution costs are only a fraction of a book's price.

It's not Amazon or the author that makes the most money from a book, it'a the publisher. Amazon has to pay the publisher. I think Amazon gets around 30% which would be less than a regular bookseller. AFAIK, all price discounts come from Amazon's profits and the publisher still gets paid the same.

It's too late for logic. Can you direct me to the nearest second-hand e-book shop.

Ebooks are still too dear wherever the overinflated price is going, and still less readable than a book. A book is for life, not just for dessert.

eeguy · 09-09-2016 01:54AM

Arcade_Tryer wrote: »

Driver-less cars.

Utterly moronic.

Once they're up and running they'll be the best tech of the 21st century.

I'm also a big fan of ebooks. It's impossible to read a paper book single handed.

Mine is the swathes of utterly pointless hardware that needs to be paired with your phone.
Saw a Bluetooth weighing scales. No read out on it, you actually need to have your phone in your hand to find out how much you weigh.

Capt'n Midnight · 09-09-2016 02:09AM

The_Valeyard wrote: »

Air travel. The loss Of The Concorde set back air speed a good bit. At least it could be making a comeback.

Unless you can make a silent supersonic plane then they won't be becoming back. Which limits routes to overseas and deserts.

A 1957 Boeing 707 could keep up with most airliners today. In 1961 a DC 8 went supersonic in a shallow dive. The problem is staying supersonic. That needs loads of energy so luxury travel only and besides we live in a world with instant video conferencing.

But the main reason we won't have SST's anytime soon is that the USA won't allow something they couldn't get working.

Mach 3 over long distances with a payload is doable as the XB-70 proved. Ignore SR71's , they could only carry one passenger and needed mid-air refuelling to get anywhere.

Capt'n Midnight · 09-09-2016 02:14AM

Laika123 wrote: »

Public Transport, in the 1890's all the trams in Dublin were electric, then they were done away with for fossil fuels, then we got the DART and LUAS, we did a full circle.

Map of Dublin's Trams - compare to the LUAS , and then remember the LUAS is using the old Harcourt street railway line https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Dublin_1922-23_Map_Suburbs_MatureTrams_wFaresTimes_Trains_EarlyBus_Canals_pubv2.jpg off the edge of the Map was the Blessington tram that went on to Polaphuca, and the Lucan tram, which might possibly return after 100 years.

see also https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6d/Ireland%27s_Rail_Network_1925-75.gif - it's depressing to see how much we've lost

learn_more · 09-09-2016 02:17AM

LordSutch wrote: »

Analogue Hi Fi sounded better than digital in my opinion. A good old turntable, amp & speakers just sounded better/with more punch! Yes, CD & MP3 is so much more portable and convienient, but 'sound wise' I can't help thinking we've taken a backward step at the top end of Hi Fi sound.

It's not true it's a myth.

The quality of your speakers are much more important.

learn_more · 09-09-2016 02:22AM

thecraicaddict wrote: »

Self service checkouts are a step backwards. Most annoying things around.

Self service checkouts are the most amazing invention ever. I've saved hours standing in queues because of them.

The only exception to that is in German supermarkets. They will not tolerate people doing a 'go slow' at the checkout such that you see in Dunnes and Super Value. Usually ( no, always ) women who have a face on them that says "I'm paying for this so I'll take my bloody time". And then they take out the feckken coupons and a complaint about last weeks bill etc. Who ever seems men using coupons. So uncouth.

Long live self service checkouts.

Capt'n Midnight · 09-09-2016 02:32AM

LordSutch wrote: »

My Dad used to say that getting rid of the 'starting handle' was a real backward/retrograde step!

https://youtu.be/BjLiGqC_YsI

I guess it was a great feature if the car had a flat battery, no jump leads or donor battery needed, just a few turns of the handle & you were off .....

just park it on a hill

and yes lots of wrists and thumbs where broken by starting handles over the years.

Cookie_Monster · 09-09-2016 02:33AM

Cars in general. They are much heavier now cos they're full of safety systems and other crap so are less efficient and less responsive than they used to be.

Anything electronic basically as well which as been designed to just be replaced rather than repaired these days.

Harvey Normal · 09-09-2016 02:35AM

the Internet of things would be a retrograde step. Don't see it happening though.

Harvey Normal · 09-09-2016 02:38AM

eeguy wrote: »

Once they're up and running they'll be the best tech of the 21st century.

I'm also a big fan of ebooks. It's impossible to read a paper book single handed.

Mine is the swathes of utterly pointless hardware that needs to be paired with your phone.
Saw a Bluetooth weighing scales. No read out on it, you actually need to have your phone in your hand to find out how much you weigh.

Driverless cars will never work except maybe on specialised routes and lanes.

Laika123 · 09-09-2016 02:58AM

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Map of Dublin's Trams - compare to the LUAS , and then remember the LUAS is using the old Harcourt street railway line https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Dublin_1922-23_Map_Suburbs_MatureTrams_wFaresTimes_Trains_EarlyBus_Canals_pubv2.jpg off the edge of the Map was the Blessington tram that went on to Polaphuca, and the Lucan tram, which might possibly return after 100 years.

see also https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6d/Ireland%27s_Rail_Network_1925-75.gif - it's depressing to see how much we've lost

I was talking about the technology and not the scale, they went from electricity back to electricity.

Capt'n Midnight · 09-09-2016 03:06AM

Laika123 wrote: »

I was talking about the technology and not the scale, they went from electricity back to electricity.

At one point an electric car held the world speed record. The only advantage of the internal combustion engine is that today's batteries are still too heavy and expensive.

Most land vehicles over 100 tonnes probably uses motor generators rather than a gearbox and mechanical transmission.

BTW the first hydrogen powered car had electric ignition. Check out the date. :eek:

stesaurus · 09-09-2016 03:27AM

wil wrote: »

e-readers.

There's a reason they barely made any more inroads in the last few years and book sales are going up again.

e-books are too fffffn dear when all you are getting is a heap of electrons . No printing costs, no binding, no distribution cost, no transport costs, just big fat profit for mostly Amazon.
And a paper book is still just so much easier to read.

Bigger faster bendable cheaper and I'll reconsider.

Nope, just nope. E-readers are far far better.

Tonnes of books in 1 light, convenient package. Instant delivery of any new book you'd like. In-built lighting. Adjustable font sizes.

kowloon · 09-09-2016 03:35AM

s.welstead wrote: »

Nope, just nope. E-readers are far far better.

Tonnes of books in 1 light, convenient package. Instant delivery of any new book you'd like. In-built lighting. Adjustable font sizes.

Yeah, I prefer a real book but my eyesight will probably push me towards buy a large form factor e-reader.

Grayson · 09-09-2016 03:50AM

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Unless you can make a silent supersonic plane then they won't be becoming back. Which limits routes to overseas and deserts.

That's the main reason. Plus the planes had a small capacity. there was no reason except prestige to have a concord. they'd make more money per seat on a regular plane.

kirving · 09-09-2016 06:47AM

Arcade_Tryer wrote: »

Driver-less cars.

Utterly moronic.

I doubt you'll be saying that when you never have to pay a taxi driver again, and you can fall asleep in your way to work, and have your car drop you off at the shopping centre entrance and go find a space in the rain.

Besides, almost all new cars (for the past 10 years) take a significant amount of what a motorsport driver would call 'control' away from the average driver by means of ABS, traction control, stability control, electronic throttle, cruise control, etc. All the while, road deaths have been dropping significantly.

Then we move onto new technology like auto braking, lane keeping assistance, and auto parking. Driveless cars are only an amalgamation of all the above which is already tried and tested technology.

How anyone thinks the convenience and safety improvements of the past decade are a step backward is beyond me.

desbrook · 09-09-2016 07:12AM

Curved TVs... We had those thirty years ago when we watched goldfish bowls - They made screens flat eventually and it was great - then LCD and you didn't need a great big box , brilliant !

Now they want to bring back the curve. ... why ????

Stealthfins · 09-09-2016 07:41AM

LordSutch wrote:

Analogue Hi Fi sounded better than digital in my opinion. A good old turntable, amp & speakers just sounded better/with more punch! Yes, CD & MP3 is so much more portable and convienient, but 'sound wise' I can't help thinking we've taken a backward step at the top end of Hi Fi sound.

Definitely you're right there.
I have a Bose lifestyle and every few years a fuse would blow in the sub woofer....off to Belgium then it would go to get it fixed.

The last time it happened I had enough,I ripped out the amplifier from the sub woofer.

Wired the bass box to my JVC Adagio which was bought in 1994 and the thing sounds way better than with original amp that was inside the thing.

90's sound systems had way more punch and bass,my first CD was some dance album now dance 94 and it's much better than digital sound.

_Brian · 09-09-2016 07:44AM

LordSutch wrote: »

My Dad used to say that getting rid of the 'starting handle' was a real backward/retrograde step!

https://youtu.be/BjLiGqC_YsI

I guess it was a great feature if the car had a flat battery, no jump leads or donor battery needed, just a few turns of the handle & you were off .....

Using a crank is fine on old 1L engines. But a modern 2.0 diesel you'd never start with a crank.
Oh. And they had a knack of spinning on and breaking your hand, bit of a liability.

mr_edge_to_you · 09-09-2016 07:44AM

When Renault put air pressure sensors on wheels.

When Renault changed from key to key car.

Renault.

Examples of technology 'thinking' going backwards . . .

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