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Do you own anything anymore these days?

Ubbquittious

Just seen an article about 'smart glasses' being remotely bricked by the manufacturer and refunds being given, as they were bought out by the GOOG. (Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-53581762) This wouldn't be the first time such a thing happened. The likes of Google,Netflix,Amazon and Facebook don't really add anything new to the internet that wasn't being done in a decentralised manner before they came along. All they have done is managed to centralise it and turn it into a revenue stream.

I'm sure there's a good few people who have little in the way of hard drives and local storage so if they stop paying subscriptions their data is gone as well.

It isn't just tech gadgets that are affected. BMW now wants to charge a subscription fee for some features in their car. If Michael Noonan's successor decides to bring the local property tax up to €100,000 on a whim at next budget most of us will be on the street, nothing preventing him from doing that by the way provided his bunker is well hidden and well defended.

Maybe this is the grand master plan that has been hatched out at the Bilderberg meetings, Illuminati and what have you. Stop getting people to buy and continuously re-buy physical objects with planned obsolescense and get them all to rent their existence from their overlords?

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Potential-Monke

I have a few services that, if they went under or just closed shop, I'd have a lot less in regards to that medium, ie: Netflix, PlayStation Store purchases, etc. But, if Netflix shut down, I'd become a pirate again. Simples. As for the gaming, there are still many out there as alternatives. Yeah, it would suck to lose a lot of money invested, but it's no real loss as I only play recently bought games anyway. I think I have over 500 purchases on PSN, but play about 10, with no intention of going back to the older ones because tech moves on, and I'm a bit of a quality whore so older games don't interest me.

I remember back when I had over 200 DVD's, and I rarely if ever went back to watch them. Streaming and online stores have removed what was basically clutter. I know not everyone is like this, but a lot are, collecting just for the sake of it. I also find it difficult to watch/play the same thing twice, let along multiple times. I've experienced it, time to move on.

You also have the likes of Android and iOS changing/updating every year, and a lot of people will find out they can't use certain Apps, or newer tech requires OS versions that your device can't get because it's out of date, but that's hardware limiting progress and is required. Loved (read: hated) fighting with customers because their 4 year old €200 phone can't get the latest Android update due to hardware limitations, thus meaning the product that used to be supported on their version of the OS no longer is, because Google/Apple dropped support for logistical/security reasons.

spoonerhead

It’s all about finance, either for your home or car. I work in a credit role and I’m really interested in people’s understanding of loans. Particularly anyone who takes holiday loans, just seems so daft to me....

Young people jumping into car finances either hire purchases but especially PCP, is growing very popular. Interesting that this generation will be able to drive new cars in their 20s, then if they’ve any interest in a mortgage need to downgrade (income dependent of course!). Complete opposite of the normal car gets newer as you get older model.

Ubbquittious

spoonerhead wrote: »

It’s all about finance, either for your home or car. I work in a credit role and I’m really interested in people’s understanding of loans. Particularly anyone who takes holiday loans, just seems so daft to me....

Young people jumping into car finances either hire purchases but especially PCP, is growing very popular. Interesting that this generation will be able to drive new cars in their 20s, then if they’ve any interest in a mortgage need to downgrade (income dependent of course!). Complete opposite of the normal car gets newer as you get older model.

This finance thing isn't the worst, at least you have control over the car you buy on PCP or whatever. The way they're trying to push it is you pay a monthly fee for some automated ride-sharing robot taxi to collect you at your door and if you stop paying or become the target of a manhunt all your access is revoked. Also if you pay €x.99 extra per month you get the right to use the heated seats or tell it to take the scenic route

spoonerhead

Ubbquittious wrote: »

This finance thing isn't the worst, at least you have control over the car you buy on PCP or whatever. The way they're trying to push it is you pay a monthly fee for some automated ride-sharing robot taxi to collect you at your door and if you stop paying or become the target of a manhunt all your access is revoked. Also if you pay €x.99 extra per month you get the right to use the heated seats or tell it to take the scenic route

I’d pinpoint PCP becoming so popular as a marker for the car companies next few moves. Hopefully not as drastic as what you said, but they now know we want to pick and choose our own uniquely adapted model. Within reason they can start adding onto a cars value cause of things you pick.

I can imagine having to pay extras to use the AC or touch screens, a card payment terminal where taxi drivers normally have their phone holders. Ryanair looking into payments to use toilets comes to mind!

Ubbquittious

spoonerhead wrote: »

I’d pinpoint PCP becoming so popular as a marker for the car companies next few moves. Hopefully not as drastic as what you said, but they now know we want to pick and choose our own uniquely adapted model. Within reason they can start adding onto a cars value cause of things you pick.

I can imagine having to pay extras to use the AC or touch screens, a card payment terminal where taxi drivers normally have their phone holders. Ryanair looking into payments to use toilets comes to mind!

PCP was a great move at the start. Imagine a car company with little market share trying to gain a foothold. Dealer buys their old cars off them as a loss leader initially and in 3 years time when they don't have €x,000 saved up for their balloon payment they're hoiked into another new contract and this pushes a supply of fairly decent second hand cars onto the market. If the cars are actually good the thing should snowball but it loses its magic when every car company is doing them.