I got depressed at Best Buy today.

Compare tvs on rtings to those of 10 years ago and you'll actually see significant improvements - if you spend the money. The average tv isn't much better but tvs basically reached an acceptable quality around that time for most use cases.

Some tech, like computers, have improved a lot over the past decade.

How on earth can we go about changing this or do you think that it will be like this forever?

I know, less innovation in ways we can escape our lives is very sad.

I’m thinking printers.

theonion.com

New Apple CEO Tim Cook: 'I'm Thinking Printers'

SAN FRANCISCO—Following the resignation of Apple founder Steve Jobs, incoming CEO Tim Cook called a meeting of shareholders and members of the press Thursday morning to announce that he envisioned printers as the company’s fu...

Open link

Given the state of tech evolution that HAS actually happened I'd say that any single iPad or mp3-player that fit in your hand (remember those) should be able to hold ALL the music ever created and cost less than ten dollars by now.

Part of the problem is that low hanging tech has reached the point where there's no profit in making it any more.

Virtual reality fleshlights. 33% of 18-39 year old men have never had sex.

8K

I have recently gone down the rabbit hole of YouTube Astrophysics. Black holes. The limitations of the speed of light from allowing humans to ever really see what is out there. Understanding how time can be reversed if one can travel faster than the speed of light.

perhaps the next big thing in tech is a way to allow us to view and/or explore the universe in virtual reality considering space travel isn’t happening

There's been a lot of innovation - no shortage, actually - but it doesn't seem to have caught on. I am thinking of virtual reality like the "Metavarse" to name one that was supposed to be revolutionary. Haven't heard much about it in a while, esp. given how much Facebook/Meta was jumping onto that bandwagon.

Virtual reality glasses and headsets still seem rather superfluous.

SmartHome devices - there have been quite a few becoming available, from refrigerators, security systems, doorbells, lighting, etc., but have the sales been anything significant?

And of course, some of these are more software and app based rather than the kind of hardware things you would see at Best Buy.

That is an odd romanticization of what airports used to be. The airport was filled with business travelers reading newspapers and maybe looking at a clunky laptop and now it is filled with business travelers looking at their phones or a lighter laptop, both of which are way more convenient. Families always had to drag around things to entertain their kids, now they can do it with the phone or tablet. Then you would get on a plane and the only entertainment was some movie that you may or may not like or a book that you brought with you.

Now you have books, movies, games, etc all in a couple small devices. You can easily communicate with people not at the airport about flight delays or just how your kid’s day went at school. Getting work done is easier. And you can always start looking at your iPhone just so that the annoying guy next to you who thinks you should be talking to him leaves you alone.

These devices are not the panacea for everything in society, but airports and traveling have been made immeasurably better by iPhones etc.

I get what you are saying OP. It really isn't about advances or innovation. It's that nostalgic feeling our generation (I'm assuming you are GenX or early millenial) has for the way life felt before the internet and social media and technology such as cell phones and laptops and what not became the way of the world. It really was a simpler time in some ways. Having to go out and browse Best Buy or wherever in person instead of instant gratification and stuff being available on demand through like Amazon. I don't expect others to understand. Our generation is getting old lol.

Exactly. Getting old.

Remember pounding 1000 Watt Yamaha Stereo Receivers and floor standing speakers? Dolby 5.0? Every guy wanted a home theater set up. Then when you got done spending so much money on it you rarely used it because your family and neighbors wouldn’t tolerate the noise. So you had to watch movies at the theater anyway.

Basically if you claimed to be an Audiophile it just meant you bought a lot of overpriced Stereo stuff.

Slightly different take. BestBuy not as crowded? So my local running store, an hour away, was doing well. Then came internet shopping. People would come in, try on shoes, go home and order online to save $10-15. And I knew the guys at the store. Which closed. Reason is obvious. Same happened with many stores like BestBuy. Shop at BestBuy but buy online. Used to be other stores, but less and lass. Americans will put their neighbors out of business for a few dollars. Same thing in manufacturing. China has so many engineers they can design and manufacture things in a short time. And lower cost labor (for now--if you are older, as I am, Japan was China earlier). I still am annoyed folks killed off my local running store over a few bucks, but used them to do it.

Sad if true

Lets redefine the act of sex to be more inclusive.

A lack of innovation is evidence of anti- competitive forces. We don't have new technology because we aren't free.

Your two Pennies:

Thanks. I'll be sure and enjoy looking at my LED lightbulbs and just be consumed with them. Might spend hours upon hours just admiring the light they produce.

To OP:

Go back to Best Buy, demo the VR and immediately begin walking to the restroom with it. Proceed to lock the stall door and activate Only Fans. Return the VR headset back to the sales rep in about 7 minutes after you initiated your time with Only Fans in the stall.

If you get questions about the VR set being “greasy” or smeared with something, accuse him of being racist, and tell him he works on commission, and that you’ll be taking your business elsewhere.