Comments on: 4 Technologies on the Verge of Extinction

By: Solar Power

Solar Power — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:05:41 +0000

Great Article! It is hard to believe how fast technology gets replaced now days.

By: DROID Phones

DROID Phones — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 08:53:16 +0000

The only one I see on this list going away is GPS devices. The rest will still be around for quite sometime.

By: konqueror7

konqueror7 — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:26:18 +0000

yeah, linux distros in USB functions well, but what about windows? you will not get them in USB sold? or in bluray sold?

By: Charles J

Charles J — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 06:37:05 +0000

Most of you must be over forty to deny these claims.

1. DSL is the only form of internet service that requires a phone line but we already have cable and fiber that will soon replace it because of the speeds it can handle.

2. The internet can handle the bandwidth that normal cable or satellite can produce, we just need to build more servers. If I can have something free and watch it when ever I please wherever I please, why would I even think about purchasing cable? Hulu is only going to start charging for watching older episodes.

3. Discs will be replaced by streaming content or digital distribution. If I can purchase a movie or a game and never have to worry about the disc scratching or losing it, and knowing that I will have it forever why would I buy a stupid piece of plastic…. You can also put Linux Distros on USB drives. Streaming can be produced at 1080p just need the proper internet speed.

4. Garmin and TomTom’s stock dropped tremendously after the Motorola Droid was announced with Google Navigation. Turn by turn navigation free with the phone, why would I ever pay for GPS system?

This all comes down to saving money, saving materials, and saving time. All of our lives will soon be wrapped around the internet, it’s just a matter of time.

By: Pix Place

Pix Place — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 10:50:41 +0000

If the power goes out for that long, I can just plug my cell phone into my car.

By: Critic

Critic — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:01:18 +0000

I think it’s a bit soon to call a few of these “soon to be outdated”. It even might be a bit naive. To you these technologies might not be useful, but old people are skeptical and dumb. No offense but most of those crazy bat shits will have trouble figuring out the GPS capabilities of their cell phone when handheld GPS units tend to have very easy user interfaces. Let’s also face it that most LCDs are still being sold at 720p, which when you run a DVD through to an old person, they will be satisfied. It is easier to aquire the players and an upscaling progressive DVD player is rather cheap nowadays. And there are some old people that just cannot figure out a cell phone so they will stick to their landlines. There is something about trying to reach a family vs trying to reach a person.

Lastly my greatest peeve. TV/Satellite. There is just something satisfying about having a plan to watch a show. I don’t know what it is. But the only reason I watch it on the computer is because I missed it and for some reason it didn’t record. When you watch it on your tv you can easily do something on your laptop at the same time without much interruption. I even have a setup with 2 computers side by side, (monitors close enough to see both at the same time) and it’s just not the same. I do have a 24 Mbps down speed, but lets face it, to get the same 720p with 5.1 surround over the internet will take you another 30 min to get in the first place. I don’t want to even imagine it on a slow line. (especially one that will cut you off after an allotted amount of bandwidth like Time Warner Cable). When the line is dedicated to streaming video transmissions it is almost better to me.

By: Ian

Ian — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 01:59:24 +0000

I liked your article. I think maybe extinction may be to strong of a word. I still believe these these technologies will still be in use for many years to come but they will simple be used less often than they once were.

By: rootbeersoup

rootbeersoup — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 01:00:38 +0000

In response to some who commented o GPS in phones: Most smartphones nowadays have an actual GPS chip inside. They don’t use the cell tower triangulation (although it is an option). My BlackBerry Bold 9700 has actual GPS and when I fire it up while I’m driving it even knows which direction I am headed. Right now it has my location within 3 meters. Not bad for a free app

By: Miranda

Miranda — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:41:31 +0000

@Anthony: I’m sorry my income offends you. It is clearly not entirely from this site. In fact, my position as a contributor on this site accounts for a very small portion of my income. I write for a number of web sites and publications, including some journalistic type places. I don’t understand why it’s so terrible to occasionally write something straight from your heart, and sharing your observances and personal experiences.

My point was that my career (which someone seemed to think was in jeopardy due to my occasional dabbling in *gasp* sharing my opinion and not always going with straight journalism) is just fine. I have worked very hard for years to get to the point where I can be paid to share my opinion. That’s one of the joys of evolving technology. There are a number of ways to earn money, and I don’t think it’s greedy to find different ways to use technology to earn money and live the kind of life you want, able to spend time with family, give to charity and maybe even take a trip or two.

By: Expat Yourself

Expat Yourself — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:03:47 +0000

Whoa, whoa, whoa…

The first picture, the rotary landline telephone is FAR from extinct!

Well, in the Russian embassy in Prague, Czech Republic, that is!

I tried hard not to laugh out loud, but I couldn’t stop myself. Each service representative, in every help window, exactly like in this first picture — there is a white, old fashioned, rotary, landline-connected telephone. In fact, they look brand new.

A beautiful relic of days gone by.

-Jeff
http://www.expatyourself.com
(Ever wanted to live overseas?)
.-= Expat Yourself´s last blog ..got Czech Driving License? =-.