Wed 31 Jan 2007
The one person who seems to constantly read my blog (Hi Mom!) and who isn’t particularly concerned with technology speculation but who nevertheless is curious about changing trends might be interested in the following question, “what sorts of businesses are based on temporary (placeholder) technologies which will inevitably (and in the near future) be replaced by more permanent technologies?”
Here’s my list:
- Supermarket self checkout* (inevitable technology: “push through” check out with RFID tag scanners)
- Netflix (inevitable technology: stream media to your house)
- Long distance calling card (inevitable technology: border-less, VOIP worldwide communications. (Deprecates timezones/country codes))
What’s on your list?
* Am I the only one who HATES those?
January 31st, 2007 at 10:19 pm
I like the self checkout. There’s nothing worse than a slow cashier. Brrrr. Oh yeah, except I’m a gazillion times slower. Whatev.
January 31st, 2007 at 11:29 pm
er
February 1st, 2007 at 1:52 am
meh.
February 1st, 2007 at 10:34 am
Why will VOIP deprecate timezones and country codes? More explanation please.
February 1st, 2007 at 10:58 am
Self-checkout is like self-serve at the gas station: a ploy to lower overhead by tricking me into thinking I want less customer service.
February 1st, 2007 at 11:01 am
because the real premise of VOIP is that voice data is just like other data. On the Internet, you don’t pay more to access a web server in Japan than you do for a server across town. It’s all one network and it all costs the same. We should be able to make a call to anywhere in the world for the same price. The idea of treating voice data as if it’s somehow special is anachronistic and severely outmoded. Defining and metering calls by physical location (delineated by timezones or country codes or calling regions) is old fashioned. Let’s move on, people!
February 1st, 2007 at 11:05 am
I HATE the self checkout…even with a slow cashier it’s still faster.
I agree with Cory, It’s a trick to convince me that I want LESS customer service.
February 1st, 2007 at 9:47 pm
* Cash (for Credit Cards)
* Credit Cards (for RFID chips possibly embedded)
* ATM Machines (See #2)
February 1st, 2007 at 11:39 pm
I had not thought of ATM machines, but you’re right. In fact, they’re sort of a technological step backwards– the un-digitalization of money.
February 2nd, 2007 at 2:52 am
It looks as though we will need to compromise on the self checkout issue.
February 8th, 2007 at 12:51 am
Self checkout is great. But only when there’s not a line. I’m good at that system, and get get done with paying and I’m on my way in under a minute.
However, the brain dead hillbillies in front of me stand and stare at the thing and scratch their heads for at least ten minutes. This makes the experience less convenient. Also, nobody know how to form a line, and while you’re waiting to use a self-check station, some other brain deads retards will come up and walk right in front of everyone waiting.
They’re great for buying “embarrassing” items like adult diapers, condoms, lube, whipped cream, butterscotch enemas, or Mariah Carrey CDs. Especially if you’re buying all of those things at the same time.
February 8th, 2007 at 1:08 am
look everyone, it\’s Sam (from gthing.net)! He makes a good point about buying things with anonymity. I\’m not married, but I understand it\’s standard procedure for the wife to send out the ol\’ husband to pick up the unmentionables from the grocery store. In those circumstances, having a self checkout wouldn\’t be such a bad idea.
Of course, once Walmart achieves its goal to RFID tag everything, it will be simply a matter of pushing the cart full of stuff through the scanner and you\’re all done!
February 8th, 2007 at 10:23 am
of course if you used a club/preferred/membership card or a credit/debit card to make said purchases, the argument is moot!