this post was submitted on 16 Aug 2024
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I know it's dumb, but cellphones. They went from bricks to pretty much super computers. I'm amazed at the stuff I can do on my phone. Music, games, drawing, texting, phone, video call, camera, recorder, ebook, audio book reader, etc.
Headphones. I'm not an audiophile so I'm sure there are varying qualities, but there are so many different headphones now, almost all Bluetooth. Most are pretty good because the base standard seems higher overall. I remember getting cheap headphones and having then sound awful. Now I buy cheap headphones and it's really not that bad. And now there noise canceling? Like magic. Hell, getting my first Bluetooth headset made me feel like I had made it (I in fact did not make it, they just became lower in price).
Video games. There are a llllooootttttt of issues with the gaming industry, but the variety, accessibility, and quality is nuts. My first console was a my grandma's SNES. My first handheld device was a Gameboy. Not game boy color, just game boy. I've watched my grandma and I go from black and white / basic graphics, to being able to see the peach fuzz on someone's face. I was playing a game and felt the rain from the vibration in my controller. I thought VR was something I might be able to see towards the end of my lifetime, not pretty much at the start of it. I also think how easy it is to connect and play with people is amazing. I can play with my friend across the country, and speak with her, and share my screen, and have her play like she was on the couch with me.
Our phones are such amazing pieces of mobile, personal technology. We're using them for all the most mundane details though and they're detracting from some of the better things we could be doing with our time and intellects.
I feel it's a problem for all of us but as an elder millennial at least I have experienced a world without them. I feel for the younger generations - they're all consuming for them.
When I noticed it encroached on something I enjoy - trying to guess or remember a bit of trivia - my partner and I now have a rule that we must spend at least 5 minutes trying to guess who that actor is from, or who sings this song before we look it up. The technology was robbing us of imagination and rifling through the mental files.
I don't disagree with you at all though - we're using star trek tech and it's fucking cool.
The change in cell phones is truly unreal.
Just really hope the cell phone software catches up and is less trash as time goes on.
Video games are honestly incredible. The prices have stayed relatively the same for a very long time, despite inflation, and yet the quality has shot up immensely. On the one end you have the AAA games like Cyberpunk, Jedi: Survivor, and RDR2 which look absolutely stunning. I've spent significant amount of time in games like those just being in awe with the graphics, taking screenshots. These worlds are so big and immersive, and there are so many tiny details.
Then you have the huge indy/smaller game scene. There are so many good games these days, it's impossible to play them all. Factorio, Satisfactory, Celeste, Stardew Valley, Valheim, BAR, the list goes on and on. And all for a low price or even no money at all.
Headphones is a really good one.
I have a set of Sony MDR-7506 which are widely agreed to be the seriously good entry level audiophile headphones. They cost me £80. That’s quite a lot of money for some people, especially for just wired headphones, but they really are incredible.
But at the other end of the scale, you can now pick up really good Chi-fi IEMs for £20. When I was a teen 30 years ago, you were either paying £15/£20 for dog shit earphones that fell apart after a month, or £50+ for anything that was half decent, but still only lasted a year. Basic £10 wired buds sound pretty damn good these days. You might not hear the bongo man on Earth Wind & Fire, but you’ll get a good idea he’s there.
Headphones was my answer. The sound quality, the true wireless in ear? Holy shit. I’m someone to whom music is super important. And someone whose brain is always overworking, and not in the best way. Now I can stick one earbud in my ear no matter what I’m doing? Holy shit. I love it.