Via Gizmodo:
An executive in a really nice suit from an up-and-coming display company tells me they plan to ship a half a million units this year. I try to figure out how much that is in kilograms of rare earth metals, but I can’t. Wolfram Alpha turns out to be pretty useless for this kind of thing. The CEO is available for interviews.
There is a hole in my heart dug deep by advertising and envy and a desire to see a thing that is new and different and beautiful. A place within me that is empty, and that I want to fill up. The hole makes me think electronics can help. And of course, they can.
They make the world easier and more enjoyable. They boost productivity and provide entertainment and information and sometimes even status. At least for a while. At least until they are obsolete. At least until they are garbage.
Electronics are our talismans that ward off the spiritual vacuum of modernity; gilt in Gorilla Glass and cadmium. And in them we find entertainment in lieu of happiness, and exchanges in lieu of actual connections.
And, oh, I am guilty. I am guilty. I am guilty.
Speaking of my post about taking a break from tech conferences…
This sort of writing isn’t about CES. It’s about technology as a whole and it’s about how we interact with that technology and how it is utilized. If you use technology like a utility to communicate, educate and create then you’re on a good path. If Technology becomes a replacement to your television, then that’s not how it should be used and yes, I’m guilty of being too entertained by my electronics and then upgrading to the latest tech when it comes out. Read this post and think beyond CES and look at your self in a mirror while reading it.