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The Best and Worst Technologies of 2003?

Posted by Cliff on from the rate-your-own dept.

Phoe6 asks: "Last year, at Hexadecimals discussion group we shared a news that Worst Technology of 2002 was TIA (Total Information Awareness by DARPA). What is the Worst Technology of 2003? For the Best, Time Magazine seems to have adjudged Steve Jobs' iTunes as the Invention of 2003. What are your ratings?"

8 of 451 comments (clear)

  1. PowerMac G5 by oaklybonn · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'd say the PowerMac G5. For one thing, its a completely new design internally, losing a lot of the legacy of old Mac OS machines. (Which they can do since they don't need to support a 20 year old BIOS or OS.) Another advancement is the attention spent on creating a case that can effectively, efficiently, and quietly cooling the new design.

  2. Best technology by Uma+Thurman · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Rutan's rocket ship! Broke the sound barrier in 2003, though it's suborbital spaceflight will be in 2004.

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  3. SATA by Uma+Thurman · · Score: 5, Interesting

    How about Serial ATA drives which became popular this year. It was about time that the old fashioned ribbon cables were replace with something more modern.

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  4. Linux by Apreche · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Linux Kernel 2.6

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  5. DVD multiple formats... just have one! by samdaone · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Just to touch on the other topic posted here about DVD burners the fact that there is multiple formats out has got to be the worst. I don't think the VHS/BETA fight took this long to figure out a winner. One format would help everyone in the long run and its about time we got to it!

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  6. Worst technology: Disposable Digital Camera by pimpbott · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Lemmie see if I got this straight. Inferior camera, none of the advantages of digital apply here, costs more than a disposable film camera.... what's the advantage again? Okay, I can see saving one use film strips, so it is 100% reusable, but that is the only benifit. OTOH, now that it can be hacked, there may be one benifit. A cheap digital that you can take in poor environemntal conditions and not feel bad about wrecking it. ALso, you can use it in situation where you know you will destroy it, such as taking close up pics of explosions, etc.

  7. My Picks for Worst by Gudlyf · · Score: 5, Interesting
    • Segway -- Lots of hype for not a whole heck of a lot.
    • Camera-phones -- Some people may love this invention. I think it's just plain silly.
    • Smart ID WiFi Detector -- What use is this when it doesn't tell you if the AP is encrypted or not?
    • TurboTax 2003 -- When Intuit decided to put key info. in an "unused" portion of the boot block area, causing all sorts of crashes for customers, many who have now sworn off TurboTax for good. Nice one.
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  8. Gas powered children's toys by Stalus · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I woke up on Christmas to little kids driving up and down the street on gopeds and mopeds outside my parent's house. At first I thought they were battery powered and didn't go very fast, but I was apparently wrong. They honk at each other and idle them outside, polluting the air in more ways than one. They fly down the road faster than anyone without traffic sense should be allowed. And people wonder why americans are generally overweight and unhealthy.

    So in evaluating technologies as best and worst, are there any personal feelings people rate these with? Personally I would say that improvements to communication and travel are good because it brings family and friends closer - 1200 miles doesn't seem as far as it used to, and it's a lot cheaper to get there (It was actually cheaper for me to drive home for Christmas than fly this year). On the other hand, people like my father refuse to use a self-propelled lawn mower because it forces him to get some routine exercise. He wouldn't say it's a bad technology, just not useful to him.