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Top Tech Breakthroughs of 2008
As we approach the end of the year it's time once again for the never-ending stream of retrospectives and year-in-review discussions. Wired has their version of the best technology breakthroughs of 2008. From phones to shrinking laptops to flexible displays, there is no shortage of interesting advancements when looking back at this year. What other groundbreaking advancements were made this year, and what do we have to look forward to for 2009?
So I go to read the "Top Technology Breakthroughs" in TFA and see the link opens a WIRED article. In the space of the article's three pages there are three annoying for a survey and ads - including one from Porsche (how friggin appropriate in these times). I just realized my technology "breakthrough" is to give up on technology because all it seems to do is enable the friggin marketers to "reach" me in new ways.
Solar powered laptops, is something I had been waiting for. Maybe I am day dreaming, but the back of LCD panel could be fully covered with Solar Cells and trickle charge the battery, which might run my laptop for 5-6 hours before needing recharge. I guess solar cells have not become that efficient yet, but, is anybody trying it?
hilarious
2008 was a slow year. But slow years are good too. When break-threws' are smaller that means companies are putting more effort in making the technology more reliable, and better. For example remember all the Crap that was produced during the .COM boom, then after the bubble popped the technology got refined and became productive. Things like usable Web Mail services, Google Maps with features that would have required a special plugin back in the late 90's. I am sure people with professional software development experience has realized when things are slow. You have time to go back and and fix those portions of your code that needs more maintenance and get them running smoother, reduce errors. polish the UI a bit so people don't make so many errors. Recode a sections where the Specs and after hundreds of questions worded differently asking "Are you sure this value or calculation will never change?" and the Boss goes "This will never change we have used this for the past 20 years." only to find out that after the merger that calculation changes every quarter. So you need to take it out of solid code and make it more adjustable.
Refinement is an art in itself often it is more important then innovations.
Secondly; Most technology is derivative of other technology. An impovement of x or y, any technology that is released isn't really a wow this is amazing never seen it before type of thing just an extension of something or something that has been around for time but finally has became consumer friendly.
Lets go with the Radio. Most of the technology was used for telegraph system, so people were use to it. And also for voice communication it was used in the military and for large companies so people have heard of it and many have used it before they became consumer products for homes, the same with the TV, before they could get one at home they know they could do it. And the idea Ok we can send voice over the radio the concept of sending pictures wasn't that far off it just took some refinement of the processes, eg. capturing light and convert it to an electrical signal of different strength. Then accurately taking those signals and send them back to some reaction that can produce a small portion of light at different intensities. No big deal. Just an impovement of technology.
Or this century, the iPod. Just smaller electronics and a nice UI. Nothing new heck slashdot gave it bad reviews and figured it will only last a month. Just because it didn't seem like an innovation of consequence as they have been Mp3 Players before.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
And while WIRED rolls along as at least being interesting, it is still batting a rather low average when it comes to genuinely interesting content, including, but not limited to, the TTBs of 2008. Not bad...not good - so so and holding the fort down until something better finally comes along.
What happened to those great lists that attracted so many fans in the beginning?
I'd go for Tesla motors shipping their first electric roadster as top ten news, myself, but that may be so old hat for/. readers nobody cares to read it.
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