What’s hot for 2008 ?
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Is it just me, or does it seem as though 99% of the gadgets, phones, TVs, computers, laptops, USB devices, MP3 players, cars etc that were released over the last year were released simply for the sake of releasing something new?
The only one that stands out as being any thing like a useful addition to the staggering amount of garbage available was the Apple iPhone. Unfortunately Apple decided to screw everyone by locking you in to an unreasonably expensive phone plan. In Europe, this was actually challenged in the courts who ruled it illegal for Apple to only sell a product that was tied in to one service provider. Now I don’t begrudge Apple a decent profit, but where do you draw the line?Back to the original question. I write a gadget blog and to be perfectly honest, have major difficulty coming up with something to say for most of the rubbish I get to review. “Here’s a new USB adapter that does the same thing as all the other USB adapters – only it’s 2% smaller.”“Here’s a new phone which is exactly the same as the last sixty I reviewed, but in an exciting new color.”
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New Apple MacBook Pro 15 " 2.5 Ghz 4GB RAM 250GB in Box
Current Bid: $1925.00
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NEW BOND OMEGA SEAMASTER MENS BLUE QUARTZ WATCH 2561.80
Current Bid: $1495.00
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Big deal. Now, I understand that the only way to maintain the current economy is to keep on producing more crap, keep on persuading the ignorant masses to buy it, and more importantly, make sure it wont last very long and encourage the same people to throw it away because it’s the wrong color, or the wrong brand or even worse, and this is what pisses me off the most - persuade them that they are either stupid for having something so out-of-date or they are in some kind of danger if they don’t replace it with the latest version.
There is nothing wrong with buying things that improve your life – I wear a watch and use a computer. But, I didn’t buy the latest piece of crap that I know I will have to throw away in a year, I bought a watch I knew would last and tell the time. If you are interested, the watch is an Omega Seamaster and I have worn it every day for the last 15 years. And if you want to go buy one, there’s a link to ebay on the right. And if you are wondering about the computer, it’s an Apple MacBook Pro, and the only reason I bought a new one was because some one stole my old one which I had been planning on keeping for many more years. There is also a link to where you can buy one on the right. There is actually a very good argument for buying better quality stuff and allowing it to go “out of fashion.” If I have my way, it will become fashionable to be using a ten year old computer, or MP3 or whatever.I spend a lot of time on the internet and it’s depressing how much rubbish there is, unfortunately it comes from the depressing amount of rubbish in our daily lives. How the hell can it make sense to sell coffee in individually wrapped portions that you need to buy a special machine to use? I mean, come on ! Doesn’t stop George Clooney from advertising them though.
I have been known to un-package things I want to buy and leave the packaging on the grocery store’s cashier station. It annoys them no end, but if enough people start doing it, maybe they will stop selling seven individually wrapped carrots in a plastic container. Any grocery store that tells you they are interested in the environment is a F*****g LIAR.
Take a look at this video clip on the right. It is an excerpt from a video on a website called Story of Stuff.
Pay them a visit and watch the whole thing. Annie Leonard does a great job of explaining the problem, much, much better than I am doing.
I was prompted to write this hub when I came across a new hub by one of our new members, greenmommy. She wrote a hub entitled, “Does Being Green Hurt the Economy?” So, welcome greenmommy and thank you for the idea.
Pay her a visit too, because it’s an excellent question. And the answer to my title question, What's Hot for 2008 ?
WHATEVER IT WAS YOU BOUGHT IN 2007
And if you are offended that I called you ignorant, before you get upset, look it up in the dictionary – it’s not an insult. But feel free to tell me if you disagree. Just take a look at the garbage in the news feed I have added at the bottom here. Tell me I'm wrong.
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Comments
Thanks Zsuzsy.
Thansk Mark - excellent hub -the newest thing in Oz in high definition TV - fantastic I can watch Lost in HD - its going to make all the difference!
LOL, I hope that was irony hehe
Ive never worked out the smilies for irony! But naturally I was very serious :-)
I have been asking for a sarcastic smilie for ages hehe.
Nice hub ;)
I also love the way google's adsense chose to place some very self-defeating ads on the page. What better way to promote their latest gadgets than on a threat flaming them.
hehe, well they don't actually read the content I guess. They are only robots.
Good hub! I frequently leave packaging at the counter of grocery and hardware stores. My wife is trying to train me to use our own shopping bags instead of the plastic or paper ones from the stores.
I couldn't agree more, Mark. That's why I can only feed my gadget addiction about once a year. I am being involuntarily weened off gadgets because so many of them are, as you say, crap. Great hub.
Ralph - Good for you. If we all do it, perhaps they will rethink at least that aspect.
Peter - Fight it man, fight it :)
My pet peeve with gadgets these days is I bought a Dell laptop about a year ago and now the battery is dead.....cost for a new one? 185.00 Are laptops now just an excuse to sell batteries at an outrageous price?
Pretty much. Think about all the other stuff they do to disguise the price and get you to buy more rubbish-
Cameras with no memory chip
Updating the software so that your machine is obsolete and pricing it so you buy a new one
and on and on. The real problem is - if they made them to last, they would go out of business. Where would Dell be if they couldn't sell you a new one every 2 years?
Well, you didn't tell us to feel free to agree with you, but I will anyway. I always look for ways to incorporate the 3R's into my life. I love your idea about leaving packaging at the store. What gets me is when I'm not even asked if I want a bag, but they put my three items in two different bags...I'll take everything out, leave the bags on the counter, and put my three items in the bag I brought with me. You know what else is hot for 2008? The stuff I bought before 2007. Crazy.
LOL. There you go. I even unpack stuff from the boxes/plastic containers etc they come in. :) I mean, do I really need a plastic container with four other plastic containers in it?
Very entertaining Hub Mark..
My hot 2008 thing i am looking forward to is a nice hot summer!!
:)
I am sure you will get it compu-smart
I love it when I order a small book, and it is delivered wrapped in plastic wrapped inside of a huge box. Stupendous.
Yup, that's how they waste it all - and you are the one who has to go to the trouble of finding somewhere to recycle it, or throw it away.
As usual you touch the scar, great hub!
I don´t see myself as a chronic consumer in fact I hate new products who born old just because they will be tuckered out just a few weeks or even days after you buy them :-» (I think this could be a sarcastic smilie lol).
Thanks funride - I will see if I can get hubpages to make it into one :)
Wow, Mark, as Zsuzsy stated, you definately get down to the nitty gritty of things. I do agree that most of the "new" gadgets are nothing more than improved "old" ones. Such as the nano ipod versus the regular ipod. Nothing technologically new, just a new look.
hehe,tell it like I see it is my motto - I am not too impressed with us at the moment. Thanks for the comment.
you says it as you sees it Mark, Great hub........jimmy
Thanks Jimmy - I appreciate you stopping by. Hope you enjoyed.
You have certainly wowed your adoring public. Right on the chin as usual
Thank you
Thank you Mr. M - I appreciate the comment as always.
looking forward to MacWorld later today, Steve might just pull another rabbit out of the hat and yet again set the standard for whats hot!!
Guess you didn't read my hub then ....:) But thanks anyway. I like a little irony on my hubs and you just provided it. It's people like you who make these guys lives easy. Welcome to hubpages.
Just found your Hub. Glad I did! At the top of my pet peeves list is, for all our going green, save the environment efforts we are still the largest disposable society on the planet!
Our office went "paperless" about 5 years ago to save on paper, space and the environment. Now that the papers aren't IN the file anymore, (they're on the computer), we have to print it out on a new piece of "Paper" every time we need to review it! Wow! What progress. Keep up the good work.
It's so good to hear there are others out there. How big is the colony? I agree wholeheartedly with you about the blind, buying-into mentality of our society. Has everyone completely lost their minds? Yes, I think so. People have so many things hanging from their arms, belts, ears, etc. that they're beginning to look like robots. Like you said, every year there's another version of the same thing. Maybe I sound harsh to the fad/fashion chasers but come on. Where DOES it end. A great hub from a 21st century Renaissance man.
It's pretty big and growing. The website I mentioned, story of Stuff, was actually shut down for a while after an attack on their server. Freaky. But if we all stick together... who knows. Thanks for the comment.
once again another great hub. I say that Stuff video a couple of months ago.
I fully agree that they don't make things to last any more. Take RCA for example: my son has a 20-year-old 14 inch RCA in his room he uses to play video game -- works fine, but isn't compatible with satillite or cable (which is ok since we don't have any TV coming into the house anyway--we just watch movies or play games on our 4 TV's now. Any, getting to the point.
About 5 years ago I wanted a new, larger TV for the livingroom, and bought a 32inch RCA. It lasted 4 1/2 years before frying its insides!!! I called the store where I bought it, and they sent over an RCA technitian, who promtly took out the guts of the TV, left, and NEVER came back or called with an estimate!
I ended up spending $500.00 on a new TV--not an RCA!! In fact that particular local store won't even sell RCA's any more because they are JUNK!
But what you say about quality companys going out of business is also true.
Case in point: 23 years ago I purchased a set of stainless steel pots & pans, which came with a life-time warranty, and free replacement of the handles. My pots still look like new, but a few handles are cracked. When I tried to get replacements, it seems the company has gone out of business! -- forced out by cheaper compitition maybe?? Who knows?
Keep up the great work here Mark
Amen brother, when I buy new, I buy the best I can afford. Then I hold onto it with both hands, my feet, and a dirty look at anyone who looks crossways at it. Snigger at my ipod all you want, I didn't drop another 300 dollars this year like you did. As for unpackaging items, now there's an idea. I like it.
Good for you. The packaging pisses them off, but one day, maybe they will get it. ?
Excellint info, and i agree. I think the companies are willing to sell the same thing year in and year out wether its an amazing improvement or a blatang cash grab. sad really when you think how this money could fight disease and poverty.
I had a watch that cost me under $20. It was some cheapo brand using the name of an Indian tribe. I think it was Cherokee. I thought it was cool because it looked exactly like one of those multi-thousand dollar Movado things. It amused the hell out of me when people would start ooohing and aaahing over it! I wore the thing for 15 years until it finally was crushed by a Crown forklift while I was working in the stockroom of a Target store about 2 years ago. I haven't gotten another yet.
Here's my term for the syndrome you're describing: Consumer Delirium Madness.
At least 90% of America is in its grip and much of the world is following along.
It'sd fucking insanity, that's for sure. I look at the garbage on TV, and the "exitement" that comes with it and wonder how on earth we got ourselves to this point.
With a little help from our corpoarate friends.
Nice work, Mark. I'm a bit old fashioned. I have very few "wants," so I'm not looking for the newest this or that. But as long as the profit motive determines what's new we'll continue get more and more garbage. The only difference is that nowadays the garbage all comes from China or India.
It is cool nowadays to try to make the first generation lipstick, I mean clamshell, Apple laptops run some silly 80's video games. Yay retrograde.
I recently bought a new Macbook, not a Pro alas, and I was talking to the guy in the iConcept store, as you know we don't have Apple stores in France, and I was trying to get him to explain to me how to turn my old iBook G4 into a media server for my home and even he told me just to sell it or throw it away. I told him if I could figure out how to make a bomb with it I'd come back and give it to him.
William - Yes, but it's the American and English and other European corporations getting their crap made there :)
francetales - that's very French of you :)
working
Zsuzsy Bee says:
6 months ago
Mark! As in all your Hubs you get right down to the nitty-gritty of things. I just love your no-nonsense-saying-it as it is ways.And I definitely agree with you about there being too much "NEW" junk.
loved your HUB
regards Zsuzsy