# What are some examples of outdated technology around you?



## lww23 (Mar 7, 2021)

Outdated technology? It is an open-ended question. What you consider as obsolete might still be popular among others. High-tech products now have an increasing rate of replacement, it seems. Tech companies do not expect customers to purchase only once or twice for long-term use. Rather, businesses come up with new models and new products regularly in order to attract customers. On the other hand, customers expect constant upgrades and updates in technology.

Tech products develop so fast that they almost become part of a 'fast-food' culture - more convenience, frequent consumption, and frequent disposal. Take iPhone for example. Many people I know stay updated on the news about recent products. Once they know that a new model becomes available, they will replace their phones with the newest, regardless of whether their own are still good enough or not. Technology becomes trendy, and there seems a constant temptation to not fall behind.

When does a technological product become outdated? When people around you rarely use it. Or, most people do not use it on a regular basis. iPhone 4, for example, can be seen as a case of outdated technology.

Another example - landlines. Do people still use telephones? in my observation, it is no longer that common for people to have landlines at home. There are better alternatives, why the telephone? Today, telephones should perhaps go to the museum.








How many people know how to use such a fancy telephone? So many buttons and a primitive screen. What functions can it perform other than calls and voice messages? And, why would people use this when they can own a smartphone with a lot more functions and features?









These old cell phones are probably not good for use but one day, they may become valuable antiques, so they might be worth a lot more money.

What are the cases of outdated technology in your life?


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## Deezzee (Nov 25, 2011)

I know that there can be a lot of stereotypical answers to this question, so I'll offer my own perspective: the concept of phone numbers and by extension, SMS, should be outdated and replaced by an Internet-based Email/User ID system.

The origins of phone numbers came from the pre-internet era, where physically spinning a rotary dial on a telephone set would transmit electromechanical pulses to a central office, which made the bell on the other end ring and connected you to the recipient. The analog technology was upgraded to touch-tone dialing in the 1980s, which replaced the rotary dial. Each number button was assigned a specific sound and the central office would route the call based on the sounds detected. When landlines were mainly used, the phone number system had a logical structure, it was based on country code, followed by area code, town code, then the physical location of the phone.

However, today's era is different from the 1910s. The internet is the dominant medium of communication, and mobile phones have outnumbered landlines. Here are some possible reasons why the phone number system should be outdated.
*A name-based system is more logical and easier to remember than a number-based system:* when we visit websites and send emails, we can simply type in a website name and IPv4/IPv6 + Domain Name Servers (DNS) will handle the back-end for the user. With the DNS system, we only need to remember “Google.com” instead of “172.217.11.46”. Imagine having to memorise every single IP address to visit a website.
*Phone numbers are harder to maintain and transfer/port to other telcos:* For example, if you plan to move to another country for a prolonged duration, it would be very impractical to keep the number you originally had in your home country, due to billing issues (if you don't intend to move back), roaming charges etc. In this case, you would have to get a new phone number, and inform your contacts, update the details on online accounts associated with your old phone number etc. Even if you don't intend to migrate, transferring a phone number between telcos to switch to a more affordable plan is not a frictionless process, and may involve some downtime while the porting process is ongoing. Internet-based systems, such as email addresses, do not suffer from this issue. If you move countries or change telcos, you would not lose ownership and be required to setup a new user identity.
*Phone numbers are not secure*: As phone numbers are unable to accommodate an ever-increasing population and can run out of combinations, telcos do recycle old phone numbers and give them to new customers. For example, you might want to try to get in touch with an old contact that you had not communicated with in some years, and you did not know they changed their number. You messaged their old number, which now belongs to a different person, and you might unwittingly disclose personal info if the recipient decides to impersonate with malicious intent, or simply embarrass yourself.


And here are my reasons why SMS should be obsolete.

*Duplicate network infrastructure for similar functionality*: Today's internet speeds have enough bandwidth and are more than capable of sending/receiving Kilobytes of text data. Besides, SMS are not immune to network congestion either. The functionality of the telephone network can be done on the internet network, which is not bound by the design limitations of legacy telephone network. Instead of paying for two plans (a phone plan + internet plan) with the telco, one possible future scenario could be lower costs by paying for one home internet plan with data allowance for outdoors usage.
*SMSes are costly and do not work over the internet / Wi-Fi*: SMS functionality is tied to your phone plan with your telco. While I am aware that people living in the US are entitled to unlimited text messages, SMSes are chargeable per message in other countries. Simply sending a message with the word "ok" costs a few cents! If you have overshot your phone plan's monthly allowance, you cannot borrow extra data to send more SMSes by tapping into the Wi-Fi at your friend's house, public library etc.
*SMS is not secure*: The Sender ID of a SMS message can be easily spoofed by scammers to impersonate official organisations. There have been several cases of scammers successfully scamming victims of huge amounts of money, by sending spoofed SMSes to trick people into revealing their personal info and passwords.
*SMS have limited functionality*: SMS is based on 1990s technology, and a single SMS message is still technically restricted to 160 characters. Modern instant messaging apps support longer messages, sending higher quality photos/videos, sending of file attachments, more polished group chat functionality, syncing of messages on desktops/laptops.
*Bonus point - phone calls on the traditional telephone network can still sound really bad*: I understand that some areas have poor telephone network reception, and Internet-based systems can suffer from this problem as well. I still find it mind-boggling that when I listen to a radio station, I am generally able to hear decent audio quality, but when someone calls in to the station, there is a huge disparity between the call quality and the speech of the radio host.


I can foresee that some people might think that phone numbers offer some sort of pseudo-privacy, as you might not easily guess a person's identity simply from a number, compared to an email / user ID based system. However, anonymous and disposable email addresses do exist currently, and do not carry the legacy baggage of phone numbers. (numbers being reused, belonged to someone else previously)

I'm interested to know if you agree or disagree with my perspective.


Sources:








Why are we still using phone numbers?


Often if you take a logic-based critical look at something that society has long taken for granted, you might see that it really doesn't make sense in modern society. It may have made sense many years, or decades, or centuries ago, but it clearly…




pocketnow.com


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## Purrfessor (Jul 30, 2013)

Keys. Locks can easily be picked and keys can easily be duplicated. Much better to use passwords to unlock doors.


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## HAL (May 10, 2014)

Payment technology is highly outdated in most of the world.

The best payment system I ever used was WeChat pay in China. From the wechat app you can pay for literally everything. Goods, bills, train tickets, phone top up, you name it. Wanna lend someone money? Scan their wechat QR code and send. Without doubt the most efficient and useful payment technology I have ever used. Nothing even comes close.

It can't be done in most countries because the free market results in a mess of companies, banks and governments all needing to interact and co-operate _and_ suck out a profit along the way, so instead we're lumped with a handful of separate systems and clunky internet banking apps which make for a vastly inferior and outdated mode of electronic cash transfer.


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## SouDesuNyan (Sep 8, 2015)

The mass transit system in the US is outdated, or infrastructure in general. I want what they have in Japan and China, with high speed rails and good metros and bicycle friendly sidewalks. Most of us need a car just to get to the supermarket. 

Stove tops. I don't know why we still have those coils and gas stove tops when induction is more energy efficient and safer.


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## Purrfessor (Jul 30, 2013)

SouDesuNyan said:


> The mass transit system in the US is outdated, or infrastructure in general. I want what they have in Japan and China, with high speed rails and good metros and bicycle friendly sidewalks. Most of us need a car just to get to the supermarket.
> 
> Stove tops. I don't know why we still have those coils and gas stove tops when induction is more energy efficient and safer.


I was going to say stove tops too but some people prefer the gas. They think it makes the food taste better because the cooking process is slightly different. Something about a slower cook? Idk I'm not a chef. 

I'll say window blinds. Most are the old school with a string you gotta bend the right way to use. Plus they have extremely bendable parts. Newer ones are significantly better however most people don't have them in their house.


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## Purrfessor (Jul 30, 2013)

SouDesuNyan said:


> The mass transit system in the US is outdated, or infrastructure in general. I want what they have in Japan and China, with high speed rails and good metros and bicycle friendly sidewalks. Most of us need a car just to get to the supermarket.
> 
> Stove tops. I don't know why we still have those coils and gas stove tops when induction is more energy efficient and safer.


Trains in the USA are massively outdated. I thought Trump would upgrade them when he got elected because he promised infrastructure changes but ofc he's a liar too.


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## SouDesuNyan (Sep 8, 2015)

Purrfessor said:


> I was going to say stove tops too but some people prefer the gas. They think it makes the food taste better because the cooking process is slightly different. Something about a slower cook? Idk I'm not a chef.
> 
> I'll say window blinds. Most are the old school with a string you gotta bend the right way to use. Plus they have extremely bendable parts. Newer ones are significantly better however most people don't have them in their house.


I can see it for people who are chefs that need something powerful, like those woks in Chinese restaurants that sit on top what looks like a small jet engine. But, for 99% of us, induction makes the most sense. It seems like many people care about aesthetics than practicality. Like people who need kitchen appliances to have that stainless steel look, or have silverware and plates (I think they call it "fine china") as decorations. I prefer a practical kitchen, not one that looks like something glossy from a magazine.


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## Purrfessor (Jul 30, 2013)

SouDesuNyan said:


> I can see it for people who are chefs that need something powerful, like those woks in Chinese restaurants that sit on top what looks like a small jet engine. But, for 99% of us, induction makes the most sense. It seems like many people care about aesthetics than practicality. Like people who need kitchen appliances to have that stainless steel look, or have silverware and plates (I think they call it "fine china") as decorations. I prefer a practical kitchen, not one that looks like something glossy from a magazine.


I prefer practical and clean looks in kitchen. Colors I'd choose black and white and silver.


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## ai.tran.75 (Feb 26, 2014)

Hmm I still have my cassette tape player and my vhs player that I use every now and then . 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## SouDesuNyan (Sep 8, 2015)

Toilet tech and bathtub tech are also something that the US can improve on relative to Japan. Many Japanese homes have advanced toilet features like a bidet with warm water, seat warmer, etc. The bathtubs are more vertical, so that you can sit, and many can automatically heat the water to a certain temperature and keep it warm, with water jet thing like a hot tub. Also, the bathroom is designed to be like a wet room, which means it's easy to clean and dry, it can also be used to dry laundry.


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## lww23 (Mar 7, 2021)

SouDesuNyan said:


> The mass transit system in the US is outdated, or infrastructure in general. I want what they have in Japan and China, with high speed rails and good metros and bicycle friendly sidewalks. Most of us need a car just to get to the supermarket.
> 
> Stove tops. I don't know why we still have those coils and gas stove tops when induction is more energy efficient and safer.


I agree. High-speed rails are much more convenient and may help solve the traffic congestion problem. However, building those rails won't be easy, as many people do not want public transportation to extend to their local areas. Why? Take metro Atlanta for example. I live close to this area but as far as I know, the public transportation system is severely underdeveloped. Years ago the city had plans to extend MARTA (the subway train system) to reach more suburban areas. Strong objections followed. Some people were worried that convenient public transportation could bring more homeless wanderers and junkies into their local areas and cause potential security issues. The plan was tabled. Everyone working in the city still has to get up at 4-5 am to make sure they arrive on time for work. 

Stove tops look like a such ancient thing. Years ago I lived in an apartment for a year, and its stove top needed to be ignited by a match. They might be eventually replaced in newly-built homes but because of the existence of numerous old apartments, stove tops still seem quite common. Landlords would rather not do maintenance or improvement if something is still usable, no matter how outdated it might be.


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## Flabarac Brupip (May 9, 2020)

Lol Idk man. Probably about all technology I own.


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## lww23 (Mar 7, 2021)

HAL said:


> Payment technology is highly outdated in most of the world.
> 
> The best payment system I ever used was WeChat pay in China. From the wechat app you can pay for literally everything. Goods, bills, train tickets, phone top up, you name it. Wanna lend someone money? Scan their wechat QR code and send. Without doubt the most efficient and useful payment technology I have ever used. Nothing even comes close.
> 
> It can't be done in most countries because the free market results in a mess of companies, banks and governments all needing to interact and co-operate _and_ suck out a profit along the way, so instead we're lumped with a handful of separate systems and clunky internet banking apps which make for a vastly inferior and outdated mode of electronic cash transfer.


Yes, WeChat pay seems like a great idea. People just need to bring a phone, no wallets, no credit cards, and no cash. It's been widely used in China that almost any purchase can be made using WeChat. As far as I know, real-name registration is required, so that one is able to link a bank account with their WeChat account. The QR codes are not all secure, and may leak personal information or even, lead to financial loss. Now more theft happens virtually, on WeChat, when people scan some suspicious QR codes and lose money. 

In China, WeChat acts like a hub so just one app would be good enough. In the US, there are Google Pay, Amazon Pay, Walmart Pay, etc. Businesses promote their credit cards as well as their Pay apps. Tons of apps. To purchase something, you need to find out which apps are accepted and which ones are not. While WeChat could render credit cards hardly useful, the various 'Pay' apps exist as yet another form of credit cards, IMO. Little simplifying effect. 

Banks promote their products and services all the time, but their security system can be said as seriously outdated. I have one debit card I never use, but it's been replaced twice in three years because someone else tried to use that card to pay. Fortnuately the bank sent me alerts and replaced the compromised card afterward. Still, potential risks are there. Who knows when customers' information gets leaked again.


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## lww23 (Mar 7, 2021)

Purrfessor said:


> Keys. Locks can easily be picked and keys can easily be duplicated. Much better to use passwords to unlock doors.


Keys and locks belong to the old days. They only provide a psychological relief I think. Does not really help with security. 

Keyless entry seems a trend.








These are password-enabled. A potential problem could be, say, a bad guy wants to break in, and he just needs to observe very carefully which keys are pressed most often. If it is a four-digit password, if he keeps trying, he could get it right eventually. The password could be enhanced by adding more digits, or more combinations of numbers and letters, increasing the difficulty of access. Of course, complicated passwords may cause homeowners themselves to forget the right passwords, and may end up having to call the police to open the door for them.

I don't think a four- or five- digit password can work well. The password system can be replaced with a facial recognition technology. Similar to the one you can use when unlocking your phone. Enhanced features can be built in to verify the 'real' face, so that you cannot simply use someone's photo to open their door.


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## lww23 (Mar 7, 2021)

Flabarac Brupip said:


> Lol Idk man. Probably about all technology I own.


Right. All current technologies will soon become outdated in the very near future, maybe in just a few years' time.


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## Purrfessor (Jul 30, 2013)

lww23 said:


> Keys and locks belong to the old days. They only provide a psychological relief I think. Does not really help with security.
> 
> Keyless entry seems a trend.
> View attachment 908683
> ...


Perhaps put the buttons on a touch screen, and program it so their location is random and inconsistent on the TouchPad.


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## Purrfessor (Jul 30, 2013)

lww23 said:


> Right. All current technologies will soon become outdated in the very near future, maybe in just a few years' time.


Upcoming outdated technologies could include gas powered cars, among other car features such as manually rolling down the window. Since every non gas powered car would have automatic windows too, that feature would replace the manual ones if the cars replaced the gas powered ones. 

Batteries will become outdated, and made more safely and cheaply. 

Doors could become outdated and become automatic. 

Hopefully road systems will be outdated and be updated for walking access and biking access. Perhaps even more Big Truck Friendly roads is a possibility. 

Pop will become outdated. It's a used up garbage genre of music. 

Hopefully online job applications will become outdated. An in person application shows that you're more invested in the Job, as well as provides access for potential employment to those who do not have internet access (for any reason).


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## BenevolentBitterBleeding (Mar 16, 2015)

lww23 said:


> Another example - landlines. Do people still use telephones? in my observation, it is no longer that common for people to have landlines at home. There are better alternatives, why the telephone? Today, telephones should perhaps go to the museum.
> 
> How many people know how to use such a fancy telephone? So many buttons and a primitive screen. What functions can it perform other than calls and voice messages? And, why would people use this when they can own a smartphone with a lot more functions and features?


Landline telephones are more secure _and_ more reliable. They're still able to operate in emergency scenarios. I don't see governments in our lifetime getting rid of the infrastructure that supports landlines. Though to be fair, it probably makes no sense for them to do so since the cost would be higher than maintaining them. Are other methods of communication 'better'? Definitely in some cases. Like needing to reach remote areas that have no infrastructure in place. Sat/starlink type is probably a godsend.



> What are the cases of outdated technology in your life?


A plasma television. I also use wired headphones and a dedicated mp3 player but I don't really consider them outdated or obsolete so much as it's become more of a niche market(for the latter).



Deezzee said:


> ...I'm interested to know if you agree or disagree with my perspective...


Disagree. Numbers are pretty much 'universal'.



> Here are some possible reasons why the phone number system should be outdated.
> *A name-based system is more logical and easier to remember than a number-based system:* when we visit websites and send emails, we can simply type in a website name and IPv4/IPv6 + Domain Name Servers (DNS) will handle the back-end for the user. With the DNS system, we only need to remember “Google.com” instead of “172.217.11.46”. Imagine having to memorise every single IP address to visit a website.


Imagine having to remember every single person in the world's name. Also, you don't have to remember every single person's phone number in your contact list because you can use a similar process by designating a (nick)name. With landlines, there are phones that have a similar function which allow you to store a set number of contacts for speed dial.

*



Phone numbers are harder to maintain and transfer/port to other telcos:

Click to expand...

*


> For example, if you plan to move to another country for a prolonged duration, it would be very impractical to keep the number you originally had in your home country, due to billing issues (if you don't intend to move back), roaming charges etc. In this case, you would have to get a new phone number, and inform your contacts, update the details on online accounts associated with your old phone number etc. Even if you don't intend to migrate, transferring a phone number between telcos to switch to a more affordable plan is not a frictionless process, and may involve some downtime while the porting process is ongoing. Internet-based systems, such as email addresses, do not suffer from this issue. If you move countries or change telcos, you would not lose ownership and be required to setup a new user identity.


Porting a number vs. porting a name makes no difference in the porting _process_. In your example, the problem with region ports isn't with the numbers themselves, but with the different standards used by each area/country. Also, I don't think it makes any difference for the machines having to process straight numbers with decimals, hyphens, and what not, vs processing names with capitals, lowercase, spaces, commas, etc... if anything I'd think it'd be easier with the numbers alone - especially if you take into consideration the some points from the next section with regards to character length. i.e. it's easier to process x number of numbers vs. a lengthier string of words. More character spaces = more information = more/larger content/storage.

*



Phone numbers are not secure

Click to expand...

*


> : As phone numbers are unable to accommodate an ever-increasing population and can run out of combinations, telcos do recycle old phone numbers and give them to new customers. For example, you might want to try to get in touch with an old contact that you had not communicated with in some years, and you did not know they changed their number. You messaged their old number, which now belongs to a different person, and you might unwittingly disclose personal info if the recipient decides to impersonate with malicious intent, or simply embarrass yourself.



How are names anymore secure? If you use your real name, that's already giving information a number otherwise wouldn't have.
What about people with the same first and last name? Do they need to add random characters/numbers to their designation in order to identify themselves?
If you use an anonymous name/word/set of words/randomized letters, how is that easier to remember vs. a number?
Is each name designation going to be a set number of character length?
Is everyone in the world forced to use English for their names?
Do you know how many words - approximately - there are in the English language?
Do you know how many possible combinations of numbers there are for a 7 digit phone number using 0-9 where any 0-9 number can be repeated?
*



Bonus point - phone calls on the traditional telephone network can still sound really bad

Click to expand...

*


> : I understand that some areas have poor telephone network reception, and Internet-based systems can suffer from this problem as well. I still find it mind-boggling that when I listen to a radio station, I am generally able to hear decent audio quality, but when someone calls in to the station, there is a huge disparity between the call quality and the speech of the radio host.


In your example, you're listening to a radio *rebroadcast* of a telephone conversation. Like, the call comes in and is probably compressed in the backend in order for it to be transmitted over the air. Also, you can't know for certain that any x caller is also using a landline to call in. Try comparing a direct landline call with the radio broadcast of a telephone conversation you're listening to over the air through whatever terrain and weather conditions with whatever equipment you're using to listen to it on... lol


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## leftover crack (May 12, 2013)

SouDesuNyan said:


> Toilet tech and bathtub tech are also something that the US can improve on relative to Japan. Many Japanese homes have advanced toilet features like a bidet with warm water, seat warmer, etc. The bathtubs are more vertical, so that you can sit, and many can automatically heat the water to a certain temperature and keep it warm, with water jet thing like a hot tub. Also, the bathroom is designed to be like a wet room, which means it's easy to clean and dry, it can also be used to dry laundry.


capsule bathroom.

I actually really despise that aesthetic for a bathroom. For me the ideal bathroom emulates a lounge room, but with bath fixtures. There's no good reason for why you shouldn't have at least an armchair in the bathroom, you could be reading a magazine after a bath or maybe filing your nails....

This does require quite a large room but many of the houses in the U.S. could accommodate that. The Japanese don't have the space so they're stuck with a cubicle for bathing and a cubicle for defecating. Revolutionary.


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