International Law

Steve Tobak asks, are gadgets making our lives easier or just gadgetier?

Ever wonder how we got along without cell phones, BlackBerrys, notebook computers, and fax machines? How did we manage to have fun without video games, MP3 players, and DVRs?

Come to think of it, how did we ever survive without the Internet?

I don't know how, but we did. And you know what? I don't remember ever thinking I was missing something. I played records, wrote letters, used the phone book, and shopped at stores.

As for work, well, the business of designing chips was a bit archaic back then. Still, at Texas Instruments we did manage to get our designs done and out the door. In fact, TI's venerable TMS320 Digital Signal Processor--the chip inside most of the world's cell phones--was invented back then in the early '80s. How about that?

You know what else? I had more balance in my life back then. I did things other than check my e-mail, surf the Net, and talk on my cell phone. Sure, I still have non-gadget hobbies today, but I use gadgets to enjoy them. I drink wine out of a glass, but the Internet helps me collect and buy. I admit to listening to my iPod occasionally while hiking and gardening.   

I know I'm starting to sound like some technology reactionary, but really, I'm not. It's just that, well, for the longest time, gadgets got increasingly complex and feature-rich, but the interfaces didn't keep up. It was time-consuming to learn how to use them. There was no interoperability, wires were everywhere, and, well, it was a royal pain.

The other day I began to realize that that's finally beginning to change.

Read more here (from CNET).