5 everyday tech problems that should have been solved by now

5 everyday tech problems that should have been solved by now


Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 7-8 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

Editor's note: This article is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent that of ksl.com.SALT LAKE CITY — Technology has taken huge leaps and bounds forwards over the past few decades. Things are possible now that were never dreamed of in years prior. And yet, even with all the advances and developments we have, there are still things that we wish were better.

This is a list of five "first-world problems" — problems that aren't really problems, merely annoyances resulting from amazing technologies that make our lives easier. Take a look at our list and let us know in the comments what everyday technology annoyances you experience.

1. Why do I still have a key to my house?

So many cars these days have a keyless entry option. A feature that lets your car automatically unlock when you approach. And it even locks when you walk away. Why don't house doors have this?

Think about how convenient this would be. It would make bringing in the groceries so much easier. It would save time every time I use the door.

And like keyless entry cars have, there could be some sort of button or touch sensitive part of the handle. It would only unlock the door when the key is nearby and the button is pressed. This kind of a system works to keep nice cars secure, wouldn't it be secure enough for a house?

They could always include a backup key hidden within the key fob — again, like they do with cars. That would make it so you're not locked out of your house when the power goes out.

It seems to me like there is a lot of current technology out there that could be applied to household locks.

2. Why isn't there WiFi everywhere?

#poll2

First off, a parent annoyance to this is why do I even need WiFi anymore? My phone should be able to get a good Internet connection anywhere, even if I'm inside a large building, or on the freeway between cities. But I guess not every Internet-connected device has a cellphone receiver built in (like iPods or Blu-Ray players).

So back to WiFi — can't a business consider providing free WiFi to its customers? As a service to those shopping at its stores? Even places that have WiFi for its customers sometimes make you sign up for an account with them before they let you use it (think libraries). Is that really needed?

WiFi access points are becoming more and more common for businesses to provide, but there are still many places that need it. Like in the airline industry. I'm paying $150 for a flight and you can't throw in a little WiFi? You have the equipment needed already on the plane, but charging $8 for WiFi during the flight — again, is that really necessary?

3. Why doesn't everything come with a locating feature?

Let's say you lose your phone somewhere in your house. No problem, just call it and listen to it ring. But how about that remote control? Or your keys?

5 everyday tech problems that should have been solved by now

I can't imagine it would be that hard to build in some sort of WiFi or Bluetooth connection that lets you hop on your computer, phone or tablet and mark the item as missing. Then, the lost item starts to beep.

Voilà! I just followed my ears to the source of the sound and found the missing TV remote.

The problem with misplacing your keys is that you don't realize it until you need them most. When you're running out the door to make it just in time to your meeting and oh no — where are your keys?

This kind of locating feature could be applied to so many household items. Things like headphones, TV remotes, keys, computer mice — one time, while at home, we couldn't find our computer mouse for a week. It was tragic. You could even find things like measuring tapes. I can never find the measuring tape when I need it.

4. Why do I need to pull my phone out of my pocket when I hear it ring?

If I'm preparing dinner in the kitchen and I hear my text message sound from my phone, the next time I have a free second I have to wash my hands, dry them, and get the phone out of my pocket. There has got to be a better way.

Shouldn't there be some kind of device that will let me interact with my phone just as well as I do when I'm on the actual phone? In that kitchen scenario — couldn't I have some kind of touch screen that displays exactly what my phone does? And can it be waterproof so I can use it with dirty fingers and then just wipe it off when I'm done?

Services like iMessage help alleviate the problem somewhat by integrating across all devices.

If I'm watching TV and get an email couldn't there be some sort of preview pop up on the screen? That way I could decide if I can delay replying, or if I needed to get my phone off its charger and type out a quick reply.

Even if I'm on the computer I would like a way for me to see my phone's notifications. Email, social networks and even texts are easy to manage from a computer, but not everything my phone notifies me about is.

If my phone vibrates and has a notification telling me that it's my turn in DrawSomething, I'd like to know that without needing to look at the actual phone.

5. Why do I have so many cords and cables?

One universal cable. That's all I need. It can connect my phone to the wall charger, my computer to the TV, my hard drive to my computer, my keyboard, my mouse — just one connector. Can't we have one? Will something like this ever exist?

Imagine a life without all the cord and cable confusion we have today. Think of how simple and easy life would be. No longer the need to distinguish between VGA, DVI, HDMI, component, composite, USB, USB Type B, USB 3.0, Mini USB, Micro USB, eSATA, FireWire, Thunderbolt, Lightning, Display Port, Mini Display Port, Serial, Ethernet, Phone, 3.5 mm headphone jack, 1/4 inch audio jack, XLR, and all the different power adapters, to list but a few.

Just one connector. Everything (power, data, video) has just one type of port. And everything can be connected with just this one type of cable.

#poll

I long for the day when I don't have to carefully plan out each cable I will need when I go somewhere. I would just need one or two of these universal cables, and would be able to plug anything into anything.

Summary

There are so many small annoyances with technology that we encounter on a daily basis. If I were to write about all of the technology complaints I've heard, you would never be able to get to the end of this article. So I tried to pick out only the most common annoyances to elaborate upon.

Some of the annoyances that didn't make this article include:

  • Why doesn't my phone have a thermometer?
  • Why can't Siri actually understand me?
  • Why doesn't my computer pause my music when I click play on a video?
  • Why does my car battery still die? Can't it just turn off whatever is draining the battery when it gets low?
  • Why are all new phones slippery? Can't they make them easier to hold on to?
  • Shouldn't there be a way to skip ads on TV I have recorded?
  • Can my phone's battery not last longer then a few days?
  • Why can't my computer turn off when I fall asleep watching Netflix?
  • Can't my house just know I always need the lights on whenever I'm in the kitchen?
Let us know in the comments if you have a solution to any of these problems, or what annoyances you experience in your life.


Taylor Wilson is an IT professional at a small Utah company. He has a passion for helping people with technology. Email: taylorwilson@testonetwo.com Online: www.testonetwo.com or twitter.com/twil6

Related links

Related stories

Most recent Science stories

Related topics

Science
Taylor Wilson

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast