We can’t help but think that we’ve done pretty darn well at developing modern technologies. Everything from our mechanical pencils to hybrid cars show just how far we’ve come in the last century. As technology has advanced, even previously fictional retina and fingerprint scanners have become a reality. While we may have achieved much, there’s a major flaw in most of today’s innovations: quality. We need not toot our own horns just yet because ladies and gents, we’ve got work to do.
Plasma Technology
The Plasma TV is one of the most stylish innovations on the market. Often seen as a status symbol, the early adopters of this trend have found themselves fairly pleased with its design and elegance. The problem? Burn-outs- or as Jim Johnson of EzineArticles.com calls it, “burn-ins.” Laying out the top three problems (yes, there are more than three), Johnson comments, “The second problem that plasma TVs can exhibit is a susceptibility to screen burn-in. This happens whenever any static image stays on the screen for a very long time and is still faintly visible even when the image changes. It is said to have been ‘burned-in’ to the screen, and can be very irritating to see a ghost pattern still visible as you watch TV.”
Not intending to belittle technology, Johnson later states in the article that his intent of sharing the flaws of plasmas is not to defer readers from purchasing them, rather to help them understand how to handle the equipment properly. In fact, part of his article makes mention of the improvements newer plasmas have made. Advised by Tasso of Appeal Media, “Simply put, second generation electronics are almost always better than their first generation and those who can wait should.”
Laptop Computers
Speaking of burn, laptops too have had issues- with fires. Often requiring large batteries to keep them running, these portable computers are susceptible to overheating and at times, even bursting into flames! We’ve all heard the jokes like, “Dude, your Dell just freaking blew up!!!” and “How about calling [the MacBook] a MatchBook?” but who would’ve guessed that these jokes would apply to laptops in our day, created almost a decade later than the first. Best said by blogger Toasty Doc, “Don’t release something until it’s ready!”
Biometric Security
While plasma TV’s and MacBooks may need to work out their kinks, the most important quality issue we must resolve is in regards to security. One of the biggest trends catching on is biometric security. Defined by Dictionary.com, biometric is, “The measurement of physical characteristics, such as fingerprints, DNA, or retinal patterns, for use in verifying the identity of individuals.” This must be flawless then, right? After all, our DNA is one of a kind! While that may be true, ABC News reports that in order for biometric security systems to work, the fingerprint, or whatever else, must be simplified, therefore making it easier to crack.
We may be introducing fancy biometric security measures to the world, but we’ve yet to find a method that works flawlessly. How secure can this new technology be when our snowflake fingers can be imitated after all?
Although it is obvious that every new gadget will have a flaw, we should be aiming to perfect our current and upcoming technologies BEFORE they’re released. As the saying goes, ‘Measure twice, cut once.’ |
