What's something modern you won't miss when it becomes obsolete?

[LizzieMaine]

Having spent a big chunk of yesterday afternoon doing exactly that, after my cat flatly refused to go near the box unless I did so, I shall be looking for this product when next I visit the store.

 

[Zombie_61]

Many years ago I started putting our cats' litter box in a plastic trash bag whenever it was time to replace the litter. Slip the bag over the litter box, dump the litter into the box, and the bag acts as a liner. It can be a little tricky when the time comes to replace the bag/liner, but it's a lot easier than scrubbing the litter box.

 

[tonyb]

^^^^
I’m looking forward to Lizzie’s review.

In the past I’ve used cat litter made from recycled newspaper and also this real pricy stuff called Dr. Elsey’s Cat Attract, which I suppose was kind of effective in getting a problem cat we once had to be a bit less of a problem. It may have attracted the precious little thing to do her business there, on the high-priced cat litter, rather than on an antique Persian rug, but it turned back into clay when it got oh-so-daintily watered, and stuck like glue to the insides of the cat box.

 

[tonyb]

Has anyone mentioned fax machines? They’re almost obsolete now.

 

[vitanola]

Manufactured "outrageousness."
Manufactured "rebelliousness."
Manufactured "spontaneity."

These seem to be the only things which we can produce on an industrial scale anymore, though the artesianal versions of the above are nothing to write home about, either.

 

[LizzieMaine]

The phrase "bad actors," as applied to unknown entities who are manipulating events to their own advantage. Every time I hear it all I can think of is Robert Taylor.

 

[MisterCairo]

Has anyone mentioned fax machines? They’re almost obsolete now.

Almost?!

Provincial government in Ontario is just now phasing them out, most not knowing they still had any.

Incredibly, there was a bit of controversy: "But what about doctors sending in prescriptions"???

Um, how about they either scan them and email, or use the multitude of medical apps that, um, send in prescriptions to pharmacies.

And I say this as a man with a rotary phone...

 

[MisterCairo]

The phrase "bad actors," as applied to unknown entities who are manipulating events to their own advantage. Every time I hear it all I can think of is Robert Taylor.

The dead American or live Australian version?

 

[LizzieMaine]

I was thinking of the American, prince of prettyboys, but from what I see the Australian isn't exactly an improvement.

 

[belfastboy]

Microwave ovens. We dumped ours 3 years ago when we reno'd the kitchen. We only used it to heat our milk for morning coffee and the new induction cook top does it even quicker than the microwave.

 

[belfastboy]

Almost?!

Provincial government in Ontario is just now phasing them out, most not knowing they still had any.

Incredibly, there was a bit of controversy: "But what about doctors sending in prescriptions"???

Um, how about they either scan them and email, or use the multitude of medical apps that, um, send in prescriptions to pharmacies.

And I say this as a man with a rotary phone...

My family doctor does his rounds of the exam rooms with his IPad. His entire practice in stored within. He writes the script and sends it to the pharmacy of my choice while we are chatting.

 

[belfastboy]

Almost?!

Provincial government in Ontario is just now phasing them out, most not knowing they still had any.

Incredibly, there was a bit of controversy: "But what about doctors sending in prescriptions"???

Um, how about they either scan them and email, or use the multitude of medical apps that, um, send in prescriptions to pharmacies.

And I say this as a man with a rotary phone...

For a big chunk of my career we used the teletype to send info to head office. Request for quotes, specification data etc. We had a brand new delivered one day within a week we had scrapped it as we received the state of the art FAX machine. Phoned the company that supplied them to the marketplace free of charge as we were charged by message or some such to come pick it up.....they never did. It struck me that is how quickly technology changes, one day the current technology is supplanted by the new. Now some 35 years later the Fax hits the dustbin. A pretty good run in these days of disruptive change.

 

[Turnip]

Nuclear power, airplanes and electronic communication...

Cheers

Turnip

 

[Zombie_61]

I was thinking of the American, prince of prettyboys, but from what I see the Australian isn't exactly an improvement.

The "live Australian" Robert Taylor isn't a bad actor when he's in the right role. He was the lead character Walt Longmire in the Longmire television series on A&E and Netflix, and I found him to be quite convincing.

 

[Edward]

Microwave ovens. We dumped ours 3 years ago when we reno'd the kitchen. We only used it to heat our milk for morning coffee and the new induction cook top does it even quicker than the microwave.

We cleared ours out a few years ago; I had a new kitchen where there just wasn't space. We kept talking about getting a small one to put on a wall shelf, but never got around to it. It's not something we miss now. Even before we got the new induction hob and oven, the old electric was fast enough. Probably helps that we eat a lot less processed foods now than we used to, so a microwave is less useful than once might have been. The only real difference is we have to be a bit more mindful about remembering to defrost stuff we want to use from the freezer, plus the odd pot or pan on top of a plate if we're just reheating. Not really a hassle, though. I can wait 20 minutes for a reheated meal as easily as six or seven in the microwave. As regular ovens become more efficient, it seems the benefits of a microwave are less than previously.

Do landlines qualify as modern? After having one for eighteen odd years (I did without for the first two years but really wanted home internet), we have finally been able to get fibre broadband, so the landline phone is now history in our household. Don't miss it.... about 309% of the calls I made in the last ten years were to find a misplaced filed telephone. Now we have tow of those active in the house.... When my home office is fully redecorated, though, I *will* be buying a blutooth box that lets me use an old rotary phone to make / answer calls via my mobile. But that'll be an indulgence...

I'll be glad if streaming music websites all die off. Very happy for TV to be replaced by them, but they really are ruining the music industry.

 

[belfastboy]

We cleared ours out a few years ago; I had a new kitchen where there just wasn't space. We kept talking about getting a small one to put on a wall shelf, but never got around to it. It's not something we miss now. Even before we got the new induction hob and oven, the old electric was fast enough. Probably helps that we eat a lot less processed foods now than we used to, so a microwave is less useful than once might have been. The only real difference is we have to be a bit more mindful about remembering to defrost stuff we want to use from the freezer, plus the odd pot or pan on top of a plate if we're just reheating. Not really a hassle, though. I can wait 20 minutes for a reheated meal as easily as six or seven in the microwave. As regular ovens become more efficient, it seems the benefits of a microwave are less than previously.

Do landlines qualify as modern? After having one for eighteen odd years (I did without for the first two years but really wanted home internet), we have finally been able to get fibre broadband, so the landline phone is now history in our household. Don't miss it.... about 309% of the calls I made in the last ten years were to find a misplaced filed telephone. Now we have tow of those active in the house.... When my home office is fully redecorated, though, I *will* be buying a blutooth box that lets me use an old rotary phone to make / answer calls via my mobile. But that'll be an indulgence...

I'll be glad if streaming music websites all die off. Very happy for TV to be replaced by them, but they really are ruining the music industry.

We still have a landline and have thought about cancelling it many times. But it only costs us $20 a month and I have a grandfathered cheap long distance plan so we keep it. I phone my brother a few times a year and if I used my cel and its expensive long distance charges it might end up costing the same....so we keep it. Nobody phones me except telemarketers thought!

 

[MisterCairo]

I was thinking of the American, prince of prettyboys, but from what I see the Australian isn't exactly an improvement.

Not a fan of Longmire then?

 

[Zombie_61]

Cell phones. I have hated telephones of all varieties my whole life, and consider them to be a necessary evil. And cell phones have been the instrument that allows most humans to exhibit the most abhorrent social behavior, yet claim the rest of us are being "rude" when we point out how rude these cell phone users are being. I clearly have no idea what the next incarnation of this hellish device will be, but I sincerely hope that we as a society do a better job of figuring out how to balance the use of such a device against face-to-face interaction with the people around us in those moments.

 

[tonyb]

Our microwave sees daily use. Oatmeal takes three minutes in the microwave and maybe 30 seconds to “prep” (1 cup Quaker Oats, 1 3/4 cups water) in the bowl in which it cooks and is sometimes served. It’s energy and labor efficient.

Ours is one of those “space saver” units, an over-the-stove job with built-in exhaust fan (almost totally ineffective) and a pair of small lights to illuminate the stovetop (quite effective). It was here when we bought this place. I half expect it to go belly up before long, at which point I’ll replace it with a similar unit.

 

[belfastboy]

Cell phones. I have hated telephones of all varieties my whole life, and consider them to be a necessary evil. And cell phones have been the instrument that allows most humans to exhibit the most abhorrent social behavior, yet claim the rest of us are being "rude" when we point out how rude these cell phone users are being. I clearly have no idea what the next incarnation of this hellish device will be, but I sincerely hope that we as a society do a better job of figuring out how to balance the use of such a device against face-to-face interaction with the people around us in those moments.

I had my first cell phone in 1987....wired into the car. I loved it...as a salesman who carried a pager which required finding a damn pay phone that worked and didn't smell like an outhouse it was a boon. That is until I discovered that I was always in reach of head office. Until I discovered as well the wonderful dead zones which meant I did not have to answer...merely declare afterwards that I must have been in a cel dead zone. I would have been very satisfied if the technology stopped there and advanced no further.