we all know… in the past decades technology changed massively!
people are reachable anywhere, at anytime, at anyplace; we need internet connection everywhere; checking mailboxes happens digitally, in the real one we only find bills; music files became abstract; and to my personal annoyance we all use GPS (except for me and my dad, cause I hate it), nobody knows how to read a map anymore (except for me, even though I’m a woman) etc…
technology changed so much in so little time, the phrase “do you know how to get there” is without any exception (except for me and my dad) answered by “don’t worry, I have my GPS”.
technology’s revolution even moves people, namely Rand E., to make a very cool flash adobe presentation with an overview of yesterday, today and tomorrow (thank you, Rand).
one of Rands wishes for tomorrow got my attention: “indoor GPS”…
now before I will elaborate on that, let me describe my skepticism towards GPS:
- 1. two examples of human stupidity: about every 5 months, one finds an article in some newspaper about a fool who drove into a pond, river or canal because he was following his GPS instructions;
- 2. a former friend of mine was going to a local theme park, at a specific point there was a signpost leading them towards that theme park (to the right) while the GPS said “turn left”… they turned left, ended up hitting another car in an alley in the centre of the middle of nowhere (PS: he’s not my friend anymore, but for a different reason J)
- 3. some years ago I carpooled with my cousin to another cousins wedding… the first cousin had a new GPS… he knew how to get to our destination but used the GPS anyway… there were two possible highways to take… he took the second… the GPS took the first…
result: over a distance of more than 10km, where every 200 meters you can turn around, the GPS ordered my cousin to make a U-turn… for about 50 times!!! It’s safe to say I went nuts
now… back to the “indoor GPS”
before Rand could explain this particular idea for the future, my imagination of course went crazy…
- 1. indoor GPS: suitable for morning grumpies who tend to bump into every obstacle on their way to the bathroom: “in 1 meter beware for the sock you carelessly left about yesterday evening”
- 2. in case of a cold or illness manifesting in the bathroom: “make a U-turn”
- 3. in case of severe short term memory dementia: “start: front door; destination: toilet – in 3 metres, turn right, go up the stairs, continue straight on for 12 steps, turn right… you’ve reached your destination” (maybe look around and make sure you have actually reached your destination… GPS’s aren’t always perfectly accurate ;))
- 4. in case of dilemma what route to choose: “start kitchen; destination: bath room – 1. choose most economic route, 2. choose most indoor route, 3. choose shortest route” (in my opinion same route each and every time)
- 5. in case of… *poof* (sound of me pull out of my imagination)
… Rand: “indoor GPS: to easily link surveyed rooms together in an AutoCad drawing”
pff… boring… my ideas were cooler!
hahahahahaha hilarious C!!!
ReplyDeleteyet, you DO NEED another device to remind you where you left the GPS the night before (unless it's attached to the pijamas)
BTW the future is already here!! Google Earth already has indoor maps for shopping malls, airports (ok would be useful in Zaventem, when after a 20' walk you have still NOT reached your luggage, enough time to regrett having luggage at the first place and to wonder "am I still going the right way?" about 10 times...)