Too much or not enough?

As I start my car this morning, I get a nice little alert on my dashboard. It says "1 tire low pressure!" and then cycles to "Service Tire System!". My car has sensors in the valves that monitor the tire pressure and relay the information to the cars computer, which in turn notifies me on the dash of any high or low pressure situations. Kinda cool huh? Yes.. and no.

The concept behind it is great. I mean who checks their tire pressure once a week even to make sure they are keeping in the correct range? Here is a technology that doesn't require me to do anything and yet constantly monitors the tires and makes sure they are always in range. My problem with the system is that for me, it sits in the middle between too much technology and not enough. I will explain.

When I went to have my tires replaced this spring, they normally put new valve stems on when they change your tires. I found out later when I went to put air in one of my tires (as I was alerted it was low) and the valve stem broke, that they didn't. I called my mechanic, told them I had a broken valve stem and they said no problem and to just swing by on my way home and they would swap it out for free quick as its like a 2 dollar part. Great! Or so I thought. I get there and the guy I always talk to is a little surprised I have a broken valve stem as he knows I just got 4 new tires a few months back and I should have all new stems in there. Well after some investigation, they figure out why I don't have new ones. The valve stems for my car are built into this whole unit that contains the pressure sensors and transmitters. So instead of a $2 part, its more like a $45 part. So they ordered me one and replaced it the next day.

So here's my thing. This technology in my car makes simple things much more complicated and expensive to maintain. Yet for all that cost and hassle, it isn't smart enough to tell me WHICH TIRE. It tells me 1 tire is low. It doesn't tell me "Rear Driver Tire Low" which would make the system actually worth it. So either its not enough technology and needs some more features to make it truly useful, or its too much technology and take it out so that I don't have to pay $45 per valve stem when they go bad.

Another example.. drive through ordering systems. We can put a man in space and talk to him. I can get 200 channels of satellite radio in my car anywhere in the country. You can get a satellite phone that will allow you to make a phone call in the middle of the wilderness. Yet with all that technology, we can't devise a communication system that allows clear communication for the 40 ft. from the ordering spot to the register inside? Seriously? Why does it sound like Chewbacca is trying to take my order? It's either too much and we go back to just ordering from a real live human being at the window, or it's not enough and they need to use some of that NASA shit and make it so that two people can communicate and not have it sound like complete crap. The way they sound now, you might as well remove the technology and put out the ol' Can and Strings intercom. Would work just as well and save on energy. At least go 'green' if it's going to sound like crap anyway.

One more prime example of a technology that is missing that 'one thing' to make it really useful is the video baby monitor. My sister has a 'video monitor' for her toddlers room. She can actually look at this little screen and see what is going on in her kids room. Kinda cool. And yet, does it make things any better? Sure you can see them, but does it really gain you anything? If they are not sleeping, well you know that with a regular sound-only baby monitor. If they are screaming for you and want to get up, you know that from the sound. It's not like the video monitor allows you to see him and go "look at his face, he is totally faking being upset about still being in his bed for nap time". 2 year olds don't really have that depth in acting quite yet.

So what is missing from making that a great technology? I will tell you. A dart gun with a lazer targeting system. The video monitor would allow you to see where the lazer targeting is pointed so you make sure you hit a good spot and not poke his eye out or anything. There would then be a button for launching the sedative dart remotely. This button would say 'Snooze' on it. Your child drifts off into a peaceful sleep for another hour or so and you can get some much needed rest. Now THAT is a good reason for having a video monitor!

I kid of course. I would never do anything like that. At least not that I am going to admit in a public forum. If you have ever parented a 2 year old, don't tell me the thought of drugging them for some peace and quiet didn't cross your mind at some point. :P

Technology...if you are going to do something, don't stop halfway. Make it really useful, or let us keep going the way we are without the added complications that doesn't really make things any easier.