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20 tiny tech advances that would make 2014 awesome 
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http://www.techradar.com/news/world-of- ... me-1209469

Longer USB leads are definitely needed. Oh, and an actual fcuking USB standard! In the meantime at least, everything shall be wireless! Everything!

Batteries most definitely need to get better.

Auto-playing video's definitely a pain in the hole, especially on the BBC site.

Stop asking us if we'd like to use your app - yeah, that can get annoying.

Phoning people while browsing contacts - yes, this happens when your phone lags and then panic sets in with you :evil:

Eight plug sockets per room, please - Now you're talking.

And my own... Google, please stop trying to get even more information out of me! You might have more success with + if you weren't so fcuking creepy about it :roll:

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Tue Dec 31, 2013 5:44 pm
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Longer cables would be great, even Apple's standard cables are too short.

Autocorrect that's not an embarrassment. Today I tried messaging some people Happy New Year, to get Yeast and Dyer as the options. :oops:

Ban auto-playing video on websites. Totally.

Networks stopping you going over data limits. Nice but that is where a lot of profit comes from now that roaming is capped.

Eight plug sockets per room, please I am in a flat that has a similar problem Old wiring and too few sockets and no TV aerial socket in the bedroom.

I would add all software to allow users to set their own sync service rather than rely on Apple or Dropbox both of which could be intercepted by the NSA or simply demand that our data is handed over.

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Tue Dec 31, 2013 9:52 pm
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Amnesia10 wrote:
I would add all software to allow users to set their own sync service rather than rely on Apple or Dropbox both of which could be intercepted by the NSA or simply demand that our data is handed over.

Good news, there's loads of those.
https://www.cubby.com/howitworks/


Wed Jan 01, 2014 2:00 am
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1. Not connecting to WiFi hotspots- I've never had that happen...

2. So buy a longer cable! You can buy a 5M cable if you want. Mine are long enough, I haven't had any problems. But I don't take my mobile to bed with me, it stays downstairs.

3. I get 1 SMS from my provider and I can turn it off. That isn't a tech advance, that is a provider option.

4. My browsers (Firefox, Chrome and IE) download in a directory that I can specify and they have the option to open a Windows Explorer window showing the folder where the file is stored. It sounds like the author needs a basic course in using a computer.

5. Here I agree, although it isn't just embarrassing words, it is the whole virtual keyboard thing that is the problem.

6. Idiot. I'll stick with my old machine, it only has half a dozen programs for cotton, wool, synthetic, heavy duty etc. I wouldn't want it deciding for me, if it misread my shirts, I wouldn't want to have to fork out 600 or so Euros for a new set of shirts.

7. Can't comment, I haven't used a game controller since my PS2 bit the dust in 2006.

8. Batteries have changed a lot internally. If you tried to run a smartphone on a battery from the 1970s, it wouldn't last 10 seconds!

9. I use NoScript and FlashBlock, so no autoplaying videos.

10. Quit whining, man!

11. I haven't seen this behaviour...

12. This is the same for OS X and Linux as well. Some updates affect the Kernel and need to have the PC restarted in order for the protection to take effect. It is there for a reason. I'd rather the PC informs me that it needs to be restarted. Plus, given that modern Windows gives you 2 or 3 days warning, it isn't that hard. Is he really implying that he uses his PC non-stop 24/7 without taking a couple of minutes to go to the toilet, grab a coffee or sleep? On my Atom based Windows PC, it restarts in under 2 minutes, I can't make a pot of coffee or a cup of tea in that time.

13. Finally a tech advance that is useful or doesn't already exist, at least not in standard microwaves.

14. Meh, it probably gets it about 70% right. I honestly can't say it bothers me one way or the other.

15. Sounds like he needs to learn how to use a smartphone. I've never have that problem.

16. My PC is password protected and I always turn it off, before I go out. That said, there are plenty of services, like GoToMyPC, VNC etc. which will let you od this.

17. I never restart an iPhone when swapping SIMs, on my Galaxy, I do have to remove the battery to get at the SIM. This seems more about the design of the phone. If it worries him, then he should get a phone that doesn't need the battery to be removed to swap the card.

18. Time to swap provider again. Mine warns me, that I have reached my limit and then throttles the speed until the end of the month, no extra charge, or I can call them up and book additional volume.

19. Biometrics are usernames, not passwords. Maybe he should take a look at SQRL.

20. Or do it yourself. There isn't any real problem here. You just buy the sockets and do it yourself or you get an electrician in to do it for you. When building a house, you specify how many sockets you want where. If you are buying second hand or a pre-built, you take your chances and calculate in adding the relevant sockets.

We put in a dozen new sockets in our house, when we moved in.

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Wed Jan 01, 2014 7:38 am
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ShockWaffle wrote:
Amnesia10 wrote:
I would add all software to allow users to set their own sync service rather than rely on Apple or Dropbox both of which could be intercepted by the NSA or simply demand that our data is handed over.

Good news, there's loads of those.
https://www.cubby.com/howitworks/

There are dozens of ways you can do-it-yourself. Most Linuxes offer some for of owncloud these days, whether you host your own server at home or rent a server in a data centre.

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Wed Jan 01, 2014 7:41 am
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big_D wrote:
2. So buy a longer cable! You can buy a 5M cable if you want. Mine are long enough, I haven't had any problems. But I don't take my mobile to bed with me, it stays downstairs.

I have tried. The problem with Lightning Cables is that they will sometimes work or not. I had some which worked perfectly until iOS7 and then they were all useless. I bought some genuine ones from Groupon which all failed.

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Wed Jan 01, 2014 8:35 am
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Amnesia10 wrote:
big_D wrote:
2. So buy a longer cable! You can buy a 5M cable if you want. Mine are long enough, I haven't had any problems. But I don't take my mobile to bed with me, it stays downstairs.

I have tried. The problem with Lightning Cables is that they will sometimes work or not. I had some which worked perfectly until iOS7 and then they were all useless. I bought some genuine ones from Groupon which all failed.

Weird. I bought some Amazon 'own brand' ones for a couple of quid and they work fine with my iPad mini running iOS 7.


Wed Jan 01, 2014 10:09 am
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1. Stop phones connecting to Wi-Fi hotspots
I can't say it's a problem I've ever encountered but I tend to have my wifi off unless I need it and then there are only a couple of registered networks it'll connect to anyway. Maybe Windows Phone is actually handling this a bit better than Android?

2. Longer USB leads
As has been pointed out, if you need a longer USB lead then buy one. I can pretty much guarantee that if a longer cable was included as standard with devices it would be 'too long'.
You should be careful what you wish for in this instance as the simplest solution is to not include any cable and make it a chargeable extra at time of purchase - that way you could pick the length you needed and it would be a nice little extra earner for the manufacturer to boot.

3. Stop reminding us about missed messages
Again, not a problem I've really encountered much but surely easy to deal with in your phone settings.

4. Make it obvious where downloads are
This surely isn't an issue for anyone with half a brain.

5. Autocorrect that's not an embarrassment
Better auto-correct I can get on board with but I'm finding the system in WP8 to be pretty good anyway. As far as I can tell there hasn't been a single extraneous penis added to any of the text messages I've sent.
Better voice recognition would be good mind you, especially in the handling of accents. My phone doesn't like my slightly Glaswegian accent.

6. Washing machines with just a STOP/GO button
My last washing machine had what basically amounted to what he's asking for - mixed load, 40C setting.
I do take the point about the amount of time newer machines take compared to older machines though. I assume this is because of reducing the amount of water used (which is a good thing up to a point), it's still a pain in the backside when you can only do one load of washing in the time you could previously do 2 or 3.
Plus the person that decided that the washing machine should emit a loud beep (or play a merry little jingle) when its done and then repeats it every minute until you respond (I'm looking at you Siemens) deserves a slap, especially when they've made it so damn difficult to turn off.

7. Standardise game controller "invert" options
Not having a game console I can't say this bothers me in the slightest.

8. Batteries 2.0
There have been some fairly major advances in battery technology since the 1970. It's true that they perhaps haven't quite kept up with the pace of technological development in other areas. That you can run what are generally very complex (and relatively power hungry) pieces of kit for a whole day or even several with more moderate use is quite impressive IMO. Of course it would be nice if you didn't have to worry about charging things but we're not quite there yet.

9. Ban auto-playing video on websites
What big_D said.

10. Screens that don't rotate when you lie down
Seriously, how lazy is this guy?

11. Stop asking us if we'd like to use your app
Agree with this one.

12. No more restarting to update Windows
Really? I struggle to believe that this is a genuine issue for people. Fair enough if your OS decides to restart itself and trashes what you've been working on without warning.
I guess in a lot of cases this could actually be dealt with using cunning virtualisation technology but at some point there will be an update to whatever you virtualised platform is running on and a restart will be required.

13. Microwave boil over alerts
Actually a very good idea.

14. OK Google, stop second guessing
Maybe I'm too predictable but I find this useful rather than annoying.

15. Phoning people while browsing contacts
Not a problem I've encountered in WP8.

16. Remote browser close and history wipe
I'm with big_D on this one again.

17. Rebooting when swapping SIM
Every phone I've had has hidden then SIM slot under or very close to the battery so it generally has to be removed to swap the SIM anyway so this is a non-issue. And seriously, how time critical is swapping a SIM anyway?

18. Networks stopping you going over data limits
This would require legislation as it can be a nice little (or not so little) revenue earner for the mobile networks that they have no vested interest in stopping. Can't say it's a problem I've every really encountered though.

19. Fix passwords and captchas
Has this guy heard of password management software?

20. Eight plug sockets per room, please
Nice idea but who pays for it, especially retrofitting in rented accommodation? Plus someone is bound to object on aesthetic grounds and want fewer sockets so very much a case of damned if you do and damned if you don't. In fairness, the amount of stuff that we want to plug in has increased dramatically over the years and I suspect house builders haven't kept up either on cost or aesthetic grounds. Unlimited wireless power FTW!

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Wed Jan 01, 2014 11:31 am
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I disagree with 18. Not because I want to go over my limit and pay but because there shouldn't be a limit there in the first place.

Three has totally unlimited data. Why can't other companies do it also?

I'm currently on EE and if I get to my limit it forwards me to a page to get more data. I can't use the internet until I buy more.

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Wed Jan 01, 2014 11:42 am
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jonbwfc wrote:
Amnesia10 wrote:
big_D wrote:
2. So buy a longer cable! You can buy a 5M cable if you want. Mine are long enough, I haven't had any problems. But I don't take my mobile to bed with me, it stays downstairs.

I have tried. The problem with Lightning Cables is that they will sometimes work or not. I had some which worked perfectly until iOS7 and then they were all useless. I bought some genuine ones from Groupon which all failed.

Weird. I bought some Amazon 'own brand' ones for a couple of quid and they work fine with my iPad mini running iOS 7.

Amazon and Belkin are the only two that can be trusted other than Apple ones.

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Wed Jan 01, 2014 2:09 pm
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davrosG5 wrote:
20. Eight plug sockets per room, please
Nice idea but who pays for it, especially retrofitting in rented accommodation? Plus someone is bound to object on aesthetic grounds and want fewer sockets so very much a case of damned if you do and damned if you don't. In fairness, the amount of stuff that we want to plug in has increased dramatically over the years and I suspect house builders haven't kept up either on cost or aesthetic grounds. Unlimited wireless power FTW!

Living in a block of flats with wifi signals everywhere it would be fun to see the arguments over people getting their devices charged by the neighbour power supply. 8-)

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Wed Jan 01, 2014 2:15 pm
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Amnesia10 wrote:
big_D wrote:
2. So buy a longer cable! You can buy a 5M cable if you want. Mine are long enough, I haven't had any problems. But I don't take my mobile to bed with me, it stays downstairs.

I have tried. The problem with Lightning Cables is that they will sometimes work or not. I had some which worked perfectly until iOS7 and then they were all useless. I bought some genuine ones from Groupon which all failed.


From PC Pro:

Quote:
A few months ago, I discovered another option, the Daffodil Universal Charging and Data Cable. This offers mini-USB, micro-USB and Lightning, as found on more recent iPhones and iPads. It’s also retractable, giving you almost 2ft of available cord when extended. It’s great – or rather, it was great.

iOS 7

When Apple released iOS 7 in mid-September, it included a sneaky little check that detects whether any Lightning cables, chargers or other accessories you plug into your iPhone or iPad are genuine, Apple-approved articles. Prior to this, any old cable with a Lightning plug would work, so the market was flooded with cheap cables, chargers, docks and more.

This doesn’t mean you can use only Apple’s own cables, since third-party manufacturers can join Apple’s MFi (Made for iPhone/iPod/
iPad) programme, which gives affiliated manufacturers access to the authentication chips fitted in Apple’s Lightning cables and accessories.
The problem, as you might have guessed, is that there’s a cost involved.

As usual, it’s impossible to get hard figures from Apple, but I’ve seen reports that say it costs manufacturers around $3 (about £1.88) per connector via the MFi programme. In other words, it’s yet another Apple tax.

What’s more, manufacturers that sign up to the scheme also have to adhere to a strict code of conduct that forbids the inclusion of Lightning connectors in devices with multiple connectors. This is why Daffodil won’t be happy with iOS 7, and is also the reason behind a multi-output charger Kickstarter project called POP being cancelled. (Actually, in the case of POP, Apple tweaked its rules slightly to dodge some of the flak it was receiving, but by then the damage had been done and the project had died.)

You can still find a few cheap Lightning cables and chargers that will work with iOS 7, but these feature knock-off Lightning chips from China, based on a reverse-engineered version of Apple’s authentication protocols. I expect these will be killed off over the next few iOS firmware updates.

Personally, as well as having a few cables and a charger that no longer work, I now have a useless “camera adapter” that was sent to me by a PR agency in the hope I’d write nice things about it.

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/realworld/386122 ... avel-light

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Fri Jan 03, 2014 11:08 am
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big_D wrote:
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This doesn’t mean you can use only Apple’s own cables, since third-party manufacturers can join Apple’s MFi (Made for iPhone/iPod/
iPad) programme, which gives affiliated manufacturers access to the authentication chips fitted in Apple’s Lightning cables and accessories.
The problem, as you might have guessed, is that there’s a cost involved.

As usual, it’s impossible to get hard figures from Apple, but I’ve seen reports that say it costs manufacturers around $3 (about £1.88) per connector via the MFi programme. In other words, it’s yet another Apple tax.


*shurg* Then buy somebody else's kit. As far as I remember, a 'tax' is something you're required to pay by law. Nobody's forcing you or anyone else to buy Apple's mobile devices.


Fri Jan 03, 2014 11:17 am
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No, but Apple are forcing manufacturers to pay rhem a couple of quid per cable they sell or risk having there cables bricked.

I posted it to help Amnesia understand why his cables stopped working.

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Fri Jan 03, 2014 11:24 am
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1. Stop phones connecting to Wi-Fi hotspots
Erm, I just turn off my wifi when I'm out and about. Not sure about other phones but iPhone has the option to ask before joining networks.

2. Longer USB leads
This is a big bugbear for me. USB extension cables are great until you pull just that tad too much and they disconnect. Then you have to resort to electrical tape to bind them. I need longer USB cables for PS3 so can charge headset or controller whilst playing, and for iphone so can surf when in bed.

3. Stop reminding us about missed messages
Not an issue, surely?

4. Make it obvious where downloads are
This is ridiculously easy to set. If you can set a website as a homepage, you can determine where downloads go.

5. Autocorrect that's not an embarrassment
Don't use it, so not an issue.

6. Washing machines with just a STOP/GO button
Not an issue as I have an older washing machine.

7. Standardise game controller "invert" options
It takes like seconds to set that up. Again a non-issue.

8. Batteries 2.0
Kinda agree on this. They're improving but still a long way off powering say an iPhone that's used for a week without charging.

9. Ban auto-playing video on websites
Annoys me as I cannot always control this esp at work and am on the BBC News website.

10. Screens that don't rotate when you lie down
Portrait lock in ios 7 helps. My fave are apps that allow you to lock in one mode without affecting everything else. The apps I hate are the ones where you're lying in bed, rotate the phone 90* and it turns to landscape (what you wanted) but then continues to turn if you rotate further so you're using the app essentially upside down. Why does this happen?

11. Stop asking us if we'd like to use your app
Annoying, esp if it's a forum and the tapatalk popup comes up and you accidentally hit the wrong button.

12. No more restarting to update Windows
Not an issue. I postpone the update for say 4 hours which is enough time for me to do my work, save it and then shut it down.

13. Microwave boil over alerts
Non-issue. I tend to stay by the microwave and look through the clear(ish) window.

14. OK Google, stop second guessing
I don't think I've ever needed to use this feature.

15. Phoning people while browsing contacts
I very occasionally have this issue.

16. Remote browser close and history wipe
Non-issue

17. Rebooting when swapping SIM
Don't use this feature.

18. Networks stopping you going over data limits
Isn't this like the phone calls issue of the noughties where kids racked up huge bills and parents demanded limits? What would help in iOS is the ability for it to monitor types of data usage (eg data, wifi) rather than lumping it into one thing.

19. Fix passwords and captchas
Passwords - I've got to the point where I need a password manager to help me remember them all. Captchas are a complete PITA but my fave ones tend to be "click on the thing that looks like a teapot" because they're quick and easy.

20. Eight plug sockets per room, please
Would be nice but as above you can have too many. Our kitchen ones are eye-level which made it a PITA to find a suitable replacement kettle as some of them have v short cords (for sockets just above the work top). I wonder whether some kind of modular design would work. eg there's a plastic strip just above the skirting board all the way around a room and you basically plug in the socket where you want/need it.

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Fri Jan 03, 2014 1:13 pm
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