UK hooked on 'essential' gadgets

frank_begbie · Post by **frank_begbie** » 31 Jan 2011, 23:35

Totally_Baffled wrote:Strange, the government keep talking about cutting the enormous waste in our society, and yet they encourage everyone to spend more to get the economy going again.

That's the conundrum we face at the moment. We need to stop wasting stuff yet the economic model demands that we produce and sell endless crap to fuel the essential growth. We also need to start saving in large amounts to recapitalise the banks but if we do that we will damage growth.

This leads me to think that the system is about to break.

Catweazle · Post by **Catweazle** » 01 Feb 2011, 08:57

I find myself totally disinterested in electronic gizmos, it might be my age, my lads ( in their 20's ) show me their latest stuff but I couldn't care less.

My favourite gadgets, if you can call them that, are my chainsaws and shotguns. My laptop allows me access to the worlds largest library, which is great, but I don't give a damn what graphics chip or processor it contains.

Perhaps I shouldn't be in the IT industry

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 01 Feb 2011, 11:25

frank_begbie wrote:
Totally_Baffled wrote:Strange, the government keep talking about cutting the enormous waste in our society, and yet they encourage everyone to spend more to get the economy going again.
That's the conundrum we face at the moment. We need to stop wasting stuff yet the economic model demands that we produce and sell endless crap to fuel the essential growth. We also need to start saving in large amounts to recapitalise the banks but if we do that we will damage growth.

This leads me to think that the system is about to break.

In the next few weeks, in the run-up to the Irish general election, the words 'economic growth' will be on every candidate's lips, usually prefaced by the word 'sustainable'. The moment I hear or read it the 'need' for this end, the candidate goes further down my preference list. They all end up in a heap at the bottom.

JohnB · Post by **JohnB** » 01 Feb 2011, 11:36

emordnilap wrote:In the next few weeks, in the run-up to the Irish general election, the words 'economic growth' will be on every candidate's lips, usually prefaced by the word 'sustainable'. The moment I hear or read it the 'need' for this end, the candidate goes further down my preference list. They all end up in a heap at the bottom.

No problem with talking about sustainable economic growth. It's just what we need.

The problem for politicians is that we need that growth to go in the opposite direction to the way they want it to go

.

vtsnowedin · Post by **vtsnowedin** » 01 Feb 2011, 11:49

Our economies should thrive on the consumption of the things we need to put in place to deal with a post peak ,carbon restricted world. Things like insulation, triple glazed windows, PV panels, Alga to oil plants, electrified rail lines, windmills etc. We need to get busy on things like this that will provide real benefits to the population and forget about the next version of game-boy.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 01 Feb 2011, 11:58

You missed out food.

vtsnowedin · Post by **vtsnowedin** » 01 Feb 2011, 12:04

emordnilap wrote:You missed out food.

Pretty much a given but we may change the what and the how of food some especially they way we transport it to market.

DominicJ · Post by **DominicJ** » 01 Feb 2011, 12:22

Got a Mobile Phone, Nokia Blackberry killer, and kill it it does, came "free" with a £15 a month contract, its a good mobile phone, a good cordless phone (which I also have, hows that a gadget?), its a functional Camera, and with a bigger SD card, would be a functional MP3 player, I also use it for web browsing and have still not fixed by PC.

I have a Television, I'm surprised so few are sold, there are 15mn households, thats 1 per household every 6 years, I would have thought most households have at least 2, many considerably more.

Do have a DVD player, but its rarely used, I have a Sky Plus box,
I have a microwave, how else would one eat leftovers?

A kettle is another purchase, far better than an electric stove and marginaly behind a gas kettle in winter.
Partner has hairdryer, and rarely used high quality Straightners and Curlers.

I really dont get the "problem" here.
1 in 25 people will buy a Camera this year. Hardly end of the world is it?

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 01 Feb 2011, 12:23

Like catweazle, I find the my favourite 'gadgets' tend to be fairly basic and manual but a pleasure to use.

Maul
Bar for levering stones into position (no name for it) and starting post holes
Post rammer
Sledgehammer
Myriad hand tools
Coffee grinder
Sack cart
Wheelbarrow
Loppers
Wine savers
Hob kettle
Mortar and pestle

It's difficult to classify what we use as 'gadgets' because we live perfectly well without things that easily fall into that category.

The exceptions would be a second-hand iMac, an old digital camera, a fridge freezer, a washing machine, a second-hand hi-fi, various solar-powered lights and ummm, that's it.

Hang on, we have a rarely-used liquidiser, with a manual version as back-up.

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 01 Feb 2011, 17:18

I have a microwave, how else would one eat leftovers?

Cold. But then, I'm 'ard!

I think one of my fave gadgets in our house is a small battery-tester. I've delegated battery-testing to Fils.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 01 Feb 2011, 17:32

Oooh, yeah, the battery tester. Ee-senn-shall.

I thought of four more gadgets we have.

Bicycle, fiddle, sewing machine, flute. Possibly the most important inventions ever.

vtsnowedin · Post by **vtsnowedin** » 01 Feb 2011, 17:34

emordnilap wrote:Oooh, yeah, the battery tester. Ee-senn-shall.

I thought of four more gadgets we have.

Bicycle, fiddle, sewing machine, flute. Possibly the most important inventions ever.

Nope!! The best gadget by far is hot and cold running water.

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 01 Feb 2011, 17:43

Not sure that really counts as a Gadget. I always think of gadgets as being more-or-less self-contained (except for energy requirements).

vtsnowedin · Post by **vtsnowedin** » 01 Feb 2011, 18:01

RenewableCandy wrote:Not sure that really counts as a Gadget. I always think of gadgets as being more-or-less self-contained (except for energy requirements).

If your carrying it from the brook or well in buckets you would think that pipe coming in from the pump and that little widget called a faucet that turned it on and off was the second coming.
You only think it's not a gadget because the Romans brought in into the country so long ago. Unlike your new computer widgets it is not obsolete the day you buy it.

Post by **kenneal - lagger** » 01 Feb 2011, 19:45

vtsnowedin wrote: Unlike your new computer widgets it is not obsolete the day you buy it.

Could be if the fashion changed from gold plated to chrome that day. There are, unfortunately, many people in the UK who would change all the taps on that basis; they'd probably change the whole bathroom suite and kitchen as well. Some people have too much money and not enough sense.