XPost: rec.arts.sf.written, rec.arts.sf.science   
   From: YourName@YourISP.com   
      
   J. Clarke wrote ...   
   > dtravel@sonic.net says ...   
   > > 2671 wrote ...   
   > > > J. Clarke wrote ...   
   > > >>   
   > > >> When I'm out of milk I need it tonight, not whenever the grocer gets   
   > > >> around to delivering it to me.   
   > > >   
   > > > Most of those situations would be covered by a system that monitors   
   > > > the milk supply and automatically orders some more when it sees that   
   > > > there is a need to do that, in plenty of time so that you never run out.   
   > > >   
   > > There used to be commercials for refrigerators that would almost do that   
   > > (they would tell you to buy more milk the next time you opened its door   
   > > IIRC) but they stopped running those *thinking* a year or two ago?  I'd   
   > > love to see the feedback the company got on those, maybe they creeped   
   > > people out.   
   >   
   > I think that paying $3500 for something that doesn't actually do   
   > anything that a $500 refrigerator and a $200 laptop won't do was the   
   > issue.   
      
   Unfortunately proper Internet-connected fridges which watch what you   
   use and automatically re-order stuff are still in the planning. Just   
   one of many things that will be stupidly and pointlessly connected to   
   the Internet, and one of the driving factors behind the change to IP   
   numbering.   
      
      
      
      
   > Remember, a lot of people don't get ice makers because they are the most   
   > likely thing in a refrigerator to go wrong.  What we want in a   
   > refrigerator is that it keep the food cold, not that it have a bunch of   
   > fancy unreliable crap added to it.   
      
   Not quite true. Most people studiply do want the latest and greatest   
   with all the fancy toys, usually which they rarely ever use. People   
   stupidly buying the products is why the companies making things keep   
   adding more pointless silliness to their them.   
      
   In some cases of course it doesn't work, but that's usually due to   
   other factors. TVs with 3D never really happened because very little   
   was ever available in 3D and the glasses are annoying (which is why   
   some are stilll trying to get 3D working without needing glasses). TV   
   with 4K will also never really work since there is basically zero   
   product available to watch in 4K and TV show makers are unlikely to   
   ever use it since by the time they get all the necessary equipment, the   
   industry will already have moved to 24K or whatever comes next.   
      
   Some (and depending on the products / price bracket, even many) people   
   will also willingly pay silly prices for something even when there are   
   cheaper, equally as good (if not better) products around ... usually   
   it's just for the label / brand name boasting rights.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)