Mike commented on the my previous post about teens and the net.
Yesterday I found this YouTube video about a guy who got a new air condition and found the remote used the same IR code as his TiVo's select button. So he posed the question to America, which should he give up, a/c or TiVo?
My three best toys are my TiVo, PowerBook, and nav system. but I never really thought of a/c as a toy and do enjoy it those hot summer months. I vaguely remember getting an air conditioner in my room as kid. I certainly remember getting color TV (we were the last of my friends to do so) and obviously getting cable and a VCR. One of the things about cable was that it came with a wired remote. It was a box with 15 buttons in a row and a 3 position dial so you could choose from 45 stations; and you had to be careful not to trip over the cord. I can't even find an image of one online now.
What about the refrigerator or stove, are they toys? The dishwasher or washer/dryer? The phone? Are lights toys? And even all of those pale in comparison to indoor plumbing. I guess the definition of toy is relative.
Mike had such fun with his kids during a black out he's thinking of shutting the power off to the whole house once a month. I bet he doesn't. His TiVo wouldn't record his favorite shows, he'd have to reset a dozen clocks and his food would spoil.
2 comments:
Okay, so we won't shut the power down. But one thing we are going to do is a campout in the back yard. Close enough.
You know, you're right...the definition of toy is certainly relative. I think it has something to do with ubiquity and necessity. for example, the more we have a daily need for a PC in the house, the less of a toy it is. That's why cental AC is a tool, but a hot tub is a toy. You don't NEED a hot tub, but you need AC (at least my wife does). And, if you put a remote on ANYTHING, it becomes a toy. so if the new stove comes with a remote, it becomes a toy. Also, anything with more than 4 wires, that can be plugged into different things in different ways. And anything that needs repeated visits to an instruction manual or support website. Oh, and anything that looks like it's from outer space (for example, my Kenmore vacuum is a tool, but a Dyson vac is a toy).
Hmm, if i look around my workshop...most of my tools are toys. But then, most toys are not tools. Or are they....
dude...I need a rest....
I remember being at my parents and setting up a VCR or a fax machine or something. My parents commented on my ability to understand the new technology. My father said that he had the same advantage over his father. I asked about what toys he was referring and he said like the radio. I said what was there to setup? You just plug it in. And he said exactly and laughed.
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