On This Episode: Innovation used to be straightforward because that was when we were focused on solving problems that actually do mattered. The refrigerator freed families from using ice and piles of salt. The typewriter sped up hours of handwriting. The microwave turned cooking from a long chore into something quick and easy. These inventions stood out because not only were they revolutionary, but also they were necessary. They were the most effective solutions to actual challenges, that people accepted those solutions without hesitation. Today, the definitions of innovation and invention have become ever so stranger. Instead of fixing problems that could be a springboard to technological revolutionary progress, it now often means were giving the strangest things an upgrade that no one would ever ask for; they are being integrated with chips, sensors, and software until it's no longer a simple straightforward one-job gadget. Our front doors no longer just take a key, they rely on Bluetooth and passwords. Lights don’t only turn on and off, they are linked to apps and cloud accounts that can crash as easily as they glow. Even our sleep gets charted and scored, as if rest could ever need a report card. We got “smart” toothbrushes, “smart” mirrors, “smart” mattresses, and “smart” bottles. Most of these gadgets try to prove that they are worth a glint of a marvelous revolution, but instead, they show how pointless their so-called upgrades are. It may look like progress, but they often feel like novelties or even surveillance machines, quietly collecting snippets of our lives while promising convenience. Today, we sort of normalized that kind of upgrade which feels more often like a downgrade to be in every corner of our house and our lives. The idea that every object in the house, no matter how simple, is supposed to have some kind of computer, a battery, and a Wi‑Fi connection has become everyday reality. Maybe there are some upgraded gadgets that are worth the next step. Wearable monitors can flag health problems early on. Energy-saving tools can adjust our homes intelligently. But when every other object jumps onto the same ship, that's when it gets weird. Maybe we have moved from an age of genuine breakthroughs into a bland age of constant add-ons, where integrating “smart” technology is less about solving people's needs than keeping pace with a culture that treats connectivity as the same thing as innovation. Or maybe the bigger truth is that it is not really about smart gadgets at all. It is about us. Companies are not just inventing; they are watching, tracking, and learning from the way we eat, sleep, work, and play. And because we bought their "smart" products, we have welcomed them straight into our kitchens, bedrooms, and pockets. Perhaps overall, it's just another way for companies to make money, even though it could be a piss-poor attempt to reinvent something that nobody ever asked for, or ever crossed anybody's mind (except for those desperate moneymakers).Connect with UsProudly Hosted by RedCircle: https://www.redcircle.com/tylersgrimremindersNow streaming on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6c2m7rYw9N0lE0YQSMz47BSubstack: https://tylersgrimreminders.substack.com/If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform. Please also leave us a review and let us know what you think. Your feedback helps us create better content for you.Thanks for listening :)ResourcesResources can be found on: https://tylersgrimreminders.substack.com/

Ver todos los episodios