I’ve moaned so much about electronic devices, I’m beginning to bore myself. (See blogs 11/14/13 & 12/23/13 for examples.) Imagine, then, my surprise when I learned about two developments I actually would welcome. The first is the driverless car. I’ve heard talk of it for a couple of years but suddenly it’s more than a drawing board concept. Tesla, Audi, Nissan and Mercedes-Benz have models ready to launch, and Ford has announced it is entering the competition. (“Technology” The Week, 12/17/13, pg. 22)
Highway safety performance remains a concern for the manufactures, but it isn’t one for me. I’d put more faith in the car’s apparatus than my driving skills, especially at night or after a glass of wine. What I’m focused on is the luxury of being driven home while I watch television or play with my laptop or even sleep off the wine. With a self-driving car, I might even consider a cross country-trip. Would it be too much to hope for an indoor toilet, I wonder. A microwave? A mini-dishwasher?
Of course, what I envision may be a few years into the future, but I predict the comforts of driverless cars will eventually mirror the comforts of home. The only question unmentioned is whom do I call if the contraption breaks down? A mechanic? An engineer? A ghost buster?
“I’ll worry about that tomorrow,” as Scarlet O’Hara used to say. Today, I’ll forgo the car and settle for one of those electronic desk tops that raises and lowers itself, allowing me to stand or sit at my computer. http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/this-could-be-big-abc-news/working-desk-burns-calories-175357967.html?vp=1 They’re pricey. But then, I place great value on keeping my derriere happy.
If I live long enough, more electronic wonders await my pleasure: robots that clean house, monitor my blood pressure and deliver pizza. So many advances are being designed, a time may come when I’ll find it unnecessary to get out of bed. That’s when I’ll need the most advanced robot of all. One that does my exercise for me.
(Courtesy of students.egfi-kiz.org)
