It\u2019s time for the Magic Explainer<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After a year of technological inventions that helped us better navigate the pandemic, 2021 is looking to be a bit of a let-down. Proof can be found in the recent 2021 Consumer Electronics show \u2013 a debutante ball of sorts for the latest and greatest gadgetry. This year\u2019s event showed off everything from a toilet that can tell you about your health (I won\u2019t explain how!) to self-opening pet doors activated by an app on your phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Revolutionary? Life-changing? Or a sign that the geeks in the lab are getting bored and running out of ideas?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why not more pragmatic and simple tech like we got in 2020 when videoconferencing, health apps and other ingenious advancements made our lives better? More connected. More livable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You know, things we really need. Like a Magic Explainer. That\u2019s my idea. Think of it: A device that dispenses advice, wisdom and a host of explanations for problems that are stymieing us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wouldn\u2019t that be great?!?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I know what you\u2019re thinking: We already have virtual personal assistants like Siri and Alexa. But for me, they\u2019re too passive. Always waiting for us to call them. Better at direct commands and helping with everyday tasks. They lack initiative, and don\u2019t know when to insert themselves in situations to be more useful to us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I envision a device that rolls around the house at our ever beck and call. That can adjust to situations by adapting advice from soothing and philosophical to matter-of-fact and even blunt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes The Magic Explainer will need to \u201ctell it like it is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like when my daughter started talking about her need for a bearded dragon. Lucky enough, she had found one in Nevada with a pedigree rivaling even the Queen of England\u2019s. A show dragon!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is the perfect opportunity for The Magic Explainer to pop into action: \u201cChild! Seriously?!?\u201d it would bark as it appeared out of nowhere. \u201cDo you know how hard your parents work? Have you noticed that while you wear fine clothes, they walk around in the same depressing rags that they\u2019ve had since the 90s? They\u2019re starting to look like characters in a Dickens novel. Bearded dragon?!? Girl, you have got to get with it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whew! That\u2019s telling it like it is, Magic Explainer! Harsh \u2026 but kind of necessary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The little device would be perfect for explaining high-tech, complicated and difficult-to-comprehend stuff. Like how my wife is mad that her \u201cdawn of the dinosaurs\u201d iPhone is becoming obsolete and starting to have issues thanks to recent updates. Plus, the battery doesn\u2019t hold a charge for more than 17 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here it would need to be more delicate: \u201cDear madam, it must be noted that the iPhone in your possession was in fact the very same device that Moses himself used when he parted the waters. You should also know that he traded it in because he wanted the new one with 33 camera lenses on the front. Now, while we do understand your complaint about technology being designed so you always have to buy new devices, it must also be noted that cursing at your phone has relatively no effect on extending the battery\u2019s charge. So, for everyone\u2019s sake, please take your husband up on his offer to buy a new phone and let\u2019s send this one off to the Museum of Antiquities and Really Old Crap.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Magic Explainer isn\u2019t just for inconsiderate husbands and fathers to avoid dealing with difficult conversations. I could use its wise counsel as much as anyone. For instance, when I\u2019m carrying a folding table, a Christmas wreath and a tub of outside Christmas ornaments the size of Guam up the attic\u2019s pull-down stairs \u2026 ALL AT THE SAME TIME!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAre you kidding me?!?\u201d it would shout. \u201cGet down from there right now! Right this very instant. You look at me when I\u2019m talking to you, mister. Let me explain to your three working brain cells why you\u2019re not only about to die, but also going to end up on national news for being the world\u2019s stupidest man. Now go wash up for dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or when a light bulb in the brand new ceiling fan light fixture I just put in goes out. \u201cMagic Explainer, what is wrong with this thing?!? I just replaced the old one because of this very same problem!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, let\u2019s see,\u201d it will reply. \u201cDid you buy the same exact light fixture?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUm, yeah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd was it the same cheap, poorly-made foreign no-name brand as before?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUm, yeah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd you REALLY need me to explain this one to you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Think of the myriad of mysteries that could be solved. What an air fryer does. Why I think I\u2019m going to read that biography of Alexander Hamilton that weighs more than my car. Why it never fails that the minute you get a new article of clothing you get a run in it or spill spaghetti sauce down the front.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s what the geeks in the lab should really be working on. That\u2019s what we all could really use around the house. That\u2019s what I hope we\u2019ll see at the big show next year. (Although, I must say the counter-top soft-serve ice cream maker was pretty darn awesome. Magic Explainer, do you think my wife would like that instead of a new phone?)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
After a year of technological inventions that helped us better navigate the pandemic, 2021 is looking to be a bit of a let-down. Proof can be found in the recent 2021 Consumer Electronics show \u2013 a debutante ball of sorts for the latest and greatest gadgetry. This year\u2019s event showed off everything from a toilet that can tell you about your health (I won\u2019t explain how!) to self-opening pet doors activated by an app on your phone. <\/p>\n
Revolutionary? Life-changing? Or a sign that the geeks in the lab are getting bored and running out of ideas? <\/p>\n
Why not more pragmatic and simple tech like we got in 2020 when videoconferencing, health apps and other ingenious advancements made our lives better? More connected. More livable. <\/p>\n
You know, things we really need. Like a Magic Explainer. That\u2019s my idea. Think of it: A device that dispenses advice, wisdom and a host of explanations for problems that are stymieing us. <\/p>\n
Wouldn\u2019t that be great?!?<\/p>\n
I know what you\u2019re thinking: We already have virtual personal assistants like Siri and Alexa. But for me, they\u2019re too passive. Always waiting for us to call them. Better at direct commands and helping with everyday tasks. They lack initiative, and don\u2019t know when to insert themselves in situations to be more useful to us. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[578,577,561,572,559],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2021-nutshells","category-coronavirus","category-family","category-in-the-news","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nutshellcity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2189","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nutshellcity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nutshellcity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nutshellcity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nutshellcity.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2189"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nutshellcity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2189\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2190,"href":"https:\/\/www.nutshellcity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2189\/revisions\/2190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nutshellcity.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nutshellcity.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nutshellcity.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}