It’s no secret that technology isn’t perfect. In fact, some of it causes more issues than benefits. I’m so tired of trying products that don’t work as advertised, don’t work at all, or are underwhelming in what they actually do accomplish. Yes, I realize that I write and post a lot of positive product reviews. That’s because I’m choosy. I often turn away products that either have little useful purpose, that don’t work well right from the start, or have major flaws. I refuse to give any publicity to those that don’t pass my standards. And if it’s generally a product that I cannot explain clearly to my elderly parents, then I don’t want to try and explain it to Forbes.com readers. I’m incredibly lucky to review hundreds of great products every year, as well. But even with everything I’ve seen, there are still tech items on my wish list. Here are a few:
A true smartwatch that requires no tethering to any phone, whatsoever. Ultimately I don’t want to own a smartphone at all – but I do want to have some of the features of one such as the ability to make calls, do texting and web surfing, and access maps on the go. Even if my dream device was available in some non-dorky looking glasses, I would be all over it.
I would love to see drone cameras above base runners, following them around the bases, on televised MLB games. Would also like to see that in hockey games, as well, following specific players around the ice. Speaking of hockey, why is there not some electronic goal line laser that can definitively tell you if a puck has completely crossed the goal line? They’ve chipped up pucks before, so this isn’t a stretch at all.
Can we please see the end of companion smartphone apps for devices? If a gadget is good, it should work on its own and I shouldn’t need to register for it online up front – giving all my personal information to companies for their own purposes. We’ve had enough data breaches. And do I really need a coffee maker to order beans for me? Or a fridge to buy milk? Please. I hope I never get that lazy.
Products that work exactly how they’re advertised, right out of the box. There are not enough of these around anymore. In fact, I will point it out in my columns every time I’m pleasantly surprised when I see this instance.
I’d love to see way more range on electric bicycle batteries. Or somehow be able to get solar powered e-bikes out on the streets. I get that most people use their e-bikes for short commutes. But if I could get even 60 miles per charge knowing that I didn’t need to take my charging cord in a backpack with me, I would be tempted to take longer rides.
An option for internet services in my home. The cable behemoth that I currently subscribe to keeps jacking up its prices for no apparent reason. Yet those 5G hotspots from major wireless carriers are not available in my major metropolitan city yet, for some unknown reason. So I have to succumb to the monopoly in my area, which is kind of ridiculous in 2023. Amazon can’t get those internet satellites working soon enough.
Finally, I would love to see a huge availability for electric car chargers. I envision a Costco-like gas station with 30 or 40 electric fast chargers instead of gas pumps, in a lot of convenient locations. That might remove range anxiety, and take electric cars much more mainstream. I drove an electric car this past year for a week, and loved it. But even with all of the chargers around, it took hours to juice up the car. Ultimately I decided that spending three minutes at a fuel pump to completely fill up my gas car was much easier and a better use of my time.