Technically Happy
It seems like just a month or two ago that everyone was bidding a fond farewell or other final “F’s” to the year 2016, but somehow we’re well over halfway through the year.
Time is sort of funny that way, either months at a time run together into a bland oatmeal of everyday events or constant adventures, misadventures and other twists of fate can make nearly every day seem like a new season.
Either way, it’s a good reminder that we only get so many summers no matter what, and if you can be happier than you were the last go-round, you’re doing pretty darn well for yourself.
Of course, we all know that technology is in a particularly impressive state right now—you know…because I won’t shut up about it, nor should I because it is—but the emerging question is how it affects the people that use it, specifically their level of overall happiness.
This interesting piece spotlights the interesting ways that the digital age has affected the everyday lives of people, and although I am a staunch believer in the power of human innovation, there’s also something to be said for balance and it makes a compelling case.
Teslas for Everyone
For years, the main obstacles for many people in making the switch to electric vehicles was that that there were more pay phones than charging stations in most cities as well as the fact that the cars themselves cost, on average, as much as an NFL stadium.
Now that local governments are making a dedicated effort to fix the first issue, the Tesla Model 3 has been hailed as a true game-changer in the electric car arena, delivering the Earth-friendly four-door to the market at a family-friendly price of about 35,000 dollars.
So far the Model T of the zap wagon age has been rolled out to just 30 employees of the company along with a few models set aside for reviews like these, which claim it to be a winner on a practically universal basis. See, technology is amazing.
Of course, the fact that is both new and legitimately great means demand for the Model 3 is high, but if you’ve always wanted a car that runs on lightning for yourself, now’s the time to jump in with a deposit and get on the wait list.
High Life, Low Price
In case you didn’t know, hotels run on a very specific business model: that is, they only actually turn any real profit when every light in the place is turned on every night. That means selling a room at half price is better than having any empty rooms, and that’s where Hotel Tonight comes in.
Hotel Tonight is an app that has partnered up with hotels in cities nationwide to connect travelers with sudden scheduling changes and freeform lifestyles to unsold rooms at rock bottom prices.
Sure, it was a good enough resource when it just allowed me to snag a cheap room on a moment’s notice, but the new upgrade feature takes the entire setup to the next level.
Imagine getting a 4 or 5 star hotel for 50 percent off…or you could give your powers of visualization a rest and just download the app.
Does It Come in “World’s Best Boss?”
Like I said, we truly live in an impressive future. It seems like every minor, Seinfeldian issue that used to confound people in all walks of life now has a sleek and shiny solution…well, not the sponge episode, but we’re not going to get into that right now.
Moving on, Ember the futuristic coffee cup—isn’t that a fun concept for an animated show—is almost obnoxiously advanced, allowing you to remotely adjust the temperature of a warm beverage to the ideal level using an associated app.
It also allows you to program preset temperatures in case you enjoy your coffee at a different temperature than your hot chocolate, and will send you an alert on your smartphone when it’s at the perfect sipping temperature. It also includes a charging coaster, because of course it does.
There’s literally nothing I can add to that without burning up my hype capacitor, so here’s a link to the product in case you think I made any of that up.
The Last Word
Well, that seems like a pretty content-rich installment, seems like a good place to wrap things up. Thanks as absolutely always for making time early in your week for this fun little chat, hope to do it again sometime. Here’s to a strong start to the month!