Dumbest Inventions EVER

cthia wrote:...The phone is billed as smart, even though it pocket dials without your phucking permission and lets the person dialed listen in to everything going on for hours without your knowledge or prior permission ...

Well, it's called but-dialing, and it far pre-dates the 'Smart' Phone. don't put it in your back pocket. The only mobile phone that can't but-dial is (most) flip phones (that's their point) but they have a flimsy hinge purposely designed to break, so you have to buy a new one.

MAD-4A wrote:

cthia wrote:...The phone is billed as smart, even though it pocket dials without your phucking permission and lets the person dialed listen in to everything going on for hours without your knowledge or prior permission ...

Well, it's called but-dialing, and it far pre-dates the 'Smart' Phone. don't put it in your back pocket. The only mobile phone that can't but-dial is (most) flip phones (that's their point) but they have a flimsy hinge purposely designed to break, so you have to buy a new one.

Mine has dialed from my front pocket. I never place my phone in my back pocket. I'll sit on it for sure, like many of my friends have.

It dials when you sit and becomes pressed close to your thigh. Unless the screen is facing away from your thigh.

I miss my Motorola T720 flip phone which was all the rage when it was first released at around $750.

My first vehicle was a Ford F-150 pick up. My last work car was a SUV. I had to haul a week's clothes, my 300# of hand tools and my camper trailer Seattle to LA to Counce, TN to Colstrip MT and points in between. At least my tools stayed dry from the campgrounds to the job site.

What this old geezer hates but sometimes laughs at his "smart phone" over is the auto-correct. Nothing like bouncing between English, French, German,Spanish and Yiddish (yeah, I know just more German)in one text and seeing the result after I press send. I spent literally weeks teaching it words, then it exploded (figuratively) and i had to start all over with my new one.

MY dumbest invention ever is the $149 Vee belt tensioner tool. basically a tire iron with a 15/16" socket. Pulled out my $12 breaker bar and my $??? socket (because I paid like $100 for the set 1/2"--1-1/4") and did perfect.

cthia wrote:I miss my Motorola T720 flip phone which was all the rage when it was first released at around $750.

What happened to it? Hinge broke?

munroburton wrote:The reason SUVs win out over station wagons, if any, is probably to do with carrying small children.

Parents with non-SUVs have to bend down or over to strap their child into the rear seats. With SUVs, they don't - the seats are at waist height. Easier to pop the little ones in, especially if also carrying a bag or two.

Of course, there's nothing like an elevated driving position to give one a sense of unwarranted superiority. You are after all, literally sitting above other people. Peeking down into other, perhaps less worthy, cars.

As for the worst invention ever - I can't decide today whether it's the US electoral college or that fancy dish where puréed peas are reconstituted into small green spheres.

Well there was also the other reason which is that they hit different buckets in a car maker's CAFE fuel efficiency standards.
Station wagons got killed by minivans because when the U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard got implemented in the mid 70s station wagons were considered cars and minivans were considered light trucks. Light trucks had more lenient fuel efficiency standards, so even though minivans might have equal or worse gas mileage as a station wagon that didn't penalize the car maker like the station wagon's mileage did.

I have more trouble figuring out why SUVs took over so much of the minivan market, since both have the higher seating position you mention as convenient for strapping in kids, but the minivan has a lower center of gravity (more stable) and is usually less expensive and more fuel efficient than an SUV.

Jonathan_S wrote:
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I have more trouble figuring out why SUVs took over so much of the minivan market, since both have the higher seating position you mention as convenient for strapping in kids, but the minivan has a lower center of gravity (more stable) and is usually less expensive and more fuel efficient than an SUV.

The auto magazines (Car and Driver, Motor Trend, etc.) all seem to agree that it's largely an image thing. The minivan is seen as a Mommy Mobile, even though they all admit that it's better at the job than an SUV. Never underestimate the coolness factor; it's why Kanye West can sell plain white T-shirts for $120.

MAD-4A wrote:

cthia wrote:I miss my Motorola T720 flip phone which was all the rage when it was first released at around $750.

What happened to it? Hinge broke?

No way! Those things were built like tanks. They were among the first offerings of the new type phone. When something is first introduced they are always the best - before the companies begin to attempt to lower costs 'at all costs.' Those Motorola T-720s were the epitome of quality. They looked the part too. Show it to someone and their hand automatically shoots out wanting to hold it. And you can see the jealousy and envy, and the moment of indecision on whether to try and run with it. LOL If you see it, you gotta hold it. It feels like quality too.

The buttons were far apart, and the materials were awesome. Some people went out and bought one after they saw mine. Heck, so many people wanted mine that I gave many of them as gifts that Christmas, and one of my brothers still owns his and guards it like it is Fort Knox! I don't blame him.

Mine is at the bottom of the ocean. I dropped it on a boating outing. It had a wonderful implementation of tetris, which my then gf liked. I was showing her how to navigate to the games section when her bff freaked out over an eel caught in the net and bumped me. I had it for twelve years! And it still looked brand new. It was one of the most stolen phones. I even had a little 10 yr-old-girl run off with mine after letting her play with it in the park. Her mother found it the next morning still in her hands under the covers. Her mother apologized. I bought the little girl a gaming system. She liked the games section on it. She said "I'm sorry, mister. Your phone is so cool."

My first one was outright stolen after less than three months of purchasing, though insured. I went into a carryout restaurant to pick up a large order. I sat the phone on the table behind me. I turned around to collect my phone and a little girl says "That man got your phone mister!" Pointing at the door.

"Screeeeech!" Boy did he burn rubber!

What a major loss. I still shed tears over them both. They were such beautiful phones too. And amongst the first to offer voice recognition and dialing. They were so beautiful you didn't want to cover it with a cover. Yet were too priceless not to. They were conversation pieces. I talked to a phone rep over the phone over an hour discussing that phone. "I'd like to activate this phone, mam."

"A Motorola T-720? Wow, you've got a really nice phone!"

.

Jonathan_S wrote:

munroburton wrote:The reason SUVs win out over station wagons, if any, is probably to do with carrying small children.

Parents with non-SUVs have to bend down or over to strap their child into the rear seats. With SUVs, they don't - the seats are at waist height. Easier to pop the little ones in, especially if also carrying a bag or two.

Of course, there's nothing like an elevated driving position to give one a sense of unwarranted superiority. You are after all, literally sitting above other people. Peeking down into other, perhaps less worthy, cars.

As for the worst invention ever - I can't decide today whether it's the US electoral college or that fancy dish where puréed peas are reconstituted into small green spheres.

Well there was also the other reason which is that they hit different buckets in a car maker's CAFE fuel efficiency standards.
Station wagons got killed by minivans because when the U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard got implemented in the mid 70s station wagons were considered cars and minivans were considered light trucks. Light trucks had more lenient fuel efficiency standards, so even though minivans might have equal or worse gas mileage as a station wagon that didn't penalize the car maker like the station wagon's mileage did.

I have more trouble figuring out why SUVs took over so much of the minivan market, since both have the higher seating position you mention as convenient for strapping in kids, but the minivan has a lower center of gravity (more stable) and is usually less expensive and more fuel efficient than an SUV.

SUVs and minivans are targeted towards women. As a whole, women are more fashion conscious than men. Aesthetically, minivans are downright ugly compared to an SUV. There is a very high percentage of the female market that would not be "caught dead" driving a minivan, unless dead drunk -- and the drunken stupor may very well have something to do with the fact that she has to drive around town daily in that ugly contraption. A beautiful woman, mom or no, does not want to go through the trouble of dressing up and attaining killer looks and walk out to a gasp minivan. Taking your wedding ring off doesn't help if you're driving a minivan.

Minivans may vary in price and available accoutrements inside but on the outside it still basically looks like an ugly vehicle that went wrong during some point in the assembly line.

SUVs range from the small Toyota RAV4 to bigger brutes offered by companies like Lincoln, Cadillac and others. There's an SUV for all personalities and tastes. Minivans are an acceptance of the lesser evils of appearance, drivability, accessories and need. Also, one major design issue on minivans was the side door which was difficult and dangerous for smaller kids to close. They tried to rectify this design issue by engineering automatic closers which are problematic themselves.

There is no way a van is as fun to drive as an SUV. Before long the van will become a neglected vehicle, unwashed for weeks. SUVs not so much. The two BMW X5s that I purchased for the community are being fought over. At first the women were taking turns carpooling the kids around. One month per mom. Now, one week per mom. They can't wait their turn.

And none of them wanted a van.

cthia wrote:SUVs and minivans are targeted towards women.

Actually, as the name implies, "sports"-(4x4 truck) "Utility" - (work van) "Vehicle", they were targeted toward men, a "work van" you can take out on the weekend and "play" in. the female market was an unexpected effect the companies took advantage of, as to the side-doors on MV - that is just a design/engineering issue which could easily be replaced by regular rear doors, though I hate being stuck behind vans also, at-least I can accept that they have a purpose and not just some jerk with "size" issues.