Category Archives: Perspectives

History, belief systems and more

Technology

Just for Fun, Perspectives

Does it feel like the overall progress of technology has been slower this decade compared to the prior 4?

The other day, I was watching a compilation of commercials from 2006, and this particular commercial stood out. The product was this very primitive version of a sliding keyboard phone, which had rounded edges and extra handles on the side. It was almost like a fusion of a sliding keyboard phone and a Gameboy Advance, and it really got me thinking about how quickly cellphones were evolving in the 2000’s. We went from flip phones in 2003 to sliding keyboard phones in 2006, to smartphones in 2008, to voice-activated smartphones in 2011. And it wasn’t just cellphones that were racing forward at that time, either. It seemed like there was a new version of Windows more or less every 3 years back then as well.

It seems as if ever since computers and microchips started getting big in the 80’s, technology has been on a non-stop race forward, but I can’t help but feel like things are starting to plateau. We no longer live in an age where technology enters a new generation every 3 years. A phone purchased in 2024 has the same functionality as one purchased in 2012, and you could say something similar for computers as well. Every decade has had some great innovation (personal computers, the internet, smartphones, VR), but so far it feels like the 2020’s haven’t yet had their big moment, and I’m wondering if it’s coming at all.

Is this it? Is this the decade where things finally start to level off after 40 years of progress? My experience is that perhaps it started slowing down quite a while ago. Over the past 6 or 7 years, I have owned three new laptops. However, they have all had about the same specs. The processor has been an Intel I-7 with the same amount of memory (16 gig) and the same size SSD drive. I haven’t noticed any difference other than that the price has been lower for each newer model.

It makes me wonder where the initial innovation came from for this technology. Was it homegrown, adopted, or reverse-engineered from some other source? Will another type of technology be required to take us to the next level? Why have we not made much progress on the idea of nanotechnology being the next giant leap?

EV to PIHB

Economics, Education, Perspectives

I switched from an electric car back to a Plug-in hybrid – here’s what I learned

 [Volkswagen Passat ePro / Courtesy of Volkswagen] is a revolutionary new vehicle with a monstrous driving range that can make three round-trip trips between Seoul and Busan with fuel to spare has finally been unveiled. Volkswagen’s newly revealed Passat Pro PHEV model has sent shockwaves through the domestic market, confirming it can travel over 1,300 km (810 miles) on a single tank of gas and charge. This vehicle, which combines the efficiency of electric powertrains with the convenience of internal combustion engines, has instantly positioned itself as a disruptive force in the family car segment. The new Passat Pro stretches to nearly 5 meters (about 16.4 feet) in length, making it noticeably larger than most mid-size sedans.

[Volkswagen Passat ePro / Courtesy of Volkswagen] With a significantly extended wheelbase, the rear-seat legroom rivals that of domestic Grandeur, offering expansive comfort for passengers. The powertrain, which marries a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with an electric motor, produces a robust combined output of 272 horsepower (203 kW), ensuring spirited performance. The ability to travel 160 km (99 miles) on battery power alone means that daily commuters with an 80 km (50 miles) one-way trip could potentially eliminate their fuel costs, resulting in $0 in fuel expenses. 706.2 mpg

The 2023 Volkswagen Passat ePro offers impressive fuel efficiency, achieving a combined WLTP fuel economy of 706.2 mpg. This model is designed to provide an electric-only range of 150 km (93 miles) and a total range of 1,300 km (808 miles) when combined with its gasoline engine. The fuel tank is 66 litres.

Personal note: Our 2019 Hyundai Ionic only has a 40-litre tank, and I have managed 1100 km on it, and it is not a plug-in. The Ionic is MPG more efficient, likely because it has less HP.

Quality of Life

Broken in the USA, Economics, Education, International, Perspectives

Quality of Life

Life expectancy is one measure of value, but the more important factor would be what is the expected quality of life term? What good is it to expect to live to be 90 when the last 15 years are in pain & misery or incapacitated? I have failed to find this information on the all-knowing Internet, but the following are some factors to consider by country.

 Rank Country Life Expectancy (Years) Male Life Expectancy Female Life Expectancy
1 Monaco 89.4 85.6 93.1
2 Japan 84.3 81.1 87.1
3 Singapore 84.1 81.6 86.4
4 Macau 84 81 87
5 San Marino 83.9 81.4 86.3
6 Iceland 83.3 81.2 85.2
7 Hong Kong 83.2 80.3 86.1
8 Andorra 83 80.8 85.1
9 Switzerland 82.9 80.5 85.1
10 South Korea 82.8 79.7 85.6
11 Spain 82.6 79.5 85.4
12 Australia 82.5 80.2 84.6
13 Italy 82.4 79.8 84.8
14 Israel 82.3 80.1 84.3
15 Sweden 82.2 80.3 83.9
16 Luxembourg 82.1 79.7 84.4
17 Norway 82 80.1 83.8
18 New Zealand 82 80 84
18 Malta 81.9 79.8 83.9
19 France 81.8 78.9 84.5
20 Finland 81.7 78.7 84.4
USA 48th

  Country/Region Stability Rights Health Safety Climate Costs Popularity Total rank

-15% -20% -15% 10% -15% – 15% – 10% 100% 1 Australia 96 88 97 91 29 82 82 81 2 Switzerland 92 100 94 100 50 45 86 81 3 San Marino 92 85 100 99 70 53 59 80 4 Luxembourg 93 100 87 98 43 36 94 78 5 Macao * 90 69 98 99 55 75 63 78 6 Hong Kong * 88 80 100 100 65 58 51 78 7 Sweden 87 98 86 92 32 55 87 77 8 Norway 89 99 90 94 28 46 93 76 9 New Zealand   93 100 84 99 50 27 79 76 10 Malta 84 64 93 99 82 33 93 76 11 Austria 83 88 96 99 45 45 78 76 12 Germany 84 93 94 97 39 47 76 75 13 UAE 86 65 79 90 55 74 92 75 14 Japan 87 88 92 99 60 35 65 75 15 Netherlands 84 98 84 98 38 39 89 75 16 Finland 82 100 85 99 31 44 86 75 17 Ireland 91 95 85 100 20 45 91 74 18 Portugal 76 74 88 99 77 43 67 74 19 Denmark 88 100 84 99 31 34 83 74 20 South Korea 86 78 91 92 63 43 65 74                  

USA 38th  

User

Combined rank Best
Lower is better
6 (1+5=6) 1 Macao 6
(3+5)=8 2 San Moreno 8
(2+9=11) 3 Switzerland 11
13 (1+12=13) 4 Australia 13
13 (6+7=13) 5 Hong Kong 13 16(2+14=16) 6 Japan 16 20(4+16) 7 Luxembourg 20 22 (7+15=22) 8 Sweden 22 25 (8+17=25) 9 Norway 25 27 (9+18) 10 New Zealand 27 28 (10+18=28) 11 Malta 28 (20+10=30) 12 South Korea 30 36 (16+20=36) 13 Finland 36