Video Killed the Radio Star

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FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (16mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO320)

When I was born most of the technology and stuff that now rules the world didn’t exist. Here is an incomplete list.

One remark regarding this list. I’m talking about technology in the hands of the people. Not technology existing in some laboratories or early prototypes. Here is an example: The first digital camera was developed by Kodak in 1974! I don’t know about you but the first time I had the first digital camera in my hands was more than 20 years later. Some technology came, stayed for a while and left.

So here is the list:

  • the internet
  • mobile phone (again I’m talking about technology in the hands of normal people)
  • personal computer, Laptop, tablet
  • camcorder
  • digital camera
  • walkman
  • compact audio disc, dat and minidisc
  • mp3 player
  • GPS
  • smartphone
  • smartwatch
  • hell even a quartz wristwatch

I just realised that practically everything that I listed above is now available in one small device that we carry with us all the time: our smartphones. And for many of us phones replaced most of the devises listed above.

FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (16mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO400)
 FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (16mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO250)
 FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (29.2mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO400)

But since I was born a car was just a car. Back then most cars looked the same except for the Volkswagen Beetle. My first car! Now cars come in all shapes and just recently they come with electric engines. What seemed super exotic a couple of years ago now has become a real alternative.

Meanwhile I even drove a couple of electric cars. The driving experience is very nice since usually they are very powerful. The electric Volvo XC40 I drove had 408 horse power. How crazy is that! A car much smaller than mine but with more than twice the power. The Infiniti QX80 we drove when on vacation in the South West of the USA had 400 horse power but that is a big and heavy SUV. The XC40 is really tiny compared to that. And compared to the V8 in the Infiniti the power delivery in the Volvo was instant. In short: It is crazy fun.

The reason I’m still hesitant is simple: For me a car means freedom. The freedom to jump in and go anywhere without making plans. Right now the range of electric cars is still limited and the infrastructure needs to be improved but I have no doubt that those problems will be solved soon. A couple of days ago a good friend of mine just bought his first electric car. Of course it drives fantastic but I’m more interested in his long term experience. Depending on his experience my next car will be either fully electric or a hybrid.

When I grew up I had a book that showed the world in the year 2000. And while back then the year 2000 was less than 30 years ahead the predictions where crazy. Cities on the moon or on the bottom of the sea and cars without wheels flying around.

Well, I guess we will are not quite there.

FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (16mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO320)