6. Wi-Fi on the rails
Now, we wouldn't mind so much if it were free, but when you're spending a lot of money for a couple of hours Wi-Fi to ease the passage home, the least you can expect is for it to work more than 3% of the time. Unfortunately, it doesn't.
Thankfully, that could be about to change. Plans have been unveiled for 'high speed mobile broadband' on UK train lines. As a result, 70% of rail customers will get access to a network that'll even allow streaming video and music. Great! Only problem is we have to wait until 2019 (which probably means 2025 really, doesn't it?).
7. Screen up
No disrespect to the display manufacturers who do fine work protecting our mobiles from scrapes and crashes. We're pretty sure we'd come off worse in a scrap with a sheet of Gorilla Glass. Unfortunately, when it comes the timeless battle between smartphone and this fair earth, the unforgiving floor has earned its fair share of triumphs.
How many people are still walking around with smashed that look like they've annoyed an AK-47? Samsung and LG are pioneering unbreakable flexible displays, but we've been hearing about them for years with a new demo at CES every year. Where are they exactly?
8. 'Totally amazing excellent discovery… NOT!'
Have you ever found Spotify's 'Hey, you listened to this band, here's another very similar band you probably already listen to' Discover tab useful?
No, us neither. Indeed, despite encompassing most of the popular music ever recorded, streaming services, with their complex algorithms and reams of data on our listening habits, still haven't cracked the code for furnishing us with completely new music particular to our tastes, in the way a magazine or a chat down the pub with a likeminded mate can. Spotify, we like you, but you are not a like-minded mate.
9. Cloudy with a chance of tsunami
We live in the most advanced technological age ever right? So how come the most efficient way of judging the day's weather prospects is still opening the curtains, looking out of the window, making a clothing decision and hoping for the best?
Indeed, there's probably never been a more inexact science than meteorology, but the Met Office, which actually powers the BBC's weather seems to be taking the guesswork to a whole new level. You're getting this information from space remember guys, step it up!
10. Commercial Supersonic Flight
Wouldn't it be awesome if we could fly from London to New York in under 3 hours? In effect, getting from LHR to JFK a couple of hours before we left? Yes, it might be an unrealistic pipedream… wait a sec… we were able to do this…like 30-odd years ago. Unfortunately the Concorde fleet was retired in 2003 due to a combination of factors.
A tragic accident in 2000, the effect of the 9/11 attacks and spiralling maintenance costs did for Concorde, but why hasn't something been done since to reinstate supersonic flight? That might be a start before we conquer commercial space travel, don't you think? Oh, and we want fast, reliable internet there and back too, Sir Richard, okay?
- Want to know more about why mobile phone batteries are still crap? Then read this
