Stupid Tech Invention of the Day

[HardOCP News]

Are you too lazy (and inconsiderate) to turn off your phone or switch it to silent mode while you are at the dinner table? Are your fingers so weak that flipping a switch on your phone isn't an option? Well then, this stupid metal box is for you! You can blame [H] reader scojer for bringing this one to my attention.

 

[Axehandler]

but.. but... I broke my finger!!!

 

[ccmfreak2]

I don't understand how airplane mode in a drawer didn't work, but this unlocked box directly in front of you on the table suddenly DOES work?

 

[SonicTron]

There is no way they sell a single one of these pieces of shit

 

[Mohonri]

It's all well and good until your phone can't see a cell phone tower and goes into FULL-POWER mode in a vain attempt to connect. A couple hours later, and you have a dead phone.

 

[michalrz]

Your kid keeps dozing off from heroin at the dinner table?
Try this enclosure made from metal bars. Keep your child in, keep trouble out!

 

[Lifelite]

Goes to show you how bad American consumerism is that people may feel the need to buy a product like this because fuck just turning off your damn phones.

I found that this works better in group settings though:

 

[Galvin]

Even if its dumb, it'll probably make a lot of money.

 

[Zarathustra[H]]

Honestly, I don't understand why everyone has such a big problem with phone use in social settings.

Sure, it can lead to being anti-social, but I find that I usually use my phone to ADD to conversation, not to subtract from it. Like, I heard about something really cool on the radio the other day I wanted to talk about, but I forgot what it was, I look it up and talk about it.

Or someone brings up that film with that guy who was also in that other film. Google it, and the conversation is moving along rather than being dropped because no one can remember what it was.

 

[scojer]

Honestly, I don't understand why everyone has such a big problem with phone use in social settings.

Sure, it can lead to being anti-social, but I find that I usually use my phone to ADD to conversation, not to subtract from it. Like, I heard about something really cool on the radio the other day I wanted to talk about, but I forgot what it was, I look it up and talk about it.

Or someone brings up that film with that guy who was also in that other film. Google it, and the conversation is moving along rather than being dropped because no one can remember what it was.

When the phone is used like So it's Not a big deal. The problem I have is most people Will jump on their phone the moment there is a lull in the conversation and stop talking and Just be glued to the phone from then on.

 

[Jim Kim]

This should be mandatory for restaurants, movie theatres, prisons and jails.

 

[Kalabalana]

From personal experience, the phone face glue issue seems to be related to people who do not enjoy your company, or are not particularly bright people.

I know a lot of people do not have the social options to choose who they would spend time with, so make due, but sometimes you just need to bite the bullet and only entertain company that values it.

 

[Kalabalana]

Honestly, I don't understand why everyone has such a big problem with phone use in social settings.

Sure, it can lead to being anti-social, but I find that I usually use my phone to ADD to conversation, not to subtract from it. Like, I heard about something really cool on the radio the other day I wanted to talk about, but I forgot what it was, I look it up and talk about it.

Or someone brings up that film with that guy who was also in that other film. Google it, and the conversation is moving along rather than being dropped because no one can remember what it was.

I don't think you are targeted in this sense, using the phone as a part of the conversation is different from using it to escape.

 

[Spleen]

Dumbest thing ever!

 

[rgMekanic]

When I get home I put my phone down somewhere and usually forget where till I'm hunting it the next morning to go to work. My best friend is one of the idiots that could use this tho. He carries 2 power packs for his iphone to make it through a work day. just texting and facebook and shit, nothing productive, and God help you if you attempt to have a conversation with him.

More and more I feel I was born too late.

 

[hamm3rhead]

Personal signal blockers, stupid tabletop blackboxes.. terrible ideas for terrible people.

 

[Blazemore]

So you need a "pause" to manage a meeting or bestow proper parenting to your children..omg

 

[DeeFrag]

Do they make one big enough so you can stuff the teenagers in there with the phones? That'll really make for a peaceful dinner.

 

[hardboner]

America is full of idiots. That's why these gofundme shits always have backers. They're the low hanging fruit.

You wanna sell garbage? hawk it on indiegogo, kickstarter

The products are almost always garbage quality.

If it aint good enough for Shark Tank, it aint good enough to buy. All these indie fund projects are like reject projects

 

[AK0tA]

As stupid of an idea this is I hope it helps. If this is what it takes to get people to put their phoned down for a while and converse with people, may be it will help and they will learn to do with out it longer and longer. Then again I am sort of dissapointed in mankind at this juncture of life so go ahead and glue yourself to your phone and stay out of the way.

 

[Risant]

Honestly, I don't understand why everyone has such a big problem with phone use in social settings.

Sure, it can lead to being anti-social, but I find that I usually use my phone to ADD to conversation, not to subtract from it. Like, I heard about something really cool on the radio the other day I wanted to talk about, but I forgot what it was, I look it up and talk about it.

Or someone brings up that film with that guy who was also in that other film. Google it, and the conversation is moving along rather than being dropped because no one can remember what it was.

Honestly I think you are more of the problem than you realize. If you NEED a phone to remember things, the phone is officially replacing your memory. People don't think they need to remember facts or math anymore because of technology and only getting worse as time goes on.

 

[Zarathustra[H]]

Honestly I think you are more of the problem than you realize. If you NEED a phone to remember things, the phone is officially replacing your memory. People don't think they need to remember facts or math anymore because of technology and only getting worse as time goes on.

I usually refer to my time in college, not as a time of learning facts, but as a time of learning how to reference.

The amount of knowledge one needs is well in excess of the capability of the human brain, so instead we need to learn how to go to the correct place when we need information.

In college this was the respective text book or notes we had taken. There is nothing wrong with using the internet in the same way.

Trying to keep all information we need (let alone stuff we don't, like silly conversational trivia) in our heads at all time is a fool's errand.

While you didn't state it explicitly, I'm going to go ahead and guess you are coming at this from the perspective of "it's dangerous to let our mental capacity decline as we rely on our technological crutches" standpoint.

I feel like I would be amiss - then - if I did not point out that "brain training" type activities have pretty much universally been proven to be ineffective. Our brains don't stop working if we don't use them in certain ways.

 

[mrwizardno2]

Cell phone use during social situations drives me bonkers. My friends and I do the 'first one on the phone' picks up the tab thing, too. It works great!