Single purpose as opposed to 'smart'

Five years ago around the time Blue Jay Cafe first opened on Divisadero, I walked in and sat down on a counter seat. I took the garage door opener I carried in my motorcycle jacket pocket out and laid it on the table -- a bulky, cheap looking black plastic shell, mostly hollow, with one single large button. The size of the gadget is 2 to 3 times as large as a typical mobile phone. The young kid sitting next to me saw this and said "does that really just do one thing?"

I still carry the same garage door opener. The other device I typically carry in my pocket today is a smart phone. I also take that out of my pocket when I sit down in a restaurant. Looking at both devices next to each other I wonder about the huge gap in technology between them. And if this is why Radio Shack is still in business.

Three years ago The Onion ran this article which I still find really funny today: Even CEO Can't Figure Out How RadioShack Still In Business

Several weeks ago I stopped in at the local Radio Shack. I was looking into getting some LED strips. They didn't have exactly what I needed, but close. It was a sad scene. I like that they carry all these odd items that you wouldn't want to wait to order online and ship. But they also carry a lot of crap, as if that tiny section of Walgreens where you find the toaster, batteries, and answering machines expanded to an entire store. I must say though the customer service was good. I even gave them my email.

Single purpose as opposed to 'smart'

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