The End of the Wristwatch
by Bryan Bergeron, Editor
July 2009
I appreciate the vintage sound of tube-type guitar amplifiers and the craftsmanship of the old RF wattmeters, with their precision machined, silver slugs. And I have a brass straight key — handmade in West Germany — on my desk. However, as a technology enthusiast, my focus is generally on the future — the next big thing in robotics, microprocessors, sensors, communications, and the like. With rear blinders on, I often forget that in the wake of each new technological breakthrough is a heap of unwanted hardware and software destined for either landfills or third world countries where precious metals are extracted for resale. Not exactly green or even environmentally friendly. Technology adoption is commonly described as a phenomenon in which technology enthusiasts and visionaries first embrace a technology. Next are the early adopters, the early majority, late majority and, finally, the laggards. Odds are, if you’re reading Nuts & Volts, you’re somewhere between enthusiast and early adopter.
