New but Not improved | Pad Patter 1 Mar

[carrie1977]

I'm all for innovation & reinvention but is there any ’new fangled' thing that you've found to be more of a hassle than a help?
Or has a product you've used for ages come out with a 'new and improved formula' and you don't agree that it's improved?

Let me give you an example:
Yesterday I nearly locked myself out of the car at the petrol station. There are no actual keyholes in any of the doors or boot/trunk of my car and you can only open it by pushing the buttons on the remote 'key'. As I pushed lock to go in and pay, I saw the lock button fall off the key, I picked it up and realised the unlock button was missing and the thing the button activates was too far down inside the key for me to poke at with my nails (i thought about paper clips etc later but that didn't help me on the spot).

So my car was locked and taking up a valuable spot at the petrol station (in front of the pump) and my kids were about to come out of school and I knew DD had left her phone at home. Long story short, I managed to use the lock button I recovered to wiggle it in to activate the unlock mechanism. (The button had kind of crumbled from over use - it's an otherwise wonderful second-hand car we bought about 1.5 yrs ago) So anyway, for today's topic, I'm not a fan of Hyundai's over confidence in 'new fangled' remote locking to the point that they stopped adding keyholes to car doors. (It tripped us up in Tasmania in 2017 too when some magnetic interference or something rendered the remote fairly useless - it's a known problem there with signage warning about it and what to do, but trying to explain to clerk's etc when you haven't seen the signs that you don't have keyholes so you can get into your car the old fashioned way, well, they look at you like you're dumb or lying.

(ETA: After Berniek enlightened me, i'm updating this to say i'm now not a fan of the new and not improved idea of "let's hide the keyhole and make it near impossible for people to access, much less find" method of making car door handles.

I kind of have a similar story. A few months back I stopped at Walmart for a few things during my lunch hour so that I could go straight home after work as we had plans to head to the cabin. So, I parked and locked my car and went inside. I purchased my things and walked out to my car. I hit the unlock button on my fob. Nothing. No sound of any kind. Tried a few different times and nothing each time. I thought maybe the battery in my fob died. So, I opened the fob to try to use the little key thingy that's inside. Nothing. Couldn't get that to work either. I called my husband but he works in a totally different town so he was no help (and he thinks I know nothing about cars, which might be true, but he kind of acts like a total a$$ whenever I have car issues). I called my boss to let him know what was going on and that I would be back from lunch late. He got in his car and came to help. My bestie and her husband came to help. Turns out, it wasn't my fob battery but the car battery. Everything stopped functioning. Oh, did I also mention it was the middle of summer? Yeah, like 100+ degrees outside. Once everything was working again i was a hot mess! I went back to work and grabbed some things and went home. I called it a day early.

 

[carrie1977]

I'm annoyed at how DD's school says it's "easier" to have iPads in the classroom instead of pencil and paper. Guess what: if they need to take a test on an iPad, then the iPad needs to be charged. They have iPads for every child in every class for 5th and 4th grades (and a "classroom set" for each grade 1 thru 3). These kids can't remember to charge their iPads! DD was supposed to take a standardized test via the iPad...but her battery was dead, so she just sat there while it charged (cuz there aren't outlets near desks). I asked her if she could just take the test with a pencil and paper, and she looked at me like I had 3 heads. Sigh.

Same thing with the classroom set of laptops: there are 14, so that kids can pair up to use them for research projects. Teachers have to sign up to use them. When DD's class got them, 4 of them were dead. Obviously there aren't that many outlets in the class, let alone space to hang out while they charge along the wall. So eight students spent their "research project" time waiting for the stupid laptops to charge.

Do you know what doesn't need to be charged? PAPER! Either in the form of a book (for the research project) or as a few sheets for a test, paper products are battery-free. And don't get me started on the cost of all this "new and improved" way of learning. I'm not saying technology is bad, but I do think the faculty and staff either need to be on top of charging batteries or they need to have backup methods of letting these kids do their work.

Our schools are one-to-one schools. All of our classrooms have laptop lockers which have charging cables inside. That is where they are stored every night for safe keeping and also for charging. Our libraries have laptop carts
for the same purpose. Does your school have anything like that for their devices?

 

[cfile]

I call this Pizza Hut syndrome.

When I was little, Pizza Hut sold... wait for it... pizza! Pizza, pizza, pizza. As it should.

In my late teens and early 20s, allasudden they start selling pasta and sandwiches. Say what now?! Why would PIZZA Hut be selling anything BUT pizza?!

Greed, man. It's all abt the Benjamins.

The same thing happened with Oreos. Mint, peanut butter, red velvet, birthday cake... you can get any flavor stuck between those two cookies now.

And don't think I don't see you, Chips Ahoy, making your chewy cookies smaller and making the plastic packaging bigger and bulkier! Do you think us fatties wouldn't be able to tell that the cookies were smaller because we were shoving so many into our mouth at one time?!

Oh, we can tell. WE. CAN. TELL.

/endvent

oh my goodness LeeAndra, you are a hoot.. I almost spit my coffee

 

[cfile]

I'm annoyed at how DD's school says it's "easier" to have iPads in the classroom instead of pencil and paper. Guess what: if they need to take a test on an iPad, then the iPad needs to be charged. They have iPads for every child in every class for 5th and 4th grades (and a "classroom set" for each grade 1 thru 3). These kids can't remember to charge their iPads! DD was supposed to take a standardized test via the iPad...but her battery was dead, so she just sat there while it charged (cuz there aren't outlets near desks). I asked her if she could just take the test with a pencil and paper, and she looked at me like I had 3 heads. Sigh.

Same thing with the classroom set of laptops: there are 14, so that kids can pair up to use them for research projects. Teachers have to sign up to use them. When DD's class got them, 4 of them were dead. Obviously there aren't that many outlets in the class, let alone space to hang out while they charge along the wall. So eight students spent their "research project" time waiting for the stupid laptops to charge.

Do you know what doesn't need to be charged? PAPER! Either in the form of a book (for the research project) or as a few sheets for a test, paper products are battery-free. And don't get me started on the cost of all this "new and improved" way of learning. I'm not saying technology is bad, but I do think the faculty and staff either need to be on top of charging batteries or they need to have backup methods of letting these kids do their work.

And they can't add/subtract without a calculater.. making change... ugh don't mess them up by giving them an extra 3 cents or whatever so you get back a quarter.. they don't know what to do as the "new" math doesn't teach them normal and correct way to add/subtract/multiply!

 

[Tree City]

Our schools are one-to-one schools. All of our classrooms have laptop lockers which have charging cables inside. That is where they are stored every night for safe keeping and also for charging. Our libraries have laptop carts
for the same purpose. Does your school have anything like that for their devices?

No, I don't think so. The laptops are kept on rolling carts. I think there are ports on the cart and then they plug the "cart" into the wall outlet. But I might be wrong--I've seen a quick peek at them in another classroom on the cart, but I'm pretty sure there aren't lockers for them (unless teachers just aren't putting them back in the lockers after their turn?).

Now, the high school may be different. They're called one-to-one schools, so I hope they have places for all this tech. (As you can probably tell, I don't yet have a high schooler or middle schooler so I don't have personal experience lol.) DD's grade is the first to have iPads in 5th and 4th grade, so maybe these are just growing pains? IDK.

 

[Tree City]

And they can't add/subtract without a calculater.. making change... ugh don't mess them up by giving them an extra 3 cents or whatever so you get back a quarter.. they don't know what to do as the "new" math doesn't teach them normal and correct way to add/subtract/multiply!

I gave a cashier a $5 bill for a $2.07 purchase, and in all fairness she was training so I think she was already feeling panicked, but she literally hadn't had a cash purchase yet! So the guy training her had to go over how to make change. Like, not just "press this button and give her her change," but literally "this is what she needs" cuz she just had a blank stare. I tried really hard to have a poker face, but it did surprise me that she didn't know "how" to give me 93 cents back. So not only is the math itself part of the problem, but the fact that no one actually uses cash anymore has also affected our youngsters' ability to make change.

 

[wvsandy]

And what about dropping the teaching of cursive writing in our schools! It is such an easy thing to learn and really speeds up writing. These kids won't even be able to read our LOs with a script font.

 

[carrie1977]

No, I don't think so. The laptops are kept on rolling carts. I think there are ports on the cart and then they plug the "cart" into the wall outlet. But I might be wrong--I've seen a quick peek at them in another classroom on the cart, but I'm pretty sure there aren't lockers for them (unless teachers just aren't putting them back in the lockers after their turn?).

Now, the high school may be different. They're called one-to-one schools, so I hope they have places for all this tech. (As you can probably tell, I don't yet have a high schooler or middle schooler so I don't have personal experience lol.) DD's grade is the first to have iPads in 5th and 4th grade, so maybe these are just growing pains? IDK.

Could be...IDK. I work in Technology for our district so I'm just familiar with how our schools handle these things. Each school purchases differently so what might be at one site might not be at another. But, the laptop lockers are in ALL of our classrooms. Especially our 7th and 8th grade classrooms as the students' Literature, Language and History classes are all laptop based.

 

[cfile]

I gave a cashier a $5 bill for a $2.07 purchase, and in all fairness she was training so I think she was already feeling panicked, but she literally hadn't had a cash purchase yet! So the guy training her had to go over how to make change. Like, not just "press this button and give her her change," but literally "this is what she needs" cuz she just had a blank stare. I tried really hard to have a poker face, but it did surprise me that she didn't know "how" to give me 93 cents back. So not only is the math itself part of the problem, but the fact that no one actually uses cash anymore has also affected our youngsters' ability to make change.

Yup so sad for sure.

 

[carrie1977]

And what about dropping the teaching of cursive writing in our schools! It is such an easy thing to learn and really speeds up writing. These kids won't even be able to read our LOs with a script font.

Our kids still learn cursive...I believe they start in 3rd grade but really get into it in 4th. My kids both love writing in cursive. I'm the one that doesn't.

 

[cfile]

And what about dropping the teaching of cursive writing in our schools! It is such an easy thing to learn and really speeds up writing. These kids won't even be able to read our LOs with a script font.

Exactly.. these days they cannot write either due to everything is a text message and they shorten words. Nothing like a professional email and you see an "LOL" in there, or other abbreviated words. They need to be taught penmanship, and long hand math besides being made to read and practice writing essays.. not typing, actual writing. Too many use the spell check and some use grammer check, but it isn't the same. It is not the teacher's fault either.... they are using the tools provided plus going with the district's curriculm.

 

[cfile]

Our kids still learn cursive...I believe they start in 3rd grade but really get into it in 4th. My kids both love writing in cursive. I'm the one that doesn't.

Well that is good to know Carrie

 

[berniek]

No, I don't think so. The laptops are kept on rolling carts. I think there are ports on the cart and then they plug the "cart" into the wall outlet. But I might be wrong--I've seen a quick peek at them in another classroom on the cart, but I'm pretty sure there aren't lockers for them (unless teachers just aren't putting them back in the lockers after their turn?).

We used to have this system at the special ed school I taught at. Horrible because half of the students didn't plug the laptop in so I had to check each and every one before I put the cart away. And if my colleague didn't check when their groups used the laptops I was stuck with a bunch of laptop with empty batteries.. Now I teach college and students have their own stuff to worry about.

(if you hadn't said that Berniek i'd have thought you drive a VW with similarly maddening door handles and learnt the hard way like in the image - you're still my hero regardless !

I do actually drive a VW but have never had this problem. But it's good to know when in a tough situation. I somehow find these random facts interestingly enough to remember them.

 

[bestcee]

I don't think we need Alexa and all these other talky things from amazon and everyone else. Are people that lazy?

I laughed when I read this!
We have both Alexa and a Google home. But we don't use it to change tv channels. We use them to play music because you can't find CD players very easily anymore, much less the nice ones that hold more than 5CDs!
So, Alexa sits in the kitchen and is my lazy timer. It's so much easier to say 'set timer for 30 min' than find the timer that munchkin takes to play with. And she's my Bluetooth speaker, munchkins joke teller, and occasionally tells me how many cups in a pint. Because I never learned that, and struggle with the cups in a pint/quart.
The Google one is in our bedroom and just plays music. And both have a mute button.

 

[bestcee]

I am with you on the things that don't last anymore! I hate hate hate when I have to replace something and it never lasts as long as the original. I remember having my first phone last for years. And it's still around - it's been in munchkins toybox, that previously was his uncle's toybox. I just had to get a new phone because the charger port broke on my old one and refused to charge anymore. It's almost 3 years, but that is not very long!
And as someone with a broken power window, that we have no idea why it broke on a 3 year old car, I miss the self winders.

 

[cfile]

Well enjoy @bestcee Courtney.. I really think down the road we will all find out they are like "bugs" bugging the homes of everyone to find out information. I really don't trust them. As long as you are happy.. I am glad you laughed. I hope I did not insult anyone as I would never do that.. For me I just don't see it. Hugs

 

[bestcee]

I figure everything is bugged anymore. They've already proven cell phones can spy on you, so, I may as well enjoy being spied on.

 

[NancyP]

It's true! OMG! It was so tricky to get the part of the handle off, it would've been faster for me to walk to the school and get the kids and walk back than do this at the petrol station but both DH and I thank you so very much!!! You've now achieved Hero status!!!

So my question is-----why didn't the dealer or whoever sold you your car, tell you that?????
Ten years ago I bought my very first NEW car!! I was 68 at the time and I was like a kid in a candy shop!! Me!!! A NEW car!!! I drove that poor salesman nuts!! I wanted absolutely NO bells and whistles!! He kept showing me cars (Nissons) And I would always manage to find something in it that was electric or some kind of gadget I didn't want. I finally stopped him and told him, LOOK, I want my car stripped!! NO electric seats that move at the push of a button, NO electric windows, NO "Fob" or whatever you call it to open my doors, NO fancy anything. I want the kind of a car you bought back in the 40s!!!! Of course he thought I was off my rocker. I finally got the car I wanted, Nothing digital, nothing electric, just a plain old car that you have to unlock with a key, roll the windows down, use a lever to move your seat etc etc etc----and ---- I saved over $4,000!!!!!
The only thing that upset me was that it only had one keyhole on the drivers side. NO keyhole on the front passenger side. WHAT??? Who in their right mind would only put in one door with a keyhole!!! I didn't realize this until about a week after I bought the car. I have my grandkids with me a lot and I always keep the doors locked. Yep, each door has to be manually locked. So what if there is an accident and I have to get the kids out and the only side accessible is the passenger side?? Can't unlock the door!!! No keyhole!!!!

 

[NancyP]

I figure everything is bugged anymore. They've already proven cell phones can spy on you, so, I may as well enjoy being spied on.

Hay @bestcee , did you know that you can go into your Settings and turn off your locater! That's the very first thing I do when I buy a new phone. Of course we are being tracked on our computers too. Oh well, my life is pretty boring so they probably fall asleep tracking me!!!

 

[KatrinaHunt13]

Washing machines!! Front loaders/top loaders water efficient,etc. They do NOT get the clothes clean and run twice as long if they go off balance. We have to add water at the beginning of the wash to make the load "heavier" so that they is enough water to even wash the clothes. They don't get the soap out either. We put in WAY less than the recommended amount.
AND they don't spin enough to get the water out, so it takes twice as long to dry. We aren't talking a cheap machine/dryer combo either!!