One Step Forward or Two Steps Sideways?

You know what grinds my gears? People that need to have the latest gadgets.
Is the technology in consumer electronics still moving forward, or is it just moving sideways? In the past we've been given computers, which are capable of almost anything, from looking up information, to running machinery, to simulating natural disasters for research, to designing buildings. We've been given cell phones, allowing us to call people from anywhere, which has saved many lives, and made getting in touch with anyone at anytime, possible. We've been given GPS. How many hours of driving has that saved you? Not to mention not hitting the car in front of you while you unfold a map. We've been given MP3 players. How much nicer is it running without a diskman skipping every three seconds? The things that have come on the market in the last 20 years, are tools that make life easier, safer, and more fun. But what are we getting now? In the consumer electronics department, in the last five or so years, what have we got? Don't get me wrong, we've got, Itouchs, Ipads, phones that go on the internet, picture frames you can email pictures to, handheld devices you can read books on etc, etc, but anything you can't live without?
The contract I have with my cell phone provider expired many months ago. I'm offered a new phone for free, if I sign another contract. I have no plans to switch providers, so why not sign another contract and get a brand new phone for free? I looked at my options for a new phone, and I'm not interested in anything being offered. None of the features on the new phones appeal to me.
But the new ones play video games! I have a PS3 and a nice TV. Why would I want to play a low quality game on a 4 inch screen, when I can play a good game on a nice TV?
But the new phones take pictures! I have a very nice digital SLR. If I'm going to take a picture, it's going to be a good picture. When is the last time you saw a professional sports photographer, or wedding photographer  pull out there Blackberry to take their pictures.
But the new phones can go on the internet! 95% of the time I'm at home, at work, or at someones house. There is a computer in all of those places that can also get on the internet, and again, I don't have to stare at a 4 inch screen. And for the 5% of the time I'm not near a computer, I'm probably doing something more interesting than playing on the internet.
But the new phones play MP3s! My current phone plays MP3s...in my pocket...out loud...when I don't want it to. If I'm going for a run, my MP3 player fits in my hand much better than my phone, and is easier to use.
Todays gadgets are just toys. They don't do anything of importance. Why do you need to email a picture, to your picture frame, from your phone? Has that saved a lot of lives? Do you really need to be able to print, on your home printer, from your phone? You have to go home to retrieve what you printed, so you saved yourself the 30 seconds of print time I guess. You can now read a book on a handheld device. What was wrong with reading a paper book again? Oh yeah, the books battery always went dead! And don't give me the "it saves paper" BS. You are using electricity to use your handheld book, not to mention the polution it took to produce your electonic device.
Some of the new products on the market, do serve a purpose. People that are on the road all the time for their jobs, might find that a Blackberry is esencial. But lets face it, most of the features on todays toys don't serve any sort of IMPORTANT purpose. They do things that are neat, or cool, but nothing you can't live without. Most of the things that these products do, are things that other products already do. You have replaced a computer, a camera, a video game console, a photo album, a way to watch movies, a GPS unit, and a MP3 player with one small, palm sized unit. The problem is, it doesn't do ANY of those jobs very well. Sorry, but a 4 inch screen can't compete with a nice tv with a blue-ray player and suround sound. And even with a full keyboard on your phone, I can type faster on my real keyboard. And I'd love to see you take a picture of a motorcycle traveling at 150 MPH with you phone and have it come out not blurry.
People are lining up to buy anything current on the consumer electronics market. They want it because it's smaller, faster, or has one more built in feature. Companies have run out of ideas for things to sell us, and yet people keep lining up to buy things they'll never use, because it's, neat, or trendy, or they want to be the envy of their friends. How many Itouches, Ipads, palm pilots, and Kindles are collecting dust on shelves? Hundreds of dollars spent, only to realize, "WTF do I need this for?"
I want something to do my laundry, drive my car, cook me dinner, put a new roof on my house, and go to work and do my job for me.

Is there an app for that?