1. In an Era of 'Smart’Things, Sometimes Dumb Stuff

In an Era of ‘Smart’ Things, Sometimes Dumb Stuff Is Better

BRIAN X. CHEN

It still feels magical to light up your living room by saying “Alexa, turn on the lights.” But with all the hype surrounding so-called smart things — everyday devices that are connected to the internet —it’s easy to forget that sometimes the dumb stuff is just better.

Tech companies are adding internet connections to just about everything you can imagine so that they can be controlled with smart speakers or phones. Thermostats, surveillance cameras, mosquito zappers, coffee makers —you name it.

And smart devices are becoming more popular. In 2017, 15 percent of American households owned a home automation device, up from 10 percent in April 2016, according to NPD Group, a research firm.

But before we get carried away setting up the Wi-Fi connections on all our appliances, lights and fashion accessories, let me play Luddite for a second. Some of the most mundane devices are designed to accomplish a simple task extremely well — and in some cases they still execute those duties better than their high-tech brethren.

So let’s take a moment to appreciate some of the best dumb things. Here are my top picks.

A wristwatch vs. Apple Watch

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