The URC MX-5000 is the newest universal remote that runs at about $1200!!! It controls everything from your wi-fi to your TV. It was a pretty nifty touch screen, but is such a complex system that you cannot program it yourself- you need a professional. It even has "no limit to customization."But while this seems pretty awesome, does a person need a universal remote enough to pay $1200 for it?
I think that this instance of emerging technology says a lot about American society. Today, it is all about efficiency and making things easier- but at what cost? I mean, even the most basic remote is a movement towards efficiency. You can adjust things without having to walk across the room! As well as being a movement towards efficiency, it is also a major movement towards LAZINESS! I mean it is one thing to even use a remote, but what is so hard about keeping track of a couple remotes? Is it necessary to get one so that they are all together because you lost them or just for convenience sake?
As we move towards more universal things for convenience and efficiency, I believe we lose a part of ourselves, a part of aesthetic properties that items once had, and lose a sense of the world around us. Sometimes the world just needs to be enjoyed as it is, not modified to be more efficient for users.
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