Category Archives: Muddled Musings

Remember When Things Were Real?

In the fast-paced world of technology, few inventions stand the test of time. Once-trendy gadgets and innovations have now become relics of the past, overshadowed by newer and more efficient products.

Let’s take a nostalgic journey through 10 modern inventions that have been relegated to the annals of history.

1.

Telephone Landlines

Since at least 1876, telephone landlines have connected people across long distances, allowing communication on a scale that was never possible before. But the once familiar ring of landline phones is now something of the past. Most modern households have abandoned their landline phones altogether in favor of the convenience and mobility offered by mobile devices. 

2.

Typewriters

Before the era of word processors and computers, typewriters were the primary tool for producing written documents. The mechanical sound of keys striking paper was the expected background noise in most offices around the world, and there was at least one typewriter in every household. Today, despite their practical obsolescence, they remain within intelligence agencies and in handling top-secret documentation, or wherever a connection to the internet is more of a liability than an advantage.

3.

Portable CD Players

The successor to the portable cassette player, the compact disc player vastly improved the experience of listening to music on the go. Sadly, its reign was somewhat short-lived, as the rise of smaller and more versatile MP3 players rendered these clunky devices obsolete.

4.

Fax Machines

In the pre-digital era, fax machines were the only way to transmit scanned documents quickly. A revolutionary device, it quickly became a staple of offices and businesses everywhere. However, the advent of email, cloud storage, and digital signatures made fax machines mostly obsolete.

5.

Pagers

Before smartphones, pagers were the ultimate communication gadget. Doctors, emergency personnel, and business executives relied on these pocket-sized devices to stay connected everywhere they went. However, their limited capabilities meant they were quickly replaced by the rise of mobile phones that could support both text messaging and voice calls.

6.

Floppy Disks

Before CDs, USB drives, and cloud storage, floppy disks were the primary means of portable data storage. Their simplicity of use and small size meant they were adopted in both domestic and commercial settings. However, their limited capacity and susceptibility to damage made them impractical compared to modern storage solutions.

7.

Film Cameras

While they are still around, having a working film camera today is quite rare and almost synonymous with being a photography student of some sort. But before the ubiquity of smartphones equipped with high-quality cameras, these devices were the primary tool for capturing memories of friends and family. Their grainy quality and the whirring sound of a film advance lever, however, still evokes nostalgia for simpler times in photography.

8.

VHS Tapes

The VHS tape (and player) really revolutionized home entertainment, allowing viewers to watch their favorite movies from the comfort of their living rooms. But with the emergence of DVD and Blu-ray discs, followed by digital streaming services, VHS tapes became obsolete. Even the old saying “Be Kind, Rewind,” often affixed to rental tapes, now feels like a relic of a bygone era.

9.

Dial-Up Internet

The unmistakable (and weirdly cacophonous) sound of a dial-up modem connecting to the internet once signaled a gateway to the digital world. Unfortunately, the glacial pace of dial-up internet became intolerable with the advent of broadband connections. Today, in the era of high-speed internet, the idea of waiting minutes for a web page to load feels like a distant memory.

10.

DVD Players

DVD players were a true jump in quality for home entertainment systems. With their superior video and audio quality compared to VHS tapes, DVDs quickly became a staple in households around the world. Their extended capacity also meant movies came with all sorts of goodies like director’s commentary and various choices for subtitles. However, with the advent of online streaming services like Netflix or Hulu, DVDs fell out of use, and the sight of a DVD collection gathering dust on a shelf became commonplace in many houses.

An Inevitable Capture in the United Surveillance of America


Luigi Mangione’s arrest was as predictable as it was dramatic.

The 26-year-old suspect in the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was apprehended within days of the high-profile crime, tracked down in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after being identified by a McDonald’s employee who recognized him from news reports.

His swift capture wasn’t just the result of public vigilance—it was the culmination of living in a country where the watchful eyes of surveillance rarely miss.

Mangione’s path to arrest offers a blueprint for modern crime-solving. Surveillance footage placed him near the New York Hilton Midtown before the shooting, and his use of a fake ID to check into a nearby hostel was easily unraveled.

Cameras tracked his movements; digital breadcrumbs exposed his trail. The high-tech tools of America’s surveillance network made it nearly impossible for him to disappear, even as he fled hundreds of miles away.

This is not an isolated case. Consider the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013. Within days, authorities used footage from street cameras and crowd-sourced photos to identify and locate the Tsarnaev brothers. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was found hiding in a boat in a suburban backyard, his capture facilitated by a combination of infrared imaging from a police helicopter and tip-offs from locals.

Or take the 2021 Capitol riot. The FBI relied heavily on public tips, but also on facial recognition software and a vast trove of video evidence to track down participants, arresting hundreds in a matter of weeks. Even crimes that seem impulsive or chaotic are swiftly contained in a nation where nearly every corner, every transaction, and every public act is recorded.

The surveillance state has transformed criminal investigations into near-certainties. Cameras on streetlights, phones, and ATMs turn cities into sprawling evidence networks. Algorithms comb through video footage faster than any human could. Social media posts and GPS records connect suspects to their crimes with astonishing precision.

But here’s the uncomfortable question: Are we okay with this?

On one hand, it’s hard to argue against the benefits. Dangerous individuals like Mangione are caught before they can strike again. Victims and their families see justice served in record time. The deterrent effect alone may give potential offenders pause.

On the other, what does it cost us? Every breakthrough in surveillance capability comes with an erosion of privacy. Cameras don’t differentiate between criminals and citizens going about their lives. Every tracked movement, every flagged ID, every search history scrutinized—these tools don’t switch off once the crime is solved.

For now, the results are undeniable. Mangione’s arrest was, if not entirely predictable, certainly inevitable in the United Surveillance of America. The system works. But whether we’re comfortable living under its gaze remains a question we may never fully answer.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​