I know that some of you that drop by here will find this odd, but I hate gadgets.

I like technology, and work with technology, but there’s something about the modern obsession with tech for tech’s sake that annoys me: Lets take cars. I’ve already whinged about satnavs, and had it pointed out to me in the comments that they can be useful. I think it’s actually the marketing of them and other gadgets that actually offends me: cars being sold where the Ipod input or bluetooth connectivity are the talked about thing: not the performance, practicality, emissions or ease of driving.

I’m actually a big fan of tech in cars: where it’s useful. I have no fear how “everything is too complex now”- electronic control of engines and auto gearboxes has made cars perform better in every way than points, carburettors, and hydraulics- and some of the toyish features are very good too- i think it’s just, along with non-car tech, sometimes the toys are pushed as if the our lives are a meaningless void without them. I own quite a lot of tech, too. I suppose this is just another whinge of mine against marketing.

For instance, when it comes to tech for tech’s sake, a ‘colleague’ (for values of colleague equalling fuckwit) recently wanted activesynch installed: this is the thing that synchronises Microsoft Outlook to a PDA or phone. His reason? So he can sit in meetings putting in appointments, then upload. Trust me, he doesn’t have a busy enough schedule to need his diary with him all the time. Ever tried a piece of paper? Fuckwit.

And the worst offender?

Channel 5’s The Gadget Show, where Jason Bradbury, self-styled geek (looks more like a fashion victim who is trying soooo hard to impress everyone with how kewl he is to me) and his mates test a load of overpriced shiny tat no-one needs (£250 noise-cancelling headphones?) in pointless ‘entertaining’ tests?

Crikey, I’m glad I only had to suffer a few minutes of it.