Do One Thing (DOT) Technologies

Getting into wifi radio systems has given me a new understanding and appreciation of what I actually want out of technologies. I want technologies that Do One Thing, or as I’m calling it DOT.

I don’t want to multitask. I don’t want a million apps to flip through and figure out if any of them actually does the thing I want or if I have to sign up or pay some monthly fee or get into bullshit in-app purchases. That’s all dead to me. I just want technology that does one thing, and does it well. Or one narrow slice of things that are all tightly related and which support each other.

I don’t want a lot of options and choices and settings and updates. I want technologies that do one thing. DOT. And well. DOT+DIW.

In the world of wifi radio, I now have a handheld Ocean Digital and a fixed Sangean WFR-32. Here is a video overview of the Sangean:

It can be difficult to find good information and reviews about some of these Chinese wifi radio systems like this.

I will say that the system is a bit weird to get used to. There’s an app for iOS (works on iPad, which is not always the case) that seems to be the easiest way to add stations to it, though you can do it through a sub-menu. There’s also this, which I still don’t understand, and it can accept signals from Spotify (at least through Spotify Connect, I’m not sure if you can easily search songs in it), Tidal, Qobuz, others.

Anyway, each time you limit functionality like this, you introduce weird quirks into a device and its functioning. We’ve been trained I guess by marketing to think that more functions, more options, more possibilities, more tools jammed into a device is always better. But is it really?

If you own a Swiss Army Knife, when is the last time you used anything but the actual knife blade in it? I saw someone say somewhere (original reference lost), that sometimes you need the chef’s knife. The thing that does one thing, and does it well. It cuts.

Mailbug seems to me like another example of this which I remain intrigued by, though my use case and requirements are a bit different. I don’t own one (yet) for that reason, but the possibilities – in fact, the lack of possibilities – is something I keep coming back to in my thoughts.

I’ve been researching a lot the wave of emerging e-ink external monitors compatible with Mac, and that has been interesting to see where things stand. As it currently is, the technology is severely limited by its refresh rate, which is nowhere near the ‘normal’ monitors people use. So you can end up with artifacting in some circumstances, ghosting, etc. It’s difficult to find these in Canada from any brand, and there appear to be only three main series I see often referenced: Dasung Paperlike, Onyx Boox Mira, Philips E Ink Business Monitor 13.3.

I think I have a lead on a Mira in Canada that I am waiting on, so I’ll show a video about that device:

I often already run my Mac screen in black and white but for the amount I’m on it as a writer and whateverer, it doesn’t solve the eyestrain issue like e-ink potentially does, and which other people who have adopted this monitor technology (and smartphone e-ink tech is picking up as well). Here’s one such video that I appreciated:

I like this idea of limitations as being (sometimes) beneficial, of cutting down the distraction and the “flicker” so to speak of modern screen-ified life. I don’t expect yet another device to bring me ultimate happiness, but I’m going through a time of great winnowing down what may ultimate best relationship with technology is. And I think it’s this: do one thing. DOT.

There are probably other words for technologies like this: calm technologies, anti-addictive devices, single-tasking?

My old school 90s AlphaSmart Neo 2 keyboard is one of my favorite technologies, and it is extremely DOT. You can type on it, there are 8 buttons up top for files. 2 AA batteries that last forever, with a small LCD screen. The feel is so good. You’re just typing. You’re just writing. You can get lost in it. No notifications, no distractions, no bullshit. Does one thing, does it well.

For me, this isn’t just a short term “digital detox,” this feels like a sea change, a fundamental shift in understanding and experiential improvement. This is a break from how I approached technology previously. The ability to do just one thing in the end gives you the space to do (or not do) everything else unencumbered.