Inventions that make you say "well...duh."

[Dave Gray]

What is a product/invention that came out and you thought "I can't believe we're just getting this now.  It seems so obvious."

Some comedian (can't remember who) said this of the ketchup bottle with the opening on the bottom, instead of the top.

I've always thought this of self-adhesive stamps (what is essentially a sticker).  Forever, you had to lick stamps.  I wonder why it took so long.

[Spider-Dan]

Huggies Pull-Ups (basically, diapers shaped like training pants).  I thought of this when I was 9 years old and my brother was potty training (for the record, they were introduced about 2 years later).

[jtex316]

It hasn't happened yet, but why in the fuck do I have to dial 1 PLUS the area code when calling someone while within that same area code? And why do I sometimes have to dial 1 and sometimes I don't and other times when I dial the area code the system doesn't patch my call through?

This happens on land-lines and is a major technological setback in communications. If the system can recognize that I'm dialing a 1 (or 0) and can recognize that I'm dialing an area code (561, 954, etc...) then why the fuck can't it recognize the number and put me through like any cell phone ever invented?

On cell phones, I can dial 555-1234, (555)-555-1234, and 1-(555)-555-1234 and all three work (if me and the dialee share the same area code). Why can't it work on land-line phones?

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

To answer Jtex's question.

When you "dial" on  a cell phone you enter all the numbers then hit "send"  At that point the phone knows if you have entered 7 digits, 10 digits or 11 digits.  So it can route appropriately.  On a regular phone it connects when you hit the last digit.

By way of example:

Caller lives in area code 789

Someone in that area code has the number of (789) 678 3456

However 1000 people who live the 678 area code have phone numbers that begin....

678 345 6XXX

So you dial on a land based phone 6783456 the phone connects to person in the same area code.  If you hit 1 first it waits for the extra 3 digits. 

[BoSoxGrl]

After shave for women...we shave everything from legs to armpits to our nether regions, we should have a pore tightening product to splash on afterwords that doesn't make us smell like a pine tree.

[StL FinFan]

I'm waiting for blue tooth type head phones for ipod/mp3 players.

[CF DolFan]

To answer Jtex's question.

When you "dial" on  a cell phone you enter all the numbers then hit "send"  At that point the phone knows if you have entered 7 digits, 10 digits or 11 digits.  So it can route appropriately.  On a regular phone it connects when you hit the last digit.

By way of example:

Caller lives in area code 789

Someone in that area code has the number of (789) 678 3456

However 1000 people who live the 678 area code have phone numbers that begin....

678 345 6XXX

So you dial on a land based phone 6783456 the phone connects to person in the same area code.  If you hit 1 first it waits for the extra 3 digits. 

7 digit dialing was around first and you only had to use area code if you used "1" first. As it is, we in Central Florida have only been using 10 digits for local calls since 1999. 

[Brian Fein]

I'm waiting for blue tooth type head phones for ipod/mp3 players.

This exists...

http://www.motorola.com/consumers/CA-EN/MOTOROKR-S9-HD-Stereo-Headphones-CA-EN.do?vgnextoid=2a3f2d37d0fdc110VgnVCM1000008406b00aRCRD

Of course you have to have Bluetooth enabled on your iPod...

[StL FinFan]

^ Interesting.  I always get my cord caught on things.  Those wrap around the head style never seem to adjust small enough for my little head.  I'll look into it.  Thanks.

[Pappy13]

It hasn't happened yet, but why in the fuck do I have to dial 1 PLUS the area code when calling someone while within that same area code? And why do I sometimes have to dial 1 and sometimes I don't and other times when I dial the area code the system doesn't patch my call through?

Hoodie is correct about how a phone "knows" when to connect, but there's more to it than just that I believe.

It has to do with the antiquated land line phone network.  I used to work for Sprint and MCI, so I know a "little" about how the routing works, but not enough to really answer your question fully.  Suffice to say that it all comes down to being able to uniquely identify the destination.  Sometimes 7 digits isn't enough for the software.  Not because the software can't be made smart enough, it's just because there's a lot of old technology behind it all and lots of assumptions are made based on whether you dial a 1 first or a zero and whether you dialed 7 digits or 10.

Cell phones use newer technology and newer networks and don't have some of the same problems that land line phone systems have, so the software is smart enough to figure out stuff whereas the old land line technology isn't.  It's too expensive and time consuming to remove all the old technology and replace it all with the newer technology, so you're stuck with 1 + and 10 digit dialing for now.

The good news is that newer technology is replacing older technology all the time.  Probably eventually land lines won't need the 1+ and 10 digit dialing either or perhaps they'll just get rid of land lines altogether.  Could be in the future we don't have any hard wired phones, it will all be cellular technology.

Now, I'm no expert on the matter, like I said I know just enough to be dangerous, so if someone wants to correct something I said, fire away.

[Pappy13]

7 digit dialing was around first and you only had to use area code if you used "1" first. As it is, we in Central Florida have only been using 10 digits for local calls since 1999. 

The reason is because of area code (NPA) splits.  There has been a HUGE explosion of phone number usage in the last 15 years, mostly because of cell phones, beepers, fax numbers etc.  Because of this, the old "area code" system NPA-NXX-XXXX that used to be in place that prevented people in the same area from having different NPA's no longer applies.  You can be calling your neighbor now and it be in a different area code.  Again it goes back to the technology and local exchange carriers.  The local exchange carrier wouldn't necessarily know the NPA that you were trying to reach when you dialed a 7 digit number.  The LEC might have several different NPA's that it serves now whereas it used to only have 1.  When that started happening, the LECs started making 10 digit calling mandatory in that area even if you were calling the same area code so that it would know who to connect you to.

[fyo]

I'm waiting for blue tooth type head phones for ipod/mp3 players.

http://www.jaybirdgear.com/sb2/bluetooth-headphones-features.html

(This is a bit different from Brian's MOTO suggestion, not only in design, but also in that they have a Bluetooth adapter that plugs into any standard 3.5mm headphone jack.)

[StL FinFan]

^ Those are cool, but way out of my price range, starting at $99.

[fyo]

^ Those are cool, but way out of my price range, starting at $99.

There are quite a few products out there depending on your exact need.

You can get Bluetooth headphones, where the Bluetooth transceiver is integrated into the headphones. This adds a bit of weight and bulk to the headphones and requires a source (mp3-player) that has Bluetooth.

You can get a female 3.5mm jack - to - Bluetooth converter, that allows you to plug in any headphones you want to the converter... there's still going to be a wire from the headphones to the converter, though.

Or, you can get a male 3.5mm jack - to - Bluetooth convert (dongle), allowing you to get Bluetooth audio from any old 3.5mm jack source.

Anyway, the invention you are looking for (whatever it is) exists... although you may not like the price

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Here is my invention in waiting....

A canoepak. 

An external backpack (complete with proper suspension, hip belt etc) with a high bar and V's that you can rest the thwarts in.

If you have ever portaged a canoe you know there is no easy way to carry it and ultimately you have something heavy and hard resting on your shoulders at a bad angle.  What the canoepak would allow is for you to carry a canoe like a backpack.