Leave No Technology Behind [Soapbox]

Leave no technology behind- this slight twist on the mantra of the U.S. Armed Forces is a rusting signpost on the highway of consumer electronic innovation. From the DOS prompt to the RS-232 connector, from CTRL-ALT-DEL to the CD drive, there are an amazing number of technologies that are not left behind, even within an industry obsessed with the next big thing. Though, with the persuasive announcement that Moore's law is dead and buried (see Zvi Or-Bach's recent blog in Solid State Technology [1]), the perpetual risk of obsolescence may be reaching its swan song. A very quick side thought: it is thought-provoking to speculate on how the electronics industry will eventually take the form of the automotive industry, a market based on relatively stagnant technology. Because it will.