Lost to Time: Which Tech Deserves a Revival in 2027? with Jason Kapadia, Matt Webster and Jag Sharma - E122
What if progress gives us more convenience, but takes away what we used to love about technology?
In a nostalgia-filled episode of Disconnected this week, we’re doing the opposite of Room 101, and reviving technology that we think deserves a place in today’s world.
Jag, Matt and Jason look back at Blockbuster, removable phone batteries, LaserDiscs, SD card slots, and ask what it is that we truly miss about old tech.
This episode of Disconnected covers:
The trade-offs of technological progress
Nostalgia, ritual and shared experiences
Digital convenience versus physical ownership
Repairability, storage and consumer control
The role of sensory details in how we experience technology
Episode Highlights:
“Yes, Blockbuster gave us less choice, but perhaps it gave us more commitment because the bit that I miss, the feeling that I miss, is entertainment being an event.” - 8:50 - Jag Sharma
“‘Discardable’ is a key word. It all just feels a little bit disposable. There's no weight to the process of gathering the family to get the entertainment to watch entertainment.” - 13:05 - Matt Webster
“I want the battery back as a thing you can actually take out. Remember when phones just actually opened? The battery died. You popped it out. You popped another one in, and you carried on with your day. And it wasn't something that was just charming. It seems very sane, right?” - 18:35 - Jason Kapadia
“Progress shouldn't mean making things harder to repair. Maybe the most sustainable smartphone feature could be a screwdriver.” - 26:00 - Jag Sharma
“Money got in the way of bringing back physical expansion slots for SD cards on flagship devices. Expandable storage was killed off purely to sell users' absurd amount of onboard storage and all their cloud storage.” - 34:05 - Jason Kapadia
“Progress gives us something, but it usually takes something away as well. Old technology created friction, but some of that friction created ritual. Technology remembers its improvements, but nostalgia remembers its trade-offs.” - 45:20 - Jag Sharma
Links & references:
Jason Kapadia:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonkapadia/
https://www.instagram.com/jasonkapadia/
Jag Sharma:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jagsharma
https://www.instagram.com/jagsharma/
Matt Webster: