Bring Back Normal Monitors.

I had to buy a new monitor semi-recently.  This was a disappointing experience.  I could not find a normal (4 x 3) monitor.  In every store I looked in there were only wide screen (16 X 9) monitors available.

What the fuck!?  Are computers becoming toys now?  I'm sure that some jerkwad is saying to himself "but a lot of video comes in wide screen and I like the big panorama when I'm playing Killoshooto" or whatever.  Get yourself a TV and game console. 

Wide screens suck for doing anything with text.  Have you tried reading a several two foot lines of text?  You have to keep bobbing your head back and forth, not to mention the difficulty of simply visually tracking a line that long, especially when the asshole designer decided that some sans-serif font looked pretty.

For working with text, a vertical aspect ratio would  be best, something like 2^1/2 X 1, the same as the European A series standard for paper.  Unfortunately the this isn't realizable on laptops due to the need to accommodate keyboards, and it would be more maddening to have two separate standards, one for desktops and another for laptops.  So let's just go back to 4 X 3, it's a reasonable compromise.

I don't see that happening.  If the display manufacturers can shove one format down everyones throats they will.  It's cheaper than having multiple formats.  Bastards.

Of course another solution is available.  UI designers could offer another window sizing button - a "vertical maximize" which would give you window of (screenHeight/2^1/2) X screenHeight.  The designers of text based applications and web pages could optimize for such a display ratio, reading on-line is easier for everyone and peace, love and harmony will reign throughout the universe.

Yeah, I don't see that one happening either.

Toilet paper holders

Have you ever thought of toilet paper holders.  Few have,  But one person did and came up with a brilliant design.

Public bathrooms have some considerations regarding the dispensing of toilet paper beyond those for the home.  These are that people will steal anything, even a half used roll of toilet paper and they will overuse what they don't pay for.

The manufacturers of toilet paper holders for public bathrooms have come up with some ugly solutions to these problems.  One method to prevent theft is to place a locked cover over the roll with just the end sticking out.  Another is to use strange sized rolls, usually under the same locked cover.

To prevent over use they will usually have some kind of mechanism to stop the roll from turning after so much rotation, or they will have a lot of friction making it impossible to pull out a decent amount without tearing it into shreds.

As I said, these are all ugly solutions, especially for small businesses that aren't going to get a contract with a janitorial supply company and are just going to buy their toilet paper at the local store.

Fortunately someone has come up with a holder that balances the needs of preventing over use, theft and the need to use standard rolls.

You'll note in the picture that the axle for the spindle is off center.  This prevents the roll from gaining momentum as someone pulls paper off thus preventing over use.

But, the real brilliance here is the spring loaded axle.  The only way to remove the spindle is to pull the axle inside which can't be done with a roll installed.  You have to wait until the roll is empty, then tear off the core to pull the axle inside, thus preventing theft.

As you can see, it uses standard rolls.

This shows that a lot of simple, mature technology has room for improvement.

There aren't many zombie issues here since they don't poop and those of us left alive will scared shitless anyway.