The first flat screen televisions were invented as far back as 1964.

Remember those huge boxy TVs that took up spaces in living rooms? They are now history.

It took decades before they were available at rates that everyone could afford.

But air-conditioners are another matter altogether.

They've moved from window to 'split'. And stayed there for ages.

Progress has been slow. The prices have stayed high even while power consumption dropped.

But if air-conditioners have to become as common as fans, they will have to be re-designed from the ground up.

Starting with the installation that makes huge unsightly holes in the wall. And precariously balances the outdoor unit outside on a clamped stand.

For high-rise buildings, it's like having stuntmen come in and do repairs whenever necessary.

I'm sure it's not due to a lack of effort or imagination. It's probably an engineering issue that does not have a solution at this point in time.

Look at the advances being made. Easing up the installation.

Or reducing the size so that it blends into the wall and looks slightly better.

TV manufacturers proved they could accommodate colour, size and clarity into a slim sheet.

When will air-conditioners follow?

Google made a big move. Quietly.

Google has started where customers are unlikely to notice the change.

The Nest Hub of products is being updated to the new OS, Fuschia.

And nothing will change, except the OS.

Why is that a big deal?

An analogy would be changing the foundation of a house without the owner noticing.

So, why is Google proceeding with caution?

Well, they got away by being the dominant OS on smartphones with Android.

Windows was late to the party and never managed to catch up.

So, Apple and Google have a complete lock on the global smartphone market.

But nothing stays constant.

As multiple devices get hooked up to the net, the underlying technologies are competing to come out on top. Lighting systems in homes. Smart buildings.

For most people, updates are a notification on the desktop or mobile.

And Google would like to ensure that the same happens with TVs, appliances or any future 'smart' devices.

An OS for everything. Keeping it quiet is smart.

Let the competition sleep on it.

Pipe dreams

We need pipes for much more than water and electricity in homes today.

But they remain largely unattainable!

Have you seen the size of the pipes that run electrical wires across your house?

There was a time when slim ones were enough.

But today, we need them to deliver substantially more.

Satellite cables snake through several floors and emerge on terraces with the dish pointed in the right direction to ensure you can watch Indian Idols sing or newscasters snarl at loud guests.

The broadband providers need to thread them to install last mile fiber for high speed Wi-Fi.

They have to be placed at the right point midway in the house or you'll have several 'dead' Wi-Fi zones within.

The pipes of a decade ago are no longer broad enough to accommodate our ever-bulging needs

We had a landline and the technician who came from BSNL told us he couldn't draw the cable through the pipe because there was no room to add the cable.

That's when land lines became the first sacrificial lambs of advancing technology.

You don't want to be tethered within the house if you can help it. 

But real freedom is a pipe dream as of now!

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