HiddenWires: Households across Europe are full of expensive technology that most people do not know how to control, according to a study released today and commissioned by Logitech. It is estimated that Europeans have at least €362 billion worth of TVs, HiFis, speakers, video and DVD players, digital recorders and satellite boxes in their homes, with the true value probably being several billions more. In spite of this, in 24 percent of European households only one person knows how to control all the technology in their home.
The Logitech study, undertaken by Lightspeed Research, demonstrates the huge expense and complexity involved in acquiring and making use of technology commonly found in the home. Most households have spent thousands of Euros on home entertainment, yet the majority of people in each household are unable to do simple tasks like watching a DVD or recording a TV programme.
The source of the problem seems to be the sheer complexity of technology in the home – 49 percent of households have five or more remote controls and 87 percent have three or more. Yet one in four Europeans have a very untechnical solution to the problem: written instructions for their loved ones explaining how to control their system (otherwise known as a cheat sheet).
top