December 8, 2024: The Joys Of The Non-Digital

A recent article notes that automaker Hyundai is planning to move back to physical buttons in cars, after customers seem to be rejecting touchscreen controls.

Speaking as someone who doesn't much care for tapping on a screen while I'm driving 70mph on the interstate (and owns a Hyundai!), I'm intrigued by this news. But I'm also interested in it as a continuum of the return to the analog world as a whole. As much as I love video and computer games, there's also something to the experience of shuffling a nice deck of physical cards, or moving real pieces around a board.

But don't try to play Munchkin Shadowrun while you're driving next to me on I-69; I'm likely trying to tune my radio.

-- Steven Marsh