I was just thinking in the back of my head about how cheap LEDs have made types of lighting that would’ve cost way too much (both to install, and in electricity usage) no longer stupidly expensive.
For example, I noticed on Amazon some cheap furniture that has LEDs/power outlets sort of integrated right into them. Looks pretty cyberpunk-ish to my eyes. And I know years ago that sort of thing would’ve been marked up to high heavens.
Fancy lighting in general has changed drastically in price/design.
So…what are some things, due to changes in demand or changes in tech or changes in anything…that would’ve been really expensive back in the day, but which no longer seem to be, making them more frugal than they used to be?
I never experienced this myself, but your comment here reminded me that in rural areas, some people’s homes would be on a “party line”. Meaning, one phone number for several houses, and I guess all the phones in all the houses on the party line would ring if it was called? And neighbors could just pick up their handset quietly and listen into calls and snoop and get gossip that way if the people talking didn’t watch what they said over the phone?
And even in homes that had their own dedicated number, you could quietly lift any phone handset in the house and listen in. If you were careful the other people talking would never know someone else was listening in.
I never experienced the “party line”, but having my parents or brother try to eavesdrop my calls by picking up another handset was a constant problem. I remember me and friends pausing or conversation at the slightest click noise on the line in fear someone was listening.
Later, when we got our first home computer and modem, my new problem was people picking up a handset while I was connected via modem. It would kill my connection every time. I used to get so pissed.