That’s actually better than I expected, but yeah, I’m guessing that was the issue.
Now, a pressure sensor and microcontroller would be pennies at scale, and most toasters already use solenoids. I’m less sure about the temperature sensor because of how much heat it would have to tolerate, but I doubt it would be more than a few dollars, and manufacturing a slightly different board would be a one-time cost.
This would make a pretty good startup. The YouTube videos have done some of the marketing already, even.
I think some of the fondness for devices like these also comes from the subjective beauty/elegance of mechanical stuff over the modern microcontroller approach with electronics. But yeah, it still would be very interesting to see stuff like this available again at a cheaper price
I get that too, but this is a concept that’s actually relevant (in toast-making terms) outside of any academic or aesthetic considerations. It’s just better.
Indeed, no disagreement there! By the way, Technology Connections (the YouTube channel referred in the article) has a video on how an old microwave is miles ahead its modern counterparts. You might like that, too
Holy fuck, why didn’t this catch on?
The article mentions that they costed about 22 USD when introduced and it’s around 260 in today’s dollars. Pretty darn expensive
That’s actually better than I expected, but yeah, I’m guessing that was the issue.
Now, a pressure sensor and microcontroller would be pennies at scale, and most toasters already use solenoids. I’m less sure about the temperature sensor because of how much heat it would have to tolerate, but I doubt it would be more than a few dollars, and manufacturing a slightly different board would be a one-time cost.
This would make a pretty good startup. The YouTube videos have done some of the marketing already, even.
I think some of the fondness for devices like these also comes from the subjective beauty/elegance of mechanical stuff over the modern microcontroller approach with electronics. But yeah, it still would be very interesting to see stuff like this available again at a cheaper price
I get that too, but this is a concept that’s actually relevant (in toast-making terms) outside of any academic or aesthetic considerations. It’s just better.
Indeed, no disagreement there! By the way, Technology Connections (the YouTube channel referred in the article) has a video on how an old microwave is miles ahead its modern counterparts. You might like that, too
My guess is that the profit margin wasn’t big enough 😮💨
Hmm, I guess it might have been pretty complex for 40’s manufacturers. Hopefully someone gives it another try.