Buzz
It’s a common belief that complex tech problems need equally advanced solutions. However, that’s not always the case. Sometimes, the best answer is a straightforward, low-tech solution that costs little to nothing.
Low-cost doesn’t mean low quality. Often, these low-tech solutions outperform their expensive counterparts. This list proves the KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) principle – simplicity often delivers the best results.
10. Ostrich Feathers and Car Manufacturers
Car manufacturers go to great lengths to ensure that each vehicle leaves the factory with a flawless paint finish. This includes heavy investments in cutting-edge technology like automated paint systems, industrial robots, and—believe it or not—ostrich feathers. Yes, female ostrich feathers, to be exact.
Even the tiniest dust particle can ruin the most flawless paint job, and car manufacturers are well aware of this. To combat this, they separate their painting areas from the main factory and blast both workers and visitors with air to remove any dust or fibers they may have picked up.
Yet, air blasts alone aren’t enough to eliminate the microscopic dust particles that still manage to cling to the vehicles awaiting their paint job. To deal with this, manufacturers use massive dusters made of female ostrich feathers just before the vehicles are painted.
9. Mirrors in Elevators
In the past, elevators didn’t have mirrors. They were added only after manufacturers decided they didn’t want to spend time, energy, and resources creating faster elevators.
This began decades ago when elevators were still a new concept. Passengers often complained that the elevators were too slow. While most elevator companies tried to redesign their systems to improve speed—which was costly—one company chose to take a different approach.
The company conducted a study and found that most people perceived elevators as slower than they actually were. The complaints stemmed from the fact that passengers had little else to do during their ride but stare at the walls, often imagining the worst-case scenario of the cables snapping and the elevator plummeting to the ground.
The company realized they needed to find a way to distract passengers. They introduced mirrors, allowing people to focus on their own reflection instead. As a result, time seemed to pass more quickly, and riders began to feel like the elevators were moving faster than before.
8. Angled Runways on Aircraft Carriers
If you’ve ever seen an aerial view of a modern aircraft carrier—or even stood right beside one—you’ve probably noticed that the runway is angled, not straight. This is quite different from the straight runways seen on World War II-era aircraft carriers. But why is that the case?
The answer lies in the invention of the jet engine. During World War II, aircraft carriers carried propeller-driven planes that needed shorter runways for takeoff and landing. This design allowed for both launching and recovering aircraft at the same time. But this all changed with the arrival of jet-powered planes.
Jet engines need longer runways for takeoff and landing, which meant aircraft carriers could either launch or recover planes but not do both simultaneously. Furthermore, if a jet missed the arresting wire (used to rapidly decelerate the plane), there wouldn’t be enough runway left for it to taxi and take off for another attempt.
One proposed solution was to build larger aircraft carriers with longer runways. However, this idea was rejected because it didn’t address all the problems. Another suggestion was to have planes hover above the carrier while others took off. But that plan failed as well due to the limited fuel capacity of jets.
The third and most successful solution was to angle the runways on existing carriers. The tilted runways were longer, effectively solving all the issues the navy faced with shorter runways.
7. Playstation 3 Consoles and Supercomputers
Several years ago, the US Air Force utilized 1,760 Sony Playstation 3 consoles to create the most powerful supercomputer in the US Department of Defense and the 33rd most powerful supercomputer in the world.
The supercomputer was incredibly powerful, capable of performing 500 million mathematical operations per second and analyzing over a billion pixels every minute. The Air Force used it to process high-resolution satellite images, spot unclear objects in space, and conduct research in artificial intelligence.
At the time, each Playstation 3 cost around $400, while a similar part from a traditional supercomputer would have cost about $10,000. This made the total cost of the project just $2 million, which was only 5-10% of what a conventional supercomputer with similar capabilities would have cost.
6. Xbox 360 Controllers and Nuclear Submarines
A periscope is a signature feature of any submarine, a tube-like device allowing submariners to see above the water’s surface while submerged. Recently, periscopes have evolved from the traditional tube with 45-degree mirrors to high-resolution cameras capable of providing a 360-degree view.
The US Navy uses these advanced periscopes on its newest Virginia-class nuclear submarines. Surprisingly, this state-of-the-art equipment is operated with one of the most low-tech devices imaginable: the Xbox 360 controller.
The use of Xbox controllers in US Navy submarines is a relatively new development. Before a few years ago, the navy used $38,000 joysticks to control its digital periscopes. The switch to Xbox controllers only happened after junior officers complained that the joysticks were bulky, heavy, and required a lot of training.
In contrast, Xbox 360 controllers cost around $39.95 each. They are lightweight, user-friendly, and don’t require extensive training. Plus, they can easily be replaced, as they are available at any local gaming store.
5. VELCRO and NASA
One of the most significant challenges NASA faced in the early days of space travel was the absence of gravity. As we know, gravity keeps everything anchored to the ground. In the weightless environment of space, anything not properly secured would simply float around.
NASA needed a way to secure tools and equipment without bolting them down. This led to a collaboration with VELCRO, the inventors of hook-and-loop fasteners, to create a fastener capable of keeping objects in place while also withstanding the harsh conditions of space.
NASA uses a significant amount of VELCRO in its projects. They even incorporated it into spacesuit helmets to allow astronauts to scratch their noses while spacewalking. It's no surprise that many people mistakenly believe NASA invented hook-and-loop fasteners. However, while NASA didn’t invent them, as they famously said in 1969, “We couldn’t fly without it.”
4. Rats and Landmines
Landmines continue to pose a significant threat in former warzones. These explosive devices only activate when triggered by someone or something stepping on them, which means they can remain dangerous for decades, long after the conflict has ended. Each year, thousands of people lose their lives to forgotten landmines.
Detecting and deactivating these landmines is a perilous task, even with advanced bomb detection tools. Some organizations use bomb detection dogs instead, but these animals are expensive to transport and require complex training.
In 1997, a non-governmental organization focused on landmines, APOPO, introduced a more affordable and effective solution: rats. These aren’t just any rats but African giant pouched rats, as large as cats. While these rats have poor eyesight, their exceptional sense of smell allows them to detect TNT in landmines.
African giant pouched rats outperform both humans and dogs in detecting landmines. A rat can cover an area of 2,000 square feet in just 20 minutes, whereas a human with bomb detection equipment would take four days to cover the same space. The rats are also light enough to walk over landmines without setting them off. So far, APOPO's rats have detected more than 13,200 landmines across several countries.
3. iPhones and the US Army Special Operations Command
The US Army Special Operations Command relies on various specialized mobile applications for critical military operations. Instead of investing in costly devices to run these apps, they opted for a more budget-friendly solution: iPhones.
While the majority of these apps remain confidential, one known app utilizes the iPhone’s split-screen feature. It allows operators to view live footage from an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle on one side of the screen while simultaneously monitoring a map of the UAV's route on the other.
A Business Insider report revealed that the army previously used Samsung Galaxy Note smartphones powered by Android but switched to the iPhone 6s. The switch was prompted by frequent app crashes on the Samsung devices, which forced operators to restart the phone often. The iPhone 6s was also chosen for its superior screen resolution, enhancing the clarity of photos and videos.
Before this becomes yet another debate between Samsung and iPhone, or Android vs. iOS, it's worth noting that the Department of Defense actually compared the older Samsung devices they were using at the time with the newer iPhone 6s during testing.
2. Speed tape and airplanes
Airplanes are subject to regular maintenance, as pilots can’t just land on the nearest cloud when they encounter a problem. However, maintenance doesn't always mean major repairs – sometimes it just means using speed tape to keep the plane together.
Speed tape is essentially the aviation version of duct tape. Like duct tape, it can temporarily fix almost anything, though aviation regulations restrict its use to non-critical parts of the plane. It's a short-term fix, with permanent repairs typically made during the next scheduled maintenance.
Speed tape can cost anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. While that may seem steep, it's still much more affordable compared to the millions of dollars airlines would lose if every minor issue grounded planes for repairs.
1. A $10 domain name and WannaCry
A few years ago, one of the most devastating ransomware attacks ever struck the globe. Known as WannaCry, it infected over 300,000 computers across 150 countries, locking users out and demanding ransom payments in Bitcoin.
The havoc continued until a security researcher named Malwaretech purchased a simple $10 domain name. This unremarkable purchase had an immediate effect: WannaCry halted its spread and deleted itself from every infected computer. But how did this work?
Malwaretech exploited the same feature that made WannaCry effective: ransomware typically maintains an active communication link between the attacker and the victim. This connection is necessary for sending payment details, receiving ransoms, and unlocking the system after payment.
However, this communication channel is a double-edged sword. While it enables the attacker to collect ransoms, it also allows law enforcement to track them. To avoid detection, attackers often include a 'kill switch' in their malware, which can deactivate the virus if they suspect they are being traced.
For WannaCry, the kill switch was simply a domain name. The attackers had programmed the malware to periodically check for the availability of a particular domain. If the domain remained unregistered, the virus would continue its spread. But if the domain was registered, the virus would cease its activities. Malwaretech discovered and registered this domain, effectively halting the ransomware.
