I always thought the whole idea behind technology was to make life simpler. Yet between social networking, texts, emails and incessant phone calls, we seem to be missing the point.

Proven tech like the American SlyDial - which skips straight to someone's voicemail without the risk of actually speaking to them - is perfect for avoiding any unnecessary human contact. And like SpinVox, the forthcoming GoogleVoice converts your voicemails to SMS - so you don't even need to listen to the person who was trying to avoid you in the first place.

Yet we're still detecting a burgeoning sense of lo-fi humanism in the air. Take Blue Mail Central, who'll print (on recycled paper, natch) and post your letters for you same day internationally, or Telegramstop, who'll deliver an old fashioned telegram anywhere in the world for under $5. And both with the ease of sending an email.