What's efficient?

Recently, I've been suggesting that an efficient society combined with a mind turned towards innovation will keep us going into the future. Today, we'll try to take an inventory of what is efficient in our lives. It would make sense to start with communications, which is where more efficiencies can be found, starting with the internet and all of its by-products ranging from email, to search tools, to video or sound transmission, on-line shopping, all the way to reading the morning “newspaper.”

Another area is air transportation where oversupply, open-skies and obvious transparency are a boon to travelers. Consumer products are getting very efficient too as computer aided design has been regularly updating and enhancing products instead of re-inventing everything at each iteration, from autos to TVs, to electronic chips all the way to running shoes. In all of these instances, prices have dropped while features have skyrocketed.
Make sure to comment if I have forgot anything; tomorrow, we'll take a look at the areas that are still bathing in the dark age of inefficiency...