As we are approaching the end of the decade, it is time to look back and reflect on the technologies we have adopted and how it has completely changed our lives. These technologies have completely altered the way we play, watch, get around and they’ve been adopted so fast that we can’t even imagine our lives without them now.
The streaming services
Nowadays, we can’t really imagine a world without Netflix, Amazon Prime or Now TV, it’s hard to imagine how we used to rely on terrestrial TV.
Netflix was founded in 1997, however, it became the famous streaming service in 2010. By 2013, it’s streaming service acquired over 27 million streaming customers in the US alone. We now find Netflix in most countries with original series such as Stranger Things, Orange is the new black, House of Cards and The Crown.
With thousands and thousands of gigabytes of content available and the arrival of Disney Plus, streaming services are unarguably one of the most important technologies that have completely changed the way we watch content.
Ride-Hailing apps
Before Uber, Lyft and the other taxi apps, getting a taxi meant having to call a taxi company or begging a driver to take pity on you and take you aboard from the side of the road. If you had social anxiety, it was agonizing to book a taxi and near impossible to ride in a comfortable one that did not cost you an arm and a leg. You had to always have cash on you and be ready to argue with your driver if you only brought your card.
This last decade, the industry has been completely turned around thanks to taxi apps. Today, you can ride in comfortable luxury cars thanks to companies such as Cab Direct but you can also hail a car with a few taps on your phone and watch as your car makes its way to you.
The prevalence of smartphones has led to a number of app-based options and if you are tired or had social anxiety then you can opt for online therapy.
Fitness trackers
These days, it seems that everybody is wearing a fitness tracker. And yet, 10 years ago Fitbit launched its first clip-on fitness device gaining mainstream media attention. Since then big and small companies have tried to compete with Fitbit with fitness bands of their own.
We now find that fitness trackers can be worn on your wrist and offer more than just counting your steps. Tracking your sleep and heart rate, comprising a modern clock face and a sturdy and fashionable wristband. Nowadays, fitness trackers are more than just a fitness device but a real fashion statement with even luxury brands starting to create their own versions such as Fossil, Louis Vuitton, Mont Blanc, and Armani.
For the future, we can expect fitness trackers to be able to detect anomalies within your heart rate and your pulse to help identify people at risk of heart problems.
There have been some big winners this decade when it comes to new technologies and some of them are definitely here to stay. But what else can we expect to see in 2020 and what is likely to completely disappear?
