27/08/2016
10 Everyday Tools That Technology Is Disrupting
Disruption of everyday tools is something that happens all the time. Technology moves forward and everything is disrupted, as a result. This is a good thing and it indicates that society is moving forward. Right now, we are in a period where technology is moving at a faster rate than ever before.
These ten everyday tools are among those technologies are disrupting.
Taxi Cabs
The world over the taxi cab has been a normal part of society. Yet technology is changing the way they work. Companies like Uber have enabled people to hail cabs from an app. These cabs are much cheaper than the ones you hail off the street. Customers are able to use these cars more flexible and ordinary people are able to make an income.
With Uber worth over $60 billion, they are here to stay for the long-term.
Instant Messaging
From writing letters to email, these are well in the past. Instant messaging at prices bordering on free is now upon us, allowing communication across the world without paying a thing, and without having to wait. Chat apps like Whatsapp, Snapchat, and Facebook Messenger are quickly replacing email and SMS messaging.
They’re often free to use, so this is a huge attraction for people.
The Way We Consume News
News consumption used to be limited to newspapers and rumors on the street. The way we consume news has even moved on from websites set up by newspapers. Now most people are getting their information from social media. Social media is a technology that has encompassed every aspect of our lives. You can shop from social media, chat from social media, do business from it, and get your news from it.
Journalism has had to adapt to this, and it isn’t without its casualties.
The TV
The TV used to be the heart of the family home. Yet the younger generations are rarely watching TV at all in the US. Technology has meant your favorite TV shows can be watched online through live streaming services. Plus, many of these services have no advertisements, so you no longer have to sit through twenty minutes of advertising every hour.
Companies like Hisense are realizing they have to make their own home appliances more advanced so they can meet the needs of the modern user.
This has made people more mobile and it’s made advertising for companies more difficult.
Books
The eBook revolution has already happened, but eReaders are becoming more advanced than ever. They’re now multi-color devices that can bring you the beautiful artwork that previously only a physical book could bring. You can shop from one book to the next, and easily write reviews of any books you do have directly from the device you’re reading from.
The world of reading has changed heavily, and it’s only going to continue to change as the Kindle and other eReaders become more advanced.
The Telephone
For telecommunications companies, an alarming trend has taken over. They’re getting rid of the home telephone entirely. Even though they have made them Internet-enabled and added a bunch of features, more advanced smartphones and tablets are out pacing them. It seems like the humble telephone is finally coming to an ignominious end.
Cashiers
Cashiers are something we used to come into contact with every day. It seems technology has disrupted this everyday tool as well because more stores are using self-checkout options for the first time. You scan your own items and you pay using a machine. Now you can shop without ever coming into contact with another human.
Memory Sticks/External Hard Drives
Anyone using a computer for personal or business purposes usually had to transfer personal files with memory sticks and external hard drives. Cloud computing has become more popular than ever. It allows you to access your files from anywhere where you can access an Internet connection, thus making these two physical devices completely obsolete.
Cars
Autonomous vehicles are already in the making. They’re being tested by the likes of Google on the roads of the US. These vehicles control themselves and require no input from the driver. Traditional cars are being disrupted because once autonomous vehicles have been mastered people will only have to type in their destination and the car will automatically take them there.
The Internet of Things
The Internet of Things is perhaps the most significant disruptor in existence today. It’s the drive to make practically every ordinary device Internet-enabled. This would allow your entire home and practically every object you own to be connected to the Internet, where it would be under your control.
What do you think is the biggest innovation on this list?
