2019-06-20T19:47:17Z
- Older technology like landline phones, USB drives, alarm locks, and more will likely become obsolete in the next 10 years.
- Eco-friendly changes in the manner technology is created will likely render one-use plastic products and incandescent light bulbs useless in the coming decade.
- Keyless cars, security code-accessible doors, and wireless chargers will likely eliminate everyday inconveniences like losing keys and breaking charging cords.
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Your home is probably filled with items that would have seemed incredibly futuristic a decade ago. From smart speakers that can order pizza to lamps you can turn on with your phone, the modern home is bristling with cool innovations. It's probably, however, hiding a few objects that are quickly becoming obsolete.
Here are a few things that will look totally bizarre to children 10 years from now.
Home phones will be things of the past.
It's no secret that smartphones are ubiquitous. According to a 2017 report by the National Center for Health Statistics, less than 50% of American households still have a landline. That figure drops to 30% when surveying households of adults aged 25 to 34. In another 10 years, landlines will likely be as retro as telegrams.
House or car keys may seem pretty old-fashioned.
Kids of the future will likely never know the anxiety that comes with losing your keys. The next generation of cars and homes may use keyless entry solutions such as number pads, fingerprint scanners, or even facial recognition. App-connected-wireless smart-locks that allow you to secure your property with your phone are already on the market.
USB drives will likely be obsolete.
Gone are the days of swapping music with friends via thumb drive. With integrated online storage solutions becoming more commonplace, using a physical drive to move files between devices has already become a rare occurrence. In fact, many current generation computers don't even include USB-A ports.
Physical credit cards might be scarce.
Using a physical credit card to do your shopping might soon become the exception rather than the rule. With the rapid rise of contact-less and smartphone-based payments, it may soon become standard to use your devices to pay for goods rather than plastic cards.
Physical buttons may become less common.
Modern smartphones are ditching physical buttons in favor of touchscreens and other sensors. Ten years in the future, it may be possible that most new tech will include touchscreen or even touchless interfaces instead of physical buttons.
Plastic shopping bags will probably seem unusual.
Plastic shopping bags have already been banned in 63 countries across the world, including China, France, New Zealand, Italy, Mexico, Kenya, and India. With the rising awareness of the environmental impact of single-use plastics, the kids of tomorrow will probably stash their groceries in reusable bags.
Cable boxes will be gone.
As more households make use of streaming services rather than traditional television packages, paying for an expensive cable service will eventually seem pretty retro. Even live television and sporting events are now available to stream, so expect to be packing up that cable box soon.
Charging cables could vanish.
In 10 years, that drawer full of tangled cords will hopefully be a distant memory. The advent of wireless charging and Bluetooth connectivity is already beginning to reduce the need for charging cords and cables. In another decade, the idea of plugging your phone into the wall will seem downright strange.
Phone books are already basically antiques.
You probably can't remember the last time you looked up a number in a real, paper telephone book. In 10 years, kids may not even recognize them. In fact, Yellow Pages stopped printing in the UK on January 2019.
Standalone GPS devices won't be a thing anymore.
It seems like just yesterday that buying a standalone, dashboard-mounted GPS device for your car seemed totally cutting-edge. Now, many new cars come equipped with navigation tech and your smartphone is probably all you need to get from A to B. In a few more years, standalone GPS devices may be hard to find.
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