Tech that will Fade with Time

We all love our gadgets. And when new ones appear, we can’t envision how we lived without them. However, there’s an ugly truth to the world of technology: Much of what’s hot today becomes outdated tomorrow. Just look at the humble landline telephone. Sure, many households continue to have them, but a growing number of people are dependent solely on cell phones and ditching the expense of operating a landline. It’s not hard to imagine a future in which landline telephones are no longer attached to our kitchen walls but are instead filling our landfills.

It’s an interesting evolution that technology goes through. So we thought we would highlight a handful of the technologies that may vanish in the next ten years.

Fax Machines: Most people hate sending faxes; it is old technology. There was a time when it was cutting edge, but don’t be shocked if this is one technology that quickly ends up in the “remember this?” classification.

Newspaper Classified Ads: Recently The Huffington Post stated that classifieds are on the endangered species list. This is mainly due to sites like Craigslist. They provide massive forums for people to search classifieds and add their own for free. This opportunity may have put the nail in the coffin for newspaper classified ads.

Film-Based Cameras: People love film, and it has taken a while to phase it out, but there is no doubt that the digital camera changed photography permanently. Kodak has felt this transition more then most, so much in fact that the company is no longer making cameras. People like digital cameras because they can save their photos easily and make prints without needing to save negatives that degrade. We shall see how much longer film-based cameras last, but they are definitely on their way out.

The Calculator Watch: This little gem didn’t last very long, but while it did it was well loved. It was the perfect solution to always have a calculator on you. However, it wasn’t very attractive and now people have a calculator in their cell phone. That is why it is on PCWorld’s list of 40 obsolete technologies.

The Video Arcade: This may come as a shock, but the video arcade may be on its way out as well. It’s a shame, because many gamers have fond memories of feeding quarters into Space Invaders or Donkey Kong at the local arcade. But these days, gamers have their systems in their homes and can play with people all over the globe.

>