Making a detailed list of some of the most influential and important gadgets that you wouldn’t believe existed 10 years ago is, in a single word illuminating – and that is before you even factor in the LEDs. Over the past 10 years, hundreds of new tech gadgets have been released and although some are without a doubt “cooler” than others, the impact they have had in the past decade and the foreseeable future is crucial.
Every gadget tells a story of a new way of doing things and a paradigm shift in the way we approach and interact with technology. For instance, you may not know much about Raspberry Pi, but it has had a massive impact on industries such as home automation and robotics.
Technology usually exists to amplify human conditions, to make people better, smart, and eventually more human. From smart cars to consoles and drones to smartphones, the past 10 years have seen more life-changing gadgets to choose from. Below are our top picks for gadgets you wouldn’t believe existed for 10 years?
Apple iPad
Before the introduction of iPads back in 2010, the concept of “tablet computers” was largely regulated to slick sci-fi films and awkward laptop adjacent outrages running terrible software. Just like the iPhone before the iPads, Apple’s iPad resulted in a shift for personal computing and sets the tone for the next 10 years of handheld devices. Its incredible multitouch display, lack of physical keys, and gigantic selection of media and software created a storm of entertainment that everyone seems to be perplexed with. And although rival tech companies have had enough time to make laptops to attack apple iPads pain points, apple has aggressively advanced to new high-end devices.
Tesla Model S
If you haven’t seen a Tesla Model S then you might be forgiven for thinking cars cannot be gadgets. This electric sedan generally reshaped the trajectory of the automobile industry, forcing rival company’s to adopt the battery-powered future instead of the fuel guzzlers and challenging the myth that electric vehicles cannot be “cool”. Features such as advanced autopilot capabilities, a huge touchscreen display, and downloadable software updates make the Tesla Model S feel like a car from 2022 rather than 2012. Consider Tesla Model S as a car’s iPod.
Raspberry Pi
For starters, the Raspberry Pi might seem like a component that dropped off a space station. But if you take a close look at the small computer, initially crafted to encourage coding in schools and you will find an extensive community that’s in love with the capability of its providers. In order to get started, you need a monitor, mouse, and keyboard. But after you are plugged in, there are endless possibilities. Since its invention, a dynamic Do It Yourself ecosystem has emerged around this gadget, making it a more preferred option for engineers, tinkerers, and that close friend you always call every time you need help with your Wi-Fi. While you can use the Raspberry Pi to learn to code, it can also be used for everything from entertainment to home automation and robotics. Accessory manufacturers and developers have turned these small computers into everything a sharp engineering mind can ever think of: cloud servers, smart speakers, retro game consoles, weather stations, and everything in between. After 10 years in the market and more than 25 million gadgets sold, the Raspberry Pi remains one of the greatest inventions.
References
‘We’re doing jobs that didn’t exist 20 years ago’. (2020, September 15). BBC Bitesize. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/z6rkscw
Machines to ‘do half of all work tasks by 2025’. (2020, October 20). BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-54622189
Kiger, P. J. (2010, December 29). Baby boomer inventions that changed the world. U.S. https://www.reuters.com/article/idUS182429596720101222
