Obsolete technology – what the kids won’t understand

Obsolete technology – what the kids won’t understand

Tom Reynolds

Tom Reynolds

This month, we were all taken on a trip down obsolete technology memory lane by the Telegraph, with its round-up of technologies most kids today wouldn’t recognise.

There was plenty to take us back. Who can forget the time when Floppy Disks ruled the world, or when you had to gather around the answering machine to record a family joint message. I still have my original GameBoy and GameBoy colour, and they both work, with commuters casting me weird envious glances on the train.

The pace of change in technology is so fast and the technology of the day can quickly be outstripped by rivals. Bebo and MySpace used to be the hot new thing on the block, then Facebook came along. Facebook games were huge for a time, before everyone transferred to playing games on their mobile phones instead.

So what might be the next technology we see fade out, and something our children will find totally alien? We’ve made some predictions.

  1. Cash: The use of cash is predicted to make up just a quarter of all payments in 2025 as the UK heads towards going cashless – the end is nigh.
  2. DVD and Blu-Ray players: Video kills the radio star, now perhaps the stars of Netflix smash hit Stranger Things will cast DVD and Blu-Ray players to the Upside-Down.
  3. 3D: Guys, we’ve tried to make 3D films and TV a thing at least twice now. Nobody really wants 3D and the only good 3D film was Avatar. Most TV manufacturers have cottoned onto this, dropping future plans for 3D TVs to focus on HDR and 4K.
  4. Landlines: Mother dearest has called me nine times in two years on our home landline. Obsolete doesn’t even begin to cover it.
  5. Charging cables: Soon the days of scrambling around for a cable to charge your phone or tablet will be gone, with wireless charging set to take over.
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