Forty years ago man first stepped onto the moon and those famous words were spoken – “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”. Looking back at footage of the landing it seems like such an age ago, as we advance at such a pace that technologies only four years old appear dated and old today.
Predicting what the world will be like in another forty years is mind boggling difficult – robots, space tourism, flying cars and a cure for cancer all come to mind! I’m sure when Neil Armstrong was stepping out onto the moon he wasn’t thinking “wouldn’t it be great to be able to send an instant message to everyone around the world telling them I’ve landed“, along of course with a picture. So whatever we think about being impossible in the future has probably got a pretty good chance of becoming a reality.
So in celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the first moon landing, here are 10 inventions, gadgets and technologies developed over the past 40 years that I wouldn’t like to live without.
1/ My Laptop – the ease, flexibility and convenience cannot be beaten. How would I cope travelling for work without instant access to all my files, email and the Internet. And I no longer need to have a cumbersome computer desk at home taking up valuable space, my couch, my kitchen table and anywhere else I choose in the home can instantly become a home office or access point to the Internet.
2/ My iPOD – It is only in the last year that I got my iPOD, after having tried various other forms of MP3 players, none of which I really took to, and I love it. My little pink iPOD has become my running mate, it encourages and motivates me to go faster, run for longer, and gosh maybe if I up the tempo for long enough I’ll be doing a marathon. With every other person on the street plugged into some form of MP3 player this little invention is certainly one that many would hate to live without.
3/ My Mobile Phone – We would all like to say we could live without our mobiles, but the bottom line is, be without a mobile for even a day and the anxiety starts to creep in. What important, life changing calls and texts am I missing? Most likely none, however there is always the chance that that particular time when I forget my phone something really big is happening and I don’t know about it!
4/ Youtube – Hours of entertainment about sums it up. Always there to give you a laugh, catch up with the gossip or to listen, watch and learn, Youtube is an ever expanding source of information and entertainment, you can never be bored again!
5/ My Digital Camera – I used to be very guilty of having reels of films and used up disposable cameras sitting around for months and even years yearning to be developed but always forgotten. Now with my digital camera, I not only have instant access to all my photos, I can delete the ugly ones, touch up the mediocre ones and share them with friends and family at the click of a button. And yes, if I want to print them I can do that at the click of a button too!
6/ World Wide Web – I don’t need to even explain why this has to be one of the greatest recent inventions. How we survived without it I don’t know!
7/ Barcodes – An odd one I know, but can you imagine going shopping and every item needing manually inputting into the cash register? How would the major supermarket chains know what coupons and special offers to mail me based on my purchasing habits? Barcodes have transformed shopping experiences, both for the buyer and seller; it’s quick and efficient for the buyer and tracks valuable information for the seller. A winner, if like me you hate standing in queues and getting untargeted offers in the mail.
8/ The Wii – I don’t actually own a Wii but wish I was a kid again and the Wii was around. I’ve been trashed by my 6 year old niece at bowling, humiliated in brain game competitions at work and laughed off the karaoke stage, but gosh is it fun. For young and old it surpasses all previous computer games for social, physical and mental interactivity. I am secretly thinking of getting one for the Wii Fit a great excuse for any grown up to legitimately buy it and then sneak in a few of the “other” games.
9/ e-Learning – I might be a bit biased with this one. However, the availability of e-learning has opened so many doors for so many people who may otherwise not have access to training and to further their skills, that I have to mention it. The flexible, convenient and cost-effective nature of the learning allows for both individuals and organisations to receive and deliver training that’s relevant and targeted. My own experience of being able to dip in and out of online courses as I need them provides me with the tools and skills I need relevant to my work at a specific time. This would not be possible with traditional classroom or face-to-face training.
10/ The Post-it – Hands are up I’m an avid user of Post-it Notes, they surround my desk, stick out of my diary and are adhered to various items in my handbag. Despite access to digital diaries and reminder messages on my phone the good old Post-it gets most of my attention most of the time. And they are so much better for leaving messages on colleague’s desks and screens – they can’t pretend the email or IM didn’t get through, it’s there in bright yellow, pink or orange staring at them. Thank you Arthur Fry, creator of the Post-it Note.
There are plenty more but they are 10 of my favourites. I’d love to hear of what inventions, gadgets and technologies you can’t live without – post them here!
