10 things that tech has made disappear
If you compare the inside of a modern home to one from about 25 years ago, you’re going to notice some stark differences, and not just the phone book on the kitchen counter. Rapid advancements in tech have had an impact on everything from the way we communicate to the conveniences of home life.
Although you expect some household staples to change from generation to generation, things that were part of an average home for decades are now unnecessary. That has because just about any common household gadget can be replaced with a smarter device.
Some changes to the modern home are small, but other new gadgets might make you wonder how you ever lived without them. Here are some of the surprising staples that have all but disappeared from homes in the 21st century.
Dial-up, anyone? What do rotary-dial and cordless phones have in common? It’s that you won’t find either in most houses these days. Unless you live in a rural area, wireless and cellular technology, like 3G, 4G LTE and the latest 5G network, has eliminated the need for landline phones.
And because you don’t need a home phone any longer, then you probably don’t need those landline jacks around your house, either. Unless you depend on a dial-up modem that requires an RJ11 connection, remove the jack, spackle the hole in the wall and call it a day.
Lights on, lights off: It wasn’t long ago when the Clapper, which (as the name suggests) allowed you to turn lights on and off by clapping your hands, was seemingly cuttingedge technology. It also wasn’t widely adopted.
Now, when you want to avoid walking all the way over to the light switch, you’ve got options from smart bulbs to smart speakers with voice assistants like Alexa. With smart tech controlling your lamps, ceiling fans and outside fixtures, this menial task is no longer necessary. Just use your voice or an app on your phone.
You can also set up routines to make turning on lights in a certain area or in your whole house way easier.
But beware: Like anything smart, smart bulbs can be hacked.
Grandma’s pantry: Gone is grandma’s big, packed pantry. Today, all you need is your smartphone. With a variety of ways to order a feast, from a nearby restaurant or the grocery store, you can have food delivered in less time than it would take to dig through that vintage food storage room for ingredients. Even robots are making their way into food delivery.
Whether you order through a restaurant’s site or a food delivery service app such as Grubhub, DoorDash or Postmates, mealtime has never been easier. The same goes for grocery delivery from retailers like Amazon and Walmart, where you can often get whatever you want in as little as one hour.
What to do with that extra space? Think extra closet or wine room.
Refrigerator clutter: Say goodbye to jotting down items you need the next time you go shopping. Take the grocery list off your fridge and ask Alexa to handle it for you.
You can create a list through the Alexa app, a third-party app or with an Alexa device using the voice command, “Alexa create a list.” Tell her what to add to the list to reduce the odds you’ll forget your items, and you can view the list on your smartphone.
You also have the option to skip the store experience altogether with the Alexa Voice Shopping service, which allows Alexa to purchase items from Amazon.
Kitchen niche: Did you once have a comfy alcove from which you would ring family and friends? Now you’re not limited to a sit
ting area in the kitchen for your phone calls.
This move to wireless devices allows you to step out of the kitchen and talk whenever and wherever you want. Consider turning that alcove into your new favorite spot to read a book on your Kindle.
Losing control: Fighting over who gets the remote is so yesterday. With today’s technology, everyone has a personal remote: their smartphone. With the right app for your TV, you can control everything from the volume to recording your favorite shows.
What day is it? Remember all those big red X’s that indicated important dates on your paper calendar? Good times. Now they’ve been replaced with apps like Google Calendar. In addition to setting events like meetings and birthdays, you can add other notes and reminders, like personal goals and to-do lists.
The best part is that your calendar is always with you. No more having to walk over to the fridge to see that you missed Johnny’s game again.
Hello? If you were fortunate enough to have a large house back in the day, you most likely had an intercom system. This upgraded dinner bell, although useful, wasn’t much better than people yelling at whoever was up or downstairs.
Want the children to rise from their video games in the basement? Message them via group text. SMS has made connecting easy, whether it be from a world away or simply down a flight of stairs.
Easy listening: Now think about your “advanced” stereo system from years ago, complete with a turntable, cassette tape deck, thunderous subwoofer and those slick wooden cases. Although this setup was at one time pretty cool, these days, they’re relegated to thrift store shelves.
Whatever your jam is now, all you have to do is grab your mobile device and download your favorite playlists.
Cable boxes: Although cable boxes have reduced in size over the years, the need to fuss with them remained. There were a host of challenges, such as ensuring your remote was pointed at the box at the right angle, or pressing the reset button when service was on the fritz.
But with smart TVs and streaming devices, cable boxes are a thing of the past. Now you can find all of your favorite shows and movies through options like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video.