“Alexa, play Single Ladies by Beyoncé.” “Siri, set up an alarm for tomorrow at 8 am.” Talking to devices is becoming increasingly common in the last few years. We can ask our smartphone to text someone while we drive and keep our hands on the wheel, and we can ask our smart TV to change the channel without looking for the remote.
Voice commands or voice-to-text features are the things that will ultimately make our keyboards history. Sure, every now and then your phone would think you said “compliment” instead of “compliment”, but it is constantly learning and improving. Soon it will tell you what to write. We’re not nervous at all.
Reference Books
Looking for a dictionary word, an encyclopedic entry or some general information? We think it would be safe to assume that the first place you look is not a reference book in the nearby library. Those huge books are simply less effective comparing to the internet at our fingertips.
Also, reference books often need to be edited in order to keep them updated with the latest information. This means that each of them is doomed to become irrelevant and that’s just wasting paper if you ask us.
Car Lighters
Remember how car lighters used to be integral parts of almost any motor vehicle? Soon, they will be completely vintage. Carmakers now design their new models with some changes and this is one of them: swapping car lighters for cellphone charging ports.
It’s all about priorities and knowing the drivers. Something tells us that people tend to be a lot more attached to their mobile phones than their little boxes of smoke. Maybe it has something to do with the price tag on each of those items.
Lines
Having to wait in a line that doesn’t move often feels like an eternity. You stand there, wondering why all those people had to be there in the first place and what other activity would have been a better use of your time. Next time you have a line to wait in, try thinking about the fact that those waiting days are almost behind you.
Do you know those phone operators that are programmed to call you back when a representative is available? Why not have similar services for physical lines too? Predictions say that it shouldn’t take more than a few decades. We can afford to wait that long if it means we don’t have to wait at all later on.
Cash Registers
With so many sales and transactions performed online, it looks like cash registers are going to be the next item to only be found in vintage stores. Also, now that we have so many options for online payment, cash is becoming the least favorite payment method. It only makes sense for this item to become unnecessary.
So next time you pay in cash for something at a local convenience store, savor that moment. Who knows? It might be the last time you see a real-life working cash register.