Best of the 2010s - Technology

Technology has come a long way since the day I was born and over the past decade, so much stuff has happened. Lots of people are experiencing the joys of having a digital library of films, TV and video games. The streaming scene is now bigger than ever thanks to the likes of Netflix, Prime Video and all those domestic on demand players. Gaming has taken great leaps in the past decade with so many companies wanting to the mimic PC architecture while at the same time, relive those nostalgic days of old. So this list will be about all sorts of technology. Obviously its all stuff I have tried and used myself and really liked using. I am only focusing on technology that was introduced in this past decade and has had a lasting impression on people for such a long time. With all that said' let's get right to it as I give you probably the most expensive shopping list you will ever have (probably 😁):

2010 - iPad

2010 started out well for technology. Sony and Microsoft wanted a piece of the motion control action in video games. Netflix became just a streaming service and would dominate the market for years. 3D was bought to television and music streaming became a thing. So nowadays tablet computers are now sold commercially and have come a long way since Apple bought out their very first iPad. Just like what the iPhone did to smart phones, the iPad did the same for tablet computers. The thing being that tablet computers are now very popular. Almost everyone in the world uses them but probably more for the size in comparison to laptops than most other things. Nevertheless while the iPad nowadays is against competition, we do have to remind ourselves that without it tablet computers would probably still happen. But won't have as big of an impact as the iPad managed. So yeah a really great piece of tech as are the following below.

Runner Ups:

• Netflix
• 3D Television
• Kinect
• PlayStation Move
• Spotify
• Check-Ins

2011 - UltraViolet

2011 saw a new thing being introduced to major and minor film and TV companies. Now films and TV that are digital is nothing new as its been around for a while. But when UltraViolet came about, most companies signed on to allow those who bought films and TV shows on DVD or Blu-Ray (and all the Blu-Ray spin-offs) to get a code where they can have a digital copy of the product be available to them at no additional cost on various services. It was a very popular way to get people's favourite films and TV shows be available to them in a digital way. It was also good for those who want to be prepared in case a fire happens in their home as it means their library is safe somewhere. The service was around for most of the 2010s until last year when the service shut down. As a result of it, most libraries were able to be transferred to other services (most notably Google Play) while some died with the service's closure. So yeah its a kind of technology phenomenon that is no longer around, but was good while it lasted. But it wasn't the only thing that didn't last long from this year but still good as are the other things below.

Runner Ups:

• Google+
• Ultrabook

2012 - Raspberry Pi

So for me, 2012 was a year that many people thought would bring about the end of the world. I'm glad that such an event didn't happen, but there is always going to be that fear of it eventually happening. So for the tech that came out this year, the one I liked the most was the Raspberry Pi. Gone are the days when computers needed a massive circuit board to operated those machines as the Pi made having micro computers very popular. Plus its also an educational thing as well as something people can play with due to its purpose of being used for a lot of things like an insult box or some other thing. For me and because of my interest in emulating old games, I turned my Raspberry Pi (which was the third gen one) in a small game console. There were already stuff made so that this could be possible and to this day, having access to retro games remains to be very popular. But whatever you choose to do, chances are that the Pi can be turned into almost anything. Obviously not everything, but the possibilities are endless. So yeah if you can code and have time to spare, buy one of these and give it a whirl. Then when you are finished with it, check out the runner up below.

Runner Up:

• Microsoft Surface

2013 - PS4 and Xbox One

With the slow rise of what is now considered the highest definition anyone can go before their eyes play up, 2013 also saw a new gaming generation officially start. With Nintendo having already released the flop that was the Wii U a year or two prior, it was the time of Sony and Microsoft to bring out their consoles and they did just that. At first it looked like the PS4 was going to be the one everyone would go for after a series of criticisms and controversies around the poorly named Xbox One (well poorly until it was later clarified that the name was about the console being marketed as an all in one entertainment system). But both were released on time and over the years, they have both proven to be great gaming platforms. Both were very similar in terms of how the games present themselves and what you can do on both platforms. Where the similarities end however is the PS4 being able to do VR stuff and have arguably the most high tech specs of the two. Meanwhile with the Xbox One, it was backwards compatible with a large list of selected games from the first two Xbox consoles that came before. Both consoles over the years (as with any console) have had some ups and downs as well as lots of newer models, lots of new features and of course plenty of games with some being ports and remakes of old games. So yeah while the console wars will never truly end, the best tech of 2013 is of course the gaming stuff. Also check out the other technological advances below.

Runner Ups:

• Touch ID Security
• 4K

2014 - Alexa

Although smartwatches and drones have been around for ages, 2014 saw a resurgence in both as well as both being readily available to the mass market. Now onto Amazon who have managed to become a mulit national company that specialises in online shopping from a wide range of departments and have their hands in a lot of other things like streaming, tablets, food, a locker system, their own dedicated delivery courier and so on. But in 2014, they decided to have a go at smart technology and became the first company to make a successful line of smart home devices known as the Amazon Echo line of devices that all have the voice system called Alexa. Lots can be done with her including reading out the news, making delivery alerts and lots of other things too. Of course it is a smart home device first and foremost with its intention to allow users to control various things like the front door, the doorbell, the thermostat and others (though for obvious reasons, people do need to set up their house to do all of that or otherwise it will not work). It's still one of the best smart home devices out there and continues to make Amazon one of the big four companies that work in technology. Still popular today and probably will be for a long time as long as technology continues advancing. So yeah a great new thing from Amazon as are the things below.

Runner Ups:

• Smartwatches
• Drones
• Contactless

2015 - Windows 10

So with lots of video game consoles out there, Nvidia decided to create something for the PC gamer in an attempt to bring the couch based games that consoles are known for to the PC gamer. The result was the Nvidia Shield TV which allowed gamers to stream games from all sorts of PC platforms and not just Steam (Valve previously made the Steam Link to do this, but was obviously restricted to just Steam) as well as being a media device and a close competitor to the Raspberry Pi for those wanting to bring retro gaming to the device. And alongside this new device came a new operating system from Microsoft. So we've all had a go at many different versions of Windows with the reactions being very similar to how the Star Trek films played out (every odd numbered one is bad and every even numbered one is good). In 2015, Microsoft released Windows 10 in an attempt to combine the most popular elements of Windows 7 with elements from the vastly unloved Windows 8. The end result was an operating system that clearly wants people to try out the new stuff, but have elements of Windows 7 lingering in the background. Its not in anyway a perfect operating system and was kind of the one that bought the end to the whole like the evens but not the odds with the reaction being very mixed. Nevertheless, it remains to this day as being the operating system that all gamers want to have and all work environments want to have so it does have a target audience in both of those things. But maybe one day it will get the right stuff for it and become more beloved than it currently is. Still a good operating system and one that at the time of writing this is the one people need to go to with support for Windows 7 coming to an end in 2020. Also check out these other things below.

Runner Ups:

• Mobile Payments
• Nvidia Shield TV

2016 - Pokemon Go

2016 had a lot of big things happen in the tech world. VR was becoming mainstream, Nintendo started a trend on those wanting to revisit games from the past (even though most people are not that aware of emulation), fitness could now be tracked and smart TVs became a thing. But while all those are pretty big deals, the one thing we did get that was big was a little game called Pokemon Go. For many years the franchise has had loads of games about trainers trying to catch them all while Pokemon Go made us feel like the trainers with its way of playing out like those games, but with the requirement of us moving about to find Pokemon, get to gyms and of course battle it out while making lots of new friends along the way. Although this kind of game had been done before, Pokemon Go was in every way a game changer. It changed how we play those games and it started a trend that saw many other franchises like Jurassic Park and Harry Potter do something similar. It is a great game and shows how far mobile gaming has come. Its an achievement worth having from the good people behind the franchise as well as the developer and its worth a play even if you are not into Pokemon at all. And as previously mentioned there are some other tech that came out this year too that's worth your time.

Runner Ups:

• Oculus Rift
• NES Mini
• Fitness Trackers
• Smart TVs
  

2017 - Nintendo Switch

So after the release of the Wii U, Nintendo soon came to realise how much of a flop it was. So they started work on a console known as the NX which would later be revealed in 2016 and released the following year, now known as the Nintendo Switch. It was Nintendo's attempt at making a better console and attracting lots of demographics with its unique design as well as being the only console to be a hybrid of a home and portable console. Nintendo for a long time have been good with innovation and surprises and this was definitely all of that. Plus the controllers slide off and its all about the games. No media apps in sight and its all in full HD and not up to full HD like the Wii U. Its overall a great console and still is today excluding the Lite edition that is my idea of a complete betrayal of a good concept. So yeah a great console just like the console below.

Runner Up:

• Super Nintendo Mini

2018 - Kano Coding Wand

With coding becoming bigger now than ever before, it comes as no surprise that lots of companies would want to make educational tools to allow those at school and college to learn about coding in a more user friendly and fun way. And with Kano they did just that. Alongside their kits where you can build a tablet, a laptop and even a Windows 10 computer, in 2018 they released their coding wand. Inspired by the magical world of Harry Potter, people were able to build a wand and be able to code via a fun app with innocent imagery and Bluetooth. Its great fun that got people engaged with the world of Harry Potter as well as the world of coding. I love it and I'm sure you will too.

2019 - Microsoft Teams

Although the history of when this was released is unclear, I will also admit that its nothing new but it kind of counts because it was made free last year. What Microsoft Teams is about is that it replaces what was known as Skype for Business with the intent of having it integrate into their current office software with a more workplace feel. Some of you may not know this, but I don't actually get paid when I blog. This is just a hobby of mine. But in my actual workplace, we do use Microsoft Teams for some team meetings and meetings we have with people from the outside. We find it beneficial and a good use of tech. Definitely worth considering if you are wanting a more stress free way of talking to your colleagues so yeah.

And that's the best tech and technology advances of the 2010s. Feel free to leave a comment below of your favourite tech from last year and who knows, maybe we will get some more in the 2020s. Next up on Monday, we look at some viral videos.