It’s hard to believe that it’s the year 2020! Looking back, 2010 seems like it was eons away. It’s amazing to think that many of the things we use and take advantage of today didn’t even exist 10 years ago. Many inventions introduced in these 10 years have fundamentally altered the course of our lives. Let’s look at a few things that didn’t exist 10 years ago, and then let’s see if you accept the challenge and add a few yourself.
Alexa
Amazon debuted its smart home speakers in 2014 with the Echo. If you had called out, “Hey, Alexa!” prior to 2014, you probably would have been talking to a human, not a robot. Alexa is just one example of a personal virtual assistant that can do anything from turning on the lights and providing you with a news briefing to making online purchases for you. Many people have gotten hooked on the convenience of having a virtual assistant. In addition to performing pre-set functions. Alexa can also perform additional functions through third-party skills that users can enable.
Sideways Elevators
Elevators usually travel up and down, but in 2014, a German company, ThyssenKrupp announced another option. They created an elevator that would travel from left and right. The elevator, named ‘Multi’, transports passengers sideways.
Touch Screen Gloves
If you wanted to text while wearing gloves 10 years ago, you couldn’t do it. However, in 2010, the first pair of gloves that enabled us to type at the same time debuted. Agloves were launched on September 29, 2010, and the gloves incorporate silver-nylon yarn to conduct the body’s bioelectricity to the touchscreen device.
Siri
iPhones weren’t new 10 years ago, but voice command on the iPhone was. Who would have thought that you could ask your phone to call or text someone simply by saying, “Hey, Siri”? Apple debuted the Siri voice command feature in 2011.
Drone Delivery
The way we used to get our packages ten years ago is a lot different from the way we get them now. In 2014, Amazon, Google, and FedEx started testing drone delivery. Now we can receive our packages in no time.
Take the Challenge Now
Can you name one or two things that didn’t exist today? Take the challenge and enter them on this Google Slide. Be sure to include the date the item debuted and only go back 10 years. (By the way, this is a great activity to challenge at-home students with!)
