Author Topic: Top 25 “Life Changing” gadgets, services, and inventions since 1982 (Read 13787 times)

SoCalwarrior · « **on:** June 21, 2007, 10:50:55 AM »

USA TODAY recently came out with their top 25 “Life Changing” gadgets, services, and inventions since 1982. Here is their list in their order of importance.

1. Cellphones
2. Laptops
3. Blackberrys
4. Debit cards
5. Caller ID
6. DVDs
7. Lithium rechargeable batteries
8. IPods
9. Pay at the pump
10. Lettuce in a bag
11. Digital cameras
12. Doppler radar
13. Flat-panel TV’s
14. Electronic tolls
15. PowerPoint
16. Microwave popcorn
17. High tech footwear
18. Online stock trading
19. Big Bertha golf clubs
20. Disposable contact lenses
21. StairMaster
22. Tivo
23. Purell
24. Home satellite TV
25. Karaoke

What are they missing besides MUScoop and Viagra?

mu_hilltopper · « **Reply #1 on:** June 21, 2007, 10:56:39 AM »

I'm good on most of those .. but .. life changing lettuce in a bag? Karaoke? Has High Tech Footwear really changed many people's lives? And how many StairMasters are sitting in their owner's basement, gathering dust?

Sir Lawrence · « **Reply #2 on:** June 21, 2007, 11:03:44 AM »

How about:

1. the internet

2. Compact disk technology

3. wireless technology

SoCalwarrior · « **Reply #3 on:** June 21, 2007, 11:16:26 AM »

E-mail. DNA testing. Jessica Biel.

Sir Lawrence · « **Reply #4 on:** June 21, 2007, 11:48:42 AM »

Flavored vodka
Rolling ice chests/luggage
Blogs (ask Dan Rather)
Self check out at the grocery store
Smoke free flying

ZiggysFryBoy · « **Reply #5 on:** June 21, 2007, 12:10:01 PM »

Internet porn.

ChicosBailBonds · « **Reply #6 on:** June 21, 2007, 01:18:15 PM »

Quote from: SoCalwarrior on June 21, 2007, 10:50:55 AM

USA TODAY recently came out with their top 25 “Life Changing” gadgets, services, and inventions since 1982. Here is their list in their order of importance.

1. Cellphones
2. Laptops
3. Blackberrys
4. Debit cards
5. Caller ID
6. DVDs
7. Lithium rechargeable batteries
8. IPods
9. Pay at the pump
10. Lettuce in a bag
11. Digital cameras
12. Doppler radar
13. Flat-panel TV’s
14. Electronic tolls
15. PowerPoint
16. Microwave popcorn
17. High tech footwear
18. Online stock trading
19. Big Bertha golf clubs
20. Disposable contact lenses
21. StairMaster
22. Tivo
23. Purell
24. Home satellite TV
25. Karaoke

What are they missing besides MUScoop and Viagra?

Fun list....I was personally involved in two of them so that makes me feel good.

nathanziarek · « **Reply #7 on:** June 21, 2007, 02:35:21 PM »

Which two?

If I had to guess...etolling and etrading.

Close?

ChicosBailBonds · « **Reply #8 on:** June 21, 2007, 03:41:00 PM »

Quote from: nathanziarek on June 21, 2007, 02:35:21 PM

Which two?

If I had to guess...etolling and etrading.

Close?

Home Satellite and Tivo were my two that I was able to work on extensively.

By the way, the Internet was created before 1982....October 29, 1962 at UCLA.

nathanziarek · « **Reply #9 on:** June 21, 2007, 04:15:48 PM »

Quote from: ChicosBailBonds on June 21, 2007, 03:41:00 PM

Tivo

It's going to be harder to fight with you at the Superbar now that I know that.

Got any tricks to get my S3 working with TivoToGo?

n

Sir Lawrence · « **Reply #10 on:** June 21, 2007, 04:19:02 PM »

OK, I'll concede your point, but it certainly didn't gain the universal use it has now until, when? My recollection puts it sometime in the late '80's, no? Perhaps I should have said the world wide web?

The other life changer, at least from my perspective, is the GPS stuff. I sure don't get lost as often as I used to!

ChicosBailBonds · « **Reply #11 on:** June 21, 2007, 07:35:06 PM »

Quote from: nathanziarek on June 21, 2007, 04:15:48 PM

Quote from: ChicosBailBonds on June 21, 2007, 03:41:00 PM
Tivo

It's going to be harder to fight with you at the Superbar now that I know that.

Got any tricks to get my S3 working with TivoToGo?

n

Can't help you there....I worked with TiVo on the DIRECTV integrated units, not the stand alone units that you are talking about. Sorry.

ChicosBailBonds · « **Reply #12 on:** June 21, 2007, 07:37:09 PM »

Quote from: Sir Lawrence on June 21, 2007, 04:19:02 PM

OK, I'll concede your point, but it certainly didn't gain the universal use it has now until, when? My recollection puts it sometime in the late '80's, no? Perhaps I should have said the world wide web?

The other life changer, at least from my perspective, is the GPS stuff. I sure don't get lost as often as I used to!

The WWW was created in 1990 at CERN. I would agree, that should be top 3 in my book. GPS...I don't know...I haven't broken down to get one yet. I like it when I'm golfing but haven't seen the need for it driving.

Phi Iota Gamma 84 · « **Reply #13 on:** June 21, 2007, 08:15:58 PM »

brewpubs

self checkin at the airport

closable roofs at sporting venues

heated car seats

and

outsourcing

mu03eng · « **Reply #14 on:** June 22, 2007, 08:14:56 AM »

I know they technically don't say whether these are positive or negative life changing impacts, but I would argue if this is suppose to be positive then Purell should be WAY off this list. Its anti-bacterial soap, and I truly believe the prevalence of anti-baterical soap will one day come back to bite us in the a$$.

Now back to your regularly scheduled happy discussion.

ilovefreeway · « **Reply #15 on:** June 27, 2007, 11:37:57 AM »

Quote from: SoCalwarrior on June 21, 2007, 10:50:55 AM

USA TODAY recently came out with their top 25 “Life Changing” gadgets, services, and inventions since 1982. Here is their list in their order of importance.

1. Cellphones
2. Laptops
3. Blackberrys
4. Debit cards
5. Caller ID
6. DVDs
7. Lithium rechargeable batteries
8. IPods
9. Pay at the pump
10. Lettuce in a bag
11. Digital cameras
12. Doppler radar
13. Flat-panel TV’s
14. Electronic tolls
15. PowerPoint
16. Microwave popcorn
17. High tech footwear
18. Online stock trading
19. Big Bertha golf clubs
20. Disposable contact lenses
21. StairMaster
22. Tivo
23. Purell
24. Home satellite TV
25. Karaoke

What are they missing besides MUScoop and Viagra?

Should be nowhere near this list:
25: Karaoke...What!?!?!? How has this changed anything except add another sterotype to Japanese businessmen?
21: Stairmaster...If it is so life changing then why are we a fat country?
19: Big Bertha clubs...life changing in that I'm $300 poorer and still can't hit an f-ing fairway off the tee, but not much else.
17: hightech footware...see 21 above

ZiggysFryBoy · « **Reply #16 on:** June 27, 2007, 12:01:45 PM »

ilovefreeway, why don't they have Miller Red on there?

ilovefreeway · « **Reply #17 on:** June 27, 2007, 12:26:27 PM »

Quote from: ZiggysFryBoy on June 27, 2007, 12:01:45 PM

ilovefreeway, why don't they have Miller Red on there?

A moment of silence for Miller (red) beer............................thank you very much.

I think I kept that brand alive for 2 years all by myself.

Sir Lawrence · « **Reply #18 on:** June 27, 2007, 01:08:20 PM »

MilTown · « **Reply #19 on:** June 27, 2007, 01:39:20 PM »

I wouldn't exactly call the majority of the list life changing. I mean, how did microwave popcorn change your life?? I think the only life changing item on the list is the cell phone. In my mind, the top three inventions of all time are

TV
Telephone
Internet

Phi Iota Gamma 84 · « **Reply #20 on:** June 27, 2007, 10:56:16 PM »

If you are talking all time

Fermentation

Air Conditioning

Birth Control Pills

Wheel

in that order

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Author Topic: Top 25 “Life Changing” gadgets, services, and inventions since 1982 (Read 13787 times)

ilovefreeway

ilovefreeway