18 devices and technologies that should disappear in 20 years

1. "Bangs" and cutouts on the displays

When Apple came up with the idea of ​​placing a notch on the screen of its iPhone X, other manufacturers happily picked up this fashion. In some cases, the "unibrow" is really justified from a technical point of view - for example, in the smartphone mentioned above, a lot of sensors for Face ID are placed there. But this does not change the fact that such cutouts look simply unaesthetic.

Fortunately, in the future, apparently, we are waiting for smartphones without extraneous elements on the screen. Already exist devices with cameras that are completely hidden under the display and are not visible when not in use.

In addition, the under-screen version of the lens can be implemented not only on mobile devices, but also on laptopsSamsung's under‑display camera tech will debut on a laptop first / TechRadar - one such concept has already been presented by Samsung. Apparently, in the future we will finally be able to watch YouTube on truly bezel-less displays.

2. Control panels

Modern TV set-top boxes are equipped with cute and minimalistic consoles controls with integrated microphone. No more a bunch of buttons for obscure purposes, like on those devices that we held in our hands 10 years ago. Only the joystick, power key, "Back", "Home" and "Voice input".

But even such a device tends to get lost in the bowels of the sofa and discharge at the most inopportune moment. Why is it needed if the same microphone can be placed in the TV itself? Already now there modelsKey features of 2021 BRAVIA TVs with Google TV™ready to find what you need series, is enough to say "Ok Google". There will be more of these in the future.

In addition to TVs, voice control can easily be installed on air conditioners, fans, music centers and other household devices that are now controlled via infrared. The same Xiaomi has smart fan, which accepts voice commands. Such devices do not need remote controls.

3. switches

The same applies to the numerous switches that stick out on the walls. Modern lamp no buttons needed: it can respond to voice commands or movement. You can already buy smart home devices like Google Home, Xiaomi Smart Home or Amazon Alexa.

And there is no doubt that in the near future they will replace conventional household appliances. You will turn on the lights, close the curtains, open the garage and switch music without any buttons and toggle switches.

4. Incandescent lamps

Incandescent lamps work like this: the current heats the refractory tungsten filament inside the bulb so much that the metal begins to glow from the temperature. It's monstrous ineffectiveLighting Comparison: LED vs Incandescent Lighting a light source with an efficiency of only about 10% at best.

Already in our time, all people who are not indifferent to saving energy are switching to LED lamps. Compared to incandescent lamps, they are much more durable, more practical, consume less electricity. And so they are the future.

5. Passwords

Passwords are a real security hole, because it's hard to get most people to use something harder than the good old ones. 1234 or qwerty. Look at the statistics of the most popular combinations, and you will understand how bad everything is.

Identification by fingerprints, face or retina is no worse, but it is more practical and does not require any extra steps. It will replace passwords that are hard to remember and too lazy to enter.

No need to come up with a unique key and memorize it, because your fingers are always with you. And it is difficult to find a more reliable and unique identifier than biometrics - after all, even identical twins have fingerprints differentA. K. Jain. On the similarity of identical twin Fingerprints / Pattern Recognition.

There are already a huge number of applications, including payment services, allows you to log in without a password - with one touch on the sensor. And over time there will be more.

6. PIN codes

It is high time to say goodbye to PIN codes, which are still used to protect bank cards and applications. After all, this is an even more insecure thing than a password: there are only four digits. Modern neural networks are already have learnedInferring ATM PINs of Users Typing with a Covered Hand / University of Padua guess which buttons the user presses from the video, even if he covers the keyboard with his hand.

One-time unique codes generated for each transaction are much more reliable than a combination that you, at best, change every six months. ATMs already exist smart cameras for face recognitionCash Withdrawal in an ATM with face biometrics - Use Case / Electronic Identification and banking applications that conduct transactions by touching the fingerprint sensor.

The abandonment of PIN codes in favor of biometric identification will increase the security of users, because forging fingerprints and a face is incomparably more difficult than spying on a four-digit combination.

7. Mechanical locks

Metal keys are inconvenient. They get lost all the time and are pretty easy to fake. And the locks they open vulnerable to picks. Smart devices that unlock with a fingerprint, face ID, or a mobile phone app are much more convenient. In addition, to open such a castle, it is not enough to be a locksmith - you also need to become a hacker.

Apple and Google, for example, are developmentApple and Google's Plan to Replace Locks and Keys With Smart Locks / Insider of their electronic locks for businesses. They do not need keys or access cards that are easy to lose, only smartphones and biometrics. He came to work, touched the door, the system recorded the data on the arrival of the employee and opened the entrance for him.

And in order to temporarily let an invited freelancer into the office, you can send him a temporary access key to his smartphone, which will be revoked after use.

8. Disc games

When was the last time you bought movies on DVD or music on CD? These gizmos have become the lot of collectors, as well as vinyl records.

However, video games on these media are still popular. It's just that it won't last long. Already, the Xbox Series S consoles have abandoned the drive. There is also a non-drive version of the Sony PlayStation 5.

PC gamers will also have to sweat: many modern cases simply do not have a hole for a drive. Games are bought from Steam, the Epic Games Store and GOG - no fussing with DVDs that can get scratched and broken.

9. Gaming PCs and Consoles

By the way, one more thing about video games. Soon they won't need consoles or computers at all. So your dearest PlayStation 5 or lovingly built gaming PC will become useless.

Games can now be launched from a TV stick or even from a smart TV using services cloud gaming, such as NVidia GeForce NOW and Microsoft Project xCloud. No need to pick up hardware, look for a place to put the console or PC, wait until firmware updates and distributions are downloaded and installed.

It is enough to connect a pair of gamepads to the TV and play on any device, even on a smartphone. All you need is a good internet connection.

10. Classic programs

When was the last time you launched an email client? Mail is much more convenient to see directly in the browser, in the Gmail interface. Many have also quite successfully ditched Microsoft Office in favor of Google Docs. Cloud services do not need to be installed, they are cheaper (or completely free) and can work even on rather weak hardware - there would be an Internet and a browser.

In addition to editing documents, they can provide tools for drawing, modeling, programming, and many other tasks. In the future, for arbitrarily complex tasks, powerful computers will not be needed - a “thin client” with some kind of ChromeOS will be enough.

Web services will replace cumbersome applications like Photoshop and DaVinci Resolve. And resource-intensive rendering and complex calculations will be performed on remote servers.

11. Computer cables

The era of tangled wires is coming to an end. Already now we have wireless mice, keyboards, headphones, speakers and other devices, and in the future their number will only grow. And a smartphone, which you just need to put on the station for charging, will not surprise anyone. Monitors that receive images not via HDMI or DisplayPort, but literally by air, also ceased to be fantasy.

In fact, the only cable your computer needs is a power cable to connect to an outlet. Getting rid of endless tangled wires will make life much better.

And someday (however, not in the very near future), even electricity can be transmitted wirelessly. Xiaomi, for example, created device, powering smartphones at a distance of several meters.

12. Flash drives and other external drives

Physical sources of information are not particularly needed in the age of web services. After all, all documents can be placed in cloud storage or to an encrypted fault-tolerant drive on your own NAS.

And the speed of the modern Internet is enough to transfer even the most voluminous files weighing hundreds of gigabytes. And there is no need to record them on external media and carry them through the whole city.

13. Hard drives

Many modern laptops are basically devoid of the good old hard drives. They were replaced by faster solid-state drives that are not afraid of shaking.

Already now they are not inferior to HDDs in terms of volume and durability. And over time, consumer computers will switch to cheaper SSDs, and then traditional hard drives will remain the lot of servers and network storages, where volumes and cheapness are more important than speed.

14. FM radio

Radio is a real rudiment in our time. And it is not very clear what guides smartphone manufacturers who add FM modules to their products. Streaming services allow you to listen to the music you want, without long waits and stupid jokes from radio hosts between tracks.

You can say that radio stations are for motorists. But why, if even now in any car you can install radio tape recorder for android with Spotify or Yandex. Music"? And on modern car models with CarPlay or Android Auto, tracks can simply be played from a smartphone without any additional bells and whistles.

When cell towers cover even more territories, and satellite Internet becomes a dream Ilona Mask into an attribute of everyday life, classic radio stations will remain in the past.

15. Cable TV

It's the same story as with FM radio. In a world where YouTube, Netflix, Okko and other streaming services can be launched on a TV with one click, and any content is found in a couple of seconds, the need for cable simply disappears.

It doesn't matter how many channels there are. You just won't need to spend time switching between them in search of something interesting and watch the program guide, as did your granny.

16. Cash registers

For example, progressive convenience stores Amazon Go have their not anymoreAmazon Moves to Cut Checkout Line, Promoting a Grab‑and‑Go Experience / The New York Times. Customers scan the QR code with their smartphone at the entrance, take the items they need from the shelves, and exit. And smart scales, motion sensors and cameras themselves understand what a person wants to buy and write off the cost of the goods taken from his Amazon account. None queues and push.

17. Gasoline engines

An internal combustion engine is a powerful thing, but environmentally harmful. In addition, it runs on fossil fuels, which will run out sooner or later. The sun, wind, geothermal resources, the movement of waves and rivers are almost limitless sources of electricity. And we also have atomic Energy. It's much more pure sourceDo coal‑fired power stations produce radioactive waste? / BBC Science Focus Magazinethan thermal stations at the same angle.

Electric vehicles are becoming more and more popularMore electric cars are now sold per week than in all of 2012 / World Economic Forum in Western countries, and even in our country, all sorts of Teslas on the roads have ceased to be a curiosity that is impossible to believe. In the future, we will abandon the smoking monsters of gasoline and completely switch to environmentally friendly vehicles.

18. Manual Transmission

Manual cars are being replaced by automatic models. They are easier to manage and more practical. By dataWhy safety technology could spell the end of manual transmissions / Automotive News Canada According to statistics agency IHS Markit, sales of manual transmission cars for 2021 fell to 17.1%. The day is not far off when only enthusiasts and collectors will have a manual box.