Written by Christopher Davies
10. Satellite Navigation (GPS)
Commercially available satellite navigation systems have enabled users to quickly and accurately travel between locations, leaving atlases and maps obsolete to the digital generation. Even though the United States' Global Positioning System (GPS) has been operational for over 30 years, the 21st century has ushered in a wave of cheap, affordable and portable 'Sat-Navs'.
9. Nintendo Wii
While video games consoles have been existence for several decades, the Nintendo Wii has introduced and showcased a new form of interactive entertainment. Released in 2006, the Wii uses a handheld remote to detect movement in three dimensions. In just over five years, 90 million consoles have been sold worldwide.
8. USB Flash Drive
Succeeding the humble floppy disk, which had a mere 1.44 MB of storage capacity, the USB flash drive has transformed the way we store and share information. Trek Technology and IBM began commercially selling these devices in 2000 and since then, USB flash drives have become an essential computing peripheral.
7. Microsoft Windows XP
Released in 2001, Microsoft's Windows XP operating system went on to dominate the personal computer market and still accounts for a significant market share. In January 2007, 76.1 percent of internet visitors were using Windows XP, whereas today it commands 38.5 percent of the market. Not bad for an operating system which is approaching its tenth birthday.
6. E-book reader
Sony were one of the first to market an e-book reader with its Data Discman in 1992, however in recent years the market has exploded with more portable devices available and a wider range of content being published. Amazon's Kindle is currently the market leader, with its first device released in 2007 selling out in five and a half hours.
5. 3D printer
The concept of 3D printing can trace its roots back to 1984, however it has only been during the past 15 years that rapid prototyping has grown in significance. Today several industries, particularly manufacturing, are taking advantage of creating small-scale models or prototypes before they go into full scale production.
4. Smartphones
The speed in which mobile phone technology has advanced over the past 10 years has been nothing short of phenomenal. Smartphones now dominate the landscape with impressive specifications and expansive touchscreens featuring a cavalcade of applications capable of playing music, taking photos and perhaps most importantly, communicating with one another.
3. 'Green' transport
Believe it or not, hydrogen and electric vehicles have been around for nearly 200 years. However with the world now heavily dependent on increasingly costly and environmentally damaging gasoline-fuelled vehicles, sustainable alternatives have risen in prominence. Nissan's electric Leaf, Honda's hydrogen FCX Clarity and Toyota's hybrid Prius are notable examples.
2. AbioCor artificial heart
The world's first artificial, internal, self-contained replacement organ is able to full sustain the body's circulatory system and is intended for end-stage heart failure patients. The AbioCor features an internal rechargeable battery which is continually recharged from an external power source via an energy transfer device called TET (transcutaneous energy transmission).
1. iPod and iTunes
When Apple introduced the iPod in 2001, it was greeted with a mixed reaction from analysts, critics and above all consumers. Apple had yet to penetrate the consumer electronics market, which typically has lower profit margins than personal computers, and with a price-tag of $399 in a saturated market, nobody could have predicted the success that followed for the next 10 years. Its clean and crisp design was a growing Apple trademark, as was the simple functionality and ease of use. Combined with digital audio software iTunes, from which users could burn CDs, sync their iPods and eventually purchase MP3 files, Apple would go on to change the music industry forever. Apple have sold over 300 million units since its release and with an extensive iPod product family, this trend is set to continue. Technology and software used by the iPod has also been utilised in more recent Apple devices include the iPhone and iPad, which have also gone on to be two of the most desired products in their respective markets.
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