New research revealing that the UK public think wifi is the best invention of the last 25 years has given insight into where our technological loyalties lie.
The days when we were impressed by plugging in an Ethernet cable and listening for the reassuring whiz of dial-up internet are long gone and, over the past two-and-a-bit decades, we have embraced the age of iPhones, contactless payment and on-demand entertainment.
A recent survey of 2,000 Britons saw the wireless device networking system beat smartphone technology to claim the top spot, amassing 48 per cent and 41% respectively.
Perhaps it is telling that our favourite tech advancements are those that make our everyday lives easier. Online banking, internet search engines and retail giants Amazon made up the remaining top five favourites.
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Other favourites included the likes of e-readers, Netflix and YouTube, all of which have changed the way we consume and interact with popular culture.
Artificial intelligence forays such as Amazon Echo – better known to users as Alexa – also made the cut.
“The last 25 years has seen an explosion in technical development and creativity that has improved our quality of life,” a spokesman for Product Focus, whioch commissioned the study, said. “In the last couple of decades, we have planted our feet firmly in the digital age, and innovations such as wifi, online banking and search engines are great examples of products that, as a result of hard work and continuous development, have become vital and beneficial parts of everyday life”.
The research also found that, to be considered a successful invention, 54% believed a product needed to improve lives, while three in five people believed it needed to fill a gap in the market.
Meanwhile, one-third thought design was key, believing the look of a product needed to “break the mould” of what has come before. This must be music to the ears of Apple Airpods’ creators.
But perfection takes time, with 43% of those questioned by OnePoll.com saying their favourite invention of the last 25 years took a number of iterations to perfect.
Interestingly, when asked to their favourite faces of technology, it was controversial figures like former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, pitured above left, and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, above right, whose names cropped up.
Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, also got a look in.
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The survey also said charisma was seen as important in a creator, as one-third said they would be more likely to buy the product of an inventor they liked personally.
“While it is great to see larger-than-life characters such as Steve Jobs held in such regard by the British public, it is important to remember that these amazing inventions are the result of multiple companies with teams of product developers, product managers and designers,” Product Focus’s spokesman added. “These teams all work hard for
a shared vision, rather than being shouldered by the singular efforts of a particular inventor.”
Survey respondents’ hopes for the future, however, ranged from practical to fantastical.
One in four would like a visionary inventor to tackle the food and drink industry to see how they could improve things, while three in five think the health sector should be prioritised.
Forty six per cent think the biggest new innovations of the near future will come from medical technology, while
25% are looking forward to the next leap in artificial intelligence to make the world better.
One in 10 Britons believe they currently have an idea for a world-changing invention – but wouldn’t be willing to share their thoughts in case someone stole it.
Meanwhile, while nearly 50% want to see developments in transport, the most-desired invention is a flying car – so perhaps the biggest takeaway from all of this is that Bladerunner has a lot to answer for.
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