What was the greatest invention of the decade?

By M.L. Hodges

Our staff has been pondering the following question: What has been the greatest invention in the first decade of the 21st century? 10 years may seem like a short amount of time, but in terms of innovation it was almost synonymous with dog years. After all when the decade started, MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter did not exist!

This made me wonder about other inventions that have become a part of business, popular culture and family entertainment, even though they did not exist in the 90s. Here is a list of innovations we believe have changed the way we interact all created in the first decade of the 21st century.

1. The iPod (launched 2003)
Steve Jobs is a genius…the iPod literally revolutionized the way we listen to music on the go. It became the “walkman” of the 21st century. In an effort to embarrass their competitors even more (such as the Zune for instance), they launched better models along the way with mobile media capabilities. The final morph of the ipod became the ipod touch. A WiFi enabled mp3 player, media player and revolutionary application housing machine. “There’s an app for that” is the new reality. The ipod has over 70% of the market and many companies have made lots of money simply by producing ipod apps. They didn’t stop there….

2. The iPhone (launched 2007)
Steve Jobs really is a genius…No one ever thought that an ipod could actually become a telephone as well. Steve Jobs and Apple did. This phone can do everything. It was such a great idea, as readers you already know about it and you are probably reading this article on one!

3. The Nintendo Wii (launched 2006)
The Playstation was the biggest thing since sliced bread when it came out and then Nintendo, in an effort to be competitive and regain market share, went to the woodshed and came out with the greatest family gaming system ever created. The Wii’s ability to mix virtual reality with reality through interactive gaming is unparalleled. Every family member participates in the Wii experience. Their market share is estimated to be between 40% to 50 % of the market. “Wii would like to play!”

4. Netbooks (launched 2007)
It all started with a valiant effort by an organization called One Laptop per Child to provide technology to developing countries through the use of a small laptop called the XO-1 laptop. They pioneered the idea of affordable small computers in my opinion.

Asus decided to offer an inexpensive small laptop for all consumers and started with the EeePc running the linux operating system. They sold this computer for under $400. It sold so well they added a windows version and then every other computer company jumped into the market. Could this be the first disposable laptop since you can get some now for around $325.00.

5. Skype (launched 2003)
Skype changed the way everyone viewed voice over IP technology. They added a chat function and made it free for everyone to use. The free version of Skype includes free long distance to any computer in the world with Skype, an ability to talk using a webcam on both sides of a call allowing individuals to see who they are talking to, and conferencing with multiple users. Skype also added some paid features that allow for an individual to have a phone number and make and receive calls from their computer. Major mobile phone carriers are offering VOIP services, but Skype’s technology is proprietary and closed source. Their longevity is often questioned.

6. Sirius/XM Satellite Radio (launched 2002)
Cable television has been a coveted luxury for the average consumer for years. People are willing to pay a premium every month for extra channels. Could this translate to radio? It did and it became so big that major car companies started offering it as a luxury option. Why not listen to exactly what you want to listen to all the time?

7. Hulu.com (launched 2007)
Hulu provides legal copies of tv shows and movies online all the time for free! There is a Hulu desktop application that may change the way we watch TV. If you missed your favorite show, you can visit Hulu.com and see an index with several episodes. Hulu is a joint venture between a private equity investment firm, Hulu employees, and several networks including NBC Universal (General Electric), Fox Entertainment Group (NewsCorp) ,and ABC (Walt Disney). Hulu is made in the USA and only offered in the USA currently. This is one of my favorite websites. They also offer classic shows that are no longer on TV in addition to the growing selection of movies.

8. The Redbox DVD vending machine (launched 2004)
You can purchase candy from a vending machine. You can purchase soda from a vending machine. There are vending machines for almost everything you can imagine. Why not offer DVD rentals from one? Redbox DVD rental machines are now everywhere. They are conveniently located in WalMart, at Walgreen’s, McDonalds and other places. How have they begun to trump the competition? It only cost a dollar to rent movies and new releases are added every Tuesday. I haven’t been back to Blockbuster, Hollywood video or used Netflix since I discovered these Redbox rental machines. There are other DVD kiosk renting companies, but Redbox is the leader of the pack. I like the idea that once you rent a movie, you can return it to any Redbox!