2019 is drawing to a close and that means there’s another decade about to end. Depending on who you ask. Let’s not go there, we’ve had that argument once already in the Stuff offices. So, for the purposes of not arguing, there’s another decade about to end. Which is a perfect time to look back at all the things that made it a decade. In tech, anyway.
Smart TVs have evolved so quickly that it’s difficult to believe they only arrived on the scene a few years ago. They continue to develop, with manufacturers continually looking to outdo one another with everything from functionality to sound and image quality.
You know how it is — you’ve got time on your hands and a freshly-created love of binge-watching brought on by too much Netflix and Showmax. When you can burn through an entire season in less than a day, what constitutes a challenge? How about the Most Ambitious Crossover Event in History™ — Phases One through Three of Disney and Marvel’s Marvel Cinematic Universe? All three phases have been completed and we’re about to segue into Phase Four.
3D printing refers to a range of digital fabrication processes that build objects directly from computer models, without expensive tooling, in layers of material. Although 3D printing processes vary widely, including melting metal powder with lasers or hardening liquid plastic “ink” with ultraviolet light, most people tend to think of 3D printing desktop machines that melt spools of plastic.
Your vacuum cleaner that you leave to do its job while you are away is a robot. It senses the world around it and makes driving decisions as it sucks and sweeps.
But your washing machine is not a robot. You tell it how to wash when you select the cycle and it gets on with it. There are grey areas and the definition is debated, but let’s leave it there.