Home Gadgets Of The 20th Century

Our homes have been transformed by technological advances over the years. New inventions have helped to make our lives easier and more productive. Such is their effect that we’d struggle to function without some of them. A lot of the most important gadgets that have affected us came about in the 20th century. Here are some of the most important.

The Answering Machine

By the time the answering machine was available commercially, the home phone had been around for some time. As fantastic as it was to be able to speak to someone on the other side of the country, it was still frustrating when they just didn’t answer. With the introduction of the answering machine you knew you could call at any time and still be sure your recipient would get your information by recording an answer phone message. You also knew you could pop out to the shops or take the dog for a walk knowing that if someone called with an important message, you’d still get it was you got home. You could even record your own personal answer phone greeting. Delightful stuff!

The Microwave Oven

It seems hard now to imagine a kitchen without one. This ingenious device has saved an untold amount of time for wives, husbands and children alike. In 1967 we saw the first microwave oven that practical for home use. Compared to a regular oven, this device offered a relatively safe way to cook food so that even a child could make their own dinner. Rather than having to deal with temperature markings or flames, the kid just has to know how many minutes the food cooks for, pop open the door and put the food in. One press of the start button and a few minutes of staring out the window and the food is cooked. Mums and Dads could finally let their kids loose in the kitchen without fear of losing the house to a fire.

The Television

Well, this is the really big one. Nowadays if you were to enter a home without a television you’d be quite taken aback. Near enough everyone has one now. They’re considered essentials even though they’re just for entertainment. The thing is they have become important in bringing people together. You head into work one morning and say hello to your co-workers and before long you’ll be chatting about last night’s game or the latest plot twist in your favourite soap. People don’t share all of the same interests and so sometimes it can be difficult to strike up conversation with people you wouldn’t normally choose to spend time with. No matter how different people are though, most watch TV and they watch a lot of it. Bring up the big programme of the night before and whether they hated it or loved it, you’ve got something to talk about.