Not too long ago, I blogged about companies that are no longer in business. But, what about things that are still currently around, but are slowly becoming obsolete in today’s society? I found a list of things on AOL that may be going away sooner than you think!
Movie Rental Stores
I remember when video rental first came out. It seemed like everyone opened his or her own movie rental store. Then, Blockbuster and Hollywood came along and put most of the mom and pop places out of business. Now it seems like mail order places such as Netflix will kill the corner movie rental stores. There are approximately 6,000 Blockbusters left around the world right now, but that number is constantly dwindling. Movie Gallery is currently in bankruptcy (and closing many stores). I guess it is just too easy to walk to the mailbox rather than drive down the street to rent a movie.
Dial-up Internet Access
Oh, this is one such thing that deserves to die. The number of dial-up connections has fallen from 40% in 2001 to 10% in 2008. Thank God for high speed Internet!
Landline Phones
I remember back in 2000 when I was living in San Diego and several co-workers were talking about getting rid of their home phones and just using their cell phones. It seemed like a crazy idea then, but eight years later, the National Center for Health Statistics is estimating that one in six homes only phone is a cell phone.
Yes, for almost 30 years, VCRs dominated the market, but like all good things, they are disappearing due to the invention of DVDs. You will be hard pressed to find pre-recorded VHS tapes anywhere but your local Goodwill or a garage sale.
Ash Trees
Blame the end of the ash trees on the green beetles known as the emerald ash borer. That is what attacked the ash trees in the late 1990s. The beetles came in from eastern Asia and wreaked havoc on the tress, killing millions and threatening to kill even more.
More things heading for extinction tomorrow!