By Michael Blastland, BBC
Not so long ago, most people did not possess a phone. Any phone. And remember when video recorders were a must-have? At a time of year when tech takes centre stage, take a trip down memory chip lane. The season of goodwill is sandwiched, like it or not, by things: must-haves, latest crazes, always-wanteds, gadgets and treats and consumer goodies, first as gifts, then the sales. Sorry for Go Figure’s materialist turn, but it just happens that for 40 years, surveys have tracked Britain’s saturation by consumer durables. And even – maybe especially – with words like bankruptcy and debt in the air, it’s worth reminding ourselves of a few material facts.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12058944
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