Top Five Must-Haves of 2019!

Now that we have said, “Goodbye,” to 2019, we should take a moment to look back on the top must-haves for the decade-ending year.

Since this list is completely arbitrary, Digital Batman will weigh in on what I found to be the most popular gadget, item, digital something, and whatever. Oh, and this list does not put items in any particular order of importance.

Enjoy!

1. Disney+ – Yep! The highly anticipated, hugely successful, and most extensive streaming video service from the “House of the Mouse” easily makes this list. Not only does Disney+ have hundreds of movies and thousands of hours of television series, it is now home to the most popular sci-fi show on the small screen, The Mandalorian. This new live-action genre show set in the Star Wars universe is arguably better than the recently released final chapter of the Star Wars/Skywalker saga, The Rise of Skywalker. And there’s more to come with a limited Obi Wan Kenobi series and potential Darth Maul or Darth Vader series. And let’s not forget the new Marvel superhero shows like Falcon and Winter Soldier and WandaVision. Plus, a whole host of kids programming that is way too extensive to go into here. With over 20M (that’s million) subscribers on its launch day, this is definitely a must- have in 2019 (and now)!

2. The Impossible Burger – Why is this on the list? Well, Digital Batman could cite a bunch of health- related reasons why you should give this burger a try. However, the biggest reason is that this new type of plant-based food that mimicks real animal meat (including it protein content) actually made it to market! Giant restaurant chains like Burger King and Dunkin are now sporting Impossible Burger variants on their menus. You can also purchase this meat substitute for home cooking from supermarket chains such as Wegmans. Even the steak-dominated NYC-based chain Del Frisco’s Grille

is now offering the Impossible Burger! Mark my words, someday beef will ultimately be outlawed— and that’s probably for the better. This is a food tech market disrupting must-have for your pantry!

3. Robotic Dog Spot from Boston Dynamics – In a clear sign of the robot takeover [only kidding!], Boston Dynamics took the world by storm (or freaked them out) when they released a mind-blowing and unsettling video [see below or click link] of their surrealistically nimble dog-like robot, Spot. This marvel of robotic technology is finally delivering on the futuristic promise that we would be living in a world with

Just a few generations away from a ‘Terminator’!

automotons of all kinds in the 21st Century. However, as far as a must-have is concerned, if your’re a technophile who likes to pet shiny yellow robots (though you can’t play fetch with them…yet), have at it! For me, I’ll stick with my Golden Retriever.

4. Uber Eats – Want to eat out but order in? Well, this app has you covered. From the convenience of your smart phone you can browse menus for thousands of available restaurants, place your order and pay from the convenience of your digital wallet, track the location of your eats, and have it all delivered to you without having to put your coat on and brave the New England cold! Yeah, this might be too much of a must-have! LOL!

5. The Cybertruck – This list would not be complete without adding Tesla, Inc’s. newest player in the consumer truck industry, and an all-electric-powered one at that. The Cybertruck made headlines when Elon Musk, President of Telsa, announced it back in November of last year. The biggest ballyhoo about it was its indestructible body and “semi-indestructible” windows! [See below or click link.]

Really? For what Tesla is charging I want these windows to survive a missile strike!

Its chief competitor to the Cybertruck is the Ford F-150 (and an electric variant that is soon to hit the market); they’ll be having a media extravaganza “tug-of-war” later this year. With a towing capacity of 300K lbs, this might be the must-have truck for your small contracting business (200K pre-orders already)—if you can afford the $39K+ price tag!

Though some of these must-haves might be out of the reach of many people, it’s still nice to know that 2019 was quite a year for digital tech trends innovation from the road, to your eyes, and even into your tummy!