Technology

Tokyo's vending machines go far beyond drinks. From hot meals to personalised goods, these machines turn the humble vending machine into something considerably stranger.

Some emojis make perfect sense. Others leave you wondering who needed them, when they would ever use them, and why they exist in the first place. From a toilet plunger to a hand held out for an unknown purpose, these seven are contenders for the most unnecessary additions to the emoji keyboard. Essential communication tools or digital clutter? You decide.

RANKD Team Poblacion edition.

RANKD Team Poblacion edition.

RANKD Team Poblacion edition.

RANKD Team Poblacion edition.

RANKD Team Poblacion edition.

RANKD Team Williamsburg edition.

RANKD Team Williamsburg edition.

RANKD Team Williamsburg edition.

RANKD Team Williamsburg edition.

RANKD Team Williamsburg edition.

RANKD Team Islington edition.

Living in Islington means navigating a busy corner of London where the right app can make the difference between a smooth day and a frustrating one. From finding your way across the city and paying for transport to coordinating plans, ordering dinner and discovering what is happening nearby, these seven digital essentials cover the practical infrastructure of everyday life. This is not a ranking of the world’s most sophisticated technology. It is about the services that earn a place on your phone because you actually rely on them. Which would make your own Islington essentials list, and what have we missed?

Where does Islington’s tech scene actually happen? From coworking spaces and founder communities to laptop-friendly cafés, creative events and independent tech specialists, this is a practical guide to the places that make it easier to build, work and connect locally. Seven questions. Seven recommendations. No generic lists of London’s biggest tech companies — just useful starting points for people doing the work. Have a better local answer? RANKD it differently.

RANKD Team Islington edition.

RANKD Team Islington edition.

A RANKD Team starter ranking.

A RANKD Team starter ranking.

A RANKD Team starter ranking.

Some technology products improve an existing thing. Others change what we do, how we communicate or what we expect from the world. The iPhone reshaped the smartphone; Google Search made the web feel navigable; the MacBook became a creative tool as much as a computer; and the Kindle helped turn a library into something you can carry in one hand. Then there are the products that changed how we play, listen and move through everyday life. This is a deliberately broad ranking of seven technology products and platforms that earned a place in modern culture. They are not directly comparable—and that is precisely where the argument begins.

A RANKD Team starter ranking.

A new community RANKD.