Do you remember what the hottest entertainment device in 1995 was? The DVD player – it was the newest tech device that made people excited about it at that time. The mobile phones were massive, and you couldn’t do much with them, besides placing calls or accessing the internet; but only a few people had internet connection back then, and it would work insanely slow.
However, technology has changed a lot in the past 25 years. Some people agree on the fact that technology has changed our lives significantly, helping us connect to information and entertainment. But others will say the exact opposite. The opinions are split, but you have to admit that some tech devices changed your life and the whole world forever. These are some of the world’s inventions that have blown people’s minds.
Wi-Fi
Today, you’re using a smartphone and the Internet anywhere. But you’re connecting the internet to your smartphone through Wi-Fi, unlike it was more than two decades ago.
Twenty-five years ago, the internet connection was not only bad, but terribly slow. If you wanted to navigate the internet, you had to do it at home, by chaining yourself to a huge cable, which was quite annoying.
Wi-Fi was made for consumer use, so, two years later, the router appeared. We finally could unplug from the network and walk around the house and remain online. However, at that time, this didn’t change Internet speed that much.
Over the years, Wi-Fi started to work better and faster and found its way into laptops, computers, mobile phones, and other tech devices. Wi-Fi has become essential into our personal and professional lives today. It’s almost impossible to find a home or a public place that doesn’t have Wi-Fi, allowing people to connect to the Internet anywhere, at any time.
Apple iPhone
Although it wasn’t the first smartphone in the world, Apple really did a great job with the introduction of the iPhone back in 2007. Mobile internet, messaging, and social media, wouldn’t be so powerful as it is if they hadn’t optimized them for the iPhone or other technology companies that designs, develops, and sells electronics.
Nowadays, tech companies design smartphones that can run thousands of apps and features, with so many functionalities in one single device. The mobile revolution is developing incredibly fast. MP3 players, GPS units, cameras, and camcorders – all of these have gained the attention of people worldwide. Back in the days, we used phones to call people, and sometimes, to navigate on the internet.
Now, we’re using our smartphones to shop, measure our heart rate, level objects, see in the dark, and sometimes, to call people. That’s how things work in 2020! You wouldn’t even believe how many other things you can do with your smartphone beyond calling or texting! There are so many invention ideas and innovative apps that will surely blow your mind.
It’s a digital world we live in, with more than 3.5 billion people using smartphones – it’s basically nearly half of the Earth’s population. You’re probably using one right now while reading this article.
Smart home voice assistants
For many people, a smart voice controller is the heart of a home. Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, or Google’s Assistant are controlling devices with connected speakers that will tell you the weather, play music for you, read the news, and do other thousands things. In 2019, billions (3.25) of voice assistants were sold around the world. By 2023, this number is expected to almost double to 8 billion. The devices are internet-connected microphones that can communicate your conversations directly to Google, Amazon, or Apple. These companies are using human contractors to listen and select dialogs from the voice assistants, improving their software’s accuracy.
Bluetooth
Hands on the wheel, not on the phone!
Bluetooth is another wireless communication technology that allows us to have mobile phone conversations while using our hands for something else. It is a radio link that allows devices to connect over small distances.
Bluetooth was first introduced in 1999, primarily designed for connecting a mobile phone to a hands-free earpiece. This way, you can hold conversations while driving, cooking, or do anything else. Bluetooth can link devices such as earphones, portable wireless speakers, earbuds, phones, keyboards, PCs, etc. Almost anything is wireless these days! There are so many other wireless popular and useful devices and technologies that work on the same bluetooth principles which could serve you on a daily basis. Of course, eight years ago, things weren’t clearly this advanced, but during this period, the number of Bluetooth devices doubled to 10 billion.
VPN
A VPN stands for a virtual private network, which is basically a “tunnel” that transfers data on the internet. They were initially created to help businesses secure their internet connection.
Yet, overtime, they also became popular among all Internet users. We know how common cyberattacks are nowadays, so many internet users decided to rely on VPN services to protect them from hackers trying to steal their personal information (bank accounts, private data, etc.).
VPNs are also a popular way to avoid geo-restrictions. It means that if you want to access a website that is restricted in your location, a VPN will help you by hiding your IP address. VPNs work through thousands of servers around the world. All you have to do is select a certain country (America), and route your internet connection through one of America’s servers. The best thing about VPNs is that it protects the user’s identity, provides a secure internet connection, and can also increase your internet speed.
Facial recognition
Facial recognition is a developing field of tech, playing an increasingly important role in people’s lives today. It’s a biometric form to use and verify your face’s identity. It’s a system that can be used to identify people in photos, videos, etc.
In the future, face recognition will surely become more widespread. How facial identification works? It uses computer algorithms to pick distinctive details about a person’s appearance, and then it mathematically stores the information as a face print. Facial recognition can be used for multiple apps, for safety to entertainment purposes. For example, you can use facial recognition in social media, business security, marketing, etc.
We have technology all around us, but what if we tell you that it’s still in its early stages? Google, for example, is investing billions of dollars in expanding its branches and creating super tech devices that could change the way business works around the world. We are excited to see what’s in store for the future in the tech field. What about you?
