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Camera Phones
Invented by Philippe Kahn in 1997, the camera phone has revolutionized both telecommunications and photography. The first camera phone to be released to the public was the Kyocera VP-210, which became available during November 2000. Being able to communicate what you are experiencing, in real time, and from your own perspective became a new expression of free speech. The ability to take photos at a moment's notice changed the way the public perceived world news and events. -
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Technology of the 2000s that shaped our culture
The rapid technology advancements and innovations of the 00's is still surprising to think about. Just as quickly as the latest gadget was released, other technology became obsolete. The most popular cell phone at the start of the decade was the indestructible Nokia 3310, and ended with the iPhone 4. Here are 6 pieces of tech from the 2000s that had a profound impact on society. -
iPod
The iPod was developed by Steve Jobs, and engineer Jonathan Ives made Job's vision a reality in 2001. The iPod gave people the freedom to pick from up to a thousand songs of their choosing, and listen to them anywhere. It offered the convenience of having all of your music on one device, as opposed to multiple discs and tapes. The iPod also brought about the creation of iTunes. iTunes inspired music streaming platforms like Spotify, which dominates the music industry today. -
T-Mobile Sidekick
The T-Mobile Sidekick was created by Danger, Inc, in 2002. The company was created by three ex-Apple employees- Andy Rubin, Matt Hershenson, and Joe Britt. This was the first phone to have a QWERTY keyboard, and it quickly became a cultural phenomenon. Texting became easier (and fun!), and popularized using mobile data. A lesser known benefit of this phone was that the keyboard helped the deaf community communicate faster, and could be used as a TTY since the phone could access the internet. -
PlayStation 3
Ken Kutaragi created The PlayStation 3 in 2006, and it's considered to be an important milestone in the gaming industry. It was the most powerful console on the market at the time of its release, and provided a more immersive gaming experience. The controllers featured motion controls, and the processing chip offered more realistic graphics than its predecessors. It was also the first modern console to have online features like the PlayStation Store, which enabled digital game downloads. -
iPhone
Steve Jobs revolutionized the world when the iPhone hit the shelves in 2007. The iPhone was the first device that offered apps, which are now ingrained in our daily lives. Apps have even gone so far so to provide jobs, such as Uber and DoorDash. It's strange to think that there's a single device that enables us to talk to someone across the world, start a car, use GPS, order food, shop, play games, find a date, do taxes, write papers, sign legal documents, work, attend classes, and buy stock. -
Square
It's unlikely that you haven't swiped a Square card reader by now. Square was created by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey in 2009. Now Block Inc, it has enabled businesses to accept payments anywhere, instead of relying on cash or wiring services. It started as a small magstripe reader that could be plugged into a mobile device's 3.5mm headphone jack. The company has expanded over the years, now offering services such as invoicing, virtual terminals, time cards, gift cards, and payroll.