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USB Flash Drive
The USB flash drive would come to market late this year. This portable memory device was invented years beforehand, but became more widely available to the average person at the turn of the century. Early versions of the flash drive would feature just 8 megabytes of memory, which could feel like almost nothing to us now, but was a huge step up in size compared to it's predecessors. -
Windows XP
Developed by Microsoft, Windows XP was the first Windows release of the 2000s. This updated version of the operating system would be remembered for marking the start of a more user-friendly computer interface and functionality. This was also at a time where the market for computers was taking off. They started to make their ways into the every-man's home, and this OS was a very successful jump-off point for the growth of easily accessible technology. -
Facebook
Facebook would eventually become the largest social media platform on the web. It created a space for people to easily share updates with approved parties. The reason for it's size is how easy it is to access and use. Until this point, most online socialization was through chatrooms or discussion boards for specific topics. This blog-style posting system made it easy to share your life casually and check on your friends' lives passively. It has 2 billion daily users in 2023. By Mark Zuckerberg -
Blu-ray
The successor of the DVD, Blu-ray is a data storage disc mainly made to feature movies or TV shows. Before streaming services, this type of format was the premiere method for enjoying video content. Blu-ray offered the best viewing quality possible, featuring the highest HD experience at the time. At 1080p, some say it is still the best way to experience consistent video quality regardless of internet connectivity. -
iPhone
Apple CEO Steve Jobs would unveil the first iPhone this year. The iPhone was the first modern smartphone, which would eventually be a staple in the average person's every day life. At this time, the iPhone was capable of many things on it's own, like voicemail and threaded text messaging, but it was also made to expand with the use of apps. Being able to customize your device with applications that were specifically useful to you would eventually become the standard for our personal devices.