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4G Networks
In the early 2010's 4G networks were launched in the US, connecting people with speeds not seen before. Originally thought out by DARPA, Sprint was the first to offer 4G connectivity. -
IPv6
IPv6 becomes the standard in the US for new devices. The adoption of this standard allows for more devices than previously able to be connected to the internet seamlessly. It's predecessor, IPv4, was set to run out of addresses. It was created by the Internet Engineering Task Force. -
Alexa
Amazon Alexa launched in 2014, creating a new way that everyday users are using computers. While voice assistants have existed previously, the conviencne of having the internet just a few words away changed the way people interact with computers and the internet. It was developed by Amazon. -
Pokemon Go
Created in 2016, Pokemon Go changed the way people interact with their phones, games, and the world around them. Most people carried a smart phone around, but it was simply a tool. Pokemon Go changed that, it became common to see a person staring into their phone, or pointing at empty space and swiping. It was the first major introduction to augmented reality in the everyday. It was developed by Niantic. -
Large Language Models
In 2018, Large Language Models become publicly available, such as Chat GPT. These programs widely changed the way people think about information and computers. Computers were no longer static, they could build on your own ideas. Searching for a specific answer to a question starts to fade into the past, as you can have a model or program do all the searching, refining your question, and more searching, done for you. Google researchers were the first to open the field of LLM's.