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Amazon Alexa
Technology company Amazon announced Alexa in 2014. Jeff Bezos pitched the idea in 2011 and thousands of employees worked to create the virtual assistant. Alexa is a small speaker that can listen to and answer simple questions like "what is the weather today" and follow simple demands like "set a timer for ten minutes." Being the first of its kind, Alexa has proved a helpful tool for users as well as opened larger conversations on the integration of technology into home life.
Source: AI Magazine -
Apple AirPods
Before Apple released their AirPods in 2016, most people used headphones or earbuds with a cable that could be plugged into an audio jack. AirPods were the earbuds without the cable, and their carrying case allowed users to connect them to a device using Bluetooth. AirPods completely changed the way people listen to music. AirPods also increased that price that people were willing to pay for headphones. AirPods retail at $159.00, while Apple earbuds go for around $10-$20.
Source: Apple -
Waymo
While self-driving cars have existed since the 1980s, the first self-driving cars to reach widespread use were the Waymo cars. Founded by Sebastian Thrun Anthony Levandowski, Waymo offers a ride-hailing service with it's self-driving all-electric Jaguar I-PACEs. In 2017, in Phoenix Arizona, Waymo began its first trial of its cars with the general public. Waymo currently operates in Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles and has changed the way people think about ride-hailing.
Source: Waymo -
Face ID
While facial recognition has existed since the early 2000s, is wasn't popularized until Apple's release of Face ID on their iPhone X in 2017. Face ID uses infrared sensors to map and save a users face. With Face ID, users can unlock their iPhone just by looking at it. Face ID has since become a standard on medium and high quality phones. It ushered in a new era of biometrics.
Source: Lifewire -
ChatGPT
In November 2022, technology company OpenAI launched ChatGPT. As self-defined, ChatGPT is a "artificial intelligence language model". ChatGPT and other systems like it use existing information on the internet to realistically respond to questions and demands. However, ChatGPT is the first model to accurately answer nearly any question a user asks it. ChatGPT's impressive scope includes writing lesson plans, essays, stories, and recipes.
Source: MIT Tech Review