Ive been thinking a lot about technology lately. Some for future tech, but whilst watching the Goldberg’s today I also thought about past tech and how far we’ve come with technology. I was born in 1987, too young to remember them (the 80’s), but I still love 80’s movies, tv, music and other things. The Goldbergs is a great show as a lot of the things shown on there I did grow up with, that’s why its so popular. So even though I was a 90’s child, with my siblings being born in the 80’s and being in england, I had a lot of hand me downs and had to watch, listen and play with things they used to (or still did at the time)
Ive always had a thing for technology. I love when apple do their announcements to see what they’ve been working on and how they’re improving life for people. I love the microsoft and other console announcements to see the new technologies for leisure. I follow NASA and tech websites on apple news and bbc news to see what the world is working on. More importantly, my favourite genre is scifi. It’s great to see science fiction become science reality (for the most part).
Im behind on the times, but I’ve been catching up with black mirror in my down time. If you look past the bad ways in which technology can affect our lives, they show some great concepts that I think aren’t too far away. From everyone using electric cars to our phones being able to integrate with everything around us and be like our passports. The laptops I love too with the pinch and swipe touchscreen and gesture controls. Also the augmented reality contact lenses are SO COOL, although they would require a lot of testing and I’d hate the day when I’d have to get mine fitted. To me, its all cool. It may not be world changing or make peoples lives easier … but it would make mine a lot more cooler. To integrate everything into my phone which I have with me at almost all times and to be a replacement for paper passports is just so awesome to me. Of course I’d be worried about the data being copied or corrupted but when everything is safe it would be so handy.
Looking back however, I do miss some of the gadgets and Bakelite technology of the 80’s and 90’s. From the corded landline phones where we all used to have to memorise phone numbers (I only remember my phone numbers these days as I have a billion passwords to remember) and not be able to be reached when we left the house. We could walk around and let work or home worries pass as we weren’t always switched on. Sure mobile phones have improved life as we can call for help and keep in touch and not be constantly worried, but we weren’t.
My first computer had about 256mb of storage and very little RAM and at the time my brother said “nah that’s way more than we’d need for a long long time” now my computer has terabytes of storage and gigabytes of memory and fits nicely under my desk with 2 slim monitors as apposed to the large cathode ray tube monitors that you had to switch off when not in use so you didn’t burn a hole in the screen.
I often reminisce about going to the video store (and later dvd store) to rent movies and spend Saturday nights at home with the family watching movies like Batman Returns and The Mask and then have to return them. It was a great treat and I loved those times. Later on we would go in there to buy blu-rays for cheap and look at any cool Ganges we could buy whilst waiting for out pizza which was next door. With the likes of netflix now we have that media instantly and I find myself running out of things to watch.
Even my first console was the SNES so I had to have cartridges and the scope and to buy Turok my parents had to buy it for me as it had gore in it. Then it took multiple leads into the back of the tv for audio and video and the constant need to reset and power on and off. Zero updates needed, we bought a new game, inserted it and we were away.
I feel lucky that I had this evolution of technology growing up. I mean I know every generation had and will have this with new technologies coming constantly, but from the 80’s to now there was a quantum leap. To think that in as little as 30 years, I could be typing this blog on a tablet computer that’s millions of times faster, clearer and smaller than the best computers of then, and then to be typing it on a keyboard that is connected to said tablet via a wireless connection and the reaction time be minute. Then to have a phone where I can look up anything, play all the latest music, take clear beautiful pictures, watch movies and make phone calls and text other people around the world with my phone. Past us would be mind blown at this (although gutted there aren’t flying cars or space travel yet).
I love technology and I will always love technology. Hopefully I can keep upto date with the changing future the older I get and I cannot wait to see what the next 30 years has in store. Heck, I even forgot to mention my watch which can do all of that AND take my heart rate and do an ECG!!
The future of technology is going to be amazing and I cannot wait to see what is in-store. Keep powering through inventors and technology companies. I look to you with child like wonder and anticipation.
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