5 Technologies that Didn't Exist 20 Years Ago
Let us guess: you’re probably reading this article on a laptop using high-speed internet. This article is probably competing for your attention against five other open tabs within your Google Chrome browser. Metallica might be playing in the background, or even the Jackson 5.
But do you remember when all of that didn’t exist? Think back to a time when commercial music was still a luxury and concert tickets were purchased at a physical kiosk. Can’t do that? We must be getting old.
The fact is that the aforementioned technologies didn’t exist 20 years ago. We’re talking about a time before MP3s, iPhones, and Bluetooth. It was the dark days so prepare for a wild ride through tech history courtesy of your tour guides at BRAVEN, the leader in portable Bluetooth speakers.
1. Bluetooth - This beast of an invention, and arguably BRAVEN’s favorite technology, was originally conceived in 1994 by Ericsson as an alternative to the old RS-232 data cables. Before long it was discovered that bluetooth could connect many devices as a short range receiver that wouldn’t steal too much energy.
The technology was soon introduced to numerous devices that allowed for hands-free calls, mass data sharing, and more. Now you can thank bluetooth for many of your daily tasks including using your car for hands-free calling, wireless control of your cellphone, and yes listening to music on your BRAVEN bluetooth speaker.
2. MP3 - We shudder when we remember jamming to Jewel on our old Walkmans. Jewel is still fantastic but the archaic technology with minimum storage capacity still haunts our nightmares. The MP3 file type was originally released to consumers in 1993 and only began to hit the internet in the latter half of 1994. With its introduction, consumers were able to easily compress songs meaning that more could fit onto a CD. This invention ultimately led the digital music revolution and became the forefather for how you consume music today.
3. In-flight WI-FI - Back in 2001, Boeing looked at itself in the mirror and said “Self, we’re very good at combining technology with savvy engineering” and thus the first version of in-flight internet was born. They called this new venture “Connexion by Boeing” but the problem was that retrofitting a plane with the proper gadgets required weeks and $500,000. Price also proved to be an issue for consumers, $15-$30, at launch in 2004. The price hasn’t gotten much better in the years since but it has become readily available and can now be in found in many of your flights.
4. iPhones - Can you believe it’s only been five years since Apple launched the first iPhone? It’s true. The first models launched in June 2007 for as much as $599 for the 8GB model. Since then, the iPhone has netted more than $150 billion in sales and now represents more than 73% of all smartphone sales. The rest, we guess, is history.
5. Hybrid Cars - While the history of the hybrid car technically begins in the 1600s with steam-powered vehicles, modern hybrids were debuted to the eager public in 1997 when the Toyota Prius was introduced to the Japanese market a full two years before the original release date. Despite the early introduction, it was quite some time before hybrids hit the U.S. mass market. Honda’s Insight was the first, debuting in 1999 with 70 mpg highway, and was followed a year later by the modern Toyota Prius. Today you can find many popular vehicles as hybrid models including but not limited to the Ford Escape, Toyota Camry, and more.
