At the beginning of 2007, most laymen would not be able to answer questions such as: What is a social network? Did you know blogs are a main source of information, and that an e-reading device will dominate talk in the industry?
No longer science fiction but reality
The changes that occurred in that year can be attributed to various forerunner companies that showed the world these things were no longer the stuff of science fiction but rather a new reality.
The electronics industry appealed to the DVD market and convinced them that movies were far better to watch on HD and Blu-ray. Microsoft brought out Windows Vista, which most people hated (about 100 million copies of Windows Vista were sold in 2007; the numbers are staggering because 90% of the PCs for sale were already contaminated with it).
In 2007, politics hit the social media world, with politicians using this as a means to gain popularity. CNN went ahead and launched YouTube debates - a string of questions chosen from YouTube videos that each presidential candidate would have to answer. Did this aid in their campaigns? Absolutely not, because those watching were least likely to move away from their computer screens to go and vote!
In 2007, Google took a leap forward in its expansion, introducing the open Android mobile phone development platform and opened its seldom-used Google Talk instant-messaging platform to other chat clients.
The year that Facebook took off
This was also the year that Facebook took off and opened to the masses. It offered users something that MySpace failed to do: giving users a logical interface and unlimited tools for connecting with one another. This was supposedly less complicated than what MySpace had to offer.
Google took another leap and, with Google Maps with Street View, put on the dynamic 360-degree panoramas of New York City, San Francisco, Chicago and a whole bunch of other cities. We all know now what that entails, so no explanation needed. If you don't, then I have no comment.
But probably the most important, most impactful and most memorable event was the inventions and launches of the iPhone and iPod Touch. In just six months, Apple managed to transform two separate markets and get its competitors running back to the drawing board. Ironically enough, Apple invented no new technology for these two products but simply had access to and created a product that incorporated the best use of existing technology.
What technology means in 2011
Jumping to 2011, I'm almost speechless or, rather, wordless with regards to what technology means today. One can't even begin to compare or describe the changes that have taken place in the last five years.
Yes, more celebrities have cottoned onto the fact that going to rehab creates huge publicity for them. Maybe this has always been the case but now, with the technology we have today, nothing you do is private. We now use words such as social, touch computing, mobile, geo, networking, hashtag, and cloud when we arrange play dates, download music, watch TV and eat breakfast. Not only is the way the world is changing but the English language has had to keep up too.
For 2011, the major showstopper was none other than the iPad/iPad2. You can always count on Apple to make an impact. It's no surprise, considering the influence its founder Steve Jobs - who finally succumbed to pancreatic cancer in October 2011 - had on the world.
At the consumer electronics show this year, at least 75 new tablets were introduced. But the one to steel the limelight was the new Motorola Mobility's Xoom, the first of its kind to run Google's Android 3.0 Honeycomb operating system.
Giant iPad
The Samsung SUR40 was also showcased and considered the next generation of giant tabletop computers. It could also be viewed as simply a giant iPad but it is still impressive, with its huge touchscreen and PixelSense technology that allows LCD panels to see without the use of cameras.
Don't forget the iPhone 4S was launched, that now allows isolated and shy individuals to have a deep and meaningful conversation with "someone" electronic (Siri) that won't judge them. It also happens to be able to answer many questions, set up tasks, reminders, read out text messages and all round anything that can be done using voice recognition, assuming you have an American accent.
This year has also seen Facebook undergo a few facelifts and Google launching Google+ as, let's not beat about the bush, a direct competitor. These two giants have been playing tag for most of the year, seeing who can outdo whom and as quickly as possible.
In the meantime, users are running around trying to keep up with all the changes and getting frustrated. It is often in cases like this that industries lose their consumers because they forget about how they service them, instead focusing on how to pummel the competition.
The future
I could go on and on with regards to breakthroughs, breakdowns and breakups that have happened this year but, as far as I'm concerned, with all the communication that is available now, if you don't know these then, once again, I have no comment.
Essentially, you only need to be a user of one social media platform or communication device and you should - and would - know what happens in this world every minute of every day.
The way I'm seeing it, that might just be the problem in the future - a complete and utter information overload, privacy destroyer and cloud buster that will leave Homo Sapiens running for the caves again, begging for clubs, animal skin and two sticks to make a fire!
