In 2009, Spain was in the midst of a housing crisis, we were using the infamous Windows Vista to browse Tuenti, and the most-viewed YouTube video was "The Evolution of Dance." Life has changed a lot in the last decade and a half, especially our relationship with technology. Therefore, let's look at the biggest technological changes of the last 15 years.
How technology has advanced in the last 15 years
Fifteen years ago, many of the technological features we use today existed, but they were more limited. We had access to map navigation in a more restricted way , we argued (although much less) on Twitter , and we showed everyone our best photos on Fotolog or Myspace (Instagram didn't exist yet).
In 2009 we were excited about what was going to happen in the technological world (and we still are), we were already hearing about robots and a strange word, home automation, which today is practically commonplace.
Over the years, we have seen how most of the technologies that were announced have developed at dizzying levels, such as the evolution of Artificial Intelligence that Stuart Russell and Peter Norvig already announced in their book " Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach ".
The rapid technological development of the last decade and a half has brought significant improvements to our relationship with technology and the internet. Mobile phones have gone from being simple telephones to becoming tools that are practically useful for almost every aspect of our lives . Let's look at some of the things that were unthinkable to do with a mobile phone 15 years ago.
What we can do with our smartphones and it was unthinkable
Video calls
One of those technological changes that humans have dreamed of for many years is being able to make video calls (we have been able to see video calls in films like Kubrik's 2001: A Space Odyssey).
Video calls have gone from being a fantasy to a reality of our daily lives . Now, we can connect with friends and family visually, no matter the distance between us.
Listen to music
Smartphones have become portable music players , leaving behind all the players we knew (MP3 players, Walkmans, Discmans, radios, etc.).
The most interesting thing about this decade and a half is not that we can listen to music but how we listen to that music. Nowadays we can create playlists or share songs effortlessly and with the convenience of having music libraries full of songs to listen to. Something that was not so accessible years ago.
Set up your home heating
Through home automation and its specialized applications, we can control the temperature of our home from anywhere, providing comfort to the user and energy efficiency for the environment. We can also configure home automation devices to control blinds, light switches, or interact with the intercom system.
Set up appliances
The connectivity of our smartphones in 2024 will allow us to control appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines and ovens remotely.
With a focus on comfort, home automation of household appliances ranges from knowing how much and what food we have in the refrigerator to remotely cleaning the house with the robot vacuum cleaner or changing the television channel.
Monitor your home
With connected security cameras, we can monitor our home in real time and receive alerts in case of any suspicious activity without relying on expensive security companies.
Flirt by apps
Although tools for flirting and meeting people already existed in 2009 (such as Badoo, which was born back in 2006), today, dating apps have transformed the way we meet people and relate to them.
Nowadays, for many young people, it is more likely to hook up through a dating app than through the traditional way of meeting briefly. One of those technological changes that, despite not being to everyone's taste, is a reality.
Take high-quality photos
Today's smartphones have powerful cameras that allow us to capture high-quality images anytime , anywhere, even in 8K resolution. This was unthinkable just a few years ago when YouTube's video quality was only 480p.
Video montages
Video editing has become accessible to everyone . It's incredibly easy to create creative video edits directly from your mobile phone. What once required a computer with a high-end processor is now done in the cloud with apps that are sometimes even free to use.
Go shopping
Another daily action that you can perform directly from your mobile. There are supermarket and delivery applications that allow us to make online purchases from the comfort of home.
Companies like Mercadona or apps like Glovo allow us to shop in a supermarket and have our groceries delivered to our homes , all from our smartphones.
This has helped many people with problems leaving the house and older people to access household purchases in a viable and almost effortless way.
Watch movies
The same applies to movies and TV series. Watching movies on your phone is very easy these days with platforms like Netflix or Amazon Prime , but that wasn't always the case. Only a few phones could play movies in formats like MP4 or similar.
Furthermore, you couldn't select a movie from a catalog, you had to download the movie, usually from pages that weren't highly recommended, and insert it into your phone's memory to see if it was compatible.
We've experienced many technological changes in the last 15 years , but in some cases they've been so gradual that many of us haven't even noticed. Others, however, like the evolution of artificial intelligence, have overtaken us, and we're still trying to grasp its full scope.
That's why I'd like to ask if you know of any technology that has changed significantly since 2009 and isn't on this list. Write to me and I'll read your comments!