The launch of the smartphone and wider “connectivity” are seen as the most significant technology breakthroughs during the past 25 years, according to a new survey by telecommunications company TSI.
The survey asked people to share their views on what tech has made the biggest impact since the 1990s, how it is used, and what the future holds. An overwhelming 60% said the smartphone – which debuted in 1992 as the “Simon Personal Communicator” – has had the biggest impact. And a staggering 90% use the internet in all its forms for more than four hours every day, which equates to 1,460 hours or 61 days every year.
The most common piece of old technology that we still have in the UK, hoarded away is a corded mouse with a track ball, with one in four saying they still had, or used, one. The humble floppy disk and fax machine still appear with 9% and 3% per cent representation, but the pager – once seen on the hip of many a yuppie – appears to be extinct.
The survey results revealed robots, artificial intelligence and driverless cars are predicted to become the norm over the next 25 years.
The survey also looked at business trends, as advancements in technology allow us to work more remotely and spend less time travelling. It was found that over half the working population (58%) spend seven hours or more every week travelling for business. This means we’re losing 354 hours or 15 days per year, and wasting 713 days of our life on travelling, including the dreaded commute.
- 50% of people no longer own ground-breaking gadgets of the 1990s – such as floppy discs, pagers, 35mm cameras and videocassette recorders.
- Driverless cars, robots and artificial intelligence set to become the norm by 2050.
- 61 days spent each year on “the net”.
