Sometimes people talk about “new” technology without realizing just how old it really is. I culled these items from a librarian’s personal blog. Just something to think about…what technology is out there now that we haven’t started talking about yet??
- Twitter – 7 years old (founded 2006)
- Facebook – 9 years old (founded 2004)
- ebooks – 42 years old (1971 when Project Gutenberg started, though prototypes and patents go all the way back to the 1940s!)
- ebook readers – 15 years old (1998, probably earlier)
- QR Codes – 19 years old (created in 1994)
- text messaging – 21 years old (created in 1992)
- IM/Chat messaging – 25 (or so) years old (IRC appeared in 1988)
- wifi – 25 years old (appeared in 1988)
- Youtube – 8 years old (founded in 2005)
- mp3 files – 19 years old (appeared in 1994)
- 3D Printing – 29 years old (the first working 3d printer appeared in 1984)
Great list! Just yesterday I read about how the last telegraph message was delivered ever. Just as there are birthyears of new technology, it seems there are also deathyears of old technology. R.I.P. Google Reader of 8 years.