It’s funny when you think about it, technology, how we once upon a time lived without it and nowadays you go ballistic when internet is down or the tv isn’t working.
I’m sitting here in our living room, in our couch with my phone, writing this. Technology. I usually dislike writing and doing “serious” things on my phone, mostly because of the size of it and the limited possibilities when it comes to editing etc. However, I kinda like it right now. I’m writing this post on my iPhone, sitting in our couch watching tv.
Isn’t that kind of neat? And after I post this, millions of people all over the world can read it (although in my case I’m happy if my girlfriend and my mom reads this). The possibilities are endless when it comes to technology.
The thing that made me write this post was mostly coincidence, technological coincidence if you will. When I sat down in the couch the room was pretty dark, the tv was off and it felt kind of gloomy in here. But with the push of a button I started both the tv and Apple TV, with another press of a button I turned on the Philips Hue (<— affiliate link) lights in the apartment, set them to my desired color and strength. With the Apple TV remote I checked Netflix, Viaplay, the news, played some games and checked tomorrows weather, all from a laying down position in our couch, how neat is that?
I know, this is not breakthrough tech or even that futuristic, but that’s not what this post is about. It is about how these simple things changed my daily life, for the better of course, and how these things have made life easier in my last 34 years.
Sure, I’m still young enough to have grown up with a color tv, tv remotes, and dial up internet. I was born in 1983, and back then there were no internet, no Apple TV, no Philips Hue light, no cellphones, no texting and no writing blog posts from your phone laying in the couch.
I do not remember my age when we first got internet tho, but I do remember it was 9,6k or 14k dial up modem, the sound it made when connecting to the internet, how no one could call us when someone was online or how if someone picked up the phone, the internet connection would break. After awhile the “splitters” came, which made it possible at least maintain a connection when someone picked up the phone or called.
Listen to the sound of a dial up modem here!
And the speeds…
The speed of a dial up modem was so slow, it could take minutes literally to load a single image, and if you where unlucky the unstable internet connection would break and you had to do it all over again. In that time we also downloaded MP3 songs from programs like DC++, Napster and Limewire. Songs we played in heavily modified WinAmp players. I remember when you got together with friends for a LAN and you competed who had the best WinAmp skins and equalizer. ONE song at 5-6 MB could take upwards of 20 minutes to download, put that into perspective when you play your games or listen to music on Spotify.
Another thing I’m taking for granted today is channels on the tv. We get them mostly from fiber connections, cable tv or something else, but back then there were no cable tv, specially not here where I grew up. I remember when one of the (now) biggest channels started, TV4, and my father worked as a cameraman at the local station. To be able to get that channel we had to have a huuuuuge 2×2 meter satellite dish, and that was only for that channel. We had at least 2 or 3 more satellite dishes for other channel providers, and they worked like shit.
A common error was “weak signal”, which could freeze the picture and you’d miss half your show. That happened frequently on windy days and in the winter when the snow interfered with the signals. Oh how I do not miss those days.
I’m rounding this up now before I write a short novel. But I will write part 2 soon enough, where I will write about cameras, phones and shopping and how they have changed my life. Stay tuned!
Do you have any memories of technology that changed your life? Leave a comment!
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