A then-and-now look at the technologies in our lives
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A then-and-now look at the technologies in our lives
| 1999 | 2009 |
| AOL | |
| You’ve Got Mail | Already got it on my BlackBerry |
| 1-GB inboxes | 1-GB attachments |
| 1999 | 2009 |
| Mix CDs | Playlists |
| Walkman | iPod |
| Napster | iTunes |
| Radio | Pandora |
| 1999 | 2009 |
| Long-distance charges | Cell phone minutes |
| Swiss army knives | iPhones |
| Awkward silence | “Sorry, one sec, I have a message” |
| 1999 | 2009 |
| Postcards | |
| Instant messaging | Video Gchatting |
| Classifieds | Craigslist |
| A politician’s paper trail | A golf star’s text-message inbox |
| 1999 | 2009 |
| VCR timers | TiVo |
| Reruns | Hulu |
| Other people’s boring baby videos | YouTube |
| Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? | Jon Gosselin, Balloon dad, and everybody else |
| 1999 | 2009 |
| Karaoke | Rock Band |
| Myst | World of Warcraft |
| Super Mario Bros | Super Mario Bros Wii |
| 1999 | 2009 |
| Magazine subscriptions | RSS subscriptions |
| Bookshelf | Kindle |
| Calling an expert | Going to Wikipedia |
| Going to the library for research | Going to Wikipedia |
| Buying an Encyclopedia for your kids | Telling them to go to Wikipedia |
| 1999 | 2009 |
| Stopping for directions | GPS recalculating route |
| FM radio | Satellite radio |
| Toyota Camrys and Ford Trucks | Toyota hybrids and ... Ford trucks |
| 1999 | 2009 |
| Travel agents | Travelocity |
| Remembering airline tickets | Printing boarding passes |
| Meeting at the gate | Removing shoes at security |
| 1999 | 2009 |
| First impressions | Facebook profiles |
| Photo albums | Facebook photos |
| High school reunions every decade | Facebook updates every 10 seconds |
| The silent treatment | Unfriending |
| 1999 | 2009 |
| General Electric | General Electric |
| Microsoft Office | Microsoft Office |
| Y2K | Never mind |
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