If we talk about the greatest contributions of science to human civilization, Wireless technology will win hands down. From the time the first wireless compatible devices began to be built in the late-nineties, Wireless technology had moved at the speed of light. Over the last 30 years, the pace of technological change has increased so quickly that one decade’s ‘must-have’ gadgets have become the next decade’s laughing stock. You may have felt cool with your Sony Walkman as a teenager but contemporary teens are fitting more music onto a device smaller than a box of matches- with no wires connected to it!
Wireless technology has itself so deeply embedded into our mainstream life that it’s become indispensable. Its most cherished offspring is the smartphone- so slim you might feel foolish talking into thin air! The smartphones in our pockets are able to send text messages, photos and data-files on the go. Satellite television is an ingrained a part of every household. Virtual reality kits, XBOX, kindle, tablets and wearable tech-devices like smartwatches and fitness trackers have taken ‘wireless’ to a whole new level. Mobile devices like GPS units and phones have enabled communication from the remotest places on earth, and even space.
Increased internet speeds and wireless dongles have made it possible to collaborate content, upload business-ideas and work-files- on ‘virtual clouds’, from any part of the world, increasing efficiency and introducing new ways of performing many different business tasks.
Never before have we been more connected, with accessibility to data, as we are today, and it’s all advancing so fast, that the idea of carrying around a bulky, heavy computer is going to seem odd in the not-too-distant future. You’ll find yourself unfolding your e-paper, touch screen laptop, connected to your cloud storage database.
One major downside to this easy connectivity is that it leaves us vulnerable to hacking and cybercrime. More malware is being launched every day than ever before.  It’s important to keep your device-security software updated and refrain from using free Wi-Fi spots.
When Graham Bell invented the telephone, he wouldn’t have imagined that a day will come when over five billion mobile phones will be tapping into cellular networks around the world. The bandwidths are getting tighter and tighter. How well we accommodate the growing billions of wireless users, only time will tell, but one thing is certain- Wireless technology is only going to get smarter, sharper, faster and more easily available. Whether it’s paving the way for a new generation of cars that will essentially drive themselves, or medical embedded devices, like pacemakers that allow doctors to remotely monitor a patient’s health, we’ve come a long, long way from smoke-signals and carrier pigeons.
