The earth’s population is dependent on technology, whether it is technology for personal and leisure use or technology used to save lives. Nowadays technology is found everywhere, from mobile phones, cars, computers, medical equipment to planes and space shuttles. All of this technology has evolved rapidly and is still evolving.
Technology has advanced with time and it has changed the way we travel, the way we learn, communicate and purchase products. As people’s demands and way of life change, the demand for advancing the type of technology we use is high. Almost everything that we use on a regular basis has been improved by great lengths. Technological advancements have helped businesses and organisations save time and cost of production, which has been a massive advantage to all businesses. A good example is 3G/4G broadband. Small businesses have taken huge advantage of this super speedy internet to reach target markets with less costs of operation.
Transport
Allah the Almighty states in the Holy Qur’an:
وَ اِذَا الْعِشَارُ عُطِّلَتْ‘And when the she-camels, ten-month pregnant, are abandoned’
The Holy Qur’an (81:5)
This prophecy of the Holy Qur’an refers to the arrival of transport. In the olden days, before modern technology was introduced, camels and horses were the most common methods of getting from point A to point B. However, transport has revolutionised the way our world works through technology.
The most common method of transport nowadays is the car. Cars were invented in 1885 by Karl Benz and since then they have revolutionised the world. Nowadays, many different types of technology are found in the latest cars.
For example:
- Auto cruise control (Allows the car to automatically set a variable speed limit and slows down automatically if it gets close to the car in front)
- Inbuilt satellite navigation
- Steering assisted headlights (The headlights follow the steering action)
- SOS button (This is located in some cars, which, upon crash, allows the driver to call the emergency services directly)
These are just some types of technology available in today’s world, which is fitted in cars.
Different and new types of technology have been introduced over the past couple of years. We see that every new car nowadays comes fitted with a screen which includes navigation and optional upgrades for cameras as well.
The transportation systems around which the modern world has been built are on a verge of significant transformation. Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) are making driving and traffic management better and safer for everyone.
The dawn of self-driving cars such as the Google car and Tesla are making the idea of autonomous cars a reality. Several, states across America have begun passing laws to regulate the technology and encourage its development. However, the safety and public acceptance of these autonomous vehicles have been a question of public interest and concern. Moreover, a series of accidents in the summer of 2016 increased the debate about the safety of autonomous vehicles.
The most determined of all of the technologies changing transportation is SpaceX’s Hyperloop. The concept is a pneumatic tube that uses a series of linear induction motors and compressors to propel vehicles at super-fast speeds. The first proposed Hyperloop would connect Los Angeles and San Francisco and allow passengers to complete the 350-mile trip in just more than half an hour. We can only find out as time goes along if the Hyperloop will be a game-changer and a massive success. As a developing technology, the initial cost of the first line will be placed at more than $6 billion. However, the project’s private funding limits the impact on government spending.
New technologies have caused a fundamental shift in the way people see transportation. Minor changes to existing methods of transportation could have a considerable impact in the near future, while the introduction of completely new technology, like the Hyperloop, might be at the forefront in a new transportation revolution. The transportation systems around which the modern world has been built are on the verge of a significant transformation. ITS are making driving and traffic management better and safer for everyone.
Medicine & Health care
“Good communication is the bridge between confusion and clarity”
-Nat Turner
Technology has helped in saving human lives. Human medicines as well as health sciences have improved. Doctors and medical students have commenced medical technology tools to carry out extensive research on health problems and different challenges.
Experts at a university managed to integrate a USB-based ultrasound probe with a smartphone. Other health care technologies include; Nanocomposite Contact Lenses used to treat diabetes, Robotic Surgeons, Neuro Prosthetic Chips that prevent seizures and control artificial limbs with the mind, Multimodality Hybrid Imaging Technology which detects prostate cancer and Artificial Wombs which are used to grow an embryo outside of the body of a woman’s body.
“If there is no struggle there is no progress”
-Fred Douglass
Communication
Technology in communication has advanced massively in the last couple of years. The earliest forms of communication include pictograms and signals. Over time, communication has always advanced in order to be more efficient, from homing pigeons to the computer. Great examples include the Pony Express in 1860. This was to deliver mail from one side of the nation to the other as quickly as possible.
The 19th Century also saw the development of the telegraph, telephone and radio. The 20th century birthed the use of the television and computer to spread communication.
Mobile phones
A good example which everyone knows about is the “Mobile Phone”. The type of mobile phones which existed in 1995 are no longer on-demand in this century, the demands of mobile phone users have changed greatly, which has resulted in the advancement of the mobile phone. The older generation would remember getting their hands on the first-ever phones, the brick phones and thought that communicating over the phone wouldn’t get easier. However, the new generation is greeted with the latest smartphones which have many features built-in.
In this era of technology, mobile phones are one of the most fascinating technologies that we use the most. Mobile phones have come a long way from just a medium of communication to one of our best friends. Today, it is very difficult to spend even a single day without the mobile. If our phone breaks down, it makes us quite nervous.
When mobile phones were first introduced, they did the basic task of connecting people over voice calls, which had its own restrictions. That said, connectivity was then restricted only to certain areas. Thanks to the growing demand for these devices, the area of network expanded, and accordingly, connectivity options started developing. Apart from the enhancements in voice quality, additional technological advancements such as the use of internet started shaping further communications on mobiles. Previously, the handset supported either voice calls or connectivity to the internet but not both simultaneously.
Apart from this, as soon as social networking was introduced on phones, people started taking advantage of this and made it a part of their lives. Nowadays, messaging applications such as WhatsApp and Telegram are ruling the world and social networking platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. have been used extensively since their integration into smartphones.
