Technological Progress For centuries people have been inventing things to make life easier. Among the greatest inventions of the past are the automobile, the steam engine, the electricity, the telephone and television. Since the beginning of the 20th century people have made a huge step in technology. Now we live in flats, talk to people who live in other parts of the world, travel from one place to another by plane. All these things are a product of technological progress and it is still growing rapidly.
Today we live in the world of machines and computers. Every day more and more gadgets appear and all of them make our life easier. Some of the new inventions have become so affordable and common, that now people cannot imagine life without them. For example, the mobile phone has turned from an expensive portable phone into an inexpensive data, e-mail, and voice service that almost anyone can afford. At the speed that mobile phones are evolving they may one day replace in-home phone services. Years ago mobile phones were bulky and required large batteries in a carrying case. Today's mobiles fit in a pocket and can replace a computer.
Another example of modern high-tech inventions is the Internet. Almost every company in the world has its own website. The Internet provides any kind of information on any topic. Of course, some of the sources are not reliable, but the Internet gives a very good opportunity to shop, book rooms and flights, watch films, listen to music and many other things. The Internet also gives an opportunity to make new friends and find old ones thanks to social networking sites such as Facebook or Vkontakte.
Computer technology has influenced production processes and made work easier. Toy companies, for example, incorporate computer chips in toys which make them move, talk and sing on their own. The car industry has computer systems installed in cars and they give information on car's condition, including tire pressure, headlights or the temperature inside and outside. Printing has become much easier with the computer-based printing machines.
Tablet PCs are becoming more and more popular today. They are much lighter than notebooks or netbooks and they contain all the software that is needed for business, studies and pleasure. EBook readers are a new invention too. This is a very convenient gadget that allows uploading books in different electronic formats. Instead of carrying one paperback book in a bag, you can carry one eBook reader with thousands of books on it.
Surely, these new inventions are not the last ones that humanity has developed and many others will be developed year upon yea