From iPhones, social media, video streaming, Uber and more, the turn of the year and the end of the decade marks a chance to reflect on the past 10 years of technological advancement.
Netflix launched the first original streaming show, “House of Cards,” Feb. 1, 2013, to critical acclaim.
Since then other popular streaming services such as Amazon and Hulu have followed suit, sponsoring and producing shows and films.
Because streaming services are easily accessible and relatively cheap, they have become the college student’s entertainment staple and students at California Baptist University are no exception.
“I have a Netflix and Hulu and (I am) always binge-watching shows,” said Gabrielle Ann, junior nursing major.
Ann said she believes Netflix will prevail through the next decade and continue to produce popular content.
Virtual reality claims its well-deserved spot as another hallmark of the past decade. The Oculus Rift, an ambitious VR headset designed for consumers, launched its successful crowdfunding campaign on Aug. 1, 2012.
Kickstarter, a popular crowdfunding platform, reported that Oculus Rift raised more than $2.4 million out of its $250,000 goal.
The Oculus Rift VR headset gained so much traction for the company that Facebook bought the company for more than $2 billion in 2014, before it had even released its first commercial product.
Today, the improved Oculus Quest sells for $399 on Amazon and has spawned numerous competitors, from devices that transform smartphones into VR headsets to devices made by Valve, Microsoft and Samsung.
Yet VR is not the only surprisingly successful business initiative of the decade. Amazon held a market share of 45 percent as of 2019, according to Needham & Company’s 2019 survey. By 2021, Amazon is expected to control at least half, or possibly more of the entire e-commerce market.
“(Amazon is) a powerhouse,” said Sebastian Vasquez, freshman criminal justice major. “They can sell anything and everything. I think Amazon might be it. I feel like Amazon is the easiest and most accessible (e-commerce website) for people.”
Amazon’s market dominance is a testament to its effective business practices. It has truly been an inextricable part of the decade.
Dr. Kim Peters, associate professor of computing, software and data sciences and industrial and systems engineering, said the next decade promises to be just as exciting as the previous.
Peters predicts a surprising change in our pocket hardware.
“I don’t think we will need phones anymore,” Peters said.
Instead, Peters said she believes watches, hologram devices and other smaller personal electronics will become the standard for connection with others.
Whatever the next decade holds, there will continue to be new and interesting technological advancements in 2020 and beyond.
