As happens every year, technology tends to have changes that mark the advances or oversights of users of certain devices. That is why we are going to remember some of the technologies that were “dying” throughout this 2022. Devices such as the iPod or the BlackBerry, which were with us for many years, began to say goodbye this year. Meta Portal or “Explorer” itself have also seen their last hurrahs in the last 365 days.
Much of this technology has had a well-lived life. Some of them will be remembered in posterity, while others will be part of the historical annals for their use at a specific time. Many millennials talk about “their grandparents” when they remember these devices or software that were born in the last century. In any case, each of these technologies has been able to mark its time and, in some cases, be the starting point for new discoveries.
Technology and the end of large devices
A major blow for millennials has been the end of the iPod. This “little gadget” revolutionized the world of the music industry before Spotify came along. Both the iPod and iTunes were added to the MP3 player as novelties to take music everywhere. Without much storage space, they were improving their designs and there, Steve Jobs saw a golden opportunity to take advantage of.
But all good things must come to an end. With the 2007 launch of the iPhone, the iPod began its path to obsolescence. During May of this year, Apple announced that the iPod touch would be discontinued. It was the only device still on the market. Another device that was not invited to remain at the big table has been the BlackBerry.
The return of the Y2K phone trend failed to “revive” the device that was synonymous with status in the early 2000s. To have a BlackBerry was to be on a level of importance and power. It was synonymous with US Weekly celebrities and Wall Street finance professionals. With its full keyboard, this device had email and a BBM messaging platform as part of its technological exclusivity.
Adding farewells
This was a difficult year for Meta, particularly because of its nearly $250 billion in losses. Mark Zuckerberg’s vision of the metaverse does not yet seem to be understood. Although it is moving forward with projects with its Quest VT headset and Horizon Worlds platform, other situations have seen their end. Along with a series of massive layoffs came the destruction of Meta Portal.
The need to reduce costs led to the resignation of Meta Portal. The intelligent video call display had already been eliminated as a consumer device. On the other hand, it also faced fierce competition from the Amazon Echo, the iPad and Google’s Nest hub.
Another of the farewells in 2022 was that of Internet Explorer, by Microsoft’s decision. For years it had been ostracized by the emergence of other browsers with better features. Of course, it is inevitable to feel nostalgia for those who enabled Internet access in the 1990s. Although it has always been singled out as one of the worst browsers, it came pre-installed on Windows computers and has been a recurring tool.
