Advances in technology

I got my first "calculator watch" when I was in high school, back in the 1970s. It was big, bulky, hard to operate, and super nerdy. I think it cost something like $50 for the ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide. I was so proud!
Recently I bought a new watch. I had a few reasons for choosing this specific watch, and so far am quite pleased with it. It's NOT big and bulky, doesn't appear super nerdy. But its abilities are astonishing to me, especially as I compare it with that 1970s wonder. A few examples of what my new watch can do, besides tell the date and time with exceptional accuracy:
- count how many steps I walk each day
- display photos and play music
- deliver weather reports and forecasts for my local area
- connect to my phone to give notification of incoming phone calls, text messages, emails, etc. and actually all me to reply to them using voice-to-text messaging
- detect when I sleep and analyze my sleep pattern (REM, light vs deep sleep)
- perform an actual EKG on my heart and monitor cardiac conditions such as atrial fibrillation, and report unusual results directly to my doctor
- talk to a satellite in order to track the route I take on a hike with impressive accuracy, keeping track of distance, elevation change, pace, heart rate, etc.
But wait! There's more!
In the matter of 50 years, technology has made astonishing progress - this is only one small example of the revolutionary advances we have witnessed. I #GiveThanks because it's one that is a particular blessing to me. We couldn't even dream of the functionality of this watch back then. You have to wonder what will come next - what will the future hold?

 


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