E-SPEAIT Week 2

Now that the Internet is so widely used and easily accessed, we have a lot of information on our devices. But even before getting answers to every question from Google, people needed to find other people or get some knowledge about something.

What seems to be completely disappeared are phone books. Not really a technology as such, but something that was made obsolete by technological advancements. Although some still exist in digital form, but we don't see them in physical form anymore. When smartphones came into play some communities like Seattle and San Francisco banned phone books, because they were labeled as unwanted and harmful for the environment. Phone books were/are essentially a collection of people together with their phone number and postal or street address. They were also used by businesses and even paid extra for better advertisements.

Another service, which in my opinion is quite similar is a helpline you can call. Like a Google search engine but via phone call. Popular example in Estonia is  "1182". A number you could call and ask for information. What, when, where, who? I noticed 1182 has moved online and there you can search for a service, ex: bathroom repairs, and it gives you a list of businesses you can hire. You can also find the prices of fuel and zip codes. Basically a search engine regarding Estonia. Another honourable mention is the Encyclopedia book series.

One technology that is still used daily by masses is AM/FM radio. For example car radios. Since they are already integrated, it is convenient for people to use. Just hop in the car and turn on your favourite radio station. Basically radio itself is a technology that uses radio waves to communicate and these waves are sent and received by antennas. Also used in radars and remote controls.

Car radios work in one-way. Meaning radio stations broadcast signals to the public. The first car radio was installed in 1924 by Kelly's Motors. The first car radios were very expensive, one example, to fit a radio on the Ford Model A it would set you back 540$. And the radios were so big that could weigh 24kg. Since they were so big they were mounted on the floor and had a separate remote. By the late 30's AM radio were considered a standard. Nowadays a standard is considered to be AM/FM radio with a CD player. But I'm not sure how long the radio stations will survive. Regarding music, more and more people are using Bluetooth and AUX cables to listen to preferred music.