Completion requirements
The chapter presents an overview of new up-and-coming technologies, from autonomous vehicles to embedded wearable technology. Note the expected impacts
on society of these trends. Be sure to take the time to respond to the study questions and do the exercises to cement your knowledge.
Global
The first trend to note is the continuing expansion of globalization. The use of the Internet is growing all over the world, and with it the use of digital devices. Penetration rates, the percent of the population using the Internet, remains high in the developed world, but other continents are gaining.
In addition to worldwide growth in Internet penetration, the number of mobile phones in use continues to increase. At the end of 2017 the world population of people over the age 10 years (those old enough to possibly have their own mobile phone) was about 5.7 billion with an estimated 4.77 billion mobile phone users. This equates to over 80% of people in the world having a mobile phone.
World wide mobile phone users