WHY IPHONES RULING THE WORLD

A CORPORATE WORLD

In the science fiction flick Incorporated, a post-apocalyptic future world is no longer run by nation-states but by corporation-states, each acting in the best interests of the company. Such a future doesn't seem that far or farfetched now, especially if one considers just how big the world's most powerful corporations are.

One LinkedIn post recently got our attention. It in, a young tech entrepreneur made an interesting calculation: just how wealthy is Apple? Recent reports show that the Cupertino-based tech giant has an unbelievably massive cash stash of $256.8 billion — and a market value hovering around $800 billion.That's obviously a great deal of dough, and to show just how much, the LinkedIn post claimed that, with its cash, Apple could buy Tesla (approximately $50.1 billion), Netflix ($67.4 billion), Uber ($68 billion), Airbnb ($68 billion), Twitter ($13.38 billion), and a budding tech firm called Eden App (probably valued around $10.92 billion), and still have about $16 billion cash left.

RULING THE WORLD

Now, while Apple won't be buying Tesla — although, while Elon Musk would never sell, it should — or any of these companies anytime soon, what this illustrates is just how much (purchasing) power one corporation could wield. Today, where globalization has shaped and continues to shape an interconnected world, it's corporations like Apple that now "rule" the world — and there's nothing necessarily wrong with that...right?

It's pretty ironic for Apple, though, as it has now become the "Big Brother" it worked so hard to fight against in its early innovative years.

The great irony of globalization, it would seem, is money. While information and access, and even space, are democratized, the financial resources of the world still seem to be focused on just a few. This financial setup is poised for disruption, as digital and cryptocurrencies become more and more popular.

Apple could buy Tesla, Netflix, Uber, Airbnb, Twitter and still have about $20 billion left.When Apple announced the iPhone in 2007, it rocked the world. Today we can still feel the influence of the game-changing device.

It’s hard to believe it’s been 15 years since the original iPhone hit store shelves. In that time, smartphones have gone from luxury devices to an essential for everyday life. Here’s a look back at the biggest ways the iPhone changed the world forever.

When the very first iPhone debuted, it took the world by storm. But contrary to popular belief, the iPhone wasn’t the world’s first smartphone. Whether it was Blackberry, Palm, or Sony Ericsson, other manufacturers had already been producing PDAs and smart devices for years.

While the iPhone wasn’t the world’s first smart device, it was definitely the first modern smartphone. At the time of its release, other manufacturers were still releasing flip phones and devices with slide out keyboards. But the iPhone’s design was a complete 180. As a true tribute to minimalism, the original iPhone had a flat design that only featured a single button on the front.

Even when compared to other touch screen phones of its day, the original iPhone was revolutionary. Instead of being operated with a clunky stylus, the iPhone was designed to be used with just your fingertip. Allowing the user to use the phone naturally and intuitively.

The original iPhone’s design was revolutionary then, and 15 years on, the latest phones from Apple are still an evolution of the first iPhone design.3. It Turned All of Us Into Photographers

Taking iPhone picture in woods

When the original iPhone launched, it shipped with a 2MP rear camera. That’s it. No telephoto lens, macro lens, or wide angle to be found. The original iPhone didn’t even have a selfie camera. It couldn’t even record video.

But it was a big deal at the time.

To put that into perspective, the Motorola Razr V3, which many people considered the king of phones, only had a 0.3 megapixel camera. The camera that shipped on the original iPhone was a huge leap forward. Today we’re used to being able to take high quality pictures and videos anywhere we go. But imagine how different the last decade would have been without selfies, without food pictures, or without Instagram.

Putting a camera into everyone’s pocket did more than entertain us, it also shaped world events. From having live coverage of major events to being able to record interactions with law enforcement, since the iPhone’s release there have never been more photos and videos circulating the world.

The World Will Never Be the Same

Smartphones have not been without their fair share of criticism, but no one can deny the impact of the phone that started it all. The iPhone made us more connected than ever and fueled a wave of innovation that put a smartphone into everyone’s pocket"WITH LOVE:ENBHA"

For better or worse, the iPhone has changed the world forever.