At the dawn of the 21st century, personal computers and consumer home internet had finally reached the mainstream, and mobile phone technology was coming into its own. But few could have predicted that in just a few short years, those separate pieces of technology would be combined into a single device that would impact every facet of our lives — from how we hail a ride or board an airplane to how we manage to keep in touch or get our news — to a degree arguably greater than anything that had come before.
