This is a long post, but bear with me—it will all come together and be worth it in the end. The setup takes a few paragraphs since this is all about technology that most people have never seen or don’t remember.
The Year Was 1988
I was a Yuppie (see definition below). I had the required car, an Armani suit, and even a Montblanc pen. I had also recently acquired a Motorola DynaTAC 8000X with an extended battery and car charger for about $2,000. Originally released in 1983 for $4,000, this was a steal at half price just five years later. With the extended battery, it had a standby time of 10 hours (really closer to 6) and a talk time of about 1 hour. But that wasn’t a problem—you didn’t want to use it for too long anyway because you were being charged by the minute. I had several $1,000+ phone bills.
However, it was a great business investment. Not only could I deduct the entire cost, but it also proved to my computer service customers that I was state-of-the-art and reachable 24/7—which was the name of the game. Like the Armani suit, it paid for itself.
A Few More Details About the Brick
The Motorola DynaTAC 8000X had a transmission power of approximately 0.6 watts (600 milliwatts). This was significantly higher than modern smartphones, which typically operate at 0.2 to 0.25 watts due to improved network infrastructure. The higher power output was necessary because early cellular networks had fewer towers, requiring stronger signals to maintain connections over longer distances.
So basically, you were putting this microwave thing next to your brain, and this is where people started to fear that cell phones could cause health issues. Honestly, it was probably not good.
Physically, the Motorola Brick was massive—2.5 pounds, 10 inches long, 3.5 inches wide, and 3.5 inches deep. The long antenna added another 6 inches, making it a heavy, unwieldy device that looked like something out of a bad science fiction movie.
A Few Brick Stories
I carried this phone everywhere. On my third date with a young lady named Dora—who prided herself on being a good Catholic girl—we were returning from Miami Beach when I asked if she wanted to go to a hotel or something. She got furious, grabbed the phone from the center console by the antenna, and whacked me on the forehead with it while I was driving on the highway. Somehow, I managed to slow the car down safely and pull over.
I asked her why she did that, and she said she felt insulted. I apologized and promised to take her home. She felt so guilty that she apologized and changed her mind, but at that point, I wasn’t taking any more risks—I drove her home before she hit me with anything else.
Back then, a cell phone was also a hell of a weapon. Later, 911 buttons were added to phones for emergencies, though they were later removed—probably because people used them too often.
The Fake Bricks
If you didn’t have the money to buy a real Brick, you could spend $50 on a fake one. Some even had functioning buttons that made noise. Eventually, these turned into kids’ toys, so children could emulate their favorite Yuppies.
I had a girlfriend who had a fake Brick. One day, her car got broken into just because of that fake phone. The thief probably thought they were stealing an expensive status symbol, only to find out they’d stolen a glorified toy.
The Business Suit Disaster
One day, I had to make a presentation for some software or service to a major engineering firm’s board of directors. All the C-level executives were going to be there, so I put on my best Italian silk suit. This one was blue with a very light pinstripe, lightweight, and had a semi-gloss finish—perfect for making an impression.
The problem? The Brick was too big to fit in my suit pocket, and it didn’t quite fit in my briefcase at the time. But it did fit in my back pants pocket—at least until I sat down at the board table.
The silk tore instantly, and I was almost pantsless before I even got to the podium. Luckily, I found a stapler and managed to staple my pants together enough to give the presentation. Crisis averted—barely.
Evolution of Mobile Technology
The next phone I remember getting was in 1996. I could receive emails like bad text messages, no attachments, and only two lines at a time, 40 characters wide.
Internet and emails on phones didn’t truly become useful until about 2007.
What Does This Have to Do With AI?
I shared these stories not just so they wouldn’t be lost to time but to lead to a larger point.
Just like in 1988, when my Brick phone was the pinnacle of technology, and no one could have predicted today’s smartphones, we are now at a similar moment in history with AI. We can buy an iPhone that won’t break our pants, can’t be used as a club, yet is smarter than 90% of the world’s population and has access to all human knowledge.
The question is: Where do we go from here?
If we project forward, based on this technological evolution, here’s what the future could look like:
AI and Internet Development Timeline
- 1960 – Packet switching research begins.
- 1966 – ELIZA chatbot is created.
- 1969 – First ARPANET message sent.
- 1973 – TCP/IP protocol developed.
- 1983 – ARPANET switches to TCP/IP.
- 1989 – Tim Berners-Lee proposes the WWW.
- 1991 – First website goes live.
- 1995 – Windows 95 launches.
- 1998 – Google is founded.
- 2001 – Wikipedia launches.
- 2004 – Facebook launches.
- 2007 – iPhone is introduced.
- 2011 – IBM Watson wins Jeopardy!.
- 2016 – AlphaGo beats human champion.
- 2020 – GPT-3 revolutionizes AI text.
- 2022 – ChatGPT is released.
- 2024 – AI-powered video generation emerges.
- 2025 – AI-driven personal assistants advance.
- 2027 – AI-enhanced augmented reality mainstream.
- 2029 – AI passes the Turing Test.
- 2032 – Quantum internet begins deployment.
- 2035 – General AI surpasses human intelligence.
- 2040 – Brain-computer interfaces become common.
- 2045 – AI achieves superintelligence.
- 2050 – AI governs research and space travel.
- 2055 – Human-AI hybrids emerge.
- 2060 – AI enables faster-than-light data transmission.
- 2072 – Nanotechnology enables biological immortality.
- 2083 – Consciousness uploading begins.
- 2099 – Post-human AI entities explore the galaxy.
When I got my Brick phone in 1988, it was cutting-edge. No one predicted that, in just a few decades, we’d have AI-powered devices that fit in our pockets, act as personal assistants, and connect us to all of human knowledge.
The same will happen with AI. The tech we see today is just the beginning. The world in 2100 will be unrecognizable—just like 1988 seems ancient compared to today.
The question is: Where will we fall off?
EXTRA CREDIT
2025: The Year AI Meets Quantum Computing
Action at the Speed of Thought: The Real AI Revolution
AI – The Dawn of a New Era and the End of One
AI – the JOB DOZER
Colossus: When Machines Think: The Rise and Rebellion of AI in Film and Reality
Rewire YOURSELF!
The Devil’s Bargain we all Make!
WHAT IS A YUPPIE
The term Yuppie (short for Young Urban Professional) originated in the 1980s and is used to describe a young, ambitious, and career-oriented individual, typically living in an urban environment. Yuppies are often associated with high-paying jobs, a fast-paced lifestyle, consumerism, and a focus on personal success.
Characteristics of a Yuppie
- Education & Career-Driven: Typically well-educated, often holding degrees in business, finance, law, or technology, and working in competitive fields like investment banking, consulting, law, or tech startups.
- Affluent Lifestyle: Earns a high salary and spends money on luxury goods, upscale apartments, fine dining, and travel.
- Urban Living: Prefers to live in big cities like New York, San Francisco, or London, where networking and career opportunities are abundant.
- Status Symbols: Often seen driving luxury cars (BMWs, Porsches), wearing designer clothing (Armani, Ralph Lauren), and carrying high-end accessories (Rolex, Montblanc).
- Consumerism & Brand Consciousness: Emphasizes name brands, high-end restaurants, and the latest gadgets.
- Fitness & Wellness-Oriented: Frequently engages in gym memberships, yoga, cycling, and trendy diets like organic, keto, or plant-based eating.
- Technology Savvy: Uses the latest tech, such as high-end smartphones, smartwatches, and digital assistants.
Origins of the Term
The term became widely used in the 1980s, particularly in the United States, as a way to describe a new generation of young professionals who were ambitious, materialistic, and socially mobile. It was partly a reaction to the economic boom of the time, which allowed young professionals to achieve financial success quickly. The 1980s were marked by Reaganomics, deregulation, and Wall Street’s rise, making finance and corporate careers especially lucrative.
Pop Culture & Media Influence
- Movies like “Wall Street” (1987) – The character Gordon Gekko, famous for the phrase “Greed is good,” epitomized the yuppie culture of ambition and wealth accumulation.
- TV Shows like “L.A. Law” and “Miami Vice” – Showcased stylish, successful young professionals living in urban settings.
- Books like “The Bonfire of the Vanities” (1987) by Tom Wolfe – Satirized yuppie culture and the excesses of Wall Street.
Decline of the Yuppie Image
By the 1990s, the term “yuppie” became less favorable, often used to criticize materialism, arrogance, and greed. The dot-com bubble and later the 2008 financial crisis further shifted public attitudes, leading to the rise of new cultural archetypes like hipsters, millennials, and digital nomads, who emphasize experiences over material wealth.
Modern-Day Equivalents
While the classic 1980s yuppie may have faded, similar figures exist today under different labels:
- Tech Bro: The modern equivalent, often seen in Silicon Valley, working in startups, wearing Patagonia vests, and drinking kombucha.
- DINK (Dual Income, No Kids): Young urban professionals who focus on careers, travel, and luxury experiences rather than starting families.
- HENRYs (High Earners, Not Rich Yet): Professionals making good money but not yet wealthy due to high expenses and student debt.
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