18. Speakwrite
Speakwrite is voice recognition technology—a futuristic concept in 1949 and an everyday reality now. We may or may not have dictated this entire article.
19. Among other things, Orwell wrote 1984 because he feared a totalitarian state where the rich got richer.
In a letter he wrote in 1944, Orwell predicted that Hitler would soon disappear but only to be replaced by Stalin and Anglo-American millionaires. It’s not too far off the current state of affairs in America where the wealthy continue to increase their financial status while the middle class diappears and the poor continue to suffer.
20. This 1984 Apple ad introducing the first Macintosh personal computer.
Directed by Ridley Scott, this ad from Apple gives us a glimpse into what 1984 was thought to look like in the year 1984. Apple introduced the personal computer as a tool for personal freedom. Little did they know, the Internet would give the government (and Apple today) direct access to our personal information.
