Final answer:
Products representing the stages of the technology life cycle include Quantum Computing for technology development, the application launch, the Electric Vehicle for growth, the Smartphone for mature technology, and the iPod Classic for obsolescence. These stages highlight the progression from development to decline and the issue of technological inequality, as well as the concept of planned obsolescence.
Step-by-step explanation:
The stages of a technology life cycle include technology development, application launch, application growth, mature technology, and obsolescence. For each of these stages, we can identify a product that represents it:
- Technology Development: The development of Quantum Computing is currently underway, with companies like IBM investing heavily to gain an edge over competitors.
- Application Launch: It is an example of a new application launch, with products like the Apple Watch initially entering the market to much fanfare and growing interest.
- Application Growth: The Electric Vehicle (EV) market is in its growth phase, highlighted by the presence of companies like Tesla that have seen sales and interest surge in recent years.
- Mature Technology: Smartphones like the iPhone or Samsung Galaxy have reached technology maturity, with incremental improvements each year and widespread market penetration.
- Obsolescence: The Portable Media Player such as the iPod Classic has largely become obsolete, replaced by smartphones with integrated music capabilities.
Technological inequality and the issue of unequal access to technology mean that the benefits of technology are not distributed evenly across society. Planned obsolescence is a conscious decision by companies to design products with a limited lifespan, ensuring that consumers will need to replace them in the future. This can drive technological development but also can contribute to waste and economic pressure on consumers.