Is there a revolutionary technology? Many Egyptians believe that there are such. a year ago, they used banned mobile phones, social networks and television channels to publicize the opposites in Tahrir Square.
When they heard the news, thousands of young people risked their lives to join them and overthrow the dictator Hosni Mubarak. On the anniversary of the revolution, Engadget met five Cairians of different ages and backgrounds to find out what gadgets they use to stay in touch with their world. For the love of freedom, democracy and at least one mobile reception bar, read on.
Egypt is a complex country in a complicated situation. Mubarak is gone, but now the army is running the show. Traveling around Cairo, it is clear that the revolution has not yet gone down in history. In many ways, it continues. Hundreds of thousands of people returned to Tahrir Square on the anniversary of the first major demonstration on January 25, but they were interested not so much in the memory, but in the pressure for faster democratic change.
In the midst of this constant upheaval, the Egyptians I met also tried to continue their careers and personal lives. In this regard, they are like people everywhere. When I told them that I was a tech blogger and that I wanted to talk about gadgets, it became clear that their use of mobile phones and computers is also quite ordinary except for one crucial difference. Mobile phones and the Internet died across the country during the first days of the opposite, as the increasingly desperate regime tried to prevent the spread of the revolt. As you will see, this power outage is always hot in people’s minds and they no longer take their gadgets for granted.
Rahma lives right on the outskirts of Cairo, where his balcony overlooks the desert and sand regularly blows through his windows. Being so far away means that you and your husband can afford a nice apartment, but it also means that traveling to this sprawling city for medical appointments has become an important and time-consuming part of your life. Google Maps is one of the main reasons why she switched to a smartphone after the old Nokia, which she had during the revolution, succumbed to her one-year-old son.
