Editing 2000s (section)

== Science and technology ==
{{Main|2000s in science and technology}}

=== Science ===
==== Scientific Marks by Field ====
===== Archaeology =====
* 2003 – Fossils of a new dwarf species of human, ''[[Homo floresiensis]]'', were discovered on the island of [[Flores]], [[Indonesia]]. (report published initially October 2004).
* 2009 – Discovery of ''[[Ardipithecus ramidus]]''' a species of [[Hominin]] classified as an [[australopithecine]] of the genus ''[[Ardipithecus]]''. ''[[Ardipithecus kadabba|A. kadabba]]'' was considered to be a subspecies of ''A. ramidus'' until 2004.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Haile-Selassie |first1=Yohannes |last2=Suwa |first2=Gen |last3=White |first3=Tim D. |title=Late Miocene Teeth from Middle Awash, Ethiopia, and Early Hominid Dental Evolution |journal=Science |date=5 March 2004 |volume=303 |issue=5663 |pages=1503–1505 |doi=10.1126/science.1092978 |pmid=15001775 |bibcode=2004Sci...303.1503H |s2cid=30387762}}</ref>

===== Biology =====
* 2001 – The world's first self-contained [[artificial heart]] was implanted in [[Robert Tools]].
* 2002 – The [[2002–2004 SARS outbreak]] occurred in China and Hong Kong.
* 2003 – The [[Human Genome Project]] was completed, with a 92% accuracy.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2022-04-11 |title=First complete sequence of a human genome |url=https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/first-complete-sequence-human-genome |access-date=2024-12-18 |website=National Institutes of Health (NIH) |language=EN}}</ref>
* 2005 – [[National Geographic Society]] and [[IBM]] established [[The Genographic Project]], which aims to trace the ancestry of every living human down to a single male ancestor.
* 2005 – Surgeons in France carried out the first successful partial human [[face transplant]].
* 2005 – Equipped with genome data and field observations of organisms from microbes to mammals, biologists made huge strides toward understanding the mechanisms by which living creatures [[Evolution|evolve]].
* 2006 – Australian scientist [[Ian Frazer]] developed a [[vaccine]] for the [[Human Papillomavirus]], a common cause of [[cervical cancer]].
* 2007 – [[RNA interference|RNA]], long upstaged by its more glamorous sibling, DNA, is turning out to have star qualities of its own. Science hails these electrifying discoveries, which are prompting biologists to overhaul their vision of the cell and its evolution.
* 2008 – By inserting genes that turn back a [[Cellular reprogramming|cell's developmental clock]], researchers are gaining insights into disease and the biology of how a cell decides its fate.
* 2008 – Launch of the [[1000 Genomes Project]] an international research effort to establish by far the most detailed catalogue of [[human genetic variation]].
* 2009 – Launch of the [[Human Connectome Project]] to build a [[connectome|network map]] that will shed light on the anatomical and functional connectivity within the healthy [[human brain]], as well as to produce a body of data that will facilitate research into [[brain disorder]]s.
* 2009 – A new strain of [[H1N1]] virus first detected in [[Mexico]] spread to the world, resulting in the [[2009 swine flu pandemic]].
* 2022 – Scientists successfully sequenced the last 8% of the human genome. The fully sequenced standard reference gene is called GRCh38.p14, and it contains 3.1 billion base pairs.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hartley |first=Gabrielle |date=2022-03-31 |title=The Human Genome Project pieced together only 92% of the DNA – now scientists have finally filled in the remaining 8% |url=https://theconversation.com/the-human-genome-project-pieced-together-only-92-of-the-dna-now-scientists-have-finally-filled-in-the-remaining-8-176138 |access-date=2024-12-18 |website=The Conversation |language=en-US}}</ref>

===== Mathematics =====
* 2006 – [[Grigori Perelman]] is a Russian [[mathematician]] who has made landmark contributions to [[Riemannian geometry]] and [[geometric topology]]. In 2003, he proved [[geometrization conjecture|Thurston's geometrization conjecture]]. This consequently solved in the affirmative the [[Poincaré conjecture]], posed in 1904, which before its solution was viewed as one of the most important and difficult open problems in [[topology]]. In August 2006, Perelman was awarded the [[Fields Medal]]<ref>{{cite web |work=International Mathematical Union (IMU) – Prizes |title=Fields Medals 2006 |url=http://www.mathunion.org/general/prizes/2006/ |access-date=April 30, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130617222042/http://www.mathunion.org/General/Prizes/2006/ |archive-date=June 17, 2013}}</ref> for "his contributions to geometry and his revolutionary insights into the analytical and geometric structure of the [[Ricci flow]]." Perelman declined to accept the award or to appear at the [[International Congress of Mathematicians|congress]], stating: "I'm not interested in money or fame, I don't want to be on display like an animal in a zoo."<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8585407.stm Russian maths genius Perelman urged to take $1m prize] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170817211802/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8585407.stm |date=August 17, 2017 }} bbc.co.uk, Wednesday, March 24, 2010.</ref> On December 22, 2006, the journal ''[[Science (journal)|Science]]'' recognized Perelman's proof of the Poincaré conjecture as the scientific "[[Breakthrough of the Year]]", the first such recognition in the area of mathematics.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mackenzie |first1=Dana |title=The Poincaré Conjecture--Proved |journal=Science |date=22 December 2006 |volume=314 |issue=5807 |pages=1848–1849 |doi=10.1126/science.314.5807.1848 |pmid=17185565 |doi-access=free}}</ref> The Poincaré conjecture is one of the seven [[Millennium Problems]] and the first to be solved.

===== Physics =====
* 2001 – Scientists assembled molecules into basic [[Molecular circuit|circuits]], raising hopes for a new world of [[nanoelectronics]]. If researchers can wire these circuits into intricate computer chip architectures, this new generation of molecular electronics will undoubtedly provide computing power to launch scientific breakthroughs for decades.
* 2008 – [[CERN]]'s [[Large Hadron Collider]], the [[List of accelerators in particle physics#Hadron colliders|world's largest and highest-energy]] [[particle accelerator]] ever made, was completed in 2008.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/space/11/13/water.moon.nasa/index.html |work=CNN |title=NASA finds 'significant' water on moon |access-date=April 21, 2010 |date=November 14, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100406133228/http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/space/11/13/water.moon.nasa/index.html |archive-date=April 6, 2010}}</ref>

===== Space =====
[[File:Opportunity in Endurance Crater (cropped).jpg|thumb|Artist Concept of the [[NASA]] [[Mars Exploration Rover]] ''[[Opportunity (rover)|Opportunity]]'' on [[Mars]]]]
[[File:Water Around Fresh Moon Crater.jpg|thumb|These images show water in a very young lunar crater on the side of the Moon that faces away from Earth.]]
* 2000 – Beginning on November 2, 2000, the [[International Space Station]] has remained continuously inhabited. The [[Space Shuttle program|Space Shuttles]] helped make it the largest [[space station]] in history, despite one of the Shuttles [[Space Shuttle Columbia disaster|disintegrating upon re-entry]] in 2003. By the end of 2009 the station was supporting [[Expedition 22|5 long-duration crew members]].
* 2001 – [[Space tourism]]/[[Private spaceflight]] begins with American [[Dennis Tito]], paying Russia US$20 million for a week-long stay to the [[International Space Station]].
* 2004 – The [[Mars Exploration Rover]] (MER) Mission successfully reached the surface of [[Mars]] in 2004, and sent detailed data and images of the landscape there back to Earth. ''[[Opportunity (rover)|Opportunity]]'' discovers evidence that an area of [[Mars]] was once covered in water. Both rovers were each expected to last only 90 days, however both completely exceeded expectations and continued to explore through the end of the decade and beyond.
* 2004 – [[Scaled Composites]]' [[SpaceShipOne]] becomes the first privately built and operated [[human spaceflight|crewed spacecraft]] to achieve [[spaceflight]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.space.com/16769-spaceshipone-first-private-spacecraft.html |title=SpaceShipOne: The First Private Spacecraft – The Most Amazing Flying Machines Ever |last=Sharp |first=Tim |publisher=Space.com |date=July 26, 2012 |access-date=July 18, 2014 |archive-date=November 15, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151115053931/http://www.space.com/16769-spaceshipone-first-private-spacecraft.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
* 2004 – ''[[Cassini-Huygens]]'' becomes the first space probe to orbit [[Saturn]], with ''Huygens'' landing on the moon [[Titan (moon)|Titan]] in 2005.
* 2004 – The [[astrophysicist]] and [[radio astronomer]] [[Naomi McClure-Griffiths]] identifies a new [[spiral arm]] of the [[Milky Way]] galaxy<ref>{{Cite web |title=Milky Way spiral gets an extra arm |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn4959-milky-way-spiral-gets-an-extra-arm/ |access-date=2024-12-14 |website=New Scientist |language=en-US}}</ref>
* 2006 – As a result of the discovery of [[Eris (dwarf planet)|Eris]], a [[Kuiper Belt]] object larger than [[Pluto]], Pluto is demoted to a "[[dwarf planet]]" after being considered a planet for 76 years, redefining the [[Solar System]] to have eight planets and three dwarf planets.
* 2009 – After having analyzed the data from the [[LCROSS]] lunar impact, in 2009 [[NASA]] announced that the discovery of a "significant" quantity of [[Lunar water|water]] in the [[Moon]]'s [[Cabeus (crater)|Cabeus]] crater.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2009/nov/HQ_09-265_LCROSS_Confirms_Water.html |title=NASA's LCROSS Impacts Confirm Water in Lunar Crater |publisher=NASA |date=November 13, 2009 |access-date=November 21, 2009 |quote=Preliminary data from NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, indicates the mission successfully uncovered water in a permanently shadowed lunar crater. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091115180658/http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2009/nov/HQ_09-265_LCROSS_Confirms_Water.html |archive-date=November 15, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/space/11/13/water.moon.nasa/index.html |work=CNN |title=NASA finds 'significant' water on moon |date=November 13, 2009 |access-date=November 21, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091116064753/http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/space/11/13/water.moon.nasa/index.html |archive-date=November 16, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* 2009 – [[Physical cosmology|Astrophysicists]] studying the [[universe]] confirm [[Age of the universe|its age]] at 13.7 billion years,<ref>{{cite web |author=WMAP mission |title=The Age of the Universe with New Accuracy |url=http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/m_mm/mr_age.html |date=March 16, 2006 |publisher=NASA |access-date=November 30, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130224025934/http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/m_mm/mr_age.html |archive-date=February 24, 2013}}</ref> discover that it will most likely [[cosmic inflation|expand]] forever without limit, and conclude that only 4% of the universe's contents are ordinary [[matter]] (the other 96% being still-mysterious [[dark matter]], [[dark energy]], and [[dark flow]]).

=== Technology ===
==== Automobiles ====
* [[Automotive navigation system]]s become widely popular making it possible to direct vehicles to any destination in real-time as well as detect traffic and suggest alternate routes with the use of [[GPS navigation device]]s.
* Greater interest in [[future energy development]] due to [[global warming]] and the potential exhaustion of [[crude oil]]. [[Photovoltaic]]s increase in popularity as a result.
* The [[Hybrid vehicle]]s market, which became somewhat popular towards the middle of the decade, underwent major advances notably typified by such cars as the [[Toyota Prius]], [[Ford Escape]], and the [[Honda Insight]] though by December 2010 they accounted for less than 0.5% of the world cars.
* Many more computers and other technologies were implemented in vehicles throughout the decade such as: [[Xenon HID headlamp|Xenon HID headlights]], [[GPS]], [[DVD player]]s, self-diagnosing systems, memory systems for car settings, back-up sensors and cameras, in-car media systems, MP3 player compatibility, [[USB]] drive compatibility, [[Remote keyless system|keyless start and entry]], [[satellite radio]], [[Voice command device|voice-activation]], cellphone connectivity, [[Head-Up Display|HUD]] (Head-Up-Display) and [[infrared camera]]s. In addition, more safety features were implemented in vehicles throughout the decade such as: [[Precrash system|advanced pre-collision safety systems]], [[Backup camera]]s, [[Blind spot monitor]], [[Adaptive cruise control]], [[Adaptive headlamp]]s, [[Automatic parking]], [[Lane departure warning system]]s and the [[Advanced Automatic Collision Notification]] system [[Onstar]] (on all GM models).
* The sale of [[Crossover (automobile)|Crossovers]] (CUVs), a type of car-based [[Vehicle frame#Unibody|unibody]] [[sports utility vehicle]], increased in the 2000s.<ref name="cnn1">{{cite news |title=GM and Ford's New Cross to Bear |work=CNN Money |first=Chris |last=Isidore |date=January 9, 2006 |url=https://money.cnn.com/2006/01/09/Autos/detroit_crossovers/index.htm |access-date=July 27, 2015 |archive-date=March 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150324024805/http://money.cnn.com/2006/01/09/Autos/detroit_crossovers/index.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> By 2006, the segment came into strong visibility in the U.S., when crossover sales "made up more than 50% of the overall SUV market".<ref>{{cite news |title=Crossover vehicles pass up SUVs on road to growing sales |newspaper=USA Today |date=May 3, 2006 |first=Sharon Silke |last=Carty |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/autos/2006-05-03-crossover-usat_x.htm |access-date=July 27, 2015 |archive-date=March 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316230333/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/autos/2006-05-03-crossover-usat_x.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> <gallery widths="190px" perrow="5">
File:Mapas Digitales 2 (cropped).jpg|[[GPS]] devices for automobiles gained massive popularity during the decade
File:Collision Warning Brake Support.jpg|[[Precrash system|Collision Warning with Brake Support]] on the 2009 [[Lincoln MKS]]
</gallery>

==== Communications ====
[[File:Texting.jpg|thumb|The popularity of mobile phones and [[text messaging]] surged in the 2000s in the Western world.]]
* The popularity of mobile phones and [[text messaging]] surged in the 2000s in the Western world. The advent of text messaging made possible new forms of interaction that were not possible before, leading to positive implications such as having the ability to receive information on the move. Nevertheless, it also led to negative social implications such as "[[cyberbullying]]" and the rise of traffic collisions caused by drivers who were distracted as they were [[texting while driving]].
* [[Mobile internet]], first launched in Japan with the [[i-mode]] in 1999, became increasingly popular with people in developed countries throughout the decade, thanks to improving cell phone capabilities and advances in mobile telecommunications technology, such as [[GPRS]] and [[3G]].
* E-mail continued to be popular throughout the decade. It began to replace "[[snail mail]]" (also known, more neutrally, as '''paper mail''', '''postal mail''', '''land mail''', or simply '''mail''' or '''post''') as the primary way of sending letters and other messages to people in faraway locations, though it has been available since 1971.
* [[Social networking site]]s arose as a new way for people to stay in touch no matter where they are, as long as they have an [[internet connection]]. The earliest social networking sites were [[Friendster]], [[Myspace]], [[Facebook]], and [[Twitter]] in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2006, respectively. Myspace was the most popular social networking website until June 2009 when Facebook overtook Myspace in the number of American users.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/former-myspace-ceo-reveals-what-facebook-did-right-to-dominate-social-media/ |title=Former MySpace CEO explains why MySpace lost out to Facebook so badly |first=Marc |last=Schenker |publisher=Digital Trends |date=May 12, 2015 |access-date=December 21, 2017 |archive-date=December 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222051826/https://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/former-myspace-ceo-reveals-what-facebook-did-right-to-dominate-social-media/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Smartphone]]s, which combine mobile phones with the features of [[personal digital assistant]]s and [[portable media player]]s, first emerged in the 1990s but did not become popular until the late 2000s. Smartphones are rich in features and often have high resolution [[touchscreen]]s and [[web browser]]s. The first modern smartphone was the [[iPhone (1st generation)|iPhone 2G]], one of the earliest smartphones to not include a physical keyboard, solely utilizing a touch screen and a home button, which would later become standard across the industry. It was released in June 2007 in the [[United States]], and in November 2007 in a number of territories in Western Europe.
* Due to the major success of broadband Internet connections, [[Voice over IP|VoIP]] starts to gain popularity as a replacement for [[Plain old telephone service|traditional telephone]] lines. VoIP was largely popularized by [[Skype]].<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/28/microsoft-skype/</ref>

==== Computing and Internet ====
In the 2000s, the Internet became a mainstay, strengthening its grip on Western society while becoming increasingly available in the developing world. The share of the world population using the internet grew from 6.7% to 25.7%.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Share of the population using the Internet |url=https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/share-of-individuals-using-the-internet |access-date=2023-01-09 |website=Our World in Data |archive-date=January 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230109203722/https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/share-of-individuals-using-the-internet |url-status=live}}</ref>
{{Main|Timeline of computing 2000–2009}}
[[File:Google 2011 logo.png|thumb|[[Google Search|Google]] becomes the Internet's most visited website.]]
* A huge jump in [[Broadband internet access|broadband internet usage]] globally – for example, from 6% of U.S. internet users in June 2000<ref>{{cite web |author=Bethea, Neil |first2=Jacob |last2=Williams |first3=Yiwen |last3=Yu |name-list-style=amp |title=Broadband services in the United States |quote=Growth of Broadband Users:June 2000:total:4,367,434 |publisher=Ohio State University |date=June 2003 |page=9 |url=http://www.nrri.ohio-state.edu/dspace/bitstream/2068/814/3/Article+1-Bethea+_Broadband_.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060904211822/http://www.nrri.ohio-state.edu/dspace/bitstream/2068/814/3/Article%2B1-Bethea%2B_Broadband_.pdf |archive-date=September 4, 2006 |access-date=November 30, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> to what one mid-decade study predicted would be 62% by 2010.<ref>{{cite web |last=Sharma |first=Dinesh |title=Study: Broadband penetration to surge by 2010 |date=August 2, 2005 |publisher=CNET News.com |url=http://news.cnet.com/Study+Broadband+penetration+to+surge+by+2010/2100-1034_3-5815756.html |access-date=November 30, 2011 |archive-date=July 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714125210/http://news.cnet.com/Study%2BBroadband%2Bpenetration%2Bto%2Bsurge%2Bby%2B2010/2100-1034_3-5815756.html |url-status=live}}</ref> By February 2007, over 80% of U.S. Internet users were connected via broadband and broadband internet has been almost a required standard for quality internet browsing.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.websiteoptimization.com/bw/0703/ |title=US Broadband Penetration Breaks 80% Among Active Internet Users |publisher=WebSiteOptimization.com |date=May 2007 |access-date=November 30, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131030184150/http://www.websiteoptimization.com/bw/0703/ |archive-date=October 30, 2013}}</ref>
* [[Wireless internet]] became prominent by the end of the decade, as well as internet access in devices besides computers, such as mobile phones and gaming consoles.
* Email became a standard form of interpersonal written communication, with popular addresses available to the public on [[Outlook.com|Hotmail (now Outlook.com)]], [[Gmail]] and [[Yahoo! Mail]].
* [[Text normalization|Normalisation]] became increasingly important as massive standardized [[corpus linguistics|corpora]] and [[lexicon]]s of spoken and written language became widely available to [[Layman|laypeople]], just as documents from the paperless office were archived and retrieved with increasing efficiency using [[XML]]-based markup.
* [[Peer-to-peer]] technology gained massive popularity with [[file sharing]] systems enabling users to share any audio, video and data files or anything in digital format, as well as with applications which share real-time data, such as [[Voice over IP|telephony]] traffic.
* [[Virtual private network|VPNs]] (virtual private networks) became likewise accessible to the general public, and data encryption remained a major issue for the stability of web commerce.
* Boom in music downloading and the use of [[data compression]] to quickly transfer music over the Internet, with a corresponding rise of portable digital audio players. As a result, the [[entertainment industry]] struggled through the decade to find digital delivery systems for music, movies, and other media that reduce [[copyright infringement]] and preserve profit.
* The [[USB flash drive]] replaces the [[floppy disk]] as the preferred form of low-capacity mobile data storage.
* In February 2003, [[Dell]] announced floppy drives would no longer be pre-installed on [[Dell Dimension]] home computers, although they were still available as a selectable option and purchasable as an aftermarket [[Original Equipment Manufacturer|OEM]] add-on.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2905953.stm |title=R.I.P. Floppy Disk |work=BBC News |date=April 1, 2003 |access-date=July 19, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216235741/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2905953.stm |archive-date=February 16, 2009}}</ref> On January 29, 2007, [[PC World (retailer)|PC World]] stated that only 2% of the computers they sold contained built-in [[floppy disk]] drives; once present stocks were exhausted, no more standard floppies would be sold.<ref name="PCW">{{cite news |last=Derbyshire |first=David |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/01/30/nfloppy30.xml |title=Floppy disks ejected as demand slumps |newspaper=Daily Telegraph |date=January 30, 2007 |access-date=July 19, 2011 |location=London |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080420083540/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fnews%2F2007%2F01%2F30%2Fnfloppy30.xml |archive-date=April 20, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* During the decade, [[Windows 2000]], [[Windows XP|XP]], [[Microsoft Office 2003]], [[Windows Vista|Vista]]{{dubious|reason=Vista was never widely adopted with the majority of Windows users choosing to stick with XP.|date=February 2015}} and [[Microsoft Office 2007|Office 2007]] (and later [[Windows 7]]{{dubious|reason=Windows 7 only became available in the last 3 months of the decade as a result, it did not become widely adopted until the 2010s.|date=February 2015}}) become the ubiquitous industry standards{{dubious|reason=These proprietary products were widely adopted (except Vista) but no "industry standard" was ever formalised or published.|date=February 2015}} in personal computer software until the end of the decade, when Apple began to slowly gain market share. [[Windows ME]] and [[Microsoft Office XP]] were also released during the decade.
* With the advent of the [[Web 2.0]], dynamic technology became widely accessible, and by the mid-2000s, [[PHP]] and [[MySQL]] became (with [[Apache HTTP Server|Apache]] and [[nginx]]) the backbone of many sites, making programming knowledge unnecessary to publish to the web. Blogs, [[web portal|portals]], and [[wiki]]s become common electronic dissemination methods for professionals, amateurs, and businesses to conduct [[knowledge management]] typified by success of the online encyclopedia Wikipedia which launched on January 15, 2001, grew rapidly and became the largest and most popular general reference work on the Internet<ref name="Woodson">{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN0819429120070708 |title=Wikipedia remains go-to site for online news |date=July 8, 2007 |first=Alex |last=Woodson |work=Reuters |access-date=December 16, 2007 |quote=Online encyclopedia Wikipedia has added about 20 million unique monthly visitors in the past year, making it the top online news and information destination, according to Nielsen&#x2F;/NetRatings. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071121104746/https://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN0819429120070708 |archive-date=November 21, 2007}}</ref><ref name="AlexaTop500">{{cite web |url=http://www.alexa.com/site/ds/top_sites?ts_mode=global&lang=none |title=Top 500 |publisher=[[Alexa Internet|Alexa]] |access-date=October 13, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090302215553/http://www.alexa.com//site//ds//top_sites?ts_mode=global&lang=none |archive-date=March 2, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> as well as the best known [[wiki]] in the world and the largest encyclopedia in the world.
* [[Open-source software]], such as the [[Linux]] operating system, the [[Firefox|Mozilla Firefox]] web browser and [[VLC media player]], gain ground.
* [[e-commerce|Internet commerce]] became standard for reservations; stock trading; promotion of music, arts, literature, and film; shopping; and other activities.
* During this decade certain websites and search engines became prominent worldwide as transmitters of goods, services and information. Some of the most popular and successful online sites or search engines of the 2000s included [[Google]], [[Yahoo!]], Wikipedia, [[Amazon.com|Amazon]], [[eBay]], MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
* More and more businesses began providing [[paperless office|paperless]] services, clients accessing bills and bank statements directly through a [[web interface]].
* In 2007, the fast food chain [[McDonald's]] announced the introduction of free high speed wireless internet access at most of its 1,200 restaurants by the end of the year in a move which will make it the UK's biggest provider of such a service.<ref>{{cite news |last=Smithers |first=Rebecca |title=McDonald's to offer free Wi-Fi in restaurants |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2007/oct/06/internet |access-date=February 26, 2013 |location=London |date=October 5, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130122210426/http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/oct/06/internet |archive-date=January 22, 2013}}</ref>

==== Popular websites ====
[[Google]], [[YouTube]], [[Ask.com]] and [[Wikipedia]] emerged as popular websites, becoming the 2nd, 3rd, 7th and 9th most popular websites by the end of the decade respectively. [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]] overtook [[eBay]] as the most-visited e-commerce site in 2008. [[AOL]] significantly declined in popularity throughout the decade, falling from being the most popular website to no longer being within the top 10. [[Excite (web portal)|Excite]] and [[Lycos]] fell outside the top 10, and [[MSN]] fell from the second to sixth most popular site, though it quadrupled its monthly visits (going from 325 to 1.2 billion monthly visits). [[Lycos|Yahoo!]] maintained relatively stable popularity, remaining the most popular website for most of the decade.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Eagle |first=James |date=2022-09-09 |title=Animation: The Most Popular Websites by Web Traffic (1993–2022) |url=https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/most-popular-websites-by-web-traffic/ |access-date=2023-01-09 |website=Visual Capitalist |language=en-US |archive-date=January 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230109190557/https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/most-popular-websites-by-web-traffic/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Walkman NWZ-810 & iPod Nano 5G.jpg|thumb|The rise of [[Portable media player|MP3 players]], [[download]]able music, and cellular [[ringtone]]s in the mid-2000s ended the decade-long dominance that the [[Compact disc|CD]] held up to that point.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lynskey |first=Dorian |date=2015-05-28 |title=How the compact disc lost its shine |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/may/28/how-the-compact-disc-lost-its-shine |access-date=2024-02-05 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=July 31, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180731041216/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/may/28/how-the-compact-disc-lost-its-shine |url-status=live}}</ref>]]

==== Electronics ====
* [[Global Positioning System|GPS]] (Global Positioning System) became very popular especially in the tracking of items or people, and the use in cars (see [[Automotive navigation system]]s). Games that utilized the system, such as [[geocaching]], emerged and became popular.
* Green [[laser pointer]]s<ref>[http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/laserpic/glpdpics.htm Sam's Laser FAQ: Dissection of Green Laser Pointer]. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522190301/http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/laserpic/glpdpics.htm|date=May 22, 2013 }}</ref> appeared on the market circa 2000, and are the most common type of DPSS lasers (also called DPSSFD for "diode pumped solid state frequency-doubled").

In late 2004 and early 2005, came a significant increase in reported incidents linked to [[laser pointer]]s – see [[Lasers and aviation safety]]. The wave of incidents may have been triggered in part by "copycats" who read press accounts of laser pointer incidents. In one case, David Banach of New Jersey was charged under federal [[Patriot Act]] anti-terrorism laws, after he allegedly shone a laser pointer at aircraft.<ref>{{cite news |last=Levin |first=Alan |url=https://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2005-01-04-laser-aircraft_x.htm |title=N.J. man charged with aiming laser at aircraft |work=USA Today |date=January 5, 2005 |access-date=February 17, 2013 |archive-date=April 6, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406095716/http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2005-01-04-laser-aircraft_x.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[Chip and PIN]] is the brand name adopted by the banking industries in the [[United Kingdom]] and [[Ireland]] for the rollout of the EMV smart card payment system for credit, debit and [[Automated teller machine|ATM]] cards.

Chip and PIN was trialled in [[Northampton]], [[England]] from May 2003, and as a result was rolled out nationwide in the United Kingdom in 2004 with advertisements in the press and national television touting the "Safety in Numbers" slogan.
* In 2009, [[Tesco]] (a British multinational grocery and general merchandise retailer) opened its first UK branch at which service robots were the only option at the checkout, in Kingsley, [[Northampton]] – its US chain, [[Fresh & Easy]], already operates several branches like this.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hancox |first=Dan |title=How Britain became a self-service nation |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/how-britain-became-a-selfservice-nation-2241830.html |newspaper=Independent |access-date=February 22, 2013 |location=London |date=March 15, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130828144034/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/how-britain-became-a-selfservice-nation-2241830.html |archive-date=August 28, 2013}}</ref>
* September 7, 2009, an EU watchdog warns of an "alarming increase" in cash machine fraud by organised criminal gangs across Europe using sophisticated skimming technology, together with an explosion in ram-raiding attacks on [[Automated teller machine|ATMs]].

ATM crime in Europe jumped to €485m (£423m) in 2008 following a 149% rise in attacks on cash machines. Gangs are turning to [[Bluetooth]] wireless technology to transmit card and [[personal identification number]] (PIN) details to nearby [[laptops]] and using increasingly sophisticated techniques to skim cards.

Portable laptops became popular during the late 2000s.

More conventional smash-and-grab attacks are also on the rise, says Enisa, the [[European Network and Information Security Agency]]. It reports a 32% rise in physical robberies on ATMs, ranging from ram raids to the use of rotary saws, blowtorches and diamond drills. It blames the increase on criminal gangs from eastern Europe.<ref>{{cite news |last=Collinson |first=Patrick |title=Huge rise in cash-machine crime, watchdog warns |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/sep/07/cash-machine-crime-increase-fraud |access-date=February 24, 2013 |location=London |date=September 7, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110206184803/http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/sep/07/cash-machine-crime-increase-fraud |archive-date=February 6, 2011}}</ref>

<gallery widths="190px" perrow="5">
File:Ipod 5th Generation white bijgewerkt.jpg|Digital audio players, especially the [[iPod]], gained massive popularity during the decade
File:T-DSL Modem - original photo.jpg|A [[DSL]] modem from the 2000s. During the decade broadband Internet connection gained massive popularity around the world and gradually replaced internet connection via telephone lines.
File:IFA 2005 Panasonic Blu-ray Disc Single Layer 25GB BD-RE (LM-BRM25) (Cartridge) (by HDTVTotalDOTcom) v2.jpg|During the decade the [[Blu-ray]] format became dominant successor of to the [[DVD]] format
File:MacBook Air.jpg|The [[MacBook Air]] also saw popularity in the late 2000s
</gallery>

==== Robotics ====
[[File:Laproscopic Surgery Robot.jpg|The [[Da Vinci Surgical System|Da Vinci surgical robot]] which enables doing accurate robotic surgeries was introduced in the 2000s|thumb|140px]]
* The [[U.S. Army]] used increasingly effective [[unmanned aerial vehicles]] in war zones, such as [[Afghanistan]].
* Emerging use of [[robotics]], especially [[telerobotics]] in medicine, particularly for [[Robotic surgery|surgery]].
* [[Home automation]] and home robotics advance in North America; [[iRobot]]'s "[[Roomba]]" is the most successful domestic robot and has sold 1.5 million units.

==== Transportation ====
[[File:Segway PT (2006)-02.jpg|The [[Segway]] was unveiled in December 2001|thumb|120px]]
* [[Competition between Airbus and Boeing]], the two largest remaining airliner manufacturers, intensified, with pan-European [[Airbus]] outselling American [[Boeing]] for the first time during this decade.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/10/22/how-airbus-achieved-the-miracle-of---------keeping-a-european-pr/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/10/22/how-airbus-achieved-the-miracle-of---------keeping-a-european-pr/ |archive-date=January 11, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=How Airbus achieved the miracle of keeping a European project flying |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=October 22, 2016 |access-date=November 28, 2016 |first=Alan |last=Tovey}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
** Airbus launched the [[double-deck aircraft|double-decker]] [[Airbus A380]], the largest passenger aircraft ever to enter production.<ref>{{cite web |title=Airbus A380 Facts & Figures |date=June 2016 |publisher=Airbus |url=http://www.airbus.com/presscentre/corporate-information/key-documents/?eID=maglisting_push&tx_maglisting_pi1%5BdocID%5D=109179 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010184524/http://www.airbus.com/presscentre/corporate-information/key-documents/?eID=maglisting_push&tx_maglisting_pi1%5BdocID%5D=109179 |archive-date=October 10, 2016}}</ref>
** The [[Boeing 787 Dreamliner]], the first mass-production aircraft manufactured primarily with [[composite material]]s, had its maiden flight.<ref name=FG_takeoff>{{Cite journal |last=Ostrower |first=Jon |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/12/15/336211/breaking-video.html |title=Boeing 787 Dreamliner lifts off on maiden flight |journal=Flight International |date=December 15, 2009 |access-date=September 2, 2011 |archive-date=December 20, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091220235007/http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/12/15/336211/breaking-video.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
** Production of the [[Boeing 757]], Boeing's largest single-aisle airliner, ended with no replacement.<ref name="B757">{{cite web |url=http://www.businessinsider.de/boeing-757-airline-demand-la-compagnie-2016-5?r=US&IR=T |title=Boeing made a 'major mistake' 12 years ago that left its customers in the lurch |first=Benjamin |last=Zhang |date=May 26, 2016 |access-date=November 28, 2016 |website=Business Insider |archive-date=November 28, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161128195532/http://www.businessinsider.de/boeing-757-airline-demand-la-compagnie-2016-5?r=US&IR=T |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* The [[Concorde]], a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner or supersonic transport (SST), was retired in 2003 due to a general downturn in the aviation industry after the type's only [[Air France Flight 4590|crash in 2000]], the [[9/11 terrorist attacks]] in 2001 and a decision by [[Airbus]], the successor firm of [[Aerospatiale]] and BAC, to discontinue maintenance support.
* December 9, 2005 – The [[London Transport Executive]] [[AEC Routemaster]] double-decker bus was officially withdrawn from 51 years general service in the UK. In the [[2008 London mayoral election]] campaign, prospective mayor [[Boris Johnson]] made several commitments to change the London Buses vehicle policy, namely to introduce a new Routemaster, and [[Buses in London#New Routemaster and bendy bus withdrawal|remove the bendy buses]].
* [[High-speed rail]] projects opened across Asia and Europe, and rail services saw record passenger numbers.
** The [[Acela Express]], the first full high-speed service in North America, started on the [[Northeast Corridor]] in 2000.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=M2 Presswire |date=November 17, 2000 |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-67162158.html |title=U.S. Transportation Secretary Slater celebrates inaugural run of Acela Express high-speed rail service |access-date=August 29, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026120746/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-67162158.html |archive-date=October 26, 2012}}</ref>
** The [[Qinhuangdao–Shenyang High-Speed Railway]] opened, becoming the first [[high-speed railway]] in China.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-107756365.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409050721/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-107756365.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 9, 2016 |title=China opens first dedicated high-speed line: China continues to expand its railway network. It is also improving the technology it employs in constructing new lines and developing new rolling stock in an effort to increase train speeds |work=International Railway Journal |date=August 1, 2003 |access-date=May 3, 2015}}</ref>
** [[High Speed 1]], the first true high-speed line in the United Kingdom, opened in stages between 2003 and 2007, cutting travel times between Paris, Brussels and London considerably.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.eurostar.com/UK/uk/leisure/about_eurostar/press_release/press_archive_2006/14_11_2006_november_14_07.jsp |website=[[Eurostar]] |date=November 14, 2006 |title=Eurostar to launch passenger services at St Pancras International on Wednesday 14 November 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070228213525/http://www.eurostar.com/UK/uk/leisure/about_eurostar/press_release/press_archive_2006/14_11_2006_november_14_07.jsp |archive-date=February 28, 2007}}</ref>
** [[Taiwan High Speed Rail]] opened in 2007, connecting cities down the island's west coast.<ref name="khi-700T">{{cite journal |title=Take a Ride on the Taiwan High Speed Rail |journal=Scope |publisher=Kawasaki Heavy Industries |date=January 2007 |url=http://www.khi.co.jp/scope/pdf_e/scope72.pdf |access-date=November 28, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091229135028/http://www.khi.co.jp/scope/pdf_e/scope72.pdf |archive-date=December 29, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
** [[HSL-Zuid]] opened in 2009, linking Amsterdam to the European high-speed network for the first time.<ref name=rgi20090907>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/10/ns-hispeed-launches-hsl-zuid-services.html |title=NS Hispeed launches HSL-Zuid services |magazine=[[Railway Gazette International]] |date=September 7, 2009 |access-date=November 28, 2016 |archive-date=July 2, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100702043118/http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/10/ns-hispeed-launches-hsl-zuid-services.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==== Video ====
* [[Digital camera]]s become widely popular due to rapid decreases in size and cost while photo resolution steadily increases. As a result, the digital cameras largely supplanted the [[analog camera]]s and the integration into [[camera phone|mobile phones]] increase greatly. Since 2007, digital cameras started being manufactured with the [[face recognition]] feature built in.<ref>{{cite book |doi=10.1109/ISSCS.2007.4292641 |chapter=A Review of Face Recognition Techniques for In-Camera Applications |title=2007 International Symposium on Signals, Circuits and Systems |year=2007 |last1=Iancu |first1=Claudia |last2=Corcoran |first2=Peter |last3=Costache |first3=Gabriel |pages=1–4 |hdl=10379/1344 |isbn=978-1-4244-0968-6 |s2cid=39811202}}</ref>
* [[Flat panel display]]s started becoming widely popular in the second half of the decade displacing [[cathode-ray tube]]s.<ref>{{cite news |last=Miller |first=Michael J. |url=http://blogs.pcmag.com/miller/2009/12/top_technologies_of_the_decade.php |title=Top Technologies of The Decade |publisher=Blogs.pcmag.com |date=December 14, 2009 |access-date=February 14, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110801003946/http://blogs.pcmag.com/miller/2009/12/top_technologies_of_the_decade.php |archive-date=August 1, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews_deca/ynews_deca_ts1012 |title=Yahoo News |publisher=News.yahoo.com |access-date=November 30, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604045435/https://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews_deca/ynews_deca_ts1012 |archive-date=June 4, 2011}}</ref>
* [[Handheld projector]]s enter the market and are then integrated into cellphones.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Projector Phone: A Study of Using Mobile Phones with Integrated Projector for Interaction with Maps |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/221270608 |access-date=2022-02-02 |website=ResearchGate |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Digital video recorder|DVR]] devices such as [[TiVo]] became popular, making it possible to record television broadcasts to a [[hard drive]]-based digital storage medium and allowing many additional features including the option to fast-forward through commercials or to use an automatic [[Commercial skipping]] feature. This feature created controversy, with major television networks and movie studios claiming it violates copyright and should be banned. With the commercial skipping feature, many television channels place advertisements on the bottom on the TV screen.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Digital Video Recorders (DVR) – An Interesting History |url=https://www.cctvcameraworld.com/digital-video-recorders-history.html |access-date=2022-02-02 |website=www.cctvcameraworld.com |date=April 12, 2019 |archive-date=February 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220202135528/https://www.cctvcameraworld.com/digital-video-recorders-history.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Video on demand|VOD]] technology became widely available among cable users worldwide, enabling the users to select and watch video content from a large variety of available content stored on a central server, as well as gaining the possibility to freeze the image, as well as fast-forward and rewind the VOD content.
* DVDs, and subsequently [[Blu-ray Disc]]s, replace [[VCR]] technology as the common standard in homes and at video stores.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/3335984/DVD-kills-the-video-show-as-digital-age-takes-over.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/3335984/DVD-kills-the-video-show-as-digital-age-takes-over.html |archive-date=January 11, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=DVD kills the video show as digital age takes over |first=Robert |last=Uhlig |date=November 22, 2004 |via=www.telegraph.co.uk}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
* Free Internet video portals like YouTube, [[Hulu]], and Internet TV software solutions like [[Joost]] became new popular alternatives to [[Television broadcasting|TV broadcasts]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Fitzpatrick |first1=Laura |title=Brief History YouTube |url=https://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1990787,00.html |magazine=Time |date=31 May 2010 |access-date=June 10, 2023 |archive-date=April 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406150801/https://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1990787,00.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
* TV becomes available on the networks run by some mobile phone providers, such as [[Verizon Wireless]]'s [[Vcast]]. {{Citation needed|date=December 2009}}
* "[[High-definition television]]" becomes very popular towards the second half of the decade, with the increase of HD television channels and the conversion from analog to digital signals.<ref>{{cite web |last=Evenson |first=Kelly |url=http://www.examiner.net/news/x967382688/Gadgets-that-defined-the-last-decade |title=Gadgets that defined the last decade |publisher=Examiner.net |date=December 19, 2009 |access-date=February 14, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222052308/http://www.examiner.net/news/x967382688/Gadgets-that-defined-the-last-decade |archive-date=February 22, 2012}}</ref>

<gallery widths="190px" perrow="5">
File:Canon powershot a95.jpg|[[Digital camera]]s gained massive popularity during the decade
File:Home cinema 01.jpg|[[Flat panel display]]s begin to displace [[cathode-ray tubes]]
</gallery>

==== Miscellaneous ====
[[File:Electronic Cigarette (cropped).jpg|In 2003, the [[vape]] was invented by Chinese pharmacist, Hon Lik|thumb|160px]]
* The [[e-cigarette|vape]] was invented in 2003 by Chinese pharmacist, Hon Lik.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brueck |first=Hilary |title=The wild history of vaping, from a 1927 'electric vaporizer' to today's mysterious lung injury crisis |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-vaping-who-invented-e-cigs-2019-10 |access-date=2024-04-17 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US |archive-date=April 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240417194726/https://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-vaping-who-invented-e-cigs-2019-10 |url-status=live}}</ref>