Many years ago I asked a person whom for a while I considered a mentor in technology what I need to do to be able to understand it. The answer was short, quick and direct – learn her history.
This answer guided my steps in the online and technical world. If I want to understand it, I need to know how it evolved, what were the steps that anticipated certain developments and at what level is it understood and used by people.
A smartphone is not just a group of sensors, integrated circuits and miniature cameras.