I think if you were to have a really old phone (say 5 years) it would be more of an impressive jump than from one year to the next. I think it's harder to notice some of the incremental improvements being made. They can feel kind of lackluster because they're not as big as the initial innovation that smartphones brought.
This is my experience with IoT devices. Often it feels like a grab for customer data provided by the device and a way to get the customer locked into the device ecosystems.
I wish there were more IoT style systems that cared about privacy and portability.
I think side projects can make a difference if it's relevant to the business that your applying for. For example, in college I did a lot of Amateur Radio and was part of a club there. I did a lot of Amateur Radio related things, building circuits, programming microcontrollers, etc. This helped me get a job at a Radio company working on SDRs. However, I think a lot of my ability to get that job was because I networked a lot with the recruiters.
Side projects aren't the be all end all to gainful employment. You need to use your network to build relationships and engage with people you know that can help you get employed.
Are there any startups/new players/existing players that are building cars (2017/2018) that are energy efficient (electric/hybrid) and don't violate your privacy by phoning home?
If so, perhaps it would be within your interest to submit a Preissuance Submission showing prior art to the PTO, like ridgeguy mentioned in a sibling to your comment.
What evidence do you have to back the assertion that millenials have a strong FOMO versus their fear of losing everything any of the other generations? (Anecdotes don't count as evidence)
Why wouldn't bubbles be able to exist without a centralized media?
To facilitate the exchange of goods between individuals. To make it so that people can donate small sums to whatever they want. To make less costly the transfer of funds.
I think that in a lot of Sci-fi the people still play a critical role in the story, alongside the ideas. Not all sci-fi stories are about the ideas. They can often contain how the ideas impact people, how people use the ideas to shape their world and so on.
"That environment is only easily attained in the exact places that have ridiculous real estate markets."
There are places in middle America with open positions for many people that have relatively inexpensive living costs in comparison to places like SV, Seattle, New York, and so on.
In my life, at least, there is still some time between eat and sleep that allows for the creation of personal art. Sometimes other things get in the way, but I think that if you've got the energy and motivation you can still get it done.