PHOTO: Consumer Technology Association

In 1983, cellphones debuted at the summer International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) at Chicago's McCormick Place. Among the unveilings was this in-car version from Audiovox Corp.'s Audiotel brand. The brick-like device cost approximately $3,000 then (about $7,700 today) without the on-screen keyboard and text-sending capabilities that were more than a decade away. What was once a luxury item is now an indispensable one. According to a United Nations report, 6 of the world's 7 billion people possess mobile phones – while only 4.5 billion, by comparison, have a toilet.