Starting out as a data device, the computer was originally used for fairly simple tasks. Today, computers have a diverse range of functions. Some people use computers specifically for gaming, others to browse the internet, some to share files using P2P applications like ares galaxy, some just to check email, and then there are people who use the computer as a telephone. The modern day laptop is fitted with a built in webcam and microphone. For desktops and older computers there are parts available to purchase.

The microphone is designed to pick up audio waves, record them, and transfer them to a chosen location. A microphone picks up sounds and converts it into an electrical pattern. The pattern is transferred to the computer, and it can be played back or sent to a different location from that point. The technology can also be transmitted live, so the electrical pattern is recognised by a different computer or even a telephone, and two people can speak as if they were using a telephone.

Microphones have become so advanced that, now, acoustic waves can be measured by light. The microphone that measures light is called a fiber optic microphone. Other microphones include the laser microphone, which measures vibrating surfaces, and liquid microphones, which also measure vibrations. Most of these mics sound like something 007 would use while infiltrating a foreign agency. However, some of these microphones are used in theaters or during a police investigation. Each type of microphone may have a specific purpose, but they can also be used for a number of things that the original inventors would have never dreamed of.

Look at old school movies where a bad guy gets caught using a tape recorder; even that uses a microphone. We use microphones all the time – on telephones, computers, during theatrical performances, and in emergency situations. No one could have imagined what an impact such a simple tool could make on computer and electronic markets.