But in 2012, at a time when anyone with a cell phone can spread offensive views around the world with the click of a button, the notion that we can control the flow of information is obsolete.

WHITEHOUSE: Remarks by the President to the UN General Assembly

Finding simple facts, such as the current number of employees, can take weeks, by which time the information is often obsolete.

ECONOMIST: Face value

Local search, the device enables owners to tap into an always up-to-date database of local information, rendering obsolete the war over which device has the most millions of points-of-interest.

ENGADGET: Switched On: Dash delivers open roads, open questions (Part 1)

At one time, the flood of financial information available on the Internet was thought to make individual brokers and investment advisers obsolete.

FORBES: Do You Need an Investment Adviser?