The phrase "than those of the past" is a comparison between something and its previous version or iterations. It suggests that whatever is being compared has improved, evolved, or advanced over time to become better than what came before it.
Sentences with «than those of the past»
Are today's web and mobile startups any different or better than those of the past? (gigaom.com)
My awareness of my past tends to be more vivid and direct than of the past of others, but this is no absolute difference. (religion-online.org)
94 % of learning buyers believe that the working style of employees is dramatically different today than that of the past five years, and that new approaches and technologies are needed. (elearningindustry.com)