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sputnik
Sputnik, the first man-made satellite, was launched on by the U.S.S.R. Sputnik was not equipped with any scientific instruments. It contained a single radio transmitter, which did little more than issue an incessant beeping that allowed even the most primitive instruments to track it. However, Sputnik did usher in the new age of space exploration, and initiated the U.S./ U.S.S.R. space race that would lead to the creation of the manned space shuttle and utilization of the space station. -
jet airlines
The Boeing 707-120 debuts as the world's first successful commercial jet airliner, ushering in the era of accessible mass air travel. The four-engine plane carries 181 passengers and cruises at 600 mph for up to 5280 miles on a full tank. The first commercial jet flight takes off from New York and lands in Paris. -
Industrial robots
The Unimate, the first programmable industrial robot, is installed on a General Motors assembly line in New Jersey. Conceived by George C. Devol Jr. to move and fetch things, the invention gets a lukewarm reception in the United States. Japanese manufacturers love it and, after licensing the design in 1968, go on to dominate the global market for industrial robots. -
LED lights
Working as a consultant for General Electric, Nick Holonyak develops the light-emitting diode (LED), which provides a simple and inexpensive way for computers to convey information. From their humble beginnings in portable calculators, LEDs spread from the red light that indicates coffee is brewing to the 290-ft.-tall Reuters billboard in Times Square. -
video games
VIDEO GAMES MIT programmers write Spacewar. Although there are debates over what the first video game was, spacewars ushered in the era of video games. 43 years later 89 percent of school-age kids own video games. -
smoke detectors
Randolph Smith and Kenneth House patent a battery-powered smoke detector for home use. Later models rely on perhaps the cheapest nuclear technology you can own: a chunk of americium-241. The element's radioactive particles generate a small electric current. If smoke enters the chamber it disrupts the current, triggering an alarm. -
MRI
Everyone agrees that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a brilliant invention, although who invented it is still a question. Regardless of who the credit should go to, its benefits have helped the sick all over the world. -
GPS
The first satellite in the modern Navstar Global Positioning System (GPS) is launched. (The GPS's precursor, TRANSIT, was developed in the early 1960s to guide nuclear subs.) It is not until the year 2000, though, that President Clinton grants nonmilitary users access to an unscrambled GPS signal. Now, cheap, handheld GPS units can determine a person's location to within 3 yards. -
DNA fingerprinting
Molecular biologist Alec Jeffreys devises a way to make the analysis of more than 3 billion units in the human DNA sequence much more manageable by comparing only the parts of the sequence that show the greatest variation among people. His method quickly finds its way into the courts, where it is used to exonerate people wrongly accused of crimes and to finger the true culprits. -
electronic tolls
Like a lot of other useful consumer tech, electronic toll collection (ETC) came from the armed forces. It was derived from the military-spec identification technology known as "friend or foe" (IFF), which allowed access for certain vehicles to enter certain areas. First implemented for regular people in Norway in 1986, ETC has spread around the world, making drivers still paying with hard currency angry when they have to wait in a congested cash lane when the E-ZPass lanes are wide open. -
hybrid cars
it wasn't until 1997 that improved lithium-ion and nickel-metal hydride battery tech allowed the first mass-produced hybrid, the Toyota Prius, to hit the streets. Though plagued with problems at first, the Prius got better and an entire market was born. Every automaker either builds one, or plans to bring one to market. And it's easy to see why: In 2009, hybrids accounted for 2.5% of all American car sales. -
genetic sequencing
Scientist Craig Venter announces that his company will sequence the entire human genome in just three years and for only $300 million, 12 years and $2 billion less than a federally funded project established to do the same thing. Venter uses a method called "shotgun sequencing" to make automated gene sequencers, instead of relying on the laborious approach used by the government program. -
MP3 players
The first MP3 player was the MPMan from a korean company, and has since developed into the technological giant that it is today. The idea skyrocketed apple even further with the ipod that we are all so familiar with. In the newest generations of phones, MP3 players arn't even a question when it comes to an added feature to include. -
youtube
after the internet has been established as a day to day use tool for most people in the US, its no surprise that it became the home for booming business ideas, such as youtube. A website that alows its users to upload, share and view videos. It wasn't a new idea, but it made it streamlined an easy to use. It has sinse become one of the largest websites on the internet and has been bought by none other than google. -
iphone
Without a doubt this phone has become a must have to many people throughout the world. The comination of its sleek design, high tech features and a branding logo that is hard to resist made this phone shoot through the roof when it was first introduced in 2007. Today its a standard for those who can afford one. -
stem cell technology
Stem cell research kicks off with incredible experiments that reproduce parts of or full organs that can be surgically implanted into a person. It uses human cells that are undifferentiated typically found in embryos. It has become a controvercial topic because of the source of the cells coming from, similar to abortion controversy. -
nintendo wii
Nintendo was the first to show their strength to prove that gaming consoles can bring innovation into the public eye. Nintendo became the first to implement a fully capable motion control interface with its console, no longer did you only press buttons to make things happen, but your movements affect what happens too. -
Xbox kinect
After the recent implementation of motion controls by microsofts competitor Nintendo, microsoft came up with an even bigger plan to further the advancement of technology in home gaming consoles. The xbox kinekt doesn't use controllers, just your body. it uses a camera that picks up every movement your body makes and translates it into actions on the screen, it also uses voice recognition. Gamers didn't find it all that practical, but it showed people just how incredible todays technology can be. -
flexible displays
Samsung releases the first ever flexible display smartphone. the Galexy Round doesn't seem very special until you realize its slightly curved on the right and left edges, making it a unique shape. This doesn't create much of a difference though, and the we will have to keep our eyes on the future when these flexible displays give us crazier ideas for phones.
