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The Credit Card
Before the advent of "plastic", consumers and high-street banks were forced to get their hands on cash. Today millions of us can get our hands on anything with just a swipe of a card, whether we can afford it or not. We all can give thanks to Ralph Schneider, founder of the Diners' Club card, for this "debtly" card. -
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Lauren's Top 20 Technologies from 1950s-Present
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The Personal Computer
<ahref='http://inventors.about.com/library/blcoindex.htmhttp://inventors.about.com/library/blcoindex.htmhttp://inventors.about.com/library/blcoindex.htm' >The History of Computers</a>There is no easy answer to when and who invented the first person computer because of all the different classifications of computers, but the first one delivered to the United States Government in 1950, the UNIVAC 1101 or ERA 1101 is considered to be the first computer that was capable of storing and running a program from memory. -
The Remote Control
History of the Television Remote Control It was in June of 1956, that the television remote controller first entered the American home. Ever since then it has revolutionized a new side to "lazy". -
The Satellite
FCC Satellite Learning Center
This invention helps with maping out the world and showing how the earth is changing. For example, it has weather reports, takes pictures, etc. -
The Computer Mouse
Who invented the Computer Mouse In 1964, the first prototype computer mouse was made to use with a graphical user interface (GUI), 'windows'. Douglas Engelbart, the inventor, received a patent for the wooden shell with two metal wheels. -
The Seat Belt
This invention keeps passengers and driver secure from impact, it is meant to save lives. -
The Walkman
A Brief History of The Walkman On July 1, 1979, Sony Corp. introduced the Sony Walkman TPS-L2, a 14 ounce, blue-and-silver, portable cassette player with chunky buttons, headphones and a leather case. -
The Disposable Camera
History of Disposable Cameras The disposable cameras were low cost and had effective designs, but it took Fujifilm's Utsurun-Desu design to become a viable part of the camera industry in 1986. -
The Microwave
The NASA COBE missionconfirmed the primary anisotropy with the Differential Microwave Radiometer instrument, publishing their findings in 1992. -
GPS Devices
For a time, they were a staple car accessory, not to mention a road trip necessity. But now, they're almost quaint reminders of a bygone era. In 2000, the United States discontinued a feature that deliberately degraded GPS signals available to the public. Overnight, civilian users of GPS devices could pinpoint locations up to 10 times more accurately than before. And in the years that followed, led by Garmin, GPS devices found their way on to dashboards across the country. -
The Nintendo Wii
The History of the Nintendo Wii Like most devices of this type, the Wii didn't appear "all at once" on a given date. The concept for the Nintendo Wii surfaced in 2001. It was not until 2003 that a big development team was assembled, and by 2005 the controller interface was up and running. Later that year the unit appeared at the Tokyo Game Show. It finally rolled out on 14 September 2006. -
The Barcode Scanner
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5031091_history-bar-code-scanner.html The modern bar code system was developed by Bernard Silver and Norman Woodland in 1948. A grocery store chain was looking for a way to scan items at the checkout. They began working on the problem and received a patent for their invention. -
Wireless Data Networks
Wireless Data Networks (including 3G and Wi-Fi) have really changed the way we work. It's hard to remember, but most of us used to connect our laptops to the Internet via dial-up phone lines or maybe wired Ethernet. Ten years ago, the Wi-Fi name was only a couple of months old, based on the 802.11b, standard, and it was still still an expensive add-in. -
The Solar Energy Pannel
Recently new technology has given us screen printed solar cells, and a solar fabric that can be used to side a house, even solar shingles that install on our roofs. International markets have opened up and solar panel manufacturers are now playing a key role in the solar power industry. -
The Dyson Ball
http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/dysonvac.htm In 2005, The Dyson DC15 (The Ball™) replaces conventional wheels with a ball. -
Bio Fuels
Biofuels are a wide range of fuels which are in some way derived from biomass. The term covers solid biomass, liquid fuels and various biogases. Biofuels are gaining increased public and scientific attention, driven by factors such as oil price spikes and the need for increased energy security. -
The Flat Screen TV
Flat-panel televisions were pretty much unknown ten years ago; now you'd be hard pressed to find anything else in a big U.S. store. LCD displays were around but were seen mainly in laptops and in 15 or 17-inch monitors. Work by plasma pioneers such as Panasonic and Pioneer was important in popularizing big flat-screen displays, but it was the LCD manufacturers--Sharp, Samsung, Hitachi, LG.Phillips, and later AU Optoelectronics and Chi Mei Optoelectronics--who made large flat screens. -
The iPod
The digital music player was already on the scene when Apple introduced the iPod in 2001. But it wasn't exactly hyperbole when Apple CEO Steve Jobs said, "Listening to music will never be the same again." The iPod and its signature white earbuds quickly became a cultural icon that many own today. But its impact was hardly cosmetic. Along with iTunes, the iPod popularized the mp3 player and changed he music industry forever. Stacks of CDs? Gone. Trips to the ecord store? Gone. -
The DVD
DVDs are easy, portable, "CD-looking" movies that have revolutionized how we watch movies today. -
The DSi
The DSi now has a bigger screen, camera, voice recorder, and is even lighter. The memory is better,and so are the graphics. They also repostioned the buttons and stylus within this year. The DSi keeps getting better!
