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Jukebox
Jukeboxes declined in popularity after the 1950s, when more people could afford to buy records, but they played an important role in the development of American popular music and can still be found in many diners, bars, and clubs. https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/culture-magazines/jukeboxes+ -
Radio
The first commercial radio news program in the United States was broadcast on August 31, 1920, on the station 8MK in Detroit; owned by The Detroit News. With the formation of radio broadcast networks, new forms of entertainment needed to be created to fill the time of a station’s broadcast day. -
Parking Meter
the first meters were installed by the Dual Parking Meter Company beginning in July 1935; they cost a nickel an hour, and were placed at 20-foot intervals along the curb that corresponded to spaces painted on the pavement. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/worlds-first-parking-meter-installed -
Electric Guitar
It was around 1936 when a jazz guitarist named Charlie Christian (1916-1942) began using an acoustic guitar with a pickup attached to the body, with the intention of playing guitar solos in his band. https://www.yamaha.com/en/musical_instrument_guide/electric_guitar/structure/#:~:text=The%20first%20electric%20guitar&text=It%20was%20around%201936%20when,birth%20of%20the%20electric%20guitar. -
Jet engine
Hans von Ohain of Germany was the designer of the first operational jet engine, though credit for the invention of the jet engine went to Great Britain's Frank Whittle. https://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/courses/ww2/projects/jet-airplanes/planes.html#:~:text=Hans%20von%20Ohain%20of%20Germany,a%20flight%20test%20until%201941. -
Computer
The first electronic programmable computer, called the Colossus, was invented in 1943 and helped British code breakers to read encrypted German messages during World War 2. https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/blog/first-computer-around-century-ago/#:~:text=Many%20Computer%20Firsts&text=The%20first%20electronic%20programmable%20computer,first%20digital%20computer%20in%201946. -
Microwave Oven
The first home microwave oven was invented in 1955 and was born out of the radar systems used in World War II. It was very expensive ranging from $2,000 to $3000 (the equivalent of $16,000 to $24,000 in today's cash). https://www.wired.com/2010/10/1025home-microwave-ovens/#:~:text=1955%3A%20The%20first%20domestic%20microwave,t%20come%20from%20humble%20beginnings. -
Super Glue
Discovered in 1942 when scientists were trying to make clear plastic gun sights during World War II. In 1951 cyanoacrylates were re-discovered by Eastman Kodak researches Harry Coover and Fred Joyner. These men recognized the commercial value of the adhesive. It was first available on the market in 1958. https://gunthertoodys.com/1950s-inventions-superglue/#:~:text=Did%20you%20know%20that%20this,as%20instant%20glue%20or%20superglue. -
Parking sensors
Originally developed in the 1970s as an aid for blind people, it wasn’t until 2003 that parking sensors first found their way into mass-market vehicles. The Toyota Prius was the first commonly available car to feature sensors in its bumpers. https://www.ageas.co.uk/solved/your-car/parking-tech-explained-from-sensors-to-cars-that-do-it-all/#:~:text=Originally%20developed%20in%20the%201970s,way%20into%20mass%2Dmarket%20vehicles. -
Cell Phone
The very first phones were very expensive and bulky to fit peoples' needs to day to day use. you could also only use the phones for certain amount of times. https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/history/info-2018/first-cell-phone-call.html#:~:text=The%20prototype%20mobile%20'shoe'%20phone%20weighed%202%201%2F2%20pounds&text=The%20first%20phone%20call%20made,made%20on%20April%203%2C%201973.&text=The%20first%20handheld%20cellular%20phone,between%2053rd%20and%2054th%20streets. -
Walkman
Three Walkman players, variously dating between 1984 and 1991. The 1980s was the decade of the intensive development of the Walkman lineup. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walkman -
Game Boy
It was first released in Japan then released in Europe in 1990. you had 15 hours of game play to have with you at all times. It was an expensive item however being around $88.99 in the USA. https://www.one37pm.com/gaming/how-much-is-an-original-gameboy-worth#:~:text=In%20the%20U.S.%2C%20it%20retailed,all%20iterations)%20were%20sold%20worldwide. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Boy -
Adobe Photoshop
Photoshop 1.0 was officially released in February 1990 and was the first time the software was made available to the public as a standalone product (rather than bundled with a Barneyscan scanner). It was also the first time the software was released commercially with the brand name Adobe Photoshop. It was also very, very expensive, costing around $895 along with the fact that photoshop was initially only available on Macintosh. -
Text messages
The first text message was sent years later on December 3rd, 1992 from Neil Papworth, a former developer at Sema Group Telecoms. Mobile phones didn’t have keyboards at the time, so Papworth had to type the message on a PC. Papworth’s text — “Merry Christmas” — was successfully sent to Richard Jarvis at Vodafone. https://www.mobivity.com/mobivity-blog/a-brief-history-of-text-messaging#:~:text=The%20first%20text%20message%20was,to%20Richard%20Jarvis%20at%20Vodafone. -
Nokia 3310
Nokia's ‘indestructible’ 3310 sold 126 million units worldwide. It is the phone that came with the Snake game. Even if the phone fell, the front and back panels separated and battery came out, you could just put it back together and it would be as good as before. It is a model even Gen Z would be acquainted with, because it has been fodder for never-ending memes for years. https://www.indiatimes.com/trending/social-relevance/nokia-3310-release-september-2000-521847.html -
iPod
Image result for 2000s iPods
The iPod was a series of portable media players and multi-purpose mobile devices designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The first version was released on October 23, 2001, about 81⁄2 months after the Macintosh version of iTunes was released. Apple sold an estimated 450 million iPod products as of 2022. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPod#:~:text=The%20iPod%20was%20a%20series,iPod%20products%20as%20of%202022. -
iPad / Tablet
The first iPad tablet was announced by Apple on January 27, 2010, featuring a 9.7-inch touch screen display. Samsung released their first tablet computer, the Galaxy Tab, on September 2, 2010, featuring a 7-inch touch screen display. https://www.computerhope.com/history/tablet.htm#:~:text=The%20first%20iPad%20tablet%20was,9.7%2Dinch%20touch%20screen%20display.&text=Samsung%20released%20their%20first%20tablet,7%2Dinch%20touch%20screen%20display. -
Xbox one Kinect
Kinect is a line of motion sensing input devices produced by Microsoft and first released in 2010. The devices generally contain RGB cameras, and infrared projectors and detectors that map depth through either structured light or time of flight calculations, which can in turn be used to perform real-time gesture recognition and body skeletal detection, among other capabilities.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinect