There's More!
Another field of technological advancement was in the area of entertainment. Some new and cool items that could be used at home were the VHS, the VCR, video games, and more. The VHS, the Video Home System, was first seen on September 9, 1976. It was introduced by the company JVC. Other companies had been trying to produce and manufacture a similar system, but the JVC's VHS beat them to the punch. It became the standard for viewing and creating cinema. People could now watch movies within their homes whenever they wanted to just by using their VHS. It exploded new cinema genres and created video stores. Hollywood originally freaked out until they began to play of the positive effects of the VHS like video revenue. The VCR, or the videocassette recorder, was first sold by Sony in 1971. A man named Charles Paulson Ginsburg, or the "Father of the VCR." He first, while working with the company Ampex, developed the VTR back in 1952. This began the boom of the video recording systems and revolutionized television systems and though he did not create the VCR, it was his technology that allowed the invention to be created later on. The first VCR released was named the Betamax VCR, but other companies also had different prototypes in existence. However, Sony takes the cake for the name.
Some other cool technology would be the cell phones of 1979. However, many people were also hung up on the invention of the Walkman in 1979. The Walkman was first released by Sony and invented by a man named Nobutoshi Kihara. The press often called the engineer "Mr. Walkman." It's name was originally the cassette Walkman TPS-L2, and it allowed people to listen to music like never before. Right before, an invention called the Sony Pressman was made, but a request was put in to try and make a smaller stereo version of it; thus led to the birth of the popular Walkman.
Some other cool technology would be the cell phones of 1979. However, many people were also hung up on the invention of the Walkman in 1979. The Walkman was first released by Sony and invented by a man named Nobutoshi Kihara. The press often called the engineer "Mr. Walkman." It's name was originally the cassette Walkman TPS-L2, and it allowed people to listen to music like never before. Right before, an invention called the Sony Pressman was made, but a request was put in to try and make a smaller stereo version of it; thus led to the birth of the popular Walkman.
"This is the product that will satisfy those young people who want to listen to music all day. They'll take it everywhere with them, and they won't care about record functions. If we put a playback-only headphone stereo like this on the market, it'll be a hit." - Akio Morita, Feb. 1979, Sony Headquarters.
Additionally, another product that would revolutionize technological use was the invention of video games. In 1972, Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney started the company Atari. They had invented small computer games in the previous years and manage to revamp and reproduce them for sale through their new business in 1975. The first game was called, "Pong," and 150,000 units were sold. The success led Warner Communications to buy the company for $28 million, but it would continue to release products (good and bad) and change hands many times over the course of Atari's lifespan.
A lesser "technology-based" product, but still one of extreme popularity, the roller blades. The blades were invented by the Olson brothers in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1979. They found an antique pair of in-line skates and decided to create roller blades from that exact idea. They attached skates to their ice hockey boots, added a rubber stopper to the toe, and from there made the timeless roller blades. Another cool, but unsung invention is the first calculator. Of course, calculators can be tracked back to their early existence of the abacus, the first handheld calculator was seen in 1970. They were very expensive upon early release because they were such new technology. They evolved over the 70s to the use of LED displays, microprocessors, programming, "COS" LCD, reflection, and more. By 1972, calculator sales soared so high that there was a reduction in pricing. By 1975, no one was buying mechanical calculators anymore. The calculator evolved so much over the 70s, by it's last advancement in 1978, the first solar-powered and credit card sized calculators were seen.
Additionally, it doesn't end. Some advancements seen were electronic books. "eBooks" were invented by Michael Hart in 1971. He first had the idea when he was given computing power in the University of Illinois library and decided to type out the Declaration of Independence and send it out. He then founded Project Gutenberg, which is "one of the earliest and longest-lasting online literary projects." He was fascinated by the idea that books could be spread worldwide for all to see and read if they simply had internet access. It was his life's work and it increased education, literacy, information-spread, opportunities, and ideas.
A lesser "technology-based" product, but still one of extreme popularity, the roller blades. The blades were invented by the Olson brothers in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1979. They found an antique pair of in-line skates and decided to create roller blades from that exact idea. They attached skates to their ice hockey boots, added a rubber stopper to the toe, and from there made the timeless roller blades. Another cool, but unsung invention is the first calculator. Of course, calculators can be tracked back to their early existence of the abacus, the first handheld calculator was seen in 1970. They were very expensive upon early release because they were such new technology. They evolved over the 70s to the use of LED displays, microprocessors, programming, "COS" LCD, reflection, and more. By 1972, calculator sales soared so high that there was a reduction in pricing. By 1975, no one was buying mechanical calculators anymore. The calculator evolved so much over the 70s, by it's last advancement in 1978, the first solar-powered and credit card sized calculators were seen.
Additionally, it doesn't end. Some advancements seen were electronic books. "eBooks" were invented by Michael Hart in 1971. He first had the idea when he was given computing power in the University of Illinois library and decided to type out the Declaration of Independence and send it out. He then founded Project Gutenberg, which is "one of the earliest and longest-lasting online literary projects." He was fascinated by the idea that books could be spread worldwide for all to see and read if they simply had internet access. It was his life's work and it increased education, literacy, information-spread, opportunities, and ideas.
"One thing about eBooks that most people haven't thought much is that eBooks are the very first thing that we're all able to have as much as we want other than air." - Michael Hart, July 2011
Other Notable Inventions (Seen Below)
There was also the magnificent inventions of the:
- Post-It Notes
- Bomb Disposal Robot
- First Hybrid Car
- Bic Disposable Lighters
- Laser Printers
- Retail Bar-Codes
- Neutron Bomb
- Food Processor