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INSPECT A GADGET(Daily Record Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) IT'S an unremarkable little gadget which has helped change the world without us knowing it. The disposable camera celebrates its 20th birthday this year after capturing millions of memories around the world. The small but ultra-handy device was invented by Japanese photography giants Fuji in 1986 and is now one of the most iconic gadgets in the world. Almost 500million are sold every year, but they are just one of many mini devices which have changed our life as technology got sharper, smaller and more incredible in the last few decades. Fromhigh tech iPods and camcorders to handy innovations such as disposable contact lenses and digital watches, these godsends have changed our lives. Here BRIAN McIVER looks at 20 of the best... iPOD MP3 players have been the portable music sensation of the 21st century, but they were popularised by Apple's tiny but powerful design icon. The iPod, launched in 2001, is now available in a wide range of sizes and styles, as well as photo and video capable versions. PORTABLE DVD PLAYER THE capability and size of Digital Versatile Discs meant that its portability was always going to be a key factor. The first home players were launched in November 1996, and expensive portable devices soon followed, although widespread popularity has now seen prices drop to under pounds 100. TV REMOTE CONTROL THE first wire remote control was developed by the Zenith Radio Corporation in the US in 1950 - and appropriately called the Lazy Bones. The same firm produced the Flashmatic in 1955 - the first wireless device, which used sensitive photo cells in the corner of TV screens to react to beams of light from the remote. In the Eighties, modern infra red technology came to the remote control and is still the current method for remotes. CD PLAYER COMPACT Discs were launched in 1982 as a joint venture by Sony and Philips, and soon became the industry standard for music. Then, in 1984, the portable CD player was launched and within 10 years had eclipsed the classic cassette Walkman. MOBILE PHONE THE modern cellular mobile phone was invented by American Martin Cooper, of Motorola, in 1973 - but it only arrived on the market for public use in 1983. After about a decade as a ate Nineties, and by the turn of the 21st century were an essential accessory for everyone. Now incorporating games, cameras and music playing functions. VIDEO CAMERA THE world's first home video camera was launched in 1980 by JVC, and took normal VHS tapes. The smaller HandyCam was launched by Sony in 1984, which used smaller cassettes. The tapes have continued to shrink, and now record on to digital tape or even DVD. DISPOSABLE CAMERA KNOWN as Single Use in the photo industry, they were invented in Japan by Fuji in 1986. They have evolved to include flashbulbs, waterproofing, panoramic lenses and there are now even digital disposables. BLACKBERRY THE mobile email devices are so popular they've been nicknamed the Crackberry by some. It's the most effective, efficient and trendy way to receive and send email and was invented in Canada by Ontario firm Research In Motion (RIM), who launched it in 1999. DISPOSABLE CONTACT CT LENSES BEFORE1987, contacts were glass or plastic and designed for regular use - leaving the user at risk of infection. Technology rendered soft lenses cheap and disposables - first made by Johnson and Johnson n in 1987 - are now the most used type of lens in the world. WATCHMAN BASED on a similar concept to the Walkman, Sony launched the first portable TV system in 1982. Although never as successful as the Walkman, it did pave the way for modern hand-held entertainment gadgets. LAPTOP COMPUTER THE first laptop was invented by Adam Osborne in 1981, who made the Osborne 1 by scaling down computer parts. It cost $1795 (pounds 973), including software. The Compaq portable was the first mass success for laptops and they are now as popular as PCs. SAT NAV IT'S the ultimate in-car accessory, its core element of Global Positioning System invented by Dr Ivan Getting at the US Department of Defence. Satellites find your position and a navigation computer relates that to mapping info to create routes. DIGITAL WATCH THE first digital watch, The Pulsar, launched in 1972 and had the classic red light LED (light emitting diode) display. It was soon superseded by the Seiko LCD display in 1973, which is still the most common display used for digital watches. GAMEBOY CONSOLE giants Nintendo revolutionised the world of gaming when they launched the first handheld console in 1989 in Japan. Sold with the classic blocks game Tetris, it quickly became a sensation, and sold 150million units around the world. It's since evolved into the Gameboy Pocket, Gameboy Colour, Gameboy Advance and Gameboy Micro - and now the Nintendo DS. DIGITAL CAMERA DIGITAL imaging was first developed by NASA scientists in the Sixties, and Texas Instruments patented the first filmless analogue camera in 1972. But the first digital camera products as we know it were released by Kodak in 1987. The first professional standard camera was their F-111 collaboration with Nikon in 1991. PDA THEPDA is the businessman's best friend. The internet connected, palm-sized, digital computer can complete most PC tasks depending on how connected or powerful it is. Apple's Newton was the first major PDA in 1993 and was followed, in 1996, by the industry-leading PalmPilot. WALKMAN LAUNCHED in 1979 by Sony, the first personal cassette player, or Walkman, quickly became a must-have device and led the way for every portable music player since. All manufacturers quickly launched rival styles. WALKIE TALKIE INVENTED in 1938 by Motorola engineers and used during the Second World War, they later became popular as part of CB radio. Now often used as a cheaper alternative to mobiles. POCKET CALCULATOR IBM released the first electronic calculator, the IBM 608, in 1957. It was the size of a large typewriter. The first handheld device, the Sharp EL-8, was launched in January, 1971, using a fluorescent display. The devices have become smaller and more complex over the last 30 years. MINI DISC LAUNCHED by Sony in 1991 to replace cassettes and CDs. While it never took off the same way as the bigger format, the move towards digital storage helped bridge the gap between CD and MP3 and it remains a popular medium for pre-MP3 mobile music fans. Also a recording industry and radio standard. |