Notable Inventions of 20th century - Timeline and Top 10 Gadgets of the year 2008

From the dawn of 20th century man has been able to develop some most important, outstanding and ground-breaking technologies that served the purpose of many > making life easy and happy.

The 20th century was a golden age of engineering producing breathtaking succession of innovations. There was this 'relativistic theory' in 1905 to start with, which made Einstein 'the person of the century'.

Followed by (some notable inventions) :-

Aspirin, Blood Groups, Radio, Air Conditioner, Airplane, Marconi's Wireless, Motion Pictures in early 1900's.

Liquid-Fuel Rocket, Radio Remote Control, Toaster, Stainless Steel between 1910 and 1919.

Band-Aid, Hair Dryer, Traffic Light, Bubble Gum, Television, Penicillin, Sun Glasses, Antibiotics, Robot, Insulin between 1920 and 1929.

Ballpoint Pen, Trampoline, Multiplane Camera, Shopping Cart, Electron Microscope, Helicopter between 1930 and 1939.

Blood Bank, Turing Machine, Nuclear Reaction, Bouncing Putty, Microwave Oven, Atomic Bomb, Tupperware, Bikini Swim Suit, ENIAC computer, Transistor, SCRABBLE between 1940 and 1949.

Peanuts, Random Access Memory, Computer Compiler, Play-Doh, TV Remote Control, Integrated Circuit, Laser, Video Game, Barbie Doll, DNA, Credit Card, McDonalds between 1950 and 1959.

Balloon, Holography, Smiley Face, Hand-held Calculator, Dynamic RAM, Computer Mouse, Microprocessor, Speakers, Heart Transplant between 1960 and 1969.

eBooks, Karaoke Machine, Ethernet, Internet, Post-it Notes, Personal Computer, PC Modem, Dyson Vaccum Cleaner, Walkman between 1970 and 1979.

Computer Gaming, IBM-PC, MS-DOS, Mobile Phone, Windows, Macintosh between 1980 and 1989.

World Wide Web, Light Emmiting Diodes, Water Disinfection System, Pentium Processor, JAVA, Viagra, Google between 1990 and 1999

Now in this post we are going to take on some brilliant gadgets developed across the globe this year. Just the rankings have been taken from Popular Mechanics, but the rest of the description work has been done by us.


1. Microsoft Photosynth


You can share or relive a vacation destination or explore a distant museum or landmark. With nothing more than a digital camera and some inspiration, you can use Photosynth to transform regular digital photos into a three-dimensional, 360-degree experience. Anybody who sees your synth is put right in your shoes, sharing in your experience, with detail, clarity and scope impossible to achieve in conventional photos or videos.

Synths constitute an entirely new visual medium. Photosynth analyzes each photo for similarities to the others, and uses that data to build a model of where the photos were taken. It then re-creates the environment and uses that as a canvas on which to display the photos.

Imagine yourself beneath the Eiffel Tower or in the heart of Times Square. Now imagine being able to see that exact scene in an amazing new way. With Photosynth, you can look up or down, pan from left to right, zoom in, or pull back to reveal the full sense of where you were. Photosynth provides incredibly realistic close-up detail of a place as seen in the collaboration with National Geographic. Exclusive synths of some of the world’s most renowned locations, such as Machu Picchu and the Parthenon, were created using photographs taken by National Geographic.

Go here photosynth.com


2. Spore


Spore is Will Wright's (Sim City, The Sims) new masterpiece. Spore starts a player out as a single-cell organism swimming around in a primordial soup. As Will Wright explains it, this stage of the game is essentially like Pac-Man, and you basically devour microbes smaller than you while avoiding those that are larger. You can upgrade your cell by adding cilia, flagella, and other defense mechanisms in order to gain any advantage possible for a single cell. From there you'll move on to the "water world" phase of evolution. Your single-cell organism becomes a multi-cell organism. At this point, the gameplay switches from 2d to 3d but is still essentially the same: devouring the less fortunate and avoiding the bullies.Economical

Spore is a revolution in gaming; a modern day coloring book, if you will. It's not a game about trigger happy reflexes, if it's a "game" by traditional standards at all. More closely, it resembles a tool to create: in this case, your own creatures and civilizations. And, of course, Spore is a whole galaxy to explore full of other player's creations and content. Never before has a normal computer gamer been given so much control to create what his heart desires!

Go here spore.com


3. Amazon Kindle


Excellent high-contrast screen does a great job of simulating a printed page; large library of tens of thousands of e-books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs via Amazon's familiar online store; built-in free wireless "Whispernet" data network--no PC needed; built-in keyboard for notes; SD card expansion slot; compatible with Windows and Mac machines.

With its free built-in wireless capabilities and PC-free operation, Amazon's Kindle holds a distinct advantage over Sony's Reader and is a promising evolution of the electronic book--but Amazon needs to bring down the pricing for both the device and the content to attract a wider audience.

Go here for more amazon.com>>>kindle


4. Livescribe Pulse SmartPen



Livescribe has just launched its Pulse Smartpen - what looks like an ordinary writing instrument is actually a computer. Housed within a pen-shape case, this nifty little device is capable of digitally capturing handwriting in addition to recording audio simultaneously, synchronizing it to the writing. As I suspected, it isn’t compatible with any paper (now that would definitely make it sell like super hot cakes all over the world), but instead relies on a special Dot Paper Notebook. Whether you are a student, a professional or just an ordinary bloke who often gets involved in note taking situations, the Livescribe Pulse Smartpen sounds like what the doctor ordered.

Go here livescribe.com>>>SmartPen


5. Craftsman Nextec Multi-Saw


A new breed of saw doesn’t come along very often. The Craftsman Nextec Multi-Saw qualifies—it’s a 12-volt hybrid of a jigsaw and reciprocating saw that hits a new level of versatility. The tool is small enough to get into tight spots, powers through tough jobs and can operate at up to 2000 strokes per minute. $150 (in a kit with a drill, two batteries, a charger, two blades, a drill bit and a work light).


6. Potenco PCG1 Power Generator


The Potenco PCG1 pull-cord generator creates electricity for portable gadgets with far greater efficiency than hand-cranked devices. The PCG1 is the geek-chic version of a generator for the developing world. It weighs 14 ounces, has both an internal NiMh battery and a mini-USB output jack and can convert 2 minutes of effort into 40 minutes of cellphone talk time.


7. Nissan Around View Monitor


Using 4 separate cameras, the monitor displays an image of the vehicle from above. This helps the driver to visually confirm the vehicle's relation to the lines around the parking space. With this, the driver can position the vehicle for parallel parking or park the car in a smart way with ease.

The birds-eye view makes it easy for the driver to position the vehicle for parallel parking. The front/rear view enables the driver to simultaneously confirm the front or rear of the vehicle.
Information of the sonars, equipped on the vehicle corners for camera assistance, are shown on the display in an easy-to-understand way. By displaying the rear view and front-side view simultaneously, the driver can easily confirm the two most worrisome areas; the rear and front assist side of the vehicle.


8. M-Spector Digital Inspection Camera


With advanced digital imaging technology and a 2.4" high-resolution color LCD display, the Digital Inspection Camera provides a crystal clear picture of tough to reach places such as inside pipes, drains and equipment and behind walls. Optimal image quality and control is achieved via an exclusive Image Zoom (2x) feature and LED brightness control. Equipped with a durable, detachable, 3' water-tight flexible cable and a small camera head, the Digital Inspection Camera fits through holes as small a 3/4" and gets into, under and around tight spaces. An ergonomic handle, comfortable in any orientation, features up-front power and image controls for true one-handed operation. A power saving, auto shut-off feature preserves battery life.


9. Intel Atom Processor


Intel's smallest and lowest power processor, the Intel® Atom™ processor enables the latest Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs), and another new category of devices for the internet called netbooks and nettops.

Intel® Atom™ processorNewly designed from the ground up, 45nm Intel® Atom™ processors pack an astounding 47 million transistors on a single chip measuring less than 26mm², making them Intel's smallest and lowest power processors. All this while delivering the power and performance you need for full Internet capabilities.

Go here intel.com>>>Atom


10. Caroma Profile Smart Dual Flush Toilet


Inventive, conservation-minded DIY plumbers have rigged gray-water systems to their toilets for years, reusing water from the sink for flushing. Caroma’s Profile Smart designs the concept right into the fixture, by providing a sink and faucet atop the water-storage tank.

Tagged Under: Gadgets, Electronica, Mobiles, Computers, Accessories