Sep 28, 2023
Sony's Walkman revolutionised music with its portable, affordable design, introducing cassettes for on-the-go listening. It pioneered personal audio spaces with headphones, running on AA batteries, selling over 200 million units, shaping the path for CD players and the iPod.
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The Victor Talking Machine Company's Victrola, introduced after the 1877 invention of the phonograph, revolutionised home audio with its concealed horn in a stylish wooden cabinet. It popularized classical and opera records and was later acquired by RCA.
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The Game Boy, with its small 2.6-inch screen and distinctive design, sold over 200 million units and pioneered mobile gaming in 1989. Its limitations inspired innovative game design, shaping the future of handheld gaming and influencing mobile devices like the iPhone.
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GPS, initially government-funded, achieved commercial success after President Bill Clinton fully opened it in 2000, leading to a flourishing industry including personal navigation devices and location-based services like Uber.
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The iBook's iconic design, with its colorful plastic trim, pioneered wireless networking in laptops, evolving from a consumer favorite into a significant business tool, highlighted by Steve Jobs' memorable onstage Wi-Fi demonstration at MacWorld 1999.
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Oculus Rift, despite its potential flop, holds a unique spot in computing history, thanks to its revival of strapping VR headsets for immersive virtual experiences, driven by creator Palmer Luckey and Facebook's visionary investment.
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Fitbit revolutionized pedometers, propelling them into the digital era by introducing their 2009 device, which tracked steps, calories, and sleep while enabling easy data upload for analysis, popularizing affordable wearables with over 20 million units sold in 2015.
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DJI's Phantom 4 drone, utilising computer vision, offers obstacle avoidance, enhancing accessibility for novice users. These small drones have potential for package delivery, surveillance, and aiding first responders. Currently, they are favored by hobbyists and videographers.
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The Segway personal scooter, despite limited commercial success, became a potent cultural symbol of futuristic urban mobility, representing both convenience and humorous mishaps, such as a U.S. president's fall and its portrayal in Weird Al's "White and Nerdy" video.
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Google Glass, priced at $1,500 during its public beta, provided valuable insights into wearable tech challenges, such as privacy concerns and the 'Glassholes' moniker, contributing to the ongoing pursuit of augmented reality innovation.
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