Most people take the technology they use for granted and don’t think twice about the advances that happen year after year. However, when you stop to think about it, there are some amazing pieces of engineering that have forever changed how we live our lives. One such invention is the transistor – without it, we wouldn’t have computers or TVs.
This post is going to look at a few different technologies that have transformed our world into what it is today. You’ll learn how they work and how each one has made its way into your daily routine.
1. The Internet
The internet was originally called ARPANET – Advanced Research Projects Agency Network. It began as a way to connect research facilities. After it started growing, it began branching out so that today, you can surf the world wide web from the comfort of your own home, or on the move through your smartphone.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of objects that are embedded with electronics, and they are connected by wireless technologies. The IoT is the generation of connected everyday objects such as thermostats, light bulbs, cars, etc. This level of connectivity is possible using an api gateway, where the object to be connected is given a unique identifier.
The Internet of Things is also known as the “Internet of Everything” or IoE because it combines everything that we have mentioned above with the Internet of Things. The IoT will create a huge ecosystem for all kinds of industries and businesses, from medicine to agriculture, to retail.
2. Video Games
Video games were something that were seen on television, computers, and arcades in the early 80s. Video game consoles started coming out in the mid-80s, and by the late 90s, everybody had one. The first video game console was released by Atari in 1976. The biggest breakthrough came in 1982 when Nintendo’s “Nintendo Entertainment System” debuted. It featured a cartridge with a mini game on it called “Donkey Kong.” This is what started Nintendo – they released some more great games soon after, and today, they still sell millions of copies every year even after the evolution of 80s video game consoles.
3. The Transistor
The transistor was invented by Walter Brattain and Robert Noyce in 1947. The first transistor, created by Bell Labs, was put to good use in radios and telephones.
It wasn’t until 1958 that the world got its first microchip, a small silicon chip made from a combination of silicon and germanium that had been sliced into thousands of very small “chips.” These were used to create a digital computer, which we know as the digital watch or calculator we use today.
This was the first major step in the development of electron microscopes, magnetic recording tapes like CD-ROMs, computers, cell phones, and hand-held games like Gameboy.
4. Computers
The first computers were the size of rooms and super expensive. They were room-sized machines that took up a lot of electrical power from your house. In 1948 – 1949, John von Neumann developed the idea for stored-program computers. Early computers used punch cards and paper tape for input and output devices.
These technological advances changed the world. It’s no wonder that the people who invented such advanced machines and systems didn’t want to give up control of them – they were a huge part of their lives.