Buzz
The earliest versions of today's everyday technologies are often barely recognizable compared to their modern counterparts, much like how Bell's original working model contrasts with the iPhone. With technology advancing so swiftly, we tend to forget how bumpy the initial steps were.
10. Plasma Display
In the 1960s, a group of physics professors, led by Don Bitzer, began taking the first steps that would eventually result in the invention of the modern plasma display. Their main goal was to reduce the flickering that was common with standard cathode-ray tube displays. Their solution was to create three thin layers of glass, with the middle layer filled with tiny holes filled with gas. The outer layers were lined with metallic wires, so thin they were nearly invisible, that, when electrified, would excite the gas. This groundbreaking method of displaying images eliminated the need to refresh the screen, solving the flickering problem.
9. Touchscreen
The first touchscreen was created at Switzerland’s CERN laboratories. While a device that generated buttons on a touch-sensitive screen existed before, it was bulky and required an inconveniently large frame. CERN member Bent Stumpe’s solution was to etch a set of electric capacitors into a copper film, which was then fused with the glass screen. A touch would increase the capacitance, sending a signal to the computer.
These screens were developed for use in CERN’s SPS division control center, where they remained in operation for over 20 years. Compare that with your smartphone, which might be lucky enough to survive the unboxing without voiding the warranty.
8. Microphone
Although Thomas Edison is often credited with the invention of the device, as confirmed by a federal court ruling, the patents for the carbon transmitter or carbon-button microphone were filed almost simultaneously by Emile Berliner, who is frequently given equal, if not greater, credit. Furthermore, Berliner’s design was far more durable—so much so that Alexander Graham Bell purchased his patent for the equivalent of about $1,000,000 in today’s money, so that he could incorporate it into his early telephones.
7. Smartphone
The world’s first smartphone, named Simon, was released on August 16, 1994. Produced by IBM, it featured many of the functions we associate with smartphones today, including email, predictive typing, and even a primitive version of “apps” by way of a memory card that could add more features. However, it also weighed over a pound, resembled a brick in size, and came with a price tag of nearly $1,000.
Although only 50,000 units were sold, and it predated the creation of web browsers, Simon still had a significant impact on the industry. Today, smartphone manufacturers are required to pay royalties to IBM and BellSouth, who hold numerous patents related to Simon's standard smartphone features, such as touchscreen text highlighting and remote activation.
6. Power Tool
Fein, a German tool company that has been around since the mid-1800s, stands as a giant in the industry. Today, they provide nearly every type of tool imaginable. When it comes to power tools, Fein can rightfully claim to be the best, as they were the first to develop them.
The first electric power tool was created in 1895. Within eight years, the tool underwent significant improvements, including aluminum components and multiple speed settings. By 1908, Fein had shifted its focus entirely to power tool production. This decision proved successful, as, in the early 20th century, the company introduced the first-ever jackhammers and jigsaws. In the 1960s, Fein invented an oscillating plaster saw that would pave the way for an entirely new category of oscillating power tools.
5. Sewing Machine
The sewing machine was a sought-after invention throughout the 1700s and early 1800s. Many inventors contributed ideas, and some even created prototypes that ultimately proved impractical.
The first functional sewing machine was created by Elias Howe, who secured a patent for his design on September 10, 1846. Despite his efforts, he struggled to gain traction in America (likely due to the many previous failed attempts), so he tried his luck in England, where his situation wasn’t much better, especially after the death of his wife. However, while Howe was away and dealing with his personal tragedy, sewing machines gained immense popularity. Howe managed to successfully defend his patent in court, achieving major victories against Walter Hunt and Isaac Singer, a name still synonymous with sewing machines today. The resulting settlements and royalties made Howe extraordinarily wealthy and his business highly prosperous.
4. Parachute
Surprisingly, the parachute was invented more than a century before the airplane: The first successful parachute jump from a height occurred on October 22, 1797, in Paris, France. The jump was made by the parachute's creator, André-Jacques Garnerin, who leapt from a hydrogen balloon at an altitude of 975 meters (3,200 feet) above the ground—but things didn’t go quite as planned.
The prototype lacked a vital component (an air vent at the top), causing it to spin uncontrollably as it descended. Despite this, the canopy managed to slow his fall enough, and Garnerin landed safely without injury. Following this, he made several successful demonstration jumps throughout Europe, including one from 2,400 meters (8,000 feet) in England.
3. Wireless Tower
Finally, we have Nikola Tesla. While he did not invent alternating current (AC), he is credited with its refinement, tirelessly advocating for it over direct current (DC), much to the frustration of his rival, Thomas Edison (for whom he worked for several years, significantly improving Edison’s designs). Tesla’s impact on the development of electrical power cannot be overstated. However, his most ambitious project—had it come to fruition—would have outdone not just his own incredible contributions, but those of almost every other inventor in history.
Wardenclyffe Tower, depicted above, was constructed in 1901 with the intention of being the world’s first wireless transmission tower. The grand vision was to establish a global network of these towers (similar to today’s networks) to transmit information worldwide. The tower stood nearly 60 meters (200 feet) high and extended 36 meters (120 feet) underground. Unfortunately, due to financial setbacks and taxes (and perhaps Tesla's eccentricity), the project was never completed, and the tower was dismantled in 1917.
Had Tesla been allowed to complete this project, it would not merely have predated our modern wireless networks by decades. Tesla’s vision was far greater: he envisioned a global system that would not just transmit wireless communication signals but also wireless electric power to the entire world.
2. Personal Computer
While the Altair 8800 may not resemble the personal computers we use today, it was the first computer ever made available to the public. It was sold as a kit in the pages of Popular Electronics magazine for $400, designed to be assembled by the buyer. Initially, they expected a few hundred orders, but demand quickly surged to a couple thousand within just the first few months.
Before the Altair, magazines like Popular Electronics would only print computer designs for hobbyists to build on their own. If you wanted a computer, you had to source parts from a long shopping list (the items of which weren’t available at every local store), read the technical blueprints, and assemble it yourself. With the Altair, however, the parts were included—but you still had to assemble it yourself.
1. Bulletproof Vest
Casimir Zeglen, the inventor of the bulletproof vest, had such faith in his creation that, much like parachute inventor André-Jacques Garnerin before him, he personally volunteered for the first test of his invention on July 10, 1897. A priest, Zeglen conceived the idea after the 1893 assassination of Chicago mayor Carter Harrison. He had initially experimented with various, more rigid materials but ultimately discovered a method for weaving silk threads into a dense, multi-layered cloth that could prevent bullets from penetrating it.
Although firearms of that time were not nearly as large or powerful as the modern weapons we have today, Brother Zeglen’s early models appeared to be remarkably durable. A newspaper article from that era describes an experiment in which Lieutenant Sarnecki of the Austrian army loaded a .32 caliber revolver, positioned himself ten paces (seven meters) from the target, and fired. The bullet was deflected, and the crowd rushed toward the inventor, who was not only smiling but filled with joy, as the only sensation he felt was like being poked with a stick.
