10 Ingenious Gadgets That Revolutionized Everyday Life
Having the ability to translate real-time speech into other languages is a huge convenience when traveling abroad. It eliminates the need to lug around cumbersome paper maps and awkward stops to ask for directions.
From a cuff holder used by poker cardsharks to an electric comb from the 1920s, these antique gadgets are a testament to human ingenuity.
1. Sony Walkman
One of the most famous portable audio gadgets of all time, the Walkman ushered in a new age of music listening. It became a staple for joggers and commuters, who could create a soundtrack to their workout. It also prompted people to make mix tapes for their friends, creating a culture of personalization and sharing.
Kozo Ohsone, the engineer who invented the Walkman, based it on his Pressman design, which was a portable cassette recorder that Sony originally promoted to journalists. He took out the record function and added headphones, which is when it got its name.
The first Walkmans came with two headphone jacks, as the designers thought it would be a social way to share music. However, that feature was later removed because it turned out people preferred to listen alone. The invention of the Walkman led to the emergence of the iPod and other music players that are now commonplace.
2. JVC VideoMovie Recorder
The JVC VideoMovie Recorder — more commonly known as the VCR — was a crucial part of home entertainment technology in its heyday. It allowed people to watch movies and television shows on their own schedule, essentially creating time-shifted viewing.
Prior to the VCR, recording video was a huge chore. Videographers used trucks full of equipment to make a single short clip, and the process was often inconvenient.
The VCR also brought advanced features such as dubbing, flying erase head, and a variety of editing functions to the average consumer. These innovations were critical to the growth of home video production. It’s safe to say that without the VCR, home video wouldn’t be what it is today.
3. Regency TR-1 Transistor Radio
After co-inventing the transistor with Jack Kilby at Bell Labs in early 1954, TI (Texas Instruments in Dallas) searched for a killer application. Working with a small manufacturer called Industrial Development Engineering Associates of Indianapolis, they designed the four transistor TR-1 radio and introduced it to the consumer market in October 1954.
The small, portable transistor radio changed our attitude toward listening to music and other audio content. It also changed the way we consumed news and information. Radio, which once was a family activity where everyone gathered around a static machine, became a solitary pursuit that you could take with you anywhere.
Regency-TI and Raytheon of New Jersey (which bought a license from TI) were neck and neck with Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo in Japan to be the first to bring a transistor radio to the mass market. The Japanese company later changed its name to Sony.
4. Apple II
Before Apple became one of the world’s richest companies, co-founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak set out to build the first user-friendly personal computer. With the introduction of the Apple II and consumer software like VisiCalc’s spreadsheets, adventure games, and greeting-card-design tools, they changed the way we use computers and helped usher in what is now known as the Information Age.
The Apple II came with a MOS Technology 6502 microprocessor and 4 KB of RAM that could be expanded to 48 KB, an audio cassette interface for data storage, and the Integer BASIC programming language encoded in its motherboard ROM chips. The system also featured expansion slots for floppy disk drives, SCSI cards, and CP/M or PASCAL emulators. Unlike its competitors from the Commodore PET and Tandy TRS-80, Apple marketed it to consumers as a “complete, ready to use computer” with an advertisement that featured a man resting his hand comfortably on the keyboard.
5. Apple iPod
When the iPod debuted in 2001, it was a sleek and slim alternative to bulky CD players. It was also one of the most revolutionary gadgets in modern times, combining an easy-to-use MP3 player with a powerful media management software and online music store to create an industry-leading product that changed the way we consume music and other media. Later models added games, video playback, accelerometer input, and a slew of accessories. This device was so influential that it even led to a whole new genre of Internet-distributed audio programs, the podcast.
By the time Apple released the iPhone in 2007, the iPod was already looking a bit old, but it had paved the way for mobile media consumption as we know it today. It was a great run.
6. Transparent Speaker
The Transparent Speaker is a beautifully designed, minimalist speaker that blends in with home decor. It also has a unique transparent design that shows all of the complex hardware inside.
The Scandinavian company behind it has designed the speaker to be modular and upgradeable over time, a concept that is sure to get audio nerds salivating. There are a series of ports on the back panel including a 3.5mm line-in port, power supply, a switch to change between stereo (L and R) or mono, and a USB power connector.
The Small Transparent Speaker is a scaled-down version of its big brother, priced at around PS450. It loses the subwoofer, swaps black components for white and reduces the stereo output to 30W, but it’s still a beautiful creation. The little details like the cute messaging and bundled white gloves add to its appeal too.
7. Theragun Prime
Therabody's flagship massage gun is a game changer for those looking to relieve muscle soreness and reduce recovery times. Its key feature is a precise 16-millimeter amplitude that penetrates 60% deeper into the muscles than most other massage guns.
The Prime prioritizes the essential percussive therapy features without getting bogged down in tech specs and clunky extras. It's easy to charge and intuitive to use, connecting to the Therabody app for customizable and automated recovery protocols.
It also uses non-porous closed-cell foam that can be wiped clean for a more hygienic experience. Another key difference is that the Prime has a matte finish versus the Elite's shiny one, which saves you from having to constantly wipe down fingerprints. Lastly, it has a two-hour battery life, which is more than enough for most athletes to get the most out of this device.
8. Bondic
Bondic is the most popular adhesive of this generation and is a clear liquid plastic that only solidifies when users point LED UV light at it for 4 seconds. It can do things glue cannot and even works on softer materials that normal superglue can't.
It can be used to repair broken glass, metal, and PVC items in the house or office. Whether it's a broken mirror piece, sunglasses, or pipe leakages it can be fixed with this powerful adhesive in no time.
This glue also works well on softer materials such as bags, leather, and rubber. It is also heat and water resistant which means it can be used to mend items that will be exposed to extreme conditions. This will be useful for those who like to take a DIY approach and fix things in the home or office.
9. Glue Sticks
The first glue sticks came about in 1969 when a company named Henkel looked at lipstick and decided that the 'twist-up' applicator used for it could be applied to other products as well. The Pritt Stick was the result. Within two years it was available in 38 countries.
Hot glue is now used for carton sealing, furniture and woodworking, craft gluing, product assembly, carpet installation and point-of-purchase displays. Several different polymers are used in glues and they can be mixed with additives to get various properties.
Recently a cool marine creature was discovered that spins a gluey substance from its body. It's called Crassicorophium bonellii and it is like a mix of spider silk and barnacle cement. The glue it produces is also used in some adhesives. It has been used to make a stronger, clearer and less toxic glue for paper, cardboard and other surfaces.
10. The Pencil
Before the pencil, our ancient ancestors used reed and bamboo styluses to scratch markings on papyrus, palm leaf, and wax tablets. But it was the discovery of graphite in Borrowdale, England that gave modern pencils their start. According to legend, a storm uprooted a tree and shepherds found the black tar-like material clinging to its roots. They used it to mark their sheep.
Henry David Thoreau replaced the clay with a little graphite he could get from his mother’s oven and created America's first wood pencils. His pencils were in high demand and quickly became standard school supplies.
The pencil is so ubiquitous that we don’t think much about the technology behind it, but “pencil-making requires an understanding of advanced design techniques, the production and purification of raw materials, the mixing of materials, baking, sanding and drying processes, and more,” says Petroski.
