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Turing Machine
Rather than an actual physical invention, the Turing machine is a mathematical abstract machine. Today turing machine is synonymous with the term algorithm, as the Turing machine was a flexible enough "machine" to do anything a modern algorithm in a common programming language can do. Moreover, this was an important milestone in computation because it demonstrated some of the limitations of computing long before the computers we know today were created. -
C
C is one of, if not the most influential programming language. Created by Dennis Ritchie (pictured), Its readable syntax and general purpose nature, as well as its speed have made it ubiquitous in many different mediums. Although it has fallen somewhat out of favor with modern programmers, its influence can be seen in many common languages today, such as C++ and Java. Additionally, many of the common operating systems were created in C. -
Magnavox Odyssey
Although the modern day "console war" is fought among Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo, The Magnavox Odyssey was the first video game home console console. It was much more simplistic than what we know today, lacking features such as audio. Over the years since its initial introduction, video games have been a crucial part of the advancement of computing technology. Today, GPUs primarily created for video game graphics have been essential in operations such as machine learning and cryptocurrency -
Sony Walkman
Sony's Walkman was the world's introduction to portable music. The first Walkman used compact cassette tapes, and later portable music devices continued to advance using CD discs, flash memory, and now music streamed directly from services. The Walkman represents not only a technological advancement, but a cultural event, having a huge influence on 80's culture. The Sony Walkman way overshot projections, selling 30,000 units in the first few months alone. -
Blackberry
The Blackberry implemented email into a mobile phone. This allowed for even more rapid communication, but also blended the lines between work and free time for many people. President Barack Obama was known in particular for his usage of the Blackberry, even despite initial security concerns. The Blackberry pictured is the original, which looks slightly less sleek than its more well known successors. -
Sources
All info from https://en.wikipedia.org/ Images used:
Blackberry: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/06/RIM_BlackBerry_950.jpg/330px-RIM_BlackBerry_950.jpg Dennis Ritchie:
https://ethw.org/w/images/thumb/9/97/Dennis_M._Ritchie_2260.jpg/300px-Dennis_M._Ritchie_2260.jpg Alan Turing:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/Alan_Turing_Aged_16.jpg -
Sources cont.
