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Text Messaging
Invented by Friedhelm Hillebrand and Bernard Ghillebaert, text messaging allows for people to digitally compose messages and send them to one another. Most commonly, text messaging is used in cell phones today. Text messaging allows for quick, easy and convenient messaging between multiple parties. It allows for communication without the need for a phone call. Text messaging has become such a successful invention that nearly anyone with a cell phone texts on a daily basis. -
The DVD
No single person or company is credited with the invention of the DVD as several tech companies created variations of the DVD and each came to agreement on one design. When the DVD was introduced, it was the newest and most compact way to store data. Many people are familiar with DVDs as storing movies, however, they were also used as external memory storage for computers. This allowed for people to store more memory in a more compact and portable way than was previously capable. -
Palm Pilot
Invented by Jeff Hawkins, the palm pilot, also known as a personal digital assistant (PDA), was essentially a handheld computer and a predecessor to the smart phone. It could exchange information with computers in an effort to assist people in organization. It allowed for digital note taking, schedule making, contact records, and more. It allowed people several features of the computer on the go that had not previously been available in such a manner. -
MP3 Player
In 1977, Karlheinz Brandenburg began research into MP3 files and is known as the father of the MP3. In 1997, several tech companies began releasing MP3 players.
These were portable devices that allowed you to upload MP3 files and listen to them on demand. Whether the file contained music, speeches, or any number of digital recordings, they allowed for convenient and portable access to these files. -
Google
Larry Page and Sergey Brin met at Stanford University and began programming a search engine that we now know as Google.
Google is a search engine that allows anyone with access to the internet to search information on nearly any topic. It has become so popular and common that “Google” has unofficially become a verb. When you need to know information you are unfamiliar with, you can Google it and likely find your answer.