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Video Game Consoles
Ralph H. Baer was the inventor of video game consoles. He devised the concept of playing simple, spot-based games on a television screen in 1966, which later became the basis of the Magnavox Odyssey in 1972. -
Emergence of Cable TV
Robert Tarlton is credited with inventing cable TV. In 1972, Charles Dolan and Gerald Levin of Sterling Manhattan Cable launched the nation's first pay-TV network, Home Box Office (HBO). This venture led to the creation of a national satellite distribution system. In 1970, only 8% of American households received basic cable. By the end of the decade, nearly 60% of American homes were wired for basic cable. -
Pagers (Beepers)
The first telephone pager system was patented in 1949 by Alfred J. Gross. Pagers, also known as beepers, were a popular communication device in the 1980s. They were small devices with a digital screen and a clip on the back to attach to your pants or purse. The most common type of pager was a numeric "one-way" pager that could display up to 10 digits. -
Cellphone
The first handheld cellular mobile phone was demonstrated by John F. Mitchell and Martin Cooper of Motorola in 1973. Cell phones in the 1990s were larger and less portable than today's phones. They were expensive and had limited network coverage. In 1990, only 12 million people had cell phone subscriptions. -
Social Media
Thomas Anderson is an American technology entrepreneur and co-founder of the social networking website Myspace, which he founded in 2003. By late 2003, it was transitioned from a file storage service to a social networking site.