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Gadgets have become an integral part of our daily lives: they make it easier to perform many tasks and make leisure time more interesting. Tablets, smartwatches, and wireless headphones — all of these devices have come a long way before becoming what we know them today.
In this article, we'll dive into the fascinating world of technology and reveal interesting facts about how some of the most popular and significant gadgets of our time were created.
And if your child loves IT technologies, we are looking forward to seeing him in class at Progkids!
Notebook
The concept of a portable computer, which we now call a laptop, has come a long and thorny way. One of the first devices that could be considered the forerunner of the modern laptop was the Dynabook, proposed in 1968 by Alan Kay.
According to the inventor, this computer was supposed to be the best assistant for children of all ages.
Although Dynabook was never released as a commercial product, its concept had a significant impact on the development of portable computers.
The first actually released device that can be called a laptop was Osborne 1, introduced in 1981. It was designed by Adam Osborne and weighed about 11 kg and cost a fortune.
The real breakthrough came in 1982 when Grid Systems released Grid Compass. This computer was foldable and had a flat screen and keyboard, 340 KB of RAM, and an Intel 8086 processor running at 8 MHz.
Tablet
The concept of a tablet computer has also evolved over many decades.
Tablets became really popular with the release of the Apple iPad in 2010. Under Steve Jobs's leadership, Apple created a device that combined an intuitive interface, high performance and access to a wide range of applications. iPad significantly changed the mobile device market and became the standard for subsequent tablet developments.
Wireless headphones
Wireless headphones are the result of the rapid development of communication technologies and the miniaturization of electronic components. Their story begins with the advent of the first wireless audio transmission devices, such as headphones, that used radio frequencies to transmit audio signals. However, wireless headphones have become really popular with the development of Bluetooth technology.
Bluetooth was developed in the 1990s as a standard for short-range data transmission, and it was soon used to create wireless audio devices. The first Bluetooth headphones appeared in the early 2000s, but had limited sound quality and battery life.
With the development of technology, the situation has changed: quality has improved and battery life has increased.
In 2016, Apple introduced AirPods, which became a landmark product due to their design and usability. This event gave a powerful impetus to the development of the wireless headphone market.
Smartwatches
Smartwatches, as a device concept that combines the functions of a watch and various technological capabilities, also have a long history. It all started with early attempts to combine computing technology with wristwatches.
One of the first predecessors of modern smartwatches was a watch with calculators and basic features that appeared in the 1970s and 80s. These devices could perform simple calculations and even store small amounts of information.
With the advent of mobile communication technologies and the miniaturization of components, developers began to create watches that could connect to mobile phones via Bluetooth, allowing users to receive calls and receive notifications right on their wrist.
In 2012, Pebble introduced one of the first commercially successful smartwatches funded through the Kickstarter crowdfunding platform. This watch offered integration with smartphones to display notifications and install apps.
With the release of Apple Watch in 2015, the smartwatch market got a new boost. Apple Watch offered users a wide range of health and fitness features, such as heart rate monitoring and physical activity tracking.
Today, smartwatches continue to develop, offering more and more options, from music management to contactless payments.
E-book
The idea of creating digital texts first appeared in the middle of the 20th century. One of the first predecessors of modern e-books is the Gutenberg Project, launched in 1971 by Michael Hart. The goal of the project was to create a free electronic library that is accessible to everyone. The first text digitized under the project was the US Declaration of Independence.
In the 1990s, with the development of computer technology and the Internet, the first commercial e-book readers began to appear. One such device was Sony Data Discman, released in 1992, which used CDs to store texts. However, these devices have not been widely used due to limited features and high costs.
A real breakthrough in the popularization of e-books occurred in the early 2000s with the advent of devices based on electronic ink technology (e-ink), which provided comfortable reading due to their flicker-free and low power consumption.
In 2007, Amazon released Kindle, an e-book reader with access to a vast library of digital texts. The Kindle has become extremely popular due to its ease of use and the ability to buy books online.
Since then, the e-book market has continued to grow, offering users increasingly advanced devices and reading apps on a variety of platforms
Is your child crazy about technology? Quickly write it down to free trial lesson at Progkids! We know everything about gadgets and we will teach you how to use them wisely!
