100 Amazing Inventions
66. Why is the story of YouTube interesting?
YOUTUBE:
YouTube is a video sharing website.
Launched in May 2005, YouTube allows billions of people to discover, as
well as to watch and share originally created videos. It also provides a
forum for people to connect, inform, and inspire others across the
globe.
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YouTube Logo |
YouTube was founded by Chad Hurley, Steven Chan and Jawed
Karim who were all early employees of PayPal. The first YouTube video
was uploaded on April 23rd, 2005.
During the summer of 2006, YouTube was one of the
fastest growing sites on the Web. The website averaged nearly 20
million visitors per month.
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YouTuber on YouTube |
On October 9th, 2006, it was announced
that the company would be purchased by Google. YouTube's statistics
at the end of 2015 claim that more than 400 hours of video was
uploaded to the site per minute. At over one billion users, YouTube
has over a third of the entire population of the Internet hooked on
to it!
67. Why are the night vision goggles useful?
NIGHT VISION GOGGLES:
Night vision goggles are special
glasses that enable a person to see in the dark. These goggles have many uses
for military and law enforcement agencies.
The first practical night vision devices were developed in
Germany in the mid-1930s, and were used by both German tanks and infantry
during World War II. The biggest problem with night vision goggles is that
everything is seen only in grey or green colours.
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Night Vision Goggles |
However, a revolutionary system developed for the Dutch
military makes night-time video images look as clear and colourful as
those shot in broad daylight.
The product is still being tested and hopefully it will
be available in the market soon.
68. What is surface computing?
SURFACE COMPUTING:
More than four
decades after the introduction of the computer mouse, Microsoft has
established a new branch of computer technology known as surface computing.
The goal of surface computing is to recognize touch and
objects on the screen's surface, and to interact with those objects
seamlessly, keyboard, or USB port.
We are familiar with touch screens that allow us to access
content without the use of a mouse or keyboard, but surface computing goes
even beyond this. The 'Surface' is a 76 cm 'coffee table' display that not
only enables direct interaction with digital content, but also responds to
natural gestures and physical objects.
The
Surface can recognize physical objects. For example, by simply placing a
digital camera on the table top, the surface would recognize what it was,
and would automatically display its contents. Amazing isn't it?
69. Why are iPhones so popular?
iPHONE:
iPhones are smart
phones designed and marketed by Apple Inc. Development of the first model
began in 2004, when Apple started to gather a team to work on the highly
confidential "Project Purple". On January 9th, 2007, Steve Jobs
introduced the first iPhone. The Phone that revolutionised the concept of
smart phones forever.
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First iPhone |
By replacing the keypad with a touch screen, and adding
advanced computer like capabilities that hadn't been seen before, the iPhone
set the standard for all smart phones. Later editions added more and more
features.
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Evolution of iPhones |
The 2009 model of the iPhone brought video recording
capabilities for the first time, and the camera itself got an upgrade too.
In 2010, the model had a new sleeker, more modern look. It was the first
iPhone with a front-facing camera, and also the first with some level of
multitasking. With each new model, the iPhone's popularity grew!
70. What is a bionic eye?
BIONIC EYE:
A bionic eye mimics
the function of the retina to restore sight for those with severe vision loss.
It is a boon for people who have gone blind from degenerative eye diseases.
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The Bionic Eyes |
Such diseases damage the eyes photoreceptors. Photoreceptors
are the cells at the back of the retina that perceive light patterns and
pass them on to the brain in the form of nerve impulses. The impulse
patterns then interpreted as images by the brain.
The bionic eye seeks to replicate this with electrodes
implanted in the eye and an external camera fitted to a pair of
spectacles.
These bionic eye will soon be able to let those with
vision loss not to just see, but to see on colour too! The bionic eye
will change the lives of blind people for the better.