Top 10 Inventions

I chose the following 10 inventions because they represented a huge leap in their industry. These inventions had a technical insight that revolutionized its field and pushed humans to new boundaries. The inventions are ordered chronologically.

1. Airplane
Airplanes have changed the way we travelled for hundreds of years. It was a huge leap forward in the transportation field. Truly gave meaning to "we live in a small world". -1903

2. Rocket
Rockets allowed us to explore outside Earth's boundaries. It allowed us to reach the moon, and maybe one day, Mars. We should always shoot for the stars. -1926

3. Digital Camera
Digital camera was a huge leap in the camera industry. This invention proved that even the incumbent giant Kodak couldn't survive. -1975

4. 3D Printer
3D printing changed the world of manufacturing. Although this invention has only picked up in the recent years, it poses a huge threat to existing manufacturing technologies. -1984

5. Personal computer
Personal computers revolutionized the computer industry. It paved a way for the world we live in today. Additionally, Apple's focus on customer experience also has shown its value and companies today operate under similar standards. -1984

6. Mac / Windows OS
Macintosh and Windows helped bring personal computing into common public use. With the rise of personal computing, Apple and Microsoft had to develop a system that users can easily interact with. -1985

7. Internet
The Internet brought the world together in a different way the airplanes did. It allowed for information across the globe to be distributed and accessed. As we move into the Internet of Things, more and more things in our lives will be connected to this invention. -1989

8. Tesla Electric Car
Although electric cars existed before Tesla, Tesla pushed the bounds of this industry. It transformed our preconception about electric cars. Its charging stations are a great example of how electric cars can be a great move forward from traditional gasoline automobiles. -2003

9. iPhone
iPhones really pushed for a complete touch screen interface, which has since changed the entire technology industry to focus more on touch gestures. It completely disrupted the industry that incumbent phone companies like Nokia and Motorola were comfortable in. -2007

10. Google
Although Google itself is a company, it represents a company that is extremely forward thinking. Its search engine made the Internet a searchable space and transformed the way we interact with it. Its new projects under development like Project Loon and self-driving cars will also be huge forward leaps in their respective fields. -1998

Meet Michael

Hi everyone,

My name is Michael Xu, and I am currently a 3rd year EECS major, also currently pursuing a minor in IEOR.  Long story short, I was born in China, moved to Brazil when I was 7, and finally moved to LA when I was 15. Over the years, I grew a passion for traveling, learning new languages, soccer, and of course, technology.

Because I still travel between the United States, Brazil, and China, I get to see the varying levels of technology development in these countries. I am grateful for having the opportunity to be exposed to different environments. And this also contributes to why I am taking IEOR 190G: I am looking forward to broaden my horizons about technological advancements and patents.

As an EECS major, I want to have a good understanding of the CS and tech industry as I join the workforce next year. Because whether I work for a company or decide to develop an app or program on my own, I want to know what is currently available in the market, and what isn't. If I develop something that is not currently on the market, but has great potential future, then I would definitely consider patenting my product. After all, I see patents as a great way to keep your products safe and give yourself a competitive advantage. Intellectual property is huge, and ideally I would be able to patent something that will force my competitors out. Or on the contrary, I am also interested in the possibility of licensing a certain product or feature after I patent it.

When learning about patents, I want to focus on things like a general trend that these patents are part of, and how these patents will affect me. There are other developers out there like me, who will patent something that they think is useful. And as I use these information to my advantage, I hope I can also create something that can impact the world.