Information Technology
Discover the evolution of information technology
↓ Reverse
2024
Brain interface trial
🧠 Trials of brain implants enabling computer control via thought, restoring vision/limb control
Elon Musk, Neuralink
2023
GPT-4
🤖 Multimodal AI with enhanced reasoning capabilities
OpenAI
2022
ChatGPT
💬 Conversational AI accessible to general public
OpenAI
2022
Perplexity
🔍 AI-powered search engine with conversational interface
Aravind Srinivas, Denis Yarats
2020
GPT-3
in-progress🧠 Large language model with 175 billion parameters
OpenAI
2020
Boston Dynamics Commercial Robot
in-progress🐕 First commercial robot for industrial use
Boston Dynamics
2019
Meta Quest
in-progress🥽 Standalone VR headset with hand tracking
Meta (formerly Facebook)
2017
Transformer Architecture
in-progress🔄 Attention mechanism revolutionizing NLP
Google Research
2016
Oculus Rift
in-progress🥽 First major consumer VR headset
Palmer Luckey (Oculus/Meta)
2016
TikTok
in-progress🎵 Short-form algorithm-driven video platform
ByteDance
2014
Generative Adversarial Networks
in-progress🎭 Generative AI modeling
Ian Goodfellow
2013
Boston Dynamics Atlas
in-progress🤖 Bipedal humanoid robot for search and rescue
Boston Dynamics
2012
AlexNet
in-progress🎯 Deep learning breakthrough in image recognition
Alex Krizhevsky, Ilya Sutskever, Geoffrey Hinton
2012
Oculus Kickstarter
in-progress🥽 VR headset crowdfunding campaign
Palmer Luckey
2011
IBM Watson
in-progress🧠 AI wins at Jeopardy! game show
IBM
2011
Snapchat
in-progress👻 Disappearing personal messaging
Evan Spiegel & Bobby Murphy
2010
Instagram
in-progress📸 Photo sharing with filters
Kevin Systrom & Mike Krieger
2009
WhatsApp
in-progress💚 Cross-platform mobile messaging
Brian Acton & Jan Koum
2008
Bitcoin & Blockchain
in-progress₿ First cryptocurrency and distributed ledger
Anonymous
2008
Google Chrome
in-progress🌈 Fast browser with V8 engine and multi-process architecture
Google
2007
iPhone
in-progress📱 Revolutionary touchscreen smartphone
Steve Jobs (Apple)
2007
Android Beta
in-progress📱 First mobile OS release
Google
2006
Twitter
in-progress🐦 Microblogging and social media platform (renamed came X)
Jack Dorsey, Biz Stone & Evan Williams
2005
YouTube
in-progress📺 Video sharing platform
Chad Hurley, Steve Chen & Jawed Karim
2005
Android
in-progress🤖 Mobile operating system development starts (acquired by Google)
Andy Rubin
2004
Facebook
in-progress📘 Social networking for universities
Mark Zuckerberg
2004
Firefox
in-progress🦊 Open-source browser with security features
Mozilla Foundation
2004
Boston Dynamics BigDog
in-progress🐕 Quadruped military support robot
Boston Dynamics
2003
LinkedIn
in-progress💼 Professional networking platform
Reid Hoffman
2003
MySpace
in-progress👥 Early social media platform
Tom Anderson & Chris DeWolfe
2002
AWS
in-progress☁️ Launch of Cloud Computing infrastructure, S3 storage and EC2 compute
Jeff Bezos, Andy Jassy, Amazon
2000
Pandora
🎶 Internet radio and music streaming
Tim Westergren
1999
Napster
🎵 Peer-to-peer file sharing (music)
Sean Parker, Shawn Fanning
1998
Google Search
🔎 Became leading search engine
Larry Page & Sergey Brin
1997
IBM Deep Blue
♟️ AI defeats world chess champion
IBM
1997
Netflix
📀 DVD-by-mail rental service
Reed Hastings & Marc Randolph
1995
Internet Explorer
🌐 Microsoft's entry into browser market
Microsoft
1994
Amazon
🛒 Online auction and marketplace platform
Jeff Bezos
1993
Web Browser
🌍 Mosaic then Netscape, user-friendly browser with graphics
Marc Andreessen, Jim Clark
1989
World Wide Web
🕸️ HTML, HTTP, URL, Open source proposal
Tim Berners-Lee (CERN)
1987
HyperCard
🗂️ Stack-based hypertext system, cards with text/images/buttons, scripting (HyperTalk)
Bill Atkinson (Apple)
1986
Backpropagation
⚡ Neural network training algorithm breakthrough
Geoffrey Hinton, David Rumelhart, Ronald Williams
1983
Domain Name System (DNS)
🔗 .com, .gov, .edu web addressing system
Paul Mockapetris
1981
First 3D Printer Concept
🖨️ Layer-by-layer photosensitive resin printing
Hideo Kodama
1979
Usenet/BBS
🖧 Local dial-up communities, message boards, file sharing, no central authority
Ward Christensen, Tom Truscott, Jim Ellis
1972
Email
📧 Computer-to-computer messaging system with @ Symbol
Ray Tomlinson
1969
ARPANET
🌐 First computer network, TCP/IP, FTP
DARPA
1968
Intel
💾 Silicon microprocessor, Moore's Law (exponential growth of transistor density)
Robert Noyce, Gordon Moore, Andy Grove
1962
Sensorama VR
🥽 First VR machine with multi-sensory experience
Morton Heilig
1960
ELIZA Chatbot
💬 First chatbot program
Joseph Weizenbaum
1957
Perceptron
🔗 First single-layer neural network
Frank Rosenblatt
1950
Turing Test
🤖 Test for human-like Intelligence of machines & decryption
Alan Turing
1947
Transistor
⚡ Revolutionized electronics; replaced vacuum tubes, enabling miniaturization
John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, William Shockley
1936
Computation Model
💭 Theoretical computation model, Turing Machine test
Alan Turing
1928
Data Processor
📄 IBM punch cards for data storage and processing; based on Jacquard textile machines
IBM
1870
Typewriter
⌨️ Mechanical keyboard, direct imprint of type on paper, faster and more legible writing
Christopher Latham Sholes, E. Remington & Son
1450
Printer
🖨️ Movable metal type, oil-based ink, mass production of books
Johannes Gutenberg