The Rollaboard

The 1989 patent for Robert Plath’s Rollaboard http://www.google.com/patents/US4995487

Background:

The suitcase pictured above is from the 1989 patent for Robert Plath’s innovative wheeled-luggage design.  As is the typical suitcase we see today, this suitcase had two wheels at the bottom and an extendable handle to pull easily and comfortably.

As a pilot for Northwest Airlines, Robert Plath had to travel very frequently. He then took to his garage and crafted a convenient suitcase for himself, with wheels and a handle. After making his own working model at home, Plath took it to work and received a ton of positive attention from co-workers who wanted one for themselves.

Historic context

1. Does the source fit what might be called a need of the time? Does it make a common form of work much easier? 

In the 1960s and earlier, travelers were condemned to actually lugging around their luggage. Suitcases had only a handle to be carried by and were often too large and heavy, making travelling an annoying task.

Bernard Sadow was the first to add wheels to his luggage in the 1970s. He put his luggage on coasters and attached a strap on the front to pull it from. Sadow received the patent for “Rolling Luggage”, but it was not an immediate crowd pleaser and there were still some deficiencies to the product. Since it was meant to be pulled horizontally, the suitcase was very prone to toppling over, especially if the person was moving quickly or over uneven ground.

Sadow’s patent for “rolling
https://medium.com/@betafactory/what-came-first-wheeled-luggage-or-a-man-on-the-moon-20f8b22529a3

Robert Plath’s new take on rolling luggage offered more comfort and stability. By adding a built in, extendable handle, Plath’s design allowed people to pull the suitcase vertically, rather than horizontally, which solved the issue of instability, without having to bend down to reach the strap, solving the issue of comfort. The new design quickly became popular among Plath’s fellow airport employees, and other frequent travelers.

2. Social and cultural values revealed?  Does it have assumptions built into the science or technology?

I find it rather fascinating that such a basic invention took so long to be invented. As this article (What came first? Wheeled luggage or a man on the moon?, Brian Weisburg, https://medium.com/@betafactory/what-came-first-wheeled-luggage-or-a-man-on-the-moon-20f8b22529a3) points out,  the first man on the moon had to carry his luggage home when he got back! Maybe this goes to show where the country’s priorities were. The Cold War was a very real issue for most of the country at that point in time.  The whole country was fixed on winning the “race” against the Soviet Union, in nuclear arms, in NASA, etc.

Then again, the fact that the Rollaboard did become so popular signals how popular travel was, especially air travel once airplane tickets started to become more affordable.

3. Impact—did it disappear? enormous success? or actually damaging?

Sadow’s rolling luggage was rather rapidly outshined by Robert Plath’s Rollaboard.  Seeing the immediate attention led Plath to launch his own company, Travelpro, to dedicate time to producing and selling his Rollaboards, and he has seen huge revenues. Plath has never had to work as a pilot another day in his life and his luggages are still as popular as ever.

Although Plath sold his Travelpro shares in 1991, Rollaboard luggage sales continue and many knock-off products have appeared on the market since then. The Rollaboard design changed the way people travel. I don’t know what I would have done without a rolling suitcase these past few years.

References:

Reinventing the Suitcase by Adding the Wheel, Joe Sharkey, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/business/05road.html?_r=1

Patent US 4995487 A, http://www.google.com/patents/US4995487

http://goingglobaltv.com/wheels-up/

https://medium.com/@betafactory/what-came-first-wheeled-luggage-or-a-man-on-the-moon-20f8b22529a3

How YouTube.com Got Started and How It Has Impacted Us

(The first video ever uploaded onto YouTube.com shows co-founder Jawed Karim in front of elephants at the San Diego Zoo)

Background:

YouTube was founded by Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim, who had worked together at PayPal. In 2005, YouTube.com, was launched, originally intended to be a dating site where users could share video of themselves and rate other users’ profiles.  Eventually, the trio decided to go a different route.

The very first video, uploaded on April 23, 2005, which shows co-founder Karim at the San Diego Zoo has accumulated over 23 billion views since then. In fact, the number of views increased by well over 1,000 in the time that I worked on this entry alone. Although the video is nothing really special, it does mark the beginning of countless videos shared on YouTube.

User response became more than the co-founders could handle alone. They sold YouTube to Google for $1.76 billion in June 2006, which Hurley says allowed them to “instantaneously – overnight- take things to the next level.” Today, YouTube continues to grow at an incredible pace.

Historic context

1. Does the source fit a need of the time?

The YouTube we know today was inspired after Karim failed to find online footage of Janet Jackson’s wardrobe “malfunction”, and Hurley and Chen couldn’t share a video due to email attachment size limitations.

At the time, there was no reliable method for sharing video online. Based on the positive response to YouTube from users, it seems many people had been searching for a solution to this problem as well.

With YouTube, people were now able to share special moments with friends, family, and even strangers. Today, ten years later, we have a wider variety of options for sharing videos, but one could argue that other social media networks felt pressured to add this feature because of YouTube’s rising popularity.

2. What social and cultural values does it reveal?  Assumptions built into it?

 YouTube was created based on the assumption that the internet would continue to prosper, and also that social media networks would maintain a significant role in people’s lives.

The success of YouTube so far goes to show the value that modern United States places on social media. YouTube has continuously enjoyed an increasingly large amount of traffic. Right off the bat, people were drawn in by the ability to connect with others through this website by sharing any kind of experience they want with anyone they want.

Social media has become almost a second nature for people across the nation- even across the globe. In fact, social networking is now ranked as the number one online activity. I think both the creation and the growing popularity of YouTube reflect this contemporary obsession with connecting to other people via online channels, rather than actual human contact.

3. Impact

Just a couple weeks ago marked YouTube’s tenth anniversary and it has clearly come a long way since 2005.

YouTube has become an extremely well-known site for sharing and viewing videos. Today, there are over 1 billion users, from all over the world. Every minute, 300 hours of video are uploaded; there is more content uploaded to YouTube every month than the three leading US TV networks produced in their first 60 years.

Moreover, Youtube provides a platform for ordinary people to generate an audience just for doing what they love to do. Some very talented people have been discovered through YouTube (unfortunately, that includes Justin Beiber, now one of the world’s top selling artists).  It is also an opportunity for some extra cash. Currently, there are over a million channels earning revenue through the YouTube Partner program, some reaching 6 figures. YouTube invests in creators, providing space and resources so they can continue to produce high quality videos, which in turn, leads to more watch time on YouTube. Even businesses have added YouTube to their marketing strategy, with more than 1 million advertisers use google ads on YouTube.

Of course, YouTube also has potentially negative aspects to it, such as the fact that people might waste hours watching useless videos, but that is more a question of freewill and self-discipline. Another issue is that their policy puts users in charge of flagging inappropriate (gruesome, abusive, pornographic, racist) content to be removed from the website. However, it can be a while before someone actually decides to flag the video. In the meantime, the damage has already been done. A number of younger, unintended audience members could have come across the video by the time it is removed.

Despite the negative, I am personally fascinated with how easy YouTube makes it to share original content, gain new followers, and find the most relevant videos. It is impossible to know where YouTube will be in the future, or whether it will even be. However, my personal prediction is that YouTube will continue to grow, at least for the next decade or so. YouTube already reaches more young adults (ages 18-34) than any cable networks. I have a strong feeling it will continue to become more popular than television for other age brackets as well.

At the rate it is growing now, YouTube won’t be gone for a long time!

References:

10 Surprising Social Media Statistics That Will Make You Rethink Your Social Strategy, http://www.fastcompany.com/3021749/work-smart/10-surprising-social-media-statistics-that-will-make-you-rethink-your-social-stra

http://mashable.com/2011/02/19/youtube-facts/

https://www.youtube.com/yt/press/statistics.htmlhttp://www.arabianbusiness.com/meet-man-who-created-youtube-but-what-did-chad-hurley-do-next–570863.html?page=1

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/tech/9-Facts-About-YouTube-On-Its-9th-Anniversary-256231401.html

Charles Strite Invents the First Pop-up Toaster

http://www.toaster.org/tm1a1_pamphlet.html Toastmaster model 1-A-1 begins selling in 1926

Background:

In 1919, toasters had long since been invented, but, perhaps after receiving one too many burnt toasts, Charles Strite invented the first automatic pop-up toaster. He received the patent in 1921 and The Waters Genter Company was formed to produce the product. In 1926, they finally begin selling it as the Toastmaster, as shown in the picture above.  These images are from the instruction manuals that were included with the purchase of a Toastmaster.

Historic Context

1.) Does the source fit what might be called a need of the time?

As the story goes, Charles Strite wanted to find a solution to the burnt toast being served in the cafeteria, while also finding a way around relying on constant human supervision.

One can imagine how annoying it must have been to toast bread because you had to keep a close watch on it the entire time, or risk burning your bread. People also had to manually turn the bread for it to get evenly toasted. The Toastmaster, on the other hand, toasted both sides simultaneously and included a variable timer so that the bread would stop toasting automatically.

With Strite’s innovation to the toaster, people could now leave bread in the toaster while continuing other work in the kitchen with peace of mind.  The Toastmaster saved time and bread.

2.) What social and cultural values or assumptions does it reveal?  

I think this invention reflects the widespread emphasis on efficiency at the time.  Now that the toaster has a timer you have a chance to get more done while the bread toasts.

3.) IMPACT

The automatic pop-up toaster certainly did not disappear. While Strite may not have invented the first toaster, he did come up with the idea for the automatic popup, which has carried over to basically all toasters we know today. Initially, Strite had planned to market this toaster to restaurants, but in time, the product caught on so well that and it has become a regular household appliance.

I have never heard of a toaster that did not popup automatically- just another one of those innovations I completely take for granted.  It is rather astonishing to think that in the 1920s the popup toaster was new, perhaps even seemed unnecessary to some. Now, by contrast, automatic pop-up is a must-have for any toaster.

References:

http://www.toaster.org/tm1a1_pamphlet.html

http://www.toaster.org/tmaster_history.html

http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/toaster.htm

http://washburngrist.com/766/uncategorized/a-toast-to-charles-strite/

The Edison Tinfoil Phonograph

The original Edison tin foil phonograph, 1877

Description

Edison’s inspiration for the phonograph came about after his work with the telegraph and the telephone. He began developing a machine that made indentations on paper to transcribe telegraphic messages and could then be sent over the telegraph. This led him to pursue a method for recording telephone messages in a similar way.

In 1877, Edison designed the phonograph, a diaphragm with a paraffin paper held against it. Sound vibrations would cause indentations to be made in the paper.  This design was later changed to a metal cylinder wrapped in tin foil, with a needle that made indentations on the cylinder for recording, and another needle for playing the sound. This is the version pictured above.

Edison is credited as inventor of the phonograph, however, he was not actually the one to build the first working model. After completing the design, Edison passed it on to his mechanic, John Kreusi, who was able to build it, although it may have taken several months. To test the machine, Edison sang “Mary had a little lamb” into the mouthpiece and was amazed to find that “the machine reproduced it perfectly”.

Historic context

The patent for the phonograph was obtained on February 19, 1878. When the phonograph first came about, people were astounded. At this point, the phonograph was quite an original innovation. French scientist Charles Cros had invented his own recording device in 1877 as well, but had not produced a working model. The phonograph was really the first of its kind, so original, in fact, that it initially faced skepticism. The novelty of the original tin foil phonograph wore down, and so did Edison’s focus on it, but others continued to work on it, leading to improvements and inspiration for new designs.

Social and cultural value

The phonograph became widely popular for recreational purposes. As Edison company improved the design and came up with the Edison Home Phonograph, people began to have them in their homes, to play music and dance.  Phonographs began to appear in advertisements that told people they needed to own one of these innovative machines. This reflects the emergence of consumerism at the time, in which advertisements become an increasingly important aspect of selling to the public.

Impact

Today, sound recording and playback is largely taken for granted. In contrast, the original phonograph was met with great excitement and opened the door to numerous opportunities. Edison listed some his envisioned options, including audio books, music recordings, and recorded teacher explanations accessible to students at any time.

Of course, recording and playback devices have come a long way since 1877, and nobody has a phonograph in their living room anymore. But back in its day, the phonograph was a revolutionary invention. Edison’s designs were eventually overpowered by newer innovations from competitors, but his original design paved the way for countless improvements to sound recording and playback that made the quality we have today possible.

references:

http://www.loc.gov/collections/edison-company-motion-pictures-and-sound-recordings/articles-and-essays/history-of-edison-sound-recordings/history-of-the-cylinder-phonograph/

http://edison.rutgers.edu/tinfoil.htm

The Franklin Stove 1742

Franklin’s design for the Franklin stove, also known as the circular stove, or the New Pennsylvania stove. This illustration was included in his essay describing the invention. http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/franklin/franklin-scientist.html#obj35

Table of contents for Franklin’s essay about his innovative stove. http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/franklin/franklin-scientist.html#obj35

Description:

Among many other inventions, Benjamin Franklin contributed the Franklin stove in 1742, or as he called it, the “New Pennsylvania Fireplace”. Although Americans already had fireplaces for warming the home, Franklin’s stove was innovative because of its metal lining and iron plates which essentially allowed for more heat and less smoke. This photo of Franklin’s original design, was drawn by Benjamin Franklin himself, and was included in his essay description of the stove. The essay was written to promote the model being manufactured at the time by his friend Robert Grace.

Historic context:

Prior to the Franklin Stove, open fireplaces were the main source for heating homes. Franklin’s stove design was helpful as it provided more heat than typical fireplaces of the time, with a lot less smoke. The iron plates helped control the airflow, so that less heat was lost, and as a result, less wood was needed. In addition, since the iron walls absorbed the heat, the stove continued to provide warmth even after the fire went out.  These characteristics of the stove were all very convenient for the typical colonial home in America during cold weather.

In his essay, Franklin includes a detailed description of the design, both through text, and through illustration. The manner in which Franklin illustrates his design shows accuracy through careful measurements, and a scale of inches at the bottom.  As shown in his table of contents, he then goes on to describe in detail each piece of the stove.  At the bottom of that page, he also includes a poem about the stove, comparing it to the sun, calling it a “new sun”. Perhaps this suggests the contemporary view of nature.  The poem makes note of the new stove being more reliable, or “faithful”, than nature’s sun. It also mentions that the stove “warms when we please, and just as we desire.” These remarks go hand in hand with the eighteenth century American attitude toward nature as something that is only for human satisfaction and can easily be replaced by man-made creations.

Impact

He originally intended for the stove to be used both in heating, and cooking, but his stove was largely used for heating rooms. The design shown above became so popular that this essay was reprinted and translated into several languages. As popular as it was, the Franklin stove still had many flaws.  Since Franklin did not patent his stove, the design was open to be worked on, recreated, and improved by others.  Other innovators made many improvements to the design, and while some newer versions became more popular than Franklin’s, his design was an important contribution as it improved previous versions and influenced even better future versions.  The actual Franklin stove was definitely not an enormous success in terms of sales, but elements of it were carried on into future stoves and helped develop more innovations.

references:

http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/franklin/franklin-scientist.html#obj35

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Franklin_Stove.aspx

http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/info/inventions.htm