Blog #9

One significant comparison that I found between the time period of 1865-1914 and today is the progression of technology.  Both of these time periods have been huge within the progression of technology. Although the innovations between 1865-1914 were a lot more important, there have been big changes in our technology as well. Between 1865-1914 the light bulb, the telephone, the typewriter, the radio, the motion picture, the automobile, and the airplane were all created.  These are still some of the most important inventions in our lives today.  I think we have reached a time period in our lives where crazy new inventions are coming out.  Some inventions that have struck me as very innovative are the iPhone 4Gs and 3D television.  The iPhone 4Gs has a computer simulated voice called Siri that you can ask any question to and receive an answer.  The 3D television is pretty self explanatory, but it is amazing the picture that you can get from it.  Although these inventions are much more technological than the inventions of that time period, they are the important inventions that are shaping our community.  Ottmar Mergenthaler invented the linotype machine in 1882.  It was a revolutionary typesetting machine that helped improve methods of distribution and help publishers produce for the amount of demand for printed material.  Thomas Edison called it the "Eighth Wonder of the World."  I could compare this to the invention of the email.  Email has made it much easier for writing to be transfered between people, and has made communication and distribution so much easier.  Without email, there would still be the process of using "snail mail" to transfer documents.