Go Go Gadget Quiz!: How Much Do You Know About These Influential Gadgets?

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From the can opener to the iPhone, history is full of gadgets that made life easier, fuller, more distracting or more interesting. And, in 2016, the folks at Time went a bit gadget-crazy and put together a list of the 50 most influential ones of all-time. The Nest Thermostat made the list, as did the Fitbit and the Sony Discman. 

When it comes to the top 20, we're here to find out how much you know about these legendary gadgets. This quiz will start with number 20 and count all the way down to number, asking you questions along the way. Are you a gadget expert, or has technology left you behind? Let's find out! 


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This quiz is about: technology gadget gizmo computers ipod

Gadget Quiz Questions

20 Questions · 219 Plays · No comments

Question 1

According to Time, the number 19 most influential gadget of all-time is the JVC VideoMovie Camcorder. What 1985 movie character used this device to record and play back video in a pivotal scene?

  • A
    Marty McFly in Back to the Future
  • B
    "Rocky Dennis" in Mask
  • C
    Celie in The Color Purple
  • D
    James Bond in A View To A Kill

Question 2

The influence of this phonograph goes without saying, paving the way for all the record players that followed. Who bought the Victor Talking Machine Company, and its interest in the Victrola, in 1929?

  • A
    RCA
  • B
    MGM
  • C
    AT&T
  • D
    General Electric

Question 3

The Sony Trinitron TV was an elegant box with nice pictures in it, and Time's number two most influential gadget. Its design resulted in a 25% brighter image than what previous design?

  • A
    Chromatron
  • B
    Markatron
  • C
    Sepiatron
  • D
    Blackandwhiteatron

Question 4

Number 7 on Time's list is the Regency TR-1, launched in 1954. What was so groundbreaking about this gadget?

  • A
    It used transistors
  • B
    It was under $30
  • C
    It was the first to use batteries
  • D
    It used an antenna

Question 5

Number 10 on Time's list was marketed as a neck massager but was soon used for "other purposes," particularly on Sex and the City. Name this staple of manufacturer Hitachi.

  • A
    The Vibrato
  • B
    Big Stick
  • C
    Earth Shaker
  • D
    Magic Wand

Question 6

For this question, we're just going to have you guess. What did Time choose as its number one most influential gadget of all-time?

  • A
    Sony PlayStation
  • B
    Polaroid camera
  • C
    HP DeskJet printer
  • D
    Apple iPhone

Question 7

At number 18, it's Motorola again. Their Bravo Pager was the go-to gadget for the well-connected when it first hit the market in 1986. But what was Motorola's very first consumer pager, introduced 22 years earlier?

  • A
    Commander
  • B
    Pageboy
  • C
    Wisdom 1
  • D
    Flex

Question 8

Oh man, there's nothing cooler for a math nerd than the Canon Pocketronic Calculator. What other company collaborated with Canon to spearhead the release of this adding machine?

  • A
    Sharp
  • B
    Casio
  • C
    IBM
  • D
    Texas Instruments

Question 9

At number 16 on the Time list is the Nintendo Game Boy. How big was the screen on the first Game Boy released in 1989?

  • A
    1.5 inches
  • B
    3.6 inches
  • C
    5 inches
  • D
    2.6 inches

Question 10

Its crude 8-bit graphics notwithstanding, the Atari 2600 was a classic. Hands down. Which of the following games did NOT come with the original 2600?

  • A
    Surround
  • B
    Air-Sea Battle
  • C
    Tetris
  • D
    Video Olympics

Question 11

In the 1990s, US Robotics was at the forefront of 56K dial-up modems. Reminiscent of a car, what was the name of this model of modem that Time put at number 15 on their gadget list?

  • A
    V6
  • B
    Coupe
  • C
    Speed star
  • D
    Sportster

Question 12

Ah yes, the original IBM personal computer, the original workhorse of the DOS operating system, a highly influential gadget. Released on August 12, 1981, what was this machine called?

  • A
    Wall-E
  • B
    5150
  • C
    DN100
  • D
    Osborne 1

Question 13

From good vibrations to good tunes, the iPod ranks at number 9 on Time's list. What was the exact release date of the first iPod?

  • A
    October 23, 2001
  • B
    September 2, 1999
  • C
    June 25, 2003
  • D
    March 16, 2002

Question 14

Number 15 on Time's list of the most influential gadgets was first released in 1983 only in Japan, and was called Famicom there. Name this device released internationally two years later.

  • A
    Panasonic Video Home System
  • B
    Commodore 64
  • C
    Nintendo Entertainment System
  • D
    Sony Walkman

Question 15

According to Time, the number 20 gadget of all-time is the Motorola Droid, which propelled the Android device to new heights. Which of the following other devices did Motorola NOT invent?

  • A
    Consumer pager
  • B
    Remote control
  • C
    Walkie-talkies
  • D
    Car radio

Question 16

The IBM Selectric Typewriter was the 17th most influential gadget of all-time, according to Time. What innovation to typewriters did the first Selectric introduce in 1961?

  • A
    Return bar
  • B
    Correction tape
  • C
    Typeball
  • D
    Electricity

Question 17

Of course, no list of influential gadgets would be complete without the Sony Walkman, first released in 1979. What was the original name of the Walkman here in the U.S.?

  • A
    Musicmate
  • B
    Radiofriend
  • C
    Stepwalker
  • D
    Soundabout

Question 18

Of course, Time included the first VCR, the N1500, on its list. Released in 1972, what company manufactured the N1500?

  • A
    Sony
  • B
    Tandy
  • C
    Magnavox
  • D
    Philips

Question 19

Rounding out Time's top 3 influential gadgets is the Apple Macintosh computer, which was introduced by Steve Jobs but was celebrated on its 35th anniversary by Tim Cook. What year was its 35th celebrated?

  • A
    2013
  • B
    2017
  • C
    2019
  • D
    2015

Question 20

When it was introduced in 1900, the Kodak Brownie camera sold for just a buck, and it instantly took off. Landing at number 8 on the list, what was the Brownie named for?

  • A
    The name of the creator
  • B
    A type of mythological sprite
  • C
    Because they were all brown
  • D
    The food

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