Go Go Gadget Quiz!: How Much Do You Know About These Influential Gadgets?
Written by Tom Cohen
Last updated · 9 min play time
In 2016, Time magazine put out a list of the top 50 most influential gadgets of all-time. Let's see how much you know about the 20 that topped the list. In this quiz, we'll see how much you know about the gadgets that changed history forever!
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!
Quiz written by
Tom CohenI'm a 3-time Emmy-winning game show producer, writer, director and published author. I dig traveling, watching hockey, photographing wildlife and exploring the cultural and social fabric of society.
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?
-
AMarty McFly in Back to the Future
-
B"Rocky Dennis" in Mask
-
CCelie in The Color Purple
-
DJames Bond in A View To A Kill
Marty McFly in Back to the Future
The first time Doc tries to go to back in time in <i>Back to the Future</i>, Marty records him on his JVC VideoMovie Camcorder, and documents him being shot by the Libyans. Once back in 1955, Marty shows young Doc the tape, and he's truly amazed that such a small video camera existed.
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?
-
ARCA
-
BMGM
-
CAT&T
-
DGeneral Electric
RCA
RCA acquired Victor Talking Machine Company in 1929. With the acquisition, RCA gained ownership of “His Master’s Voice” trademark, which featured a dog named Nipper as he was staring at an old phonograph. This trademark is one of the most famous of all-time, forever associated with RCA.
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?
-
AChromatron
-
BMarkatron
-
CSepiatron
-
DBlackandwhiteatron
Chromatron
The Chromatron TVs used a technology called a "shadow mask" to produce their color images, while the Trinitron technology used "aperture grille," resulting in images that were 25% brighter.
Question 4
Number 7 on Time's list is the Regency TR-1, launched in 1954. What was so groundbreaking about this gadget?
-
AIt used transistors
-
BIt was under $30
-
CIt was the first to use batteries
-
DIt used an antenna
It used transistors
The Regency TR-7 was a transistor radio, groundbreaking for 1954, allowing it to be pocket-sized. The Regency was a collaborative effort, developed by Texas Instruments and Industrial Development Engineering Associates. The battery-powered device was built around new tech that was developed by Bell Labs.
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.
-
AThe Vibrato
-
BBig Stick
-
CEarth Shaker
-
DMagic Wand
Magic Wand
The Magic Wand was trademarked on May 20, 1968. For years afterwards, the toy was just called The Hitachi. After it was touted for certain purposes on <i>Sex and The City</i>, Hitachi took their name off the brand.
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?
-
ASony PlayStation
-
BPolaroid camera
-
CHP DeskJet printer
-
DApple iPhone
Apple iPhone
If you guess iPhone, you're correct! Introduced in 2007. the editors of <i>Time</i> argue that "what really made the iPhone so remarkable, however, was its software and mobile app store, introduced later. The iPhone popularized the mobile app, forever changing how we communicate, play games, shop, work, and complete many everyday tasks." Hard to argue with that.
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?
-
ACommander
-
BPageboy
-
CWisdom 1
-
DFlex
Pageboy
The Pageboy was the very first pager Motorola released that could selectively deliver a radio message to a particular individual. At first, the Motorola Pageboy was really popular with fire departments to transmit alarm, but it then caught on with the general public.
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?
-
ASharp
-
BCasio
-
CIBM
-
DTexas Instruments
Texas Instruments
The Texas Instruments-Canon collaboration brought the Pocketron to Japan in 1970 and to the U.S. in February of 1971, It was a very basic four-function calculator, and it only had a capacity of twelve digits. Nerds unite!
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?
-
A1.5 inches
-
B3.6 inches
-
C5 inches
-
D2.6 inches
2.6 inches
The specs of the very first Game Boy weighed 7.8 ounces and sported a 2.6-inch reflective super-twisted nematic liquid-crystal display. The battery allowed for 15 hours of gameplay. In 1993, a Russian cosmonaut became the first person to play a video game in space when he brought his Game Boy.
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?
-
ASurround
-
BAir-Sea Battle
-
CTetris
-
DVideo Olympics
Tetris
The first Atari 2600 included Air-Sea Battle, Basic Math, Blackjack, Indy 500, Star Ship, Street Racer, Surround, and Video Olympics. It wasn't until later that Pac Man, Missile Command, and Space Invaders were added,
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?
-
AV6
-
BCoupe
-
CSpeed star
-
DSportster
Sportster
The US Robotics Sportster were a staple of many homes in the late 1990s as the Internet took off. The use of the Sportster peaked right around 2000 as cable and other Internet connections gained a foothold.
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?
-
AWall-E
-
B5150
-
CDN100
-
DOsborne 1
5150
The IBM 5150 started it all, becoming synonymous with "personal computers" or "PCs". It became a huge seller, and opened up the way for the DOS operating system to be used by other manufacturers.
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?
-
AOctober 23, 2001
-
BSeptember 2, 1999
-
CJune 25, 2003
-
DMarch 16, 2002
October 23, 2001
iPod's official release was in October, 2001, almost 9 months after iTunes made its debut. The iPod went on to sell over 400 million units, cementing its place on the list of influential gadgets.
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.
-
APanasonic Video Home System
-
BCommodore 64
-
CNintendo Entertainment System
-
DSony Walkman
Nintendo Entertainment System
To quote <i>Time</i>: "The NES was to video gaming what The Beatles were to rock and roll, single-handedly resuscitating the market after it launched in 1983."
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?
-
AConsumer pager
-
BRemote control
-
CWalkie-talkies
-
DCar radio
Remote control
Motorola clearly has a long history in the gadget space, starting out way back in 1928. Two years after their founding, they were out with the first-ever car radio, followed by the walkie-talkie in 1940 and the pager in 1956, which they called the Handie-Talkie radio pager.
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?
-
AReturn bar
-
BCorrection tape
-
CTypeball
-
DElectricity
Typeball
The Selectric was the first typewriter to offer a typeball or golf ball, a sphere-shaped unit that had all the characters on it, instead of replaced type bars and moving carriages that previous typewriters employed.
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.?
-
AMusicmate
-
BRadiofriend
-
CStepwalker
-
DSoundabout
Soundabout
The Soundabout and the Walkman were the same device, though the Walkman name stuck. By 1999, just 20 years after the first model was released, Sony had sold 186 million cassette Walkmans worldwide. Eventually CDs killed off the cassette Walkman, and no more were made after 2010.
Question 18
Of course, Time included the first VCR, the N1500, on its list. Released in 1972, what company manufactured the N1500?
-
ASony
-
BTandy
-
CMagnavox
-
DPhilips
Philips
The Philips N1500 was neither VHS nor Betamax and recorded on square cassettes. It was also very expensive, first selling for 440 British pounds, or the equivalent of 65 third generation Amazon Echos.
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?
-
A2013
-
B2017
-
C2019
-
D2015
2019
In 2019, Tim Cook tweeted: "35 years ago, Macintosh said hello. It changed the way we think about computers and went on to change the world. We love the Mac, and today we’re proud that more people than ever are using it to follow their passions and create the future."
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?
-
AThe name of the creator
-
BA type of mythological sprite
-
CBecause they were all brown
-
DThe food
A type of mythological sprite
The camera was named for a Brownie, which was a Gaelic goblin from folklore popularized in cartoons from Palmer Cox. Cox's series of poetry books and comics featured the "mischievous but kind-hearted" Brownies who said things like "Reward oftimes is slow to fall, To those who earned it best of all."
Comments (0)
We want to hear your feedback! Share your scores and discuss the quiz, but keep it civil.