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For those of us who follow the tech and specifically gadget industry closely, Time's recent announcement that the iPhone represents 2007's invention of the year comes as little surprise. Although the device may not have some of the long-term benefits associated with its competition, its commercial success is hard to deny. Released during the last days of June, demand for the iPhone led to many sweaty retail lineups. The only thing different between the iPhone launch and last winter's Wii lines was the total absence of toques.
With that in mind, the iPhone has had its fair share of controversy. Those who first invested in the product shelled out a pretty astronomical $600, a big buy for most cell phone users. Less than two months later, Apple dropped the price significantly, making the company's most loyal customers anything but pleased. Apple CEO Steve Jobs responded with a $100 company credit and a warning to all tech fans: buy early, beware. It didn't exactly sit well. Fortunately, the device's sheer media appeal has kept most critics quiet. Not only is it a good looking piece of tech, but it uses touch-screen technology, boasts video and music playback, and of course, acts as a nifty communicator. The real genius might be the iPhone's ease-of-use. According to Time's Lev Grossman, "All the cool features in the world won't do you any good unless you can figure out how to use said features, and feel smart and attractive while doing it...In the world of technology, surface really is depth." (Source: cbc.ca) Wondering what the iPhone beat out? Close runners up included a solar and wind powered car by Sony, flexible display screens from LG, a Global Positioning Sensor (GPS) tracker that police can launch onto the fleeing vehicles of criminals, and even a football helmet that measures impact. Despite the wide range of physical gadgets making Time's list in 2007, the 2006 winner was none other than Internet video site YouTube. (Source: theglobeandmail.com)
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