IEEE.org IEEE Xplore Digital Library IEEE Standards More Sites

Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame

FOR THE TECHNOLOGY INSIDER

Search:

Explore by topic

Aerospace Artificial Intelligence Biomedical Climate Tech Computing Consumer Electronics Energy History of Technology Robotics Semiconductors Telecommunications Transportation

IEEE SpectrumFOR THE TECHNOLOGY INSIDER
TopicsAerospaceArtificial IntelligenceBiomedicalClimate TechComputingConsumer ElectronicsEnergyHistory of TechnologyRoboticsSemiconductorsTelecommunicationsTransportation
SectionsFeaturesNewsOpinionCareersDIYEngineering Resources
MoreNewslettersPodcastsSpecial ReportsCollectionsExplainersTop Programming LanguagesRobots Guide ↗IEEE Job Site ↗
For IEEE MembersCurrent IssueMagazine ArchiveThe InstituteThe Institute Archive
For IEEE MembersCurrent IssueMagazine ArchiveThe InstituteThe Institute Archive
IEEE SpectrumAbout UsContact UsReprints & Permissions ↗Advertising ↗
Follow IEEE Spectrum
Support IEEE SpectrumIEEE Spectrum is the flagship publication of the IEEE — the world’s largest professional organization devoted to engineering and applied sciences. Our articles, podcasts, and infographics inform our readers about developments in technology, engineering, and science.
Join IEEE
Subscribe
About IEEEContact & SupportAccessibilityNondiscrimination PolicyTermsIEEE Privacy PolicyCookie PreferencesAd Privacy Options
© Copyright 2024 IEEE — All rights reserved. A not-for-profit organization, IEEE is the world's largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.

Enjoy more free content and benefits by creating an account

Saving articles to read later requires an IEEE Spectrum account

The Institute content is only available for members

Downloading full PDF issues is exclusive for IEEE Members

Downloading this e-book is exclusive for IEEE Members

Access to Spectrum 's Digital Edition is exclusive for IEEE Members

Following topics is a feature exclusive for IEEE Members

Adding your response to an article requires an IEEE Spectrum account

Create an account to access more content and features on IEEE Spectrum , including the ability to save articles to read later, download Spectrum Collections, and participate in conversations with readers and editors. For more exclusive content and features, consider Joining IEEE .

Join the world’s largest professional organization devoted to engineering and applied sciences and get access to all of Spectrum’s articles, archives, PDF downloads, and other benefits. Learn more →

Join the world’s largest professional organization devoted to engineering and applied sciences and get access to this e-book plus all of IEEE Spectrum’s articles, archives, PDF downloads, and other benefits. Learn more →

CREATE AN ACCOUNT SIGN IN

JOIN IEEE SIGN IN

Access Thousands of Articles — Completely Free

Create an account and get exclusive content and features: Save articles, download collections, and talk to tech insiders — all free! For full access and benefits, join IEEE as a paying member.

CREATE AN ACCOUNT SIGN IN

Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame

The greatest gadgets of the past 50 years

The Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame

Here are the stories behind the best gadgets of the past 50 years

06 Dec 2018

2 min read

Consumer Electronics Special Reports Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame Interactive

Consumer Electronics Timeline

Explore our interactive timeline of the Hall of Fame gadgets

06 Dec 2018

1 min read

Consumer Electronics Special Reports Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame Feature

The Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame: Tandy/RadioShack TRS-80 Model 1

RadioShack hoped PC sales would offset the income decline caused by waning interest in CB radios

06 Dec 2018

2 min read

Consumer Electronics Special Reports Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame Feature

The Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame: Atari 2600

This was the machine that finally let us play Space Invaders at home

03 Jan 2019

3 min read

Consumer Electronics Special Reports Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame Feature

The Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame: Sony PlayStation Portable

By stuffing advanced tech into a handheld device, Sony’s PSP offered a preview of what smartphones would be doing a decade in the future

14 Nov 2019

5 min read

Consumer Electronics Special Reports Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame Feature

The Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame: Pure Evoke-1 DAB Digital Radio

A superefficient form of broadcast radio languished until a brilliantly designed set helped it achieve liftoff

14 Nov 2019

5 min read

Consumer Electronics Special Reports Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame Feature

The Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame: GoPro Hero

The original action camera started as a home-sewn strap that secured a disposable camera to the user’s wrist

13 Dec 2018

4 min read

Consumer Electronics Special Reports Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame Feature

The Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame: Motorola T250 Talkabout Walkie-Talkies

When the FCC designated a new swath of frequency for handheld, two-way radios, Motorola pounced

14 Nov 2019

7 min read

Consumer Electronics Special Reports Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame Feature

The Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame: Boss TU-12 Guitar Tuner

An affordable, compact device gave guitarists everything they needed to stay in tune

14 Nov 2019

4 min read

Consumer Electronics Special Reports Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame Feature

The Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame: Nest Thermostat

Why a former Apple engineer built not just a temperature controller but a “Trojan horse into the home”

14 Nov 2019

7 min read

Consumer Electronics Special Reports Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame Feature

The Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame: TiVo

A revolution in TV viewing was fomented in part by the need to let people answer nature’s call

07 Nov 2019

9 min read

Consumer Electronics Special Reports Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame Feature

The Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame: Panasonic PV-1563 VCR

This premium VHS player emerged from the technical ferment of a peak year for VCR technology

07 Nov 2019

7 min read

Consumer Electronics Special Reports Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame Feature

The Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame: Fitbit

The first computer-based wearable confounded expectations of what it should look like and what it should do

07 Nov 2019

6 min read

Consumer Electronics Special Reports Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame Feature

The Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame: Casio F-91W Wristwatch

For about $10, this watch can do something that most luxury watches cannot: keep accurate time to within 1 second a day

07 Nov 2019

3 min read

Consumer Electronics Special Reports Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame Feature

The Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame: Apple iPhone

Apple’s original iPhone, like the ones that would follow it, was at once trailblazing and irritating

07 Nov 2019

5 min read

Consumer Electronics Special Reports Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame Feature

The Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame: Yamaha HP-1 Headphones

By combining aspects of a few different headphone types, Yamaha produced an audio breakthrough that still resounds

31 Oct 2019

5 min read

Consumer Electronics Special Reports Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame Feature

The Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame: Texas Instruments’ Speak & Spell

A child’s toy helped propel Texas Instruments into a huge new technical discipline: digital signal processing

31 Oct 2019

4 min read

Consumer Electronics Special Reports Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame Feature

The Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame: Zircon StudSensor

When the inventor of an electronic stud sensor showed his prototype to some big tool companies, not one of them was interested

31 Oct 2019

4 min read

Consumer Electronics Special Reports Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame Feature

The Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame: PhoneMate 400

The original telephone answering machine weighed four and a half kilograms and sold for $300

31 Oct 2019

6 min read

Photo of the SiriusXM Satellite Radio System

Consumer Electronics Special Reports Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame Feature

The Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame: SiriusXM Satellite Radio System

The first satellite-radio subscription service tried to fix all the problems of terrestrial commercial radio

31 Oct 2019

6 min read

About IEEE Contact & Support Accessibility Nondiscrimination Policy Terms IEEE Privacy Policy Cookie Preferences Ad Privacy Options

© Copyright 2024 IEEE — All rights reserved. A not-for-profit organization, IEEE is the world's largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.