5 Greatest Technological Inventions

1. CELLULAR PHONES
Communication has always been a key to success, from wars to relationships. The comparison between today's cell phones, which offer instantaneous and untethered communication, to the old-fashioned paper-and-pen process is nothing short of incredible. And the Nielsen ratings service predicted that one out of every two Americans would own smart phones at the end of 2011, according to the website GigOm. So it's not just calls these phones are good for; they offer a veritable banquet of computer access at your fingertips.

2. GPS

Thanks to the GPS, or Global Positioning System, and its integration in just about everything tech-related, most of you will never get lost again. And we're not talking just about those dashboard displays. The half of Americans carrying smart phones likely have GPS apps guiding the way. According to the British newspaper The Telegraph, GPS was originally developed in 1978 by the U.S. military.

3. INTERNET

Compared to inventions that have existed for hundreds of years, such as the microscope or telescope, the Internet is still in its infancy. Still, the Internet has arguably changed the world more than most other inventions. The Internet was invented in the late '60s and made available to the public in the '90s. Since then, it has improved both communication and information dissemination and changed daily life for virtually everyone on Earth.

4. DIGITAL CAMERAS

Digital cameras are beloved by many because they capture sentimental moments and personal adventures. They come in handy for recording such memories, but they also play a significant role in news dissemination and recording history in general. While film-based cameras paved the way for their digital descendants, today's high-tech cameras and integrated phones eliminate long processing times and allow us to share pictures instantly.

5. PERSONAL COMPUTER

No list of the "greatest technologies ever invented" is complete unless it includes the personal computer. The magazine Popular Mechanics reports the first general purpose computer was a 30-ton behemoth invented in 1947. Though an incredible machine, it was far too large for any home. The invention of the personal computer, or PC, happened in the 1970s and revolutionized the entire world.

Written by: Yadira Ester Pumarejo