What Was Life Before Technology

How the invention of modern daily essentials has changed our lives

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 29 March 2018 – It may be hard for many people living in this century to even consider what life was like before technology began to make life easier, more comfortable and more entertaining.

Back in the 1900s, a certain printing plant had a problem. They had to print a colour page four times, each time with a different colour separation. But, because of humidity, the paper would swell slightly and the first ink printed wouldn’t dry quickly enough. This meant smudges and blurred lines. In 1902, a young inventor, Willis Carrier, solved the problem with a series of pipes and air that controlled the humidity. That was the beginning of air conditioning. Back then, theatres usually closed down during summer months. It was only during the 1920s that movie-goers were treated to air conditioned and cooled theatres and in fact, air conditioning was used as a selling point to get customers into theatres.^[1]

Mike van Lier, Director of Consumer Electronics, Samsung South Africa, says, “Air conditioning has come a long way since the first prototypes were invented. It’s not just about cooling anymore – modern-day air conditioners can heat, cool and treat the air – removing harmful toxins and creating a healthy environment which positively affects sleep patterns and assists in reducing allergies.”

What about television? It’s not often you walk into a home, office or even retail space without being faced with a screen anymore. And television isn’t quite as modern as you’d think. All the way back in 1843, Scottish inventor Alexander Bain was working on a facsimile machine, which was further developed by English physicist Frederick Bakewell in 1851. An Italian Priest, Giovanni Caselli put the first practical working version into play in 1856.^[2] From there, numerous inventors continued with the development and in 1897, English physicist JJ Thompson began the development trajectory of the Cathode Ray Tube (CRT). There’s a long history of how television was developed into what it has become today.

“Television has come a long way since it was first introduced into living rooms around the world. Samsung’s latest offering is a modular set of microLED screens that you can customise according to how you want to view. Of course, our Quantum Dot LED TVs are a far cry from the black and white bubble sets of yesteryear. Now you have more than a billion shades of colour, which means you can view anything in 100% colour volume,” says van Lier.

The first patent for a successful hand-powered dishwasher was lodged in 1887 by a wealthy socialite, Josephine Garis Cochran, who entertained often and wanted a machine that could clean dishes faster than her servants, without breaking them.^[3] Numerous designs were created and different types of dishwashers invented. By the 1970s, dishwashers were commonplace in homes in developed countries. What was once a new-fangled design only for the wealthy has now become an indispensable item in most homes as well an essential energy- and water-saving device. Dishwashers use less water, and therefore less fuel to heat the water, than hand washing, except for small quantities washed in wash bowls without running water.^[4]

“With technology constantly evolving, dishwashers are becoming exceptionally smart. Samsung integrates the latest innovative technology that makes a huge difference; for example, the Zone Booster feature targets hard-to-clean pots and pans with intensive washing at the touch of a button. All you have to do is select the option to wash the right or left zone of the bottom rack with higher water pressure and heat. Or there’s the auto door opening feature that ensures the door opens slightly to let out additional steam when the wash cycle is done, which ensures no streaking on glassware. There’s actually no end to the amount of convenience and efficiency when it comes to technology in our range of dishwashers,” concludes van Lier.

Technology is constantly evolving to address the unique and particular needs of consumers and as life changes, different technological advances will come to the fore. Samsung prides itself on innovative, people-centred technology that intuitively addresses the needs of consumers.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_conditioning
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_television
[3] https://www.uspto.gov/about-us/news-updates/woman-invented-dishwasher
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dishwasher