FC NOW: The Fast Company Weblog
January 30, 2007
Sell Phone
Sometimes, it's difficult to pinpoint the impetus of an idea -- or the originator of an innovation. Take, for example, the camera phone. Who knew that one man may very well have been responsible for coming up with one of the more ubiquitous consumer technologies?
A recent Slate piece, "The Camera Phone," contends that the man behind that invention is one Philippe Kahn. Once CEO of Borland Software, Kahn went on to found Starfish Software, which was later acquired by Motorola and is now part of Nokia. He also had a hand in Lightsurf Technologies, which continued his work in mobile media.
Coming across this bit of information hit me like an epiphany -- and it turns out that the "secret" hasn't been well kept. Which begs the question: What other innovators have been forgotten and rediscovered? Why isn't Kahn known as well as, say, some of the grandfathers of the Internet?
Posted by Heath Row at January 30, 2007 9:36 PM | Category: |
4 Comments
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I cannot speak for other forgotten innovators of the internet, but Kahn's "first" use of the camera phone is generally well documented.
However, Kahn is not famous for or recognised as the father of the camera phone because he has had much bigger and greater achievements in his life that by far overshadow his inadvertent innovation on the cell phone.
People remember Kahn as the father of the IDE for his work with Turbo Pascal. He is also remembered as one of the first to take on the Microsoft Juggernaut and he and the empire we had built were crushed almost to oblivion. There are many things that Kahn is remembered for... his accidental invention of the camera phone just doesn't rank as one of his great triumphs (even if it ranks as one of his greatest contributions to technology and mankind)
Your both kidding, right? You really think that the camera cell phone is either great or an invention? You need to get out more.
I have to agree, the camera phone is not what I would consider great. Maybe a nuisance at times.
Being involved in the birth, growth and maturation of the Personal Computer market . . . . it never ceases to amaze me when an individual continually thinks outside the box. . . .makes their money. . . and then refocuses on other things.
Not only was Kahn's Turbo Pascal a high adopted product (now that was a few years ago) but he set a paradigm shift with his low ball pricing on that product.
With his move to other interest and technologies. . . . not surprising.