If Edison and Ford were the the greatest inventors and influencers of the turn of the 20th century... then surely Jack Kilby was probably the most influential person of the late 21st century and for time immemorial...on our way of life.

A legend dies

sounds like i'd be flipping burgers right now if it weren't for that guy ...

you want fries with that?

Yep, I would still be working in a warehouse pushing boxes out the door.

I think Kilby only regretted that folks had peverted his invention by creating musical greeting cards and musical ties...

However, I just applied for a Passport which now have chips in them. Probably for a while now, but new to me.


Not just our comps and phones, mp3 players... Think about how many gadgets we own with chips.... nearly every mechanical/electrical device has a chip in it.

...but how many of those are going to have y2k problems?

Uh dude... y2k is gone already

And besides... I never heard of anyone having problems with any appliances or stereos back then anyway.

Nor me, that was sort of a tongue-and-cheek comment on the gross over reaction to everything embedded that was certainly doomed to fail at the turn of the century. I don't know about you but I knew many who believed the sensationalism sold by some authors on the subject. I never could get some of them to calm down and listen to reason; we were too reliant on technology after all...so they believed.

My son's electronics kit has IC chips now; I feel sort of cheated with the one that my parents gave me.