Inventions & Breakthroughs of January 2009
Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.
1 
Cryptocurrency (Bitcoin)
2 
Mobile Voice Assistant
3 
Cloud Database Services
4 
4G LTE Networks
5 
Smartphone Camera Improvements
6 
Online Streaming Subscriptions
7 
Digital Navigation with Real-Time Traffic
8 
Virtual Reality Headset Prototype
9 
Social Media Mobile Apps
10 
Digital Payment Wallet
The Sounds of
Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year
HEADLINES ON January 12, 2009
Full News Archive
- Headline: Reimagining News: Lessons from Music. Impact: This headline set off a chain reaction that led to every news outlet scrambling to become the Netflix of journalism, resulting in an era of subscription fatigue that still plagues us today.. Fact: Fun fact: If only news could be streamed like music, we could skip the boring parts and go straight to the juicy scandals... oh wait, we still can, thanks to the internet!.
- Headline: Hollywood's Struggles with 3-D Technology. Impact: The backlash against 3-D movies led to a resurgence of flat-screen televisions in living rooms, causing many to become hermits in their own homes, binge-watching in 2-D glory.. Fact: Did you know that the first 3-D movie was released in 1922? So, clearly we're still struggling to get it right a century later!.
- Headline: A Big Night for ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ and Winslet. Impact: The unexpected success of 'Slumdog Millionaire' inspired filmmakers to start adding more heartwarming plot twists, causing the film industry to briefly forget about sequels and reboots.. Fact: Did you know that Kate Winslet is so talented, she could win an Oscar just for showing up at a film festival? Just kidding, she needs to act too!.
Wall Street Time Machine
The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 2009, here's what the stored 2025 dataset estimates.
Rank #3
NFLX
Netflix
Price in 2009
$0.43
2025 dataset value
$220,288
Netflix - If you invested $1,000 in 2009, it would be worth $220,288 today (220.3x return)
🦸 Top 5 Comics
Detective Comics #854
$25
Batman and Robin #1
$42,000
Chew #1
$50
Captain America: Reborn #1
$25
The Walking Dead #60
$75
🧸 Top 5 Toys
Bakugan Battle Brawlers
$50.00
Zhu Zhu Pets
$50.00
Lego Games
$300.00
Beyblade: Metal Fusion
$150.00
Mindflex
$75.00
🎮 Top 5 Video Games
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
$55.00
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
$50.00
Assassin's Creed II
$40.00
Minecraft
$150.00
Batman: Arkham Asylum
$200.00
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
2009 Bowman Chrome Draft Mike Trout Autograph
$46,800
2009 Topps UFC Round 1 Brock Lesnar Autograph
$1,200
2009 Panini Crown Royale Tom Brady Autograph
$240,000
2009 Pokémon Platinum Arceus Holo
$1,500
2009 Topps Chrome Stephen Curry Rookie Card
$1,888.00