Inventions & Breakthroughs of August 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 August 23, 2009
Full News Archive
- Headline: Obama's Team Faces Staffing Challenges. Impact: If only Obama had filled those positions faster, maybe we'd be living in a utopia where unicorns deliver our mail and everyone has a pet dinosaur. Instead, we got gridlock and a lot of head-scratching.. Fact: Did you know that 43% is also the percentage of people who think coffee is a food group? Coincidence? I think not..
- Headline: Remembering the New York Five Architects. Impact: With Gwathmey's passing, the New York Five effectively became the New York Four, which may have sparked an architectural existential crisis, leading to an influx of coffee shops disguised as art galleries. Thanks for nothing, nostalgia.. Fact: Did you know that Gwathmey was part of a group that shaped modern architecture? Meanwhile, my house still looks like a Pinterest fail..
- Headline: Out of Chaos Came Light, and Then Musical Brilliance. Impact: Haydn's final concert at the Mostly Mozart Festival could be seen as the moment when classical music decided it was time to party, leading to a resurgence in hipster orchestras and questionable interpretations of Beethoven.. Fact: Did you know that Haydn was known as the 'Father of the Symphony'? Well, that makes my dad's attempts to fix the family car seem pretty inadequate by comparison..
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