Inventions & Breakthroughs of January 2011
Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.
1 
Voice Assistant (Siri)
2 
Cloud Storage Consumer Services
3 
Electric Vehicle Supercharging
4 
Mobile Payment Systems
5 
Social Messaging Apps
6 
Genome Sequencing Cost Reduction
7 
Digital News Aggregation
8 
Autonomous Vehicle Research Program
9 
Smart Home Automation Platforms
10 
Medical Robotic Surgery Expansion
The Sounds of
Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year
HEADLINES ON January 9, 2011
Full News Archive
- Headline: The Law School Dilemma Unpacked. Impact: If law schools hadn't been so optimistic, fewer students might have racked up debt and become 'lawyer-adjacent' baristas, leading to a caffeine-fueled legal revolution where coffee spills became the new courtroom drama.. Fact: Did you know that the average law student spends about three years and a small fortune to end up as a professional form-filler? A true investment in 'doing a lot with a little!'.
- Headline: Banks Reassess Foreclosure Strategies Amid Scrutiny. Impact: The banks' slow dance around foreclosures led to an unexpected rise in real estate reality shows, where former homeowners became stars by flipping houses they once lost, turning tragedy into prime-time entertainment.. Fact: Fun fact: In the 2008 crisis, banks foreclosed on so many homes that if you stacked all the paperwork, it could reach the moon – or at least your uncle's basement..
- Headline: Bloodshed Puts New Focus on Vitriol in Politics. Impact: The shooting of Giffords ignited a nationwide debate over political discourse, leading to the invention of 'Political Safe Zones' where one can only speak in emojis and interpretive dance. Progress!. Fact: Did you know that after this tragic event, many politicians decided to swap their vitriol for yoga classes? Namaste, indeed..
- Headline: Jets Narrowly Escape Manning and the Colts. Impact: The Jets' win over the Colts not only saved their season but also sparked a bizarre trend of naming pets after underdog athletes, resulting in a nationwide increase in dogs named 'Sanchez' and 'Folk.'. Fact: Fun fact: Mark Sanchez once famously said, 'I don't know how to explain it,' which is also how most of us feel when trying to explain our fantasy football teams..
Wall Street Time Machine
The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 2011, here's what the stored 2025 dataset estimates.
Rank #1
NVDA
NVIDIA
Price in 2011
$0.36
2025 dataset value
$480,243
NVIDIA - If you invested $1,000 in 2011, it would be worth $480,243 today (480.2x return)
🦸 Top 5 Comics
Detective Comics #1
$1,500,000
Action Comics #1
$8,000
Ultimate Fallout #4
$1,500
Batman #1
$2,220,000
Justice League #1
$750
🧸 Top 5 Toys
LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu
$20.00
Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure
$200.00
Monster High Dolls
$150.00
LeapPad Explorer
$50.00
Beyblade: Metal Fusion
$150.00
🎮 Top 5 Video Games
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
$200.00
Portal 2
$30.00
Dark Souls
$200.00
Batman: Arkham City
$16.00
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
$200.00
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
2011 Topps Update Mike Trout #US175
$2,000
2011 Panini National Treasures Cam Newton RPA #328
$3,000
2011 Bowman Chrome Bryce Harper Autograph #BCP111
$9,716
2011 Panini Gold Standard Kobe Bryant #24
$1,500
2011 Magic: The Gathering - New Phyrexia's Karn Liberated
$250