Eureka!

25 Brilliant California Ideas

02. Movable Feasts

What: iPod

Who: Apple Computer

Impact: Unveiled on Oct. 23, 2001, the Apple iPod "has made CD players practically obsolete," says Leander Kahney, managing editor of Wired News and author of "The Cult of iPod." Apple alone has sold more than 60 million of its palm-sized media units, and its omnipresent ads have become pop-culture icons — at times, to the point of absurdity. Microsoft, SanDisk, Sony, Creative and Samsung have released competing gadgets, each with its own endless line of add-ons and accessories. Now, Kahney contends, "music is back on the cultural front burner."

Eureka moment: Oct. 23, 2001. The moment it launched, the tiny tech wonder changed the world. Forever. With a backbeat.

— Randi Schmelzer

Published Jan 1, 2007 8:00 AM