Technology
Vote on the latest matchups in our Best of What's New bracket!
Posted 12.07.2012 at 10:59 am 14 Comments



Welcome to the second round of our five-round bout.

There was no shortage of impassioned debate when we gathered to anoint the top 25 innovations in the history of Best of What’s New. But a dozen editors locked in a room can only get you so far. How do you rank the best of the best – the iPhone versus the Large Hadron Collider, the TiVo versus the Chunnel? How do you name the one product that has affected more, lasting change than all others? That friends, calls for a smackdown.

Over the next week, we’ll be tallying your votes through five rounds of head-to-head matchups (thanks to our friends over at Grantland whose Wire character smackdown inspired us). Rounds 1-3 pit products against their kin in four divisions: Vehicles, Science & Technology, Electronics, and The Internet. The ultimate goal: to name the most important product of the last quarter century.

We move on now to round two. Seedless watermelon and Viagra were among the 16 that washed out in the first round. You may cast only one vote per matchup, so deliberate carefully. This poll will close Sunday, December 9, at 16:00 Eastern time.

Vehicles

Electronics


Science and Technology

The Internet


14 Comments

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Robot
12/07/12 at 11:09 am

I scored 4 out of 4... I'm a little bored.

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nothingleft14
12/07/12 at 11:47 am

Do you seriously have no life where you comment on every single post known to man on Popsci? You also act as if you know something about every subject you comment on. You comment SOOO much that i actually made this account just to comment on this and tell you this cause i was so annoyed. At least you don't have that stupid robot GIF as your avatar.

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Robot
12/07/12 at 11:57 am

nothingleft14,

LoL, now your comments are entertaining, thanks! I feel delighted to be an inspiration for you to create a profile\account.

Please enlighten us with your wisdom of the article sir.

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haywall
12/07/12 at 12:06 pm

@Robot
You also think that this is a test and not a survey...there is no wrong answer. I also see 8 sets, not 4.

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Robot
12/07/12 at 12:09 pm

haywall,
Yes, my browser is dysfunctional and I am not able to fix it.
I appreciate your opinion, nothingleft14 and others. Take care. ;)

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phoenixamaranth
12/07/12 at 2:01 pm

I agree with everything, but the Diamond Rio being beat out by the Wii and Mosaic Web Browser losing to Xbox Live. Without Diamond Rio, we probably would never have had iPads and other MP3 players which all led to iPhones which are still on this list. Also, the Mosaic loss is a travesty but I know why it happened. Most people don't know that Mosaic is THE great granddaddy and originator of all modern web browsers. Before it, no one looked at pictures and words on the same simple viewer together. Basically, thank it for the internet as you know it today.

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nothingleft14
12/07/12 at 2:06 pm

I don't care about this article, I just see you every time I look at the comments to see peoples opinions. Not like I can stop you though, so whatever

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hilfest
12/07/12 at 2:12 pm

@Robot.

DONT STOP THE COMMENTS ROBOT!! KEEP 'EM COMING!!

@Nothingleft & Haywall

Which is a bigger indication of having "no life"? Trying to start an argument on the internet or benignly commenting on an article?

Now let me head you both off at the pass by letting you both know that there will be NO response from me to whatever argument you try and throw back. I do have a life. I also quite enjoy sitting back and laughing at people who try to argue on the internet.

Now entertain me you monkeys. DANCE, MONKEY!! DANCE!

ps... The Prius sucks.

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Robot
12/07/12 at 2:56 pm

Oh Spam, where are thee?

I command you SPAM show yourself!

Come forth and do your thing upon this article and blind those whiners,
who lack the ability to comment on the article itself.

Give us the SPAM so we might be entertained otherwise
from the article and smite the whiners as well!

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Robot
12/07/12 at 4:39 pm

haywall,
Thank you for informing of 8 survey questions.
Now rather winning 4 out of 4, I made 8 our of 8.
YEA ME! YEA ME! Wooo Peee Doodle!

Speaking of technical achievement
Text messenging turn 20 years.
OMG!

www.cnn.com/2012/12/03/tech/mobile/sms-text-message-20/index.html?hpt=hp_bn5

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nighthawkich
12/07/12 at 11:00 pm

@Robot

"Text messenging turn 20 years."

Depends on your definition, Was not the Telegraph the definitive text messaging?

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AutomAton
12/09/12 at 4:34 pm

Spam achieved.

I actually found it hard to decide between a couple of these, great options (obviously if they made it this far.)

Oh, and commenting on every article means that every article is being read, which is kind of the point of Popular Science publishing them in the first place...for you to read them. They obviously care (even if it is minutely) about what their readers think of the articles, and would like us, as readers, to discuss and debate the topics written about or they would have not added a comment section. We are all (semi)intelligent or we would not be here, we would be at the Toyota dealership buying a Prius! I have rarely seen a comment where a cogent argument/opinion has not been made.

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Robot
12/10/12 at 9:09 am

Mr. AutomAton,
Welcome aboard and I look forward to your verbose and augmenting upon the PoPSCi articles. The more the commenters the betters I wish to say. I adore various perspectives and the point of science is not for science itself, but in fact to reflect back upon humanity and be useful in that endeavor. Everyone should comment as science effects their lives and those around them!!!