Tech
Top Five Inventions Through The Ages!
It’s Christmas! We, at Startup Stories, would like to wish all you readers a very happy and Merry Christmas. Since Christmas is the time of giving, spreading joy and love, let’s take a look at some of the inventions that have helped humans through the ages, making the world an easier and better place to live.
1. Electricity and the light bulb
Any inventions list will be incomplete without electricity and the light bulb. Where would humans be if we did not have electricity to power our day to day lives? The electric light bulb invented by Thomas Alva Edison is, to this day, considered to be one of the most important inventions, paving the path for many other inventions and discoveries. On the other hand, while Benjamin Franklin is given credit for discovering electricity, electricity became a reality due to the contributions of various scientists over a period of time.
2. Printing Press
The printing press was invented by Johannes Gutenberg in the 15 century. Gutenberg’s printing press reduced the cost of printing books and other documents thereby allowing for books to be printed even in lesser numbers. By the 16th century, the output rose tenfold to an estimated 150 to 200 million copies. The arrival of mechanical movable type printing introduced the era of mass communication and resulted in a sharp increase in literacy. Today, practically every alternate house has a printer.
3. Computers
Computers, like electricity, have now become a part and parcel of our daily life. These electronic devices that could initially only manipulate, store, retrieve or process data are now used for basically everything in life. Next generation computers can process all forms of data, prioritize information, suggest solutions, learn habits over time and come with personalized digital assistants. Charles Babbage is hugely credited with this invention.
4. Internet
One of the most important inventions, at least for the millennials, is the Internet brought about a huge change in the way the world communicated with each other. Initially designed to be used by the American military, the Internet has now taken over the majority of the industries, digitizing the entire world. Now, new industries like the startup ecosystem are on a rise due to easy access to the internet and its ability to connect the world.
5. Smartphones
Where do we even begin with smartphones? Since 2007, when the first iPhone hit the markets, smartphones have only made life super easy. Right from scheduling appointments to carrying a digital assistant in your pocket and creating augmented realities in your backyard, the smartphones of now can do it all.
This is our list of inventions that have made our life a piece of cake. If you feel we missed out on any amazing inventions, discoveries and innovations, let us know in the comments below. If you are creating the next big thing, write to us at [email protected].
Paytm parent One 97 Communications has granted fresh employee stock options (ESOPs) worth about ₹16.7 crore to eligible staff under its 2019 ESOP scheme, highlighting a stronger push toward employee ownership and retention. The grant covers 1,23,908 options, each convertible into one equity share with an exercise price of ₹9, significantly below the prevailing market price. At Paytm’s recent share price levels, this translates into a notional value of around ₹16.6–16.7 crore for employees.
The ESOPs are designed to align employee incentives with Paytm’s long-term growth, giving high-performing team members a direct stake in future value creation. As the options vest and are exercised, eligible employees can participate in potential upside from Paytm’s expanding fintech and payments ecosystem, subject to standard ESOP vesting conditions. The company has also confirmed that the scheme complies with SEBI’s share-based benefit regulations.
This ESOP grant comes soon after Paytm’s payments arm secured key RBI approvals to operate as a payment aggregator across online, offline and cross-border transactions, strengthening its regulated payments stack. Coupled with rising operating revenues, the fresh stock options signal management’s continued focus on attracting and retaining top talent even as profitability remains under pressure. For SEO, key phrases around “Paytm ESOP grant,” “₹16.7 crore employee stock options,” and “One 97 Communications employee ownership” capture the core update for search and news discovery.
Apple’s recent iOS 18.7 rollout provides a secure alternative to the visually revamped iOS 26, empowering iPhone users to choose between system stability and next-generation features. While iOS 18.7 focuses on important security updates and bug fixes, it maintains the familiar iOS experience for users of older devices like iPhone XS, XS Max, XR, and SE models up to the 16e. The update is lightweight—about one-fifteenth the size of iOS 26—which means quicker downloads and less storage consumption. It’s designed for reliability and fast installation, making it ideal for users who prioritize a stable and secure operating system over design changes.
In contrast, iOS 26 introduces Apple’s ambitious “Liquid Glass” interface with a transparent look across apps, enhanced widget and lock screen customization, smarter Siri, and improved camera controls. These innovations, however, come with a larger update size and compatibility exclusive to newer iPhones beginning from the iPhone 11 series. While early adopters can enjoy the futuristic interface and AI-powered upgrades, major OS launches may present initial bugs or app compatibility issues that cautious users typically wish to avoid.
Choosing between iOS 18.7 and iOS 26 depends on each user’s priorities—those seeking guaranteed stability and fast security fixes should consider sticking with iOS 18.7, while users excited about premium features and visual changes should migrate to iOS 26 if their device supports it. Both updates are available through Software Update settings, and Apple will support iOS 18.7 for only a limited duration, eventually encouraging all users to transition to the latest platform. This dual update strategy ensures every iPhone user can safely update their device for a seamless and secure experience in 2025.
Apple’s upcoming iOS 26 introduces a new privacy-focused safety feature for FaceTime that automatically pauses both video and audio calls when nudity is detected on camera. This feature, discovered in the iOS 26 developer beta, is part of Apple’s expanded Communication Safety suite aimed primarily at protecting children from exposure to inappropriate content during live video chats. When nudity is detected, FaceTime freezes the call and displays a warning message, allowing users to either resume or end the call.
The nudity detection runs entirely on-device using advanced machine learning, ensuring that no images or videos are sent to Apple’s servers, thereby preserving user privacy. Although originally designed for child accounts as part of family safety tools announced at WWDC 2025, the feature currently appears active on all accounts in the beta version, including adults, which has sparked discussion about its broader application. Apple stresses that this local processing method keeps user data private while providing real-time protection against sensitive content during FaceTime calls.
Alongside this new safety measure, iOS 26 brings several other updates across the Apple ecosystem, including a new Liquid Glass design and enhancements to Messages, Wallet, and CarPlay. While the FaceTime nudity detection feature has not yet been confirmed for the final public release, its presence in the beta underscores Apple’s commitment to balancing user safety with privacy in an increasingly connected world. The full rollout later this year will clarify how widely the feature will be applied and whether users will have control over its activation
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