Stephen Fry's 100 Greatest Gadgets

1. Lighter

The first lighters date back to the 16th century and worked using gunpowder. Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner is said to have invented one of the first lighters in 1823.

"It's not the order in which things are invented that makes them the most impressive, it's the importance they have to humanity. So my number one is this: fire with a flick of the fingers."

2. Wristwatch

Before wristwatches became popular in the 1920s, most watches were pocket watches, which often had covers and were carried in a pocket and attached to a watch chain or watch fob. In the early 1900s, the wristwatch, originally called a Wristlet, was reserved for women and considered more of a passing fad than a serious timepiece.

A line of portable media players, designed and marketed by Apple, released on November 10, 2001.

"I think we forget how amazing the iPod actually is because we're all so used to having it now." Reggie Yates

Commercially available since the late 1920s, the television has become commonplace particularly as a vehicle for advertising, a source of entertainment, and news.

"Given that without television I'd have to get a proper job, I put it right up there at number 4." Stephen Fry

From their invention in 1870, typewriters were indispensable tools for recording the written word. Widely used by professional writers and in offices for decades, by the end of the 1980s, word processors and personal computers largely displaced them.

As the personal computer became feasible in the early 1970s, the idea of a portable personal computer followed. The IBM 5100, the first commercially available portable computer, appeared in September 1975.

"Now there's this expectation that your every waking moment can be filled with work. Thank you, laptop!" Rufus Hound

Many inventors have been credited with pioneering work on the telephone, but an undisputed fact is that Alexander Graham Bell was the first to be awarded a patent for the electric telephone by the United States Patent and Trademark Office in March 1876.

Ancient Indians were the first to use the pen. According to ancient text, the earliest of pens made in India were made from materials such as bird feathers and bamboo sticks.

"Pens give you a feeling that when you receive this paper and envelope, somebody has actually taken the trouble to address an envelope, to write a letter, sign their name, to be polite." Brian Sewell

The apple peeler was designed in about 1947 and consisted of a metal blade, attached to a wooden, metal or plastic handle, in order to remove the outer skin of fruit or vegetables.

"I love my apple peeler. I am sad." Stephen Fry

The iPad, released April 2010, is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc. and designed by Jonathan Ive, primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content.

"All of a sudden you've got this complete new world of absolute shit that you don't need." Gok Wan

The first commercial microwave oven was developed by Raytheon after World War II from radar technology developed during the war. Named the 'Radarange', it was first sold in 1947.

A transistor radio is a small portable radio receiver using transistor-based circuitry. Following its development in 1954, it became the most popular electronic communication device in history.

The first smartphone was the IBM Simon and was designed in 1992. The term 'smartphone' is usually used to describe phones with more advanced computing ability and connectivity than a contemporary feature phone.

"Flip! It's an iPhone! There's a flipping iPhone in the machine!" Moss from the IT Crowd

Kodak engineer Steven Sasson invented and built the first digital camera using a charge-coupled device image sensor in 1975.

Released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006, a seventh-generation console, primarily competing with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo has stated that the Wii console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others.

The first machines that could fit on a normal desk were manufactured by Apple and IBM in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

"They were basically these things that you felt like you needed to have but you didn't really know what to do with them when you got them." Krishnan Guru-Murthy

Invented in 1891 by Karl Eisner, apparently so the Swiss did not have to rely on imports from Germany. The cross, featured on non-military versions of the knife, is that of the company Victorinox or Wenger, who are the holders of the trademark for the iconic pocket tool.

"There is something macho about having a big fat one. Size mattered with a Swiss army knife." Jon Snow

The plans for the original sewing machine were drawn up by Thomas Saint in 1790 but lay forgotten in the London Patent Office until discovered by early sewing machine maker, William Newton Wilson, eighty-four years later.

The invention of the first electric kettle is attributed to Arthur Leslie Large, in 1922, but the first company to come up with a kettle that would turn off after boiling the water was General Electric, in 1930. They called it the 'Forgettable Kettle' since you could turn it on and not have to worry about turning it off.

"The kettle of course it vital because when anything happens, good, bad, or indifferent - put the kettle on, make a cuppa." Eve Pollard, Journalist

Emile Berliner created the first sound re-production device to utilise a grooved disc (or a record) some time just before the beginning of the 20th Century. However, his work owes a massive debt to Thomas Edison's phonograph, the first machine to reproduce recorded sound.

The British WWII Airborne Folding Bicycle was used from 1939-1945 by British paratroopers. They were small in size to enable them to be taken on parachute jumps from aircraft. The bicycle was used by British paratroopers at the D-Day landings and at the Battle of Arnhem.

A satellite navigation system is a system of satellites that provide autonomous geo-spatial positioning with global coverage. It allows small electronic receivers to determine their location to within a few metres using time signals. The first one appeared in the US military in the 1960s.

"It was responsible for me going on a date once... because I went the wrong way, and I saw a very hot guy, and had to ask him the way, and he gave me his telephone number." Gok Wan

A teasmade is a machine for making tea automatically. It was once common in the United Kingdom in the 1930s. Teasmades generally include an analogue alarm clock and are designed to be used at the bedside, to ensure tea is ready first thing in the morning.

"I like the horror of being woken up with the joy of a steaming warm hot cup of tea." Kirsten O'Brien, Presenter

The first hand-held mobile phone was demonstrated by Dr Martin Cooper of Motorola in 1973, using a handset weighing 2 kg. In 1983, the DynaTAC 8000x was the first to be commercially available.

One of the earliest examples of remote control was developed in 1898 by Nikola Tesla.

"The idea of getting up from your sofa to change the channel on your television... I don't think so!" Georgie Thompson, Presenter

The corkscrew is possibly an English invention, due to the tradition of beer and cider. The earliest reference to a corkscrew is, 'steel worm used for the drawing of Corks out of Bottles' from 1681.

Sony released the world's first CD Player called the CDP-101 in 1982.

"I was one of the first people to jump on board the CD train, I sold my vinyl and invested in a CD player - even though the only thing you could actually buy was Dire Straits Brothers in Arms back then." Tom Dunmore, Stuff Magazine

BlackBerry is a line of mobile e-mail and smartphone devices developed and designed by Research In Motion since 1999. BlackBerry phones function primarily as a personal digital assistant and portable media player.

A fax (short for facsimile) is a document sent over a telephone line. Fax machines have existed in various forms since the 19th century, though the modern fax machine became feasible only in the mid-1970s.

"The fax machine became the centre of the office almost, and every conversation you would have would be - can you send me a fax of that?" Krishnan Guru-Murthy

The Black & Decker Corporation was founded in 1910 by S. Duncan Black and Alonzo G. Decker as a small machine shop in Baltimore, Maryland.

The forerunner to the camera was the camera obscura. Light was admitted through a pinhole, a dark chamber, forming an image of external objects on a surface of paper or glass. The first colour photograph was taken in 1861.

"When you look back, even just to five or ten years ago, it's so nice to be able to see how you've changed and how the people around you have changed." Helen Skelton, Presenter

The design on which most modern spring tape measures are built was patented by a New Haven, Connecticut resident named Alvin J. Fellows on 14 July 1868.

The electric iron was invented in 1882 by Henry W. Seeley, a New York inventor Seeley patented his 'electric flat-iron' on June 6, 1882. His iron weighed almost 15 pounds and took a long time to warm up.

The first known stapler was handmade in the 18th century in France for King Louis XV. Each staple was inscribed with the insignia of the royal court, as required. The growing uses of paper in the 19th century created a demand for an efficient paper fastener.

The magnetic compass was invented in ancient China around 247BC, and was used for navigation by the 11th century. The compass was introduced to medieval Europe 150 years later, where the dry compass was invented around 1300. This was supplanted in the early 20th century by the liquid-filled magnetic compass.

Tools for arithmetic and calculation have been around for centuries, but the first portable calculators appeared in Japan in 1970, and were soon marketed around the world.

"I've used numbers...numbers to create boobies." Marcus Brigstocke, Comedian

One of the earliest designs of coffee maker was the Napier Vacuum Machine, invented in 1840.

The first portable personal stereo audio cassette player was invented by the Andreas Pavel in 1972.

"The walkman signifies the first time where people could actually shut the world out." Rufus Hound, Comedian

Weighing scales have been around throughout history and even pre-date evidence found of them.

"I think it's an unhealthy thing for people to worry too much about their weight. If you're not sure if you're too fat or too thin, you can use a mirror." Ed Byrne, Comedian

Razors have been around for thousands of years and ancient designs can even be dated back to the Bronze Age.

It is unclear who actually invented curling irons and evidence shows that in ancient Greece they were popular among the upper classes.

American scientist Edwin Land introduced the first commercial instant camera, known as the 'Land Camera', in 1948.

"The Polaroid camera is a genius gadget cause it's a miraculous piece of equipment... you take a picture and the picture comes out... of the machine - they're like magic." Al Murray

Models of pushchairs and prams date back to the early 1700s.

The Gameboy was first released in Japan in 1989.

"Everyone else can just about piss off because you're in this little digital bubble, making a plumber jump over some clouds." Charlie Brooker, Journalist

Apparently evidence of early alarm clocks can be dated back to the ancient Greece. The philosopher Plato apparently owned a form of water clock that had an alarm, similar to that of a water organ, that he would use to wake him in the morning.

American inventor Edwin Holmes is said to have created the first burglar alarm and began to sell them in 1858.

"The burglar alarm is horrific, and it's made an enormous difference to the number of hours that people sleep." Marcus Brigstocke, Comedian

Earlier models had been trialled since 1952, but it was only in 1956, with the introduction of the Ampex VRX-1000, that the VCR became commercially successful.

"What the VCR did was it enabled people to make their own decisions about what they wanted to see on their telly, and as it turns out, what they wanted to see was porn and people being horrifically mutilated." Rufus Hound, Comedian

Parasol designs originate in ancient times and evidence of them can be found across the globe from Egypt, to Greece and also China, where a collapsible umbrella was discovered to have dated back to 21AD.

Although women have worn a variety of 'brassiere-style' designs over the centuries, it wasn't until the 20th century that they began to resemble a more contemporary bra-shape, as would be recognisable on the market today.

"I don't know why some men are so useless at undoing bras. Women can do it eyes closed, one hand behind their back." Rachel Riley, Presenter, Countdown

In 1982, Sony's Betacam system revolutionised the filming process. Older models relied on a cable linking separate camera and recording equipment together. Sony's new design eliminated the cable, allowing greater freedom for the cameraman. In 1983, Sony released the first consumer camcorder, known as the Betamovie BMC-100P.

The practice of lie detection dates back to 1895. Cesare Lombroso created a device that measured the changes in a person's blood pressure and it was used in police investigations.

The Motorola SCR-300 (later nicknamed the "Walkie-Talkie") was the first radio receiver/transmitter. It was created in 1940 by a team of engineers.

"When you pick one up... you have to say something and then say 'over' - everybody does it, it's not funny, but everybody does it." Helen Skelton, Presenter

In the 1860s, early models of vacuum cleaners, operated manually via the use of bellows, became available. The beginning of the 20th century saw the introduction of the first motorised models.

Drill designs date back to ancient times and have evolved over centuries.

"I think men - it must flick a switch in their head that makes them think that they can just build a house out of a drill." Andi Osho, Comedian

It is said that the first sprinkler was invented by Charles E. Buell in 1873.

The inspiration for binoculars originates from the invention of the telescope in the 17th century.

"It's like having super sight... it's like being a superhero." Barney Harwood, Presenter

The first digital video recorders were launched in the US in 1999.

"You can't really conceive of what it was like before when you wanted to watch a programme... or watch a series - what, you had to be at the same time, every week? That's mental!" Charlie Brooker, Journalist

Dr. Philippe-Guy Woog created an electric toothbrush known as the Broxodent in Switzerland in 1954.

"I don't know why anyone uses a normal toothbrush, ever, 'cause they're rubbish compared to electric toothbrushes - your dentist will tell you so." Suzi Perry, The Gadget Show

The Dictaphone was developed in 1881 at the Volta Laboratory established by Alexander Graham Bell.

The first commercial gas heaters were produced by English company Pettit and Smith in 1856.

"Of course, previous generations had no way of staying warm outside... unless they owned a coat." Marcus Brigstocke, Comedian

The first portable stove was invented in the 19th century.

Originally by Valdemar Poulsen in 1898 and known as the telegraphone, it was predominantly used for recording phone conversations. In 1935, Willy Müller created the first automatic answering device.

"The fact that you could take your mood, your urgency, your voice, and leave it on tape for someone else to play back - it was like something from Star Trek." Eamonn Holmes, Presenter

The cassette tape deck originates in the 1950s and boomboxes were introduced during the 1970s giving listeners the option of stereo sound.

Since 1999 Sony have released several models of robotic pet.

French catering salesman Pierre Verdun is said to be the original brains behind the food processor, and in 1960, his designs were manufactured by a company called Robot-Coupe.

Physicians in New York developed the first practical pager around 1950.

"It's necessary sometimes to mark a point in time when something becomes obsolete, and the pager is absolutely that." Julia Bradbury, Presenter

The first type of hearing aid was invented by Harvey Fletcher during his time working at Bell Laboratories. He is also known by many as the "father of stereophonic sound".

The mechanical fan has origins dating back as far as 500BC where similarities can be found in the punkah fan used in India around this time.

One of the earliest microscopes was made in The Netherlands in 1590, but its original inventor has not been formally identified.

"You look down and see a little crumb of toast which looked like the Isle of Wight." Jon Culshaw, Impressionist

US inventor Gene Dolgoff invented the LCD projector during his college studies in 1968.

Invented by William C. Hooker in 1894 as the first spring-loaded mouse trap.

Invented by Sinclair Research Ltd and released in the UK in 1982.

"This was the first computer where you could tell your dad you were doing your homework, when actually you were playing Chuckie Egg." Darren Jeffries, T4 Presenter

The first can openers were patented in England in 1855.

"It's a very satisfying and very simple gadget - genius." Peter Duncan, Actor

The development of the Thermometer dates back to the 16th and 17th centuries.

Invented by Edwin Budding in 1827 in Gloucestershire.

"There are all sorts of ways of cutting grass - sheep, goats, a scythe - but probably the only one that can give you 'the stripe' is the lawnmower." Wayne Hemmingway, Designer

Abbot Augustus Low is officially recognised as the inventor of the first paper shredder back in 1909, although it was never manufactured. It was only years later that Adolf Ehinger's model went on to become the first cross-cut paper shredder, hitting the market in 1959.

The original tuned bell is said to have originated in China.

"The bell is a wonderful thing because of course before the bell, boxing matches went on for days." Martin Trenaman, The Inbetweeners

The first eye glasses are said to have originated in Italy as early as 1286.

Dr. Vladimir K. Zworykin developed the first practical commercial night vision device.

Invented in 1862, when W. V. Adams patented a feature for a handcuff design that went on to replace the commonly used 'Darby' model with a new 'adjustable ratchet principle' enabling handcuffs to range in size.

Invented in 1928 by American manufacturer Col. Jacob Schick.

"Wet shaving just savages my face, I can't do it, so the electric shaver is a godsend." Dr Christian Jessen

Invented by Gert F. Kölbelö, and became available to buy during the 1960s.

The earliest scissors can be dated back to Roman times.

"I would struggle to imagine life without scissors. I don't think there's anything we invented that betters them." Lawrence LLewelyn-Bowen, Presenter

The personal digital assistant was first released back in the 1980s.

The whistle is said to have originated in ancient China.

Invented in May 2003 when it was trialled in Northampton, then went on to be used nationwide from 2004.

Invented by an American physician in 1912.

"In a whopping fifty percent of homes by 1973, these plug-in warmers quickly became a favourite sleeping partner." Stephen Fry

The origins of the toasted sandwich maker can be pinpointed to creations such as the Australian and South African 'jaffle iron'. Bread would be sealed between two thick metal plates and held over hot coals or an open flame, heating the contents inside. Later, more advanced models were designed, such as the American 'Toastwich', by inventor Charles Champion, who also created the popcorn machine.

The tent dates back to biblical times, but revolutionary design of the popup tent was invented relatively recently.

"Interestingly though, it's created a whole new problem - how to get the thing back into the bag!" Jason Bradbury, Presenter

Efforts were made to develop metal detectors during the later part of the 19th century, but it wasn't until the 1920s that more efficient models were invented.

The remote controlled car was available on the market as early as the 1940s.

"The genius of the remote control car lies in the fact that all, mainly blokes, some ladies, like the idea of driving a car at speed and just smashing it into a wall." Darren Jeffries, T4 Presenter

Commercial carbonation machines were introduced in the 1920s, and the first home carbonation machine was produced in 1955.

Invented by Charles Strite, who first patented the automatic pop-up toaster in 1919.

"If you can't cook but you've got a toaster, you can eat... and you can eat hot meals!" Al Murray

Invented by Robert Plath in 1989.

"There's got to be a certain size when it becomes a wheeled case, and anything below a weekend bag - stop it, you're a dufus." Kirsten O'Brien, Presenter

After the creation of the dry cell battery in 1896, electric handheld torches became available just a few years later.

"As children, the torch was the gadget that set us free." Stephen Fry

Invented not simply for its effective crushing abilities, but also because it is said that the technique of 'pressing' garlic brings out the best of its flavour.

If, like Stephen Fry, you find difficulty in peeling the thin papery skin off a garlic clove, why not try his nifty trick of rolling it through small a piece of unused hosepipe?

Invented by John Corby Limited, est. 1930.

"A world without a trouser press is a regression." Al Murray, Comedian

Invented in 1890 by Alexandre Goldefroy.

"Where would I be without my hair dryer? I'd probably be locked away in the basement of my flat." Gok Wan

Invented in the early 1970s.

"You're a 21st century human being and you have the right to read off a poncey machine if you like!" Charlie Brooker, Journalist

Invented in 1971 by Japanese drummer, Daisuke Inoue.

"For some reason, when somebody hands me a microphone that's attached to a karaoke machine, I think I'm Alexandra Burke!" Georgie Thompson, Presenter