Texas Instruments (TI) marked its 75th anniversary on May 16. TI noted a history of innovation from its roots in 1930 as a pioneer in developing signal processing technology to search for hidden reservoirs of oil to today’s DSPs and analog semiconductors — the principal technologies for real-time signal processing.
TI was the first company to commercialize silicon transistors, a breakthrough that accelerated the industry’s shift from vacuum tubes to solid state devices. In 1958, TI’s Jack Kilby invented the integrated circuit, which opened the door for the exploration of space and ultimately launched the modern electronics industry. Reaching into the consumer market, TI transformed math and science education by inventing the handheld electronic calculator in 1967. In 1978, TI took another revolutionary step with the introduction of the first single-chip speech synthesizer; first product (Speak & Spell) incorporating low-cost speech synthesis technology.
http://www.ti.com/75years
