Top 11 Canadian Inventions

In 1997, Canadian technology company Research in Motion hopped aboard the booming pager trend with a little device they called the BlackBerry. While functionally similar to other two-way pagers of the day, the unit achieved limited success as cell phones quickly overtook the pager market. In 2002, RiM brought the name back for the first iteration of their pioneering "smartphone," which not only allowed for telephonic communication but also opened the gates for wireless e-mail. For the first time, computer-addicted executives could tap into their inbox wherever they wanted, and sending outbound missives was easy due to the full keyboard attached. The Blackberry changed the face of business forever, freeing workers from the captivity of their offices and enabling them to obnoxiously work wherever they damn well pleased. This may be one of those "mixed blessing" inventions like the A-Bomb or the Urkelbot, but it deserves a place on this list.