http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/recon/jb_recon_cablecar_1.html
1882 – Thomas Edison received a patent for adding a carbon microphone to the telephone. The patent described finely divided conducting material, like carbon, between metal cups mounted on arms that attached to the mouthpiece diaphragm.
http://edison.rutgers.edu/patents/00252442.PDF
1928 – Anatol M. Josepho received a the first US patent for a fully automatic photographic film developing machine. The Photomaton better known as a PhotoBooth in the US still survives as an app and in dark corners of subway stations.
Read Tom’s science fiction and other fiction books at Merritt’s Books site.