#PushForward: What button would improve your life?

The history of the button begins at the end of the 19th century. The first camera for the general public is launched on the market. The slogan is “You push the button, we do the rest.”

The world says goodbye to door knockers and begins ringing doorbells to say “hello”. It is possible to light up a room at the push of a button thanks to light switches that turn electric bulbs on and off.

Radio is the internet boom of its day in the 1920s and ’30s. For the first time, people are able to enjoy opera from the comfort of their homes at the push of a button. Bosch goes a step further and manufactures the first car radio in volume production: the “Blaupunkt Autosuper.” In 1938, more than 30 million radios were sold. Their buttons provided the first kind of basic memory. Listeners were able to set their favorite radio station to a specific button.

Over time, “push-button technology” becomes its own term and “push button” starts to replace adjectives such as modern, simple, communicative, and progressive. In 1959, Bosch ensures that car drivers have a clear field of vision at the push of a button with the first windshield washers at the time. “Electromatically, of course,” boasts one description.

The Atari joystick changes the computer game industry and marks the dawn of a new era in gaming. Its red button enjoys cult status to this day.

Continue straight ahead! Bosch develops the prototype for navigation systems, which it calls EVA (Elektronischer Verkehrslotse für Autofahrer, or “electronic pilot for drivers”).

Macintosh invents the first virtual button. A button no longer has to be something that users physically touch. Now even more is possible in the digital world at the push of a button.

Bosch remains safely on the road to success and invents the ESP® electronic stability program. Even now, the ESP® remains one of the most successful mobility solutions from Bosch. The electronic stability program reduces the risk of skidding and increases road safety — a guardian angel that can be switched on at the push of a button.

Buttons become something users can touch again — and remain virtual at the same time. Touch technology on mobile devices becomes the innovative standard.

One push of a button is all it takes to experience technological progress: Users can conveniently control the Bosch Indego Connect with their smartphone or tablet from anywhere. All it takes is the tap of a finger. The robotic lawnmower is a “connected” device that makes life easier via the Bosch Smart Gardening app. It reliably and efficiently mows areas of up to 1,200 square meters, leaving users more free time to enjoy in their yards.