Tony Fadell first conceived of iPod outside Apple: he had difficulty finding funding for an MP3 player he had designed. When he demonstrated it to Apple, the company hired him as an independent contractor to bring his project to fruition, putting him in charge of assembling the team that developed the first two generations of the device. Apple's Industrial Design Group under Jonathan Ive designed the subsequent incarnations.

Final Fantasy has been well recognized in the United States and Europe for its soundtracks. Nobuo Uematsu was the chief music composer of the Final Fantasy series until his resignation from Square in November 2004 (although he has stated that he may continue to work on the series as an outside contractor, similar to how Yasunori Mitsuda continued to work with Square on a number of projects after his departure in 1998). His music has played a large part in the popularity of the Final Fantasy video game franchise in the United Kingdom and the United States. In the 2004 Summer Olympics, the American synchronized swimming duo consisting of Alison Bartosik and Anna Kozlova were awarded the bronze medal using music from Final Fantasy VIII. Other music composers include Masashi Hamauzu and Junya Nakano.

Electronic coffee makers boil the water and brew the infusion with little human assistance and sometimes according to a timer. Connoisseurs shun such conveniences, which compromise the flavor of the coffee; they prefer freshly ground beans and traditional brewing techniques.