Fax was invented in the 1800s:
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fax
The 1968 Steve McQueen movie Bullitt used a fax machine to send a photograph of suspect. It's a pre-1970s invention, as is the modem: the Bell 101 was released in 1958.
Edit: the authors of the book do say that the mainstreaming of computers and the Internet is one of the post-1970s innovations.
> Also in what way are "refinements" not technological innovation? e.g. modern cars are massively safer, more reliable and comfortable.
But not a new invention. The Model T started production in 1908:
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Model_T
By the late 1920s, more that 80% of US households had at least one car; by the 1960s it was something like 160 cars per 100 households (i.e., most had at least two cars). It was by the 1930s that society had already been transformed by the automobile, regardless of how "safer, more reliable and comfortable" (or not) they were:
* https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/2924825
For safety, the four biggest factors were seat belts, airbags, ABS and crumple zones, all of which were invented in the 1970s or before:
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-lock_braking_system#Histo...
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbag#History
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seat_belt#History
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crumple_zone
Comfort: AC was invented by Willis Carrier in the early 1900s, and put into air cars by the 1950s:
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_air_conditioning
For reliability/efficiency, fuel injection was in cars by the 1950s: