Steve Jobs didn't invent the iPhone, says Nancy Pelosi - CNET

She held up an iPhone.

"In this smartphone, almost everything came from federal investments and research," she said.

Voice recognition, GPS, flat screens -- these were all govement ideas.

She explained that "the Association for the Advancement of Science in America" (likely she was referring to the American Association for the Advancement of Science) says that "Steve Jobs did a good idea [sic] of designing it [the iPhone] and putting it together. Federal research invented it."

A spokeswoman for the AAAS, however, pointed toward another organization.

"Congresswoman Pelosi's remarks seem to have been based on an infographic prepared by the Association of American Universities (AAU)," she said. "The purpose of the infographic was to illustrate the importance of federally funded basic research, and how it contributed to some of the technology that was ultimately integrated into the iPhone."

"Rep. Pelosi was mistaken in her reference to AAAS," the spokeswoman added.

Neither Apple nor Pelosi responded to a request for comment.

Sympathetic minds might see what Pelosi was getting at. It's well known that many tech breakthroughs enjoy their debut in the service of the military. Well, that and in the service of poography, of course.

Some, though, might struggle with House Democratic leader's word choice.

A sense emerges that Jobs wasn't really all that -- just a good designer and assembler. The actual "inventing" was done on the govement's dime.

Naturally, some are already comparing these words with those of President Barack Obama, who explained in 2012 that any business success isn't built alone. "You didn't build that," was the one line that was quoted again and again -- either with criticism or admiration.

The whole context, though, was a little more expansive:

If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you've got a business -- you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen. The Inteet didn't get invented on its own. Govement research created the Inteet so that all the companies could make money off the Inteet.

Who, then, should be credited with "invention"? There are many who think that Tim Beers-Lee was actually behind the invention of the Inteet.

Moreover, the fact that Steve Jobs inspired the creation of a phone that looked and operated in a way no one could have conceived -- is that an invention?