Hollywood actress Hedy Lamarr, known for her good looks and classic come-hither bedroom gaze, also played a key role in developing cell phone technology widely used today. Born 100 years ago today in Vienna, the actress made a lesser-known contribution to wireless communication when she tried to diffuse a potential military threat during World War II. To prevent remote-controlled torpedoes from being hijacked, she helped develop an early version of spread spectrum communication, which is part of the basis for wireless technologies such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
