This episode takes place in 1899.
The Instant Mailing machine (iMessage) that is used at the convention is actually a teleprinter, or "teletype machine". The machine is an electromechanical device that can be used to send and receive typed messages through various communications channels, in both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint configurations. Initially, from 1887 at the earliest, teleprinters were used in telegraphy
The "suction machine", that the murdered inventor won the Eaton Award with was actually invented by Hubert Cecil Booth. The Vaccum Cleaner was invented in 1901 and was originally used to clean up the dirt from theater carpets. The vacuum cleaner was not very popular when it first came out, but soon became an essential household item for cleaning up dust and debris from hard-to-reach places.