This Week(ish) in Technology

This Week(ish) in Technology

How Technology has Evolved Over the Years

How Technology has Evolved Over the Years

March 4, 1877: New Kind of Microphone

March 4, 1877: New Kind of Microphone

Berliner filed for a new patent on the microphone

Assured the future of the telephone; without this, telephones would have sounded terrible for decades and would not have been able to work for great distances

Supreme Court ruled that Edison invented the carbon microphone, not Berliner

However, it was common knowledge that transmitting speech by varying the current between two contacts as they affected sound waves

Berliner filed for a new patent on the microphone

Assured the future of the telephone; without this, telephones would have sounded terrible for decades and would not have been able to work for great distances

Supreme Court ruled that Edison invented the carbon microphone, not Berliner

However, it was common knowledge that transmitting speech by varying the current between two contacts as they affected sound waves

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

March 17, 1953: Black Box is Invented

March 17, 1953: Black Box is Invented

Australian researcher David Warren invented a device to record cockpit noise and instruments during flight

In response to jet-powered airliner crashes Early versions could record up to four hours

of voice instrument data Initially, rejected for privacy reasons After a 1960 crash in Queensland where the

cause could not be determined, the Australian government required all commercial planes to carry a black box

Australian researcher David Warren invented a device to record cockpit noise and instruments during flight

In response to jet-powered airliner crashes Early versions could record up to four hours

of voice instrument data Initially, rejected for privacy reasons After a 1960 crash in Queensland where the

cause could not be determined, the Australian government required all commercial planes to carry a black box

Modern Black BoxesModern Black Boxes

Must withstand several tests: pressure of being submerged to 20,000 feet below the ocean, 3,400-g crash-impact test

Future improvements: transmitting flight data in real time to ground stations - gained momentum after the Air France flight 447 disappeared in 2009

Must withstand several tests: pressure of being submerged to 20,000 feet below the ocean, 3,400-g crash-impact test

Future improvements: transmitting flight data in real time to ground stations - gained momentum after the Air France flight 447 disappeared in 2009

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

March 8, 1955: Whirlwind Machine Invented

March 8, 1955: Whirlwind Machine Invented

Permanent set of instructions on how the computer should operate

Six years later - first digital computer that could display real-time and graphics on a video terminal

Used 4,500 vacuum tubes to process data

Occupied 3,300 square feet

Permanent set of instructions on how the computer should operate

Six years later - first digital computer that could display real-time and graphics on a video terminal

Used 4,500 vacuum tubes to process data

Occupied 3,300 square feet

March 11, 1985: Nations First Local,

Public Packet- Switching Network

March 11, 1985: Nations First Local,

Public Packet- Switching Network Southern New England Telephone Compa

ny turned on ConnNet

Customers in Connecticut could access services such as Dow Jones News Retrieval, CompuServe, and the National Library of Medicine

Connections pulled down 300 to 1,200 bits per second (now, we are downloading more than 4,000 times as fast)

Southern New England Telephone Company turned on ConnNet

Customers in Connecticut could access services such as Dow Jones News Retrieval, CompuServe, and the National Library of Medicine

Connections pulled down 300 to 1,200 bits per second (now, we are downloading more than 4,000 times as fast)

March 15, 1985: Internet’s First Domain Name

Registered

March 15, 1985: Internet’s First Domain Name

Registered Symbolics.com registered - developed Al software

Noncommercial medium - military and academic tool

Only five were registered in 1985 - Apple registered in 1987; Microsoft registered in 1991

Symbolics still exists

Symbolics.com registered - developed Al software

Noncommercial medium - military and academic tool

Only five were registered in 1985 - Apple registered in 1987; Microsoft registered in 1991

Symbolics still exists

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.