10 Useless Tech Facts You Should Know Summary
Where Does the word “Debugging” Come From?
The word “debugging” comes from a funny story about a computer scientist named Grace Hopper. A long time ago, in 1947, she was working on a computer called the Harvard Mark II. One day, the computer started having problems. Grace and her team looked inside the computer and found a small insect, called a moth, stuck in one of the parts. They carefully removed the moth and got the computer working again. From then on, people started using the word “debugging” to describe the process of finding and fixing problems in computers.
Today, when people who work with computers talk about “debugging,” they usually mean finding and fixing problems in computer programs or software. It’s like being a detective, searching for clues to figure out why something isn’t working right, and then coming up with a solution to make it work properly again.
What was the First Computer Hard Drive Manufactured?
The first computer hard drive was created by IBM in 1956. It was a part of a computer system called RAMAC. Here are some interesting facts about this hard drive:
- It could store 5 million characters, which is equal to about 3.75 megabytes. This may not seem like much compared to modern hard drives, but it was a significant achievement at the time.
- The hard drive was very large and heavy. It contained 50 discs stacked vertically, and it was about as tall as an adult. It weighed approximately 2,000 pounds.
- It took the computer about 600 milliseconds to locate and read the information stored on the hard drive.
- The discs inside the hard drive would rotate quickly, and the machine used special components to read and write data on both sides of each disc.
- The computer system that included this hard drive was quite expensive. People would pay a substantial amount of money each month to use it, similar to renting a house.
This hard drive was a significant advancement in computer history because it provided a more efficient and reliable way for computers to store and access data compared to previous methods.
Who Invented the Television (TV)?
The invention of the television cannot be attributed to a single person, as it was a gradual process that involved contributions from many inventors and engineers over several decades. However, some notable figures played crucial roles in the development of television technology:
- Paul Nipkow: In 1884, German inventor Paul Nipkow invented the Nipkow disk, a mechanical scanning device that served as the foundation for early television systems.
- John Logie Baird: Scottish inventor John Logie Baird demonstrated the first working television system in 1926. He later improved upon his design and conducted the first transatlantic television transmission in 1928.
- Philo Farnsworth: American inventor Philo Farnsworth developed an all-electronic television system in 1927. He is often credited as the inventor of the first fully functional electronic television.
- Vladimir Zworykin: Russian-American inventor Vladimir Zworykin invented the iconoscope, an early form of the television camera tube, in 1923. He later improved upon his design and developed the kinescope, an early television receiver.
- Charles Francis Jenkins: American inventor Charles Francis Jenkins made significant contributions to the development of mechanical television systems in the 1920s and 1930s.
While these inventors played significant roles in the development of television technology, many others also contributed to its advancement over the years.
Who Invented the Web Browser?
The first web browser, called WorldWideWeb, was created by Tim Berners-Lee, a British computer scientist, in 1990. Tim Berners-Lee is also known for inventing the World Wide Web, which is the system we use to access websites on the Internet.
Before the WorldWideWeb browser, people could only share information on the Internet by using complicated computer commands. Tim Berners-Lee wanted to make it easier for people to share and find information on the Internet. He created the WorldWideWeb browser to help people view web pages that contained text, images, and links to other web pages.
The WorldWideWeb browser was not a graphical browser like the ones we use today, such as Google Chrome, Firefox, or Safari. Instead, it displayed web pages as simple text documents. However, it was still an important step forward in making the Internet more accessible and easy to use for everyone.
After Tim Berners-Lee created the WorldWideWeb browser, many other people worked on improving web browsers. They added new features, made them faster, and created graphical interfaces that made browsing the web even easier. Today, we have many different web browsers to choose from, but they all follow the basic idea that Tim Berners-Lee had when he invented the first web browser.
Who Invented the First Drivable Electric Car?
The first person to invent a drivable electric car that could be used on the roads was a Scottish inventor named Robert Anderson. He created his electric carriage sometime between 1832 and 1839, but the exact year is not known for certain.
Anderson’s electric carriage was powered by non-rechargeable primary cells, which are a type of battery that cannot be easily recharged. The carriage had a simple design, with the batteries placed under the seat and connected to an electric motor. The motor then turned the wheels, making the carriage move.
However, Anderson’s electric carriage had some problems. The batteries he used were not very powerful and could not hold a charge for a long time. This meant that the carriage could only travel short distances before the batteries needed to be replaced. Additionally, the carriage was heavy and difficult to control, making it impractical for everyday use.
Despite these limitations, Anderson’s invention was an important step in the development of electric vehicles. His work showed that it was possible to create a carriage that could move using electricity instead of horses or other animals.
Over the following decades, other inventors and engineers worked to improve upon Anderson’s design. They developed better batteries, more efficient motors, and lighter materials for building electric cars. While it took a long time for electric cars to become practical and widely used, Robert Anderson’s electric carriage helped pave the way for the electric vehicles we have today.
Who Invented Auto-Tune?
Auto-Tune was invented by a man named Andy Hildebrand. Andy was an electrical engineer who worked on computer music and sound processing.
In the mid-1990s, Andy was working for a company that made equipment for the oil and gas industry. One of the tools he developed used sound waves to help find oil deep underground. Andy realized that the technology he created could also be used to change the pitch of a singer’s voice.
He took this idea and created a computer program called Auto-Tune. Auto-Tune listens to a singer’s voice and automatically adjusts the pitch to make it sound more in tune with the music. This means that if a singer hits a wrong note or their voice wavers slightly, Auto-Tune can correct it to make it sound better.
Auto-Tune was first used in a song called “Believe” by a singer named Cher in 1998. The effect was very noticeable in this song, and it quickly became popular with other musicians and producers.
Since then, Auto-Tune has been used in many songs across different genres of music. Some artists use it subtly to correct small imperfections in their singing, while others use it more dramatically to create a unique sound.
While Auto-Tune has become a common tool in music production, it has also been criticized by some people who believe it makes singers sound too artificial or allows them to cheat by correcting their mistakes. Despite this, Auto-Tune remains widely used and has had a significant impact on modern music.
Who Made the First Cell Phone Call?
The first cellular phone call was made by Martin Cooper, an engineer who worked for Motorola, a company that made telephones and other communication devices.
On April 3, 1973, Martin Cooper stood on a street in New York City and used a prototype cellular phone to call a rival engineer at Bell Labs, which was another company working on cellular technology. The phone he used was called the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X, and it was very different from the phones we use today.
The Motorola DynaTAC 8000X was quite large, measuring about 11 inches tall and weighing around 2.5 pounds. It had a battery life of only 30 minutes and took 10 hours to recharge. Despite its limitations, this phone marked a significant moment in the history of communication technology.
Martin Cooper’s call proved that it was possible for people to make phone calls while moving around, without being tied to a specific location. This was a big step forward in making communication more flexible and convenient.
However, it took several years before cellular phones became widely available to the public. The Motorola DynaTAC 8000X was not sold commercially until 1983, and even then, it was very expensive, costing nearly $4,000.
Despite the high cost and limited features of early cellular phones, Martin Cooper’s first call paved the way for the development of the mobile devices that we rely on so much today.
Who invented WiFi?
Wi-Fi, which stands for “Wireless Fidelity,” was invented by a group of engineers who were working for a company called NCR Corporation and a company called AT&T. The main people involved in the invention of Wi-Fi were Vic Hayes, Bruce Tuch, Richard van Nee, and Cees Links.
In 1991, NCR Corporation and AT&T were working together on a project to create a wireless network that could be used in cashier systems. Vic Hayes, who was working for NCR Corporation at the time, led the team that developed the first wireless network technology.
A few years later, in 1996, the team created a new wireless technology that could transmit data at 2 megabits per second. This was much faster than other wireless technologies at the time. They called this new technology IEEE 802.11, which is the technical name for Wi-Fi.
Over the next few years, the team continued to improve the technology and make it faster. In 1999, a new version of Wi-Fi called IEEE 802.11b was released, which could transmit data at 11 megabits per second. This made it possible for people to use Wi-Fi to connect their computers to the internet wirelessly.
Since then, Wi-Fi has become very popular and is used in homes, offices, schools, and many other places around the world. It has gone through several updates to make it even faster and more reliable. Today, we use Wi-Fi to connect all sorts of devices to the internet, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, smart TVs, and more.
While Vic Hayes and his team are credited with inventing Wi-Fi, many other engineers and companies have contributed to its development and improvement over the years.
Who Invented the Touch Screens we use in Mobile Phones and Tablets?
The invention of the touch screen cannot be credited to a single person, as it involved the work of many engineers and researchers over several decades. However, there are a few key individuals who made significant contributions to the development of touch screen technology.
- E.A. Johnson: In 1965, E.A. Johnson published a paper describing the first finger-driven touch screen. He worked at the Royal Radar Establishment in the United Kingdom and created a touch screen that could be used to control air traffic.
- Sam Hurst: In 1971, Sam Hurst, an American inventor, created the first “resistive” touch screen. This type of touch screen uses two electrically resistive layers that are pressed together when a user touches the screen. Hurst’s invention became the basis for many later touch screen designs.
- George Samuel Hurst: In 1982, George Samuel Hurst, the son of Sam Hurst, invented the first “capacitive” touch screen. This type of touch screen uses an electrically conductive layer that responds to the touch of a human finger. Capacitive touch screens are widely used in modern smartphones and tablets.
- Bob Boie: In 1984, Bob Boie, a researcher at Bell Labs, created a multi-touch screen that could recognize multiple fingers touching the screen at the same time. This was an important development that led to the creation of more advanced touch screen interfaces.
Over the years, many other researchers and companies have worked to improve touch screen technology, making it more accurate, responsive, and durable. Today, touch screens are used in a wide range of devices, from smartphones and tablets to computer monitors and interactive kiosks.
Who Invented the First Graphics Card?
The first graphics card was invented by a company called IBM, which stands for International Business Machines. In 1981, IBM created a special computer called the IBM 5150, which was also known as the IBM Personal Computer or PC.
Inside this computer, IBM put a special piece of hardware called the Monochrome Display Adapter (MDA). The MDA was the first graphics card ever made. Its job was to help the computer display simple pictures and text on a screen.
The MDA could only display text and simple shapes in one color, which was usually green or amber on a black background. It didn’t have the ability to display complex graphics or colors like modern graphics cards do.
Despite its limitations, the MDA was a big step forward in computer technology. Before the MDA, computers could only display information using simple characters and symbols. The MDA allowed computers to display more complex information and paved the way for the development of more advanced graphics cards.
Over time, other companies like ATI, Nvidia, and AMD started creating their own graphics cards with improved capabilities. These new graphics cards could display more colors, create 3D graphics, and handle more complex visual tasks.
Today, graphics cards are an essential part of modern computers, especially for playing video games, watching high-quality videos, and running visually demanding software. They have come a long way since the simple monochrome display of the first IBM graphics card.
Who Sent the First SMS Message?
The first SMS (Short Message Service) message was sent by a man named Neil Papworth. He was a software engineer working for a company called Sema Group Telecoms, which was helping to develop a messaging system for Vodafone, a mobile phone company in the United Kingdom.
On December 3, 1992, Neil Papworth used a computer to send the first SMS message. He sent the message from his computer to a mobile phone belonging to Richard Jarvis, who was a Vodafone executive at the time.
The message that Neil Papworth sent was very simple. It just said, “Merry Christmas.” Even though it was only two words long, this message was a big deal because it was the first time that a text message had been sent from a computer to a mobile phone.
At the time, mobile phones could not send SMS messages to each other. They could only receive messages sent from computers. It wasn’t until 1993 that mobile phones gained the ability to send SMS messages to other phones.
Despite its simplicity, Neil Papworth’s first SMS message was an important moment in the history of mobile communication. It demonstrated the potential for a new way of sending short, quick messages between people using mobile devices.
Today, SMS messaging is a very common way for people to communicate with each other all around the world. It’s estimated that billions of SMS messages are sent every day. All of this started with that first simple message sent by Neil Papworth in 1992.
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