Advent of Computing

This episode we pick back up where we left off. We are looking at the roots of the Mundaneum, the applications of the Universal Decimal Code, and how it call connects to hypertext. Selected Sources: h...

21 Touko 202356min

The Internet is the closest we've come to a universal store of all human knowledge. However, it's not the first pass at this lofty goal. In this episode(and the next) we are looking at the Mundaneum, ...

7 Touko 20231h 6min

Back in episode 90 I made a passing reference to the Cyclops, the first consumer digital camera. It's this masterstroke of hackery that uses a RAM chip as a makeshift image sensor. In this episode I'm...

16 Huhti 20231h 12min

The Apple III was a pretty slick machine... in theory. From a lack of launch software, to strait up hardware failures, Apple's 3rd computer didn't really win in the market place. Why was that? Was the...

2 Huhti 20231h 18min

We're finally taking a look at Sketchpad. This program was completed in 1963 as Ivan Sutherland's Ph.D. research. On the surface it looks like a very fancy drawing program. Under the hood it's hiding ...

19 Maalis 20231h 13min

This episode I attempt to find the first interactive computer text interface. All I can say is, well, it's a journey.   Selected Sources:   https://sci-hub.se/10.2307/3917015 - Early article on St...

6 Maalis 20231h 1min

This episode picks up where we left off last time. We are looking at Ada and its applications. How does Ada handle tasking? What's the deal with objects? And, most importantly, what are some neat uses...

20 Helmi 20231h 5min

Ada is a fascinating language with a fascinating history. It was initially developed as part of a Department of Defence project. The plan was to create a standardized language for everyone inside the ...

6 Helmi 20231h 2min