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Category Archives: Survey of Media and Technology
A brief glimpse into the history of technology and other articles.
History of INTEL
Check out this link for the a quick in depth history of Intel
http://www.webhostingreport.com/learn/intel.html
In 1970 sand is melted and developed into silicon for use as the base for computer chips. Intel engineers develop the Intel 4004 microprocessor dubbing it a “computer on a chip” It’s processing power was 60,000 instructions per second as opposed to standard 1000 instructions possible by prior means. 1971 the regional area where these developments occurring is called “Silicon Valley USA” in an industry publication.
Birth of Apple Computers
In 1975 one of the first computer kits appears on the cover of Popular Mechanics magazine. It’s called the Altair8800. This kit began the era of desktop computing. Two men from Harvard would notice this development and would begin their own journey. One man William H. Gates III would in time become the most popular drop out of Harvard University. His friends name Paul Allen would embark on a journey that would that would leave a mark in history. They would partner together and work on the Altair and create a microcomputer operating system generated from the language basic. A company would be later founded by them called Microsoft.
On the west coast in 1972 Steve Wozniak created the”blue box” a tone generator that made free phone calls from his dorm room in college at UC Berkley. This think different mentality would serve him well in the near future. In 1976 Steve Wozniak meets up with his old high school friend Steve Jobs who at the time was working for Atari Together these two would start one of the worlds most innovative computer companies.
Wozniak was the brains of the operation, and Steve had the charisma and voice to bring on what some might call a revolution.
In 1979 Apple was in it’s early infancy as well as Microsoft. It is in PARC that the two tech giants would meet face to face for the first time. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs both visited PARC (Palo Alto Research Center), what was unveiled to them was the Alto Computer system. This presented the perfect opportunity for them to go to the next level both Jobs and Gates were driven into making there own mark and ultimately creating there own empire.
Later in years Apple would be faced with a legal battle between Microsoft on who took the architecture for the Mac Os and the Windows operating system. Xerox (PARC) would then also take Apple through another lawsuit at the same time. The district court dismissed Xerox’s claims without addressing whether Apple’s GUI infringed Xerox’s. Apple lost all claims in the Microsoft suit except for the ruling that the trash can icon and file folder icons from Hewlett-Packard’s NewWave windows application were infringing. The lawsuit was filed in 1988 and lasted four years; the decision was affirmed on appeal in 1994, and Apple’s appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court was denied.
Apple is currently in a legal battle now with Amazon over it’s titled Apps Store.
Below is a list and time line of Apple and there Computer Systems and Tech
PARC (PALO ALTO RESEARCH CENTER)
In the 1970’s Xerox, a developer of office machines would establish the PARC (Palo Alto Research Center) for computer research at Stanford University. PARC was the epicenter of our modern day technology. PARC four-seen a paperless society, a society which are now just becoming. PARC was made up of key individuals Alan Kay, Dan Ingalls, Adele Goldberg, Larry Tesler, and Robert Metcalfe. These individuals helped develop such work as the Alto, Object Oriented Programing (OOP), GUIs (Graphic User Interface), Ethernet, Smalltalk, WYSIWIG (What You See Is What You Get), and most importantly Apples Computer Operating System.
PARC CREATES THE ALTO
Alan Kay and his team at PARC were the first to concept the idea of the Personal Notebook(Laptop). The Dynabook was conceived it would have been no bigger a textbook. Since technology was not up to par at the time Alan and his team set there eyes a little lower. What they did create was the Alto.
The Alto was the first personal home desktop computer. The Alto was created in 1972 and named after the location of PARC, Palo Alto California. The Alto consisted of a monitor, keyboard, and a new invention the mouse. Douglas Englebart invented the mouse, Alan Kay the GUI, and Robert Metcalf developed the Ethernet.
The Alto was perfect! it was able to fit in an office, was easy to use, and it had a disk storage system for backup. The Alto was designed to become the first personal home computer.
The GUI graphical user interface used for easy interaction within computer programs. Larry Tesler and Tim Mott are credited for the ease and use of the advanced alto. Tesler is credited for creating Icons, and menus for usability of the newly invented mouse and storage system. This then lead into the creation of Charles Simonyi’s new updated version of a text editor. This page composition lay out began the revolution and started the development of Pagemaker, QuarkXpress, and Indesign.
Tesler went on to work for Apple, while Simonyi went to Microsoft and eventually created Microsoft word.
TechTerms
This is a great site for you guys to understand the basics, also important file extensions and there purposes.
Here are some of the basic terms for standard hardware that is out there. To look for more information checkout http://www.techterms.com/
Bit
The computer term “bit” comes from the phrase “Binary DigIT,” which is different than that thing you put around a horse’s mouth. A bit is a single digit number in base-2 (a zero or a one) and is the smallest unit of computer data. A full page of text is composed of about 16,000 bits.
It is important not to confuse bits with bytes. Both are used to measure amounts of data, but it takes eight bits to make one byte. The most common area where bits are used intstead of bytes is in measuring bandwidth (in bits per second). Why? Probably because it makes your Internet connection sound faster than it really is.
RAM (Random Access Memory)
Stands for “Random Access Memory,” and is pronounced like the male sheep. RAM is made up of small memory chips that form a memory module. These modules are installed in the RAM slots on the motherboard of your computer.
Every time you open a program, it gets loaded from the hard drive into the RAM. This is because reading data from the RAM is much faster than reading data from the hard drive. Running programs from the RAM of the computer allows them to function without any lag time. The more RAM your computer has, the more data can be loaded from the hard drive into the RAM, which can effectively speed up your computer. In fact, adding RAM can be more beneficial to your computer’s performance than upgrading the CPU.
To check how much RAM a Windows computer has, open the “System” Control Panel. This can be done by right-clicking “My Computer” and selecting “Properties…” To view how much RAM is installed in a Macintosh computer, select “About This Mac” from the Apple Menu.
Gigahertz
One gigahertz is equal to 1,000 megahertz (MHz) or 1,000,000,000 Hz. It is commonly used to measure computer processing speeds. For many years, computer CPU speeds were measured in megahertz, but after personal computers eclipsed the 1,000 Mhz mark around the year 2000, gigahertz became the standard measurement unit. After all, it is easier to say “2.4 Gigahertz” than “2,400 Megahertz.”
While gigahertz is most commonly used to measure processor speed, it can also measure the speed of other parts of the computer, such as the RAM and backside cache. The speed of these components, along with other parts of the computer, also impact the computer’s overall performance. Therefore, when comparing computers, remember the number of gigahertz is not the only thing that matters.
CPU (Central Processing Unit)
Stands for “Central Processing Unit.” This is the pretty much the brain of your computer. It processes everything from basic instructions to complex functions. Any time something needs to be computed, it gets sent to the CPU. Every day, it’s compute this, compute that — you’d think the CPU would need a break after awhile. But no — it just keeps on processing. The CPU can also be referred to simply as the “processor.”
Virtual Memory
Memory is hardware that your computer uses to load the operating system and run programs. It consists of one or more RAM chips that each have several memory modules. The amount of real memory in a computer is limited to the amount of RAM installed. Common memory sizes are 256MB, 512MB, and 1GB.
Because your computer has a finite amount of RAM, it is possible to run out of memory when too many programs are running at one time. This is where virtual memory comes in. Virtual memory increases the available memory your computer has by enlarging the “address space,” or places in memory where data can be stored. It does this by using hard disk space for additional memory allocation. However, since the hard drive is much slower than the RAM, data stored in virtual memory must be mapped back to real memory in order to be used.
The process of mapping data back and forth between the hard drive and the RAM takes longer than accessing it directly from the memory. This means that the more virtual memory is used, the more it will slow your computer down. While virtual memory enables your computer to run more programs than it could otherwise, it is best to have as much physical memory as possible. This allows your computer to run most programs directly from the RAM, avoiding the need to use virtual memory. Having more RAM means your computer works less, making it a faster, happier machine.
Hard Drive
The hard drive is what stores all your data. It houses the hard disk, where all your files and folders are physically located. A typical hard drive is only slightly larger than your hand, yet can hold over 100 GB of data. The data is stored on a stack of disks that are mounted inside a solid encasement. These disks spin extremely fast (typically at either 5400 or 7200 RPM) so that data can be accessed immediately from anywhere on the drive. The data is stored on the hard drive magnetically, so it stays on the drive even after the power supply is turned off.
The term “hard drive” is actually short for “hard disk drive.” The term “hard disk” refers to the actual disks inside the drive. However, all three of these terms are usually seen as referring to the same thing — the place where your data is stored. Since I use the term “hard drive” most often, that is the correct one to use.
JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)
The term actually stands for “Joint Photographic Experts Group,” because that is the name of the committee that developed the format. But you don’t have to remember that because even computer nerds will think you’re weird if you mention what JPEG stands for. Instead, remember that a JPEG is a compressed image file format. JPEG images are not limited to a certain amount of color, like GIF images are. Therefore, the JPEG format is best for compressing photographic images. So if you see a large, colorful image on the Web, it is most likely a JPEG file.
While JPEG images can contain colorful, high-resolution image data, it is a lossy format, which means some quality is lost when the image is compressed. If the image is compressed too much, the graphics become noticeably “blocky” and some of the detail is lost. Like GIFs, JPEGs are crossplatform, meaning the same file will look the same on both a Mac and PC.
GIF (Graphics Interchange Format)
The letters “GIF” actually stand for “Graphics Interchange Format,” but you don’t need to remember that. What you should know is that a GIF is a compressed image file format. GIF images use a compression formula originally developed by CompuServe (which is why you see the term “CompuServe GIF” in Photoshop, for those of you that care). GIFs are based on indexed colors, which is a palette of at most 256 colors. This helps greatly reduce their file size. These compressed image files can be quickly transmitted over a network or the Internet, which is why you often see them on Web pages. GIF files are great for small icons and animated images, but they lack the color range to be used for high-quality photos.
EPS (Encapsulated PostScript)
Stands for “Encapsulated PostScript.” EPS is a PostScript image file format that is compatible with PostScript printers and is often used for transferring files between various graphics applications. EPS files will print identically on all PostScript-compatible printers and will appear the same in all applications that can read the PostScript format.
As the name implies, EPS files contain PostScript code, which is used for storing font and vector image information. Vector images are usually drawings created by programs such as Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW. EPS files may also include a rasterized version of the image used for previewing the contents of the file.
TIFF (Tagged Image File Format)
Stands for “Tagged Image File Format.” It is graphics file format created in the 1980’s to be the standard image format across multiple computer platforms. The TIFF format can handle color depths ranging from 1-bit to 24-bit. Since the original TIFF standard was introduced, people have been making many small improvements to the format, so there are now around 50 variations of the TIFF format. So much for a universal format. Recently, JPEG has become the most popular universal format, because of its small file size and Internet compatibility.
Raw File
A raw file is a collection of unprocessed data. This means the file has not been altered, compressed, or manipulated in any way by the computer. Raw files are often used as data files by software programs that load and process the data. A popular type of raw file is “Camera RAW,” which is generated by a digital camera. Instead of processing the image captured by the camera, the data is left unprocessed and uncompressed until it is opened with a computer program.
Camera RAW
Most digital cameras process and compress the pictures you take immediately after capturing the image. This can be helpful, as it keeps the file sizes low (using JPEG compression) and takes care of color correction, including white-balance, tint, and exposure, so you don’t have to. However, some people, such as professional photographers, prefer to have more control over how each image is processed. Therefore, many high-end cameras have the ability to shoot in RAW mode. This mode does not compress the images at all and leaves them completely unprocessed.
Because Camera RAW files are uncompressed, they take up more space than typical JPEG images. In fact, RAW files often require 2 to 3 times more space for each image captured. So, you’ll want to have an extra-large memory card in your camera if you plan on shooting in RAW mode. But since RAW photos are not compressed, you maintain the full quality of each image. This can make a noticeable difference when printing images, especially for large prints.
Camera RAW files are also unprocessed, meaning all the photo processing is done on the computer. It is like taking a film negative to a dark room to be developed. The RAW file is the negative and the computer serves as the dark room. With a RAW file, you have complete control over the temperature adjustments (for white-balance), tint, hue, and exposure. However, since Camera RAW files are not typical images, most image-viewing programs will not open them. Therefore, most camera companies include Camera RAW editing software with their high-end cameras. These programs allow you to open RAW files, do the necessary processing, and save them in common image formats such as bitmap, TIFF, and JPEG.
While shooting in Camera RAW mode offers a lot of control over your photos, it takes additional software and extra time to open and edit each picture you take. For most casual photography, using the camera’s built-in processing is the most suitable option.
PNG (Portable Network Graphic)
Stands for “Portable Network Graphic.” This format was designed as an alternative to the GIF format (which has been plagued by copyright issues). Like GIFs, PNG files are lossless, meaning they don’t lose any detail when they are compressed. They support up to 48-bit color or 16-bit grayscale and typically compress about 5% to 25% better than GIF files. However, they do not support animations like GIFs do. A format similar to PNG, called MNG, is currently under development, and will support animations.
BMP (Bitmap)
Short for “Bitmap.” It can be pronounced as “bump,” “B-M-P,” or simply a “bitmap image.” The BMP format is a commonly used raster graphic format for saving image files. It was introduced on the Windows platform, but is now recognized by many programs on both Macs and PCs.
The BMP format stores color data for each pixel in the image without any compression. For example, a 10×10 pixel BMP image will include color data for 100 pixels. This method of storing image information allows for crisp, high-quality graphics, but also produces large file sizes. The JPEG and GIF formats are also bitmaps, but use image compression algorithms that can significantly decrease their file size. For this reason, JPEG and GIF images are used on the Web, while BMP images are often used for printable images.
RGB (Red Green Blue)
Stands for “Red Green Blue.” It refers to the three hues of light (red, green, and blue, for those of you that are a little slow), that can mix together to form any color. When the highest intensity of each color is mixed together, white light is created. When each hue is set to zero intensity, the result is black. TVs and computer monitors use RGB to create the colorful images you see on the screen. In print, however, the 4 colors — cyan, yellow, magenta, and black (CYMK) — are used to create color images.
CMYK (Cyan Magenta Yellow Black)
Stands for “Cyan Magenta Yellow Black.” These are the four basic colors used for printing color images. Unlike RGB (red, green, blue), which is used for creating images on your computer screen, CMYK colors are “subtractive.” This means the colors get darker as you blend them together. Since RGB colors are used for light, not pigments, the colors grow brighter as you blend them or increase their intensity.
Technically, adding equal amounts of pure cyan, magenta, and yellow should produce black. However, because of impurities in the inks, true black is difficult to create by blending the colors together. This is why black (K) ink is typically included with the three other colors. The letter “K” is used to avoid confusion with blue in RGB.
PDF (Portable Document Format)
Stands for “Portable Document Format.” PDF is a multi-platform file format developed by Adobe Systems. A PDF file captures document text, fonts, images, and even formatting of documents from a variety of applications. You can e-mail a PDF document to your friend and it will look the same way on his screen as it looks on yours, even if he has a Mac and you have a PC. Since PDFs contain color-accurate information, they should also print the same way they look on your screen.
To view a PDF file, you need Adobe Reader, a free application program distributed by Adobe Systems. Adobe also makes an Acrobat Plug-in for Web browsers that enables PDF files to be viewed inside a browser window. For more information on PDFs, visit Abobe’s PDF Page.
Partition
A partition is a section of a hard disk. When you format a hard disk, you can usually choose the number of partitions you want. The computer will recognize each partition as a separate disk, and each will show up under “My Computer” (Windows) or on the desktop (Macintosh).
So why would you want to create multiple partitions? Well, there are two main reasons. One is if you want to have multiple operating systems on your computer. Typically, an operating system needs to be installed on its own partition so that it won’t conflict with other operating systems on the machine. The other reason is that multiple partitions can improve the efficiency of your hard disk. On larger disks, the cluster or block size (which is the minimum amount of space a file can take up), is larger than on small disks. This can result in a waste of disk space if you have a lot of small files. So creating multiple partitions can actually give you more space. Yep, more room for all those MP3s. “Partition” can also be used as a verb, meaning to create multiple partitions.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is the ability of a computer to act like a human being. It has several applications, including software simulations and robotics. However, artificial intelligence is most commonly used in video games, where the computer is made to act as another player.
Nearly all video games include some level of artificial intelligence. The most basic type of AI produces characters that move in standard formations and perform predictable actions. More advanced artificial intelligence enables computer characters to act unpredictably and make different decisions based on a player’s actions. For example, in a first-person shooter (FPS), an AI opponent may hide behind a wall while the player is facing him. When the player turns away, the AI opponent may attack. In modern video games, multiple AI opponents can even work together, making the gameplay even more challenging.
Artificial intelligence is used in a wide range of video games, including board games, side-scrollers, and 3D action games. AI also plays a large role in sports games, such as football, soccer, and basketball games. Since the competition is only as good as the computer’s artificial intelligence, the AI is a crucial aspect of a game’s playability. Games that lack a sophisticated and dynamic AI are easy to beat and therefore are less fun to play. If the artificial intelligence is too good, a game might be impossible to beat, which would be discouraging for players. Therefore, video game developers often spend a long time creating the perfect balance of artificial intelligence to make the games both challenging and fun to play. Most games also include different difficulty levels, such as Easy, Medium, and Hard, which allows players to select an appropriate level of artificial intelligence to play against.
AI File Extension
Drawing created with Adobe Illustrator, a vector graphics editing program; composed of paths connected by points, rather than bitmap image data; commonly used for logos and print media.
PSD File Extension
An image file created by Adobe Photoshop, a professional image-editing program; may include image layers, adjustment layers, layer masks, annotation notes, file information, keywords, and other Photoshop-specific elements.
ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer)
In 1946 the ENIAC was unveiled at the University of Pennsylvania. The machine was designed by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly was the first electronic digital version of a modern day computer. Developed jointly by the military the University of Pennsylvania, it’s job was to study ballistic computations. In the same year a computer labratory is founded at Manchester University, England by a giant from the Royal Society. The age of computers begins worldwide. Now that machines like this were operational the next step was to create a memory storage system.
Later in the 1947 the ENIAC was converted to a counting system to an elementary stored program computer. By 1948 a magnetic drum memory is introduced as a data storage device computers. Past this point advancements in the technology kept on coming faster and more complex.
Furniture That Stares Back at You
Fred Allen a legendary radio personality once said “who wants furniture staring back at you” Well similar to Mr Warner’s belief in sound in motion picture this became a fallacy in it’s own.
In 1921 a young farm boy from Utah name Philo T. Farnsworth had a vision while plowing his potato field he realized that if he were to transmit images through electromagnetic fields prevalent in the air. Philo was a mere 14 years old when he was given this vision. The concept would be later brought in 1927 when he and his team with transmit via a camera and an image to a receiving system, a vacuum tube. Although just an image of the smoke from his cigarette this would confirm his theories. This discovery would soon be one of the most prominent tools to the discovery of mass communication. By 1929 he moved onto the development of color television. This was first debuted in 1940 commercially. This concept came to light and began many opportunities from all areas Radio Corporation Company or RCA would be the first to imitate Farnsworth’s invention, this ultimately lead to a court battle and the first television license of 1938.
The first television debuted in 1939 at the worlds fair, now the face of the President can be seen throughout the whole country, and stars of the silver screen would become stars of the small screen.
Tesla and Marconi
Nikolai Tesla and Enrico Marconi are comparative to Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, just minus the fact that Steve Jobs didn’t go broke and lose his mind. Before there was a race to rule on the computer market, there was a race to create a voice box with no wires. This way of communicating was cutting edge came at the perfect time.
Nikolai Tesla is credited for creating the wireless format, Tesla was interested in bigger and crazier things so he didn’t bring his invention to the populace. Enrico then however capitalized these theories and discovered Tesla’s discoveries. What Marconi brought to the forefront was the wireless radio. This became a staple fixture in the American households of the 20’s into the 30’s during the great depression. Entertainers, Politicians, Religious leaders would use this invention to appeal to the masses, much like Facebook and Twitter today.
The Scream Heard in Everything
For the earlier part of the 20th century motion pictures in Hollywood were lacking in one major area, as entertaining the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Lillian Gish, Douglas Fairbanks, and DW Griffith the movies were missing one key component and that was sound. In 1927 all of that changed Al Jolson would step outside onto the screen and open his mouth to sing. It was the shock of a lifetime and left audiences speechless. The art of sound was later followed by popular movie scores and key sound effects used in many movies that are still used today. That sound is the Wilhelm Scream.
Can Horses Fly and the movie theater
In the mid 19th century few individuals discussed if a horses hoofs came completely off the ground when it galloped. This simple question would change the way we saw images forever. Leland Stanford a California Governor at the time commissioned Edouard Muybridge would prove that in fact all the horses hoofs left the ground. Muybridge was not happy with this event the still pictures were not enough. He would process images that would spin in front of a lamp thus producing, for all purposes moving images.
This then began an affect on many influential people at the time especially Thomas Edison, Edison himself would then begin improve on the creation of motion picture and create his own movies. These movies were a great part of Americas Landscape of the time and thankfully are well preserved for historic value.
Followed by the affect of motion picture four Jewish brothers from Pennsylvania decide to sell their fathers horse and use the money to invest in the fledgling industry. The purchased a projector and rented a hall borrowed some chairs from a funeral home and then began to charge 5 cents a showing for whatever movies they can get their hands on. In one year they made enough money to open their own theater and by back their fathers horse as a Chanukah gift. Their Names were Warner and the rest is history…
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