-
Join 186 other subscribers
Categories
Archives
Monthly Archives: May 2012
The MiniDisc Announced
Today in 1991, Sony’s President Norio Ohga announced the MiniDisc as the new personal audio format. From Sony’s official history: “Ohga had led the establishment of the CD business, and CD technology had quickly replaced analog audio technology thanks to its … Continue reading
AP Born
Today in 1846, The New York Sun carried the first dispatches from the Mexican War, marking the birth of the Asosociated Press. Moses Yale Beach (1800-68), publisher of The New York Sun, established a pony express to deliver news of the Mexican … Continue reading
Posted in Newspapers, This day in information
Leave a comment
Over Six Decades of Improving Computer Electrical Efficiency
“The electrical efficiency of computation has doubled roughly every year and a half for more than six decades, a pace of change comparable to that for computer performance and electrical efficiency in the microprocessor era. These efficiency improvements enabled the creation of … Continue reading
Posted in Computer Efficiency, Computer history
Leave a comment
Coping with Information Overload, 1964
To cope with the present information explosion we suggest the following: 1) No one should publish any new papers. 2) If 1) is not feasible only short papers should be published. “Short” means not more than 2500 characters counting “space,” … Continue reading
Posted in Data growth, Information Overload, Quotes
Leave a comment
First Photograph of a Solar Eclipse
Today in 1854, William and Frederick Langenheim made eight sequential photographs of the first total eclipse of the sun visible in North America since the invention of photography. Although six other daguerreotypists and one calotypist are known to have documented … Continue reading
Posted in Photography, This day in information
Leave a comment
First WWW Conference
Today in 1994, the First International WWW Conference was held at CERN, Geneva. Tim Berners-Lee in Weaving the Web: “It was the first time the people who were developing the Web were brought together with all sorts of people who were using it … Continue reading
Ensign Don Joseph de Payba Basconzelos, 1726, and T.H. O’Sullivan, 1873
The Atlantic: “Nearly 150 years ago, photographer [Timothy] O’Sullivan came across this evidence of a visitor to the West that preceded his own expedition by another 150 years — A Spanish inscription from 1726. This close-up view of the inscription … Continue reading
Posted in Inscriptions
Leave a comment
First University Museum
Today in 1683, Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, the world’s first university museum, opened in Oxford, England. The present Ashmolean was created in 1908 by combining two ancient Oxford institutions: the University Art Collection and the original Ashmolean Museum.
Posted in Museums, This day in information
Leave a comment
From the Archives: “What Has God Wrought?”–A Love Story
Today in 1844, Samuel Morse sent the the message “What Has God Wrought” to officially open the first telegraph line, between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, launching an industry and ending a rocky journey that began with the 1837 resolution by the U.S. … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Leave a comment
Mickey Mouse speaks!
Today on 1929, the Walt Disney Studio released the animated short film The Karnival Kid, the first in which Mickey Mouse speaks. During his first eight appearances Mickey whistled, laughed, cried and otherwise vocally expressed himself. Mickey’s first spoken words … Continue reading
Posted in Film, This day in information
Leave a comment
The Story of Information 