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Author Archives: GilPress
Mark Twain and History Repeating. Or Not
Ben Zimmer, the executive producer of VisualThesaurus.com and Vocabulary.com., gives us a great introduction in today’s Boston Globe to the recently published The Dictionary of Modern Proverbs. He concludes by telling us that “Recognizing that the search for early information on proverbs … Continue reading
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From the Archives: Moving Pictures by Phone
Today in 1924, AT&T demonstrated long distance telephotography, now known as fax, with the transmission of pictures over telephone wires between Cleveland and New York. Commercial service began in a handful of cities the following year. For many decades, telephotography … Continue reading
Posted in Imaging, Photography, Telephone, This day in information
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Sound Recording Milestones
Today in 1888, Emile Berliner demonstrated the flat gramophone disc and its reproduction at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. F. W. Wile: “Emile Berliner took human sound, whether uttered in speech or song, and reproduced it, not as a parody as in the tinfoil phonograph, or in the … Continue reading
What’s Your Memorable Day?
“That was a memorable day to me, for it made great changes in me. But it is the same with any life. Imagine one selected day struck out of it, and think how different its course would have been. Pause … Continue reading
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Information Overload: Computers to the Rescue
Technology Review reports that Brainput, a system developed by MIT and Tufts researchers, can recognize when a person’s workload is excessive and then automatically modify a computer interface to make it easier. Technology Review cheerfully notes: “A computing system with Brainput could, … Continue reading
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First Regularly Scheduled Airmail Service
Today in 1918, the first regularly scheduled airmail service in the United States was inaugurated over a route between Washington, DC, and New York City with an intermediate stop in Philadelphia, PA.
15th Anniversary of Deep Blue Glory
Today in 1997, an IBM computer called IBM Deep Blue beat the world chess champion after a six-game match: two wins for IBM, one for the champion and three draws. The match lasted several days and received massive media coverage around the … Continue reading
Foolish Verses
Thomas Freeman, an Oxford graduate, came to London, as Wood says, “to set up for a poet,” and published in 1614 Rub and a Great Cast, a volume of epigrams, among which are some on Shakespeare and other leading poets of the age. … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Poetry, Quotes
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A Brief History of Social Games
Source: Social Media Infographics & Stats
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First US Photography Patent
Today in 1840, to Alexander S. Wolcott received the first U.S. patent (No. 1,582) for a photographic invention for his “method of taking a likeness by means of a concave reflector and plates so prepared that luminous or other rays will act thereon.” A … Continue reading
Posted in Patents, Photography, This day in information
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The Story of Information 