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Author Archives: GilPress
The Empirical Lexicographer
Lexicographer: A writer of dictionaries; a harmless drudge, that busies himself in tracing the original, and detailing the signification of words–Samuel Johnson After we came out of the church, we stood talking for some time together of Bishop Berkeley’s ingenious … Continue reading
Posted in Dictionaries, Language, Quotes, Science
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The Web Oscarized
Today in 1997 was the first year of the annual Webby Award event, which was the first-ever nationally televised awards ceremony devoted to the Internet. 700 people attended the event at Bimbo’s Night Club in San Francisco. Also today, Queen Elizabeth … Continue reading
Posted in This day in information, World Wide Web
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“Homebrew and How the Apple Came to Be”
Today in 1975, the Homebrew Computer Club met for the first time. Wikipedia: “Several very high-profile hackers and IT entrepreneurs emerged from its ranks, including the founders of Apple Inc. The short-lived newsletter they published was instrumental in creating the … Continue reading
Posted in Apple, Computer history, PCs, This day in information
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Maps and Wars
In 1748, the first systematic national topographical survey in France (and the first of its kind in Europe) culminated in the publication of the 182-sheet Carte geometrique de la France. On inspection, Louis XV remarked that the more accurate data … Continue reading
Posted in Digitization, Google, Maps, Social Impact
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The Rights of Photographs
Today in 1865, photographs and photographic negatives were added to protected works under U.S. copyright law.
Posted in Uncategorized
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Computers and Health Care
“The development of our information processing industry is basically governed by longer term super-cycles… Analyses of what computational environments will facilitate can be mind-boggling. To offer just one example, health care delivery will be revolutionized by 1990, with most large … Continue reading
Posted in Forecasts, Healthcare, Predictions, Quotes
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The First U.S. Census
Today in 1790 Congress passed the Census Act of 1790 and President George Washington signed the law, which authorized the collection of population data by U.S. Marshals. Although the act included the specific inquiries marshals asked at each home they visited, they … Continue reading
Posted in Censuses, This day in information
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Arithmetic, Then and Now
“Our youth, proficients in a noble art Divide a farthing to the hundredth part. Well done, my boy, the joyful father cries, Addition and Subtraction make us wise.”–Oliver Oldschool, 1801* “The different branches of Arithmetic — Ambition, Distraction, Uglification, and … Continue reading
Posted in Quotes
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From the Dead Media Archives: Laserdisc
Early optical Laserdisc technology was invented by David Paul Gregg in 1958. By the time Gregg had patented his transparent videodisc system in 1961 and again in 1969 he decided to sell the patents to electronics manufacturer Philips. Philips had … Continue reading
Posted in Dead media, Film, Video
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Magnetic Core Memory Patented
Today in 1956, Jay Forrester of MIT was awarded a patent for his magnetic core memory. It became the standard for computer memory until it was supplanted by solid state RAM in the mid-seventies. It has continued to be used, … Continue reading
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