Tag: Tech
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The original Apple Watch: Seiko’s TV Watch from 1982
In what was amazing technology for its day, the Seiko TV watch (Model T001-3) from 1982 is still one of the smallest TVs ever made with a 1.2-inch screen. Watch tv on your wrist With a Liquid Crystal Video Display (LVD), the images would only appear in 32-pixel resolution when exposed to light. So the…
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Dual head-mounted listening devices
This dual-mounted listening device served as an aircraft detection device before the invention of radar in 1935. The Dutch military used the elephant-looking ears to detect approaching enemy aircraft by listening afar for engine sounds. There were various iterations of the acoustic locators. The Germans created a dual sight and sound system in 1917 that…
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The first supercomputer, IBM’s 305 RAMAC from 1956
In September 1956 IBM launched the 305 RAMAC, the world’s first supercomputer with 5 MB of data. The machine weighed over a ton — it took a team of people to transport it. To put the computer size and storage in perspective, our pocket-sized phones contain 256GB of storage. A grain of rice dwarfs the…
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Christopher Reeves explains what Superman represents
In this video, the late Christopher Reeves who played Superman explains what the fictional superhero represents. In a world of selfishness ushered in by smart devices and social media, Superman as a friend metaphor is a subtle reminder of the power of relationships. It’s nice to know that there’s someone out there who’s willing to…
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Why pirates actually wore an eye patch
Eye patch, parrot, and wooden leg, and a limp. Those are the essential ingredients to becoming a pirate. But did you know that pirates wore an eye patch, not because of a missing eye, but because the patch increased their sight instantly inside low lit areas? Early technology to avoid temporary blindness During raids, pirates…