Tag: Tech
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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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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 1/4″ screen. With a Liquid Crystal Video Display (LVD), the images would only appear when exposed to light. So the brighter the light, the better the screen […]
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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 […]
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The musical road in the Netherlands that sings Frisian national anthem
There’s a road in the Netherlands that starts to sing the Frisian Folk Song when cars hit the right speed of 60 kph/40 mph limit. The musical road resides in the village of Jelsum in the north part of Holland. The structure of the strategically laid “rumble strips” was built in 2018 to celebrate the […]
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Pablo Picasso’s “light drawings”
“Everything you can imagine is real,” said the legendary painter Pablo Picasso. In 1949, photographer Gjon Mili captured the painter using a small electric light in a dark room to paint the artist’s iconic centaurs, bulls and greek figurines. The chaotic images vanished as soon as they were created but thanks to Mili’s two separate […]
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RIP Gary Starkweather, inventor of the laser printer
The inventor of the laser printer at Xerox, Gary Starkweather, has died at the age of 81. When Starkweather first proposed the idea of a laser printer to his boss at Xerox, they shut his idea down. But curious and determined, Starkweather persisted because he was convinced of the possibility of making precise copies. Starkweather […]
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A robot designed to take care of your plants
For $949, you could own a robot that chases the sun to keep your plants alive. Technology company Vincross created the spider-like HEXA as a multi-functional robot. It turns out one of those functions is for the six-legged robot to take care of your plants for you. With blueprints downloaded from the Vincross website, any […]
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The cake server by Joseph’s Machines
Brooklyn-based inventor Joseph’s Machines makes comical DIY contraptions. His latest video shows a chain-reaction machine deliver him a piece of cake. It also includes a baby poking an iPhone, a string of melting butter, and a chandelier. The video took 3 months to make. Piece a cake! Joseph’s gadgets are inspired by the cartoonist and inventor Rube Goldberg […]
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Connecting human brains to computers
“You could just think your query and download the relevant knowledge directly in your mind.” Forget Ritalin. Forget Google and Evernote acting as our second brains holding all the information we can’t. And instead, prepare for brain implants where the mind melds with machines. We don’t even have to type, click, or touch anything. We […]