I'm still trying to get the hang of this blog thing. Sometimes I like to trick myself into believing I'm all computer-savvy ... and I'm really not ay. It's so mind-boggling sometimes. Anyway, to tie in with what we've learnt so far, I am providing you with a brief, yet riveting timeline of computing and it is sure to lift all of your spirits. Enjoy :)
Now I think we're all very much aware that computers and its technology have been developing for a number of years - the foundations of it all starting back before Jesus and the like. Yeah? This timeline however, covers the more recent developments in computing ...
500 B.C. - 300 B.C.
What we know as the abacus is developed and starts to be used.
1502
Peter Henlein, a craftsman from Nuremberg Germany, creates the first watch
1600
William Gilbert coins the term electricity from the Greek word elecktra.
1642
Frances Blaise Pascal invents a machine, called the Pascaline, that can add, subtract, and carry between digits.
1674
Germanys Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz creates a machine that can add, subtract, multiply and divide automatically.
1774
The first telegraph is built.
1780
American Benjamin Franklin discovers electricity.
1820
Thomas de Colmar creates the first reliable, useful and commercially successful calculating machine.
1838
Samuel Morse invents a code (later called Morse code) that used different numbers to represent the letters of the English alphabet and the then digits.
1866
The first successful Trans-Atlantic cable is laid from Ireland to Newfoundland.
1876
Scottish-Canadian-American Alexander Graham Bell invents the telephone.
We're going to take a bit of a jump now to when computers were first created. I think we're all quite aware of the electricity and telephone inventions etc.
1936
Germanys Konrad Zuse creates the Z1, one of the first binary digital computers and a machine that could be controlled through a punch tape. Dvorak keyboard is developed.
1937
Iowa State Colleges John Vincent Atanasoff and Clifford Berry begin work on creating the binary-based ABC (Atanasoft-Berry Computer). Considered by most to be the first electronic digital computer.
1943
ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer), the first general-purpose electronic digital calculator begins to be constructed. This computer by most is considered to be the first electronic computer.
1953
1957
Russia launches the first artificial satellite, named Sputnik on October 4, 1957. In response to Sputnik the United States creates the new agency ARPA.
1962
Steve Russell creates "SpaceWar!" and releases it in February 1962. This game is considered the first game intended for computers.
1970
The first ATM is demonstrated and used in Georgia.
1971
The first 8" floppy diskette drive was introduced. The first laser printer is developed at Xerox PARC.
1980
The first Tandy Color computer is introduced.
1981
Xerox introduces the graphical Star workstation. This computer greatly influences the development of Apples future computer models, Lisa and Macintosh, as well as Microsofts Windows.
1987
Microsoft introduces Microsoft Works.
2000 and beyond ..
Well - I'm typing this on a massive apple mac computer - there's no massive block thing where you insert discs etc. It's getting smaller and smaller, more refined, more "simple".
This timeline is obviously nowhere near as detailed as what it could be, but it does give you an idea of just how far humans have come in developing technology.
What is Convergence?
It is the idea of bringing multiple types of a certain technology together to be accessed from one point.
Four Examples of Convergent Technology
Convergence can be applied to different areas of technology (such as information, communication, integration amongst businesses etc.) Some examples of convergent technology are:
- web-chat programs
- ipods
- fax machines
- internet
"Skype" is a free program readily available for download from the internet, where people can communicate with others anywhere in the world, simply by sitting at their computer screens.
Ipod's are one of the most popular pieces of technology. They vary in size and colour and have the ability to hold thousands of songs, photos and even allow its' users to download and watch movies and television shows. The black and white version has been edited.
Fax Machines are used all over the world, particularly for businesses. They incorporate the telephone as well as a printer. They also can also send and documents to anywhere in the world by the use of a "fax number" as well as receiving paperwork and documents.
The Internet and the World Wide Web is definitely a technology that plays an enormous part in allowing the world to function. Could you imagine what would happen if we couldn't connect to the internet or didn't have access to any search engines? Even just for a day, I think it'd be absolute mayhem. It allows us to communicate with those across the world, read and watch news as it happens, meet people we've fallen out of touch with or even never met, allows us to do our banking, browse for cars and houses and so much more. The image to the right has been edited (cropped and brightened).
This video is a recording from CBS at the time when the iphone was first released. I remember watching similar news stories at home with my family and thinking "holy crap, i can't believe some of the stuff this phone will be able to do." Now, I still think it's incredible, but am no longer blown away by all that it can do. The video describes some of the iphones best applications and is one of the best examples of a convergent type of technology.
The person in this video discusses the future of technology, including her two theories about convergence and divergence and what effects they could have on the human race.
I think that convergence is going to continue to happen, but whether or not that's a good thing I don't know. We already have so many, and even I personally own, items that are convergent objects. And different people and organisations will continue to come up with ways of incorporating multiple devices into one, to supposedly make life "easier" for us all.
I think many of these inventions are incredible, I'd be lost without my ipod and the web, however some convergent objects that have been invented, I believe to a waste of money (such as refrigerator's with television screens built in the front). That sort of convergence, to me, is just not necessary.
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