Tom Merritt's Blog, page 1176

Tech History Today – Oct. 12

In 1979 – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was first published unleashing in book form the world of Vogon Poetry, essential towel behaviour, and the BabelFish.

In 2001 – The Polaroid Corporation filed for federal bankruptcy protection, killed off by 1-hour developing and the rise of digital cameras. Bank One bought most of the company and re-launched a company that went on to stop making cameras and film.

In 2005 – After previously assuring us nobody wanted to watch videos on an iPod, Steve Jobs reversed course and Apple started making videos available on iTunes. ABC/Disney was the only TV network available at the time but you could get episodes of Lost and Desperate Housewives the day after they aired.

Tech News Today 604: Did You Just Growl?

Hosts: Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Iyaz Akhtar and Jason Howell

Microsoft’s updating Windows 8, moving Office to the ipad, getting twisty with Lenovo, and more.

Guest: Patrick Beja

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Running time: 53:54

Tech News Today 605: Sad Schmidt is Sad

Hosts: Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Iyaz Akhtar and Jason Howell

PC sales tank, Sprint gets a savior, iPad browser gets pushy, and more.

Guest: Ewen Rankin

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Running time: 55:14

Tech History Today – Oct. 11

In 1950 – CBS’s mechanical color system was the first to be licensed for broadcast by the FCC. Color TV would not become widespread until the late 1960s.

In 1957 – The Jodrell Bank observatory, with the world’s largest radio telescope, designed by Sir Bernard Lovell, began operation. It’s first job was to track the just-launched Sputnik satellite.

In 1958 – NASA launched the lunar probe Pioneer 1 the first of the Pioneer program. It didn’t get very far, falling back to Earth and burning up in the atmosphere.

East Meets West 297 – Migrate!

Why people feel powerless. Are we better off in tribes than we are now? Was Hobbes right? What would be the best way to be governed? Does one system work for everyone? What replaces nation-states? Migratory patterns of humans. What should immigration policy be like?

http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/EastMeetsWest297Migrate/eastmeetswest297.mp3

Tech News Today 603: Make the Gun Go

Hosts: Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Iyaz Akhtar and Jason Howell

Google and Samsung get a little closer, ISPs are watching you, Boxee kills cable TV, and more.

Guest: Mark Milian

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Running time: 48:11

Tech History Today – Oct. 10

In 1964 – The opening ceremonies of the summer Olympics in Tokyo became the first Olympic broadcast relayed live by geostationary communication satellite. Too bad all the US networks gave up on live broadcasts of the Olympics.

In 1967 – The Outer Space Treaty came into force, banning nuclear weapons or any other weapons of mass destruction being placed in Earth orbit or on any other celestial body. It also prevents any state from claiming a sovereignty over any celestial resource like the Moon.

In 1995 – The Media Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology wrapped up “A Day in the Life of Cyberspace” an attempt to chronicle what people did online that day.

Tech News Today 602: Webtop Hits Rock Bottom

Hosts: Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Iyaz Akhtar and Jason Howell

Congress warns against Huawei and ZTE, another fitness wristband, YouTube’s new channels, and more.

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Running time: 49:00

Tech History Today – Oct. 9

In 1876 – The first two-way telephone conversation occurred over outdoor wires between Alexander Graham Bell and his assistant, Watson. They used a two-mile telegraph line linking Boston and East Cambridge.

In 1947 – Eckert-Mauchly Computer Co. signed a contract with Northrop to develop the BINary Automatic Computer. BINAC was the only computer ever built by the company founded by ENIAC pioneers J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly.

In 2009 – The first lunar impact of the Centaur and LCROSS spacecrafts kicked up some dust as part of NASA’s Lunar precursor Robotic program. The impact has led to greater certainty that there is water on the moon.

Frame Rate 96: Blockbusted

Hosts: Brian Brushwood and Tom Merritt

YouTube updates Copyright algorithms, BBC original content on YouTube, Amazon to buy Netflix, DISH scraps plans of Blockbuster, and more.

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Running time: 1:12:37