May 21, 2023
This episode we pick back up where we left off. We are looking at the roots of the Mundaneum, the applications of the Universal Decimal Code, and how it call connects to hypertext.
Selected Sources:
https://web.archive.org/web/20051227184732/http://people.lis.uiuc.edu/~wrayward/otlet/xanadu.htm - Visions of Xanadu
May 7, 2023
The Internet is the closest
we've come to a universal store of all human knowledge. However,
it's not the first pass at this lofty goal. In this episode(and the
next) we are looking at the Mundaneum, a project started in the
1890s to address the information problem. How is it connected to
the larger story of hypertext?...
Apr 16, 2023
Back in episode 90 I made a passing reference to the Cyclops, the first consumer digital camera. It's this masterstroke of hackery that uses a RAM chip as a makeshift image sensor. In this episode I'm coming back around to the Cyclops and taking a look at the origins of digital imaging in general.
Selected Sources:
Apr 2, 2023
The Apple III was a pretty slick
machine... in theory. From a lack of launch software, to strait up
hardware failures, Apple's 3rd computer didn't really win in the
market place. Why was that? Was the machine setup for failure from
the start? Was it's case really designed before it's motherboard?
When it comes to the...
Mar 19, 2023
We're finally taking a look at
Sketchpad. This program was completed in 1963 as Ivan Sutherland's
Ph.D. research. On the surface it looks like a very fancy drawing
program. Under the hood it's hiding some impressive new programming
techniques.
Selected
Sources:
