Learn an interesting fact to share with friends and increase your Geek Cred!
In 2002, Palm announced the Zire handheld computer. Priced at just $99, it was considered to be an entry-level Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) and featured 2MB RAM, a 16MHz processor and a 160×160 pixel monochrome 1.9-inch LCD screen. Learn more at http://reviews.cnet.com/tablets/palm-zire/4505-3126_7-20489893.html. In 1959, U.S.S.R. […]
Geek Facts for October 7th – Palm and the Far Side of the Moon Read More »
In 1831, mathematician Richard Dedekind was born. According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Richard Dedekind “…was one of the greatest mathematicians of the nineteenth-century, as well as one of the most important contributors to number theory and algebra of all time.” Learn more at
In 1957, the Space Age began when Russia launched Sputnik I into Earth orbit. Sputnik I was the world’s first artificial satellite. It was about the size of a beach ball and weighed only 183.9 lbs. (83.6 kg.). It took about 98 minutes to orbit
Geek Facts for October 4th – Sputnik, HP and Palm Read More »
In 1995, Be introduced the BeBox. The BeBox featured two 66MHz PowerPC 603, up to 256MB RAM, 16-bit CD-quality sound and four serial ports. Despite advanced features in the BeBox operating system, it was unsuccessful mainly because it was not compatible with anything else in
In 1853, French astronomer and physicist François Jean Dominique Arago died. Arago originally supported the particle theory of light. In 1811, he conducted research along with Augustin-Jean Fresnel that changed his mind. They discovered that two beams of light polarized in perpendicular directions do not
In 1982, Sony launched the first consumer compact disc (CD) player in Japan. The CDP-101 was available in the US the following March for $1,000. A review in Stereophile magazine stated …some aspects of the sound I heard are quite unlike what most of us
Geek Facts for October 1st – The First CD Player, IBM, Purdue and NASA Read More »
In 1882, the world’s first hydroelectric power plant began operation on the Fox River in Appleton, Wisconsin. Thomas Edison’s New York plant would use steam power to drive its generators whereas the Appleton plant used the natural energy of the Fox River. Learn more at
In 1983, Microsoft released a word processor called Word for MS-DOS 1.00. Microsoft provided a free demonstration copy with every copy of PC World magazine. It’s the first time that a magazine included a floppy disk. Learn more about Microsoft’s history at http://www.brighthub.com/computing/windows-platform/articles/45030.aspx. In 2008,
Geek Facts for September 29th – The First Word and Snow on Mars Read More »
In 1925, Seymour Cray, “the Father of Supercomputing”, was born. Seymour Cray designed a series of computers that were the fastest in the world for decades. He also founded the company, Cray Research. Seymour Cray died on October 5, 1996. Learn more at http://www.computer.org/portal/web/awards/seymourbio.
In 1930, Alan Shugart, an important developer of disk drive technology, was born. The floppy disk drive was invented by IBM engineers led by Alan Shugart. In addition, in 1979, he cofounded Seagate Technology, the first company to make 5.25-inch hard disks. Alan Shugart died
In 1983, Cosmonauts Vladimir Titov and Gennady Strekalov were saved from an exploding Soyuz T-10 launch. Fuel spilled around the base of the rocket and caught fire at T-90 seconds. The control cables for the escape system had already burned and the Soyuz crew could
In 1956, TAT-1, the first submarine transatlantic telephone cable system, was inaugurated. Before TAT-1, voice was carried across the Atlantic on unreliable and expensive radio channels. TAT-1 operated until 1978. Learn more at http://www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/index.php/Milestones:The_First_Submarine_Transatlantic_Telephone_Cable_System_(TAT-1),_1956.
In 1970, the Soviet robotic space probe, Luna 16, made the first automated return of lunar samples. This was the first unmanned round-trip mission to the Moon. It represented the first lunar sample return mission by the Soviet Union and the third overall, following NASA’s
