Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchThe Mundaneum, Part I
Episode 107
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…
Published on 2 years, 7 months ago
Digital Eyes
Episode 106
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…
Published on 2 years, 8 months ago
Apple's Growing Pains
Episode 105
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 t…
Published on 2 years, 8 months ago
Sketchpad
Episode 104
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 hidin…
Published on 2 years, 9 months ago
The Text Interface
Episode 103
This episode I attempt to find the first interactive computer text interface. All I can say is, well, it's a journey. Selected Sources: https://sci-hub.se/10.2307/3917015 - Early article on …
Published on 2 years, 9 months ago
Application of Ada
Episode 102
This episode picks up where we left off last time. We are looking at Ada and its applications. How does Ada handle tasking? What's the deal with objects? And, most importantly, what are some neat us…
Published on 2 years, 10 months ago
Origins of Ada
Episode 101
Ada is a fascinating language with a fascinating history. It was initially developed as part of a Department of Defence project. The plan was to create a standardized language for everyone inside th…
Published on 2 years, 10 months ago
Updates and Mysteries
Episode 100
Advent of Computing has finally reached 100 episodes! Today we are taking a break from the usual content to discuss the show, it's arc, and some of the mysteries I have yet to solve.
Published on 2 years, 11 months ago
The Berkeley Software Distribution
Episode 99
UNIX is a big deal. It's one of the most influential programs in history. Most operating systems that we use today can trace their lineage back to UNIX. The only notable exception at this point is W…
Published on 2 years, 11 months ago
The Canon Cat
Episode 98
This time we are looking at a somewhat obscure machine: the Canon Cat. Designed by Jef Raskin, the Cat is sometimes called the spiritual successor to the Macintosh. That's a nice little epitaph, but…
Published on 3 years ago