"The Computer Girls," a 1967 Cosmopolitan piece about a weird new field, programming, that was dominated by women.
Previously: Miniskirts and Mainframes.
[via Clive Thompson]
"The Computer Girls," a 1967 Cosmopolitan piece about a weird new field, programming, that was dominated by women.
Previously: Miniskirts and Mainframes.
[via Clive Thompson]
This 1997 pitch for Rockwell Automation's Retroencabulator makes me feel like an idiot for not already owning one. The technology improves upon a 1944 machine called the turboencabulator: The original machine had a base plate of prefabulated amulite, surmounted by a malleable logarithmic casing in such a way that the two main spurving bearings were… READ THE REST
Lou Ottens, who in 1963 invented the cassette tape while an engineer at Philips, has died. He was 94. I'm glad that he lived to see the cassette resurgence of recent years. From NPR: The cassette tape was Ottens' answer to the large reel-to-reel tapes that provided high-quality sound but were seen as too clunky… READ THE REST
A scoop from Buzzfeed News: "Parler wanted Donald Trump on its site. Trump's company wanted an ownership stake. Here's the exclusive story of their negotiation." Parler is the chat app founded in 2018 by former college roommates John Matze and Jared Thomson, and Rebekah Mercer, the right-wing political donor and daughter of hedge fund magnate… READ THE REST
There are area rugs that tie together a space. There are area rugs that offer a unique aesthetic to give a room a different look or feel. Then there are area rugs that do both of those things while also filling in the Venn diagram of supremely messing with your mind. And you better be ready.… READ THE REST
There's a silent killer that might be even more insidious than diseases, viruses, and other health conditions. It contributes to all of those more headline-grabbing ravagers, not to mention hundreds more. In fact, the American Psychological Association says it's directly linked to all six of the leading causes of death. It plays its part, yet… READ THE REST
It's among the most popular digital file formats in the world. In fact, its creator Adobe figures there are now over 2.5 trillion PDF documents floating around out there. And at times, it's probably felt like you've had to deal with every single one of them. Make no mistake. PDFs are so common because they're… READ THE REST