Optical Character Recognition (OCR)Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology increases productivity and decreases cost by alleviating the need for humans to type printed information into computers. It also reduces the risk of typos. David Shepherd’s OCR machine was used in few places. Most notably, Reader’s Digest used it to manage subscription information, transforming printed material to punch cards. Other … Continue reading "Optical Character Recognition (OCR)"
Random Access MemoryRandom Access Memory (RAM) is a type of fast memory. The Central Processing Unit (CPU), the brain of a computer, relies on RAM. RAM exists to this day. Every computer, including smartphones, contains RAM. The “random” in RAM refers to its ability to access memory anywhere, instantly, unlike a disk drive that must search for … Continue reading "Random Access Memory"
Vaccines (Smallpox)Smallpox was a killer, affecting royalty and peasants alike. When it didn’t kill, it oftentimes left victims permanently maimed. Besides eventually eradicating smallpox, this vaccine led to the development of future ones. Background Jenner was born to a wealthy and well-educated family. Like many during his time, he was inoculated for smallpox, a process where … Continue reading "Vaccines (Smallpox)"
Electronic Cipher (Enigma)Enigma is a cipher, a machine that implements an algorithm to encrypt and decrypt messages. On Feb. 23, 1918, Scherbius applied for his first patent for what would become the most well-known cipher machine in history, the Enigma. Initially marketed for commercial purposes the German army modified a version for military encryption in 1926. Nazis … Continue reading "Electronic Cipher (Enigma)"
- Blue Ocean Strategy Basics – Making Competition Irrelevant
A different way of thinking. It’s right there on the front of the jacket of the book Blue Ocean Strategy, “How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant.” It’s also one of the most misunderstood concepts of blue ocean strategy. I’ve been working on blue ocean strategy since 2001, when it was … Continue reading "Blue Ocean Strategy Basics – Making Competition Irrelevant"
Industrial RobotThough understated at the time, few inventions have had as much impact as the industrial robot. Industrial robots were invented by George Devol. A prolific innovator, Devol patented the “Unimate” – a term he coined – in 1954 to name his robot. Robots have existed in science fiction for ages, often as machines in human … Continue reading "Industrial Robot"
Management ConsultingIn 1886, Arthur D. Little, of MIT, founded the first management consulting company. Despite a 2002 bankruptcy, it still exists today. Little consulting tended to focus more on technology than management or strategy. Booz started his firm in 1914, focused on management. In 1933, Bower, a Harvard lawyer and MBA, went to work for McKinsey’s … Continue reading "Management Consulting"
Object-Oriented ProgrammingObject oriented programming is the first of countless Xerox PARC inventions. Vastly simplifying, there are two ways to program a computer. In procedural programming, each thing the computer does is listed. Conditional statements tell the computer which path to follow. Comparatively, in object-oriented programming, objects mimic real life. Programmers then act on these objects. For … Continue reading "Object-Oriented Programming"
Sit-Flat Paper BagsSure, sit-flat paper bags are not the condensing steam engine, the telegraph, pneumatic tools, or the dynamo generator but they represent something new: a woman entrepreneur. After realizing the hassle of bags that would not stand Margaret Knight set out to create a machine for a bag with a flat bottom. She worked with three … Continue reading "Sit-Flat Paper Bags"
Flash MemoryFlash memory stores and retrieves information more reliably and faster than hard drives. It works similar to RAM but is slower and far less expensive. It is fast, cheap, reliable, and virtually shock-proof. Fuio Masuoka was a Toshiba employee. He developed a better type of solid-state memory and filed a patent in 1981. His new … Continue reading "Flash Memory"
Electronic Desktop CalculatorDesktop calculators led the idea of computers small and cheap enough to sit on an individual’s desk. Eventually, they also became the impetus for the general-purpose microchip. History The first desktop electronic calculator is the ANITA Mark VII and ANITA Mark VIIII, both launched late 1961. The Bell Punch Co. of Britain designed the ANITA. … Continue reading "Electronic Desktop Calculator"
Vulcanized RubberVulcanization is the process that makes rubber useful. Before vulcanization rubber was effectively a useless gooey material. It melted in the heat, went brittle in the cold, and made for terrible raincoats. Vulcanization stabilized rubber in a useful state. The rubber we know now exists due to vulcanization. Charles Goodyear ran a small but successful … Continue reading "Vulcanized Rubber"
Rotary Printing Press (Web Offset)Rotary web printing presses revolutionized newspaper publishing. The technology enabled larger, faster newspaper printing at a far lower cost. However, digital distribution of news via the world wide web has dramatically decreased demand for paper newspapers. Hoe’s web press printed in a continuous sheet, a roll, then machines cut the paper into sheets. When connected … Continue reading "Rotary Printing Press (Web Offset)"
Web Search EngineNoteworthy early search engines include Archie, from 1990, that searched filenames, and Gopher, from 1991, that organized files. Early Search Engines In March 1994, Stanford students David Filo and Jerry Yang created “Jerry and David’s Guide to the World Wide Web.” Their website contained lists arranged by category of the burgeoning World Wide Web. Sites … Continue reading "Web Search Engine"
Aluminum Reduction1886 Charles Martin HallPaul Héroult Aluminum is the most common material in the earth. Despite the abundance of aluminum, it tends to be spread out in tiny flakes impossible to collect by hand. Aluminum reduction vastly lowered the price of extracting aluminum. Before aluminum reduction, aluminum was extremely expensive. People would sift through earth searching … Continue reading "Aluminum Reduction"
