The Floppy Disk

The floppy disk is a storage medium that played a significant role in the evolution of personal computing. Here's a brief history:

1. **Inception (Late 1960s - Early 1970s):** The precursor to the floppy disk was invented by IBM engineer Alan Shugart in the late 1960s. It was a flexible "memory disk" called the "floppy" because of its flexibility compared to the rigid disks of the time.

2. **8-inch Floppy Disks (Early 1970s - Late 1970s):** IBM introduced the first commercial floppy disk drive (FDD) and 8-inch floppy disks in 1971 as part of the IBM 23FD. These disks had a capacity of 80 kilobytes (KB).

3. **5.25-inch Floppy Disks (Late 1970s - Mid-1980s):** In the mid-1970s, Shugart Associates introduced the 5.25-inch floppy disk, which became the dominant form factor for personal computers throughout the 1980s. These disks had capacities ranging from 160 KB to 1.2 megabytes (MB).

4. **3.5-inch Floppy Disks (Mid-1980s - 2000s):** Sony introduced the 3.5-inch floppy disk in 1981, but it wasn't until the mid-1980s that it gained widespread adoption. These disks were encased in a hard plastic shell, offering better durability and higher storage densities. They had capacities ranging from 400 KB to 1.44 MB.

5. **Decline and Obsolescence (Late 1990s - Present):** The rise of higher-capacity storage technologies, such as CDs, DVDs, USB flash drives, and cloud storage, rendered floppy disks increasingly obsolete. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, most computers no longer included floppy disk drives as standard equipment.

Despite their eventual obsolescence, floppy disks played a crucial role in the early days of personal computing, providing a convenient means of storing and transferring data. They were widely used for storing operating systems, software applications, and personal files before the advent of more advanced storage technologies.

The Answering Machine

Before the Cellphone

Yes, people still use the cellphone to make phone calls! What would the phone be without the ability to ignore calls and send them to voicemail? Today, younger generations take the ability to leave voice messages for granted, but a physical device attached to the home phone was never required to miss that important message. Gone are the days of families gathering around the answering machine trying to record a message since the phone call could be for anyone in the household.

Ross Makes a New Answering Machine Message

A Physical Device

The most common answering machine required a user to attach the device to a phone, insert a blank cassette tape, and record a welcome. When the phone rang, the user had only a few rings to pick up the phone before the answering machine connected. The caller had an opportunity to leave a message, recorded on the cassette tape, and then the owner could play it back. The first answering machine development was a gradual process that dates to the late 19th century. There were several inventors and innovations, but the earliest tangible answering machine did not appear until the early 20th century.

George has the Answer

Telegraphone

One of the earliest attempts at creating an automatic response device was the "Telegraphone," invented by Valdemar Poulsen in 1898. The Telegraphone was designed to record telephone conversations onto a wire, allowing the user to replay later recorded messages. While not precisely an answering machine, it laid the foundation for recording and playing back audio messages. By 1903, Poulsen sold his patent to a group of investors. Forming the American Telegraphone Company of Washington, D.C., the Telegraphone was sold mainly as a scientific instrument. Regarding popularity in the public sector, only two people purchased Telegraphones.

1980s Answering Machine Cassette

Hörzufernsprecher

By the 1930s and 1940s, inventors began working on devices that could record and play back phone messages automatically. The Dictaphone, a wax cylinder recording device, dominated the business recording market, and a working playback phone device would revolutionize business communications. One notable example of an early answering machine is Willy Müller’s "Hörzufernsprecher." Müller created the device in 1935. This device could record messages on 35mm film using magnetic technology. It was a groundbreaking invention, but the machine didn't become widely available due to the technological limitations of the time and the disruption caused by World War II. It was only manufactured and available in Germany.

The "Electronic Secretary"

The first widely recognized commercial answering machine came into existence in the 1950s. Dr. Kazuo Hashimoto, a Japanese-American engineer, invented it in 1954. Hashimoto developed the "Electronic Secretary" device while working at Bell Labs. This machine used magnetic recording tape to store and playback voice messages. The device was hefty and required manual operation, but it marked a significant step forward in developing answering machines.

The Electronic Secretary was principally marketed for businesses and professionals. Still, it paved the way for more compact and user-friendly answering machines that became popular in homes in the 1960s and 1970s. The answering machines of the 1960s and 1970s used cassette tapes and microcassettes to record and play back messages. Some of the more revolutionary features were the tape counter, remote message retrieval system, and adjustable recording time.

Families Recorded Together

Recording the outgoing message on the answering machine became a creative outlet for people in the 1980s. The more outrageous, the better. Celebrities advertised recording the outgoing message for consumers, and companies capitalized on selling innovative tapes to use in the answering machine.

Dangers

The danger of physical answering machines was the unencrypted recording that could be played on any tape deck. Anyone in the house that pushed the button had access to any message. Legally, answering machine tapes were not considered wiretapping and could be used against a person without a specific warrant to record phone conversations.

1980s State of the Art Answering Machine

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Digital Machines End an Era

The technology-hungry consumer of the 1980s and 1990s increased the answering machine's popularity as technology improved and prices dropped. Digital answering machines replaced analog ones, and digital answering machines offered better sound quality and more features. The smartphone and digital communication of the 2000s effectively ended the popularity of the traditional answering machine. Landlines have been replaced with cellphones, yet voicemail technology began with early innovations and the need never to miss an important message.

A Journey Through The History of Pac-Man

Pac-Man Fever

If you were old enough to play arcade games in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Pac-Man dominated the industry. By 1983, users had spent as many as 10 billion coins to play the game. The popularity of Pac-Man and a resurgence in vintage video games has made it one of the most iconic and enduring video games ever. Pac-Man-inspired cartoons, merchandise, and even a top 10 song, “Pac-Man Fever” by Buckner and Garcia. Like no other game, Pac-Man has captured gamers' hearts internationally since its introduction; created by the Japanese designer Toru Iwatani, Pac-Man has impacted pop culture and the gaming industry.

Toru Iwatani Creates an Iconic Legend

On May 22, 1980, Pac-Man was developed by Toru Iwatani and released by Namco (now known as Bandai Namco Entertainment) in Japan. In the 70s and 80s, most video games were aimed at boys, and Toru Iwatani designed the game with women in mind. Another issue recognized by Iwatani was the number of video games based on violence or sports. Iwatani was inspired to create a game that appealed to women and non-traditional gamers, deviating from war-themed games and based around a common theme, eating! Developed in over a year and a half, Pac-Man started in early 1979 and was introduced in 1980.

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Puck-Man?

As it was initially named, Puck-Man was changed to Pac-Man for its international release to thwart prospective vandalism of arcade cabinets. Puck-Man may have been derived from the Japanese phrase “paku-paku,” which means to flap one's mouth open and closed, or from the Japanese word “pakku,” which means to nibble. However, it was renamed when licensed to Midway for distribution in North America. Namco changed the name to Pac-Man because they thought Puck-Man would be too easy to vandalize, as people could just scratch off the P and turn it into an F.

Gameplay

The objective of Pac-Man is simple: move the main character, a yellow circular creature with a voracious appetite, through a maze to eat all the pellets while avoiding four colorful ghosts—Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde. In Japanese, they are known as Fickle, Chaser, Stupid, and Ambusher. In the original version, the ghosts were floating monsters wearing cloaks. If you eat one of the four power pellets, Pac-Man can turn the tables on the spirits, allowing him to chase and eat the ghosts for extra points. The simplistic design and accessibility attracted players of all ages, and Its appeal was further boosted by its unique and memorable character designs. Today, the iconic ghosts and Pac-Man are recognized universally. The highest score achievable in the Pac-Man arcade game is 3,333,360 in 256 levels.

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  PAC-MAN is a cultural icon whose popularity has crossed the globe for more than 40 years. His journey through the maze of gaming universe is far from over! Play Games.

Merchandising and Expanding

Due to the success of the original Pac-Man, Namco recognized its marketability and produced numerous sequels and spin-offs. This greatly expanded the franchise's reach. Ms. Pac-Man was created as an unauthorized enhancement kit but became even more popular than the original. Other iterations like Pac-Man Jr., Pac-Land, and Pac-Man Championship Edition have kept the franchise alive. The success of Pac-Man transcended gaming, leaving an unforgettable mark on popular culture. Pac-Man's influence could be seen in various media, becoming integral to '80s nostalgia. In the investing and business world, the term “Pac-Man” refers to a hostile takeover defense where the target company tries to control the company that bids for it by purchasing high amounts of stock.

The Game Continues

Decades after its initial release, Pac-Man remains an integral part of gaming history. Every year, Pac-Man is celebrated by fans and the gaming community and has recently been added as an official Google Doodle. Often overlooked, Pac-Man revolutionized the gaming industry by being the first maze-chase game. Pac-Man also introduced power-ups and cutscenes to the video game genre. Due to decreased usage during the early 1980s, Pac-Man was retrofitted with additional programming to increase difficulty as the player progressed.

Lasting Legacy

The legacy of Pac-Man is the continued popularity the game holds today. Pac-Man inspired numerous other games and created a market for character gaming. Additional iconic games like Donkey Kong, Frogger, Lady Bug and even Dig Dug are all offshoots of the Pac-Man gameplay. Pac-Man was awarded records in the Guinness Worlds Records, including most successful coin-operated game and the most recognizable game character in the United States.