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The History of Computing: A Journey Through Innovation
A broad overview of how computing grew from counting aids and mechanical calculators to electronic machines, personal computers, networks and phones.
Technology and AI
History of Technology
Where computers, the internet, phones and other devices came from.
The History of Computer Science: A Journey Through Innovation
How computer science grew into an academic discipline, from early theory of computation to algorithms, programming languages, databases and complexity.
The History of Robotics: A Journey Through Innovation
From ancient automata and the word robot to factory arms, mobile research robots and today's machines, this is a plain overview of how robotics developed.
The History of the First Computers: A Look Back at the Early Days of Computing
A careful look at the earliest electronic computers of the 1940s: how large they were, what they could and could not do, and why claims of a first are disputed.
The History of the First Internet: A Look Back at the Early Days of the World Wide Web
The internet and the World Wide Web are different things. Learn how the early web began at CERN, how browsers spread it, and how people first used it.
The History of the First Mobile Payments: A Look Back at the Early Days of Digital Payments
How paying by phone grew out of text messages, prepaid airtime and card networks, and why claims about the very first mobile payment should be treated with caution.
The History of the First Mobile Phones: A Look Back at the Early Days of Mobile Technology
Early mobile phones were bulky and costly because of heavy batteries, limited networks and new technology. Learn how cellular handsets and networks emerged.
The History of the First Smart Home Devices: A Look Back at the Early Days of Home Automation
How home automation moved from labor-saving appliances and powerline controllers to today's connected thermostats, speakers and sensors, with uncertain firsts hedged.
The History of the First Smartphones: A Look Back at the Early Days of Mobile Technology
Follow the path from phones with organizers and email to devices with touchscreens, app stores and fast data, and learn what made smartphones mainstream.
The History of the First Smartwatches: A Look Back at the Early Days of Wearable Technology
From calculator watches and heart rate straps to fitness trackers and connected smartwatches, this is how wrist-worn gadgets and wearable devices evolved.
The History of the First Video Conferencing: A Look Back at the Early Days of Remote Communication
Early attempts to see and hear distant colleagues were limited by bandwidth and cost. Learn how video calls moved from special rooms to ordinary computers and phones.
The History of the First Video Games: A Look Back at the Early Days of Gaming
Tracing simple early games from research labs to arcades and living rooms, with notes on why claims about the very first video game are disputed.
The History of the First Virtual Reality Headsets: A Look Back at the Early Days of VR Technology
A look at early head-mounted displays and virtual reality experiments, from the 1960s to the 1990s, and why VR stayed a niche technology for so long.
The History of the Internet: A Timeline of Innovation
A timeline of how separate computer networks, packet switching and shared protocols grew into the global internet, from ARPANET in 1969 to broadband and mobile.
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