Vintage airship sketches

Steampunks, man your airships!

Both of these images were sourced from various wikipedia articles about airships and lighter than air travel. They are all public domain images. The top image is a technical drawing from an early 20th century encyclopedia.  The bottom image, from the 1600s, depicts a theoretical "Vacuum Baloon." If the spheres were weightless and completely empty they would be 14% lighter than a helium balloon of the same size.

The dirigeable developped by Dupuy de Lome, in 1872. 1870s picture.

from the Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary, 1890-1907

Vintage airship sketches

Steampunks, man your airships!

Both of these images were sourced from various wikipedia articles about airships and lighter than air travel. They are all public domain images. The top image is a technical drawing from an early 20th century encyclopedia.  The bottom image, from the 1600s, depicts a theoretical "Vacuum Baloon." If the spheres were weightless and completely empty they would be 14% lighter than a helium balloon of the same size.

The dirigeable developped by Dupuy de Lome, in 1872. 1870s picture.

from the Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary, 1890-1907

Vintage computers and technology in Toronto

I'm going to be in and out fairly quickly today. I don't have anything of substance to add, but I thought it was too cool not to share.


For more images of vintage computers, and a great little bit of information about Toronto's computing history, check the link.

http://www.blogto.com/tech/2011/09/vintage_computers_and_technology_in_toronto/

Vintage computers and technology in Toronto

I'm going to be in and out fairly quickly today. I don't have anything of substance to add, but I thought it was too cool not to share.


For more images of vintage computers, and a great little bit of information about Toronto's computing history, check the link.

http://www.blogto.com/tech/2011/09/vintage_computers_and_technology_in_toronto/

Charles Babbage and the Analytically Engine

Good News Everyone! 

The first general purpose programmable computer was designed in 1837 by Charles Babbage, but was never constructed. Babbage's Analytical Engine would have been an entirely mechancial monstrosity that predates it's first electromechanical counterpart by more than 100 years. Babbage's brainchild was, sadly, never to be built. 

The incomplete "Analytical Engine Mill" 

The plans, notes, and tests that Babbage constructed in his lifetime have been on display with the London Science Museum since the early 1900s. In 2010 a group of individuals started to raise funds and attempt to gain access to Babbage's notes with the intent of building their own Analytical engine. Today they announced a great step along the way to the completion of that goal: The London Science Museum has agreed to digitize the Babbage archives, giving access to the Analytical Engine team first, and then to expanding digital access to the general public sometime in 2012. 

Steampunks Rejoice! Soon you will be able to marvel at a mechanical machine that can compute the product of two 20 digit numbers in only 3 minutes, and without the use of electricity. 

Link

Charles Babbage and the Analytically Engine

Good News Everyone! 

The first general purpose programmable computer was designed in 1837 by Charles Babbage, but was never constructed. Babbage's Analytical Engine would have been an entirely mechancial monstrosity that predates it's first electromechanical counterpart by more than 100 years. Babbage's brainchild was, sadly, never to be built. 

The incomplete "Analytical Engine Mill" 

The plans, notes, and tests that Babbage constructed in his lifetime have been on display with the London Science Museum since the early 1900s. In 2010 a group of individuals started to raise funds and attempt to gain access to Babbage's notes with the intent of building their own Analytical engine. Today they announced a great step along the way to the completion of that goal: The London Science Museum has agreed to digitize the Babbage archives, giving access to the Analytical Engine team first, and then to expanding digital access to the general public sometime in 2012. 

Steampunks Rejoice! Soon you will be able to marvel at a mechanical machine that can compute the product of two 20 digit numbers in only 3 minutes, and without the use of electricity. 

Link

BYTE Magazine covers the 2nd west coast computer fair (1978)

Modern Mechanix has uploaded an article from BYTE magazine, covering the second west coast computer fair in 1978, well worth a peek. 

Key points include the new 5 and 1/4 inch "minifloppy" from Apple, pictured above. 

Link via Boingboing