Although most of us ignore the old technologies, the new technologies that we are accustomed to wouldn’t have been possible. 1990’s was a growing era of technological advances. There were many technological discoveries and breakthroughs that planted the root for technological advancement in the 21st century. Its about time we go back in time and take a look at a few things that might have changed the future of technology. Today’s post is a tribute to the 90’s and to all the businesses and individuals that help us achieve the present fate of computers in an ever changing world of technological discovery.

The Rise of The Internet

I remember my first computer that I got in the 90’s with 64 MB RAM and 3 GB HDD. Man I felt like a kid in a candy store when that thing came into my house. Today, my phone has more capability than what that old box did. The 90’s was the rise of the internet and one of the reason was due to the falling price of the pesonal computers. It was the 90s when people started buying computer for their personal use. As more and more people started using the computers not only for businesses but also for personal stuff, internet started to boom. More people were using it.

This was the time when people started to find ways to exchange multimedia files via internet. If it wasn’t for the falling prices of personal computers the internet wouldn’t be the same today. Emails became one of the very popular forms of communication and still is. Thanks to the 90s we are able to do things on the internet that we probably never imagined before.

Instant Messengers Pick Up The Pace

Life without instant messengers is hard to imagine, at least for me. IMs for me have become a source of generating ideas and the best way to get in touch with friends and families. 90s truly was the era when Instant Messengers rose to new heights. Today they are known as GUI based messaging clients which began to take in the mid 90s.

The GUI based instant messaging clients started with ICQ in 1996 and was later followed by AOL Instant Messenger in 1997. Later Microsoft and others followed this growing trend and today we use different messaging clients such as gtalk and Skype. If it wasn’t for the 90s drive towards developing instant messaging clients we wouldn’t be able to communicate so freely from one end to the other. Instant messengers have come a long way today with the advent of mobile IMs and it has become an integral part of modern day business as well.

Microsoft Introduces Windows Operating System

Although most of hate Microsoft for one reason or the other, lets face it Microsoft changed the way we do things on the internet with Windows 95. Windows 95 was released on August 24th 1995 and soon became one of the most popular operating system ever produced. Following this huge success Mcirosoft went on to release Windows 98 on June 25th 1998. Whether you like it or now Windows 95 and 98 shaped the future of operating system in today’s world. Today we enjoy different operating systems and it is all due to all the advancements that took place in the 90s. Once again we owe it to 90s for the operating system we use today. If it wasn’t done during that period of time we would probably still be using DOS. Imagine that….

Pentium Processors Makes Its Way

Most of the computers that we use today still use Pentium processors, the only difference is that they are capable of computing way faster than what they did in the 90s. However, it was the 90s when Pentium launched their first processor in the 90s which was later followed by fast processors such as Pentium 1, Pentium II and so on. Today most of us use Pentium Dual Cores as our processors. Thanks to the 90s again as this is when these fast computing processors started making their way into the computers.

Java Programming Language Is Developed

Much of its syntax derived from C+ and C++, Java was developed by Sun Microsystems and released in 1995. Any Java programmer is well versed with the first program you create in Java “Hello World.” Java is still a very widely used programming language and somewhat dominates the programming language sector. Once again it was the 90s that made it possible to make way for many other programming language with the release of Java programming.

There it is guys. We wanted to go a whole deal with this article but its Saturday and the beer starts pouring pretty early. If you have already had your share of beer please take a moment and share some of your favorites with us so we have something to look at when we come back.

Have a great weekend.

LED Walls, LED buildings, it just seems like people are trying out everything with LED lights. A couple days ago I had seen a video of couple university students lighting a building with LED lights that were doing all kind of things (can’t find the link) and now there is a LED wall that converts your shadow into interactive display of LED lights. The image of the wall you are about to see below was placed in a pedestrian tunnel in Sandnes Sentrum, Norway.

[ Source : Inhabitat ]

It’s almost time for 2008 Presidential Election and the time couldn’t be more appropriate to talk about voting machines. Although we would like to talk more about the voting machines, to tell you the truth we have no freaking clue how it works. We are not really into politics and didn’t really have the need or the urge to learn about them. However, since politics is something that we should all stay in tune with we found you an article that will give you much more in depth analysis than we can on this matter. Please check out the images below and follow the source link at the bottom to read the full article.

Lever Machine

Optical Scanner

Touch Screen

Now that we brought politics in here, if you want to share who you are going to vote for and why, go ahead and share it with us.

[ Source : Sciam ]

Everyone who uses Digg regularly knows that certain sites have a tendancy to hit the front page often.  Very often.  Others might get a few hundred Diggs and never make it to the Hot in All section of upcoming.

Digg, despite their claims, has whitelisted certain sites and autoburied others.  It’s a fact that they continue to deny despite mounds of evidence to the contrary.  How can sites like TorrentFreak, Cracked, and PopularMechanics have the vast majority of their stories hit the front page?  Are they just THAT incredible at creating content?

How can sites like HuffingtonPost, Arstechnica, and Telegraph hit multiple times a day with fewer Diggs than new sites that have quality content?  Are they just THAT breaking and original that they always get the scoops? Read the rest of this entry

Do you remember the cluster of wires that once resided under your desks?  Some were probably tied.  Most were not.  They were often tangled, confusing, and heavy enough to leave a permanent impression on the floor.

Wait — you still have that?  If you haven’t converted to enjoy a computer experience that is completely wireless, here are some gadgets that will cut the cords and give your desktop (or even better, your laptop) complete freedom from the wired world in which we live.

Wireless USB Hub

This is essential, especially for laptop users who can be hampered by the wireless USB host adapters.  It gives you a single connection through which you can plug in the four essential USB wireless adapters, thus consolidating your needs to one protrusion.

It can be associated with up to three users, and can easily share peripherals like Digital cameras, Camcorders, and Printers.

MX Air Rechargeable Cordless Air Mouse

This high-performance mouse gives the best of both worlds: precision and speed.  It’s contoured design fits well into most hand sizes and offers a technology that nothing else has.

On your desk, advanced laser technology gives you precise tracking and instant response. In the air, innovative Freespace motion sensing transforms hand motions into natural, responsive cursor controls.

Sit back and listen to music, browse photos, or surf the Web—from your desk or across the room.

Vidabox Premium Wireless Keyboard

For the price, there is nothing better on the market today.  With its optical trackball, everything from navigating the web to playing games is possible, and it’s maintenance-free.  It provides 800dpi of resolution for precise control.

Unlike other conventional infrared (IR) and radio frequency (RF) wireless keyboards, special high frequency wireless technology allows a pronounced increase in performance – with a minimum in dropped signals and “dead zones.”

Wireless Routers

Routers are like cell phone providers.  They are a personal decision – some people love a certain brand while others hate them.  Instead of offering a recommendation on which one to pick, we recommend using the CompNetworking section of About.com.

It will walk you through 6 preferences, allowing you to rate them on a scale from 1-5.  At the end, it makes recommendations based upon how each router scored compared to your responses.

As a test, we rated cost, warranty, and popularity as not important, but security, speed, and size as very important.  The funny part is that I actually use the one it recommended.

BONUS: Wireless Electricity?

The technology for wireless power is emerging, and Intel Corp. took a significant stride toward a power cord-less future Thursday when it demonstrated a system that made a light bulb glow when it was several feet from its power source.

Intel’s setup was more science fair than Best Buy, but wireless power researchers say the technology points to a future when electricity hot spots coming from a single source in a room provide juice to any number of electronic devices within range.

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Read more about tech productivity at NetHackz.