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Fwd: Ada Conference Registration Now Open
by Andrew Russell 14 Jun '13

14 Jun '13

Hi - For those of you in the New York area (or leisurely passing through in the week after SHOT/SIGCIS in October), please come visit us at Stevens for an interdisciplinary conference celebrating the achievements and legacy of Ada Lovelace. The dates are October 17-18, 2013; more information at the url below. Cheers, Andy Begin forwarded message: > From: rhammerm <rhammerm(a)stevens.edu> > Subject: Ada Conference Registration Now Open > Date: June 14, 2013 12:33:42 PM EDT > To: Robin Hammerman <rhammerm(a)stevens.edu> > > Dear Colleagues: > > Registration for the upcoming Ada conference at Stevens Institute of Technology is now open. Please access the conference webpage here for your convenience: http://www.stevens.edu/calconference. Do feel free to share with your friends and colleagues. Thank you for your kind consideration. > > Sincerely, > > Robin Hammerman > Conference Organizer > > -- > Dr. Robin S. Hammerman > Teaching Assistant Professor > College of Arts and Letters > Stevens Institute of Technology > Hoboken, New Jersey 07030

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IBM Watson and Jeopardy! come to CHM!
by Dag Spicer 13 Jun '13

13 Jun '13

Dear SIGCIS Friends, Here's an update on our latest exhibit and visitor experience -- "IBM Watson & Jeopardy!" -- based on the two-day man vs. machine match in 2011 between IBM's Watson supercomputer system and Jeopardy! all-time winners Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter. http://www.computerhistory.org/atchm/ibms-watson-jeopardy-computer-comes-to… The exhibit is up for at least one year so if you're in the San Francisco Bay Area, be sure to drop in and get your picture taken on the Jeopardy set with Watson! (Well, his avatar anyway). "I'll take milestones in computing history for $1000, please, Alex." :_) Dag -- Dag Spicer Senior Curator Computer History Museum 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd Mountain View, CA 94043 650.810.1035 direct 650.810.1055 fax Follow Us: CHM Blog I Facebook I Twitter I YouTube

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New CHM Lecture: IBM's Watson & An Evening with IBM Research's Dr. John Kelly
by Dag Spicer 13 Jun '13

13 Jun '13

Dear SIGCIS Friends, Here is a great lecture from Tuesday night with IBM's Dr. John Kelly (Director of IBM Research). Published on Jun 13, 2013 [Recorded: June 11, 2013] Dr. John E. Kelly III is senior vice president and director of IBM Research. In this position he directs the worldwide operations of IBM Research, with approximately 3,000 scientists and technical employees at 12 laboratories in 10 countries around the world, and helps guide IBM's overall technical strategy. Dr. Kelly's top priorities as head of IBM Research are to stimulate innovation in key areas of information technology, and quickly bring those innovations into the marketplace to sustain and grow IBM's existing business; to create the new businesses of IBM's future, and to apply these innovations to help IBM clients succeed. IBM Research breakthroughs have helped to create and shape the world's computing industry, while more recent breakthroughs, including Deep Blue computing systems, breaking the Petaflop barrier, and the introduction of Watson, the deep question answering natural-language computer system, are blazing the computing trails of the future. Museum CEO John Hollar moderated a fascinating conversation with Kelly on topics ranging from his background and the path that led him to IBM, the history of research there, IBM's Watson and cognitive computing, to the newest lab in Nairobi, Kenya. Africa, IBM says, is destined to become an important growth market for the company. "Africa is a complex place," Dr. Kelly said. "But we feel it is on the cusp, at an inflection point. It's going to take off." Revolutionaries is the Museum's acclaimed speaker series distributed throughout the world on multiple platforms. It features renowned innovators, business and technology leaders and authors in enthralling, educational conversations often with leading journalists. Our audiences gain insight into the remarkable process of innovation, its risks and rewards, and failure that led to ultimate success. Watch the lecture here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXk6x-7cXsE Cheers, Dag -- Dag Spicer Senior Curator Computer History Museum 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd Mountain View, CA 94043 650.810.1035 direct 650.810.1055 fax Follow Us: CHM Blog I Facebook I Twitter I YouTube

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Software database
by Info ＠ IT History Society 12 Jun '13

12 Jun '13

The IT History Society (www.IThistory.org) passes another milestone with the creation of the IT information technology software database. This international database will eventually include basic information all software ever created. The initial database consists of over 2,000 entries and over time, the database is expected to exceed 100,000 entries. The database is located at http://ithistory.org/software/software-name.php IT History Society One Blackfield Drive - Suite 331 Tiburon, CA 94920 (415) 435-2263 Fax (415) 983-2472 <mailto:info@ITHistory.org> info(a)ITHistory.org <http://www.ithistory.org/> www.ITHistory.org Sm logo dropEnsuring the Future by Preserving the Past The IT History Society depends on support from people interested in the history of the IT revolution. Please make a tax-deductible contribution here: <http://ithistory.org/donate/index.php> btn_donate_LG <http://www.twitter.com/ithistoryorg> twitter <http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/It-History-Society/143799552346273> find-us-on-facebook

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New ebook on Indian Computing - free download
by Thomas Haigh 06 Jun '13

06 Jun '13

Hello everyone, A little while ago Mathai Joseph emailed me to let me know about his new eBook on the history of computing in India. According to the blurb "This book analyses the rise of Indian computing. Interleaving history and memoir, it describes key moments and decisions that led to the slowdown in the 1960s and 1970s and the changes in the 1980s that fuelled the ascent of the software industry to pre-eminence in what has become one of the world's most important industries. Along the way the author reflects on the nature of science, the importance of computing and the interplay of theory, experiment and technology. He discusses the wide differences in the academic perception of computing in India and the rest of the world and how it affected the growth of Indian computer science as well as the computing industry." This has a list price of $3.99 for the Kindle edition, but it is currently free at <http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CGR5JLU> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CGR5JLU. According to his website, <http://www.mathaijoseph.com> http://www.mathaijoseph.com, it is free on "June 6 and 7," though I suppose that doesn't actually say that it is not free on other dates. Anyway there has been very little written on the history of Indian IT so I'm sure the book will be a useful resource for those of you with an interest in the area. Tom

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Every version of WIndows...
by Dag Spicer 05 Jun '13

05 Jun '13

For those of you interested in software studies or forensic computer history, have a look at this fascinating demonstration of upgrading through every version of Windows from the first to Windows 7. The video itself a great historical resource even if you don't plan to follow its procedures… thanks to Sellam Ismail for the link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPnehDhGa14 Dag -- Dag Spicer Senior Curator Computer History Museum 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd Mountain View, CA 94043 650.810.1035 direct 650.810.1055 fax Follow Us: CHM Blog I Facebook I Twitter I YouTube

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Fwd: How to find Chicago Police Dept. IT retirees?
by Janet Abbate 03 Jun '13

03 Jun '13

I'm forwarding this for a colleague; please reply to her directly. They seem to be look both for spare parts for an IBM 1440 and for people who used it at the Chicago Police Dept. The Center for Technology & Innovation (http://ctandi.org/history.html) sounds like an interesting emerging site for computer history (among other things). Janet Begin forwarded message: > From: Susan Sherwood <director(a)ctandi.org> > Date: June 2, 2013 10:32:33 AM EDT > To: abbate(a)computer.org > Subject: How to find Chicago Police Dept. IT retirees? > > Janet > > Amy Slaton suggested you might have a lead for finding computer groups, > whose members might have worked for the Chicago Police Department IT > department in the 1960s and 70s. > > The Chicago Police Department had a large installation of IBM 1440 > mainframes (issued 1962 using early SMS card technology). We are > restoring a 1440 system to operation and are in search of some missing > pieces. In particular, we need an selectric typing element, known as an H-Ball for the 1447 console that operators used to control the 1441 CPU. The H-Ball has an unusual layout of programming characters. We're also interested in any spare parts that might have been either taken as > souvenirs or surplussed when the department upgraded to more modern > equipment. > > Any suggestions you have for tracking down parts, manuals, people with > memories of the CPD operation, will be appreciated. > > Best regards, > > Susan Sherwood > Executive Director > Center for Technology & Innovation > 321 Water Street, Binghamton, NY 13901 > Future home of TechWorks! > > Office 607-723-8600 > Mobile 607-624-1090 > > www.ctandi.org > > > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: RE: FW: Aloha! - updated - Mission accomplished > Date: Sat, 1 Jun 2013 10:40:31 +0000 > From: Slaton,Amy <slatonae(a)drexel.edu> > To: Slaton, Deborah <DSlaton(a)wje.com>, Susan Sherwood <director(a)ctandi.org> > CC: Bill Green <wgreen(a)stny.rr.com>, "FPETR(a)aol.com" <FPETR(a)aol.com> > > Hi Susan: > Sorry, I can't think of anyone either, but there are probably a lot of > employee/union newsletters through which you might reach someone who > knows someone who was in IT there. > > Also, if mainframes were not widely found at that point (and challenging > to use), might the CPD's operators have been active in one of the > computing organizations? Maybe you can use their mailing lists or > newsletters. For names of those orgs, you could try my friend Janet > Abbate [she is abbate(a)va.tech] or Paul Ceruzzi at the Smithsonian, perhaps. > > ....Good luck, sounds like a fabulous project! > Amy > > Amy E. Slaton, PhD > Professor > Department of History and Politics > Drexel University > Philadelphia PA 19104 > 215-895-2463/610-660-8299 (v) > 215-895-6614 (f) > slatonae(a)drexel.edu > http://STEMequity.com > ________________________________________ > From: Slaton, Deborah [DSlaton(a)wje.com] > Sent: Friday, May 31, 2013 10:23 PM > To: Susan Sherwood > Cc: Slaton,Amy; Bill Green; FPETR(a)aol.com > Subject: RE: FW: Aloha! - updated - Mission accomplished > > Hi Susan, > I am sorry but I don't know of any contacts within the CPD. > Does the CPD have a historian? > I hope you can obtain the missing part! > Deborah > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Susan Sherwood [mailto:director@ctandi.org] > Sent: Friday, May 31, 2013 7:15 AM > To: Slaton, Deborah; slatonae(a)drexel.edu > Cc: Bill Green; FPETR(a)aol.com > Subject: Re: FW: Aloha! - updated - Mission accomplished > > Deb and Amy: > > Any chance the WJE IT/IS team or Slaton family friends might have > contacts with the Chicago Police Dept IT folks? Apparently, CPD had one > of the largest arrays of IBM 1440 mainframes, which is the device we > have working (mostly) here in Binghamton. We're looking for spare > parts, in particular an H Ball typing element from the 1447 Console > Unit. We're hoping someone might have saved it as a souvenir when the > system was updated. > > Any contact information or leads to potential retired Chicago Police > computer guys will be most appreciated. > > All the best, > > Susan > > On 5/30/2013 8:29 PM, Slaton, Deborah wrote: >> Susan, >> >> Please see the e-mail below from Dave Felleti. He was able to retrieve the printer and it is Annex I, one of the buildings on our Northbrook campus. >> >> Please let us know when you are able to arrange to have it picked up and Dave will be able to direct the mover to the correct location. You can reach any of us by e-mail or at our general office number (847-272-7400). >> >> Many thanks to Dave for this effort! >> >> Deborah >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Felleti, David >> Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2013 1:27 PM >> To: Slaton, Deborah >> Cc: Scheffler, Michael >> Subject: Re: Aloha! - updated >> >> Mission accomplished. The printer is in Annex I. >> Dave >> >> >> >> >> >> > > > > >

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Tennis for Two Documentary now live on YouTube
by Laine Nooney 29 May '13

29 May '13

Hi all, A new, short documentary on Tennis for Two, the 1958 analog computer game (often cited as the "first" video game), is up on YouTube. The documentary "When Games Went Click: The Story of Tennis for Two" chronicles the development of the game and its re-creation, currently underway at Brookhaven National Laboratory. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QSHZ20MQfE&feature=youtu.be "When Games Went Click" was made possible by the Brookhaven Science Associates and Stony Brook Collaborative Research Alliance SEED Grant Program for joint initiatives between scientists and Stony Brook University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. "When Games Went Click" is part of the archival efforts of the William A. Higinbotham Game Studies Collection: http://www.stonybrook.edu/libspecial/videogames/. Enjoy! Laine Nooney Assistant to the Principal Editors, Raiford Guins and Joanne Morra Journal of Visual Culture Department of Cultural Analysis and Theory Stony Brook University

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Dag Spicer quoted in the NYT
by Marie Hicks 23 May '13

23 May '13

In a story about the earliest Apple computers: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/24/technology/apple-1-computers-jump-in-valu… Congrats, Dag! Though sorry to hear you missed picking up an early Apple for a song. Best, Marie ______________________ Marie Hicks, Ph.D. Asst. Professor, History of Technology Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL USA mhicks1(a)iit.edu | mariehicks.net <http://www.mariehicks.net> | @histoftech<http://twitter.com/histoftech>

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New CHM Lecture Online! - Innovating the Future
by Dag Spicer 21 May '13

21 May '13

Dear SIGCIS Colleagues, Here is a recording of our latest lecture, Innovating the Future: SRI's Curt Calrson and Bill Mark in conversation with The New York Times columnist John Markoff, which took place this Tuesday last. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zbCuj3RITE&feature=em-subs_digest&list=TLRn… Enjoy! Dag Published on May 17, 2013 [Recorded: April 14,2013] SRI International's pioneering contributions to computing are legendary, from the invention of the computer mouse and interactive computing in the 1960s, to the first internetworked and wireless connections in the 1970s. Fast-forward to 2010, when SRI created the first-generation virtual personal assistant and sold Siri to Apple. Over 66 years, SRI has conducted billions of dollars of R&D and has created enormous value through spin-off ventures such as Nuance and Intuitive Surgical. Other innovations include new cancer drugs, digital math curriculum to help students break through algebra and move on to higher math, and much more. How does SRI do it, while many powerhouse corporate research labs have disappeared? John Markoff of The New York Times will explore SRI, beginning with a conversation with William Mark, Vice President of Information and Computing Sciences. Hear what Mark and his researchers are imagining and turning into reality: from virtual personal assistants capable of human-like dialogue, to next-generation textbooks that use artificial intelligence, and human-machine interfaces that anticipate your moves. To learn how SRI moves its research from the laboratory into the marketplace, they will be joined on stage by SRI's President and CEO Curt Carlson. Carlson will offer a unique definition of innovation and discuss its importance in government policy, education, and U.S. competitiveness. We hope you'll join us for another compelling conversation led by John Markoff, who is our moderator-in-chief for this track examining and celebrating innovation at research labs. This event is part of the Museum's acclaimed Revolutionaries speaker series, featuring renowned innovators, business and technology leaders, and authors in enthralling conversations often with leading journalists. Our audiences learn about the process of innovation, its risks and rewards, and failure that led to ultimate success. -- Dag Spicer Senior Curator Computer History Museum 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd Mountain View, CA 94043 650.810.1035 direct 650.810.1055 fax Follow Us: CHM Blog I Facebook I Twitter I YouTube

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