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Advent of Computing: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Sean Haas
Welcome to Advent of Computing, the show that talks about the shocking, intriguing, and all too often relevant history of computing. A lot of little things we take for granted today have rich stories behind their creation, in each episode we will learn how older tech has lead to our modern world.
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- 1 weeks ago1h 3m
Usagi Electric and the LGP-21 Restoration
Who can't resist Librascope hardware? Well, me, for one. And David from Usagi Electric is in the same boat. In this episode we sit down to talk about his LGP-21, how he got it, how he got it working, and what the machine can do! Subscribe to Usagi Electric to see the full project: https://www.youtube.com/@UsagiElectric
- 2 weeks ago52 min
Episode 188 - Training and Teaching with the Bi-Tran Six
How did you learn about computers? And how in depth was your education? For some the answer is the Bi-Tran Six: an educational machine released in 1965. This was one of the first computer trainers, and it represents a very interesting take on design. It's a machine that's small, simple, and can even be disassembled while running. But exactly how was it designed, and what was it used for? What makes the Bi-Tran Six so different from other machines? Like Advent of Computing? Then check out the after show! Adjunct of Computing is now LIVE: YouTube Spotify Apple Podcasts
- Aug 17, 20261h 5m
Episode 187 - What's Better Than Binary?
Binary is synonymous with digital computing. But is it the only way to crunch numbers? The short answer is no. The long answer, well, that's today's topic. Today we are talking about ternary, aka base 3. From it's early uses in the 19th century, to actual computers, and even theoretical designs; ternary proves to be a difficult topic to track down... and a very unique one. Selected sources: https://www.mortati.com/glusker/fowler/fowlerbio.htm - Information and a reconstruction of Fowler's contraption https://dl.acm.org/doi/epdf/10.1145/776378.776392 - Part I of the TERNAC papers, rationale! Like Advent of Computing? Then check out the after show! Adjunct of Computing is now LIVE: YouTube Spotify Apple Podcasts
- Aug 3, 202648 min
LIVE from VCF West - Wait, Is That Really UNIX?
It's no secret that I've been fascinated by odd UNIX clones for a while. When I got invited back to speak at VCF West this year I decided to share that fascination with a captive audience. In this talk we look at Idris and CROMIX, and ask the simple question: why would you want UNIX free UNIX? VCFed will be posting the video version of this presentation in the coming weeks. I'll add a link here once that's up. SEE my slides, here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1v21An2jTGbKn4HV7Orr7xQcjnj3Cju_iMgNX50UcjeI/edit?usp=sharing Install Co-Idris: https://github.com/hansake/Whitesmiths-Idris-OS Install ST-Idris: https://github.com/9nut/IDRIS-OS-for-Atari-ST And DEFINITELY install CROMIX: https://www.sydneysmith.com/wordpress/run-cromix/
- Jul 19, 20261h 7m
Episode 186 - MADDIDA
In 1950 Northrup unveiled their MAgnetic Drum DIgital Differential Analyser. The machine is a wild piece of technology; a rendering of an analog computer in digital encoding. But how did we get here? How did a project to guide a missile lead to a mass produced computer? And what does it have to do with suspiciously dry martinis? Selected Sources: https://sci-hub.st/10.1109/MAHC.2003.1179869 - 2003 paper on MADDIDA Like Advent of Computing? Then check out the after show! Adjunct of Computing is now LIVE: YouTube Spotify Apple Podcasts
- Jul 6, 20261h 1m
Episode 185 - Is EMUL-8ion a Form of Flattery?
EMUL-8 is a fascinating programming language. It's described in just one paper from 1977. It's a mix of features from APL, LISP, ALGOL, and SNOBOL. And, I think, it's a wonderful window into how counterculture and home computing collided.
- Jun 21, 20261h 9m
Episode 184 - What Is A Programming Language?
I mean that both in the specific and the abstract. This episode we are looking at APL, which stands for A Programming Language. APL was developed in the mid 50s, but didn't see a working implementation until 1965. It's a language that truly looks like no others, but has some odd parallels to everything from BASIC to LISP to linear algebra. Learn APL at: tryapl.org https://www.jsoftware.com/papers/APL.htm - A Programming Language
- Jun 14, 202631 min
Dale Biagio - Hello, World!
Dale Biagio(author of Hello, World!) got in touch with me recently. He said he had a book full of short histories of programming languages. Better still, it has sources! How could I resist! In this episode I sit down with Dale to talk about the intersection of technical and human histories. You can find more about Hello, World! at Dale's website: https://helloworldthebook.com/
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About Advent of Computing
Welcome to Advent of Computing, the show that talks about the shocking, intriguing, and all too often relevant history of computing. A lot of little things we take for granted today have rich stories behind their creation, in each episode we will learn how older tech has lead to our modern world.
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