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Telex messaging comes into play
Telex messaging was first used to send military messages but sooner used in world-wide commercial and text messaging. Telex messages use a teleprinter that connects the printers to voice telephone lines hooked together by a router. -
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Timespan of Computers
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Konrad Zuse finishes Z3 Computer
The Z3 computer was designed by German engineer Konrad Zuse. The Z3 was used for aerodynamic calculations but was destroyed in a bombing raid on Berlin in 1943. There was later a reconstruction of Z3 in 1960 that is now on display at the Deutsches Museum in Munich. -
Grimsdale and Webb build an early transistorized computer
Working under Tom Kilburn at England’s Manchester University, Richard Grimsdale and Douglas Webb demonstrate a prototype transistorized computer, the "Manchester TC", on November 16, 1953. -
COBOL is created
A team drawn from several computer manufacturers and the Pentagon develop COBOL—an acronym for Common Business-Oriented Language. Many of its specifications borrow heavily from the earlier FLOW-MATIC language. Designed for business use, early COBOL efforts aim for easy readability of computer programs. -
Computer Space is released
Designed by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney, Computer Space is known as one of the earliest electronic arcade games. Using no microprocessor, RAM, or ROM, Computer Space was a simple technical design that still allowed for complex gameplay. -
3 ½-inch Floppy Drive created
Sony introduces the first 3 ½-inch floppy drive in 1981. The first significant company to adopt the 3 ½-inch floppy for general use was Hewlett-Packard in 1982, an event which was critical in establishing momentum for the format and which helped it prevail over the other contenders for the microfloppy standard. -
CompactFlash is introduced
When CompactFlash is introduced by SanDisk, it is quickly adopted and becomes the preferred memory storage option in many consumers as well as professional electronic devices. It was highly popular in digital still and video cameras, and although its dimensions were slightly larger than some other memory card formats, its ruggedness and high capacity made it a preferred choice. -
The Sims is Released
While most games see a player working towards an end-game scenario, The Sims allows players to create a home, get a job, and form relationships in a free-form world. Designed by a team at Maxis led by Wil Wright, The Sims quickly took flight. Characters in the game are customizable and speak a language called "Simlish." The Sims is still a well-known game played today. -
Apple watch is introduced
Building a computer into the watch form factor has been attempted many times but the release of the Apple Watch leads to a new level of excitement. Incorporating a version of Apple's iOS operating system, the Apple Watch was designed to be compatible with iPhones and Mac Books. The Apple Watch also showcases an environmental fitness-tracking system.
