techarchive
All things covering the history of technology
@adam-
UPIC (Unité Polyagogique Informatique du CEMAMu) is a graphical music‑composition system released in 1977. Composers draw shapes on a digitizing tablet; the drawings become waveforms or control data (horizontal = time, vertical = pitch)
It's ability to map a single drawing to timbre, pitch and rhythm made pieces like Mycènes Alpha possible and inspired later tools such as IanniX and HighC.
Conjured to life by Iannis Xenakis (1922 – 2001) who was a Greek‑French composer, engineer and architect. He initially was trained as an engineer and worked with Le Corbusier, where he applied mathematics (stochastic processes, set theory) and architectural thinking to music, producing influential works such as Metastasis, Pithoprakta and Mycénes Alpha.
In Paris he met avant‑garde figures including Edgard Varèse and worked alongside musique concrète pioneers at the GRM, notably Pierre Schaeffer.
Tape manipulation and concrete‑sound practices from that milieu informed his electronic and electroacoustic pieces. Xenakis combined these influences with his probabilistic and architectural methods to pioneer stochastic music, create orchestral, chamber and electroacoustic works.
With this place going full hog on the wallet aspect, I wanted to surface this for those who still come here for the things that initially drew them to this space @sinusoidalsnail @aviationdoctor.eth @july @chriscocreated @danicaswanson and others who feel this way, I hope this enlightens your day.
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@rch
monster.com founder once founded a social network site for oldies.
he was too young to use it.
i am just happy i have a social network where i don't need to key in my DOB or add a real life pic.
https://techcrunch.com/2006/08/01/old-people-now-have-a-place-to-hang-out/
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@vrypan.eth
That time in the 90s, when Apple licensed the Mac OS: The story of Mac clones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7vvdXzcrFM
https://sixcolors.com/post/2020/10/20-macs-for-2020-10-power-computing/
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@ayomide.eth
Are you old enough to remember Google+?
I remember using it around the same time I opened my first Twitter account in 2012.
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@vrypan.eth
Solitaire and Minesweeper
Microsoft first included Solitaire with Windows 3.0 in 1990. While it seemed like just a simple card game, its hidden purpose was to help users learn a new skill: dragging and dropping with a mouse. (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Solitaire)
Minesweeper joined the Windows lineup with Windows 3.1 in 1992. It was designed to help users get comfortable with right-clicking and left-clicking. (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Minesweeper)
Among tech enthusiasts, there was a long-running inside joke that MCSE (officially, Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert) really stood for “Minesweeper Consultant & Solitaire Expert.”
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@drewcoffman.eth
pop-ups with branded hats are fine, but there was a time when corporations did so much more
physical locations are a way to show the world what you think the future should look like
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@vrypan.eth
The QNX Operating System: An amazing story of an OS that started 45 years ago. Today it's used by Boston Dynamics and SpaceX, among others.
Who can ignore this? 👇
> Versions 4.2, 4.22, and 4.24 all released in 1995. The final version 4 release was 4.25 in 1997. At least one QNX 4 installation ran for over 20 years without a reboot at the ESA. This was possible because peripherals could be hotswapped, drivers could be changed, and network nodes could be added or removed without bringing the system down.
https://www.abortretry.fail/p/the-qnx-operating-system
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@vrypan.eth
To this day, every Apple computer includes a tiny little middle finger directed at The Beatles 🤣
Source: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/sdnfI4GWDuQ
For the record: In macOS Big Sur, the original chime was replaced with a different sample, named Sonumi. The original name was retained in the first public version of the OS, and was later changed to "Sonumi" as it appears in the System Preferences.
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