Category Archives: Inventions

Skype

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Skype

“Take a deep breath” – Skype

  • Skype is a software application that allows for VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), video calling and instant messaging, as well as file distribution, using an internet connection, and other services are also offered.
  • The name ‘Skype’ was originally ‘Skyper’, as an abbreviation of ‘Sky peer-to-peer’, the communication network system that was originally used, and the name was shortened further so a domain name could be secured.
  • Most smart phones, Windows, Linux, Mac, Playstation and Xbox platforms can all utilise a version of Skype.
  • Niklas Zennstrum and Jenus Friss, from Sweden and Denmark respectively, along with programmers from Estonia, produced the peer-to-peer file sharing program that eventually became Skype, although Kazaa, a program that enabled people to share video and music, was its doomed predecessor.
  • In 2003, Skype was launched for public use and by the end of 2005, it had 74.7 million people registered, which increased to more than 660 million registered users in 2011, while in 2013, it reached a record high of 70 million concurrent users.
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Skype Logo
Image courtesy of Skype
  • Some of the original technology and programs used in Skype were initially designed in 1999 for Tele2, a telecommunications company in Sweden, under the instruction of Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis, however the project was not successful.
  • Skype was sold to eBay in late 2005, and was eventually taken over by Microsoft in 2011 at a price of $8.5 billion.
  • Skype is particularly useful for meetings, remote education and personal communication purposes, and in 2015 it was able to used in a total of 38 languages.
  • The security level of Skype is controversial, as although calls and messages are encrypted, it has been revealed that some authorities have the ability to monitor conversations.
  • Group calls are a free service now offered by Skype, while calling landlines and mobile phones through the system, typically incurs a fee.
Bibliography:
Decker F, Who Invented Skype?, 2015, eHow, http://www.ehow.com/facts_5125753_invented-skype.html
Skype, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skype
Think Skype is safe? Think again, 2013, Akademie, http://akademie.dw.de/digitalsafety/think-skype-is-safe-think-again/

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Picture Frame

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Picture Frame

I’ve been framed! *points at picture frame*

  • Picture frames are framing borders used primarily on images to protect, exhibit and enhance or complement the image.
  • ‘Picture frames’ are also known as ‘photo frames’, and they generally include some form of hanging system or standing mechanism on the back so that they can be displayed on a shelf or piece of furniture, or a wall.
  • Materials used to make picture frames vary; traditionally wood is used, but plastic, and metal such as aluminium, bronze and silver are sometimes used; and they were commonly gilded, although other cheaper methods of colouring frames are now often employed.
  • Glass may be used in picture frames for further protection of the image, though it is generally excluded for artworks made of acrylic or oil mediums due to their special properties; while most frames will have a type of spacer, like a mount or mat board, between the glass and the picture to separate the two, which is important to protect the picture from condensation, or from being damaged or smudged.
  • Picture frames are generally a rectangular, elliptical or circular shape, while other shaped frames are typically reserved for framing photographs, though modern digital frames are designed specifically to display digital images.
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  • Artworks and photographs are the main two items framed with picture frames, especially those of significant value or personal importance, while mirrors, special documents like certificates, and other items are also often framed.
  • Among the first picture frames known to exist, is a frame made of wood from the 50s to 70s AD, found in an Egyptian grave, and features a portrait of a woman.
  • Picture frames were utilised in European society by the 1100s AD, reaching peak artistic value by the 1500s and 1600s, with many different frame styles emerging.
  • Picture frames may simply have a rounded or square edge, while others are moulded or sculpted, sometimes very ornately, and are sometimes considered works of art themselves.
  • Pictures frames are often custom made and come in unlimited colours and sizes, and they can be very large, covering the most part of a wall, or be as small as a matchbox.
Bibliography:
Framed Portrait of a Woman, with Cord for Suspension, n.d, The British Museum, http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/gr/f/framed_portrait_of_a_woman.aspx
Museums, Frames and Context: Thinking Through The Picture Frame, n.d, Museums of Aotearoa, http://www.museumsaotearoa.org.nz/sites/default/files/te_ara/3212mormulow.pdf
Picture Frame, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picture_frame

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Buttonhole

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Buttonhole

Buttonholes are relatively new in comparison to its button partner.

  • Buttonholes are a slit or hole in fabric that can hold a button, and normally as a result, hold two pieces of fabric together.
  • The edges of the hole designed for buttons are generally stitched over to prevent unravelling of the fabric and to limit wear on the hole edge, and this is done by sewing machine or hand, and the latter method typically uses a stitch called ‘buttonhole stitch’.
  • Many traditional garments for men have buttonholes located on the left hand side, while women have them on the right, and there are a number of speculations as to why, with one being that it was due to the slits needing to face the right way on women’s clothes, so that their maids could do up their buttons more easily, while men did their own buttons themselves.
  • A button is secured in a buttonhole by sliding the side of the button into the back of the hole and pulling through to the front on one side, and then sliding the other side of the fabric edge behind the button so that the button sits in front of the hole.
  • The French word ’boutonnière’ means ‘buttonhole’, and both terms are used for flower/s that are typically inserted into a slit that usually looks the same as those used for buttons, located on the lapel of a jacket or coat.

Buttonhole, Shirt, Trousers, Striped, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Clothing, Fashion, Dress, Assorted, Buttons

  • Buttonholes are most often found on clothing items like jackets, shirts and coats, but they are also used on pants, and they are usually just long enough to comfortably fit the appropriate button through the slit.
  • Button loops were originally used before buttonholes, though they serve a similar purpose, but holes, rather than loops are now more commonly used on clothing.
  • In the 1200s in Germany, Europe, practical buttonholes were first recorded, although Persians may have invented the idea, and the 1400s saw much more widespread use of them across Europe, primarily due to the increased use of buttons themselves.
  • Buttonholes generally sit horizontally, especially on jackets, as vertical slits allow for the button to slip and unbutton more easily, while the horizontal ones allow for more flexibility in fitting, but on the fronts of shirts they are mostly vertical, as they take up less room on a narrow placket and they will allow the button to sit more centrally on it.
  • Keyhole buttonholes are a slit with a hole at one end, and this allows buttons with shanks to sit in the hole without puckering the fabric.
Bibliography:
Buttonhole, 2014, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buttonhole
The History of the Button, 2013, h2g2, http://h2g2.com/approved_entry/A23623616
Parthasarathi V, Who Invented Buttons and Buttonholes on Shirts?, 2013, Quora, https://www.quora.com/Who-invented-buttons-and-buttonholes-on-shirts

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Swimming Goggles

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Swimming Goggles

Swimming goggles are an example of underwater fashion.

  • Swimming goggles are a pair of lenses that assist in clear visibility underwater and prevent water contact with the eye, by providing a small, portable air bubble around the eye.
  • When swimming in water, swimming goggles are generally preferred as they protect eyes from chlorine and salt, that can cause irritation.
  • The Persians are believed to have been the first to use crude swimming goggles, around the 1300s, and the lenses were made of polished turtle shell, and were used by those who dived for pearls.
  • Motorcycle goggles were used as swimming goggles by competitive swimmer Thomas Burgess in 1911, to assist in swimming across the English Channel.
  • Various goggle inventions were patented from the late 1800s and into the early 1900s, and while American Charles Troppman was one of those inventors, contrary to popular belief, he was not the first to invent and patent goggles, nor swimming goggles.

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  • Patents of swimming goggles were filed in the 1920s, with one of the earliest designed as part of a swimming cap in 1923, while Michael O’Flanagan from Ireland filed one of the earliest patents for stand alone goggles designed specifically for underwater use, in 1926.
  • Swimming goggles became more commonly used in the 1960s, though they were originally reserved for training and were usually painful to wear, and they were not used in competitive swimming until 1972.
  • Plastic is the material typically used to make swimming goggles though wood and bamboo have been used in the past, while the lenses were made of glass, though polycarbonate plastic is commonly used today.
  • As a result of water pressure, swimming goggles become increasingly tight around the head and eyes, from water depths over 90 centimetres (3 feet).
  • The lens of swimming goggles are often clear, although reflective or tinted lens are becoming increasingly common due to their effectiveness in blocking out harmful UV rays, and they usually have a silicone, foam, or rubber rim around each lens as a seal to keep water out.
Bibliography:
The History of Swimming Goggles, 2013, LoneSwimmer, http://loneswimmer.com/2013/07/01/the-history-of-swimming-goggles/
History of Swimming Goggles, 2014, Swimming Science, http://www.swimmingscience.net/2014/03/history-of-swimming-goggles.html
Williams C, What Material Are Swimming Goggles Made Of?, 2015, eHow, http://www.ehow.com/about_4672384_what-material-swimming-goggles-made.html
Zorn M, When Were Swimming Goggles Invented, 2014, Vision Launch, http://www.visionlaunch.com/when-were-swimming-goggles-invented/

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Teapot

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Teapot

A teapot is a signature of the early modern society.

  • A teapot is a container used to make and serve beverages, most commonly tea, and they are generally made of steel, ceramic or glass, while bronze and other metals have been commonly used in the past.
  • There are three main parts to a teapot – the body, which contains the beverage; the handle, to hold the pot; and the spout, to pour the beverage; and most have a lid to contain the liquid, keep the heat in, and stop other particles contaminating the tea, while some have an inbuilt strainer to prevent tea leaves from entering the cup.
  • Tea made using a teapot is often done by inserting dried tea leaves, or sometimes teabags, into the pot, and boiling water is added to make the beverage, which is then steeped for a few minutes, and then poured into a drinking vessel, typically a teacup.
  • In the history of the Yixing area in China, tea was commonly made and drunk, and it is believed that in the early to mid 1300s, a Chinese potter from the area was the first to have invented the teapot.
  • Teapots were exported from China to Europe by the late 1600s; and in the 1700s, Europeans were successful in creating their own pots after much trial and error with inferior porcelain.

Teapots, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Assorted, Ceramics, Steel, Glass, Variations,

  • Teapots may have separate fabric coverings that serve the purpose of trapping the heat of the liquid to keep the brew hot, and they have been used since the 1800s and are named ‘tea cosies’ or ‘tea warmers’.
  • Most modern teapots have a body of either a rounded shape or a pear-shape, however, there are numerous shapes and styles available, and some are more ornamental or decorative in nature, while others are simple and practical.
  • The colour of teapots can vary greatly, and they can feature patterns, intricate artwork and other decorative elements.
  • Even though using a teapot is the traditional method of making tea and is often used for formal occasions, teabags placed in a mug or teacup have made the pot somewhat redundant, as they are more easily transportable, less bulky and more convenient.
  • Interesting and decorative teapots are often collected by enthusiasts, and it is said that the largest collection in the world in 2007 was owned by Tang Yu, from Quanzhou in China, with a total of 30,000.
Bibliography:
Everage L, Teapots Through The Ages, 2006, Fresh Cup, https://theteaspot.com/media/wysiwyg/news/storyId-16.pdf
Kuei-Hsiang Lo (1986). The Stonewares of Yixing: From the Ming Period to the Present Day. Hong Kong University Press
McLeod M, When Was – The Teapot Invented, 2015, Southeastern Antiquing and Collecting Magazine, http://www.go-star.com/antiquing/when_was0208.htm
Teapot, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teapot

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Webcam

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Webcam

Webcams are a marvel of the technological world.

  • Webcams are inventions that capture video or still images, that can then be stored or delivered through computer systems.
  • Images and videos captured by webcams can typically be saved onto a computer hard drive or streamed live, generally over networks such as the internet.
  • Common uses for the typical webcam include monitoring for security, traffic and other purposes; communication with the aim of socialising, having meetings, and so on; and they are also used to capture photographs, as well as being used in the health care industry among others.
  • Webcams are popular as they are easily transportable, practical, and can be of an inexpensive, affordable nature, and people like to use them to make video calls to friends, families and colleagues.
  • The quality of webcams has a broad range despite its relatively low cost, from around 320 x 240 pixels to a high definition resolution of 1080 p (progressive scanning), although costs are usually relative to quality.

Webcam, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Invention, Camera, Unplugged, Technology

  • The webcam was invented in 1993, although it was being used at a basic stage from 1991, and it was created by researchers in the Cambridge University for the purpose of monitoring levels in a coffee pot from a remote distance.
  • Webcams are now generally integrated into computer hardware systems and are typically located at the top of the screen, however, when they first entered the market they were connected to a computer externally via a cable.
  • Webcams feature a sensor that detects images, a lens, and a way of transmitting the information, and they may also a feature an in-built microphone.
  • Webcams can be hacked through accidentally installed malware, which allows the hacker to watch the video feed and infiltrate privacy.
  • Commercialisation of webcams only began in 1994, and they were originally produced by the Connectix Corporation in the United States, although the invention lacked popularity until the beginning of the 21st century when sales escalated as a result of people wanting to make video calls.
Bibliography:
Devaney E, The History of the Webcam, 2015, http://www.ehow.com/info_8626014_history-webcam.html
Knoder J, 1080p, 2.0 Mega Pixels? Understanding Webcam Technical Terms, 2013,  Top 10 Reviews, http://webcam-review.toptenreviews.com/1080p-2.0-mega-pixels-understanding-webcam-technical-terms.html
Webcam, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webcam
http://webcam-review.toptenreviews.com/1080p-2.0-mega-pixels-understanding-webcam-technical-terms.html

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