Tag Archives: Invention

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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Toblerone

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Toblerone

Climb the peaks of the Toblerone.

  • Toblerone is an iconic bar of chocolate, notable for its triangular prism shape.
  • Toblerone was invented by confectionery manufacturer Theodor Tobler and cousin, Emil Baumann, in 1908, in Switzerland’s Bern, in Europe.
  • While it is commonly thought that the mountainous Swiss Alps was the inspiration for the triangular shape of Toblerone, it is believed that the chocolate bar shape was inspired by a row of show dancers.
  • Toblerone was patented and trademarked in 1909; was manufactured independently, and later sold to Interfoods in 1970 and Kraft in 1990.
  • The term ‘ Toblerone’ is a combination of the inventor’s surname – ‘Tobler’, and a nougat variant known as ‘torrone’ in Italy.
Toblerone, Chocolate, Opened, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Yellow, Triangle, Food, Culinary
  • Toblerone chocolate is arranged in peaks, generally ranging in quantity from three to twelve, depending on the size of the bar, which can weigh up to 4.5 kilograms (9.9 pounds) for a very large one, while single pieces are also available.
  • The Toblerone was patented notably quickly in fear of copying competitors, and it was the earliest chocolate to be registered for its distinct shape.
  • A Toblerone weighing 102 kilograms (225 pounds) was created for the company’s chocolate fest in 2010.
  • The mountain logo of Toblerone includes a hidden bear silhouette, which is the city of Bern’s coat of arms.
  • Toblerone is made of an intricate blend of chocolate, nuts, nougat and honey.
Bibliography:
Tolberone, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toblerone
Tolberone – How It All Began, 2011, Kraft, http://www.toblerone.com/toblerone1/page?locale=usen1&PagecRef=576
Tolberone History, n.d, Mondelēz International, http://www.mwtr.com/brands/toblerone/history

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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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Pretzel

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Pretzel

Try not to let pretzels get you twisted!

  • A pretzel is a kind of bread that is formed so that it has the appearance of a knot, and it is often coated with salt, chocolate, seeds, sugar, nuts or other flavours.
  • Pretzels are typically twisted into a shape that has three holes and is roughly symmetrical.
  • Though there are many theories regarding the origins of pretzels, it is thought that they were first invented in the earlier centuries AD, possibly made in European monasteries and distributed to those children that prayed.
  • Pretzels are made of dough, commonly containing yeast, and are shaped and sometimes dipped in a lye solution before being baked in an oven.
  • The pretzel knot is traditionally known to represent a person praying with crossed arms, and to form the typical three hole bread shape with one’s arms, cross them over the chest, and place each hand on the opposite shoulder or upper arm.
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Pretzels
Image courtesy of Bryan Ochalla/Flickr
  • Pretzels have been popularised by Europe’s Germany over the centuries, and the first known illustration of the bread in 1185 also hails from Germany.
  • Pretzels can be hard or soft in nature, with textures ranging from crispy, flaky, smooth and rough, and the dough can be plain or sweetened prior to baking.
  • The term ‘pretzel’ comes from the German word ‘prezel’ or ‘brezel’, (other German words include ‘bretzel’, ‘breze’ and so on), which originally came from the Latin word ‘bracchiatus’ which means ‘with arms or branches’.
  • On average, an American will eat 700 grams (1.5 pounds) of pretzels on an annual basis, though if you live in the US state of Pennsylvania where they are very common, consumption is more likely to be 5.4 kg (12 pounds) each year.
  • There are many traditions associated with pretzels, one of which was that they were commonly hidden in the Easter period, in a similar way that eggs are hidden today.
Bibliography:
How Did the Pretzel Get Its Shape?, 2015, Wonderopolis, http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-did-the-pretzel-get-its-shape/
Pretzel, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretzel
Upton E, The History of Pretzels, 2013, Today I Found Out, http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/06/the-history-of-pretzels/

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Careers

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Careers

Now you can explore Careers from your own living room!

  • Careers is a popular board game that involves scoring a previously determined amount of points and money, by exploring career paths.
  • Careers is played by moving around the spaces on the outside edge of the board, while different interior paths create loops, and are travelled along to collect points.
  • Before the game starts, players of Careers are required to create their own targets totalling 60 points, using the three point types – ‘happiness’ represented by hearts; ‘money’ represented by dollar signs; and ‘fame’ represented by stars; to create their own success formula which is kept secret until the end of the game.
  • In the game of Careers, the first person to collect their specified quantities of points, and cash in the case of ‘money’, wins the game.
  • Careers is a two to six player game, and is notably different to many other games in that it requires significant data recording by the players during play, as collected points and other information is required to be documented on paper.

Careers, Game, Board, Invention, Set Up, Play, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Parker Brothers

  • James Cooke Brown, an American sci-fi author and sociologist, invented Careers in 1955, and it was his only published game.
  • Originally the career paths in the game of Careers included ‘Farming’, ‘Uranium Prospecting’, ‘Going to Sea’, ‘Hollywood’ and ‘Expedition to the Moon’; which were changed to ‘Teaching’, ‘Ecology’, ‘Sports’, ‘The Arts’ and ‘Space’ in some of the later versions.
  • Careers was published by Parker Brothers in 1955, and while there was a redesign of the game by the original designer at a later time, it was never published.
  • The game of Careers includes money, dice, ‘Opportunity Knocks’ and ‘Experience’ cards, playing pieces, a game board, and a ‘Success Formula’ pad for keeping track of points.
  • Due to the personalised winning conditions in Careers, strategies and game play can vary each game, which is significant in its ongoing appeal.
Bibliography:
The Best Classic Board Games – Careers (1955 – 2009), 2010, Recycled Thoughts From A Retro Gamer, https://magisterrex.wordpress.com/2010/02/20/the-best-classic-board-games-careers-1955-2009/
Careers, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Careers_(board_game)
Whitehill B, Careers, The Big Game Hunter, http://thebiggamehunter.com/games-one-by-one/careers/

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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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