1940s - 1950s: The Development of Early Robotics Technology

During the 1940s and 1950s two major developments enabled the design of modern robots. Robotics generally is based on two related technologies: numerical control and teleoperators.

Numerical control was invented during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It is a method of controlling machine tool axes by means of numbers that have been coded on media. The first numerical control machine was presented in 1952 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), whose subsequent research led to the development of APT (Automatically Programmed Tools). APT, a language for programming machine tools, was designed for use in computer-assisted manufacturing (CAM).

First teleoperators were developed in the early 1940s. Teleoperators are mechanical manipulators which are controlled by a human from a remote location. In its typical application a human moves a mechanical arm and hand with its moves being duplicated at another location.

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Digital Commercial Content

Starting in the mid 1990s today most traditional media can also be found online. The overwhelming majority of bigger newspapers and periodicals, but also radio and TV stations now complement their classic media formats with digital programming. For the most part they transform existing analogue information in digital form, with some additional features.

Especially the big media conglomerates, having realized the economic potential of the Internet, have started to get into the business of digital content. Not surprisingly their engagement in the virtual sphere has not brought much new concerning their programming. They offer entertainment, music, sports and some news channels. One of the reasons for this development might be, that the big commercial media companies are able to re-use already existing programming from their other ventures. Examples are Viacom's MTV Network, which now has a twin online or Time Warner's CNN, which on the Web is called CNN Interactive. Considering business economic factors this move suggests itself as hardly any further resources are needed and the already existing programming can be put in the Internet at little extra cost. Also, regarding the undeniable success of their traditional content in terms of revenue generation the digital reproduction of their classic programming concept seems to be an obvious step.

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ECHELON Main Stations

Location

Country

Target/Task

Relations

MORWENSTOW

UK

INTELSAT, Atlantic, Europe, Indian Ocean

NSA, GCHQ

SUGAR GROVE

USA

INTELSAT, Atlantic, North and South America

NSA

YAKIMA FIRING CENTER

USA

INTELSAT, Pacific

NSA

WAIHOPAI

NEW ZEALAND

INTELSAT, Pacific

NSA, GCSB

GERALDTON

AUSTRALIA

INTELSAT, Pacific

NSA, DSD

















MENWITH HILL

UK

Sat, Groundstation, Microwave(land based)

NSA, GCHQ

SHOAL BAY

AUSTRALIA

Indonesian Sat

NSA, DSD

LEITRIM

CANADA

Latin American Sat

NSA, CSE

BAD AIBLING

GERMANY

Sat, Groundstation

NSA

MISAWA

JAPAN

Sat

NSA

















PINE GAP

AUSTRALIA

Groundstation

CIA

















FORT MEADE

USA

Dictionary Processing

NSA Headquarters

WASHINGTON

USA

Dictionary Processing

NSA

OTTAWA

CANADA

Dictionary Processing

CSE

CHELTENHAM

UK

Dictionary Processing

GCHQ

CANBERRA

AUSTRALIA

Dictionary Processing

DSD

WELLINGTON

NEW ZEALAND

Dictionary Processing

GCSB Headquarters



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Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence is concerned with the simulation of human thinking and emotions in information technology. AI develops "intelligent systems" capable, for example, of learning and logical deduction. AI systems are used for creatively handling large amounts of data (as in data mining), as well as in natural speech processing and image recognition. AI is also used as to support decision taking in highly complex environments.
Yahoo AI sites: http://dir.yahoo.com/Science/Computer_Science/Artificial_Intelligence/
MIT AI lab: http://www.ai.mit.edu/


http://dir.yahoo.com/Science/Computer_Science...
http://www.ai.mit.edu/
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Time Warner

The largest media and entertainment conglomerate in the world. The corporation resulted from the merger of the publisher Time Inc. and the media conglomerate Warner Communications Inc. in 1989. It acquired the Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS) in 1996. Time Warner Inc.'s products encompass magazines, hardcover books, comic books, recorded music, motion pictures, and broadcast and cable television programming and distribution. The company's headquarters are in New York City. In January 2000 Time Warner merged with AOL (America Online), which owns several online-services like Compuserve, Netscape and Netcenter in a US$ 243,3 billion deal.

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Memex Animation by Ian Adelman and Paul Kahn


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