DIGITAL JUICE
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
The Case of the Unexplained FTP Connections
The Case of the Unexplained FTP Connections: A key part of any cybersecurity plan is “continuous monitoring”, or enabling auditing and monitoring throughout a network environment and configuring automated analysis of the resulting logs to identify anomalous behaviors that merit investigation. This...(read more)
DIGITAL JUICE
DIGITAL JUICE
Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 Help
Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 Help: This download contains the Help content for Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 Hybrid Deployments and the Release to Manufacturing (RTM) version of Microsoft Exchange Server 2013.
DIGITAL JUICE
DIGITAL JUICE
Talk: Khan Academy Computer Science
Talk: Khan Academy Computer Science:
This past weekend I gave a talk at EmpireJS on the Computer Science platform that I’ve been developing at Khan Academy. The talk explores that platform and then goes into deeper technical details about how the real-time execution on the site was achieved.
I recorded the talk on my laptop (so please excuse the echo as it wasn’t properly mic’ed up) and you can watch it here:
A slightly older (stats are slightly out of date) version of the slides can be found here:
DIGITAL JUICE
This past weekend I gave a talk at EmpireJS on the Computer Science platform that I’ve been developing at Khan Academy. The talk explores that platform and then goes into deeper technical details about how the real-time execution on the site was achieved.
I recorded the talk on my laptop (so please excuse the echo as it wasn’t properly mic’ed up) and you can watch it here:
A slightly older (stats are slightly out of date) version of the slides can be found here:
DIGITAL JUICE
Early Mixins, Late Mixins
Early Mixins, Late Mixins:
In JavaScript, the language supplies us with several code reuse patterns. Prototype chaining gives us the primary single inheritance mechanism. Mixins are also an important pattern when we want one object to “inherit” functionality from multiple objects. There are several ways to implement the mixin process. This article looks at two contrasting implementations: early mixins and late mixins.
Let’s start with a quick review of what late binding gives us.
When we ask
This ability to redefine a method is valuable because it makes it possible for plugins to modify the behaviour of an existing code library.
How does late binding work with prototype chaining? Let’s start with a fresh example. First we’ll make a new object
Someone named Adam seems like a suitable prototype for all existing people. We can make a constructor function to produce more people.
Thanks to the combination of late binding and the prototype chain, a change to
Another way to create a reusable bunch of code as a library is to provide one object who’s properties can be mixed into another object. This is usually done with an early mixin implementation.
First, a generic function that can mix properties from one object into another object.
Now a object containing methods that would be useful on another object. Here is a library called Speeches.JS.
Since this Speeches.JS library is already written and well unit tested, we’d like to reuse that code in our code.
Now suppose we have mixed this
Unfortunately we cannot do this because the
In order to make it possible to modify
Instead of directly borrowing the methods of the
Now we can go through the same example with a different result.
When
Late mixins give us some of the power of late binding and the prototype chain but not everything. If we add another method to the
DIGITAL JUICE
In JavaScript, the language supplies us with several code reuse patterns. Prototype chaining gives us the primary single inheritance mechanism. Mixins are also an important pattern when we want one object to “inherit” functionality from multiple objects. There are several ways to implement the mixin process. This article looks at two contrasting implementations: early mixins and late mixins.
Late Binding
Let’s start with a quick review of what late binding gives us.
var adam = {
greet: function() {
return "hello";
}
};
adam.greet(); // "hello"When we ask
adam to greet, the method to be executed is looked up at the time of the call. This is late binding and means if we redefine the greet method, subsequent calls will use the new definition.adam.greet = function(name) {
return "hello" + (name ? (", " + name) : "");
};
adam.greet("world"); // "hello, world";This ability to redefine a method is valuable because it makes it possible for plugins to modify the behaviour of an existing code library.
Late Binding and Prototype Chaining
How does late binding work with prototype chaining? Let’s start with a fresh example. First we’ll make a new object
adam who introduces himself.var adam = {
_name: "Adam";
greet: function() {
return "hello. I am " + this._name;
}
};Someone named Adam seems like a suitable prototype for all existing people. We can make a constructor function to produce more people.
function Person(name) {
this._name = name;
}
Person.prototype = adam;
var eve = new Person("Eve");
eve.greet(); // "hello. I am Eve"Thanks to the combination of late binding and the prototype chain, a change to
adam will result in a change to eve instantly. The following could be some plugin for the library that provides the adam object. This redefinition could happen at runtime due to user interaction.adam.greet = function(name) {
return "hello" + (name ? (", " + name) : '') + ". I am " + this._name;
};
eve.greet("world"); // "hello, world. I am Eve"
Early Mixins
Another way to create a reusable bunch of code as a library is to provide one object who’s properties can be mixed into another object. This is usually done with an early mixin implementation.
First, a generic function that can mix properties from one object into another object.
function earlyMixin(sink, source) {
for (var property in source) {
sink[property] = source[property];
}
}Now a object containing methods that would be useful on another object. Here is a library called Speeches.JS.
var speeches = {
greet: function() {
return "hello. I am " + this._name;
},
farewell: function() {
return "goodbye. I am " + this._name;
}
};Since this Speeches.JS library is already written and well unit tested, we’d like to reuse that code in our code.
function Person(name) {
this._name = name;
}
earlyMixin(Person.prototype, speeches);
var adam = new Person('Adam');
adam.greet(); // "hello. I am Adam"Now suppose we have mixed this
speeches object into several other objects (like the Person.prototype object.) Also suppose we want to modify the speeches object at some later time and have all objects who’ve had the speeches object mixed into it be updated. This is what a plugin for Speeches.JS might want to do.speeches.greet = function(name) {
return "hello" + (name ? (", " + name) : '') + ". I am " + this._name;
};Unfortunately we cannot do this because the
speeches methods have been mixed into the Person.prototype object early (i.e. at the time of mixin.) We still haveadam.greet("world"); // "hello. I am Adam"
Late Mixins
In order to make it possible to modify
speeches and have all objects use the modified methods, we need one level of indirection in the mixin process.function lateMixin(sink, source) {
for (var property in source) {
(function(property) {
sink[property] = function() {
return source[property].apply(this, arguments);
}
}(property));
}
}Instead of directly borrowing the methods of the
source, the sink is given methods that call the methods of source. This means that the method on source are mixed in late because they are looked up when they are called (rather than when they are mixed in.)Now we can go through the same example with a different result.
var speeches = {
greet: function() {
return "hello. I am " + this._name;
},
farewell: function() {
return "goodbye. I am " + this._name;
}
};
function Person(name) {
this._name = name;
}
lateMixin(Person.prototype, speeches);
var adam = new Person('Adam');
adam.greet(); // "hello. I am Adam"
speeches.greet = function(name) {
return "hello" + (name ? (", " + name) : '') + ". I am " + this._name;
};
adam.greet("world"); // "hello, world. I am Adam"When
adam.greet is called it uses the most recent definition of speeches.greet. Yay! Late mixins have given us the same dynamic power that late binding and the prototype chain give us. This makes a library like Speeches.JS more flexible and opens it up for various kinds of modification at run time.
Not Quite Everything
Late mixins give us some of the power of late binding and the prototype chain but not everything. If we add another method to the
speeches object it is not added to the other objects into which speeches has been mixed. There are several ways to accomplish this type of functionality. Something like proxies might be our answer to get closer to real multiple inheritance.DIGITAL JUICE
Large Scale Language Modeling in Automatic Speech Recognition
Large Scale Language Modeling in Automatic Speech Recognition: Posted by Ciprian Chelba, Research Scientist
At Google, we’re able to use the large amounts of data made available by the Web’s fast growth. Two such data sources are the anonymized queries on google.com and the web itself. They help improve automatic speech recognition through large language models: Voice Search makes use of the former, whereas YouTube speech transcription benefits significantly from the latter.
The language model is the component of a speech recognizer that assigns a probability to the next word in a sentence given the previous ones. As an example, if the previous words are “new york”, the model would assign a higher probability to “pizza” than say “granola”. The n-gram approach to language modeling (predicting the next word based on the previous n-1 words) is particularly well-suited to such large amounts of data: it scales gracefully, and the non-parametric nature of the model allows it to grow with more data. For example, on Voice Search we were able to train and evaluate 5-gram language models consisting of 12 billion n-grams, built using large vocabularies (1 million words), and trained on as many as 230 billion words.
.jpg)
The computational effort pays off, as highlighted by the plot above: both word error rate (a measure of speech recognition accuracy) and search error rate (a metric we use to evaluate the output of the speech recognition system when used in a search engine) decrease significantly with larger language models.
A more detailed summary of results on Voice Search and a few YouTube speech transcription tasks (authors: Ciprian Chelba, Dan Bikel, Maria Shugrina, Patrick Nguyen, Shankar Kumar) presents our results when increasing both the amount of training data, and the size of the language model estimated from such data. Depending on the task, availability and amount of training data used, as well as language model size and the performance of the underlying speech recognizer, we observe reductions in word error rate between 6% and 10% relative, for systems on a wide range of operating points.
DIGITAL JUICE
At Google, we’re able to use the large amounts of data made available by the Web’s fast growth. Two such data sources are the anonymized queries on google.com and the web itself. They help improve automatic speech recognition through large language models: Voice Search makes use of the former, whereas YouTube speech transcription benefits significantly from the latter.
The language model is the component of a speech recognizer that assigns a probability to the next word in a sentence given the previous ones. As an example, if the previous words are “new york”, the model would assign a higher probability to “pizza” than say “granola”. The n-gram approach to language modeling (predicting the next word based on the previous n-1 words) is particularly well-suited to such large amounts of data: it scales gracefully, and the non-parametric nature of the model allows it to grow with more data. For example, on Voice Search we were able to train and evaluate 5-gram language models consisting of 12 billion n-grams, built using large vocabularies (1 million words), and trained on as many as 230 billion words.
.jpg)
The computational effort pays off, as highlighted by the plot above: both word error rate (a measure of speech recognition accuracy) and search error rate (a metric we use to evaluate the output of the speech recognition system when used in a search engine) decrease significantly with larger language models.
A more detailed summary of results on Voice Search and a few YouTube speech transcription tasks (authors: Ciprian Chelba, Dan Bikel, Maria Shugrina, Patrick Nguyen, Shankar Kumar) presents our results when increasing both the amount of training data, and the size of the language model estimated from such data. Depending on the task, availability and amount of training data used, as well as language model size and the performance of the underlying speech recognizer, we observe reductions in word error rate between 6% and 10% relative, for systems on a wide range of operating points.
DIGITAL JUICE
Robots Help in Aftermath of Hurricane
Robots Help in Aftermath of Hurricane:
Expect to see a lot of robots helping in rescue, repair, and cleanup efforts after Hurricane Sandy. These days, even smaller organizations have access to robots. For example, Vernon, CT Emergency Management Department will be flying a Parrot AR Drone to provide live HD video feeds for damage inspection. Larger cities now have multiple emergency robots at their disposal. Consultant Mark Merritt expects power utility companies in the area will be deploying drones to speed inspection of infrastructure damage, though he notes there may be "sensitivity" about using drones due to their recent politicization. A recent New York Times article describes power utility drones such as the Aeryon Scout pictured above. No word yet on whether Robin R. Murphy or CRASAR's Roboticists Without Borders program will be sending in search and rescue robots but we'll keep you updated. While not ready in time to help with Hurricane Sandy, NASA has been prepping a pair of Global Hawk UAVs for hurricane tracking duties. The autonomous Global Hawk has a flight time of 30 hours and can reach much further than NOAA's WP-3D Orion manned flights. The robot planes are part of NASA's Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel (HS3) program If you see more stories about local robots being used to help after Hurricane Sandy, send 'em our way!
DIGITAL JUICE
Expect to see a lot of robots helping in rescue, repair, and cleanup efforts after Hurricane Sandy. These days, even smaller organizations have access to robots. For example, Vernon, CT Emergency Management Department will be flying a Parrot AR Drone to provide live HD video feeds for damage inspection. Larger cities now have multiple emergency robots at their disposal. Consultant Mark Merritt expects power utility companies in the area will be deploying drones to speed inspection of infrastructure damage, though he notes there may be "sensitivity" about using drones due to their recent politicization. A recent New York Times article describes power utility drones such as the Aeryon Scout pictured above. No word yet on whether Robin R. Murphy or CRASAR's Roboticists Without Borders program will be sending in search and rescue robots but we'll keep you updated. While not ready in time to help with Hurricane Sandy, NASA has been prepping a pair of Global Hawk UAVs for hurricane tracking duties. The autonomous Global Hawk has a flight time of 30 hours and can reach much further than NOAA's WP-3D Orion manned flights. The robot planes are part of NASA's Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel (HS3) program If you see more stories about local robots being used to help after Hurricane Sandy, send 'em our way!
DIGITAL JUICE
The do’s and don’ts of Halloween at the office
The do’s and don’ts of Halloween at the office:
DIGITAL JUICE
I realize if you’re reading this, you’re probably already at the office in your inappropriate costume. (Just kidding! My readers know better.) But, it got bumped yesterday due to something called Sandy.
So, if you wish to read about Halloween at the office, put down the Snickers (leave some for the trick or treaters please!) and click here: The do’s and don’ts of Halloween at the office
DIGITAL JUICE
Do you have to be paid if your office is closed because of weather?
Do you have to be paid if your office is closed because of weather?:
I was totally going to write about this, but didn’t have time. Fortunately the fabulous Alison Green at Ask a Manager already did.
Go read her answer and find out if you’ll be receiving a paycheck for the time your office was closed.
DIGITAL JUICE
I was totally going to write about this, but didn’t have time. Fortunately the fabulous Alison Green at Ask a Manager already did.
Go read her answer and find out if you’ll be receiving a paycheck for the time your office was closed.
DIGITAL JUICE
Nokia Lumia 822 Officially Announced
Nokia Lumia 822 Officially Announced:
After several leaks, the Nokia Lumia 822 for Verizon is now official. The Windows Phone 8 device will be exclusive to Verizon Wireless and is compatible with their 4G LTE network. No word yet on the release date, but the price is expected to be $99 with contract.
click thumbnail for video
The Nokia Lumia 822 appears to be a variant of the Nokia Lumia 820. It has a 4.3-inch Clearblack display with Gorilla Glass, an 8 megapixel camera, HD front facing camera, wireless charging, and Windows Phone 8 goodness.
The colors available will be black and white, while grey will be exclusive to online orders. The Nokia Lumia 822 also features an exchangeable shell design, sold separately, which supports wireless charging.
Any Verizon customers interested in this phone or are you going to wait for a Nokia Lumia 920 variant?
DIGITAL JUICE
After several leaks, the Nokia Lumia 822 for Verizon is now official. The Windows Phone 8 device will be exclusive to Verizon Wireless and is compatible with their 4G LTE network. No word yet on the release date, but the price is expected to be $99 with contract.
click thumbnail for video
The Nokia Lumia 822 appears to be a variant of the Nokia Lumia 820. It has a 4.3-inch Clearblack display with Gorilla Glass, an 8 megapixel camera, HD front facing camera, wireless charging, and Windows Phone 8 goodness.
The colors available will be black and white, while grey will be exclusive to online orders. The Nokia Lumia 822 also features an exchangeable shell design, sold separately, which supports wireless charging.
Any Verizon customers interested in this phone or are you going to wait for a Nokia Lumia 920 variant?
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...
- Nokia Lumia 822 Expected at Verizon November 12th
- Nokia Lumia 822 for Verizon Leaked
- Video: Nokia Lumia 822 Hands-on (Verizon)
DIGITAL JUICE
Guardian Drone Meets Air Traffic Control
Guardian Drone Meets Air Traffic Control:
According to a General Atomics Aeronautical Systems news release, the Guardian remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) has successfully demonstrated the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system that allows drones to fly cooperatively within the national airspace system. The ADS-B gear allows Air Traffic Controllers to know the precise location and flight plan of the drone.
The FAA has mandated that all aircraft, including remotely piloted and autonomous robot aircraft, must be equipped with ADS-B systems by 2020. The Guardian RPA is based on the Predator B, modified for maritime operations.
DIGITAL JUICE
According to a General Atomics Aeronautical Systems news release, the Guardian remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) has successfully demonstrated the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system that allows drones to fly cooperatively within the national airspace system. The ADS-B gear allows Air Traffic Controllers to know the precise location and flight plan of the drone.
During the test, held in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, and the FAA, Guardian’s ADS-B IN-capable transponder detected other ADS-B-equipped aircraft in the vicinity and displayed the aircraft on a display within the Ground Control Station (GCS). Concurrently, Guardian’s ADS-B OUT transponder notified other aircraft and ATC of its location and velocity.
The FAA has mandated that all aircraft, including remotely piloted and autonomous robot aircraft, must be equipped with ADS-B systems by 2020. The Guardian RPA is based on the Predator B, modified for maritime operations.
DIGITAL JUICE
How to Open Any Mail in Gmail's New Panels
How to Open Any Mail in Gmail's New Panels: If you've enabled Gmail's new interface for composing messages, there's a simple way to open any Gmail message in the chat-like panels:
1. open the message
2. edit the URL from your browser's address bar. Replace the last slash (/) from the URL with ?compose=
For example, replace:
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?shva=1#inbox/13a111c6f50b9084
with:
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?shva=1#inbox?compose=13a111c6f50b9084
Gmail actually creates a new message with the same content and saves it as a draft. That's the reason why you can edit the message. When you no longer need the message, click the "close" button. You may need to delete the messages from the "drafts" label.
You can open multiple messages using the same trick. After using the instructions above:
3. open a new Gmail message
4. edit the URL from your browser's address bar. Replace ?compose= with & and the last slash (/) from the URL with ?compose=.
DIGITAL JUICE
1. open the message
2. edit the URL from your browser's address bar. Replace the last slash (/) from the URL with ?compose=
For example, replace:
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?shva=1#inbox/13a111c6f50b9084
with:
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?shva=1#inbox?compose=13a111c6f50b9084
Gmail actually creates a new message with the same content and saves it as a draft. That's the reason why you can edit the message. When you no longer need the message, click the "close" button. You may need to delete the messages from the "drafts" label.
You can open multiple messages using the same trick. After using the instructions above:
3. open a new Gmail message
4. edit the URL from your browser's address bar. Replace ?compose= with & and the last slash (/) from the URL with ?compose=.
DIGITAL JUICE
Video: Nokia Lumia 822 Hands-on (Verizon)
Video: Nokia Lumia 822 Hands-on (Verizon):
We took a look at the Nokia Lumia 822 during the Windows Phone 8 event in San Francisco. The Nokia Lumia 822 has a 4.3-inch Clearblack display with Gorilla Glass, an 8 megapixel camera, HD front facing camera, wireless charging, and the new Windows Phone 8.
click thumbnail for video
You can also watch this video in HD on Youtube. Subscribe to the channel to preview the latest videos before they get published on the blog.
The Nokia Lumia 822 will be available in black, white, and grey. It also features an exchangeable shell design, sold separately, which supports wireless charging.
DIGITAL JUICE
We took a look at the Nokia Lumia 822 during the Windows Phone 8 event in San Francisco. The Nokia Lumia 822 has a 4.3-inch Clearblack display with Gorilla Glass, an 8 megapixel camera, HD front facing camera, wireless charging, and the new Windows Phone 8.
click thumbnail for video
You can also watch this video in HD on Youtube. Subscribe to the channel to preview the latest videos before they get published on the blog.
The Nokia Lumia 822 will be available in black, white, and grey. It also features an exchangeable shell design, sold separately, which supports wireless charging.
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...
- Nokia Lumia 820 Hands-on from Nokia World Berlin
- Nokia Lumia 822 Officially Announced
- Nokia Lumia 822 Expected at Verizon November 12th
DIGITAL JUICE
APPHACK at AU! (Say What?)
APPHACK at AU! (Say What?):
You heard me correctly...APPHACK! (Gesundheit) Here is your chance to win as much as $5,000.00 for your cool app or plugin for AutoCAD. If you are an awesome hacker - be sure to join in on the fun (and awesome prizes!). What have you got to lose?
Here is the deal:
Check out APPHACK! (Gesundheit!)
DIGITAL JUICE
You heard me correctly...APPHACK! (Gesundheit) Here is your chance to win as much as $5,000.00 for your cool app or plugin for AutoCAD. If you are an awesome hacker - be sure to join in on the fun (and awesome prizes!). What have you got to lose?
Here is the deal:
1. Write a cool app/plugin for AutoCAD. Or dig one out that you’ve already written. Extra credit points for keeping the theme of Connecting AutoCAD to the Cloud in mind!
2. Make a 5-min (or less) video that demonstrates the capabilities of the app/plugin and upload it on this site. Be creative!
3. Upload your compiled app files as a .zip to the Buzzsaw repository (you will be given credentials after you submit your video on this site).
4. Print, sign, and return the Competition Participation Agreement that will be emailed to you after you sign up. REVIEW THE OFFICIAL RULES CAREFULLY!
5. If you’re selected as a finalist, perform a live demo of your app at Autodesk University in Las Vegas!- Contest Starts
- October 29, 2012 @ 12:01 am (PDT)
- Contest Ends
- November 14, 2012 @ 11:59 pm (PST)
- Need more Details?
- Go to the posting for more info.
Check out APPHACK! (Gesundheit!)
DIGITAL JUICE
Celebrating Leonardo Torres-Quevedo, Spanish inventor of the world’s first computer game
Celebrating Leonardo Torres-Quevedo, Spanish inventor of the world’s first computer game: What does a cable car in Niagara Falls have to do with the world’s
first chess-playing machine? Surprisingly, both were inventions of Spanish civil engineer Leonardo Torres-Quevedo.
Next week, as part of our ongoing effort to celebrate Europe’s computing
heritage, we’re commemorating Torres-Quevedo’s legacy and his
remarkable machine—"El
Ajedrecista" (in English, "The Chess Player")—in partnership with
the Telecommunication Engineering department of the
Technical University of Madrid.
Photo thanks to Wikimedia Commons
Torres-Quevedo’s inventions span many fields. He was the second in
the world to demonstrate wireless remote control, beaten to the
post only by Nikola Tesla.
His designs for airships were used by both the French
and British during WWI. He was a global leader in cable car design,
creating the “Spanish aero car” over the Niagara Whirlpool
which, nearly a century on, remains a tourist attraction.
However, his most remarkable achievements were in the field of
automation, developing machines that are antecedents to what we now
call computers and robots.
Torres-Quevedo’s ambitions were bold. As Scientific American proclaimed in 1915: “He would substitute machinery
for the human mind.” In the 1890s, Torres-Quevedo built a series of mechanical devices that solved algebraic
equations. In 1920 he wowed a Paris audience with an
electromechanical arithmometer with a typewriter attachment. You
simply typed a formula—say, “24x48”—and the machine would calculate
and automatically type the answer “=1152” in reply.
But El Ajedrecista, an algorithmically powered machine that could
play an end-game of chess against a human opponent completely
automatically, is his most notable creation. Although it’s a far cry
from Deep Blue, El Ajedrecista can lay claim to being
the world’s first (analog) computer game.
.
Photos thanks to Museo Torres Quevedo
The machine didn’t just calculate its moves—it had mechanical arms
that physically moved its pieces, in the form of electrical jacks,
across a grid. In later models the arm mechanism was replaced by
magnets, and play took place on a more ordinary-looking chess board.
You couldn’t cheat the machine as it could spot illegal moves; and you
couldn’t win, as the game always started at a point (machine’s King
and Rook versus human’s King) from which the machine could never lose.
In honor of El Ajedrecista’s 100th birthday, we’re working with the Telecommunication
Engineering department of the Technical University of Madrid to
stage a conference commemorating Torres-Quevedo’s legacy. The
conference, taking place on November 7, will feature lectures and
panel discussions, as well as an exhibition of Torres-Quevedo’s
devices—including El Ajedrecista itself. Attendance is free—if you
want to join us, request an invitation.
Posted by Lynette Webb, Senior Manager,
External Relations
DIGITAL JUICE
first chess-playing machine? Surprisingly, both were inventions of Spanish civil engineer Leonardo Torres-Quevedo.
Next week, as part of our ongoing effort to celebrate Europe’s computing
heritage, we’re commemorating Torres-Quevedo’s legacy and his
remarkable machine—"El
Ajedrecista" (in English, "The Chess Player")—in partnership with
the Telecommunication Engineering department of the
Technical University of Madrid.
Photo thanks to Wikimedia Commons
Torres-Quevedo’s inventions span many fields. He was the second in
the world to demonstrate wireless remote control, beaten to the
post only by Nikola Tesla.
His designs for airships were used by both the French
and British during WWI. He was a global leader in cable car design,
creating the “Spanish aero car” over the Niagara Whirlpool
which, nearly a century on, remains a tourist attraction.
However, his most remarkable achievements were in the field of
automation, developing machines that are antecedents to what we now
call computers and robots.
Torres-Quevedo’s ambitions were bold. As Scientific American proclaimed in 1915: “He would substitute machinery
for the human mind.” In the 1890s, Torres-Quevedo built a series of mechanical devices that solved algebraic
equations. In 1920 he wowed a Paris audience with an
electromechanical arithmometer with a typewriter attachment. You
simply typed a formula—say, “24x48”—and the machine would calculate
and automatically type the answer “=1152” in reply.
But El Ajedrecista, an algorithmically powered machine that could
play an end-game of chess against a human opponent completely
automatically, is his most notable creation. Although it’s a far cry
from Deep Blue, El Ajedrecista can lay claim to being
the world’s first (analog) computer game.
.
Photos thanks to Museo Torres Quevedo
The machine didn’t just calculate its moves—it had mechanical arms
that physically moved its pieces, in the form of electrical jacks,
across a grid. In later models the arm mechanism was replaced by
magnets, and play took place on a more ordinary-looking chess board.
You couldn’t cheat the machine as it could spot illegal moves; and you
couldn’t win, as the game always started at a point (machine’s King
and Rook versus human’s King) from which the machine could never lose.
In honor of El Ajedrecista’s 100th birthday, we’re working with the Telecommunication
Engineering department of the Technical University of Madrid to
stage a conference commemorating Torres-Quevedo’s legacy. The
conference, taking place on November 7, will feature lectures and
panel discussions, as well as an exhibition of Torres-Quevedo’s
devices—including El Ajedrecista itself. Attendance is free—if you
want to join us, request an invitation.
Posted by Lynette Webb, Senior Manager,
External Relations
DIGITAL JUICE
Mobilism 2013 coming closer
Mobilism 2013 coming closer:
On 16th and 17th of May the third edition of Mobilism will take place in Amsterdam. Today we're happy to announce two more speakers: Jake Archibald, who by then will be a Google developer advocate, and Josh Clark, mobile user experience designer extraordinaire and author of Tapworthy.
Ticket sales will start in about four weeks at the end of November. Tickets will be €600, but a limited number of €500 early-bird tickets will be available.
Also, to get you in the right mood, here are two more videos from the 2012 edition:
See you in May in Amsterdam!
DIGITAL JUICE
On 16th and 17th of May the third edition of Mobilism will take place in Amsterdam. Today we're happy to announce two more speakers: Jake Archibald, who by then will be a Google developer advocate, and Josh Clark, mobile user experience designer extraordinaire and author of Tapworthy.
Ticket sales will start in about four weeks at the end of November. Tickets will be €600, but a limited number of €500 early-bird tickets will be available.
Also, to get you in the right mood, here are two more videos from the 2012 edition:
- Brian Fling, Resonance: A Mobile Design Ethos
- Igor Faletski, Mobifying eCommerce: taking an internet business mobile with client-side adaptation
See you in May in Amsterdam!
DIGITAL JUICE
Budget Buster
Budget Buster:
The market closure afforded the chance to get a few things done including the always budget-busting new tire purchase. They were originally going to be $950 but thankfully I thought to ask how long the old ones should have lasted. It turned out they should have lasted a lot longer than they did so the tire place took about $400 off the price.
There are two recurring themes I can tie in here. The first is that I believe the tires I get are quite ordinary. The need for tires doesn't come up often but there is never a good time for a $1000 one-off expense and tires isn't the only one that can reasonably come along. We've looked at this before and readers have offered input along the lines of padding their budget by an extra $1000-$2000 per month, to having a separate bucket of money for one-offs that would be replenished so often and there have been other ideas too.
Someone with $800,000 who is disciplined enough to live on 4% is going to have a tough time paying for tires this month, a roof repair next month and an unexpected veterinary bill the month after.
The other tie in is living beyond ones means. While I was squaring up on my tires I glanced over to a display for a tire that cost $2000 for a set of four. These were some serious off-road tires and I know someone with a set of these on each of his two vehicles. The out the door cost for these babies would be much more than $2000. My $950 set is only $168 per tire, the rest of the expense is service provided. There can't be too many people outside of the military and jeep tour operators that need such serious off road tires but there is clearly a market for them.
We probably all have things that we spend too much on, relatively speaking, but beefy tires would seem to be a costly indulgence.
In case you didn't see this picture on Monday.
DIGITAL JUICE
The market closure afforded the chance to get a few things done including the always budget-busting new tire purchase. They were originally going to be $950 but thankfully I thought to ask how long the old ones should have lasted. It turned out they should have lasted a lot longer than they did so the tire place took about $400 off the price.
There are two recurring themes I can tie in here. The first is that I believe the tires I get are quite ordinary. The need for tires doesn't come up often but there is never a good time for a $1000 one-off expense and tires isn't the only one that can reasonably come along. We've looked at this before and readers have offered input along the lines of padding their budget by an extra $1000-$2000 per month, to having a separate bucket of money for one-offs that would be replenished so often and there have been other ideas too.
Someone with $800,000 who is disciplined enough to live on 4% is going to have a tough time paying for tires this month, a roof repair next month and an unexpected veterinary bill the month after.
The other tie in is living beyond ones means. While I was squaring up on my tires I glanced over to a display for a tire that cost $2000 for a set of four. These were some serious off-road tires and I know someone with a set of these on each of his two vehicles. The out the door cost for these babies would be much more than $2000. My $950 set is only $168 per tire, the rest of the expense is service provided. There can't be too many people outside of the military and jeep tour operators that need such serious off road tires but there is clearly a market for them.
We probably all have things that we spend too much on, relatively speaking, but beefy tires would seem to be a costly indulgence.
In case you didn't see this picture on Monday.
DIGITAL JUICE
Windows Phone 8 and Bing
Windows Phone 8 and Bing:
Today, we took the wraps off of Windows Phone 8 designed from the ground up to keep you closer to what matters most. You can read more about the release here.
We wanted to highlight a few of our favorite features (some you’re probably familiar with and some are new or improved) that showcase how Bing helps you search less and do more, while you’re on the go.
An experience that’s personal to you: New to Windows Phone 8, For You offers personalized recommendations for deals, restaurants, music, videos and more, based on a person’s location, previous searches and recommendations from their Facebook friends.
Local Scout: Local Scout, one of the top features on Windows Phone provides recommendations for nearby restaurants, shopping and other activities in an easy-to-use guide, powered by Bing. Whether you’re looking for the best brunch or live music in your area, it's all a tap away. Simply pick a result and you’ll see everything you need to know – where it's located, how to get there, who to call, when it's open, the website, and even ratings and reviews. Local Scout includes eat+drink, see+do, shop, local deals and the new for you experience.
Bing Explore: New to Windows Phone 8, you can now easily swipe the Bing home page across to see content relevant to you, including trending stories, local deals and more.
Take the Bing Homepage with you: Now you can take the iconic Bing Homepage with you. The lock screen image on Windows Phone 8 automatically retrieves the image of the day so you have something fresh, beautiful and dynamic to look forward to at the start of everyday.
Bing Music: With a larger music catalogue, Bing Music on Windows Phone 8 makes it easier for people to find out what song is playing by letting their phone "listen" to the music. It not only shows the name, artist, and album, but even shows where to hear or buy it.
App Connect and Store Search: Ever wonder which app does what? Bing has you covered. Bing search results now return Windows Phone Store apps that are relevant to what you’re searching. For example, when you search for movie times, Bing will show you several of the top movie apps. Bing also powers search for both apps and games in the Store. This system has also been rolled out to Windows Phone 7.x devices.
Bing Vision: You can use your phone’s camera to look up product information by bringing an object into view. Bing will recognize text and present the option to select words for a search, and instantly return product results if the object has a barcode. Bing Vision can also detect product information from UPC codes, QR Codes and Microsoft Tag, as well as cover art for books, CDs, DVDs and video games. When traveling, people can also scan text with Bing Vision to copy or translate it.
We hope you enjoy our favorite Bing features on your Windows Phone!
- The Bing Team
DIGITAL JUICE
Today, we took the wraps off of Windows Phone 8 designed from the ground up to keep you closer to what matters most. You can read more about the release here.
We wanted to highlight a few of our favorite features (some you’re probably familiar with and some are new or improved) that showcase how Bing helps you search less and do more, while you’re on the go.
An experience that’s personal to you: New to Windows Phone 8, For You offers personalized recommendations for deals, restaurants, music, videos and more, based on a person’s location, previous searches and recommendations from their Facebook friends.
Local Scout: Local Scout, one of the top features on Windows Phone provides recommendations for nearby restaurants, shopping and other activities in an easy-to-use guide, powered by Bing. Whether you’re looking for the best brunch or live music in your area, it's all a tap away. Simply pick a result and you’ll see everything you need to know – where it's located, how to get there, who to call, when it's open, the website, and even ratings and reviews. Local Scout includes eat+drink, see+do, shop, local deals and the new for you experience.
Bing Explore: New to Windows Phone 8, you can now easily swipe the Bing home page across to see content relevant to you, including trending stories, local deals and more.
Take the Bing Homepage with you: Now you can take the iconic Bing Homepage with you. The lock screen image on Windows Phone 8 automatically retrieves the image of the day so you have something fresh, beautiful and dynamic to look forward to at the start of everyday.
Bing Music: With a larger music catalogue, Bing Music on Windows Phone 8 makes it easier for people to find out what song is playing by letting their phone "listen" to the music. It not only shows the name, artist, and album, but even shows where to hear or buy it.
App Connect and Store Search: Ever wonder which app does what? Bing has you covered. Bing search results now return Windows Phone Store apps that are relevant to what you’re searching. For example, when you search for movie times, Bing will show you several of the top movie apps. Bing also powers search for both apps and games in the Store. This system has also been rolled out to Windows Phone 7.x devices.
Bing Vision: You can use your phone’s camera to look up product information by bringing an object into view. Bing will recognize text and present the option to select words for a search, and instantly return product results if the object has a barcode. Bing Vision can also detect product information from UPC codes, QR Codes and Microsoft Tag, as well as cover art for books, CDs, DVDs and video games. When traveling, people can also scan text with Bing Vision to copy or translate it.
We hope you enjoy our favorite Bing features on your Windows Phone!
- The Bing Team
DIGITAL JUICE
Bing Elections: Your One-Stop-Shop for Comprehensive Election News, Real-Time Results and Social Media Insights
Bing Elections: Your One-Stop-Shop for Comprehensive Election News, Real-Time Results and Social Media Insights:
As the U.S. approaches one of the most hotly contested political seasons in decades, Bing has launched a new election experience at bing.com/elections tailored to those who want a 360-degree view into Election 2012. The site brings you the latest news, filtered as you like it, including from the right, left and center viewpoint, up-to-date polls across national, state and local races, analysis of social conversation across Facebook and Twitter, a tracker to find the nearest polling sites, and up-to-the-minute results as they roll in on Election Day.
According to a recent Bing survey* 75 percent of people identify themselves as active participants or observers in online political discussions, but many are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information, news sources and sites out there. Bing Elections helps cut through the clutter giving you one place to keep pulse of the election, across both comprehensive news sources and social networks.
Bing Elections marries Bing search technology with the editorial excellence of MSN and political partnerships with Politico, Real Clear Politics, The Cook Political Report, Huffington Post and The Associated Press. You now have a central destination to plug into what’s happening in Election 2012. With coverage, polls and predictions of every race and candidate down to the state and congressional level, as well an exclusive analysis each day from Politico and its candidate tracker, Bing Elections is constantly updated so you don’t miss a thing.
Our exclusive partnerships with Facebook and Twitter let us display trending topics and provide social sentiment insights so you have a real-time window into what people are saying about the election. If you’re uncertain of where to vote you can use Bing Elections to find the nearest polling station. Chelsea Clinton and Mary Ann Huntsman are also featured on the site in exclusive videos encouraging everyone to get out and vote in this important race.
What Does It Offer?
An easy-to-use, up-to-the-minute comprehensive resource for national and local news information and analysis:
The latest election coverage from across the Web, customized to your preferences:
A pulse on the social insights and trends from Facebook and Twitter:
![clip_image003[4]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_soLJjy-o6dyDwbrPpIa3_VILamHPUPVYtmBecE-_rC_Uz-XMHchnZQ_AR_KsQl8_uc2CO98PpW_5v8iaWFxkRth00znTeiq-T5ldaDAY84D618yLMlQzcSqRBoI9PczGFCfJt6TbPAIP0XoXcu-HE4Ubw3X9TU2LltPzvmab5Bg0fxUEFitnM1ArLh4_c6E_1EyuUpHrRQmbBlDJP9ygaTkInHaHbBGq15mz1bI6zgTq3DaACSA1SG__-biv6ENb-s8jNGEd9qgpkz6ySl=s0-d "clip_image003[4]")
Bing Elections will also be featured as part of a new advertisement launching on network and cable TV starting on Nov. 4 and running until post-election. The new spot features Bing taking it to the streets to stump some political junkies and demonstrate how Bing Elections can help.
Check out bing.com/elections to join the conversation and discover another reason for people to choose Bing over Google.
- The Bing Team
* The Bing Election hub research was based on a survey by Impulse Research, an independent research company based in Los Angeles, Calif. The survey was conducted in October 2012 online with a random sample of 1,005 men and women, ages 18 to 34, who use the Internet for information on a regular basis — all members of the Impulse Research proprietary online panel. The Impulse Research proprietary online panel has been carefully selected to closely match U.S. population demographics, and the respondents are representative of American men and women, ages 18 to 34.
DIGITAL JUICE
As the U.S. approaches one of the most hotly contested political seasons in decades, Bing has launched a new election experience at bing.com/elections tailored to those who want a 360-degree view into Election 2012. The site brings you the latest news, filtered as you like it, including from the right, left and center viewpoint, up-to-date polls across national, state and local races, analysis of social conversation across Facebook and Twitter, a tracker to find the nearest polling sites, and up-to-the-minute results as they roll in on Election Day.
According to a recent Bing survey* 75 percent of people identify themselves as active participants or observers in online political discussions, but many are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information, news sources and sites out there. Bing Elections helps cut through the clutter giving you one place to keep pulse of the election, across both comprehensive news sources and social networks.
Bing Elections marries Bing search technology with the editorial excellence of MSN and political partnerships with Politico, Real Clear Politics, The Cook Political Report, Huffington Post and The Associated Press. You now have a central destination to plug into what’s happening in Election 2012. With coverage, polls and predictions of every race and candidate down to the state and congressional level, as well an exclusive analysis each day from Politico and its candidate tracker, Bing Elections is constantly updated so you don’t miss a thing.
Our exclusive partnerships with Facebook and Twitter let us display trending topics and provide social sentiment insights so you have a real-time window into what people are saying about the election. If you’re uncertain of where to vote you can use Bing Elections to find the nearest polling station. Chelsea Clinton and Mary Ann Huntsman are also featured on the site in exclusive videos encouraging everyone to get out and vote in this important race.
What Does It Offer?
An easy-to-use, up-to-the-minute comprehensive resource for national and local news information and analysis:
- A dynamic, interactive map with national and local election results as they are reported.
- Easy access to national and local election information.
- Local voting information and key election issues.
The latest election coverage from across the Web, customized to your preferences:
- Real-time algorithmic news results sourced from key national, local, partisan and nonpartisan sources, including The Associated Press, Real Clear Politics and Huffington Post, among others.
- The ability to easily filter news results from left-leaning, center and right-leaning news sources.
A pulse on the social insights and trends from Facebook and Twitter:
- Bing is the only search engine with strategic partnerships with Twitter and Facebook to deliver unique social sentiment analysis across key election issues.
- 89 percent of people report their social media consumption relating to this year’s election as equal to or more than 2008, and the Bing Election hub helps them easily find and participate in trending conversations that matter most.
![clip_image003[4]](http://www.bing.com/community/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer-Blogs-Components-WeblogFiles/00-00-00-41-77-metablogapi/3644.clip_5F00_image0034_5F00_57FF33CC.png "clip_image003[4]")
Bing Elections will also be featured as part of a new advertisement launching on network and cable TV starting on Nov. 4 and running until post-election. The new spot features Bing taking it to the streets to stump some political junkies and demonstrate how Bing Elections can help.
Check out bing.com/elections to join the conversation and discover another reason for people to choose Bing over Google.
- The Bing Team
* The Bing Election hub research was based on a survey by Impulse Research, an independent research company based in Los Angeles, Calif. The survey was conducted in October 2012 online with a random sample of 1,005 men and women, ages 18 to 34, who use the Internet for information on a regular basis — all members of the Impulse Research proprietary online panel. The Impulse Research proprietary online panel has been carefully selected to closely match U.S. population demographics, and the respondents are representative of American men and women, ages 18 to 34.
DIGITAL JUICE
Final Winners and Results – $250,000 Sweepstakes to Help Public Schools from Bing Rewards
Final Winners and Results – $250,000 Sweepstakes to Help Public Schools from Bing Rewards:
Thanks to the 50 winners in our $250,000 Sweepstakes to Help Public Schools for choosing so many important and deserving schools across the country. Over 100,000 students have been helped and more than 1,000 public school projects have now been funded by their gift cards as well as by our Bing Rewards members who purchased our discounted DonorsChoose.org $5 gift cards. Twenty-three winners are still deciding how to spend their $5,000 gift cards, so these numbers are certain to rise. And while our sweepstakes ended on October 22, our Hot Deal on $5 gift cards continues through November 1, so Bing Rewards members can still donate to public school projects of their choice for only 99 credits.
In the final week of our sweepstakes, the winners drawn for an opportunity to help public school students and their teachers with a $5,000 gift card to DonorsChoose.org were:
The other four lucky winners, pending confirmation of eligibility, are:
7. Hassan, O. of Muscatine, IA
8. Oni V. of Gaffney, SC
9. Matt D. of Littleton, CO
10. Marlen H. of Bellflower, CA
11. Lorraine L. of South Bend, IN
Breaking down the impact, to date the sweepstakes has helped more than 12,220 students and their teachers, and funded 133 projects, with twenty-three $5,000 DonorsChoose.org gift cards won still to be spent. The Hot Deal has had even broader results, reaching more than 90,609 students and supporting 970 projects.
DonorsChoose.org lets public school teachers from across the country request specific resources that will engage their students: paintbrushes, microscopes, xylophones – even soccer balls! To find out more about the projects in your local area visit www.donorschoose.org.
As mentioned earlier, Bing Rewards members can still purchase $5 DonorsChoose.org gift cards for 99 credits through November 1. Not a Bing Rewards member yet? It’s easy to start earning and redeeming today by visiting http://www.bingrewards.com and following the instructions to create a Bing Rewards account.
You can also follow @BingRewards on Twitter for the latest program news, extra ways to get rewarded and exclusive offers.
- Alex Danskin, Marketing Communication Manager, Bing
DIGITAL JUICE
Thanks to the 50 winners in our $250,000 Sweepstakes to Help Public Schools for choosing so many important and deserving schools across the country. Over 100,000 students have been helped and more than 1,000 public school projects have now been funded by their gift cards as well as by our Bing Rewards members who purchased our discounted DonorsChoose.org $5 gift cards. Twenty-three winners are still deciding how to spend their $5,000 gift cards, so these numbers are certain to rise. And while our sweepstakes ended on October 22, our Hot Deal on $5 gift cards continues through November 1, so Bing Rewards members can still donate to public school projects of their choice for only 99 credits.
In the final week of our sweepstakes, the winners drawn for an opportunity to help public school students and their teachers with a $5,000 gift card to DonorsChoose.org were:
1. Tiffany Z. of Keizer, OR who tells us she was smiling all day after learning of her win. She completed the funding of several school projects and is working with a local school in need to set up a project and fund it. 2. Jeremy M. of Brandon, FL who intends to support special needs projects in the Tampa area. 3. Skyler S. of Boulder, CO who is still determining projects she’d like to fund. 4. Brendan M. of Colonia, NJ who plans on supporting a local school. 5. Hassan, O. of Muscatine, IA 6. Bev S. of Toledo, OH |  |
The other four lucky winners, pending confirmation of eligibility, are:
7. Hassan, O. of Muscatine, IA
8. Oni V. of Gaffney, SC
9. Matt D. of Littleton, CO
10. Marlen H. of Bellflower, CA
11. Lorraine L. of South Bend, IN
Breaking down the impact, to date the sweepstakes has helped more than 12,220 students and their teachers, and funded 133 projects, with twenty-three $5,000 DonorsChoose.org gift cards won still to be spent. The Hot Deal has had even broader results, reaching more than 90,609 students and supporting 970 projects.
DonorsChoose.org lets public school teachers from across the country request specific resources that will engage their students: paintbrushes, microscopes, xylophones – even soccer balls! To find out more about the projects in your local area visit www.donorschoose.org.
As mentioned earlier, Bing Rewards members can still purchase $5 DonorsChoose.org gift cards for 99 credits through November 1. Not a Bing Rewards member yet? It’s easy to start earning and redeeming today by visiting http://www.bingrewards.com and following the instructions to create a Bing Rewards account.
You can also follow @BingRewards on Twitter for the latest program news, extra ways to get rewarded and exclusive offers.
- Alex Danskin, Marketing Communication Manager, Bing
DIGITAL JUICE
Ross Mathews Joins #BingIt Chat on Elections 2012 on Thursday, November 1
Ross Mathews Joins #BingIt Chat on Elections 2012 on Thursday, November 1:
Big Bird, bayonets, and binders, oh my! Television personality and host of E! News segment, Pop and Politics, Ross Mathews, will join us for this week’s #BingIt chat on Thursday, November 1 from 12 pm – 1 pm PT/ 3pm – 4 pm ET. We’ll have a light-hearted discussion on hilarious election moments, how tech and social media influence the way people vote, important election issues and more!
To participate in the chat and tweet directly with Ross, follow @Bing, @helloross and include the hashtag #BingIt in your tweets.
To help you cut through the election news clutter, Bing has also just launched Bing Elections. The site brings you the latest news, filtered as you like it, including from the right, left and center viewpoint, up-to-date polls across national, state and local races, analysis of social conversation across Facebook and Twitter, a tracker to find the nearest polling sites, and up-to-the-minute results as they roll in on Election Day. To check it out, visit www.bing.com/elections.
--Kari Dilloo (@KariDilloo)
DIGITAL JUICE
Big Bird, bayonets, and binders, oh my! Television personality and host of E! News segment, Pop and Politics, Ross Mathews, will join us for this week’s #BingIt chat on Thursday, November 1 from 12 pm – 1 pm PT/ 3pm – 4 pm ET. We’ll have a light-hearted discussion on hilarious election moments, how tech and social media influence the way people vote, important election issues and more!
To participate in the chat and tweet directly with Ross, follow @Bing, @helloross and include the hashtag #BingIt in your tweets.
To help you cut through the election news clutter, Bing has also just launched Bing Elections. The site brings you the latest news, filtered as you like it, including from the right, left and center viewpoint, up-to-date polls across national, state and local races, analysis of social conversation across Facebook and Twitter, a tracker to find the nearest polling sites, and up-to-the-minute results as they roll in on Election Day. To check it out, visit www.bing.com/elections.
--Kari Dilloo (@KariDilloo)
DIGITAL JUICE
Celebrating Leonardo Torres-Quevedo, Spanish inventor of the world’s first computer game
Celebrating Leonardo Torres-Quevedo, Spanish inventor of the world’s first computer game: What does a cable car in Niagara Falls have to do with the world’s
first chess-playing machine? Surprisingly, both were inventions of Spanish civil engineer Leonardo Torres-Quevedo.
Next week, as part of our ongoing effort to celebrate Europe’s computing
heritage, we’re commemorating Torres-Quevedo’s legacy and his
remarkable machine—"El
Ajedrecista" (in English, "The Chess Player")—in partnership with
the Telecommunication Engineering department of the
Technical University of Madrid.
Photo thanks to Wikimedia Commons
Torres-Quevedo’s inventions span many fields. He was the second in
the world to demonstrate wireless remote control, beaten to the
post only by Nikola Tesla.
His designs for airships were used by both the French
and British during WWI. He was a global leader in cable car design,
creating the “Spanish aero car” over the Niagara Whirlpool
which, nearly a century on, remains a tourist attraction.
However, his most remarkable achievements were in the field of
automation, developing machines that are antecedents to what we now
call computers and robots.
Torres-Quevedo’s ambitions were bold. As Scientific American proclaimed in 1915: “He would substitute machinery
for the human mind.” In the 1890s, Torres-Quevedo built a series of mechanical devices that solved algebraic
equations. In 1920 he wowed a Paris audience with an
electromechanical arithmometer with a typewriter attachment. You
simply typed a formula—say, “24x48”—and the machine would calculate
and automatically type the answer “=1152” in reply.
But El Ajedrecista, an algorithmically powered machine that could
play an end-game of chess against a human opponent completely
automatically, is his most notable creation. Although it’s a far cry
from Deep Blue, El Ajedrecista can lay claim to being
the world’s first (analog) computer game.
.
Photos thanks to Museo Torres Quevedo
The machine didn’t just calculate its moves—it had mechanical arms
that physically moved its pieces, in the form of electrical jacks,
across a grid. In later models the arm mechanism was replaced by
magnets, and play took place on a more ordinary-looking chess board.
You couldn’t cheat the machine as it could spot illegal moves; and you
couldn’t win, as the game always started at a point (machine’s King
and Rook versus human’s King) from which the machine could never lose.
In honor of El Ajedrecista’s 100th birthday, we’re working with the Telecommunication
Engineering department of the Technical University of Madrid to
stage a conference commemorating Torres-Quevedo’s legacy. The
conference, taking place on November 7, will feature lectures and
panel discussions, as well as an exhibition of Torres-Quevedo’s
devices—including El Ajedrecista itself. Attendance is free—if you
want to join us, request an invitation.
Posted by Lynette Webb, Senior Manager,
External Relations
DIGITAL JUICE
first chess-playing machine? Surprisingly, both were inventions of Spanish civil engineer Leonardo Torres-Quevedo.
Next week, as part of our ongoing effort to celebrate Europe’s computing
heritage, we’re commemorating Torres-Quevedo’s legacy and his
remarkable machine—"El
Ajedrecista" (in English, "The Chess Player")—in partnership with
the Telecommunication Engineering department of the
Technical University of Madrid.
Photo thanks to Wikimedia Commons
Torres-Quevedo’s inventions span many fields. He was the second in
the world to demonstrate wireless remote control, beaten to the
post only by Nikola Tesla.
His designs for airships were used by both the French
and British during WWI. He was a global leader in cable car design,
creating the “Spanish aero car” over the Niagara Whirlpool
which, nearly a century on, remains a tourist attraction.
However, his most remarkable achievements were in the field of
automation, developing machines that are antecedents to what we now
call computers and robots.
Torres-Quevedo’s ambitions were bold. As Scientific American proclaimed in 1915: “He would substitute machinery
for the human mind.” In the 1890s, Torres-Quevedo built a series of mechanical devices that solved algebraic
equations. In 1920 he wowed a Paris audience with an
electromechanical arithmometer with a typewriter attachment. You
simply typed a formula—say, “24x48”—and the machine would calculate
and automatically type the answer “=1152” in reply.
But El Ajedrecista, an algorithmically powered machine that could
play an end-game of chess against a human opponent completely
automatically, is his most notable creation. Although it’s a far cry
from Deep Blue, El Ajedrecista can lay claim to being
the world’s first (analog) computer game.
.
Photos thanks to Museo Torres Quevedo
The machine didn’t just calculate its moves—it had mechanical arms
that physically moved its pieces, in the form of electrical jacks,
across a grid. In later models the arm mechanism was replaced by
magnets, and play took place on a more ordinary-looking chess board.
You couldn’t cheat the machine as it could spot illegal moves; and you
couldn’t win, as the game always started at a point (machine’s King
and Rook versus human’s King) from which the machine could never lose.
In honor of El Ajedrecista’s 100th birthday, we’re working with the Telecommunication
Engineering department of the Technical University of Madrid to
stage a conference commemorating Torres-Quevedo’s legacy. The
conference, taking place on November 7, will feature lectures and
panel discussions, as well as an exhibition of Torres-Quevedo’s
devices—including El Ajedrecista itself. Attendance is free—if you
want to join us, request an invitation.
Posted by Lynette Webb, Senior Manager,
External Relations
DIGITAL JUICE
Hurricane Sandy: The Superstorm
Hurricane Sandy: The Superstorm:
After cutting a destructive path through the Caribbean, Hurricane Sandy caused extensive damage along the East Coast this week. Sandy made landfall in southern New Jersey and brought with it major flooding, travel disruption, structural damage, and power outages. New York City was especially hard hit. The storm system was so large -- nearly 1,000 miles wide at times -- it brought blizzard conditions to West Virginia and 20 foot waves to Lake Michigan. It is projected Sandy will have caused about $30 billion in damages in the United States. To date, the storm claimed more than 100 lives. -- Lloyd Young ( 57 photos total)
Flooded homes in Tuckerton, N.J., on Oct. 30 after Hurricane Sandy made landfall on the southern New Jersey coastline on Oct. 29. (US Coast Guard via AFP/Getty Images)
DIGITAL JUICE
After cutting a destructive path through the Caribbean, Hurricane Sandy caused extensive damage along the East Coast this week. Sandy made landfall in southern New Jersey and brought with it major flooding, travel disruption, structural damage, and power outages. New York City was especially hard hit. The storm system was so large -- nearly 1,000 miles wide at times -- it brought blizzard conditions to West Virginia and 20 foot waves to Lake Michigan. It is projected Sandy will have caused about $30 billion in damages in the United States. To date, the storm claimed more than 100 lives. -- Lloyd Young ( 57 photos total)
Flooded homes in Tuckerton, N.J., on Oct. 30 after Hurricane Sandy made landfall on the southern New Jersey coastline on Oct. 29. (US Coast Guard via AFP/Getty Images)
DIGITAL JUICE
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