A byte to
eat at the teashop
One
would not expect
computers and teashops to be linked, and certainly not back in the
1950s, but
you would be wrong because they were. LEO standing for Lyons Electronic
Office
was one of Britains first computers, and J Lyons & Co. of
the Corner
and Teashop fame were at one stage world leaders. If you enjoy a little
history, I can recommend the book I am reading at present. “A computer
called
LEO” by Georgina Ferry is a fascinating look at the early day,
successes and
failures. It is amazing how history seems to repeat itself. When you
consider
how it all used to be, one tends to appreciate the huge advances there
have
been.
Another good read if you are
interested in science is written by Norwich resident Bill Bryson and called “A short
history of
nearly everything”. I have leant a lot about other areas that I never
knew
about. Things like continental drift, which we now understand, is
actually
something only just accepted in the last 40 years. Perhaps we
understand less
than we think.
On the Broadband front, BT
have upgraded the local exchange, and our Demon broadband is now at
2Mbps. So
if our provider has not already upgraded you, it would be a good thing
to ask
about. You may already have the faster service, because you don’t
actually have
to do anything.
Remember, if you want to
look back at any of the previous articles, do visit http://www.lordjohn.demon.co.uk/theboffin/
where you can find all of them, including this one.
Finally, if you did not hear
about Google Earth – visit http://earth.google.com/
and chewck your PC. If it is suitable get the free download, install
the
software, and then run it. Put in your postcode and enjoy the
experience.
John
Kimberley