Berkeley Systems develops one of the first computer screensaver programs in 1989. The screensaver is designed to prevent image burning on monitors when a computer is left running or unused for long periods. Berkeley’s product includes its most famous screen saver - the Flying Toasters - which features art deco styled chrome toasters with bird-like wings, flying in formation across the screen.

- The “Computer History Daily Quote”
- http://www.printedowl.com/

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/06/09/beautiful-black-and-white-photography/

- The “Computer History Daily Quote”
- http://www.printedowl.com/

- The “Computer History Daily Quote”
- http://www.printedowl.com/

This Wikipedia article just has a short blurb about the competition. Too bad I couldn’t find more after some googling. I remember we competed in the main atrium of Greenspoint Mall in north Houston. There were 5 or 6 students per team, and we each had our buzzers, pencils, and notepads. In one competition, I came out on fire, answering something like the first 4 out of 5 questions correctly. Part of the trick in doing well in quiz bowls is to buzz in right away- even if you don’t really know the answer and can only muster a guess. This is mostly important on the toss up questions because you prevent the other team from getting a chance to answer that question and you give your team a chance to go into the bonus questions.

Anyway, on two of the four first questions I buzzed in just so I could guess- and I luckily got them both right. One of the questions was about the big bang and what type of force was the first to be emitted, according to modern theories. I didn’t really know, so I guessed from one of the multiple choices that the moderator gave us, and I was right. I think the answer was something like “strong magnet force.” Or was it the “weak magnetic force?” Can’t remember. I also remember an audio question. They played a song that I had never heard before and asked what was this band’s hometown. I had never heard the song, but it was definitely some 70s or 80s funk/soul music. Havign grown up on a steady diet of funk music from my parents, and knowing that Detroit was the nexus of soul music in that era, I buzzed in before the clip was even finished playing and guessed “Detroit.” I was right! Who knew?!

I remember the moderator saying something like, “Wow, Nigel from Scarborough is coming out firing on all cylinders. He has answered four out of four correctly.” I was so proud! (Don’t laugh… remember, I’m nostalgic!) Unfortunately, I don’t remember any of my answers for the rest of the day. I know we lost, so we couldn’t have done too well. But I do remember Odom answering a math question like a champ. And I remember this question word for word. “What distance does a hand on a clock travel during fifteen minutes. Express your answer in radians.” I was stumped because I had not yet taken Algebra 2, or Pre Calculus, or whatever class you learn about radians, arcs, and measuring circular distances and angles. But Odom scribbled something and answered right away, “Pi over 2.” He was right, and it took him like 2 seconds to buzz in. I was so impressed! (More about Radians from Wikipedia.)

After we lost that round, we had lunch in the mall and went home. We were mad that we lost, but I remember the team was happy that we got to compete. Scarborough was such a small high school compared to other high schools in Houston, that we didn’t get to compete and participated in a lot of the events that the others did.

Maybe one day I’ll not care so much about what some people call “useless trivia,” but I doubt it!

- The “Computer History Daily Quote”
- http://www.printedowl.com/

Why am I publishing this?
You might be wondering why I am now publishing these computer history daily quotes. For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated with technology. Furthermore, I am a very curious person when it comes to little-known facts. So I was very pleased when I found this little widget that I published to my iGoogle start page. Some of the daily vignettes are not very interesting, but many of them are. So, I will re-publish the ones that I find particularly compelling. I love history, technology, and trivia- so this is fun for me.

You know, when I was in high school I competed on my high school’s “quiz bowl” team. (Wikipedia: quiz bowl)The competition was for Houston area high schools and was called the “Texaco Star Academic Challenge.” When I was younger I would watch these competitions on public television, never knowing that I would be the captain of my high school’s team. Too bad we never made it to the television round! As a team, we didn’t compete very well, but I had a blast because I got a chance to be around other people who find useless trivia interesting. I guess this computer history thing is sort of like that. I guess you can say I’m a sucker for nostalgia!

My memories of the Texaco Star Academic Challenge.

- Albert Einstein
- http://www.quoteworld.org/quotes/4094