Monthly Archives: June 2010

Whee!

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Today I was in a videoconference. Sitting in the videoconference suite (in the same place as Richard Dawkins once sat: cor) there were two screens opposite me, one showing a live image of me and the other the same image after it had been through the network, with about half a second delay.

First I worked out that if I kept my head still, looked away with my eyes and looked back at the screen, I could see my own eyes apparently move independently.

Then I worked out that if I lifted up one hand and then the other very quickly, I could do a Mexican wave with myself.

That’s what technology is for.

Back when pad didn’t even mean “pad” …

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What do you mean, what is it?

It’s a JNT PAD. It says so on the front, in a font that looks suspiciously like Comic Sans, only that didn’t exist back when this baby was made.

JNT = the Joint Network Team, the group set up to research and ultimately implement a UK-wide computer network for research and education, which lives today as JANET. PAD = Packet Assembler / Disassembler – a device used to connect circuit-based computer terminals to a packet-switching network such as … oh, I dunno … the Internet.

In other words, this little gadget – well, I say little, it measures 21 x 27 x 46 cm – was quite important in the history of networking.

It could presumably connect 16 terminals to a network, judging by the connections on the back – plus, which makes it so sweet, in the top left corner, a socket for connecting a cassette facility. Bless! That was the point at which I actually wanted to hug it.

The JNT sponsored its development in 1980 and placed an initial market-glutting order of 50 with Camtec. A further impetuous (gasp) 85 were ordered in 1981. The mad, mad fools! It’ll never catch on.

Photos taken by friend and colleague Sue, who is available at reasonable costs for any respectable function requiring skilled photography.

If you see the wonder of a fairy tale

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I’m guessing you missed the royal wedding. No, not that one. I refer to Saturday’s nuptials between Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Mr Daniel Westling, now Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland. There’s a whole slideshow of pictures at the royal website and what struck me most was that they look like they’re having fun. They’re a couple who look like they really mean it and would have wanted to spend the rest of their lives together even if one of them wasn’t one day going to rule a chunk of Scandinavia. If you asked one of these two if they’re in love, I don’t see either coming back with “whatever love means.”

Which is of course as it should be, and I’m happy for them.

I remember our own royal wedding being described as “fairy tale” and I was never really convinced, even at the time, even before the revelations about Camilla etc. Shewas an under-educated over-privileged Sloane Ranger; he was a much older future King who had to ask his mother’s permission to kiss her in public. Fairy tale how? All she did was move up the ladder slightly. Whereas in this case: she was the (slightly older) future Queen; he was a personal trainer and gym owner from a long line of farmers with a slight Clark Kent vibe going for him. Now, that’s fairy tale.

No jokes about “Dancing Queen”, however: apparently they were all made back in 1976 when the present King and Queen were married. Said ceremony was preceded the day before by, yes, an Abba concert, where that song premiered.

Sudden image of scores of Daniel’s former clients lining the route to Stockholm Cathedral, all singing, “If you change your mind, I’m the first in line …”