Ten Fascinating Technical Facts You Didn’t Know History plays a significant role in our lives, and while it can instruct us greatly on how to remedy errors, it can also be enjoyable. Things that we use every day frequently come from unexpected places. Or, it’s possible that although they had the correct intentions, they fell far short of being as efficient and well-organized as they typically were trend-setters. And even though we may joke about it now that they are successful, at the time, they believed it to be their “next great thing” and a means of becoming famous. So go ahead and study each fascinating technological fact and be amazed at how absurd some of them are.
1. Fascinating Facebook tech facts
Adding a “/4” after www.facebook.com will send you to facebook.com/zuck, such as Mark Zuckerberg’s official profile, if you didn’t know that. This is due to the fact that his account, which can be accessed by entering “profile.php?id=4”, was the fourth to be created. It is also perhaps the first “genuine” account, as 1 through 3 were probably test accounts made by Mark and are no longer active. Did you know that Facebook regularly pays hackers to attempt to compromise or harm Facebook? This is done so that the business can close backdoors and repair exploits before actual hackers utilise them.
2. Goats work for Google
Large grassy expanses at the corporate offices used to be cut by lawnmowers. However, when they learned that employing 200 goats and a border collie named Jen to assist herd them would cost about the same, they decided to go with that alternative. They claim that it is not only more environmentally friendly but also quieter and “a much cuter to watch goats than lawnmowers”
3. More Google information
Did you know that Backrub.com was the original name of Google? Although Google wasn’t the original name the founders wanted, they later changed it. The phrase “googol,” which stands for one followed by one hundred zeros, was spelled incorrectly. Oh, and did you know that Yahoo missed out on the opportunity to buy Google for $1 million in 1998 and Excite for the same amount in 1999? In 2002, Yahoo sought to acquire Google for a second time for $3 billion, but the company’s founders demanded $5 billion.
4. Nintendo was a maker of playing cards.
Nintendo is well-known for being one of the major publishers and game creators, as well as for selling hundreds of millions of gaming systems. But that wasn’t how the business began. Back in 1889, they experimented with games, although not ones played on a screen, but rather with hanafuda, Japanese playing cards. In actuality, “Nin-ten-do,” the company’s name, means “luck-heaven-hall.” Even while Nintendo still makes playing cards today, their 1949 shift into the domain of electronic toys and games helped them become a global success.
5. The original mouse for computers was made of wood.
Although he claimed to have invented the computer mouse in 1968, Douglas C. Engelbart really started working on it in 1964. It was constructed of wood rather than plastic. The founder was reminded of a real mammal by the little cable that stuck out from the back of the creature. When he began to question whether the on-screen cursor could be moved manually rather than using a keyboard, he had the idea while attending a conference on computer graphics. For best functionality and control, Douglas also believed that a computer mouse should have between 3 and 10 buttons.
6. The GPS system used globally is funded by the United States.
We all use GPS every day, whether or not we are aware of it. It serves as the foundation for location tracking and is utilised not only to produce precise maps and navigation but also for messaging applications like Snapchat, which allow you to follow the whereabouts of your friends. And even though the service is free and built into the apps, someone still needs to keep the satellites in space, isn’t that right? Yes, both the taxpayers and the Defense Department of the US government. While we use GPS for free, the department spends over $2 million a day on its operation, upkeep, development, and modernization.
7. Apple
Are you aware that the original Apple phone had an actual apple shape? It was a flip phone that opened in the middle, much like a vintage lighter, and had a speaker and microphone on top and a keyboard on the bottom. It had the same appearance as the well-known Apple logo when it was closed. Bonus information: Did you know that in 1986, when Steve Jobs resigned as chairman, Apple launched a lifestyle and apparel line? Steve Jobs also submerged the initial Apple iPod prototype in the water. He told his programmers that the bubbles were vacant space and might be used to add functionality or make the iPod even smaller.
8. A keyboard in QWERTY
With the introduction of the Remington No. 2 typewriters in 1873, QWERTY gained popularity. Did you know that “typewriter” is also the longest word you can type on a keyboard using only letters from one row? Also, did you know that the QWERTY keyboard layout was created to make typing slower because it was created for typewriters but is still in use today as a “de facto” keyboard layout? Try using the 1936-patented Simplified Keyboard Layout, often known as the Dvorak Keyboard Layout, to write more quickly.
9. Spam is a brand of food.
Spam is a term used to describe an online deluge of unwanted or irrelevant communications or information. But did you know that spam, which was first sold in 1937, is also a ham-based canned or tinned meat product? In a 1970 episode of Monthly Python, Spam became well-known. Each item on the menu that the waitress brings to a party of Vikings in the movie contains spam. The group then begins yelling, “Spam, spam, spam, lovely spam, great spam!” This infuriated the waitress, who yelled, “Shut up!” It’s not too difficult to understand how the two circumstances are related and how the word came to be used so frequently.
10. China forbids a lot of things.
China is governed by a communist system that imposes severe censorship on its citizens. For instance, many of the websites we take for granted, like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Netflix, are prohibited. Many refer to it as “China’s Great Firewall.” Fortunately, the prevalence of VPNs made it possible for both locals and visitors with an open mind to do so and to encrypt their traffic. Unfortunately, China has declared VPN to be illegal and has made using it a crime.
