Films/Videos - ITEC 1001 - Perspectives on the History of Computing - Research Guides at Middle Georgia State University

Films and Videos

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Films on Demand History of Science & Technology Playlist
The History of Computers (VEA) copyright date 2006 This program traces the development of the electronic computer, from the valve-based devices of the mid-20th century to the invention of silicon-based technology and through to the manufacture of the first personal computers. The constant phenomenal growth in computing power and speed and the resulting reduction in costs are central themes. The video ends by examining what the future might hold in relation to computing technologies. A viewable/printable worksheet is available online. Video Education America (29 minutes)
The History of Computers (Cambridge Educational) copyright date 2001 The history of computers is not just the story of a specialized machine but of a great idea and the people who made it happen. Initially designed as large-scale calculators, computers have quickly become indispensable tools in every field of endeavor. This fascinating program traces the course of technological innovations leading up to today’s computers, from Charles Babbage and his analytical engine of the 1860s to 21st-century PCs. All the major concepts, advances, and companies are explored using demonstrations, expert commentary, and historic film footage and interviews. The program shows how ideas such as Boolean logic, the binary system, magnetic/iron core memory, and microprocessors have dramatically increased the capacity of computers while drastically reducing their size, a phenomenon known as Moore's Law. The personal computer or PC boom is easily seen as an inevitable event, with software programmers such as Steve Jobs and Bill Gates emerging as its leaders. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide is available online. A Cambridge Educational Production. (26 minutes)
Ancient Computer An unpromising lump of metal found in a 2,000-year-old shipwreck turns out to be an extraordinary treasure: the world’s first computer. NOVA follows the ingenious detective work that painstakingly discovered the truth about the ancient Greek device: it was an astonishingly sophisticated astronomical calculator and eclipse predictor, unrivaled until the era of modern science and believed to be from the workshop of Archimedes.
Electric Mind: Quirky Science Early examples of computers include the ancient Antikythera mechanism and the 19th-century engines made by Charles Babbage. This program investigates the invention of the computer and how it evolved into the computers we have now. Designed to serve as calculating machines for astronauts and the military, the first examples of the modern-day computer weighed 27,000 kilograms yet had about as much power as a calculator today. The invention of the transistor opened the door to the personal computer. The calculations of everyday life are now done by computers, from the macro of buildings and airplanes to the micro of our DNA to calculate which gene would have to be targeted for medical improvements. Part of the series Quirky Science. (25 minutes)
Father of the Computer In the nineteenth century, Charles Babbage conceived models for mechanical computers, but neither was built until 1991.
The Transformation Age: Surviving a Technology Revolution with Robert X. Cringely Description: An economy in which the office is a thing of the past… a sensor system that tracks and identifies goods in transit… a camera that records every life experience in minute detail. If these sound like dreams of a distant future, think again. This program examines the boundless opportunities and staggering challenges of the digital era, presenting concise case studies of 21st-century companies, entrepreneurs, and advances. Google’s business applications, Kodak’s digital ventures, Microsoft’s Sensecam, Hewlett-Packard’s high-def teleconferencing interface, Linden Labs’ Second Life universe, and Craigslist’s immensely popular classified ads are among the developments and strategies in the spotlight. Bonus segments (DVD only) focus on additional innovations and ideas. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide is available online. (58 minutes + 40 minutes of bonus material) Maryland Public Television
Internet History The Internet is a product of the Cold War. It was developed as a way for government offices to communicate privately.
Silicon Valley This program tells the story of the pioneering scientists who transformed rural Santa Clara County into the hub of technological ingenuity we now know as Silicon Valley. The film spotlights the creativity of the young men who founded Fairchild Semiconductor, led by charismatic physicist Robert Noyce. Their radical innovations would include the integrated circuit that helped make the United States a leader in both space exploration and the personal computer revolution, transforming the way the world works, plays and communicates, making possible everything from the Apollo program to smart phones.
Computers at Work Viewers discover the many valuable yet routine tasks that computers are regularly performing. These include word processing, draw/paint programs, spreadsheets, inventory control, billing, check writing, CAD, CAM, computer analysis, and many others. And computers are often just as useful in the home as they are in business and industry. For many, a personal computer will become as indispensable as the kitchen sink. One 27-minute video. A Meridian Production.
The Mobile Revolution Description: This is the story of how the mobile phone entered our lives and changed everything. In just a few decades, we left behind a stationary, slow world where people had to stay in certain places and use clumsy, fixed devices to communicate with the world around them. The move into the completely mobile and constantly connected world that we all take for granted happened at breakneck speed. But no one has explained how this transformation came about. This is the inside story of how mobile telephony was developed and how such a small device could change the world so radically. Java Films
Smart Technology Is Making Us Dumb: A Debate Smart technology provides users vast and instant access to information and to other people, forming a strong and pervasive presence in our lives. But is there a downside to all of this connectivity? Some argue that while smart technology may put a world of knowledge at our fingertips, it also fosters dependency on electronic gadgets, narrows our contacts to echo chambers, and impairs cognitive skills by creating shortcuts and distractions. Are smart-tech devices making us dumber, guiding so much of our decision making that we are losing autonomy without even realizing it? Or are these concerns overblown, an exaggeration of the negative effects of high-tech consumption?
Deluged By Data: The Infobesity Epidemic We live in an era when we are obsessed and bombarded by data—whether we love it or loathe it. The average person now takes more photos in a month than the whole planet did 50 years ago. Visit a rock concert and there are more camera flashes than lighting effects, more cell phones clicks than musical notes. Endless new fitness, health, and biofeedback apps are overwhelming us with vast amounts of raw personal information. Some experts think we all suffer from data overload and “infobesity “—and need a “data diet.” We’ll meet the data lovers and skeptics and wired, tired people who go ZERO TECH to escape being deluged by data.
Planet of the Apps: A Handheld Revolution Description: Innovative and often addictive, apps are changing the way we work and live-helping us shop online, conduct business, or even play computer games while waiting for the bus. Not surprisingly, they are immensely profitable. This CNBC Original documentary introduces some of the creative minds behind apps and considers their implications for the business world. Looking back at the Apple iPhone's original offering of just 11 apps, the program shows how customer demand caused that number to rapidly expand and how hundreds of thousands of iPhone apps are now available. Also profiled: independent developers who make up Apple's competition in the app market, as well as Heroes actor Greg Grunberg, who has found a second calling in creating a mobile coupon app called Yowza!! CNBC

Films @ MGA

Women in the history of computer science: Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing. by Denise Gürer, Jean Bartik, Judy Clapp, Thelma Estrin, Adele Mildred Koss, Joyce Currie Little, Ethel Marden. [film] A panel of women pioneers of the 1940s and 1950s discuss their experiences, from programming the world's first computing machines to developing biomedical and graphical applications for computers. (VHS)
Call Number: QA76.17 WIH
Publication Date: 1997
Charlie Rose. July 2, 2012 : an hour with Bill Gates (DVD) Charlie Rose interviewed Bill Gates about his philanthropic work, The Gates Foundation and the computer software industry.
Call Number: HD9696.63.A2 C36 2012
Publication Date: 2012
Nerds 2.0.1: a brief history of the Internet. 1, Networking the nerds [film] A three part series examining the ins and outs of one of the most volatile industries: the Internet. This first episode examines how the seeds of the Internet were planted by Sputnik. In a reaction to Russia's leap ahead in technology, the Pentagon developed a new agency called ARPA. ARPAnet was created to connect computer researchers at universities across the nation. In nine months flat, the technology was invented, built and installed. (VHS)
Call Number: TK5105 NER
Publication Date: 1998
Nerds 2.0.1: a brief history of the Internet. 2, Serving the suits [film] A three part series examining the ins and outs of one of the most volatile industries: the Internet. This second episode examines the advent of the PC and the need to connect them all to a network. But first someone had to figure out how to do it. That guy was Bob Metcalfe, founder of 3Com. As the market for networking evolved the battle began in earnest; 3Com, Sun, Novell, Cisco and Microsoft entered the market creating a civil war and billion-dollar partnerships. (VHS)
Call Number: TK5105 NER
Publication Date: 1998
Nerds 2.0.1: a brief history of the Internet. 3, Wiring the world [film] A three part series examining the ins and outs of one of the most volatile industries: the Internet. In this final episode we visit Excite, a typical Silicon Valley entrepreneurial adventure. Then we unlock the making of the World Wide Web, created by Tim Berners-Lee in Geneva, who made "http://www" the star it is today. While the World Wide Web was making the Internet available to more people, it still wasn't a friendly experience. Netscape and Microsoft changed all that so the Internet has become a 24-hour a day medium where people can do business, chat and go shopping. (VHS)
Call Number: TK5105 NER
Publication Date: 1998

ITEC 1001 - Perspectives on the History of Computing

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