Author Archives: ethancaine

Video conferencing was a vital method of communication during the COVID-19 pandemic, but its roots go back much longer than you think. Featuring Tom Merritt. MP3 Please SUBSCRIBE HERE. A special thanks to all our supporters–without you, none of this would be possible. Become a supporter at the Know A Little More Patreon page forContinue reading “About Video Conferencing”

How did RISC-V grab the attention of nearly every major tech company and what was the need for yet another computer processor architecture? Tom walks you through the history and use case of RISC-V. Featuring Tom Merritt. MP3 Please SUBSCRIBE HERE. A special thanks to all our supporters–without you, none of this would be possible.Continue reading “About RISC-V”

The Internet’s directory was once a simple text file on a single computer but has evolved into many directories world-wide that enable the Internet as you know it. Featuring Tom Merritt. MP3 Please SUBSCRIBE HERE. A special thanks to all our supporters–without you, none of this would be possible. Thanks to Kevin MacLeod of Incompetech.comContinue reading “About DNS (Rewrite)”

The word processor never got “invented” as such, it just slowly developed out of things like typewriters and even slowly merged from electronic appliances into software. To understand the origin of the word processor you and I would recognize, the one with bold, italic, underline, we need to follow the journey of future space touristContinue reading “About Word Processors”

You all know what a mouse is. It’s so common, that you probably don’t even think that much about why it’s called a mouse. But back in 1968, the man generally credited with the invention of the mouse, Douglas Engelbart, had to apologize for what was certainly a silly name. Featuring Tom Merritt. MP3 PleaseContinue reading “About the Computer Mouse”

You may have used them hundreds of times today, but the origin of hypertexts dates all the way back to at least 1963. Featuring Tom Merritt. MP3 Please SUBSCRIBE HERE. A special thanks to all our supporters–without you, none of this would be possible. Thanks to Kevin MacLeod of Incompetech.com for the theme music. ThanksContinue reading “About Hypertext”

In a single 90 minute presentation, Douglas Englebart showcased technologies that would eventually fin their way into nearly every computer you’ve ever used. And he did it in 1968. Featuring Tom Merritt. MP3 Please SUBSCRIBE HERE. A special thanks to all our supporters–without you, none of this would be possible. Thanks to Kevin MacLeod ofContinue reading “About the Mother of All Demos”

Passkeys use something called public key cryptography. They have your public key. And because it’s public, it doesn’t matter if anyone gets it. That public key and your private key combine to validate who you are. But how does that work? Wouldn’t they have to know something besides the public key that’s unique to you?Continue reading “About Public Key Cryptography (May 2023 Update)”

We update the history of Section 230 in light of the recent Supreme Court decisions. What it is, what it isn’t and how those decisions affected or didn’t affect the future of the “safe harbor” law in the US. Featuring Tom Merritt. MP3 Please SUBSCRIBE HERE. A special thanks to all our supporters–without you, noneContinue reading “About Section 230 (May 2023 Update)”

By 1998 the US had passed its Digital Millennium Copyright Act. And partly because the US generates so much copyrightable material, and partly just because it’s the US and is a little pushy on the world stage, the DMCA became the de facto way of handling copyright protections on the internet around the world. ButContinue reading “About the DMCA (Updated)”