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ASEE Prism, Summer 2007 by Grose, Thomas
MUSIC
YES, Sony's Walkman and Apple's IPod were revolutionary devices. But when it comes to personal mobile entertainment, they were already, ahem, old hat. Beating them to the punch: the Zenith Radio Hat, which debuted in 1952. The British product consisted of a bowler fitted with earphones so wearers could listen to the radio while on the move. The Radio Hat is one of several lost or long-forgotten communication and entertainment technologies unearthed by interactive media design students at Scotland's University of Dundee. The devices are showcased online at the Museum of Lost Interactions (Web site: http://www.idl. dundee.ac.uk/moli/mdex.php). Student Shaun McWhinnie calls them "amazing artifacts" that provide "thought-provoking reflections on the ubiquitous technologies of our present society and show how such devices would have looked in the pre-digital world." The technologies on display date back to 1900, when the Richophone, a multiplayer game, linked contestants and audiences via a network of special phone booths set up in hotels and cafes. And who knew music downloading dates back to 1925? That's when Britain's wealthier music lovers could buy Acoustograph machines, which were hooked up to telegraph lines. Users could request songs using Morse code. The tune was then sent back to (and played by) the machines via the telegraph wires. Sadly, the students have yet to find and rebuild that gem of early 1970s entertainment technology, the eight-track tape player. Probably because no one will admit to having owned one. -TG
Copyright AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR ENGINEERING EDUCATION Summer 2007
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved
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