Harold Cohen was a pioneer in computer art, in algorithmic art, and in generative art; but as he told me one afternoon in 2010, he was first and foremost a painter. He was also an engineer whose work defined the first generation of computer-generated art. His system, AARON, is one of the longest-running, continually ma
Gordon Moore and Intel. Steve Jobs and Apple. Bill Gates and Microsoft. Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook. These entrepreneurs and the iconic companies they have built rank among the most transformational stories of our time. They illustrate that one idea can create a billion devices, generate a billion dollars, or touch a
This month marks 25 years since the Web’s public announcement in several online forums and the release of the WWW code library, libWWW. The library was a kind of “roll your own” tool kit that gave volunteer programmers the pieces they needed to write their own Web browsers and servers. Their efforts—over half a dozen
Gary Kildall was a pioneer of personal computer software. He wrote programming language tools, including assemblers (Intel 4004), interpreters (BASIC), and compilers (PL/M). He created a widely-used disk operating system (CP/M). He and his wife, Dorothy McEwen, started a successful company called Digital Research to de
David T. Morgenthaler (August 5, 1919–June 17, 2016) was a towering figure in the first generation of global technology venture capitalists. From the time he entered the field at the age of 48, until his death on June 17, 2016, at the age of 96, Morgenthaler led $3 billion of investments in more than 300 companies.
When Karl Marx said history repeats itself, I don’t think he had Pokémon in mind.The latest entry in Nintendo’s 20-year Pokémon franchise, Pokémon Go hit the App Store on July 6 and instantly became the most popular mobile game in the world. It surpassed blockbuster titles like Slither.io, Clash Royale, and Candy Crush
How did the stars of Silicon Valley companies fare in the face of risk and reward? How do pioneering entrepreneurs develop their vision? What are the roles of hard work and luck? How do innovators navigate uncharted waters?
Visitors to the Computer History Museum frequently want to know: what was the first computer?
On June 2, 2016, the Computer History Museum launched its new Exponential Center, the first museum institution devoted to capturing the legacy of Digital Age entrepreneurship and innovation in Silicon Valley and around the world. 250 innovators, entrepreneurs, and executives gathered for the evening gala, titled “From
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