By Dale

What is an automobile?

An automobile is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor. Most definitions of the term specify that automobiles are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typically have four wheels, and to be constructed principally for the transport of people rather than goods.

Who designed the automobile?

Tomas Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931)

Thomas Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world

When Thomas Edison did some future gazing about transportation during a newspaper interview in 1895, he didn't hedge his bets.  "The horseless carriage is the coming wonder," said American's reigning inventor.  "It is only a question of a short time when the carriages and trucks in every large city will be run with motors."  Just what kind of motors would remain unclear for a few more years?    

1901 - The telescope shock absorber developed

 C. L. Horock designs the "telescope" shock absorber, using a piston and cylinder fitted inside a metal sleeve, with a one-way valve built into the piston. As air or oil moves through the valve into the cylinder, the piston moves freely in one direction but is resisted in the other direction by the air or oil. The result is a smoother ride and less lingering bounce. The telescope shock absorber is still used today

1902 -  Standard drum brakes are invented

 Standard drum brakes are invented by Louis Renault. His brakes work by using a cam to force apart two hinged shoes. Drum brakes are improved in many ways over the years, but the basic principle remains in cars for the entire 20th century; even with the advent of disk brakes in the 1970s, drum brakes remain the standard for rear wheels.

1908 -  Model T introduced

 Henry Ford begins making the Model T. First-year production is 10,660 cars.

Cadillac is awarded the Dewar Trophy by Britain’s Royal Automobile Club for a demonstration of the precision and interchange ability of the parts from which the car is assembled. Mass production thus makes more headway in the industry.

1911 - Electric starter introduced

 Charles Kettering introduces the electric starter. Until this time engines had to be started by hand cranking. Critics believed no one could make an electric starter small enough to fit under a car’s hood yet powerful enough to start the engine. His starters first saw service in 1912 Cadillac’s.

1914 - First car body made entirely of steel

 First car body made entirely of steel.

Dodge introduces the first car body made entirely of steel, fabricated by the Budd Company. The Dodge touring car is made in Hamtramck, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit

1919 -  First single foot pedal to operate coupled four-wheel brakes

 The Hispano-Suiza H6B, a French luxury car, demonstrates the first single foot pedal to operate coupled four-wheel brakes. Previously drivers had to apply a hand brake and a foot brake simultaneously.

1922 - First American car with four-wheel hydraulic brakes

 The Duisenberg, made in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the first American car with four-wheel hydraulic brakes, replacing ones that relied on the pressure of the driver’s foot alone. Hydraulic brakes use a master cylinder in a hydraulic system to keep pressure evenly applied to each wheel of the car as the driver presses on the brake pedal.

By Sarah Alghazi                    

INTERNET

What is the Internet?

The Internet, in simplest terms, is the large group of millions of computers around the world that are all connected to one another. These computers are connected by phone lines, fiber optic lines, coaxial cable, satellites, and wireless connections... [1]

How does the Internet benefit people?

1) Information: The biggest benefit offered by the Internet is information. It functions as a valuable resource of information. You can find any type of information on any subject with the help of the search engines like Yahoo and Google. [2]

2) Communication: The primary goal of the Internet is communication. It has done extremely well in this field, however the development process is still going on to make it more dependable and quick. By sending an e-mail, we can contact a person who is physically present thousand miles away within the fraction of a second’s time. [2]

3) Services: A variety of services are offered via Internet, for example job searching, online banking, buying movie tickets, hotel reservations and consultation services etc. When you avail these services offline, they become more expensive. [2]

The history of the internet

The Internet was the result of some visionary thinking by people in the early 1960s who saw great potential value in allowing computers to share information on research and development in scientific and military fields. [3] Although the Internet has spawned significant changes in communication and interpersonal behaviour, the data concerning the social and psychological effects of its use are equivocal. Drawing on the uses and gratifications model of communications media, it was hypothesized that the social and psychological effects of Internet use depend primarily on the user's reasons and goals for using the technology [4]

The Wed World Web

Before the World Wide Web the Internet really only provided screens full of text (and usually only in one font and font size). So although it was pretty good for exchanging information, and indeed for accessing information such as the Catalogue of the US Library of Congress, it was visually very boring [5] The web had some important predecessors, perhaps the most significant of these being Ted Nelson's Xanadu project, which worked on the concept of Hypertext - where you could click on a word and it would take you somewhere else. Ted Nelson envisaged with Xanadu a huge library of all the worlds' information. In order to click on hyperlinks, as they were called, Douglas Engelbart invented the mouse, which was to later become a very important part of personal computers. So the idea of clicking on a word or a picture to take you somewhere else was a basic foundation of the web. [5]

Facebook

 Facebook is a tool, and like all the other social media tools out there the objective is to influence people by connecting with them, building relationships and moving them towards a specific action or decision – physically or mentally. People generally have a need for human connection - the need to be loved and/or be recognized. Social media tools like Facebook allow for that to happen on a magnified scale. [6]

Facebook is home to more than 400 million users around the world, and is growing every day. This number of users will be the market of any advertisement posted in the website which is why businesses are taking advantage of this opportunity. Facebook could greatly benefit these businesses by increasing their income through advertising. [7]

References:

[1] http://www.davesite.com/webstation/inet101/net01.shtml

[2] http://www.onediy.com/internet/

[3] http://walthowe.com/navnet/history.html

[4] http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089%2F109493101753376678

[5] http://www.nethistory.info/History%20of%20the%20Internet/web.html

[6] http://messagemastery.com/what-is-the-benefit-of-facebook-184.htm

[7] http://benefitof.net/benefits-of-facebook/ 

By Hibba Mohammed

Introduction:

The engineering has made a big impact on the society in the 20^th century and it has been growing so fast since the last century.

Is practical application of science and math to solve problems, design, bulidng, and use of engines, machines and structures. Engineering technologies improve the ways that we communicate, work and travel etc. computer engineers analyze and evaluate computer systems both software and hardware. They work on the interface between different pieces of hardware and strive to provide new capabilities to existing and new systems product.

Three engineering achievement transformed our lives, which showcased the greatest engineering achievement of the 20th century

1-      Electricity

2-      Computers

3-      Automobile

Electricity:

Is the process of powering by electricity and is usually associated with changing over from another power source. The broad meaning of the term, such as in the history of technology and economic history, usually applies to a region or national economy.

Here we have an example of the [wiser wires] Information technology can make electricity grids less wasteful and much greener. Businesses have lots of ideas and governments are keen, but obstacles remain

Why the electricity is is the most important achievement in the 20^st century

Electricity is one of the most important engineering achievements ever. It is the thing that gave a helpful to the Earth. If there was no electricity, we’d be back in the dark ages. Few people stop and think just how amazing electricity is. With the flick of a switch, you can power almost anything. Think about what would happen if there was no electricity. We’d have no TV, no computers, and no traffic signals. It would be like going back to caves in living to back going. There are a few negative points about electricity, of course. Number one, it’s dangerous. Thousands of people die each year from electrocuting themselves or in electrical fires. And number two, it isn’t good for the environment. Most electricity comes from burning coal and that creates greenhouse gases