The PC chipset

At this point, electronics have

gone beyond being a simple human
“want”; in fact, some may argue that in
today’s society, they have become a
need.

Students, for instance, use their

smartphones to connect with friends, to
entertain themselves, or to do research
on the go. Laptops are also absolutely
critical in the completion of their
academic requirements. These devices
and many more help us build ties, work
anywhere, and access information in just
a few clicks. All of these, of course, are
21st-century necessities.

Would you believe, though, that a Filipino played a key role in the decades-long development of
these high-tech devices?

Back in the day, companies were less about reducing the size of your gadget and more about
implementing the basics: processing data and presenting it to the user in an appreciable form. That changed,
however, after Diosdado Banatao, a native from Cagayan Valley, developed the first single-chip 16-bit
microprocessor-based calculator in the 1970s. He went on to create the world’s first system logic chip sets
in 1981, which allowed the integration of all of a computer’s essential data processing features into a small
package. He did not stop there, though. Banatao eventually came up with the first Windows Graphics
accelerator chip for personal computers. Thanks to these breakthroughs, he earned himself a permanent
place in the history of PC development.

Today, Banatao serves as the chairman of the board of directors for Inphi, a company specializing
in advanced semiconductor and Silicon photonics solutions. In addition, he founded the Philippine
Development Foundation (PhilDev), a nonprofit organization aiming to eliminate poverty through the use
of education, innovation, and entrepreneurship. -MF
 Nimrud Lens
(first/ oldest
telescope)
The Nimrud lens is a 3,000-
year-old piece of rock crystal, which
was unearthed by Sir John Layard in
1850 at the Assyrian palace of Nimrud,
in modern-day Iraq. The Nimrud lens
(also called the Layard lens) is made
from natural rock crystal and is a
slightly oval in shape. It was roughly
ground, perhaps on a lapidary wheel. It
has a focal point about 11 centimeters
from the flat side, and a focal length of
about 12 cm. This would make it
equivalent to a 3× magnifying glass (combined with another lens, it could achieve much greater
magnification).

The surface of the lens has twelve cavities that were opened during grinding, which would have
contained naphtha or some other fluid trapped in the raw crystal. Since its discovery over a century ago,
scientists and historians have debated its use, with some suggesting it was used as a magnifying glass, and
others maintaining it was a burning-glass used to start fires by concentrating sunlight.

However, prominent Italian professor Giovanni Pettinato proposed the lens was used by the ancient
Assyrians as part of a telescope, which would explain how the Assyrians knew so much about astronomy.
According to conventional perspectives, the telescope was invented by Dutch spectacle maker, Hans
Lippershey in 1608 AD, and Galileo was the first to point it to the sky and use it to study the cosmos. But
even Galileo himself noted that the 'ancients' were aware of telescopes long before him. While lenses were
around before the Nimrud lens, Pettinato believes this was one of the first to be used in a telescope.
 Mechanical Clock
Timekeeping devices have
emerged since the ancient world,
but it was not until the Middle
Ages that the technology was
invented that allowed for
mechanical clocks to accurately
keep track of time. The knowledge
of not only what hour it was, but
even what minute and second it
was, would change the way people
scheduled their days and work
patterns, especially in urban areas.

During the early medieval period, many different time-keeping devices were used. Nearly
all of these devices had been adopted from the period of classical antiquity with little to no
innovation happening in time-keeping devices during the early medieval period.

Among the traditional time-keeping devices used at the time were water clocks, candle
clocks, the use of astrolabes for determining time and sundials. It was during the High Middle
Ages that new methods of time-keeping were discovered and new instruments discovered for the
purpose.

It was around this time that the earliest mechanical clocks were created by the Christian
monks who had extensive knowledge of astronomy.

The importance of mechanical clocks is that they were made for telling time more
accurately than water or sun clocks. ... Now the clock is one of the most important parts of life.
Right now, many of the clocks are digital which are more accurate than the mechanical.
 Electricity
It was in the year 1570 when
William Gilbert described the electric
effect of Amber as well as the
magnetic effect of lodestone to coin
the tem “Electricus”. After 200 years
Benjamin Franklin conducted his kite
string and key experiment that first
gave idea about the electricity which is
one of most required daily needs of
modern day world. With the invention
of cell by Volta and derivation of
different laws regarding electricity, the
technology made rapid progress with
dc and ac currents that helped in
transmissions of electricity to run different industries, light homes etc. Electricity has laid foundations for
several development process and given ideas to other inventions as well. Each and every gadgets, and most
of our daily used appliances require the use of electricity that keeps it at the top of the list as the best modern
day inventions.

By 1939 the percentage of rural homes with electricity had risen to 25 percent. The Tennessee
Valley Authority also set up the Electric Home and Farm Authority to help farmers buy electric appliances
like stoves and washing machines. Farm families of that time found that these helpful electric appliances
made their lives much easier.

Today, World’s standard of living has risen as nearly everyone has electric power at home, school
and at work.
 SUBMITTED BY:
JOHN CARLO B. AQUINO

SUBMITTED TO:
MS.BENITA BIALA