Know a Little More

DTNS host Tom Merritt dives deep into tech topics to help you understand what you need to know about them.

  • 11 minutes 55 seconds
    About Xerox Alto

    A computer designed to be used with a mouse, keyboard, monitor, and printer could sound like any computer you've used, all made possible by a graphical user interface used on the Xerox Alto. Tom explores its history.


    Featuring Tom Merritt.


    Full episode transcript here.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    5 September 2024, 6:48 pm
  • 12 minutes 17 seconds
    About Smalltalk

    The way you interact with computers was probably shaped by a small team working at Xerox in the 1970s. Tom explains the history of Smalltalk.

    Featuring Tom Merritt.


    Full transcript here.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    8 August 2024, 5:06 pm
  • 12 minutes 58 seconds
    About Laser Printers

    From room-sized machines to barely an inconvenience on your desk, laser printers are in nearly every office. But where did they start? Tom explores the origins of the laser printer.


    Featuring Tom Merritt.


    Full transcript here.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    18 July 2024, 12:26 pm
  • 16 minutes 46 seconds
    About Ethernet

    Computers talk to each other via networking, most commonly over a wired ethernet connection. Tom explains how that started and why it was such a breakthrough.


    Featuring Tom Merritt.


    Full transcript here.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    5 July 2024, 12:15 pm
  • 15 minutes 24 seconds
    About Xerox PARC

    In 1969, the chief scientist at Xerox, Jack Goldman, decided to found a west-coast research center in Palo Alto, right down the road from Engelbart's SRI. Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center or PARC was far enough from headquarters in Rochester, New York, that scientists could feel a little freer to experiment.


    Featuring Tom Merritt.


    Full show transcription here.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    20 June 2024, 1:00 pm
  • 12 minutes 9 seconds
    About GPUs

    Tom explains what GPUs are, why they are different than CPUs, and how they kinda just evolved into a product.

    Featuring Tom Merritt.

    Full episode transcript here.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    6 June 2024, 5:00 pm
  • 9 minutes 15 seconds
    About Login

    Tom discusses the origin of the term "log in", it's early use, and how it became something most of us do every day.


    Featuring Tom Merritt.


    Full transcript can be found here.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    24 May 2024, 7:35 am
  • 12 minutes 36 seconds
    About Virtual Korea

    The last 120 years or so have seen tons of change for Korea, but what does the future hold? Tom shares what one heir is doing with their legacy.


    Featuring Tom Merritt.


    Episode transcript here.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    18 April 2024, 1:00 pm
  • 17 minutes 45 seconds
    About ChatGPT

    The predictive capabilities of ChatGPT and other programs based on Large Language Models really seem to infer an artificial intelligence. How do the applications work...and are they sentient? Tom explains why you shouldn't fear ChatGPT.


    Featuring Tom Merritt.


    Full transcript here.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    4 April 2024, 1:00 pm
  • 20 minutes 39 seconds
    About ByteDance

    With all the talk about banning TikTok in the United States, Tom dives in to explain who actually owns and controls its parent company, ByteDance, and why there's so much discourse about security.


    Featuring Tom Merritt.


    Full transcript can be found here.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    17 March 2024, 1:07 am
  • 9 minutes 58 seconds
    About Black Friday

    What's really being celebrated on Black Friday and is it the biggest shopping day in the world?


    Featuring Tom Merritt.


    Full Episode Transcript here.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    7 December 2023, 2:00 pm
  • More Episodes? Get the App