10 Interesting Facts About IT That You Probably Don't Know

Of course, a short article like this won't help you understand the intricacies of how internet technologies work, nor will it teach you to create websites, mobile apps, or develop software on your own. However, this article doesn't even set out to accomplish any of those tasks.

It's best to leave such tasks to the professionals with extensive experience from Focus21 (we have special package offers for you like Website Essentials and Mobile App Essentials). But that shouldn't stop you from learning a few interesting facts to share with colleagues, friends, and acquaintances.

The Annoying CAPTCHA was Invented Only in 1997. This is an acronym for 'Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart'. This technology, which annoys many today, was developed at Carnegie Mellon University.

CAPTCHA is designed to prevent automated attacks on various web services without exception. The technology requires users to enter text or perform various tasks that, in theory, should confirm the presence of a live person in front of the screen.

All tests created for CAPTCHA are designed to be as difficult as possible for automatic recognition. It has become a key tool in the fight against bots and spam on the Internet. Moreover, it constantly evolves, countering new methods of bypassing it.

There are 8 bits in a byte and 1024 bytes in a kilobyte. Memory measurements in computers usually surprise unprepared users the most. Why all these complexities? Why, for instance, isn't there 1000 bytes in a kilobyte, since the prefix kilo usually signifies just that?

The kilobyte, which consists of 1024 bytes, is due to the binary nature of computer memory, where 210 equals 1024. This simplifies calculations and data processing. Later, to differentiate from the decimal system, the term kibibyte (1 KiB = 1024 bytes) was introduced, but it is rarely referred to as such.

Bluetooth was named after a Danish king. This refers to monarch Harald Bluetooth, who is still incredibly famous for his ability to unite warring tribes. Thanks to this, he managed to make his mark in history and even lend his name to a popular technology.

The Bluetooth technology, which has become key in the modern technological industry, was developed to unite various devices and communication protocols. Hence, it was named after the Danish king, who made his mark in history with a similar ability.

Interestingly, the logo of the Bluetooth technology itself consists of the initials of Harald Bluetooth in the Scandinavian runic alphabet. A very unusual decision that even avid fans of modern technologies had not seriously considered until this moment.

The first computer virus was Creeper. It was created in the 1970s as an experiment to demonstrate self-replicating software on the ARPANET network, which preceded the advent of the full-fledged Internet, and it spread among computers running the TENEX operating system.

Interestingly, the emergence of the first virus also led to the creation of the first antivirus software. This was the Reaper application, designed solely to remove Creeper. At that time, there was no talk of universal protection against malicious applications.

The Term 'Bug' for Software Errors is Almost 80 Years Old. Errors in various software, regardless of purpose, are called bugs. It seems this expression has always been with us, and this statement is very close to the truth, as this term was born in 1947.

It was then that a team of programmers, led by Grace Hopper, discovered a real moth in the relay of the Harvard Mark II computer. This caused a malfunction, and the experts ultimately had to work quite hard to fix it.

They even documented this event by sticking the moth in a log with the playful caption 'First actual case of bug being found'. Since then, the term 'bug' has been widely used to describe technical malfunctions and software errors, and it continues to be used to this day.

Google Was Named After a Mathematical Term. Initially a search engine and then an entire company, it got its name from the term 'googol'. This refers to a number composed of 1 followed by 100 zeros. Yes, it's a very large number that is not commonly used in everyday life.

This name has always symbolized the company's ambition to provide access to a vast amount of data on the network. Interestingly, the project was initially called 'Backrub', but was later renamed to 'Google', which eventually became synonymous with searching for information on the internet.

The First Apple Computer Cost USD 666.66. Yes, it was precisely this unusual amount for which the very first computer (which, by the way, was not yet considered a personal computer) from one of today's most sought-after consumer electronics manufacturers in a wide variety of forms and sizes was sold.

The Apple I was created by Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs in 1976. Its case was largely made of wood, and the key components were practically exposed. Nevertheless, this did not prevent the then-young company from earning a tidy sum from their creation.

The price for the computer, which was supplied assembled—a rarity for that time—was personally chosen by Steve Jobs. He settled on USD 666.66 not due to supernatural associations. He simply liked repeating numbers, always paid attention to them, and tried to use them.

The First Computer Game is Considered to be Spacewar. This game was developed in 1962 for the PDP-1 computer. This project was undertaken by employees of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which was actively using the corresponding hardware at the time.

Interestingly, during the game, players also had to take into account the gravity of a star located in the center of the screen. This nuance, among others, was very well-received in academic circles. In fact, it laid the foundation for the entire computer gaming industry.

The First Web Page was Developed in 1991. It was created by Tim Berners-Lee at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and contained information about the World Wide Web project, as well as instructions for creating web pages and setting up web servers.

This project laid the foundation for the modern Internet by providing the first system for exchanging documents through hyperlinks, allowing people from all over the world to share information and knowledge via the global network. Today, life without this is hard to imagine.

This page is still available at this link. Of course, it has nothing in common with modern websites, as it is just a list of a few hyperlinks. However, it's important to understand that in those years, both Internet speed and computer performance were mediocre.

There are More Devices on the Internet than People on Earth. Yes, in 2008 the number of gadgets connected to the Internet in various forms and sizes exceeded the world's population. This was a landmark moment that unequivocally highlighted the rapid growth and influence of the World Wide Web.

Since then, the number of connections has continued to grow, including mobile devices, smart homes, industrial equipment, and many other Internet devices, leading to the era of the 'Internet of Things', where almost every aspect of daily life can be connected and synchronized through the network.

However, it is very important to clearly understand that, contrary to popular belief, not all inhabitants of the planet have access to the Internet today. The fact is that those who do usually have several devices connected to the network.