Believe it or not, the basic technology behind faxing has been around for over 150 years. A Scottish mechanic and inventor named Alexander Bain created the first fax machine in 1843. He believed that the symbols used in Morse code could be implemented visually, instead of just by hearing, and therefore be used for sending of other types of information.
Bain, a clockmaker, used his knowledge to design and patent a basic concept that became the basis of the modern fax machine. The idea to use electric signals generated by a telegraph operator was a huge step in telecommunications. In Bain's device, these signals would pass through a type of paper that was soaked in a chemical. The signal would then cause the chemical to evaporate, leaving a long or short mark in Morse code. These marks allowed for a faster transmission of information and allowed him to create punched-hole tapes that allowed for automated transmissions and receptions. This device became known, although not nearly widely enough, as a "chemical telegraph."
The earliest days
Of course, in those days faxes could not be sent the way they are now. The original "signal telegraphs" were the first successful fax machines that could send messages by regulating electric currents. Continuing improvements in miniaturization, manufacturing and electric printing were the means of jump-starting the technology that today's fax machines use millions, even billions, of times every day.
Since the fax machine dates back farther than you may think, it really should be considered one of the greatest milestones in the history of communication. The technology of the fax machine was built upon then-current telegraph technology. Telegraph wires were used to transmit those first "chemical" faxes. Transmission over phone lines was not a possibility in 1843, due to the fact that the telephone was not even invented for another 30 or more years!
The basic concept behind the fax machine ("facsimile" document sender) was to send a facsimile, an "exact copy." Other technological advances and discoveries have led to the evolution of our modern fax machines, which still retain the original concept of Alexander Bain. His idea was that you could scan an image, picture or text, and that the scanned image could be interpreted as signals on a grid that are turned either on or off. That is, the information would appear as light (off) and dark (on) dots to the mechanical receiver in the receiving fax machine, which would then print the image.
Into the modern era
Fax machines started to become very popular in 1983 when the Committee Consultative International Telephonique et Telegraphique (or CCITT Group 3) set up the standard protocol for faxing. The CCITT is an organization that sets international communication standards, and faxing certainly became standard from that time forward. Fax machines quickly became commonplace in the business world. They were immediately favored strongly for sending legal documents and many businesses wouldn't have it any other way. Though use has lessened due to email and other technologies, many businesses depend on fax technology to this day.
Even as late as the 1990s, fax machines were big, bulky and hard to manage. Technology has allowed for compact, user-friendly and more inexpensive fax machines to emerge. Ten years ago, $500 was considered a bargain price for a fax machine. These days, you can easily find a good, plain-paper machine one for around $50. In addition, faxes are now part of the "all in one" printer technology, so devices starting at that same price point now come with the ability to fax, scan, print and copy, all for one low cost.
Faxing in cyberspace
Although the fax machine has been around for many years and is widely used, it seems that faxing over the Internet has swiftly become a very popular means of transmitting information. The fact that the Internet can transmit information at such a high rate of speed makes it more convenient and easier for people to utilize. These days, more and more offices and people are getting rid their fax machines in order to make use of the Internet faxing tools.
However, the fax machine is not a thing of the past just yet, and the ability for computers to both send and receive faxes means people with fax machines can connect with both computer users and fax users. Many people still use fax machines everyday and it is easy to see why. They offer a very fast transfer of information and more accurate communication between people and businesses.
Fax machines have certainly come a long way. It was once considered to be the center of modern technology because it was able to transmit and replicate reams of important documents from anywhere in the world. Although increasing numbers of people have turned to Internet faxing, the fax machine is still considered to be a very important piece of technology.
Seeing how far we've come with the way we send and transmit information, it's very interesting to note how the fax machine has taken us this far. It has been an essential element in all aspects of international communication, both business and personal. Without it, and the Internet-enabled versions, we might as well send our documents via Pony Express. Faxing helps the world go 'round, literally!
The Ancient Egyptians used it. So did the Ancient Romans. In the 1800's, a guy wrote about it, sort of. By the Great Depression, there was a growing demand for it. In the mid 1970's, medical science told us we were doing it wrong. Now, 21st century builders have to "go green" to earn green. And the future seems brighter (and more energy efficient than ever.) We've used cork, asbestos, glass, plastic, foam and even mud to do it. Yes, when you look at the history of insulation, in all its myriad forms, we can see just how far we've come.
The Ancient Egyptians used insulation to keep their desert homes and buildings cool, and their linen clothing warmer in the cooler winter months. They added papyrus linings to their loincloths and skirts to keep warm in winter. They built their homes of thick brick, designed to help keep out the sun's scorching heat in summer.
The Ancient Greeks knew about asbestos, in fact they named it. They used it to dress their imported slaves, as well as for the wicks of their eternal temple flames, napkins and the funeral dress of kings. The material's flame-resistant properties gave it a bit of a mystical appeal to the Greeks. They had a common name for it, too - crysotile - which means "gold cloth." The Greeks were the first to go on record as noting that asbestos caused a "lung sickness" in the slaves who worked with it and wore it. The Greeks also knew how to insulae their homes, using cavity walls. The air trapped in between the inner and outer walls would act to help keep out the colder or hotter air, depending on the season.
Always on the look-out for the next best thing, the Ancient Romans also dressed their slaves in asbestos cloth. They made tablecloths and napkins for restaurants and banquets out of asbestos cloth, throwing it into the fire between diners or courses to clean it of crumbs. The Romans were perhaps the ancient world's most noted engineers, and they knew enough to build cavity walled structures, too. They learned to insulate their heated water pipes with cork from Spain and Portugal so that they could be placed under floors without fear of overheating the flooring.
The Vikings and other northern Europeans learned to insulate their homes with mud chinking, plastering it in the cracks between the logs or hewn boards of the buildings walls.. When mixed with horse or cattle dung and straw, the mud was known as daub, and was considered a stronger, better building material over plain old mud. They created clothing out of thick sheep's wool, and may have even used cloth to line the interior walls of their homes.
Cloth came to be widely used in the Middle Ages among the wealthy as stone once again came into fashion for home building. These imposing stone structures tended to be drafty, damp and cold. Large ornately embroidered or woven tapestries would be hung on interior walls, partly to block out the drafts and partly to soak up the dampness. Rushes on the floors also helped to keep things a bit warmer underfoot.
During the Industrial Revolution, manufacturers turned once again to asbestos for their insulation needs. Steam-powered technology meant lots of hot pipes to carry the steam to where it was needed. These hot steam supply pipes could be made safer for workers by wrapping them in asbestos. With the invention of the steam locomotive, the demand for asbestos exploded. Suddenly, fireboxes, boilers, pipes and even boxcars and breaks were lined or wrapped in the heat retarding, flame-resistant fibers.
During the Great Depression, residents of the "Dust Bowl" of the US Southern Plains region attempted to insulate their homes from the choking dust storms by using strips of cloth coated in flour-based glue or paste. These could then be pasted over cracks around window and door frames to try and keep out the dust. City dwellers often did something similar with newspapers, stuffing them in cracks in window frames in hopes of keeping their frigid tenement apartments a bit warmer against winter's chill.
Asbestos continued to be the main source of both industrial and residential insulation through the 19th and mid 20th centuries, though. World War II saw it being used in aircraft and ship production. In the 40's and 50's, mineral wool or rock wool started to overtake asbestos in popularity, however. Having been "discovered" in the 1870's a safer manufacturing process led to its wider spread use among construction and industry.
The rediscovery in the mid-1970's of asbestos's harmful health effects signaled the death knell for asbestos materials in building construction. You'll still find it keeping your automotive breaks and clutches cool, however, and crysotile is still being mined in some countries.
With the decline of asbestos, other forms of insulation had to be found and found quickly. Fiberglass insulation comes in various forms and is considered to be the "traditional" choice in home insulation. Styrofoam sheets and PVC wraps are now available. Concerns over the ecology and environment have led to the "discovery" of several forms of insulation considered to be more environmentally sound. Paper cellulose, recycled cotton denim and even sheep wool are being touted as the new wave in insulation. Imagine, cloth and wool as insulating materials? Perhaps we haven't come that far after all!
Alex Gwen Thomson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Home Management, Income Tax Return and Wrinkles. Metro Hi Speed is a leader in solutions for any sized business. Less expensive and more reliable than traditional fax services - you'll enjoy the convenien. Alex Gwen Thomson's top article generates over 673000 views. to your Favourites.