In the vast and dynamic world of the internet and technology, there are stories and curiosities that continue to amaze even the most experienced users.
From the fact that Firefox’s logo isn’t a fox to the accidental mistakes that created one of the world’s most recognisable brands, here are ten facts you probably didn’t know. Let’s find out together!
- 1. Firefox logo is not a fox
- 2. The first mouse was made of wood
- 3. The first photo took 8 hours of exposure
- 4. The name Google originated from a misspelling
- 5. The first video on YouTube was called ‘Me at the Zoo’
- 6. Amazon’s success is linked… to the alphabet
- 7. Samsung was a supermarket chain
- 8. Come on, give a big smile
- 9. Bill Gates’ first failed company
- 10. Google ‘sideways’ (and not only)
1. Firefox logo is not a fox
The famous Firefox logo is not a fox, but a red panda, also known as a lesser panda. The name “Firefox” is derived from the literal translation of the animal’s Chinese name.
This is surprising because many people associate the logo with the fox because of the name “fox” in the mark. But it is not actually a fox.
2. The first mouse was made of wood
Douglas Engelbart invented the first computer mouse in 1964 and, surprisingly, it was made of wood. Engelbart introduced the mouse as part of a larger system of advanced user interfaces that revolutionised the way we interact with computers.
In spite of its rudimentary appearance, the wooden mouse laid the foundations for the modern pointing device.
3. The first photo took 8 hours of exposure
The first photograph ever taken, taken in 1826 and known as “View from the Window at Le Gras“, took as long as eight hours to expose.
This long exposure time was due to the low sensitivity of the light-sensitive materials used at the time. Nicéphore Niépce, the inventor of photography, used a pewter plate covered with bitumen from Judea to capture the scene, creating an image that represents a true piece of history.
4. The name Google originated from a misspelling
The name ‘Google’ is the result of a misspelling of the mathematical term ‘googol’. Googol is the number 1 followed by 100 zeros.
An accidental mistake gave birth to one of the world’s most famous brands. Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the founders of Google, intended to name their company “Googol” to reflect the vast amount of information the search engine would handle.
Perhaps it was registered in this way by mistake, perhaps ‘googol’ was already registered, or perhaps to create an easier word to type, but the fact remains that Google is the most visited website in the world.
5. The first video on YouTube was called ‘Me at the Zoo’
The first video uploaded to YouTube, called “Me at the zoo“, shows one of the platform’s creators at the zoo.
This landmark video marked the beginning of a revolution in the world of online video content. Uploaded by Jawed Karim on 23 April 2005, the video is only 18 seconds long, but it has had a lasting impact, ushering in the era of user-generated content and transforming YouTube into one of the world’s most influential platforms.
6. Amazon’s success is linked… to the alphabet
Legend has it that the early success of Amazon, the largest US e-commerce site, was more due to luck than merit. Before Google came along to index the web with its spiders, there were directories, guides that manually categorised websites. Yahoo! was the most popular.
Amazon, starting with ‘A’, was at the top of alphabetical directories.
7. Samsung was a supermarket chain
When we talk about the internet and technology, we cannot fail to mention one of the most important companies in the world today. Before it became a technology giant, Samsung was a grocery chain founded in 1938.
Only later did it diversify into a global technology leader. Samsung’s transformation from a grocery store to a technology giant is an example of how a company can evolve and adapt to market changes, embracing new technologies and sectors to grow and prosper.
8. Come on, give a big smile
Do you know who typed the first ‘smiley’? Apparently it was Kevin MacKenzie, in an email dated 12 April 1979, inviting members of the Msgroup newsgroup to add a little more ‘feeling’ to their messages.
MacKenzie’s emoticon was rather ‘primitive’, a simple -) that would soon become 🙂
9. Bill Gates’ first failed company
The first company that Microsoft founder Bill Gates set up when he was still a student was called Traf-O-Data. Founded in 1972 with Paul Allen and Paul Gilbert, it was set up to promote a PC with a very specific function: to estimate motorway traffic using data from certain sensors.
The company had just started when the state of Washington offered a free service to convert road traffic data. So Traf-O-Data, which closed after a few years, was not a huge success: in total it made a few tens of thousands of dollars.
It was, however, an effective test bed for the entrepreneurial spirit of Bill Gates: three years later, in 1975, Microsoft was born.
10. Google ‘sideways’ (and not only)
When we type the word ‘askew‘ into the Google search bar and press enter, the results page we get is slanted to the right, as if the images and text were facing downhill!
This is just one of the many ‘tricks’ and games hidden in the search engine that can be activated by typing in certain words. For example, if we type ‘heads or tails‘ into the bar and perform the search, a simulation of a coin toss will appear. By clicking on ‘toss again’ we can repeat it.
Try it to see!
