Every Day Is Special: January 25 – Strides in Tele- Tech Day

January 25 – Strides in Tele- Tech Day

Posted on January 25, 2018

Where would we be without communications technologies that allow us to talk, listen, see, and learn from afar?

The prefix tele- is Greek for "distance" or "from a distance." We use it in a bunch of words, like telescope, telephone, television, telecommute.

Here are a few big steps taken on January 25, over the years, that pushed our tele-technologies just a little bit further.

On this date in 1881, Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison formed the Oriental Telephone Company.

On this date in 1915, Alexander Graham Bell began U.S. transcontinental telephone service with a phone call from New York to San Francisco, California.

On this date in 1949, the first Emmy Awards were presented for excellence in television programming.

On this date in 1961, U.S. President John F. Kennedy delivered the first live presidential television news conference.

And on this date in 1984, Apple Macintosh computers first went on sale to the public, making telecommuting that much more possible (and pleasant!).

What's next in tele-stuff?

The James Webb Space Telescope will be launched next spring (2019). It should provide even more detailed photos of even more space-side wonders than the Hubble gave us!

Televisions of the future will likely use Quantum Dot LED technology. They will be even higher resolution than the flat screens of today.

Some things we may see in future telephones: hologram technology, flexibility, and clean (environmentally friendly) technology. The latter might possibly include phones that run on kinetic energy and that never need to be recharge via electricity.

Telecommuting will no doubt increase even more in the future. It has been seen to increase productivity, and it is better for people's health and the planet's environment. It maximizes employees loyalty and thus minimizes employee turnover, and it helps both new parents and seniors keep their jobs. It even reduces costs!