Meet The Fellows
learn more about the class of ’13
GO INSIDE THE INVENTIVE MIND
Follow along as we share the passion and anecdotes of IBMers who helped send people to the moon, hatched trillions of barcodes, launched the computer industry and then even taught one to play Jeopardy! They’re just some of the innovations we’ve been working on to build a smarter planet.
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IBMblr, an innovation culture blog on Tumblr, is managed by Cecilia Correa and Marco Pereira and follows the IBM Social Computing Guidelines.
Sometimes the greatest scientific breakthroughs happen by chance. Dropping a piece of silicon into hydrofluoric acid, for instance, allowed IBM Fellow Bernard Meyerson to discover the silicon germanium chip. The rest, as they say, is history, as SiGe influences how our WiFi, cell phones and GPS devices work today.
In what was called the “smallest publicity stunt ever,” IBM Fellow Don Eigler arranged atoms to spell the letters “IBM” in 1989. This innovation marked the first time we could move individual atoms—a huge innovation for really small science.
This innovation gives computing the flexibility of Olympic gymnasts. It tells virtual machines when to jump from server to server, and workload to workload, without even breaking a sweat. See the newly-awarded Patent No. 8,352,953.
Inventing is great. But sometimes it’s fun to break things apart, too.
How would Paul Rand pronounce IBMblr?
Shopping in your PJs, 1994
Another groundbreaking
innovation of the last 20 years
Whether you’re in the market for miso ramen flavored ice cream, the hair from your favorite dead celebrity or the latest in steampunk couture, there’s shelf space for even the most eccentric of tastes in that great big virtual store in the cloud we call the Internet.
And finding live Madagascan cockroaches to send to that cheating ex-girlfriend of yours, in just a matter of minutes, wouldn’t be possible, if it wasn’t for IBM US patent No. 5,319,542. This essential invention put the e in e-commerce, by electronically matching what customers are looking to buy with items merchants are looking to sell. It’s hard to imagine a time when computers weren’t our personal grand bazaars for the bizarre. Or just a convenient way to buy books and shoes.
So long, silicon chip? This innovation for one-atom thick graphene transistors can transmit electrical pulses 1,000 times faster than silicon. That could give a jolt to the rate that our computers and electronics improve—and uphold Moore’s Law for decades to come. See the newly-awarded Patent No. 8,344,358.
Massive video stream monitoring, 2009
Another groundbreaking
innovation of the last 20 years
Imagine how much great TV you could catch up on if you were able to watch more than one channel at a time. Unfortunately our minds aren’t wired to process that much visual input at once, but our computers are. Hundreds and thousands of videos in fact.
Now with IBM US Patent No. 7,545,978, multiple video streams can provide us with a clear, current view of what’s going on in any given topic, at any given time. Besides being incredibly useful for tracking business and news events around the globe, it will also work wonders with real-time traffic. Something to think about next time you’re stuck in rush-hour gridlock and your favorite show is about to start.
Shoplifters beware! 2012
Another groundbreaking
innovation of the last 20 years
Nothing’s more annoying than getting home from a full day of shopping and discovering the sales associate left the security sensor on your cool new duds. Well, thanks to IBM US Patent No. 8,259,175, those pesky little tags might become of thing of the past.
By leveraging technology that automatically sifts through video sources for redundancy while factoring in time of day and previous thefts, retail stores will be able to better detect shoplifters and their behavior—simply by using video technology. Lucky for you, that means no more beeping at the door and less trips back to the mall to remove sensors.
Learn more about it.
Charges only where you are, 2012
Another groundbreaking
innovation of the last 20 years
Today $1,000 cheeseburgers aren’t unheard of at some luxury restaurants and hotels. And while most people wouldn’t dream of it, someone with your stolen credit card information and an expensive bovine habit might have other ideas.
Thankfully IBM US Patent no. 8,229,853 is there to stand in the way of such pricey ground beef capers. By dynamically cross-referencing your credit card with your indicated location and times, cardholders won’t get stuck with the bill for something they didn’t order. Because if you’re left holding the bill, you better be holding the napkin, too.
1 GIF + (20 + 80 years of innovation) = 100 X 100, a film about a century of innovations that changed the world.
