TNMOC in the news

 

 

TNMOC on Twitter -- keep up to date with postings @tnmoc

 

28 Jun 10

 

TNMOC -- a National Treasure says Micro Mart

Kevin Murrell interviewed in Micromart 4-page feature (not on web). Issue 1112, 24-30 June 2010, p32-36.


26 Jun 10

 

bit-tech at the VCF

four section feature with lots of pictures from Hacking & Modding to Gaming & Speeches to The AmigaOne X1000 & Chiptunes &Synthpop.


22 Jun 10

 

BBC Radio 5 Outriders podcast at the VCF

and an article and a YouTube video too.


22 Jun 10

 

ZDNet at the VCF

and in the first of its photogalleries.


21 Jun 10

 

Wired at the VCF in pictures

Keyboard colours aren't what they used to be and other assorted gems.


21 Jun 10

 

Vintage computers inspire next generation of scientists - BBC News Online

Chris Vallance reports on the VCF.


21 Jun 10

 

The Register and The Inquirer on the Amiga launch at the VCF

Transputers and the new Amiga.


21 Jun 10

 

Retro machines festival is more than just old fun and games: The Inquirer

Clive Akass is shocked "to see products barely two decades old looking like something from another age".


21 Jun 10

 

Retro tweeting at the Vintage Computer Festival

It's Twitter not Jet Set Willy for Techradar on the ZX Spectrum at the VCF.


20 Jun 10

 

BBC radio visits the Vintage Computer Festival

BBC Radio 4 BH programme reports on Saturday at the VCF -- available until next Saturday 54 minutes in


8 Jun 10

 

Inside TNMOC

Nigel Kendall of The Times is intrigued by the smell of TNMOC: "electronic valves heating up and burning off dust ... the smell of my grandmother's living room." (Registration required for access to The Times).


28 May 10

 

Analogue gadgets back in fashion in a digital age

BBC Click talks to Kevin Murrell


27 Apr 10

 

OMD at Vintage Computer Festival

Vintage Computer Festival recruits OMD for synthpop loveliness -- The Register.


6 Apr 10

 

Kevin Murrell interviewed on BBC Radio London by Robert Elms on the history of computing

Currently available on Robert Elm's podcast 14mins and 30 sec in.


25 Mar 10

 

"The Brits that built the tech behind the internet" -- video

Kevin Murrell and Lin Jones in starring roles at TNMOC explaining packet switching.


10 Mar 10

 

TNMOC blog starts on Computer Weekly

Random Access Memories. First one on The Golden Age of Computing. But when?


25 Feb 10

 

Ford of Europe donates Wang computer to TNMOC

Video from Ford TV.


18 Feb 10

 

How the Brits invented packet switching and made the internet possible from Computer Weekly

Includes video of Brian Aldous of NPL in TNMOC Technology of the Internet Gallery.


1 Feb 10

 

BBC features on the history of computing

Computer pioneer interactive history family tree and leads into most of the stories below.

The role of NPL in developing the infrastructure of the internet -- filmed at TNMOC including an interview with Donald Davies' wife and a demo of packet switching by Roger Scantlebury of Donald Davies' packet switching development team at NPL .

Bletchley's code-cracking Colossus.

Secrets, spies and supercomputing and Tony Sale on the workings of Colossus.

"The world's first computer user." Capt Jerry Roberts on Colossus and Tunny.

How to crack Nazi codes. Capt Jerry Roberts explains.


29 Jan 10

 

Codebreaker Capt Jerry Roberts video interviewed at TNMOC by Computer Weekly plus article

Sitting in front of Colossus, Capt Roberts sings the praises of Tutte and Flowers.


27 Jan 10

 

Digital Doomsday: the end of knowledge in New Scientist

TNMOC trustee Kevin Murrell features talking about longevity of hard discs.


26 Jan 10

 

Growing media interest in Vintage Computer Festival

In BusinessCulture, Pocket-Lint, Culture24 showing a wonderful dated picture, Emoiz, bit-tech.net.


20 Jan 10

 

Colossus features as one of history's great objects

as selected by the BBC and The British Museum.


5 Jan 10

 

Tony Sale on the regeneration of Bletchley Park in The OU Community Online

Director and trustee of TNMOC talks about his time at Bletchley Park.


30 Dec 09

 

Nick Heath of Silicon.com takes a look at the tech at the heart of the internet

The low-down on the beginnings of internet technology with lots of images.


16 Dec 09

 

Maggie Holland has a Q&A session about Colossus with Tony Sale in IT Pro

"Colossus was the first production computer [of its kind] as there were 10 of them here." And a few photos.


4 Dec 09

 

Technology of the Internet gallery opens

The Institute of Engineering and Technology magazine:Technology of the Internet gallery is world first.

The Institute of Engineering & Technology blog: packets aren't just for sweets.

The Inquirer: The gallery was opened on December 4th in the presence of the world's press and as lively a gang of OAPs as your ever likely to encounter ...   

Milton Keynes Citizen: Thought the internet started overseas? Think again...

Computeractive: Gallery shows how early communications technologies led to the internet.

ITPro: Computing museum celebrates history of the internet

Australian PC Authority: Museum unearths WWW origins

More at: NSTYahoo Brazil 


22 Nov 09

 

Colossus features on BBC's Antiques Roadshow

but they didn't dare value it! (Link won't work for non-UK users and is only available on iPlayer for seven days).


17 Nov 09

 

Jack Schofield reports in The Guardian on Sir Maurice Wilkes' visit to TNMOC

Walk round The National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park and sooner or later you'll hear a cry of recognition and someone will say: "I remember using one of those." It probably doesn't happen often to The Millionaire, a mechanical calculator that went into production in 1893, but Sir Maurice Wilkes spotted it, adding: "We used to have one in the lab. I hope it's still there."


21 Oct 09

 

Rory Cellan-Jones of the BBC and Tony Sale on Windows 7

Rory Cellan-Jones Technology Correspondent of the BBC visits TNMOC to see older versions of Windows and find out what version of Windows is used by the man who led the rebuild of the world's first digital programmable computer.

Tony Sale also features on today's BBC News at One (no link unfortunately).


24 Sep 09

 

Readers respond to Jack Schofield's article on TNMOC

"The trouble is that industrial history isn't sexy ..."

"I strongly recommend the British institution stays in close touch with the California team. I know that they will help the newer group to sidestep the landmines that plagued us in the early years ..."


21 Sep 09

 

Classic computers on the danger list  says New Scientist

Tom Simonite on the world's three computing museums highlighting Colossus at TNMOC (video) some good pictures of the big three.


16 Sep 09

 

The Guardian's Jack Schofield California Dreamin': A tale of two computer museums

"A rational government would look at TNMOC's impressive progress in only four years and chuck it a few quid."


14 Sep 09

 

The Inquirer tours a museum where visitors get to touch the exhibits

Stewart Meagher enjoys a museum where "the simplest of questions sends volunteers scurrying off in all directions, returning moments later with defunct and occasionally smouldering components, circuit diagrams and fragments of ancient punch tape". 

   

14 Sep 09

 

V3 takes users on a photo tour of TNMOC

 

   

13 Sep 09

 

Kevin Murrell interviewed about the WITCH on BBC Science Cafe (BBC iPlayer link for UK listeners for the next seven days -- about 4 minutes in)

     

3 Sep 09

 

Harwell / WITCH computer arrives at TNMOC for restoration

Jack Schofield of The Guardian on the WITCH that ain't dead.

BBC News Online researches WITCH's past.

BBC News Online video Kevin Murrell interviewed during the arrival of WITCH at TNMOC.

Silicon.com on restoring a granddaddy of computers.

Wired on the machine that is to roar back to life.

ITWire wishes TNMOC luck in creating its latest great new exhibit.

Computer Weekly and Electronics Weekly on world's oldest computer comes back to life.

Ahh Slashdot!

Picture of the Day on New Scientist for today only, subsequently here.

The Register on the computing equivalent of raising the Mary Rose.

ZDNet with a nice hat-tip to the first WITCH restoration sponsor, InsightSoftware.com.

CNET on the restoration.

ITPro on the machine "that shows how great Great Britain can be in the field of technology".

Techwatch on "the machine that took ten seconds to do one sum"..

The Inquirer on the machine that replaced "the clackety-clackety-kerchunk mechanical calculators you see in old movies".

Wolverhampton Express and Star from the area where WITCH last functioned in 1973.

   

28 Jul 09

 

Follow in the footsteps of geeks

Bill Thompson of the BBC says ... First stop, of course, has to be 51° 59' 47.44" N, 0° 44' 33.94" W - better known as Bletchley Park, home of the British code breaking efforts during the Second World War and now also the location of the fabulous National Museum of Computing.


22 Jul 09

 

Myleene Klass at TNMOC beginning a CNN feature on piracy

CNN came to film two weeks ago, drawn by the allure of so many vintage computers. TNMOC clip starts at one minute in.


9 Jul 09

 

Jack Schofield of The Guardian with a classic headline about Tony Sale's PhD

 


25 May 09

 

BBC Digital Planet at TNMOC

The guys from BBC Digital Planet visited the museum last week, and their latest episode is now online.  What nice people they are as well!  Many thanks to Gareth, Bill and the wonderful Michelle.

Quirky short video about the production of the program

Listen again here

Gareth bathing in nostalgia


12 May 09

 

Stephen Fry at TNMOC and Bletchley Park 

Rory Cellan-Jones writes about his visit to Bletchley Park "and one of the new highlights of the site": TNMOC.

Some pictures from Christian Payne on Flickr:

Stephen Fry talks to Tony Sale about the Tunny machine

Stephen Fry meets Colossus

Stephen Fry in teenage heaven: the new PC Gallery

Stephen Fry talking to Lin Jones

Stephen Fry on YouTube at Bletchley Park and TNMOC


7 May 09

 

PC Gallery opens

ZD Net and the evolution of the PC.

Computer Weekly reports with slide show after a visit to the museum by Ian Grant.

Silicon.com reports with photos and captions following a visit to the museum by Nick Heath.

Computerworld reports.

ComputerActive reports.

Pocket-Lint reports.


24 Apr 09

 

Pixelh8 does The Strand on BBC World Service

Report on Obsolete? and interview with Matthew Applegate and Tony Sale by Dan Damon. And more on the genre of chip-tune. Starts 11mins and 28 secs in. Available until 1pm on 30 April 2009.


22 Apr 09

 

Pixelh8 plays More Math and Monster on Radio 3's Late Junction

Two excerpts from Obsolete? played at Bletchley Park in March. The excerpts are about 25 and 57 minutes in. UK listeners can listen to them online until 30 April 2009.


20 Apr 09

 

Code-cracking and computers -- Aaj TV (Pakistan)

War time code-cracking and Colossus.


1 Apr 09

 

Datormusik på riktigt -- Swedes take to Obsolete?

A nice photo even if you canot read Swedish!


24 Mar 09

 

ZDNet video feature on Obsolete?

ZDNet at the first night performance of Obsolete? last Friday. 


24 Mar 09

 

BBC Radio 6 Music feature on Obsolete? and the music of Pixelh8

 


24 Mar 09

 

BBC Look East feature video on Obsolete?

BBC Look East's coverage of Obsolete? on Saturday.


23 Mar 09

 

BBC Suffolk photo gallery of Obsolete? performance

Saturday night pictures of Obsolete? including Matthew Applegate with Imogen Heap.


16 Mar 09

 

Matthew Applegate / Pixelh8 and Lin Jones of TNMOC interviewed on BBC Radio 4 Click On programme

Recorded on Friday 6 March, the interviews aired on Monday 16 March, but if you missed the broadcast you can catch it again here (15 mins and 40 secs in).


16 Mar 09

 

Pixelh8 to play Bletchley

Guest of the month -- Performing Rights Society Foundation

Code-breaks and beats -- New Scientist

Datormusik på riktigt -- NyTeknik (Sweden)

Making beautiful music with the earliest computers -- Silicon.com

L'orchestra virtuale dei Pc-dinosauro -- Macworld Italy

Vintage computers play electronica -- Computer Weekly

A musical trip to Bletchley Park  -- ZDNet

Old computers resurrected as instruments at Bletchley Park -- Slashdot

Bletchley's Colossus makes beautiful music -- The Register

Bletchley Park to stage retro computer orchestra -- bit.tech

Yo Colossus -- PC World

Composer orchestrates historic computers -- The Institution of Engineering and Technology

Vintage computers set to make music -- IT Pro


23 Feb 09

 

Clive Akass remembers life with slide rules

In PCW online.


17 Feb 09

 

Matthew Applegate / Pixelh8 on BBC Look East TV news 

Matthew was interviewed at TNMOC recently about his forthcoming composition using sounds from TNMOC vintage computers. More about Obsolete? his forthcoming concerts at Bletchley Park.


16 Feb 09

 

Dr Sue Black tells the Daily Telegraph why she is ashamed to be British 

because the UK Government neglects Bletchley Park -- and she gives a warm endorsement to The National Museum of Computing. 


16 Feb 09

 

Silicon.com reports on IRIS regaining its vision 

Includes lots of pictures of the former air traffic control system now working at TNMOC. 


14 Feb 09

 

Matthew Applegate / Pixelh8 on BBC News 24 

Matthew was interviewed by BBC News 24 recently about Obsolete? -- music from TNMOC vintage computers. Clip starts about 9 mins and 30 secs in.


12 Feb 09

 

The Register reports on TNMOC firing up the Big Green-Eyed Monster

IRIS, the technology that for decades kept airspace over Southern England safe can now be seen in action in public for the first time ever at TNMOC. 


8 Feb 09

 

Matthew Applegate / Pixelh8 featured on BBC Radio 6 Music (19 mins in).

Matthew talks about his chip tune music, the machines he uses as instruments, his forthcoming concerts at Bletchley Park and his growing band of followers.


2 Feb 09

 

Colossus and TNMOC on BBC1 The One Show.

No longer available to view on BBC iPlayer, but it was a wonderfully atmospheric piece on the workings of Colossus and its significance as the world's first programmable electronic computer.


27 Jan 09

 

BBC Radio Suffolk interview with Matthew Applegate / Pixelh8 about Obsolete? at TNMOC

on BBC iPlayer, starts about 17 minutes in. Link will disappear on 3 Feb 09.


23 Jan 09

 

TNMOC original Macintosh appears on BBC News Online to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Mac

 


 9 Dec 08

 

Kevin Murrell, TNMOC trustee, interviewed on BBC News 24 about the 40th anniversary of the computer mouse (no link)

 

   

7 Nov 08

 

Code cracking and computers -- BBC News Online feature 

Mark Ward looks at Colossus and the war time code-cracking at Bletchley Park.

 

   

9 Sep 08

 

PGP and IBM industry initiative to support The National Museum of Computing

A selection of the reports:

BBC News Online

The Register

IT Pro

vnunet 

ZDNet

 

   

24 Jul 08

 

Celebrating the UK computer pioneers on BBC News Online

Britain's role in the development of the computer and the significance of work in Block H at Bletchley Park (now the home of TNMOC).


24 Jul 08

 

Academics write to The Times about the urgent to save the heritage of Bletchley park

 

   

23 Jun 08

 

BBC News Online audio slideshow on rebuild of Colossus Mk II 

   

23 Jun 08

 

Royal visit to BP and The National Museum of Computing (no link)

 

   

12 Jun 08

 

TNMOC takes to video

A series of short videos about the machines in the museum collection.

Clips so far

 

   

28 May 08

 

The One Show filming at the museum

As part of a series of short features, the BBC spent the day with us filming Colossus and various machines in the museum's collection. Broadcast is scheduled for BBC1 7pm on Monday 26 January 2009. (no link)

   

24 Mar 08

 

Museum recieves its first visitors

As a trial of our procedures we opened the museum to visitors on Saturday and Monday over the Easter weekend. Almost 800 people came to look around the initial displays. (no link)

   

20 Mar 08

 

Museum supplies working systems for the BBC Anniversary event

The National Museum of Computing supplied the working BBC computers, including a Domesday machine, for the Computer Conservation Society event at the Science Museum.

BBC video clip of interviews here.

Click here for the CCS web pages.

   

19 Mar 08

 

Museum featured on Silicon.com

Silicon.Com has produced a series of video reports about the museum and the first video is available now.

   

17 Mar 08

 

Home for museum guaranteed for 25 years

The signing of the lease over Block H with The Bletchley Park Trust means we can now work together to create a world class museum dedicated to computing in all its forms. (no link)

   

26 Jan 08

 

Cipher Challenge Winner Award Prize at Bletchley Park

Joachim Schueth, from Bonn, receives award for winning The National Museum of Computing's Cipher Challenge on November 15 2007.

 

   

26 Nov 07

 

New Patrons & A Curatorial Advisor

The trustees announces two new patrons: Sir Richard Dearlove and Sir Crispin Tickell.
Doron Swade, formerly Senior Curator of Computing at the Science Museum, has also agreed to become an advisor to the museum. (no link)

 

   

22 Nov 07

 

The Guardian cracks the case for a museum of computing

Jack Scofield puts the case for the national museum of computing

 

   

15 Nov 07

 

The Media take to the Colossus Cipher Challenge!

We have been inundated by the media - a fantastic, if tiring, feeling! We have been interviewed and appeared on BBC 1, ITN Anglia, the Today Programme, BBC Scotland, The World Service, and many local radio stations. Articles about the new museum have appeared in The Guardian, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Daily Mail, and The Daily Express!

   

14 Nov 07

 

The Cipher Challenge

The cipher challenge started today in ernest with regular transmissions being received from the HNF museum in Paderborn, Germany. (no link)

   

20 Oct 07

 

Daily Express Article

Following a visit from the Express features editor, the Saturday paper on 20th October included a two page article on the Colossus and the museum. (no link)

   

06 Oct 07

 

ICL 2966 Mainframe moved onto display gallery

A little later than planned, the ICL 2966 Mainframe goes on display in our Large Systems Room.

Click here for more pictures

     
   

12 Jul 07

 

British Computer Society celebrates at the National Museum of Computing

The BCS @ 50 event to celebrate the first fifty years of the British Computer Society was held in July and gave delegates the first opportunity to see the work on the new museum (no link)

   

10 Jul 07

 

BBC News OnLine Visits the Museum

Mark Ward from BBC OnLine website visited the museum today in preparation of a featuer.

Follow this link to the BBC Technology page about us
This is a link to the BBC's follow up page about us

 

   

17 Jan 07

 

War-time cipher machine Colossus will be the star exhibit at a new National Museum of Computing being set up with BCS's support this year at Bletchley Park.

BCS is making a £75,000 donation to help keep Colossus operational in its original location at Bletchley where it cracked Nazi codes during the Second World War Colossus will form an important focus of the new museum, which is being developed throughout 2007 by the Codes and Ciphers Heritage Trust (CCHT) in partnership with Bletchley Park Trust (BPT). (no link)
 

   

1 Feb 06

 

World’s first purpose built computer centre planned to become home of National Computer Museum at Bletchley Park.

Built in 1944, Block H at Bletchley Park was designed to house the world’s first digital computers, the Colossus machines.   Built to break Hitler’s advanced Lorentz cipher, the Colossus laid the foundations for all modern computers.

Planned for early 2007, a joint venture between Bletchley Park Trust (BPT) and CodesAndCiphers Heritage Trust (CCHT), hopes to establish a National Computer Museum in this Grade II listed building. (no link)

 

   

7 Nov 05

 

Joint press release with Bletchley Park Trust

"Bletchley Park Trust (BPT) and Codes and Ciphers Heritage Trust (CCHT) are working together to try to agree a common vision for a world class exhibition on the history of computing at Bletchley Park. Both parties are hoping that this might be opened in 2007 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the British Computer Society. (no link)

 

7 Jun 05

 

Computing history trusts receives charitable status (no link)

 

   

 

 

 

     

 

 

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