× Oberlin Smith published a description of magnetic recording in Electrical World, Sep. 8, 1888. The proposed device used an electromagnet and a string covered with iron filings. The wire recorder was invented in 1900 by Valdemar Poulsen. In 1936, the magnetophon was introduced in Germany by the Allgemeine Elektrizitatsgesellschaft (AEG) and I. G. Farben companies. Bing Crosby was a major backer of the first Ampex tape recorder. On the 8-track of The Who's Live at Leeds, the extended jam version of "My Generation" is interrupted when the tape goes from track three to track four. The cassette was patented in 1964, signaling the demise of the 8-track format. The tape in a 90-minute cassette is roughly 443 feet long. The first High Definition car radio was sold on Jan. 5 of this year in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
sources: iBiquity Digital Corp, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.'s Virtual Museum, University of San Diego, our readers
Got a fact for the Fun Page? Send it in to The Fun Page International Headquarters by e-mailing ross@indyweek.com. Be sure to include the words Fun Page in the subject line and remember: It's Supposed to Be Fun!
