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- In Memoriam: Thomas E. Kurtz, BASIC Programming Language Co-Creator
In Memoriam: Thomas E. Kurtz, BASIC Programming Language Co-Creator
PLUS: Huawei's MED Drive Brings 72TB Hybrid Storage to Life
Meghanadh Vasireddy
November 18, 2024
Good Morning! We've lost a computing pioneer with the passing of Thomas E. Kurtz, BASIC's co-creator who revolutionized how we teach programming. Huawei's new MED Drive is making waves by cleverly combining SSD and tape tech to deliver massive 72TB storage while using minimal power. Meanwhile, the supposedly decentralized Twitter alternative Bluesky isn't quite as decentralized as people think – at least not yet.
In Memoriam: Thomas E. Kurtz, BASIC Programming Language Co-Creator
Context: Before laptops became ubiquitous, programming was an exclusive club of specialists working with car-sized computers. That changed when Thomas E. Kurtz and John Kemeny decided to democratize computing at Dartmouth in the early 1960s. Kurtz, who passed away on November 12, 2024, at 96, left an indelible mark on computer science education.
Kurtz and Kemeny tackled two major challenges: resource sharing and programming accessibility. They developed the Dartmouth Time-Sharing System (DTSS), allowing multiple users to simultaneously access a single computer - revolutionary for its time. But their real game-changer was BASIC (Beginner's All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code), a programming language designed for novices that could be learned in just two one-hour sessions.
BASIC's simplicity had a ripple effect across computing history. Here's why it matters:
It became the foundation for early Microsoft operating systems
Influenced generations of programmers, including Bill Gates
Demonstrated that programming could be accessible to non-technical users
Still powers various systems today
What's fascinating is that Kurtz's "nutty idea" - that humanities and social science students should learn computing - has become a cornerstone of modern education. His work at Dartmouth, including establishing one of the earliest computer science master's programs, helped shape our current understanding that computational literacy isn't just for mathematicians and engineers.
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Huawei's MED Drive Brings 72TB Hybrid Storage to Life
Huawei's been pushing boundaries since getting cut off from US tech suppliers. Their latest creation? A hybrid storage device that marries SSD and tape technology - dubbed the magneto-electric disk (MED).
What's New: The first-gen MED packs a whopping 72TB into a single sealed unit, combining flash storage's speed with tape's capacity. Think of it as having your cake and eating it too - you get SSD-like performance for hot data while archiving the cold stuff on tape, all in one device. The real kicker? It pulls this off while sipping just 10% of what traditional HDDs gulp down in power.
When you rack these bad boys up, you're looking at:
8 GB/s combined throughput
10+ PB storage capacity per rack
Under 2kW power consumption
20% lower total cost of ownership vs conventional tape systems
Looking Ahead: Huawei's already got their sights set on gen 2, aiming to shrink it down to fit 3.5-inch drive bays by 2026-2027. While Chinese cloud providers are first in line to adopt this tech, it's a fascinating glimpse into storage innovation driven by necessity. Who knew trade restrictions could spark such creative engineering?
Read More Here
As more users flee X (formerly Twitter) this November, Bluesky has emerged as a popular alternative. But there's some confusion about its decentralized nature.
Despite common beliefs, Bluesky isn't currently decentralized or federated. The platform runs on AT Protocol (atproto), which consists of three key components:
Personal Data Servers (PDSs): Host user data and signing keys
Relays: Index and aggregate PDS content (requiring ~4.5TB storage)
App Views: Transform relay data into user-facing features
What's interesting is that while users can run their own PDSs (for about $15/month), there's currently only one functioning relay and app view - both controlled by Bluesky. The platform's architecture uses Merkle trees for content verification, similar to Git, making all public data cryptographically signed and accessible.
Cost Considerations: Running a complete Bluesky stack is expensive - we're talking hundreds or thousands monthly compared to Mastodon's relatively modest hosting costs. Plus, with data growing at roughly 180GB daily, these requirements are only increasing as more users join.
Looking Forward: While Bluesky's team seems committed to true decentralization, we're likely years away from that reality. For now, it's essentially a centralized service with some novel architectural choices and the promise of future decentralization.
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