Printing, Scanning and Copying as a Sport

By Margaret Anne I.Garcia

In its recent outburst of various teams and varsities, especially with the UA&P season in full swing, the administration has forgotten to acknowledge its most widely known and highly anticipated sport: Printing Scanning and Copying within the campus.

For those who aren't familiar with the game, here are a few basics. It is midterm season, and waves of stressed out students are rushing to the nearest photocopying machines to get the latest copy of readings, thronging at every printer in school to reach deadlines. Papers are crucial to the game; players without papers to submit or readings to study are immediately disqualified.

The pressure is on. There is a reading that needs to be photocopied in SOM, some scanning and printing to be done at RMT, then a test to rush to right afterwards. Competitors hurtle down the hallways at breakneck speed, obliviously knocking down anyone in their path. This is when players are in the zone.

Most outsiders view this as a harmless and nonviolent pastime. To those who actually take part in the activity, it is anything but.

Is there no way to make life simpler for the mind-wrecked drones of students? Will our photocopying Ates and printing Kuyas ever be safe from the harassment of academically abused students? Well, maybe not, but luckily technology has its way of mitigating even the worst situations. The key: Multifunctional Devices. It is a machine which incorporates the functionality of multiple devices in one to provide more systematic document management, distribution and production. That’s right, it can print, scan and copy and the best thing is, it’s all in one machine. Why run from one computer room that can’t print in colored to one that can but can’t scan then rush to another part of school that has a photocopier but not a printer and a scanner? If every place in school had complete capabilities, we could save our energy for our philo orals instead of running around.

Aside from not having to move around so much just to get a copy and print something on the other side of school, MFD´s offer a convenient way to move documents digitally. Many MFD’s are network compatible and have a built-in network card so they can be hooked into the company’s network to be used by anyone connected to the network.

However, PSC demands skill, technique and competitiveness. And these machines have actually come a long way from its humble beginnings. These babies are on high speed, high on quality output, and highly advanced in functionality and productivity. With the need for effective document distribution becoming more and more important in today´s school environment, MFDs can provide meaningful benefits for everyone who needs the functions and those who want to make money out of providing these services.

The main advantage of MFDs is multi-location usage; they can be conveniently used in the office or at home. For general applications, scanning, printing and faxing is as good with standalone machines. However, for specialised usage, standalones serve the purpose better. For instance, the quality of the zoom and sorter feature in our MFD's scanner is almost same as that of a regular office-use scanner. The image quality and resolution in printing is as good as that of a regular office-use printer.

According to a new report from InfoTrends entitled U.S. Consumer Imaging End-User Scanner Survey: 2008, the trend toward using multifunctional devices with scanning capabilities for scanning is becoming as prevalent in the consumer environment as it is among business users. When asked to describe their primary scanner (i.e., the one they used the most), nearly 85% of survey participants indicated an all-in-one (AIO) device of some kind. Survey participants were also asked to identify the type of scanner that they would most likely purchase if they did not have a scanner and were planning to buy one. All-in-one devices with scanning capabilities were the clear favorite, capturing nearly three quarters of the responses.

In addition, owners of all-in-one devices were asked why they would choose to use an all-in-one scanner over a single-function device. The most common responses were that all-in-ones are easier to use, faster, or offer better image quality. Multifunctional devices with scanning capabilities have helped breathe new life into this market because they can also be used for printing, copying, or faxing.

If your school or office is currently littered with multiple scanners, printers, copiers and faxes, you can save on equipment costs and service agreements, as well as space, by investing in MFCs that can each do the work of four machines. And there are plenty of very smart machines available, it’s just a matter of searching for the one that suits you best. For general applications, scanning, printing and faxing through MFDs is as good as that offered by standalone machines. But then, you might have more specialized needs.

Sources:

Scanning in Consumer Environment Shifting to Multifunctional Devices. InfoTrends. 27 May 2008. Taken from the database of InfoTrends.com: http://www.infotrends-rgi.com/public/Content/Press/2008/05.31.2008.html.

Multifunctional Device Buying Guide. Multifunctional Devices. Retrieved on: 4 August 2009. Taken from the database of MultifunctionalDevices.co.uk: http://www.multifunctionaldevices.co.uk/multifunctional-device-buying-guide.html

Are MFD’s Better than Standalones?. Team Digit. 1 March 2005. Taken from the Database of ThinkDigit.com: http://www.thinkdigit.com/General/Are-MFDs-Better-Than-Standalones_1853.html

FACTs & FAQs about FAX Machines

· Brief History

o The fax machine is actually a development of the telegraph technology of Samuel Morse in the 1800s. The first primitive fax machine was invented by Alexander Bain, a Scottish mechanic and clockmaker. He was patented for the design in 1843. This model was then further improved and developed by Frederick Bakewell, Giovanni Casseli, Elisha Gray, Arthur Korn, and Edouard Belin.

· What is the device used for?

o Fax machines, or facsimiles, are used to transmit images via standard phone lines. Business organizations are the most common users of the fax machine in order to immediately transmit or deliver business documents. They are frequently used to submit resumes and other important documents.

· How does it work?

o Sending fax transmissions is viable through various means because of today’s technology. The most common medium is through telephone lines.

o The fax system is comprised of transmitting devices that translate the graphic material into electrical impulses according to a set pattern, and a synchronized receiving device that retranslates these impulses and prints that.

o In a typical system, the fax scanner consists of a rotating cylinder, a source projecting a narrow beam of light, and a photoelectric cell. The copy to be transmitted is wrapped around the cylinder and is scanned by the light beam, which moves along the cylinder as it revolves.

o “The output of the photoelectric cell is amplified and transmitted to the receiving end, where a similar cylinder, covered with specially impregnated paper, revolves in synchronism with the transmitting cylinder. A light of varying intensity moves along the rotation cylinder and darkens the paper by chemically reproducing the pattern of the original. When the fax is done, it pops out as a blueprint of what the other person sent.”

o The receiving fax machine then decodes, uncompresses, and reassembles the bits of the scanned document transmitted via the telephone lines. The received document can then be printed out through any of the five common means: thermal paper, thermal film, inkjet, laser printer, and computer printer (via fax modem).

· Who are the leading providers for the said device?

o Brother

o Sharp

o Panasonic

o Hewlett Packard

o Canon

o Ricoh

o Xerox

o Lexmark

· How does it differ from other similar devices?

o The primary function of the fax machine may as well be performed by the scanner and e-mail. However using the fax machine cuts short the process of transmitting documents by just a single push of the button. There is no need to scan first the document, e-mail it, and then finally print it. The delivery process using a fax machine becomes instantaneous and there is need to have a computer or access to the Internet.

References:

http://library.thinkquest.org/27887/gather/history/fax.shtml. Accessed 4 August 2009.

http://communication.howstuffworks.com/fax-machine.htm. Accessed 4 August 2009.

http://www.guide2faxmachines.com/leading-brands/. Accessed 4 August 2009.

Image Source:

https://www.samstores.com/_images/products/KX-FP145.jpg. Accessed 6 August 2009.

Publisher: Rey Mari Antonio M. Angeles CS30-F

Computer Terminals

How does it work?

A terminal is an input and output device that connects you to a mainframe or other type of computer.

Kinds of terminals:

• Dumb terminal - can be used to input and receive data, but it cannot process data independently. It is used to gain access and to send information to a computer. Such a terminal is often used by airline reservation clerks to access a mainframe computer for flight information
• Intelligent terminal - a microcomputer with communications software and a telephone hookup (modem) or other communications link. These connect the terminal to the larger computer or to the internet
• Network terminal - also known as a thin client, is a low-cost alternative to an intelligent terminal. Most network terminals do not have a hard-disk drive and must rely on a host computer or server for application and system software. These devices are becoming increasingly popular in many organizations.[1]

What is it used for?

• A computer terminal is an electronic or electromechanical device that is used for entering data into, and displaying data from, a computer or a computing system.
• The function of a terminal is confined to display and input of data; a device with significant local programmable data processing capability may be called a "smart terminal" or “fat client.” A terminal that depends on the host computer for its processing power is called a “thin client.” A personal computer can run software that “terminal emulation” the function of a terminal, sometimes allowing concurrent use of local programs and access to a distant terminal host system.

Who are the leading providers for terminals?

• ADDS
• Boundless
• DEC
  
• IBM
• Hewlett Packard
• Link
• NCR
• Wyse
  

(Source: http://www.vecmar.com/terminals/computer_terminals.htm)

How is a terminal different from other similar devices?

• Timesharing systems evolved in parallel to terminals, and made up for any inefficiencies of the user's typing ability with the ability to support multiple users on the same machine, each at their own terminal.

• In the early 1990s an industry consortium attempted to define a standard that would allow a single CRT screen to implement multiple windows, each of which was to behave as a distinct terminal. Unfortunately like I20, this suffered from being run as a closed standard: non-members were unable to obtain even minimal information and there was no realistic way a small company or independent developer could join the consortium. Possibly because of this the standard disappeared without trace.

• Computer console : text output device for system administration messages

• Virtual console : permits multiple terminals on one hardware.

• Since the advent and subsequent popularization of the personal computer, few genuine hardware terminals are used to interface with computers today.
  
• Using the computer display and computer keyboard, modern operating systems like Linux and the BSD derivatives feature virtual consoles, which are mostly independent from the hardware used.
  
• When using a graphical user interface (or GUI) like the X Window System, one's display is typically occupied by a collection of windows associated with various applications, rather than a single stream of text associated with a single process.
  
• In this case, one may use a terminal emulator application within the windowing environment. This arrangement permits terminal-like interaction with the computer (for running a command line interpreter, for example) without the need for a physical terminal device.

by JULIENNE RABOCA

---

[1] O’Leary, Timothy, and Linda O’Leary. Computing Essentials 2008.

The Fax Machine

A fax machine is a device that can send or receive pictures and text over a telephone line. Fax machines work by digitizing an image; dividing it into a grid of dots. Each dot is either on or off, depending on whether it is black or white. Electronically, each dot is represented by a bit that has a value of either 0 (off) or 1 (on) so it serves as an indicator for the fax machine one what to print based on the dot instruction. In this way, the fax machine translates a picture into a series of zeros and ones, which they call a bitmap that can be transmitted like normal computer data. On the receiving side, a fax machine reads the incoming data, translates the zeros and ones back into dots, and reprints the picture. The most common way to send a fax is through a telephone line, however in today’s world and technology, we can send and receive faxes through our emails, cell-phones, PDA’s and even from our iPods.

In 1986, a decade after the boom of fax machine purchase and after the creation of the first computer fax board, Brothers International Corporation was the leading supplier for the world’s growing demands. In 1996 onwards, Pitney Bowes Facsimile Systems seems to be the market leader of fax machines around the world except for Europe which favors Oki Printing Solutions Company as their main supplier for these fax devices.

Fax machines are similar to e-mails, but based on the procedure of how to use a fax machine wherein the sender has to properly stack the documents face down into the feeder tray and dial more than one number in order to send the documents to the other person. An advantage of this over the e-mail is that this prints the text sheet right away upon receiving the data from the other fax machine. There are no viruses attached to the information form the other line so there is a strong sense o security involved.

A fax machine is a telecommunications technology used to transfer copies of documents, especially using affordable devices operating over the telephone network. Faxes have an advantage over postal mail because the sending of information is instant which allows people to exchange information quickly and over large distances.

References:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1996_May_30/ai_18336463/
http://www.prlog.org/10013246-photocopiers-fax-machines-market-report.html
http://www.okieurope.com/pages/drivers_fr.htm
http://communication.howstuffworks.com/fax-machine4.htm
http://library.thinkquest.org/27887/gather/history/fax.shtml

All of which was accessed today, August 4, 2009

Internet Telephones a.k.a. VoIP

Internet Telephones

a.k.a. VoIP

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Although an Internet telephone looks and functions like a regular telephone, it doesn’t use traditional telephone lines, wirings, and standard phone jacks. Rather, it sends your voice via the Internet and through the use of Voice over Internet Protocol technology, or most commonly known as VoIP. This VoIP technology requires broadband Internet or Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) modem.

The first step in generating an Internet telephone call is the

conversion of the analog voice signal to digital format. It then compresses and translates the signal into Internet protocol (IP) packets for transmission over the Internet. This step is reversed at the receiving end.[1]

To begin using Internet telephones, you first need to avail services from VoIP providers. They will then give you a telephony adaptor that you will plug into your broadband modem. The main purpose of this adaptor is to convert phone pulses into IP packets. These IP packets make possible the experience of regular telephone calls.

WHO ARE THE LEADING PROVIDERS FOR THE SAID DEVICE?

Free VoIP Providers

Commercial VoIP Providers

#1

PhonePower - Unlimited Residential Plan – National, Intl service starts at $14.95/month, US based customer care

#2

$199 for one year with no prepayment. 10 easy payments of $19.99 then 2 months FREE! Unlimited Calls.

#3

Excellent choice for small businesses. Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) VoIP at residential prices.

#4

Now When You Switch To SycoTel VOIP Phone Service You Pay Only 21.95 A Month. All The Best Features.

#5

Headquarter : USA

Availability : Worldwide, USA

HOW DOES IT DIFFER FROM OTHER DEVICES?

Basically, the most similar and logical device we can use to compare VoIP with is the regular landline telephone.

Regular telephones use Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). PSTN is a private network that uses standard phone jacks and wiring for connection. In layman’s terms, this is the old school telephone connection, just like dial-up is the old school Internet connection. In the past, this network has been the basic foundation for obtaining landline service and is usually monopolized and provided by leading telephone companies.

But with the advent of Internet Telephony, people now have another option of using VoIP over regular landlines.

WHAT IS THE DEVICE USED FOR?

Internet Telephones are primarily used like regular telephones. The only difference is that the network that you are using is different (from PSTN to the Internet). This means that users can practically make and receive phone calls in the same old way.

Although there is minimal technical difference between a regular landline and an Internet Telephone, feedbacks from consumers convey that there is actual difference in sound and call quality. Lines can sometimes be choppy that resembles poor cellular phone coverage. Although this problem is usually temporary because it is caused by network traffic, other pressing concerns include susceptibility to power failure, difficulty when making emergency calls because the nature of IP packets make it difficult when locating call centers, security concerns about safety from hacking and eavesdropping, caller ID, and fax handling.

For more in-depth information about Internet Telephony, you may refer to this link: http://www.iec.org/online/tutorials/acrobat/int_tele.pdf

---

[1] "Voice over Internet Protocol. Definition and Overview". International Engineering Consortium. 2007. Retrieved on 2009-08-06.

SOURCES:

[1] http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-an-internet-phone.htm (Accessed August 4, 2009 2:19 p.m.)

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_over_IP#cite_note-0 (Accessed August 6, 2009, 2:12 p.m.)

Terminals

Source: http://www.barcodeman.com/altek/mux/mxcept2a.png (accessed August 6, 2009)

How does it work?

Computer terminal enables a computer to receive and deliver data. It varies depending on the type of data that it handles. The early terminal has a typewriter keyboard for input and a typewriting printing element to access alphanumeric output. The more recent variations have stylus or pressure-sensitive panel for inputs and different television-like screens for outputs. These screens show lines that display alphanumeric or graphic images that are used by architects and engineers as design tools. The modern terminals are used by stores as checkout systems that produce printed receipts and use laser scanners to read the bar codes on packages, and automatic teller machines in banks.

Source: http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/computer_terminal.aspx (accessed August 6, 2009)

Who are the leading providers of this device?

The said device could be purchased from:
1. Symbol Technologies , Inc.
Holtsville, New York

2. Research In Motion Limited
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

3. Hewlett-Packard Company
Palo Alto, California

4. Fujitsu Limited
Tokyo, Japan

5. Psion Teklogix Inc
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Source: http://www.zoominfo.co (accessed August 4, 2009)

What are the different types of terminals?

1. Text terminal
Text terminal, which is otherwise known as terminal, is a computer interface that use text for entry and display. It cooperates with the terminal emulator to communicate with the modern graphical user interface.

2. Dumb terminal
Dumb terminal interpret a limited number of control codes (CR, LF etc.) but does not have the ability to process special escape sequences that perform functions such as clearing a line, clearing the screen, or controlling cursor position. It is sometimes called glass teletypes since it has the same limited functionality as does a mechanical teletype.

3. Graphic terminals
Graphical terminal, as the name implies, can display images as well as text on the screen. It is divided into vector-mode terminals and raster mode.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_terminal#Text_terminals (accessed August 4, 2009)

By Clara Obmerga

Terminals are used for entering and displaying data information from a computer or computing system. If the device has a significant local programmable data processing capability, it is called a "smart terminal" or fat client whereas when the terminal’s processing power is dependent on the host computer it is called a thin client. The device also allows the computer to connect some terminal server, usually a powerful computer, and do all work there, outside own memory and system resources. A personal computer can run software that emulates the function of a terminal, sometimes allowing concurrent use of local programs and access to a distant host system.

KINDS OF TERMINALS
Text terminals, also known as text console, is a serial computer interface for entering and displaying information, where the information is presented as a collection of pre-selected formed characters . There are different types of text terminals which include the system used to operate a computer. Modern computers have a built-in keyboard and display for the console. Some Unix-like operating systems such as Linux, FreeBSD and Mac OS X have virtual consoles to provide several text terminals on a single computer. Another type is the terminal emulator is a computer program that allows text terminals to coexist with modern graphical user interfaces such as the Win32 console. Special terminal emulators are those that are used with modems .
Dumb Terminals, also known as glass teletypes, have limited functionality since they can only interpret a certain number of control codes and do not have the capacity to process special escape sequences that perform functions such as clearing a line, clearing the screen, or controlling cursor position. On the other hand, smart or intelligent terminals are those that also have the ability to process escape sequences, in particular the VT52, VT100 or ANSI escape sequences.

Graphical Terminals, which is the most used terminal today, have the ability to display images as well as text. They are divided into vector mode and raster mode terminals. Vector mode displays are no longer used because of the limited concurrent lines that can be displayed at one time. Today, all modern graphic displays are raster-mode which uses the picture scanning techniques used for television. Modern graphic terminals allow display of colored images and of different size, color and font of the text.

By PamSee

A Dimwit’s Guide to Fax Machines

Why should you use it?

“Fax (short for facsimile, from Latin fac simile, "make similar", i.e. "make a copy") is a telecommunications technology used to transfer copies (facsimiles) of documents, especially using affordable devices operating over the telephone network.” ²

In a nutshell, fax machines are used to send paper files to other fax machines. The output is a copy of the paper file in hard copy format.

Are you a visual person?
Check this out: Click this.

Curious about how it works?

Fax Machines are used to transfer files from one fax machine to another. Files in paper form are read by fax machines as it transmits the data to the receiver. This process is made possible by a telephone line. But technically, how do fax machines really work?

The following explanation on how fax machines work is lifted from the site HowStuffWorks.com:

“Most of the early designs involved a rotating drum. To send a fax, you would attach the piece of paper to the drum, with the print facing outward. The rest of the machine worked something like this:

• There [is] a small photo sensor with a lens and a light.
• The photo sensor [is] attached to an arm and faced the sheet of paper.
• The arm could move downward over the sheet of paper from one end to the other as the sheet rotated on the drum.”¹

Rotating drums somewhat work this way:

After which, a photo sensor is then used by the fax machine to read the sheets of paper. “To transmit the information through a phone line, early fax machines used a very simple technique: If the spot of paper that the photo cell was looking at were white, the fax machine would send one tone; if it were black, it would send a different tone. At the receiving end, there would be a similar rotating-drum mechanism, and some sort of pen to mark on the paper. When the receiving fax machine heard a 1,300-Hertz tone it would apply the pen to the paper, and when it heard an 800-Hertz tone it would take the pen off the paper.” ¹

It works something like this:

“The scanning process: The scanner in a fax machine looks at one line of the sheet of paper. The scan line is shown here in red. It sees a group of black and white spots, shown blown up in the red rectangle at the bottom of the figure. It encodes the pattern of spots and sends them through the phone line.” ¹

This process is used by the traditional fax machines, nowadays modern fax machines operate a little differently. But essentially, it is quite the same.

“A modern fax machine does not have the rotating drums and is a lot faster, but it uses the same basic mechanics to get the job done:

• At the sending end, there is some sort of sensor to read the paper. Usually, a modern fax machine also has a paper-feed mechanism so that it is easy to send multi-page faxes.
• There is some standard way to encode the white and black spots that the fax machine sees on the paper so that they can travel through a phone line.
• At the receiving end, there is a mechanism that marks the paper with black dots.”

“The bits for the scanned document travel through the phone line and arrive at a receiving fax machine. The bits are decoded, uncompressed and reassembled into the scanned lines of the original document.

There are five common ways to print the fax, depending on the type of machine that receives it:

1. Thermal paper -- When fax machines started infiltrating offices en mass in the 1980s, most of them used thermal paper. The paper is coated with chemicals that react to heat by turning black. Thermal paper has several big advantages:
• It's very inexpensive to build a thermal printer.
• Thermal printers have no moving parts except for the paper-feed mechanism.
• There are no expendables like ink or ribbons because the paper contains the ink.
• Thermal printers are nearly indestructible.
• The only disadvantage is that the paper discolors over time, and it turns completely black if you leave it in a hot car.

2. Thermal film -- Thermal film uses a page-width ribbon that contains ink that melts onto paper when heated. This is more complicated mechanically than thermal paper but less complicated than an inkjet.

3. Inkjet -- This technique uses the same mechanism as an inkjet printer.

4. Laser printer -- This technique uses the same mechanism as a laser printer.

5. Computer printer -- The fax is actually received by a fax modem (a modem that understands the Group 3 data standards), stored on the computer's hard disk as a graphics file and then sent to the computer's usual printer.” ¹

Providers who dominates the business

There are numerous providers of fax machines. Some of the leaders in this industry are the following:

In no particular order:

1. Sharp
2. Xerox
3. Panasonic
4. Ricoh
5. Toshiba
6. Brother
7. Canon
8. Minolta
9. Samsung
10. HP
11. Lexmark
12. IBM

How is it any different?

We can differentiate fax machines with different products of today:

Scanners
Scanners are arguably a fax machine killer. Although, we can say that fax machines differ from the scanner by enabling its users to transfer a paper document to another with an output of a paper document.

Telephones
Fax machines do have telephones built in. Telephones do not have fax machines built in.

Printer
Some printers do have fax machine capabilities. Although printers use bond papers and ink to print out the documents, fax machines do have fax papers and requires no ink, with an exception of some specialized fax machines.

Cellular Phones
Cellular phones are used as a portable communication tool. Fax machines on the other hand are also a communication tool, but the bulk of this product is not portable. However, due to the advancement of technology, there are now fax machines which are wireless and portable available in the market.

Features that differ fax machines over another

Some of the features that differentiate one fax machine from another include the following: ³

1. Speed: fax machines transmit data at different rates, from 4,800 bps to 28,800 bps. A 9,600-bps fax machine typically requires 10 to 20 seconds to transmit one page.

2. Printer type: Most fax machines use a thermal printer that requires special paper that tends to turn yellow or brown after a period. More expensive fax machines have printers that can print on regular bond paper.

3. Paper size: The thermal paper used in most fax machines comes in two basic sizes: 8.5-inches wide and 10.1-inches wide. Some machines accept only the narrow-sized paper.

4. Paper cutter: Most fax machines include a paper cutter because the thermal paper that most fax machines use comes in rolls. The least expensive models and portable faxes, however, may not include a paper cutter.

5. Paper feed : Most fax machines have paper feeds so that you can send multiple-page documents without manually feeding each page into the machine.

6. Autodialing: fax machines come with a variety of dialing features. Some enable you to program the fax to send a document at a future time so that you can take advantage of the lowest telephone rates.

Don’t have anything more to do? Read ahead.

Fax Machine History = Usually not for the dimwitted.

Many inventors after Alexander Bain, worked hard on inventing and improving fax machine type devices. ⁴

• In 1850, a London inventor named F. C. Blakewell received a patent what he called a "copying telegraph".
• In 1860, a fax machine called the Pantelegraph sent the first fax between Paris and Lyon. The Pantelegraph was invented Giovanni Caselli.
• In 1895, Ernest Hummel a watchmaker from St. Paul, Minnesota invented his competing device called the Telediagraph.
• In 1902, Dr Arthur Korn invented an improved and practical fax, the photoelectric system.
• In 1914, Edouard Belin established the concept of the remote fax for photo and news reporting.
• In 1924, the telephotography machine (a type of fax machine) was used to send political convention photos long distance for newspaper publication. It was developed by the American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T) worked to improve telephone fax technology.
• By 1926, RCA invented the Radiophoto that faxed by using radio broadcasting technology.
• In 1947, Alexander Muirhead invented a very successful fax machine.
• On March 4, 1955, the first radio fax transmission was sent across the continent.

Before you go…

Fun Fact

Unless it is photocopied, thermal fax paper can't be used for evidence in court. The ink can degrade over time while it is in storage. ⁵

SOURCES:
1. http://communication.howstuffworks.com/fax-machine.htm/printable
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fax
3. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/F/fax_machine.html
4. http://inventors.about.com/od/bstartinventors/a/fax_machine.htm
5. http://www.ehow.com/facts_4760148_advantages-fax-machines.html