Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #231 Looking back

Sofia is this week’s host for the Lens-Artist challenge

 

Old fashioned phones

A telephone is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into electronic signals that are transmitted via cables and other communication channels to another telephone which reproduces the sound to the receiving user. The term is derived from Greek: τῆλε (tēlefar) and φωνή (phōnēvoice), together meaning distant voice. A common short form of the term is phone, which came into use early in the telephone’s history.

In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell was the first to be granted a United States patent for a device that produced clearly intelligible replication of the human voice at a second device. This instrument was further developed by many others, and became rapidly indispensable in business, government, and in households

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The essential elements of a telephone are a microphone (transmitter) to speak into and an earphone (receiver) which reproduces the voice at a distant location.The receiver and transmitter are usually built into a handset which is held up to the ear and mouth during conversation. The transmitter converts the sound waves to electrical signals which are sent through the telecommunication system to the receiving telephone, which converts the signals into audible sound in the receiver or sometimes a loudspeaker. Telephones permit transmission in both directions simultaneously.

Most telephones also contain an alerting feature, such as a ringer or a visual indicator, to announce an incoming telephone call. Telephone calls are initiated most commonly with a keypad or dial, affixed to the telephone, to enter a telephone number, which is the address of the call recipient’s telephone in the telecommunication system, but other methods existed in the early history of the telephone.

The first telephones were directly connected to each other from one customer’s office or residence to another customer’s location. Being impractical beyond just a few customers, these systems were quickly replaced by manually operated centrally located switchboards. These exchanges were soon connected together, eventually forming an automated, worldwide public switched telephone network. For greater mobility, various radio systems were developed for transmission between mobile stations on ships and automobiles in the mid-20th century. Hand-held mobile phones were introduced for personal service starting in 1973. In later decades, their analog cellular system evolved into digital networks with greater capability and lower cost.

Convergence in communication services has provided a broad spectrum of capabilities in cell phones, including mobile computing, giving rise to the smartphone, the dominant type of telephone in the world today. Wikipedia

Mobile phone

 

 

 

 

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #229 – Perfect patterns

Ann-Christine is this week’s host for the Lens-Artist challenge

 
Patterns in nature are visible regularities of form found in the natural world. These patterns recur in different contexts and can sometimes be modelled mathematically. Natural patterns include symmetries, trees, spirals, meanders, waves, foams, tessellations, cracks and stripes.

Black and white

Enchivera

 

What is a simple pattern?

An example of a simple pattern might be the tiling of a floor. For example, lots of bathrooms have a paisley or floral tiling pattern on the floor. In computer science, design patterns are model solutions for problems that occur often. Sometimes people see patterns when there are none. This is called pareidolia.

Mosaic crochet patterns
Romanesco broccoli
tree
Palm tree Cut-off leaves – Patterns Close up

A week of flowers 2022, Day seven

Cathy’s Words and Herbs’ challenge for one week.

When I visited New Zealand for the first time in December 2007,

I fell in love with the Pohutukawa tree. I know its not a flower, but this tree bears red flowers!

It will always remind me of Christmas!

tree
Pohutukawa tree

Metrosideros excelsa, commonly known as pōhutukawa (Māori: pōhutukawa), New Zealand Christmas tree, New Zealand Christmas bush, and iron tree,  is a coastal evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that produces a brilliant display of red (or occasionally orange, yellow  or white flowers, each consisting of a mass of stamens. The pōhutukawa is one of twelve Metrosideros species endemic to New Zealand.

tree
Pohutukawa tree, New Zealand

Renowned for its vibrant colour and its ability to survive even perched on rocky, precarious cliffs, it has found an important place in New Zealand culture for its strength and beauty, and is regarded as a chiefly tree (rākau rangatira) by Māori.

Flowers
Pohutukawa

A week of flowers 2022, Day six

Cathy’s Words and Herbs’ challenge for one week.

Guzmanias (Bromeliads)

Bromeliads give you more of a modern feel and are very long-lasting when grown as houseplants. Guzmanias are popular blooming houseplants that are sold year-round and are easy to find.

Flowers
Guzmanias (Bromeliads)

Their star-shaped bracts in red, as shown above, are very appropriate for the season although you can find them in other colors too.