In Lev Manovich selection, The Language of New Media, Manovich goes through the time continuum in describing how media has evolved. He examines and ponders what the characteristics of new media are and where we can find them. An important characteristic of new media is they are created from scratch on computers or converted to a digital product from an analog source. New media should also contain modularity and automation meaning layered information and automatic action/Artificial life components. To me, new media is anything that is innovative and makes its predecessors nearly obsolete.

Like how a modem works, new media is described to take in part in maintaining the digital age. Technology has to convert analog signals into digital signals which then can be decoded back into almost the same original product. Modems use sounds over a telephone wire to transfer packets and decode them on the other end. Analog to digital converting turns reality into ones and zeroes.

An interesting fact that I never knew was about IBM and how it was initially created. It was a product from a merger of three Tabulating companies. IBM is one of the most world renowned companies and a pioneer in information technology.