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  • 2019-09-26 (xsd:date)
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  • Did 'The Simpsons' Predict Autocorrect? (en)
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  • On Nov. 13, 1994, an episode of The Simpsons entitled Lisa on Ice aired on the Fox television network that featured a visual gag of text on a mobile device's screen changing from Beat Up Martin to Eat Up Martha. This led many to claim that The Simpsons had predicted autocorrect. Former NFL player and radio host Pat McAfee, for instance, outlined this claim in a popular episode of the Pat McAfee Show: It would be pretty amazing if The Simpsons truly predicted the invention of autocorrect. However, that didn't happen. When Lisa on Ice first aired in November 1994, autocorrect was already a feature available in Microsoft Word. According to The New York Times, Microsoft was advertising the feature as early as October 1993, more than a year before Lisa on Ice aired: While autocorrect existed prior to this episode of The Simpsons (severely handicapping the show's ability to predict it), the joke in Lisa on Ice is actually commenting on another technological innovation: handwriting recognition. The Apple Newton was one of the first personal digital assistants (PDAs), which hit the market in 1993. While it was an innovative product for its time, it also had problems. The device's handwriting-recognition software, for instance, wasn't great at recognizing handwritten words. This led to critiques in the media (a 1993 article in the San Francisco Examiner was titled Highly Hyped Newton Weak on Handwriting) and jokes on popular shows such as The Simpsons. In fact, school bully Kearney specifically mentions the Newton Tablet in the clip from Lisa on Ice used to further this prediction claim: The Simpsons didn't predict autocorrect. However, this joke did have an impact on the autocorrect feature that would eventually find its way onto the first iPhone. CNET reported: The Simpsons did not predict autocorrect. The visual gag in the 1994 episode Lisa On Ice featuring the words Beat Up Martin changing to Eat Up Martha on a mobile device was actually mocking the problematic handwriting recognition software on the Apple Newton PDA. Autocorrect Prediction Summary: The Simpsons supposedly predicted the autocorrect feature in a 1994 episode. This feature wasn't invented until 2007. Referenced Episode: Nov. 13, 1994. Season 6; Episode 8. Lisa On Ice.Facts: Autocorrect has been around since at least 1993. The 2007 date likely refers to the release of the first iPhone. The Simpsons was actually commenting on Apple Newton Tablet's well-known problems with handwriting-recognition software. You can read more about The Simpsons alleged predictions in the Snopes' collection The Simpsons Didn't Predict That. (en)
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