New iPad app reveals genius who invented the Internet

COOL story tackles bullying and being "different"

VICTORIA, BC, Dec. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ - For all those children intentionally getting lower grades to avoid being ridiculed as a "nerd" or a "geek", a just-released iPad app provides an inspiring message - it's "COOL to be CLEVER" - based on the true story of Edson C. Hendricks, the genius who invented the design for the Internet.

Bullied as a youngster, Hendricks retreated into an imaginary world where he had machine parts, rather than biological organs and emotions. In the early 1970s at IBM's Cambridge Scientific Center, Hendricks' unique ability to "think like a machine" led him to invent VNET, the world's first "connectionless" computer communications network.

VNET quickly grew to link IBM facilities worldwide, then spawned other networks using Hendricks' software, including EARN in Europe, Canada's NETNORTH and USA's BITNET. USENET/UUNET and FIDOnet soon followed. In the early 1980s, this design became the basis of new internetworking ("Internet" for short) standards.

Developed by Agio Publishing House of Victoria, the COOL to be CLEVER iPad app is available on Apple's App Store (http://bit.ly/CoolToBeClever). The script was written by children's book author and former teacher Leanne Jones. Now a private investigator, Jones uncovered Hendrick's role as Internet inventor and located him now living in San Diego, California.

"I wrote the true COOL story to inspire and encourage children who feel they are 'different' and may be bullied or stigmatized," said Jones. "They may have important ideas that will change society like the Internet has."

The app includes up-to-date anti-bullying info from the Red Cross, Council for Exceptional Children and US Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions.

"We videotaped 12 interviews with Mr. Hendricks, on how his mind works, true inventions, overcoming bullying, predicting the future, tips for programmers and other topics," said app producer/director Bruce Batchelor.

Internet history junkies will find a treasure trove of "backstory" material in the app: the first ever email virus, anecdotes about meetings with Vint Cerf and other scientists, internal memos detailing IBM's bungled opportunity, a 160k log of pre-Internet emails between scientists debating standards, and more.

To arrange interviews, hi-res photos and HD video for broadcast: Bruce Batchelor, [email protected], ph. 250-380-0998 (8:30am - 8:30pm Pacific). www.agiopublishing.com/coolapp/Media.html

SOURCE Agio Publishing House