The Phonautograph and Precursors to Edison's Phonograph. An 1859 Koenig phonautograph. (Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution.) While Thomas Edison is rightly credited with the invention of the cylinder phonograph and the means of playing back sound, his ideas were clearly influenced by numerous others who preceded him.
The best time to go whale watching in Oahu is November through May, as these months see the arrival of the humpback whales on their migration from Alaska. These creatures can weigh up to 45 tons, and marine specialists estimate that some 10,000 of them spend their winters near the Hawaiian islands.
North America's Best Whale-Watching Spots. Begin Slideshow. Follow Ishmaelâs footsteps: go whale watching, from the banks of Cape Cod to the tropical shores of Hawaii. For those with wobbly sea legs, thereâs no land-based whale watch more striking than the view from the cliffs of Californiaâs Big Sur.