Pioneers in Tech: Katherine Johnson, no longer a hidden figure
The movie “Hidden Figures” introduced the masses to Katherine Johnson, but it only scratched the surface of this fascinating and influential woman’s life. Played by Taraji P. Henson in the 2016 film, Johnson broke barriers throughout her life and played...
Tech Time Warp: A Technological Whirlwind at MIT
July 4, 1956, doesn’t quite rank with July 4, 1776, in terms of independence, but it was a remarkable day in terms of freedom for computer users—freedom from punch cards, dials, and switches, that is. On July 4, 1956, researchers...
Tech Time Warp: Did you forget about the first iPhone?
As ubiquitous as the iPhone is today (and as many competitors as it has inspired), it can be difficult to think back to June 2007, when the first iPhone went on sale. Disrupting the Blackberry world, the iPhone of 2007...
Tech Time Warp: Meet Charles Babbage, the father of computing
After celebrating the dads in your life on Father’s Day, consider raising a glass to Charles Babbage, the 19th-century Englishman known as the “Father of Computing.” An independently wealthy man, Babbage was able to indulge in his fascination in mathematics...
Pioneers in Tech: Ada Lovelace and the analytical engine
Many tech pioneers have a similar dossier: male, came of age in the late 1970s, dropped out of college, made millions building computers in their garage/dorm room/basement. Then, there’s Ada Lovelace: an 1800s female with a backstory suitable for a...
Tech Time Warp: How about them Apple IIs?
For many of us, our first introduction to the computer was an Apple II, whether playing Oregon Trail in the school computer lab or as one of the lucky few who owned this remarkable personal computers. Designed by Steve Wozniak...
Tech Time Warp: Klez.H virus confuses with spoofed emails
It is possible the creator of Klez was rather indecisive. The malware, which confounded computer users in the early 2000s, was all at once a virus, a worm, and a Trojan horse. Basically, Klez contained every trick in the hacker...
Tech Time Warp: Lessons learned from the Sadmind worm
On May 8, 2001, the CERT Division at Carnegie Mellon University issued an alert: A new worm was on the loose. The “sadmind/IIS worm” exploited well-known vulnerabilities in the Sun Microsystems’ Solaris operating system as well as Microsoft’s Internet Information...
Tech Time Warp: Hack shuts down PlayStation Network for 3 weeks
Video games have been a godsend during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing those “staying at home” with diversion and a chance at safe social interaction (Animal Crossing, anyone?). It’s worth remembering, however, that even the big guys in digital gaming and...
Pioneers in Tech: Grace Murray Hopper, the “Mother of Computing”
As you celebrate the moms in your life this weekend, raise a glass to Grace Murray Hopper, also known as the “Mother of Computing,” the “Mother of COBOL” or simply “Amazing Grace.” And amazing she was. This technology trailblazer advocated...