Kate Johanns

All posts by Kate Johanns

Kate Johanns is a communications professional and freelance writer with more than 13 years of experience in publishing and marketing.

Tech Time Warp: WebTV, your smart TV’s ancestor

Tech Time Warp: WebTV, your smart TV’s ancestor

Most of us have relied on streaming services to stay semi-sane during COVID-19 shutdowns. Did you know your smart TV has its roots in WebTV, a product that was truly ahead of its time (and its available bandwidth)?

/ September 18, 2020
Pioneers in Tech: Radia Perlman and the Spanning Tree Algorithm

Pioneers in Tech: Radia Perlman and the Spanning Tree Algorithm

You may not have heard of the “Spanning Tree Algorithm,” but it’s the backbone of the Ethernet technology we enjoy and rely upon today. The algorithm, also known as the “Spanning Tree Protocol” or STP, was the brainchild of Radia...

/ September 11, 2020 / 3 Comments
Tech Time Warp: Quite the Hotmail hack, eh?

Tech Time Warp: Quite the Hotmail hack, eh?

You might not want to admit it, but you may still have a Hotmail account kicking around. Once your premier account—perhaps an upgrade from AOL—it may now be your throwaway address. Once, though, Hotmail was hip—and quite a target for...

/ September 4, 2020
Tech Time Warp: Hollerith automates the 1890 census

Tech Time Warp: Hollerith automates the 1890 census

The ongoing 2020 U.S. Census is historic: It’s the first U.S. census to be conducted primarily online, with citizens encouraged to visit my2020census.gov to be counted. Although the bureau conducted some online test counts during the 2000 census, it passed...

/ August 28, 2020
Tech Time Warp: Mr. ZIP (code) speeds up the Post Office

Tech Time Warp: Mr. ZIP (code) speeds up the Post Office

Given the ongoing political debate over postal efficiency, it’s easy to forget one of the biggest drivers of Big Data today is a postal innovation. The ZIP code makes it possible for marketers to guess how much you’ll charge on...

/ August 21, 2020
Pioneers in Tech: Hedy Lamarr, Hollywood’s Golden Age Inventor

Pioneers in Tech: Hedy Lamarr, Hollywood’s Golden Age Inventor

Even if you’re not an old movie buff, the name Hedy Lamarr likely conjures images of glamorous red carpets, camera flashes, and the Hollywood sign. After all, Lamarr captivated audiences of the 1930s and 1940s with her beauty—even serving as...

/ August 14, 2020
Tech Time Warp: AppleLink sends first emails from space

Tech Time Warp: AppleLink sends first emails from space

Here’s a bit of trivia for your next cocktail party or Zoom happy hour: The first email sent from outer space was delivered via a long-forgotten Apple venture that could rightfully be called the precursor to the Genius Bar or...

/ August 7, 2020
Tech Time Warp: Zotob worm wreaks havoc on the news

Tech Time Warp: Zotob worm wreaks havoc on the news

One way to make headlines is to go after the journalists themselves. On August 16, 2005, computers at CNN, ABC, The New York Times and The Associated Press were infected by the Zotob worm, along with machines at Caterpillar, and...

/ July 31, 2020
Tech Time Warp: Almost the end of the road for Adobe Flash

Tech Time Warp: Almost the end of the road for Adobe Flash

Network administrators may have Dec. 31, 2020, marked on their calendars as a day of celebration. In just over five months, Adobe Flash—once a major breakthrough in online video, eventually a security hassle—reaches its end of life. Adobe will remove...

/ July 24, 2020
Tech Time Warp: Daniel McCacken helps spawn FORTRAN

Tech Time Warp: Daniel McCacken helps spawn FORTRAN

Here’s an early birthday salute to the late Daniel McCracken, author of the definitive textbooks on FORTRAN. McCracken, who passed away in 2011, would have turned 90 on July 23. He wrote 26 books, including the first textbook on FORTRAN...

/ July 17, 2020