Tech Time Warp: AOHell was a long way from “You’ve got mail”
The speed of fiber Internet makes it easy to view the days of America Online with rose-colored glasses. Recalling the dulcet tones of the “You’ve got mail,” one tends to overlook the nefarious activities that occurred on AOL. It turns...
Tech Time Warp: The story of Herman Hollerith, inventor of the punch card
A 5-inch floppy is a quaint relic today, but even it had a predecessor: the punch card. Invented by Herman Hollerith in 1887 to solve the problem of tabulating census data, punch cards were the standard for business accounting well...
Tech Time Warp: Windows Refund Day, 20 years later
It is a universally acknowledged truth that Linux users are not Microsoft fans. At no time was this more apparent than on Feb. 15, 1999, when approximately 100 Linux users stormed Microsoft’s Silicon Valley offices in Foster City, California to...
Tech Time Warp: The one with Anna Kournikova
Think before you click. It’s a mantra that could have stopped so many email viruses in their tracks. After all, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is — and that was the case with the Anna...
Tech Time Warp: Augmented Reality’s journey to the Super Bowl
CBS has announced that Super Bowl LIII between the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams will feature unprecedented use of augmented reality. Four cameras — including the popular Skycam — offer live augmented reality graphics will be used...
Tech Time Warp: Microsoft takes down the Waladec botnet
Waladec would be just another botnet that churned out spam if it weren’t for Microsoft’s groundbreaking approach to stop it. The botnet — which first began noticeably proliferating in January 2009 — was sending 1.5 billion spam messages daily. Microsoft’s...
Tech Time Warp: Happy birthday, Blackberry!
On Jan. 19, the Blackberry turns 20. Not quite old enough to drink, but still relegated to the history books. (Although a spot at the Smithsonian isn’t too shabby.)
Tech Time Warp: Mockapetris invents the domain name system
It’s easy to tell your friends that your favorite blog is SmarterMSP.com. It would be harder to suggest that they visit 104.196.23.244. You can thank Paul Mockapetris for the ease with which you can recommend websites. In January 1985, Mockapetris...
Tech Time Warp: Patent issued for Williams Tube, an early form of RAM
After World War II, British electrical engineer Frederic Williams found himself on the hunt for his next project. During the war, he had developed radar technology that could identify friendly aircraft, using “Friend or Foe,” or IFF, radar. So, what...
Tech Time Warp: The modern-day Robin Hoods of the Chaos Computer Club
The Chaos Computer Club, Europe’s self-described “largest association of hackers,” has always taken an unorthodox approach to saving the world. Founded in 1981 by activist Wau Holland, the club — also known as the CCC — boasts 5,500 members and works to...
