Results for: tech time warp

Tech Time Warp: Fernando Corbató, father of the computer password

Tech Time Warp: Fernando Corbató, father of the computer password

Each October, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security shares tips and tricks for tech safety during National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Naturally, a key focus is using strong, secure passwords — tips the father of the computer password, Fernando Corbató, could...

/ October 4, 2019
Tech Time Warp: Stration worm preys on users’ best intentions

Tech Time Warp: Stration worm preys on users’ best intentions

In September 2006, the tech world was focused on a reported Windows vulnerability related to the implementation of Vector Markup Language (VML). While programmers raced to fix the VML issue, spammers capitalized on the opportunity. Using the new bug in...

/ September 27, 2019
Tech Time Warp: NeXTSTEP paved the way for OS X and iOS

Tech Time Warp: NeXTSTEP paved the way for OS X and iOS

Steve Jobs’ story has many fascinating chapters, including the story of NeXTSTEP, the operating system that proved to be the first step toward OS X and iOS.

/ September 20, 2019
Tech Time Warp: Bank of America introduces ERMA and revolutionizes checking

Tech Time Warp: Bank of America introduces ERMA and revolutionizes checking

It’s easy to write checks off as passé, but according to Next Gen Personal Finance, the average American still writes 38 checks a year. Next time you pull out your checkbook, consider the extraordinary staying power of checking technology, which...

/ September 13, 2019
Tech Time Warp: Microsoft chases a storm

Tech Time Warp: Microsoft chases a storm

In early 2007, network administrators began dealing with a trojan that grew into a massive botnet and even stumped Microsoft for more than a year. The Storm worm initially spread via email, promising the recipient news about dangerous storms in...

/ September 6, 2019
Tech Time Warp: Compaq introduces the Presario and dominates the PC market

Tech Time Warp: Compaq introduces the Presario and dominates the PC market

If you owned a home computer in the 1990’s, chances are it was a Compaq Presario. Today, the name Compaq might incite nostalgia, but during the 1980’s and 1990’s, Compaq dominated the personal computer market. Compaq was one of the...

/ August 30, 2019 / 1 Comment
Tech Time Warp: SoBig.F worm creates some big problems

Tech Time Warp: SoBig.F worm creates some big problems

It’s amazing that the unwitting computer users of 2019 are still clicking on suspicious attachments considering the havoc such files have been wreaking for decades. Back in August 2003, the SoBig.F virus — the sixth variant of the SoBig worm...

/ August 23, 2019
Tech Time Warp: The superspy origins of Google Earth

Tech Time Warp: The superspy origins of Google Earth

If you’ve played around with Google Earth, you’ve probably been struck by the fact that it’s kind of creepy. It’s fascinating and technologically amazing, for sure, but it can feel a tad invasive. So it should really come as no...

/ August 16, 2019
Tech Time Warp: Was the Welchia Worm well-intended?

Tech Time Warp: Was the Welchia Worm well-intended?

As the old saying goes, two wrongs don’t make a right — especially if the second “wrong” is a computer worm, albeit a benevolent one. In August 2003, hundreds of thousands of PCs were infected by the Blaster worm, which...

/ August 9, 2019 / 1 Comment
Tech Time Warp: Microsoft and Apple play nice

Tech Time Warp: Microsoft and Apple play nice

Let’s face it: You’re either a Mac or a PC user. However, that iconic advertising campaign glossed over some critical information: There’s a good chance Apple wouldn’t exist today, if it weren’t for Microsoft.

/ August 2, 2019