Tech Time Warp is a weekly feature that looks back at interesting moments and milestones in tech history.
Tag: Tech Time Warp
Tech Time Warp: Wishing the world a “Merry Christmas” via text for 33 years
Tech Time Warp: Wishing the world a “Merry Christmas” via text for 33 years
This week’s Tech Time Warp goes back thirty-three years ago when a 22-year-old software engineer in the UK started what is now a modern holiday tradition: sending Christmas greetings via text. Neil Papworth sent the first SMS text message to...
Tech Time Warp: The transistor quietly slips on to the scene
Tech Time Warp: The transistor quietly slips on to the scene
Today it’s widely accepted one of the greatest — if not the greatest — inventions of the modern world is the transistor, and it’s well known that the defining demonstration of the transition took place Dec. 23, 1947. But this...
Tech Time Warp: The Cray X-MP/48 brings style and substance to supercomputers
Tech Time Warp: The Cray X-MP/48 brings style and substance to supercomputers
This week’s Tech Time Warp takes a closer look at “the world’s most expensive loveseat.” It’s quite the moniker for a pioneering supercomputer, but when you look at the legacy of electrical engineer Seymour Cray, it’s apt. The Cray X-MP/48, which started...
Tech Time Warp: Celebrating 30 years of Pixar magic
Tech Time Warp: Celebrating 30 years of Pixar magic
For many families, going to the movies is as much of a Thanksgiving tradition as parades and pumpkin pie. This week’s Tech Time Warp goes back to Thanksgiving weekend 30 years ago—Pixar’s big break. Toy Story was released in theaters...
Tech Time Warp: A bite-sized story from Apple history — how the Macintosh got its name
Tech Time Warp: A bite-sized story from Apple history — how the Macintosh got its name
The 1984 introduction of the Macintosh computer featured the iconic and still-relevant Super Bowl commercial directed by Ridley Scott. More than 40 years later, this advertising masterpiece holds up, as does the brand it launched. Let’s dive into this week’s...
Tech Time Warp: The early business dealings that set the stage for Microsoft dominance
Tech Time Warp: The early business dealings that set the stage for Microsoft dominance
This week marked the 45th anniversary of a pivotal event in Microsoft history: Nov. 6, 1980, the date the then-fledgling company signed a contract with IBM to develop an operating system for the IBM PC. IBM paid Microsoft $700,000 in...
Tech Time Warp: Three scream-inducing examples of historical malware
Tech Time Warp: Three scream-inducing examples of historical malware
Malware is one of the managed service provider’s (MSP’s) worst professional nightmares, so it’s no wonder so many viruses have names that sound like horror movies. In honor of Halloween, let’s take a look at this rogue’s gallery of malware,...
Tech Time Warp: Adding salt to the cybersecurity recipe
Tech Time Warp: Adding salt to the cybersecurity recipe
Despite 22 years of educational efforts during Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the 2025 list of the most commonly used passwords still includes “123456,” “qwerty” and “password.” That’s why we should all thank Unix co-creator Ken Thompson and contributor Robert Morris for...
Tech Time Warp: The multifaceted road to multifactor authentication
Tech Time Warp: The multifaceted road to multifactor authentication
In the recent edition of “Oh Behave!,” the annual cybersecurity survey conducted by the National Cybersecurity Alliance, an alarming 44 percent of respondents said they had experienced cybercrime leading to the loss of data or money. This next statistic may...
Tech Time Warp: Two decades of Cybersecurity Awareness Month—but there’s still work to do
Tech Time Warp: Two decades of Cybersecurity Awareness Month—but there’s still work to do
If you’re reading this blog, you probably observe cybersecurity awareness year-round, not just during the annual observance of Cybersecurity Awareness Month each October. But, as a managed service provider (MSP), you also likely appreciate any opportunity to draw attention to...
