I love tech history. I enjoy how we evolved from computers that fill a room to computers we wear on our bodies. I have put a full archive of tech history together at Wikazine. You can also talk history at Google +. I am also a podcaster and V-caster at Geekazine and a Podcast Coach at How to Record Podcasts. You can also sign up for a Helpout
1991 – What was first a Multimedia add-on for System 6, Quicktime has spent 21 years being Apples’ proprietary player. The original version contained graphics, animation and Video codecs – What was refered to as “Road Pizza”. Since then Quicktime had developed on both Mac and Windows sides (starting in 1992). The current version is called Quicktime X but there are signs the technology is either moving a new direction or possibly retired.
2013 – Jeff Bezos is interviewed on the show “60 Minutes” on CBS with Charlie Rose. During his interview he unveils a project Amazon has been working on – Flying drone delivery. This secret R&D project called “Octocopter” will have drones fly the packages from outposts in each city to the homes.
In a project Amazon is calling “Prime Air”, they expect the delivery system to be available in the next 4-5 years.
Charlie Rose’ reaction summed it up. “Oh, my God!”.
1999 – It was the most expensive internet domain name. Business.com was first bought in 1997 for $150,000 by Marc Ostrofsky. You might think that is pretty expensive, but economically, it was a great deal. On 12/01/99, Buisness.com was sold to Jake Winebaum for $7.5 million. At that point, buisness.com was officially founded.Jake was a chairman of the Walt Disney Internet group.This domain barely made it through the dot com bubble. They went through 2007 when R.H. Donnelley Corporation acquired the site for $345 million. R.H. Donnelley filed for bankruptcy in June 2009.
1959 – Want to see a 2.9 million dollar computer? That was the IBM 7090 – a transistorized mainframe computer that was designed for scientific research and tech applications. It replaced the 709 series, which used vacuum tubes. The first two were delivered – one of the 7090’s would be used for the Mercury and Gemini space missions. Check out more on the IBM 7090
1972 – Andy Cappa’s tavern in CA was the site for the first Pong game was wheeled into the establishment. The coin-operated game was put in by Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell and game designer Al Alcorn. The duo decided that making their own game – rather than having 3rd parties do it – would help keep costs down. They then turned an old Roller rink and converted to a production line. Pong was the first successful video game system.
1983 – To counter IBM, Tandy releases the Tandy TRS-80 Model 2000 computer. It housed the 80186 processor and 128 KB of RAM. There were 2 – 720 KB floppy drives and the MS–DOS Operating System. The prices ranged from $2,750. For an additional fee you could get a Monochrome graphics card, optional color monitor and extra RAM.
The Tandy 2000 was considerably faster than the IBM PC models.
1998 – Sega releases their next generation console – the Dreamcast – in Japan. It didn’t get released in the US until Sept 9 1999, but it was one of the more successful console launches of it’s time.The Dreamcast had a 200 MHz processor with on-die 128-bit vector graphics engine. The graphics hardware is a PowerVR2 CLX2 chipset, sound was a Yamaha AICA Sound Processor and 16 MB 100 MHz RAM.
The Dreamcast was discontinued on Jan 31, 2001 as Sega announced they were getting out of the console market.
2001 – One problem with technology is that you hit limitations, mostly due to materials used or how small machines can make parts like transistors. For instance, today’s multi-core x86 processors will eventually be replaced because we won’t be able to put anymore transistors on the die – It’s called “Moores Law“. Intel and AMD work hard to get around this law – which is why x86 technology has been around since the 90’s.One thing scientists do to circumvent is to change the restructure the transistor. In 2001, Intel did just that. They launched the TeraHertz – a new transistor, using several new materials – including Zirconium Dioxide (which is used to reduce leakage issues). The new THz transistors brought processing to a new level; High process tasks like facial recognition could be achieved. The TeraHertz also worked on 0.6 Volts, so it vastly reduced power needs.
Intel expected this technology to be implemented by 2005. However, as to this date, the TeraHertz transistor has not been, nor seems to be planned for implementation in processors.
2002 – While in Bankruptcy since the following September, Roxio – along with the Private Media Group – came in and took over the $2.43 million dollar company. They took all logos and names and rebranded it “Napster 2.0”. This time, Napster was a pay site – merging technologies with Roxio Pressplay.The sale completed in 2003Ultimately, the company was purchased by Best Buy in 2008.