AOL

June 13, 2014: Honey Moon, 1993: Interactive Television from Microsoft

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine activision, AOL, aol account, aol billing, day in tech history, fedora core 4, Geek, geek history, history, honey moon, infocom 2003, interactive television, iTunes, Kernal, Microsoft, neptune, pioneer, Podcast, RSS, set top box, sms messages, technology history, tele communications, time warner, tv caption, vincent ferrari 0 Comments June 13, 2016

Subscribe! Spotify | RSS | More

June 13, 1993: Microsoft and Time-Warner Create Interactive TV

2014 – Watch the sky tonight as you will see not only a full moon, but what is called the “Honey Moon”. What is so special about this moon – it will be the last full moon on a Friday the 13th until 2049.

1993 – Microsoft teamed up with Tele-communications and Time Warner to start the revolution known as “Interactive TV”. The ability to buy product right through the set during a show. iTV would give users a Digital Set Top Box in which they would use to browse, go back and watch video. It even connected to a telephone to let you know who is calling and possibly get SMS messages.

Full Day in Tech History podcast show notes for June 11

Subscribe to Day In Tech History:

RSS Feed - iTunes - Android - Spotify - iHeartRadio

Facebook -

- RSS Bandwidth by Cachefly Get a 14 Day Trial

- Join me on Patreon and support Day in Tech History

1983 – Pioneer Crossed Neptune
1986 – Activision finalizes the merger with Infocom
2003 – 2.4.21 of LINUX kernal released
2003 – IE for Mac is shut down
2005 – Fedora Core 4 is released
2006 – Vincent Ferrari tries to cancel his AOL account, but the agent wouldn’t
2007 – Jeffrey Goodin is the first to be sentenced because of the CAN-SPAM act. He was posing as an AOL billing agent

Computer/ Day in Tech History

June 2, 1997: PointCast Re-Organized

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine AOL, bomb attack, business, carpet, ceo chris, chris hassett, CIH, Computer virus, day in tech history, geek history, Google, Hardware, history, IBM, June, mobile solution, model 70, Podcast, Pointcast, ps 2, Safari, screensaver, stitcher, technology history, virus surfaces, windows 95 0 Comments June 2, 2016

Subscribe! Spotify | RSS | More

1997 – If anyone remembers the Windows 95 days, you may have had Pointcast playing as the screensaver. It was a push notification site that would send you content. Pretty innovative for it’s time, yet, time ended up getting the best of it. Creator and CEO Chris Hassett stepped down and Pointcast was re-organized.Ultimately, AOL purchased the company and incorporated it into their systems.

Full Day in Tech History podcast show notes for June 1

Subscribe to Day In Tech History:

RSS Feed - iTunes - Android - Spotify - iHeartRadio

Facebook -

- RSS Bandwidth by Cachefly Get a 14 Day Trial

- Join me on Patreon and support Day in Tech History

IBM PS/2 Model 70
The CIH Computer Virus surfaces
Safari Carpet Bomb attack

Day in Tech History/ Microsoft

May 27, 2003: WordPress Released, 1988: Windows 2.1 Released

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine AOL, caption, Chief executive officer, content management systems, content management systems cms, dos programs, features system, fellow employee, geek history, Google, Google Chrome, history, IBM, IPad, Kernal, management features, manager mode, Microsoft, Microsoft Windows, million times, mission impossible, mission impossible theme, mobile solution, ms dos, os 2, OS/2, parallel windows, plethora, Podcast, presentation manager, Released, released in 1990, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, stitcher, subroutines, system ram, technology history, victoria carver, Wi-Fi, Windows, Windows 2.1x, windows memory management, x386, Yahoo 0 Comments May 27, 2016

Subscribe! Spotify | RSS | More

2003 – Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little created a Fork of B2/cafelog. From there, WordPress was born. Since its release, WordPress has taken over Content Management Systems (CMS) with its ease of use and plethora of programmers that have made plugins, themes and other tweaks to the system since. The current version is 3.5.1 which has been downloaded over 18 million times.

Microsoft Released Windows 286 and Windows 386 on May 27, 1988

1988 – In competition to IBM OS/2, Microsoft releases 2 versions of Windows 2.1x – One version for x286 computers (aka Windows 286) and one for x386 computers (aka Windows 386). Windows 2/x386 introduced the protected code Kernal – applications would run as a virtual 8086 mode, and MS-DOS programs could run in parallel. Windows 2/x386 also provided EMS emulation, which would give Windows memory management features. System RAM beyond 640k could be used, and felt like banked memory. Finally, it has a Presentation Manager mode, to compete with OS/2

Windows updated this software to 2.11. It was finally retired when Windows 3.0 was released in 1990.

Full Day in Tech History podcast show notes for May 27

Subscribe to Day In Tech History:

RSS Feed - iTunes - Android - Spotify - iHeartRadio

Facebook -

- RSS Bandwidth by Cachefly Get a 14 Day Trial

- Join me on Patreon and support Day in Tech History

Windows 386 Promo Video (Full video)

This was the promo video for Windows 386. It starred Victoria Carver (as Linda) as an executive who had to save a client. She was given a task to make a presentation by 5 pm. She decided to load and use Windows 386 to build this presentation. Using the “Mission Impossible” theme throughout, Linda is confronted by a fellow employee – Mike the mainframe guy. He wants to help Linda out, but Linda knows that the mainframe subroutines simply take too long to write. He then spots Windows 386.

“You are not suppose to be running OS/2 – we haven’t finished evaluating it” Said Mike, the mainframe guy.

“It’s not OS/2. It’s Microsoft Windows 386. It has the same interface as the OS/2 Presentation Manager. So, when OS/2 is recommended, I’ll be ahead of the learning curve.”

“As usual. What else does it do, besides look like OS/2?”

At this point, Linda shows Mike the interface. Of course, Linda then creates the presentation and keeps the client. The video is written like a cheesy 80’s soap opera, and goes on for twelve minutes.

Other Events in the Day in Technology History

Wang introduces: Wang Personal computer
Batman Debuts in Detective comics #27
Google gives away 4,000 Android phones at Google I/O
Digital currency Liberty Reserve is shut down

Day in Tech History/ Microsoft

May 26, 1995: Bill Gates Memo Said Microsoft Back on Track with Internet

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine alignleft, AMD, AOL, Axis powers, Bill Gates, caption, chapter 11 bankruptcy, Chief executive officer, Google, Google Chrome, history, History of Microsoft, IBM, IPad, k6 2, Microsoft, mobile solution, Personal computer, pioneers, Porsche, samsung, saying that microsoft, ssd, stitcher, technology history, tidal wave, Wi-Fi, Yahoo 0 Comments May 26, 2016

Subscribe! Spotify | RSS | More

1995 – Bill Gates sends out a memo to his staff saying that Microsoft needs to “Get back on track” to the Internet. The memo was entitled “The Internet Tidal wave.” Gates emphasizes that this is as important as IBM was to the personal computer.

Full Day in Tech History podcast show notes for May 25

Subscribe to Day In Tech History:

RSS Feed - iTunes - Android - Spotify - iHeartRadio

Facebook -

- RSS Bandwidth by Cachefly Get a 14 Day Trial

- Join me on Patreon and support Day in Tech History

AMD released the K6-2 processor
Samsung announces the 256 SSD
Psystar files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

AOL/ Day in Tech History

May 24, 1993: Windows NT Unveiled, 1985: Quantum Computer Services (AOL) Founded

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine AOL, AppleLink, atari 2600, caption, Chief executive officer, comdex, commodore, commodore 64, computer, gameline, geek history, George W. Bush, Google, gotomeeting, history, Jim Kimsey, john f kennedy, john f kennedy center, john f kennedy center for the performing arts, kennedy center for the performing arts, limelight, Marc Seriff, Microsoft, midas, Podcast, president george w bush, quantum computer services, Quantum Link, reorganization, SEGA, seriff, stitcher, technology history, video corporation, Windows NT 3.1 0 Comments May 24, 2016

Subscribe! Spotify | RSS | More

May 24, 1985: Quantum Computer Services was founded (AOL)

1993 – Microsoft unveils at COMDEX a new line of Operating System. Dubbed Windows NT (New Technology) this software would be geared toward businesses. With a NT Server and NT Workstation, Windows could deliver a secure environment while also allowing connections using the Windows 3.11 and later Windows 95 Operating systems. NT would become available on July 27, 1993.

1985– Quantum Computer Services was founded. Technically, it was a reorganization of Control Video Corporation, a company that started in 1983. The company was selling online service “Gameline” to Atari 2600 users. You would pay $49.95 for the modem and also a one-time $15 setup fee. With the reorganization, Jim Kimsey became Chief Executive Officer and Marc Seriff took the CTO role. Ninety employees quit, ten remained. The company changed to sell Quantum Link for Commodore 64 and 128 consoles. Eventually, they would get into AppleLink and PC Link. Quantum Computer Services eventually (October 1989) changed their name to America Online (AOL).

Jim Kimsey left AOL in 1995, where he stayed under the limelight. He was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts by President George W. Bush.

Full Day in Tech History podcast show notes for May 24

Subscribe to Day In Tech History:

RSS Feed - iTunes - Android - Spotify - iHeartRadio

Facebook -

- RSS Bandwidth by Cachefly Get a 14 Day Trial

- Join me on Patreon and support Day in Tech History

MIDAS II
Sega introduces a rating system for games
Microsoft launches Windows NT 3.1

Day in Tech History/ Software

May 11, 2011: Chromebook Introduced, 1979 Visicalc Demonstrated

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine added feature, Alltel, AOL, App, apple, AT&T, caption, clones, dan bricklin, daniel bricklin, eric schmidt, Facebook, geek history, Google, gotomeeting, Hertz, history, hundred thousand, IPad, iTunes, killer app, lotus, lotus 1 2 3, Lotus 123, microsoft excel, Personal computer, Podcast, RSS, saturn, saturn system, SEGA, spreadsheet program, stitcher, technology history, twitter, Verizon, visicalc 0 Comments May 11, 2016

Subscribe! Spotify | RSS | More

2011 – Eric Schmidt shows off the new Google Chrome OS but with an added feature as he introduced Google Chromebook – a personal computer with the Google Chrome OS built-in. The device loads straight to the browser where you can install applications for functionality on your Chromebook. The first Chromebook would begin selling on June 15, 2011.

1979 – Daniel Bricklin and Robert Frankston demonstrate the spreadsheet program “Visicalc”. Of course, it will become the “killer app” for PC’s. 100 cells could be calculated in 20 seconds. By the first year, sales will hit on hundred thousand and seven hundred thousand in six years. VisiCalc will fall to clones and ultimately to products like Lotus 1-2-3 and Microsoft Excel

Full Day in Tech History podcast show notes for May 11

Subscribe to the Day in Tech History

Subscribe to Day In Tech History:

RSS Feed - iTunes - Android - Spotify - iHeartRadio

Facebook -

- RSS Bandwidth by Cachefly Get a 14 Day Trial

- Join me on Patreon and support Day in Tech History

Other Events in the Day in Technology History

Sega begins shipping the Saturn system
AOL launches free webmail
Verizon sells part of Alltel to AT&T

Day in Tech History/ Geek

May 4, 1998: Player vs Player (PvP) Comic Launches

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine AOL, apple macs, Arts, attempt, college roomies from hell, glitch, jerry yang, launches, mac, Microsoft, penny arcade, player, Player versus player, Player vs Player, pvp, self publishing, service microsoft, stitcher, virus hits, web comics, Website, Yahoo 0 Comments May 4, 2016

Subscribe! Spotify | RSS | More

May the Fourth be with you.

1998 – My first attempt at a website back then was self publishing comics. I started with a website I called “Toonzed“. Other website were popping up. GPF, College Roomies from Hell, Penny Arcade. One of those website was called Player vs Player (PvP). Still going strong today, they have made some pretty funny comics. There are a lot of great web comics out there, too. I only scratched that surface.

The first PvP Strip

Full Day in Tech History podcast show notes for May 4

“I Love You” virus hits computers
AOL repairs glitch so Apple Macs can use the service
Microsoft pulls their offer to Yahoo. Jerry Yang sends a memo to employees on what happened.

Day in Tech History/ Geek

March 25, 2004: Comcast G4 Acquired TechTV

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine aggregator, AOL, chris pirillo, comcast, comdex, cross marketing, ebay, first computers, freedom, full force, g4 tech tv, g4 techtv, Geek, gold, kevin norton, Kevin Rose, leo laporte, march 25, pioneer, pioneers, privacy conference, screen savers, spring comdex, TechTV, Television 0 Comments March 25, 2016

Subscribe! Spotify | RSS | More

2004 – I remember watching TechTV from the ZDNet Days. Even watched a live show back in the days when Spring Comdex was in Chicago. When it changed to TechTV, we got some great social tech pioneers like Leo Laporte, Kevin Norton, Chris Pirillo and Kevin Rose, among others. When Comcast purchased the channel, they merged it with their own channel – G4. By May, G4 Tech TV was running in full force. Ultimately the name got changed to G4 and the pioneer shows like Call for Help and Screen Savers were ended.

Wikazine – Full show notes for March 24