technology history

May 25, 1977: Star Wars – Episode IV Released

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine Alec Guinness, AppleLink, budget, Carrie Fisher, Chief executive officer, Facebook, geek history, George Lucas, Google, Google Chrome, history, iTunes, Jedi, Mark Hamill, movie, New Hope, Podcast, return, RSS, Science fiction, star wars, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, stitcher, technology history, Wi-Fi, wide web conference, world wide web conference 0 Comments May 25, 2016

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1977 – in a theater not too far away…

Star Wars (Episode IV: A New Hope) was first released to theaters. Opening weekend sees $6 million of the $11 million budget in return, however, the longevity of the movie has grossed over $797 million (for Ep. IV only). This surpassed Jaws as the nominal highest-grossing film and remained that way until being surpassed by E.T. the Extra Terrestrial in 1983. Add to that, George Lucas was the first movie maker to keep the rights of the toy creation – netting billi0ns in revenue. The film starred Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing, and Alec Guinness, among others.

Star Wars: A New Hope was followed by Empire Strikes Back, then in 1983, the Third (technically 6th) movie in the series – Return of the Jedi – was released. That had a budget of $32 million and netted $23 million opening weekend and $656 million worldwide.

Of course, George Lucas also released Episode I: the Phantom Menace (1999), Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002) and Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Happy 35th anniversary to a historic franchise!

Full Day in Tech History podcast show notes for May 25

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Phillips electronics released the Laservision
CERN holds the first World Wide Web conference
Google Street view is launched in the US
A signed Steve Wozniak Apple I sells for $671,000

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

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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

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

Computer/ Day in Tech History

May 23, 1995: Sun Released Java Programming, MySQL Released RDBMS

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine c syntax, core component, database management system, database program, geek history, gnu general public license, history, home video game, James Gosling, Java, java platform, java programming language, kevin mitnick, lex, lexer, MySQL, nec, Podcast, programmer, programming, rdbms, relational database management, Relational Database Management System, SQL, sql database, stitcher, sun, sun microsystems, technology history, use, video game market, Write Once Run Anywhere 1 Comment May 23, 2016

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1995– Sun releases the Java Programming language. James Gosling at Sun Microsystems originally developed the language as a core component to Sun’s Java platform. It uses C and C++ syntax. It used the theory of “Write Once, Run Anywhere” (WORA). By doing this, a programmer didn’t need to recompile a program to run it or test for bugs. Most of Java Programming Language is under a GNU General Public License

On the same day, MySQL releases their SQL database program for web pages. This is known as a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS). MySQL uses C and C++, the SQL parser used yacc and a hybrid of lexer called “sql_lex.cc”. Many different websites to this day use versions of MySQL, including us at Geekazine and the Day in Tech History.

Full Day in Tech History podcast show notes for May 23

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Windows Vista Beta 2 is released
Kevin Mitnick is arrested
NEC gets into the home video game market
Twitter purchased Tweetdeck

Day in Tech History/ Geek

May 22, 1980: First Pac-Man Video Game Installed

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine adobe, apple, arcades, docks with space station, game, geek history, Google, history, illustrator 7, laser printer, man, man machine, movie theater, ms pac man, namco, Newton, north america, pac-man, Podcast, popular games, Released, Robert Metcalfe, ships, spin offs, stitcher, technology history, Tokyo, Tōru Iwatani, video game 0 Comments May 22, 2016

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1980 – The first Pac-Man machine was installed. Namco installed the first Pac-Man machine in a movie theater in Tokyo. Created by Toru Iwatani, the game has been one of the most popular in Arcades around the world. Of course, Pac-Man was one of the most popular games in history and created many spin-offs including Ms. Pac-Man. Pac-Man was released in North America October of that year.

Full Day in Tech History podcast show notes for May 22

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Robert Metcalfe describes a new device called the Laser Printer
Adobe ships Illustrator 7.0
Apple splits Newton into it’s own division
SpaceX Launched and docks with Space Station

Day in Tech History/ Geek

May 21, 2003: Caldera International Becomes SCO Group

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine alignleft, Becomes, caption, geek history, Google, history, IBM, Linux, mac os x, mac os x server, novell, Podcast, Santa Cruz Operation, SCO, sco group, stitcher, technology history, unix 0 Comments May 21, 2016

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2003– Caldera International finished the acquisition of the Server Software and Services divisions of Santa Cruz Operation. They turned around and officially renamed to the SCO group. The focus was more to the UNIX platform. The SCO group was in a major lawsuit with Novell until Masrch 2010 when the courts ruled that Novell had the proper rights to the SCO properties in the Linux OS.

Full Day in Tech History podcast show notes for May 21

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The IBM 701 is announced
Atari stock splits 2-for-1
Apple releases Mac OS X Server

Day in Tech History/ Internet

May 20, 2009: Craigslist vs. South Carolina

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine adult section, alignleft, antitrust issues, AppleLink, attachment, Attorney general, caption, Craigslist, criminal prosecution, erotic services, geek history, Google, Henry McMaster, history, illegal activities, injunction, intel, intuit, mcmaster, merger, Microsoft, moderation, pentium processor, Podcast, prostitution, South Carolina, south carolina attorney, south carolina attorney general, stitcher, technology history 0 Comments May 20, 2016

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2009 – Craigslist was under fire for their erotic services. Reports of prostitution and other illegal activities were being conducted in the category. Craigslist revamped their site to remove the erotic services and add an “Adult” section – with more moderation. However, South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster was given an injunction for threatening executives of Craigslist with criminal prosecution for aiding prostitution in the state.

Full Day in Tech History podcast show notes for May 20

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AppleLink is created
Microsoft and Intuit discontinue their merger due to Antitrust issues
Intel makes the Pentium processor available

Apple/ Day in Tech History

May 19, 1980: Apple III (aka “Apple Failure III”)

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine aka, apple, Apple II, Apple III, apple store, apple stores, april 24th, ATOM, computer, failure, first apple, gears, geek history, Google, history, IBM, intel, macintosh, macintosh line, Personal computer, Podcast, sara, star wars, star wars episode, star wars episode i, stitcher, successor, technology history 0 Comments May 19, 2016

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1980 – The machine was code named “Sara”. It was the Apple III and was planned to be the successor to the Apple II. However, the machine had enough failures that Apple had to re-launch this computer in August. Therefore, it was refered to as “Apple Failure III”. Then IBM came out with the PC and Apple switched gears with their Macintosh line. Apple III saw modest numbers before it was retired on April 24th, 1984.

Full Day in Tech History podcast show notes for May 19

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Star Wars Episode I
Apple opens the first Apple Stores
Intel debuts the pineview Atom chip

Day in Tech History/ Geek

May 18, 2012: Facebook Goes Public – 2001: Shrek is Released

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine 60 million, Academy Award, AMD, amd processors, animated film, Arts, best animated feature, budget, Cameron Diaz, computer, dell, Facebook, feature sponsor, first computer, geek history, Google, gotomeeting, history, mobile solution, Movies, Podcast, Princess Fiona, Released, shrek, sony, sony computer entertainment, speculation, stitcher, stock, technology history 0 Comments May 18, 2016

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2012 – After much speculation, Facebook shares go public under “FB”. The stock started at $38 a share but instantly dropped. Stock dropped to $26 / share by years end. It currently hovers around that price.

2001 – The computer animated movie “Shrek” hits theaters. The 90 minute movie was produced on a $60 million budget and although it’s first weekend only saw $42 million , the overall theatrical run brought in $487 million. Shrek was the first computer animated film to win an Academy Award (Best Animated Feature).

Full Day in Tech History podcast show notes for May 18

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Sony establishes: Sony Computer Entertainment of America
Dell add AMD processors
Facebook adds OpenID

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