What makes a media format die? The dangers of energy drinks. Why we stay up late at home. How we related to the rave scene. What scene are you? Why Roger was born too early. The rise of the passionate employee and the community-oriented business. Why we’ll want serendipity in shopping.
Tech History Today – July 5
In 1833 – Nicéphore Niépce died. He created the first permanent photograph in 1826 — an image of the outside of his house.
In 1954 – The BBC broadcast its first daily television news bulletin. Richard Baker read the 20-minute bulletin billed as an “Illustrated summary of the news.”
In 2001 – Rob Flickenger and friends posted details of their now legendary 12db Pringles-can antenna to boost WiFi signal distance.
Tech History Today – July 4
In 1951 – Bell Labs held a press conference announcing the invention of the junction transistor. Dr. William Shockley was featured at the conference.
In 1956 – The five-year-old MIT computer Whirlwind added the ability to input data directly with a keyboard. Programmers began to enjoy independence from punch cards.
In 1996 – Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith launched a free web email service called HoTMaiL, a play on HTML. Microsoft bought it a year later, but still calls it Hotmail.
Tech News Today 535: (I Don’t Want) a Permanent Elephant

Tom Merritt, Iyaz Akhtar and Jason Howell
RIM says crazy stuff and delays things, Microsoft makes upgrades cheap, Twitter goes transparent, and more.
Guest: Nilay Patel
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Running time: 50:40
Tech News Today 534: Look Before You Leap Second

Tom Merritt, Iyaz Akhtar and Jason Howell
Sony climbs into the cloud, Mozilla’s making a phone OS, the Internet declares freedom, and more.
Guest: Cali Lewis
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Running time: 49:07
Tech History Today – July 3
1886, Karl Benz drove his Patent Motor Wagen on Mannheim’s Ringstraße, reaching a top speed of 16 km/h (10 mph) powered by a 0.75-hp one-cylinder four-stroke gasoline engine. It was the first public drive of what is considered the first purpose-built automobile.
In 1998 – Danielle Bunten Berry died of lung cancer. She was a pioneering game designer most famous for creating the multiplayer game M.U.L.E. in 1983.
In 1999 – At the Funspot Family Fun Center in Weirs Beach, New Hampshire, Billy Mitchell became the first ever to achieve a perfect score on Pac-Man.
Frame Rate 83: Nerd fight!

Hosts: Brian Brushwood and Tom Merritt
Dish drops AMC, Valve open-sources machinima, Hulu lands HBO… in Japan, and more.
Guest: Scott Wilkinson
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Running time: 1:04:50
Tech History Today – July 2
1897 – 23-year-old Guglielmo Marconi received a patent in England for his wireless telegraphy which we now call radio. The Wireless Telegraph and Signal Co. Ltd. was formed a few weeks later.
In 1928 W3XK, owned by the Jenkins Television Corporation, went on the air becoming the first television broadcasting station in the US.
In 2001 – Bram Cohen first revealed BitTorrent on a Yahoo group called decentralization.
S&L Video – George R.R. Martin – Bonus interview!
Tech News Today 533: You Coulda Been a Contender

Hosts: Iyaz Akhtar and Jason Howell
RIM’s running out of options, Google+ invites everyone to everything, the world’s ending, and more.
Guest: Darren Kitchen and Randall Bennett
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Running time: 56:20