Archive for February 2025
Introduction of the Bandai Pippin
February 9, 1996
The Bandai Pippin is introduced. A little-known “multimedia device” using technology licensed from Apple Computer, it was an ill-fated attempt at a home video game console. It was 22nd on PC World’s list of the “25 Worst Tech Products of All Time”.
First Flight of Boeing 747
February 9, 1969
This date was the first test flight of the Boeing 747. Interesting that they chose the same date 6 years after the first test flight of the Boeing 727. I can’t find if this was purposeful or a coincidence? Does anybody that works at Boeing have any info on this?
First Flight of Boeing 727
February 9, 1963
The first flight of the Boeing 727 occurred on this date. For over a decade, it was the most produced commercial jet aircraft in the world.
Google Maps is Unleashed
February 8, 2005
Google Maps is launched to the public. I never had to ask for directions again. Not that I did before.
24 Hours in Cyberspace
February 8, 1996
The massive Internet collaboration “24 Hours in Cyberspace” takes place. It was so early in the history of the mainstream Internet, I bet none of you remember this. I didn’t!
A Patent is Filed for the Harvard Mark I
February 8, 1945
A calculator patent is filed for the Automatic Sequence Control Calculator, commonly known as the Harvard Mark I, an early computer. The Mark I was a large electro-mechanical computer that could perform the four basic arithmetic functions and handle 23 decimal places. A multiplication took about five seconds.
Kasparov Redeems Himself … Sort Of
February 7, 2003
After losing a chess match to the computer Deep Blue in 1997, world chess champion Gary Kasparov and the computer Deep Junior battle to a draw.
First Untethered Space Walk
February 7, 1984
Astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart make the first untethered space walk using the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU). McCandless became the first human Earth-orbiting satellite, venturing out 320 feet from the orbiter.
DAF 600 Unveiled
February 7, 1958
The Dutch car DAF 600 is introduced at the Amsterdam Motor Show. It would have been an altogether unremarkable car except for the fact that it was one of the first cars to offer an automatic transmission at an affordable price.
V.90 Announced
February 6, 1998
The V.90 modem standard is announced and agreed upon. This ended a couple of years of customer confusion, as two competing 56k modem protocols (K56Flex and X2) were in common use at the time. The V.90 standard unified the protocols and was crafted specifically to allow both types of modems to be upgraded via firmware. V.90 was also called V.last by some, as it was expected to be the last possible upgrade to modem technology. It virtually was, because even though V.92 later supplanted V.90, it didn’t increase the top-end speed of modem bandwidth and by that time, broadband access was already eating away at dial-up marketshare.