Tech News Today 553: Mammoth Game of Chicken

Hosts: Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Iyaz Akhtar and Jason Howell

Samsung v. Apple, how Twitter ruined cycling in England, print out a gun, and more.

Guest: Dwight Silverman

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Running time: 50:23

Tech History Today – July 31

1910 – Dr. Hawley Crippen was arrested when the boat he was on docked in Quebec. He was the first person to be caught as a result of a wireless telegraph.

In 1971 – Apollo 15 astronauts David Scott and James Irwin became the first humans to take a drive on the Moon in the lunar rover.

In 1976 – NASA issued a press release describing one photo taken by Viking 1 on Mars as resembling “a human head.” Conspiracy theories about the face on Mars still run today, though close-up pictures from the Mars Express mission have debunked most of them.

Tech History Today – July 30

1889 – Vladimir Zworykin was born in Russia. He would go on to earn the title “Father of Television” (one of several called that) for his work on the iconoscope and the kinescope. He worked on television for RCA.

In 1898 – The Winton Motor Carriage Company placed a magazine advertisement in Scientific American calling on readers to “dispense with a horse.” It’s the earliest known automobile ad.

In 1971 – The Apollo 15 mission landed the first lunar rover onto the moon.

Tech History Today – July 28

In 1858 – The first use of fingerprints as identification took place in India. William James Herschel, magistrate of Nuddea, India requested local businessman Rajyadhar Konai make a hand print on the back of a contract. Herschel wanted to “frighten [Konai] out of all thought of repudiating his signature.”

In 1997 – Dell announced its entry into the work station market with the Dell Workstation 400.

In 2000 – Ted Kekatos celebrated the First System Administrator Appreciation Day. He had been inspired by an HP ad showing people bringing gifts to their System Administrator. The day is celebrated annually on the last Friday of July.

Tech News Today 552: Fiber in the Hood

Hosts: Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Iyaz Akhtar and Jason Howell

What’s wrong with Facebook? Apple buys Samsung’s security, the truth about Google Fiber, and more.

Guest: Leslie Horn

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Running time: 52:21

Tech News Today 551: Trouble in FarmVille

Hosts: Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Iyaz Akhtar and Jason Howell

Gabe Newell calls Windows 8 a catastrophe, more Facebook phone fun, Roku getting a leg up, and more.

Guest: Stephen Shankland

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We invite you to read, add to, and amend our show notes at wiki.twit.tv.

Thanks to Cachefly for the bandwidth for this show.

Running time: 53:51