Tedium.

 About /  Archives /  Sponsor Us
Archive

Archive: 2016

Browse through our history of obscure stories.
Browse By Year 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 December A Finish Line In Sight A Finish Line In Sight December 29, 2016 A Finish Line In Sight The state of our tedium in 2017 is a bit worrying, but there are just enough bright spots to make yet another year of drudgery worthwhile. The Difficult Second Album The Difficult Second Album December 29, 2016 The Difficult Second Album Tedium is a pretty cool newsletter. But two stories a week is a little limiting. So we're making room for the overflow. The Many Lives of Packard Bell The Many Lives of Packard Bell December 27, 2016 The Many Lives of Packard Bell When it was a radio-maker, Packard Bell had a reputation for quality products. When a PC clone startup bought the name, that reputation fell apart—fast. The Sound Of Science The Sound Of Science December 22, 2016 The Sound Of Science Bose Wave stereo systems were legitimately innovative when they launched in the '90s—as was Bose itself. The marketing might make you forget that, though. Gifts For People You Don’t Like Gifts For People You Don’t Like December 20, 2016 Gifts For People You Don’t Like Need to weed out some of the folks on your gift list? Buy them some of the stuff listed here. You won't have to worry about buying them a gift next year. The Digital Fine Print The Digital Fine Print December 15, 2016 The Digital Fine Print The recent saga Evernote faced with its privacy policy proves the document's necessity. But did you know there's no single federal law mandating its use? Smaller Airports, Lower Stakes Smaller Airports, Lower Stakes December 13, 2016 Smaller Airports, Lower Stakes Regional and municipal airports, which often target enthusiasts or niche needs, are pretty low-key compared to say, LAX. But they have plenty of mystery. An Annoying Clicking Sound An Annoying Clicking Sound December 6, 2016 An Annoying Clicking Sound The hardware company Iomega pulled off a neat trick with its Zip disk: It was proprietary, but popular. But it was a bad thing when things started clicking. November Security In Stereo Security In Stereo November 29, 2016 Security In Stereo Car stereos have historically been both valuable and easy to spot in an idle vehicle, making them a key target for thieves. Why has that changed? Out Of Memory Error Out Of Memory Error November 24, 2016 Out Of Memory Error In the mid-1980s, the RAM industry and the oil industry had a lot in common: The price fluctuations could get severe. Things got really bad in 1988. Dark Tourism Dark Tourism November 22, 2016 Dark Tourism Historic sites are often huge draws for tourists, even when the history is tough to discuss. Just don’t expect to find the darkest topics in a travel guide. A Big Idea, Synthesized A Big Idea, Synthesized November 17, 2016 A Big Idea, Synthesized Casio claimed it could fit the sounds of dozens of musical instruments into its keyboards. Maybe it wasn't totally true, but the Casiotone gave us a lot. Lessons From The Video Professor Lessons From The Video Professor November 15, 2016 Lessons From The Video Professor For more than 20 years, John Scherer’s Video Professor offered instructional videos and discs to make computers accessible to novices. Where did it go? Junk Food’s Happiest Accident Junk Food’s Happiest Accident November 10, 2016 Junk Food’s Happiest Accident For more than 50 years, cheese curls have been a staple of the modern junk food diet. You won't believe how we first discovered them. Anything But Politics Anything But Politics November 8, 2016 Anything But Politics Don't worry guys. We found something else to write about tonight besides the 2016 election. Relax. There are many interesting links here. War, Peace, And Action Figures War, Peace, And Action Figures November 1, 2016 War, Peace, And Action Figures G.I. Joe was a massive hit toy in the '80s, but activists and parents alike didn't like the message it fostered. Enter the "Ban War Toys" movement. October The Original In-App Purchase The Original In-App Purchase October 27, 2016 The Original In-App Purchase It wasn't just about games. In the '80s and '90s, shareware democratized the way computer software was sold. Unfortunately, adware sort of dimmed its charm. Such Great Heights Such Great Heights October 25, 2016 Such Great Heights A few lessons on risk and reward from the Icarus Trophy, an annual paramotoring competition that redefines "extreme." Own To Rent Own To Rent October 20, 2016 Own To Rent Home ownership is down. Rentals are up. So are monthly rents—and not just in big cities. How can we get the rental crisis in check before it's too late? We Were Selling Computers All Wrong We Were Selling Computers All Wrong October 11, 2016 We Were Selling Computers All Wrong Big-box stores have never really been a great fit for selling computers, and a big reason for that is that retailers didn't initially know how to sell them. No Acquiring This Taste No Acquiring This Taste October 6, 2016 No Acquiring This Taste The world's worst flavor was developed in a lab by accident. You've probably never tasted Bitrex, but it's all over your home. Getting The Next Word In Getting The Next Word In October 4, 2016 Getting The Next Word In The word processor doesn't just deserve scolding. Here's an honest look at some budding word-processor innovation efforts. They're worth writing home about. September Adapters, Unplugged Adapters, Unplugged September 27, 2016 Adapters, Unplugged They're big, clunky, and annoying, but AC adapters are a fact of life in consumer electronics. Why? Let's just say Thomas Edison's getting his comeuppance. The Big Data Jukebox The Big Data Jukebox September 20, 2016 The Big Data Jukebox When AllMusic launched 25 years ago, it wasn't an obvious big data play. But it became one. Hidden in its millions of entries is music's collective history. We Screwed Up We Screwed Up September 15, 2016 We Screwed Up Standardization has long ruled the world of screws. Despite that, screw standards differ between North America and the rest of the world. Here's why. The Internet Will Be Televised The Internet Will Be Televised September 13, 2016 The Internet Will Be Televised Two decades ago, WebTV launched a bold idea into the mainstream … and caught the fringes. What can we learn about the internet from this noble failure? What a Wonderful World What a Wonderful World September 8, 2016 What a Wonderful World Staffed by former Atari employees and with a big hit on its hands, Worlds of Wonder tried to ride Teddy Ruxpin to the promised land. They failed, fast. I'm Floating On Air I'm Floating On Air September 6, 2016 I'm Floating On Air The air mattress provided the spark for Airbnb, and other weird air mattress facts. By the way, why the heck do they always deflate so easily? August Let's Teach Textbooks A Lesson Let's Teach Textbooks A Lesson August 25, 2016 Let's Teach Textbooks A Lesson The prices of college textbooks are absurd—to the point where authors have to defend their $300 books. But we could, thankfully, be turning a corner. Eye Of The Tiger Eye Of The Tiger August 23, 2016 Eye Of The Tiger Tiger Electronics' LCD-based games shouldn't have been as successful as they were against the Game Boy. But the company was anything but a failure. Why? Bare-Metal Writing Bare-Metal Writing August 18, 2016 Bare-Metal Writing Over the decades, word processors have continually gained new features that get in the way of the ultimate goal: writing. How do we get back to that goal? When Robots Can Write When Robots Can Write August 11, 2016 When Robots Can Write We're a long ways from a robot becoming the next great American novelist. But an Israeli startup hopes to get 'bots writing more than ever. Tastes Great, Less Filling Tastes Great, Less Filling August 9, 2016 Tastes Great, Less Filling Everyone with a little taste in beer loves to hate on light beer, but it's worth pointing out that it's one of the greatest-ever marketing success stories. They Should Stop They Should Stop August 4, 2016 They Should Stop The singular "they" is the Rodney Dangerfield of grammar, despite being around far longer than "he or she." But is they close to mainstream acceptance? Recorded For Quality Assurance Recorded For Quality Assurance August 2, 2016 Recorded For Quality Assurance It seems like we've been dealing with frustrating call centers forever. But, as it turns out, customer service via phone is a relatively recent phenomenon. July Asbestos: It Isn't Snow Asbestos: It Isn't Snow July 28, 2016 Asbestos: It Isn't Snow Asbestos is the rare example of a widely used mainstream product that was litigated out of existence. BTW, it was used for fake snow in The Wizard of Oz. What Made Scunthorpe Famous What Made Scunthorpe Famous July 26, 2016 What Made Scunthorpe Famous It certainly wasn't the view. The British city of Scunthorpe has had a problem dogging it for decades, and lazy online programmers are to blame. Charmeleon Chaos Theory Charmeleon Chaos Theory July 21, 2016 Charmeleon Chaos Theory Laugh all you want, but Pokémon Go offers a really good example of a key libertarian economic theory in action. Spontaneous order was never so much fun. Time Is Running Out Time Is Running Out July 19, 2016 Time Is Running Out The Y2K bug got the public more familiar with the survivalist lifestyle than ever. However, despite all the soothsayers, the public didn't take the bait. The Best Mouse Pads Money Could Buy The Best Mouse Pads Money Could Buy July 12, 2016 The Best Mouse Pads Money Could Buy Bob McDermand had a hit on his hands when he started the first mouse pad manufacturer. So what was the problem? MousTrak's mouse pads were simply too good. So Many Random Phone Numbers So Many Random Phone Numbers July 5, 2016 So Many Random Phone Numbers What’s hiding in the telephone system? These weird phone numbers carry some of the strangest, creepiest automated messages you’ve ever heard. Give ’em a call. June Waaaaay Left of the Dial Waaaaay Left of the Dial June 30, 2016 Waaaaay Left of the Dial Listening to 87.7 FM? That's not a radio station, but an old analog TV station—channel 6, to be exact. It's a total fluke, but Chicago's all over it. Let’s Destroy the White House … Again Let’s Destroy the White House … Again June 23, 2016 Let’s Destroy the White House … Again The film Independence Day is known for an epic scene in which the White House is turned into small chunks of America. How did they do that? The Lost (And Found) Levels The Lost (And Found) Levels June 16, 2016 The Lost (And Found) Levels Video games are full of unused content that developers assumed would never been seen. A group of digital archaeologists, however, are proving them wrong. Honey, I Shrunk The Page Honey, I Shrunk The Page June 14, 2016 Honey, I Shrunk The Page Microfiche (or microfilm, depending on how you roll) is a library mainstay, but its history is wild, according to this note I got from a carrier pigeon. Clouds In My Coffee Clouds In My Coffee June 9, 2016 Clouds In My Coffee Coffee shops are our community centers, and if handled right, coffee culture can be full of just as much richness as whatever they put in your Anthora cup. We Could Be Happy Underground We Could Be Happy Underground June 7, 2016 We Could Be Happy Underground Large, below-the-surface underground cities are far from a new phenomenon, but big cities are feeling squeamish about adding or expanding them. Here's why. A Banner Decade A Banner Decade June 2, 2016 A Banner Decade The Print Shop, Brøderbund's most popular app when that meant a whole lot, had a huge impact on computing. So why is it in the bargain bin these days? May Let 'Er Rip Let 'Er Rip May 31, 2016 Let 'Er Rip We wear clothes with clothing tags pretty much daily, but never think about it. Where did they come from? Credit two major forces: Unions and regulators. Hot Pocket Diaspora Hot Pocket Diaspora May 26, 2016 Hot Pocket Diaspora Jim Gaffigan jokes aside, Hot Pockets made a family of expat Iranian Jews into billionaires—billionaires who have jumped into philanthropy with both feet. Bizarre String Theories Bizarre String Theories May 19, 2016 Bizarre String Theories Most guitarists don't tend to think it's a good idea to put foreign objects on their prized rock instruments. But some do, and they make the craziest music. We All Make Mistakes We All Make Mistakes May 17, 2016 We All Make Mistakes If you make a mistake today, don't fret. Everyone else around you has made a bunch, too. Errors, in a lot of ways, give us our wrinkles as human beings. When Signal Beats Noise When Signal Beats Noise May 12, 2016 When Signal Beats Noise The concept of "DXing"—basically, trying to capture TV or radio signals from far away—is nearly as old as the antenna. It's a great rabbit hole. America The Processed America The Processed May 10, 2016 America The Processed One of the broadest possible geographic terms is, for now, the new name of Budweiser. Does Budweiser deserve "America," and if not, what does? Let's Talk Toner Let's Talk Toner May 5, 2016 Let's Talk Toner The Xerox photocopier was an impressive display of technology that seemed to come out of nowhere. But it was artists who really tested the device's limits. April Purple Copyright Eater Purple Copyright Eater April 21, 2016 Purple Copyright Eater When Prince died, he left behind a massive legacy of music. He left behind an equally massive legacy of copyright enforcement. Here's why. Chartered Waters Chartered Waters April 19, 2016 Chartered Waters Being gatekeepers, music charts have a massive influence on the songs we hear on the radio. And that influence isn't exclusive to Billboard, by the way. Between the Bars Between the Bars April 12, 2016 Between the Bars A fateful decision by the movie industry six decades ago created a long-term compatibility problem between film and television. The solution? Letterboxing. Jack Abramoff, Film Producer Jack Abramoff, Film Producer April 7, 2016 Jack Abramoff, Film Producer Before Jack Abramoff became an infamous lobbyist, he co-wrote and produced a schlocky Dolph Lundgren film that broke a cultural boycott of South Africa. Seedy Politics Seedy Politics April 5, 2016 Seedy Politics We've come a long way from the government giving away free seeds. Nowadays, the seed industry is so powerful it's not even clear if seed exchanges are safe. March Back That Thang Up Back That Thang Up March 31, 2016 Back That Thang Up Much like on our laptops and cloud servers, there are some valuable physical objects we'd like to back up. (Think fine art.) Is 3D printing the answer? Your Secret Amiga Your Secret Amiga March 29, 2016 Your Secret Amiga In the '90s, the Prevue Guide—the scrolling spreadsheet of a cable channel that told you what was on the air—kept the Amiga alive way after Commodore died. No Vacancy No Vacancy March 24, 2016 No Vacancy Hotels are bastions of consistency, especially when it comes to the amenities. But with Airbnb out there, is hotel psychology losing its grip on travelers? Let's Bowl 'Em Over Let's Bowl 'Em Over March 22, 2016 Let's Bowl 'Em Over Could cereal's waning popularity in the United States have something to do with a lack of exotic options? Let's look at what the rest of the world is doing. Damage & Dissonance Damage & Dissonance March 17, 2016 Damage & Dissonance Sure, we're used to seeing rockers break guitars. But depending on the six-string being thrown, a broken guitar can ruin a rock star's entire weekend. You Can't Drink Saltwater You Can't Drink Saltwater March 1, 2016 You Can't Drink Saltwater We’re getting better at converting saltwater to drinkable freshwater, but the environmental costs of the desalination process aren’t cheap. February A Magazine You Can't Bend A Magazine You Can't Bend February 23, 2016 A Magazine You Can't Bend For a brief time in the '90s, publishers thought that CD-ROM magazines were the future. But, as it turned out, readers were more interested in the internet. Books on Vinyl Books on Vinyl February 18, 2016 Books on Vinyl Audiobooks are common these days, but advocates for those with vision disabilities saw their value early—as well as the value of the vinyl record. A Little off the Top A Little off the Top February 16, 2016 A Little off the Top The average barber shop or hair salon for some reason has a major aversion to credit cards despite their wide use. Blame the economics of being a barber. Brand Indigestion Brand Indigestion February 11, 2016 Brand Indigestion "Gut Guy," Xifaxan's infamous intestine-shaped mascot, is disturbing, but it's OK; he's gonna make Valeant Pharmaceuticals a billion dollars this year. You Don't Win Friends With Salad You Don't Win Friends With Salad February 4, 2016 You Don't Win Friends With Salad The salad bar is something that many restauranteurs claim to have invented, but we know for sure that just one guy invented the sneeze guard. Greenlandia Greenlandia February 2, 2016 Greenlandia The Arctic country of Greenland is one of the world's sparsest and most remote, but despite that, the country has had success in building unique culture. January Rock & Retro Rock & Retro January 28, 2016 Rock & Retro Before there was "Rock Band" or "Guitar Hero," bands didn't really know how to handle making video games. Which meant their games were usually very bad. The Drugs Don't Work The Drugs Don't Work January 26, 2016 The Drugs Don't Work Why are we so ready to look toward alternative medicine when the regular kind of medicine generally does the job? Maybe it's a tonal thing. Smells Like a Stupid Idea Smells Like a Stupid Idea January 21, 2016 Smells Like a Stupid Idea From a machine to send smells over the internet to a cartridge full of terrible games, some of the most terrible product ideas ever put into the market. I'd Buy That for a Dollar I'd Buy That for a Dollar January 19, 2016 I'd Buy That for a Dollar Don't be fooled by the names of chains like Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, or Five Below. These companies, like all dollar stores, are big business. Hipster Mattresses: Why? Hipster Mattresses: Why? January 14, 2016 Hipster Mattresses: Why? The hipster mattress in a tightly wound box is for some reason the hottest bedding trend at the moment, but what's so cool about a dumb mattress? Where Nobody Knows Your Name Where Nobody Knows Your Name January 13, 2016 Where Nobody Knows Your Name Step by step, most TV show theme song composers hide in the shadows, with their most famous moments glossed over and anonymized, everywhere you look. The Sauce-Packet Squeeze The Sauce-Packet Squeeze January 7, 2016 The Sauce-Packet Squeeze How long do sauce packets last, and can you recycle these old Heinz Ketchup packs? We research condiment packaging so you don't have to.