エピソード

  • How the IBM PC Compatible Became the World Computer

    How the IBM PC Compatible Became the World Computer
    2026/06/09
    In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace the surprising origin story of the IBM PC compatible—the open architecture that turned a single 1981 IBM release into a global standard. They focus on the pivotal decision by IBM to use off-the-shelf parts and a non-exclusive operating system from a tiny Microsoft, inadvertently creating a market for clones. The episode drills into Compaq's 1983 legal breakthrough—reverse-engineering the BIOS without copying IBM's code—and how that single act enabled hundreds of manufacturers, drove prices down, and made the personal computer a commodity. Lucas and Luna debate whether IBM ever could have held onto the standard, and what the world would look like if PC compatibles hadn't won. #IBM #IBMPC #IBMPCCompatible #Compaq #Microsoft #MSDOS #ReverseEngineering #BIOS #OpenArchitecture #PersonalComputer #CloneWars #TechnologyHistory #TechHistory #ComputerHistory #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #LucasAndLuna #TechOrigins Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    10 分
  • How the World Wide Web Was Actually Invented at CERN

    How the World Wide Web Was Actually Invented at CERN
    2026/06/09
    In this episode of Tech History with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna travel back to 1989 to uncover the true story of how Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web at CERN. We explore the specific problem he was trying to solve—information loss at a large physics laboratory—and how his proposal for a 'hypertext project' was initially dismissed as 'vague but exciting.' We then trace the key decisions that made the web open and free, from the release of the source code in 1993 to Berners-Lee's refusal to patent the technology. Along the way, we discuss the first website, the first web browser, and how a single engineer's insistence on openness shaped the internet we use today. If you've ever wondered why the web is free—and what nearly derailed it—this episode is for you. #WorldWideWeb #TimBernersLee #CERN #InternetHistory #TechHistory #Hypertext #FirstWebsite #OpenSource #WebBrowser #NeXT #1990s #TechPioneers #DigitalRevolution #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Innovation #SiliconValley Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    8 分
  • How the Ethernet Cable Was Born at Xerox PARC

    How the Ethernet Cable Was Born at Xerox PARC
    2026/06/08
    Ethernet connects billions of devices today, but its origin story is a fascinating collision of coffee, a discarded coax cable, and a bet that local networking would matter more than telephones. In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace how Bob Metcalfe and David Boggs built the first Ethernet network at Xerox PARC in 1973 — starting from a memo Metcalfe wrote on May 22, 1973. They walk through the original 2.94 megabit-per-second speed, the Alto computer it linked, and how a single experimental network grew into an IEEE standard. They also unpack why Xerox famously undervalued the invention, and how Ethernet beat out competing technologies like Token Ring and ARCNET. A focused look at the specific cable, the specific memo, and the moment that made local area networking possible. Plus a brief, unscripted note about why this podcast stays ad-free. #Ethernet #XeroxPARC #BobMetcalfe #DavidBoggs #Networking #LocalAreaNetwork #AltoComputer #IEEE8023 #TechnologyHistory #SiliconValley #Innovation #ComputerNetworking #TechHistory #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Technology #Podcast #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    8 分
  • How the Floppy Disk Democratized Data Storage

    How the Floppy Disk Democratized Data Storage
    2026/06/08
    Long before cloud drives and USB sticks, the floppy disk was the original portable storage medium. This episode traces the floppy from its 8-inch origins at IBM in the late 1960s to the 3.5-inch disk that became a cultural icon. We focus on one key moment: how a single engineer, Alan Shugart, and his team at IBM's San Jose lab solved the problem of loading microcode into the System 370 mainframe, creating a diskette that was both reliable and removable. We then follow the format's evolution through the 1970s and 80s, including the fierce format war between Sony and Apple, and explain why the floppy ultimately vanished—not because of CDs or USB drives, but because of the internet. Specific numbers: 80 kilobytes in the original 8-inch disk, 1.44 megabytes in the final 3.5-inch standard, and the 1998 iMac as the first major PC to abandon the drive entirely. #FloppyDisk #AlanShugart #IBM #Sony #Apple #DataStorage #ComputerHistory #Technology #RetroTech #Diskette #iMac #FormatWar #SanJoseLab #System370 #PortableStorage #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #TechHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    11 分
  • How the ENIAC Operators Became Computing's First Programmers

    How the ENIAC Operators Became Computing's First Programmers
    2026/06/07
    When the ENIAC was unveiled in 1946, the press hailed it as a 'giant brain' — but they completely missed the human story behind its operation. This episode tells how six young women, initially hired as 'calculators' to compute ballistics tables by hand, became the world's first computer programmers. They programmed ENIAC using plugboards and function tables, with no programming languages, no manuals, and no recognition for decades. We explore how Jean Bartik, Kay McNulty, Betty Holberton, and their colleagues debugged the machine, developed subroutines, and laid the groundwork for modern software — all while the engineers who built ENIAC got the credit. It's a story of invisible labor that fundamentally shaped computing, and a reminder that the history of technology is often more complicated than the heroic inventor narrative. #ENIAC #WomenInComputing #HistoryOfProgramming #JeanBartik #KayMcNulty #BettyHolberton #FirstProgrammers #ENIACSix #Ballistics #UniversityOfPennsylvania #MooreSchool #SoftwareHistory #HiddenFigures #ComputerHistory #TechnologyPodcast #TechHistory #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    7 分
  • How the IBM 350 RAMAC Invented the Hard Drive

    How the IBM 350 RAMAC Invented the Hard Drive
    2026/06/07
    In 1956, IBM shipped the world's first hard disk drive, the 350 RAMAC. It weighed over a ton, stored just five megabytes, and cost $50,000 per megabyte. In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace how that spinning platter of iron oxide evolved into the terabytes in our pockets, and why the basic mechanical principle fought off solid-state rivals for sixty years. They visit the San Jose lab where a team led by Reynold Johnson gambled on rotating magnetic media, unpack the enormous technical hurdle of a flying read-write head, and reveal how a single 1950s breakthrough created a $200 billion industry. If you've ever wondered why your laptop still has a spinning disk — or why it finally doesn't — this story is for you. #IBM350RAMAC #HardDrive #ReynoldJohnson #MagneticStorage #DataStorage #TechHistory #IBM #SanJose #ComputerHistory #HDD #Technology #Business #Podcast #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #TechHistoryWithFexingo #StorageRevolution #Fexingo Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    8 分
  • How the HP-35 Calculator Revolutionized Engineering

    How the HP-35 Calculator Revolutionized Engineering
    2026/06/06
    In 1972, Hewlett-Packard launched the HP-35, the world's first scientific handheld calculator. This episode explores how a single device ended the slide-rule era, transformed engineering education, and created the template for every professional calculator that followed. We look at the key design decisions—reverse Polish notation, the LED display, the compact form factor—and how HP's engineering culture made it happen. Lucas and Luna also discuss the ripple effects on the calculator industry and why the HP-35 remains a legend among engineers and collectors. A story of precision, innovation, and a device that literally changed how math was done. #HP35 #HewlettPackard #ScientificCalculator #ReversePolishNotation #SlideRule #EngineeringHistory #Technology #TechHistory #SiliconValley #Calculator #BillHewlett #FredTerman #LEDDisplay #Innovation #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #TechPodcast #HistoryOfComputing Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    7 分
  • How the Transistor Radio Created Portable Electronics

    How the Transistor Radio Created Portable Electronics
    2026/06/06
    In 1954, a small Texas company called Regency released the first pocket transistor radio, the TR-1. It wasn't just a gadget — it kicked off the portable electronics revolution. In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace how the TR-1 brought transistors from military and industrial computers into everyday life, why Japanese manufacturers like Sony (then a tiny startup) turned it into a global breakthrough, and how a single mass-market product reshaped the entire electronics industry. Along the way, they explore the hidden economics of early semiconductors, the battle between vacuum tubes and transistors, and the surprising reason Regency failed while Sony soared. A focused look at how a $49.95 radio changed the world. #TransistorRadio #RegencyTR1 #Sony #PortableElectronics #SemiconductorHistory #TechHistory #SiliconValley #ConsumerElectronics #Innovation #Engineering #BusinessHistory #PostwarAmerica #Electronics #Radio #Transistor #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    8 分