Latest posts
- What happened to Prodigy InternetFeb 13, 2026Dave Farquhar
Prodigy was a 1980s online service that later morphed into an Internet service provider. It survived into the early 2000s but faded as its business model disappeared. Here’s what happened to Prodigy Internet. Prodigy: You gotta get this thing Prodigy The post What happened to Prodigy Internet appeared first on The Silicon Underground.
- Deja News: Google’s first acquisitionFeb 12, 2026Dave Farquhar
Google’s first acquisition was a company called Deja News. It was a small acquisition compared to things that were to come, but it was a synergistic and strategic acquisition at the time. Google acquired Deja News on Feb. 13, 2001. The post Deja News: Google’s first acquisition appeared first on The Silicon Underground.
- The last Sony CRT ever madeFeb 11, 2026Dave Farquhar
On February 14, 2006, Sony announced its final CRT television, the KD-34XBR970. The last Sony CRT TV was a 34-inch model, with high definition and a 16:9 screen. So it wasn’t what we typically think of when it comes to The post The last Sony CRT ever made appeared first on The Silicon Underground.
- Why Pets.com failed and became a dotcom jokeFeb 10, 2026Dave Farquhar
Pets.com was a pioneering Internet startup selling pet food. Amazon even owned a significant stake in the company. So why did it stop taking orders in November 9, 2000, become the butt of a Superbowl ad joke the next year, The post Why Pets.com failed and became a dotcom joke appeared first on The Silicon Underground.
- Buy.com’s Feb 2000 IPOFeb 09, 2026Dave Farquhar
Buy.com was founded in 1997 by Scott Blum. It was an e-commerce site whose gimmick was taking the concept of a loss leader to an extreme, trying to subsidize the low prices by selling advertising. In 2010, it was purchased The post Buy.com’s Feb 2000 IPO appeared first on The Silicon Underground.
- The first computer chipFeb 06, 2026Dave Farquhar
The integrated circuit, or computer chip, reached a major milestone 66 years ago this week, when Jack Kilby, an engineer at Texas Instruments, filed a patent for “miniaturized electronic circuits,” a multi-transistor device on Feb. 6, 1959. The motivation behind The post The first computer chip appeared first on The Silicon Underground.
- What happened to Conner hard drivesFeb 05, 2026Dave Farquhar
Conner Peripherals was founded June 17, 1985 by Seagate Technology co-founder Finis Conner, in San Jose. On Sep. 20, 1995, Conner agreed to merge with Seagate in a deal worth $1 billion. The deal closed February 5, 1996. At the The post What happened to Conner hard drives appeared first on The Silicon Underground.
- Radio Shack’s 2015 bankruptcyFeb 04, 2026Dave Farquhar
On February 5, 2015, Radio Shack filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy after posting losses 11 quarters in a row and accumulating $1.4 billion in debt. While not officially the end of Radio Shack, the Radio Shack that still exists today The post Radio Shack’s 2015 bankruptcy appeared first on The Silicon Underground.
- When Bill Gates claimed to work for $2 an hourFeb 03, 2026Dave Farquhar
The most popular software product for the MITS Altair 8800 computer was Altair Basic, the first Microsoft product. But there was a problem. Only about 10 percent of Altair owners paid for Altair Basic. On February 3, 1976, Bill Gates The post When Bill Gates claimed to work for $2 an hour appeared first on The Silicon Underground.
- Intel 286 introduced Feb 2, 1982Feb 02, 2026Dave Farquhar
The Intel 80286 (also marketed as the iAPX 286 and often called Intel 286) is a 16-bit microprocessor that was introduced on February 1, 1982 after about three years in development. It was the first 8086-based CPU with separate, non-multiplexed The post Intel 286 introduced Feb 2, 1982 appeared first on The Silicon Underground.