Technorama Ep 446 : Burn the Witches

Coming up in this episode… HolyGrail027

Cheaper burial plots
Old Tech antiques
Police Albums for 1 penny

Listen below with the audio player or Click Here for complete show notes and video from the show.

Podcast: Download

Feedback

What was the first piece of tech you saved up for?
- PC Haring:
  - Chuck! Kreg! First piece of tech I remember saving up for was the original Nintendo Entertainment System. The year was 1989 and I was a whopping 6 years old. I don’t remember how I came across it, probably playing it at my cousin’s house, but I had to have the NES. So for weeks I was given a $2 per week allowance and I saved… and saved…. and saved… and saved. Then the Power Pack was mine. This was the big one. Console, Two controllers, Zapper gun (In RED and grey not just grey) and the POWER PAD! Awww yeah! We played the heck out of Mario and Duckhunt, but not so much with World Class Track Meet. The pad was difficult to use and the interface was… buggy at best. I still have the unit all these years later, controllers, console, zapper, and yes the power pad. Probably would still work if I plugged it in. But man… had so much fun on that console as a kid.101
- Scott:
  - I don’t think I saved up for this, but with my first paycheck from my first full time “real” job I bought a Nintendo NES game system. I miss that thing!
- Edward:
  - My first PC was some Epson model with an 8088 processor. I believe I had 1MB RAM, dual 360K floppies, CGA (4 color) graphics. I believe I had a turbo mode which got me 7 or 8 Mhz of processing speed! Team it up with a 9-pin dot matrix printer and the whole thing cost me around $2200. I made payments on that, I didn’t save up first and buy later.
- Fred:
  - Commodore 128 I think. I have to have a “better” system than you and Marc.

On This Day In History for August 19, 2015

August 19 is the 231st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 134 days remaining in 2015.

It was on this date in 1561 that Mary, Queen of Scots, who was 18-years-old, returns to Scotland after spending 13 years in France.
August 19, 1612, Three women from the Lancashire village of Samlesbury, England, known as the “Samlesbury Witches” are put on trial, accused of practicing witchcraft, one of the most famous witch trials in British history.
In Salem Massachusetts, five people (one woman and four men including a clergyman), are executed after being convicted of witchcraft as part of the Salem witch trials 323 years ago today.
Also today in 1812, During the War of 1812, American frigate USS Constitution defeats the British frigate HMS Guerriere off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada earning the nickname “Old Ironsides”.
It was 176 years ago today that The French government announces that Louis Daguerre’s photographic process is a gift “free to the world”.
The New York Herald breaks the news to the East Coast of the United States of the gold rush in California (although the rush started in January) 167 years ago today.
The first automobile race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway 106 years ago today.
The first All-American Soap Box Derby is held in Dayton, Ohio on this date in 1934.
August 19, 1940, First flight of the B-25 Mitchell medium bomber.
55 years ago today, In Moscow, Russia, Soviet Union, downed American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers is sentenced to ten years imprisonment by the Soviet Union for espionage.
Also today in 1960, The Soviet Union launches the satellite with the dogs Belka and Strelka, 40 mice, two rats and a variety of plants aboard Korabl-Sputnik 2.
It was 51 years ago today that Syncom 3, the first geostationary communication satellite, was launched.

Happy Birthday goes out on this date to:

English Astronomer and academic, John Flamsteed, born on this date in 1646.
Also born on that same date in 1871, American inventor and aviation pioneer Orville Wright.
French fashion designer, and founder of the Chanel Company, Coco Chanel was born today in 1883.
The man who invented the Fusor, Philo Farnsworth, was born August 19, 99 years ago.
Publisher Malcolm Forbes would have been 96 today.
And Gene Roddenberry would have been 94.
More Star Trek related birthdays, Diana Muldaur is 77.
and Jonathan Frakes is 63.
Turning 71 today is Charles Wang, Chinese-American businessman and philanthropist; co-founder, CA Technologies.
American general and astronaut, Charles Bolden is 69.
sharing the exact same birthday is former US President Bill Clinton.