Is This thing On?

Windows 95 at 25

Last week marked 25 years since the launch of Windows 95. I was at the launch event on Microsoft’s sprawling Redmond campus. It had both a carnival and circus atmosphere. There were tents, rides, entertainment, Bill Gates grooving on stage to “Start Me Up,” and more. By then, I’d been at PC Magazine for four years, mostly covering software and some graphics hardware. We were on the cusp of the Internet revolution, but at enough of a distance that, at least initially, no one freaked out that Microsoft neglected to include a Web browser in Windows 95. Internet Explorer (something that’s thisclose to finally and for good being put down by Microsoft) would show up later in the Windows Plus! pack .

There was no social media and I don’t even have photos from the momentous event. Even so, it’s one of those days that I can recall simply by closing my eyes.

Meeting Bill Gates was a highlight. I’d been so stunned at the near global interest in the operating system launch, that I had to ask Gates about it. He was already the richest man in the world, but I wouldn’t call him a celebrity. Nerds worshipped, feared, or, if they were Apple fans, hated him.

I found him standing behind a small group of people seated on the lawn in front of gesticulating Jay Leno (who also served as sort of a master of ceremonies for the on-stage rollout). Gates was chuckling at Leno’s jokes (I can’t remember them) and I eased next to him, introduced myself, and told him that my grandmother knew about this launch. He smiled and said, “That’s good marketing.”

Now I realize, though, that it was more than that. Windows 95 arrived at just the right moment – better processors, and explosion of home computing – and it was the right technology: a graphical interface average humans could comprehend.

That we’re still using Windows to this day (as am I at this moment), is a testament to the programming expertise of Microsoft, the rise of the Internet, and, yes, good marketing.

Zoom Glitch

School officially kicked off for millions of K-12 and colleges students (some won’t start school until September) and, like clockwork, Zoom failed.

That’s right, the most crucial platform in our new stay-at-home, remote-learning reality failed. And not just for a little while, but for hours.

Zoom hopped on the “issue,” kept users appraised of its progress on Twitter, and Zoom CEO Eric Yuan publicly apologized. However, even after they restored service, no one ever truly explained what happened.

It was an inauspicious start to say the least. Here’s hoping Zoom gets its house in order and builds up some massive redundancies with all the cash it’s surely raking in right now.

Apple and the iPhone 12

It’s getting close to iPhone time, which means the rumors, leaks and renders are reaching a fever-pitch. The latest are some good close looks at what might be the iPhone 12 and its four—count ‘em—four camera lenses.

Many on Twitter had a good time comparing the configuration to a stove top (too easy), but I was more interested in that fourth lens. Based on what I saw in the most recent iPad Pro updates and Apple’s rising interest in AR (less so on VR), it has to be an LiDAR sensor, which is essentially used to create a 3D map of surfaces that you can then use to create hyper-realistic AR renderings.

I’m willing to assume that the iPhone 12 Pro will be an 5G phone (with the tech it bought from Intel or by Qualcomm radios) have 14 MP cameras (maybe front and back), redesigned TrueDepth module, 120 Hz OLED display, and maybe 5X optical zoom.

The last may be wishful thinking on my part, since most people are pegging the iPhone 12 Pro as maxing out at 3X optical zoom. I hope they’re wrong because that’s not enough.

I also like the renders I saw of the straight-up iPhone 12, which return the flat-edge design language of the iPhone 5 and mimic, a bit, the flat edge look of the iPad Pro line.

As the time for the Apple unveiling draws near (probably September 14 or 15) I am a little sad knowing that I won’t be attending an unveiling event (none of us will). Will a virtual iPhone launch have the same thrill as one where we’re all at Steve Jobs Theater? No.

Amazon Wear

I have a few Amazon Echo devices in my home and have tried Amazon’s Alexa eyeglasses, ring, and the buds. Alexa might eventually end up on your wrist. Amazon revealed its Halo wristband last week. There’s no Alexa in it, yet, and it’s more about health (fitness, sleep), but there is one intriguing and odd feature: The ability to listen to the tone of your voice. I guess Amazon won’t be satisfied until we all sound like Alexa.

BTW: I did have a few other thoughts about Halo.

TikTok’s many suitors

Microsoft is still in the running for TikTok, which lost its still shiny and new American CEO last week, but now it may be teaming up with Walmart. Walmart lacks the tech infrastructure (and probably cash) to afford TikTok outright, but the partnership with Microsoft makes some sense. Microsoft provides the servers and cloud infrastructure necessary to support a service’s 100 million users and Walmart provides…um…ecommerce? FWIW, this could go very well or blow up in their faces and TikTok users get turned off by too many Walmart-sponsored ad deals.

Three little piggies

Elon Musk put some implants in a few pigs to monitor their senses and maybe even their thoughts. The endgame is Neuralink implants in humans to combat memory loss, and a myriad other spine and brain maladies. There’s also the chance it could be used to enhance perception and replay memories like a movie. People are, naturally, freaking out.

Roku is us

Finally, I read this excellent deep dive by my former co-worker Todd Spangler on the rise of Roku. We have a few Roku boxes and now a TCL Roku TV. Suddenly, I’m living in the Roku world and liking it. I would like it more if they got HBO Max and Peacock.

See you soon.

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