Episode 8: Random Access Memories

The Friday Stream

We share the stories of our very first computers, and reminisce about the bad old days of the PC.

Plus we solve another world problem, explain Amazon Flex, and our cheap home studio build.

Links:

• Music - NewRetroWave
• Horse Blood - NewRetroWave
• End of The Night - NewRetroWave
• Angela Fisher on Instagram — Here we are! Last day of school!!!
• What It's Like To Be An Amazon Flex Delivery Driver — Amazon has offered free two-day shipping for Prime members since 2005. As Amazon rolls out a one-day shipping guarantee for its 100 million Prime members, Amazon Flex drivers help solve the company's last mile problem. CNBC spoke to these on-demand contract workers all over the country to find out what it's really like to deliver for Amazon.
• The Computer Chronicles - Pentium PCs (1993)
• V.92 - Wikipedia — V.92 is an ITU-T recommendation, titled Enhancements to Recommendation V.90, that establishes a modem standard allowing near 56 kb/s download and 48 kb/s upload rates. With V.92 PCM is used for both the upstream and downstream connections; previously 56K modems only used PCM for downstream data.
• Paratrooper DOS Game — Paratrooper is a 1982 computer game, written by Greg Kuperberg and published by Orion Software. Paratrooper is one of the three games written by Greg Kuperberg when the IBM-PC was still very new.
• Floppy disk - Wikipedia — A floppy disk, also known as a floppy, diskette, or simply disk, is a type of disk storage composed of a disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage medium, sealed in a rectangular plastic enclosure lined with fabric that removes dust particles.
• Macintosh SE/30, start and format a floppy disk - Sounds Of Changes — The Macintosh SE/30 is a personal computer that was designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer, Inc. from 1989 until 1991.
• No, Your Kid Isn't Growing Horns Because Of Cellphone Use | Techdirt — This week, the Washington Post grabbed plenty of attention for a story that claimed that kids are actually growing "horns" because of cell phone use. The story, which leans on 2016 and 2018 research out of Australia, was cribbing off of this more nuanced piece by the BBC on how skeletal adaptation to modern living changes are kind of a thing.
• Australian researchers find 'horns' growing on young people's skulls from phone overuse - The Washington Post
• Yes Kids are Growing Horns - But the Solution is Simple - YouTube — Recently this has become big news with many media outlets reporting on it. It may sound sensationalist, but it really isn't. This is a serious symptom of the augmented lifestyle young people are living involving their phones and media devices.