TAG RESULTS FOR: 1984

Our weekly column: Unevenly Distributed

Unevenly Distributed: What Gremlins Says About The 80s And Its Tech

Even before the viewer catches a glimpse his first Mogwai, Joe Dante’s Gremlins establishes the link between the titular goblins and malfunctioning technology by way of Randy Peltzer and his many incompetent inventions. It’s a film very much of its time, with many fascinating things to say about the way Reagan-era Americans looked at technology. It’s also a movie that would be impossible to remake today, for one big reason: the smartphone is our Bathroom Buddy. Continue reading

The tyranny of innovation

The tyranny of innovation

Larry Page tells us to ask ourselves if the work we do is changing the world. But is change always and everywhere for the better? Continue reading

Facebook Circa 1984

In 1984, computing as we know it was still in its infancy. Almost purely text-based, PCs and the internet were indistinguishable from what they have become in modern times. Yes, I remember it well. I had a perfect view from the glimmer in my daddy’s eye. But what would have happened had social networking evolved faster than computing progress could compensate for? Facebook, for example, would have looked more like an old usenet newsgroup rather than the slick life hub... Continue reading

Classic IBM Packaging

Here’s a photo of a ledger from the 1984 collection from IBM. Those striking pastels and regal fonts really bring it all together. Look how proud IBM was: “For the introduction of the IBM PC, we designed the packages and software manual, creating, instead of the industry’s usual cheap plastic binders, hard-bound linen covers and slipcovers in pastel colors to stress cultural elegance and personal values.” Personal values? Holy shit, IBM. You just blew my fucking mind. Link