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Archive: 2018

Browse through our history of obscure stories.
Browse By Year 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 December Another Year of Tedium Another Year of Tedium December 27, 2018 Another Year of Tedium The state of our Tedium in 2019 is a pivotal one if you love the idea of creating things online. Let’s talk about why—and what we can do to keep it safe. Pato’s Game Theory Christmas Pato’s Game Theory Christmas December 20, 2018 Pato’s Game Theory Christmas The tale of how a college engineering professor once used game theory to turn his holiday gift-giving into an experiment—complete with winners and losers. Desperation-Tinged Gift Ideas Desperation-Tinged Gift Ideas December 18, 2018 Desperation-Tinged Gift Ideas Every year, Tedium looks back and publishes a last-minute gift guide full of odd crap we found from the prior 12 months. Think we’re gonna change gears now? The Bagdasarian Effect The Bagdasarian Effect December 13, 2018 The Bagdasarian Effect How one man’s discovery of a clever sound effect gave us Alvin and the Chipmunks, one of the most enduring novelty musical acts of all time. The Infomercial Game The Infomercial Game December 11, 2018 The Infomercial Game From Kevin Trudeau to Miss Cleo, infomercial schemes of the past 40 years have a lot in common with the “dark patterns” of the modern-day app economy. The Internet, Through A Filter The Internet, Through A Filter December 6, 2018 The Internet, Through A Filter As content filters re-enter the digital conversation, a look back at the internet filters of the ‘90s, and the librarian who sold the Supreme Court on them. When A Chain Breaks When A Chain Breaks December 4, 2018 When A Chain Breaks What a blogger learned from a year of traveling to restaurants that used to be part of much larger chains before being forced to fend for themselves. November Kicking Out The Jams Kicking Out The Jams November 29, 2018 Kicking Out The Jams The unlikely rise and amicable fall of the world’s funniest alt-rock, DIY band—The Presidents of the United States of America, who only needed five strings. Hometown Proud Hometown Proud November 22, 2018 Hometown Proud The Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA), a loosely franchised grocery chain, is basically designed to allow locals to own their own stores. It's genius. Hands-Free Horrible Hands-Free Horrible November 15, 2018 Hands-Free Horrible Inspired by something I saw online, I bought Phone Relief, an “As Seen On TV” product that turns any phone into a hands-free phone—so you don’t have to. Totally Tubular Totally Tubular November 13, 2018 Totally Tubular The surprising modern status of the vacuum tube, a vintage technology that continues to maintain its value and use case in a world full of transistors. Counting All Cars Counting All Cars November 8, 2018 Counting All Cars Pondering the evolution of electronic tolling, the system that doesn’t slow you down even as it charges you to use it. It has roots in the theremin—sorta. His Name Was Larry His Name Was Larry November 6, 2018 His Name Was Larry The offbeat stylings of Larry "Wild Man" Fischer, an outsider icon with ties to Frank Zappa and a wild voice who generated a cult audience against all odds. Beyond The McRib Beyond The McRib November 1, 2018 Beyond The McRib Pondering the way that retired or obscure fast food menu items create cult followings. Had a Taco Bell Chili Cheese Burrito lately? Consider yourself lucky. October Let's Overanalyze Fun Let's Overanalyze Fun October 30, 2018 Let's Overanalyze Fun In honor of the 50th anniversary of the “Fun Size” candy bar, let’s highlight the time Mars tried to sue one of its largest competitors for using the term. Bizarro Mash Bizarro Mash October 29, 2018 Bizarro Mash Around the time of “The Monster Mash,” another icon of horror was getting in on the music game—and John Zacherle had his own take on the graveyard smash. Doin’ The Mash Doin’ The Mash October 25, 2018 Doin’ The Mash The history of the world’s favorite Halloween carol, Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s “The Monster Mash.” Here’s how a song about dead creatures came to life. Simulated Crime Simulated Crime October 23, 2018 Simulated Crime The evolution of the police training simulator, and how it directly inspired one of the most fascinating video game companies of the ‘90s. Dual-Pronged Dual-Pronged October 18, 2018 Dual-Pronged Pondering the staple, and separately, the stapler, as they came together over time to saddle a few stitches and inspire a few tall tales. The Halloween-Industrial Complex The Halloween-Industrial Complex October 16, 2018 The Halloween-Industrial Complex After the 2008 recession, commercial real estate firms had a ton of empty buildings. Fortunately, Halloween stores were ready to fill the gap—for a month. The Lazarus Libraries The Lazarus Libraries October 11, 2018 The Lazarus Libraries What happens when “lost” films and television shows become found once again—and what that does to the work’s cultural legacy. Otis Nixon, the CD-i, and Me Otis Nixon, the CD-i, and Me October 9, 2018 Otis Nixon, the CD-i, and Me An improbably true story of a baseball star at his career peak pitching a 10-year-old on the unspeakably bad Philips CD-i at an Atlanta mall in 1992. Silicon Persistence Silicon Persistence October 4, 2018 Silicon Persistence Decades after Silicon Graphics' heyday, its supercomputers have found themselves a new home with a small community full of enthusiasts—some just teenagers. Extreme Googling Extreme Googling October 2, 2018 Extreme Googling It’s easy to forget given its size, but Google fundamentally changed our relationship with information. Two decades later, we’re still feeling the effects. September Super (Small) Models Super (Small) Models September 27, 2018 Super (Small) Models Pondering the postwar scale modeling boom, as well as where scale model enthusiasts are getting their fix today. Network Effects Network Effects September 25, 2018 Network Effects For more than a decade, it's been a common sight in U.S. airports to see newsstand-style shops named for cable news networks. Why, of all things, this idea? Giving Candy A Bad Name Giving Candy A Bad Name September 20, 2018 Giving Candy A Bad Name The surprisingly true story of Ayds, a diet suppressant candy that was incredibly successful until its name became forever associated with something else. We’re Making A Zine We’re Making A Zine September 18, 2018 We’re Making A Zine If you’re a fan of Tedium in digital form, you should know that we’re going to create a physical form. But not just any physical form. Zine form. VCR Plus Dice VCR Plus Dice September 13, 2018 VCR Plus Dice From board games to stunted game systems, the many attempts to turn VHS into a platform for games ran into a big problem: There was only one way forward. Close Your Open Tabs Close Your Open Tabs September 11, 2018 Close Your Open Tabs A case in favor of browser tab minimalism, or closing the tabs you’re not using. Sometimes, information overload has its limits. Keep Your Composure Keep Your Composure September 6, 2018 Keep Your Composure What’s it like to be a film composer, anyway? An expert on the subject pads our knowledge of film composition, what might be cinema’s most subtle art form. Double Trouble Double Trouble September 4, 2018 Double Trouble How a court battle involving groundbreaking disk-compression software foreshadowed Microsoft’s status as an antitrust darling. August Clippy Couture Clippy Couture August 30, 2018 Clippy Couture Clip art gets a bad rap as an artform, in part because it’s everywhere. Let’s give it some grudging respect by filling in some historic gaps. Trapper Keeper Contraband Trapper Keeper Contraband August 28, 2018 Trapper Keeper Contraband The Trapper Keeper is a beacon of nostalgia, but generic branding and school rules have pushed it off to the side. Good luck finding a new one. The Ballad of Yo! Noid The Ballad of Yo! Noid August 16, 2018 The Ballad of Yo! Noid In the '80s and '90s, advertisers got the idea to market products to kids through video games. The games aren't half-bad (mostly), but they're still ads. Retail’s Tech Champion Retail’s Tech Champion August 14, 2018 Retail’s Tech Champion Sears and Roebuck—a firm that has seen better days—helped sell the public on computers, video games, and online services. (They made great catalogs, too.) The Podcasting Puppet Master The Podcasting Puppet Master August 9, 2018 The Podcasting Puppet Master A puppeteer for Mystery Science Theater 3000 explains how a comedic passion—particularly Dr. Demento—led to a diverse career in podcasting and puppeteering. Nothing But Net (And Ads) Nothing But Net (And Ads) August 7, 2018 Nothing But Net (And Ads) The rise of the ad-sponsored dial-up ISP offers some useful lessons on promising too much in the age of MoviePass. Good luck getting rid of that ad. Symbiotic Infringement Symbiotic Infringement August 6, 2018 Symbiotic Infringement Pondering the shutdown of a YouTube user who uploaded lots of John Oliver videos over a multi-year period—and probably made John Oliver more popular. Pens for Pennies Pens for Pennies August 2, 2018 Pens for Pennies How cheap ballpoint pens, which are easy to lose and easy to make, changed the world due to their sheer disposability. They're really freaking cheap. Everything You Want Everything You Want August 1, 2018 Everything You Want A theory about the inspiration for Verizon's name that Verizon probably doesn't want to admit, because then they'd have to pay Vertical Horizon royalties. July The Sound and the Fury The Sound and the Fury July 31, 2018 The Sound and the Fury How sound design—such as the iconic Indiana Jones whip noise—has come to define the film industry almost as much as all the on-screen effects. TV’s Hidden Math TV’s Hidden Math July 24, 2018 TV’s Hidden Math How the calculus of ’80s television programming lives on into the present day—and why the Disney Channel always seems to cancel shows after 65 episodes. Click, Clack Click, Clack July 19, 2018 Click, Clack The famed mechanical keyboard switch manufacturer Cherry has been around since the 1950s—but it's only been defined by keyboard switches in the past decade. Command Line Command Line July 17, 2018 Command Line Nearly 40 years ago, DOS reshaped computing on the IBM PC. These days, nostalgia for that era—and a dose of fresh creativity—is keeping its legacy alive. Duck, Duck, Goose? Duck, Duck, Goose? July 17, 2018 Duck, Duck, Goose? What if someone solved one of retro gaming’s biggest headaches and few people noticed? Such is the tale of the Modern Mallard, the great Duck Hunt fix. The Agony Of Repeat The Agony Of Repeat July 12, 2018 The Agony Of Repeat The tale of a guy who became famous for falling down once, only to have that fall replayed every single week on a legendary American TV show. Still Grasping At Straws Still Grasping At Straws July 10, 2018 Still Grasping At Straws Businesses and cities are ditching the plastic straw, the ultimate commodity object. But the shift is controversial, and alternatives don’t come cheap. The Internet's Final Frontier The Internet's Final Frontier July 5, 2018 The Internet's Final Frontier Pondering the nature of digital connectivity in the one room nobody wants to consider internet access in, even though we use it all the time: The restroom. The Fourth Of Why The Fourth Of Why July 3, 2018 The Fourth Of Why Why is America’s Independence Day celebrated on July 4, despite strong evidence the independence took place on a different day? June Members Only Members Only June 28, 2018 Members Only Pondering the surprising number of musical acts that have official members that don’t actually play an instrument or sing. You know, like Coldplay. That '70s Interactive TV That '70s Interactive TV June 26, 2018 That '70s Interactive TV The story of Columbus, Ohio’s own QUBE Interactive Television, which—beyond breaking ground for cable TV—was social media for the ’70s, for good and bad. One Frame At A Time One Frame At A Time June 21, 2018 One Frame At A Time A long time ago in an encoding standard not so far away, an early 'net user tried to remake “Star Wars” in ASCII art form. He got further than you’d guess. The Other Browser War The Other Browser War June 21, 2018 The Other Browser War Why a new “feature” Opera added to its browser this week really makes me wish they’d ask me to pay them money for the right to use their browser. The Toy That Talked Back The Toy That Talked Back June 19, 2018 The Toy That Talked Back Four decades ago, the Speak & Spell came about, and the result was Texas Instruments’ greatest gadget and a pop-culture icon. Solved Solved June 19, 2018 Solved The surprising place that Unsolved Mysteries holds in modern culture—as a show that’s still being updated, years after being taken off the air. Absolutely Brilliant! Absolutely Brilliant! June 15, 2018 Absolutely Brilliant! The British company Codemasters, best known for the Game Genie, didn’t let a pesky lack of license get in the way of creating some of the NES’ best games. What if Tedium … Had Lyrics? What if Tedium … Had Lyrics? June 13, 2018 What if Tedium … Had Lyrics? A conversation with video game music icon Brent Black (aka Brentalfloss) about his music, thoughts on YouTube, and using your words. Flexible Noise Flexible Noise June 12, 2018 Flexible Noise The history of flexi discs, the cheap alternative to vinyl records that was once a marketer’s dream material and an unusual Cold War workaround. With ARM Wide Open With ARM Wide Open June 7, 2018 With ARM Wide Open The story of ARM Holdings, one of our most important tech companies, is full of sheer luck, happy accidents, and a faded British computing icon. The Future of Fringe The Future of Fringe June 5, 2018 The Future of Fringe Puppeteer Chris Carlson, currently running for California governor, might be the long-shot political candidate the world needs in 2018. Please keep running. May The Same Name Game The Same Name Game May 29, 2018 The Same Name Game It’s not every day you watch a movie in which you share the same name as the lead character. I did, and it was a supremely dissonant experience. Robotic, But Lovable Robotic, But Lovable May 24, 2018 Robotic, But Lovable Alexa’s Interface is treated as revolutionary, but you might be surprised to learn of your favorite opinionated cylinder’s predecessors from the mid-1980s. Window Dressing Window Dressing May 22, 2018 Window Dressing When macOS was still OS X, some Windows users weren't afraid to remake their desktops in Apple's vision. It was the ultimate case of imitation and flattery. Nintendo Still Rocks Nintendo Still Rocks May 17, 2018 Nintendo Still Rocks How music from the 8-bit video game era has inspired an entire generation of modern musicians and created new musical genres. The Chinese Robocall Blues The Chinese Robocall Blues May 15, 2018 The Chinese Robocall Blues Like spam messages, robocalls aim for the broadest possible audience in an effort to get someone, anyone, with its scam. And both are annoying as heck, too. WebTV’s Greatest Celebrity User WebTV’s Greatest Celebrity User May 15, 2018 WebTV’s Greatest Celebrity User Turns out R. Stevie Moore, a Tedium favorite, was a very active user of WebTV, an under-loved icon of the early internet. It’s apparent in his video work. Make Some Noise Make Some Noise May 10, 2018 Make Some Noise Sound cards like the Creative Sound Blaster were the missing element that computers needed to take on multimedia. Then, they faded from view. Here's why. They Steal Horses, Don’t They? They Steal Horses, Don’t They? May 8, 2018 They Steal Horses, Don’t They? Discussing the rise of organizations that fought against a very specific type of crime: The theft of horses. However, that wasn’t all they were doing. How To Make A Wrestler Mad How To Make A Wrestler Mad May 3, 2018 How To Make A Wrestler Mad Wrestling is a sport that you either know a lot about, or you know nothing. But even if you know nothing, you should still know about the Montreal Screwjob. Unsettled Unsettled May 1, 2018 Unsettled Ticketmaster pulled a fast one on the concert-going public by making it impossible to redeem free tickets in a class-action settlement. We should boycott. April Ink-Stained Pixels Ink-Stained Pixels April 26, 2018 Ink-Stained Pixels The Kindle and the Nook have defined the eBook, but there are literally decades of prior art for this device—an idea many readers still haven’t warmed to. It’s Not HBO, It’s UHF It’s Not HBO, It’s UHF April 24, 2018 It’s Not HBO, It’s UHF The quickly forgotten phenomenon of scrambled television stations that ran over the air on UHF signals. Not everyone had cable TV at first. No Thanks, Spammers No Thanks, Spammers April 23, 2018 No Thanks, Spammers How search engine marketers are ruining what’s left of the open web through too aggressive automation. No, I won’t add your link to my old piece. Going Through The Motions Going Through The Motions April 19, 2018 Going Through The Motions The evolution of the robotic arm, a product invented in the U.S. that came to define modern factories around the world. It wasn't an easy sell in America. Fishing For Checks Fishing For Checks April 18, 2018 Fishing For Checks The rise of mail fishing—which involves sticky glue, string, and blue postal mailboxes—represents a growing threat to the physical mail system. Really. The Oracle That Spoke Too Soon The Oracle That Spoke Too Soon April 12, 2018 The Oracle That Spoke Too Soon Oracle CEO Larry Ellison sold the tech world on the Network Computer, a machine designed to kill the PC’s dominance. The problem? It was 15 years too early. Not Just Nostalgia Not Just Nostalgia April 10, 2018 Not Just Nostalgia The strange and wonderful world of homebrew games for the original Nintendo Entertainment System. Yes, new games are still being made three decades later. The Case Of The Missing Channel The Case Of The Missing Channel April 5, 2018 The Case Of The Missing Channel The cable channel Genesis StoryTime aired in numerous homes in the U.S. and Canada. Yet few records of it exist online. Here's our attempt to fix that. Tales From The Minibar Tales From The Minibar April 3, 2018 Tales From The Minibar The hotel minibar was an exciting and interesting new direction for hotels at first. But it’s since declined. Is a lack of new minibar ideas to blame? Tommy’s Back Tommy’s Back April 2, 2018 Tommy’s Back A review of the first part of “Best F(r)iends” from a big fan of “The Room.” Long story short: It’s a solid addition to the Tommy Wiseau catalog. March It’s New To You It’s New To You March 29, 2018 It’s New To You The story of FuncoLand, the retailer that made the used video game market a thing—and how GameStop, which bought Funco, sort of bastardized that mission. An Institute You Can’t Disparage An Institute You Can’t Disparage March 27, 2018 An Institute You Can’t Disparage How an activist named Terry Rakolta tried—and failed—to convince Middle America to stop watching “Married … With Children.” She might have saved Fox. Please Clap Please Clap March 22, 2018 Please Clap The tale of The Clapper, a device that introduced millions of people to the idea of simple home automation. Would we have Alexa without it? Press Your Luck Press Your Luck March 21, 2018 Press Your Luck Academia finally did an in-depth study into the nature of the button press, along with how we could possibly make our buttons just a little more effective. Drip And Drive Drip And Drive March 20, 2018 Drip And Drive Have you donated blood lately? Maybe you'll get inspired by reading the history of how we got modern blood donation, including (of course) the bloodmobile. Mystic Knights of the Movie Soundtrack Mystic Knights of the Movie Soundtrack March 14, 2018 Mystic Knights of the Movie Soundtrack How Danny Elfman's Oingo Boingo permeated popular culture, especially in the early '80s, thanks in no small part to the rise of movie soundtracks. New Wave Titans New Wave Titans March 13, 2018 New Wave Titans How Oingo Boingo, which began as a theatre troupe, forged an endearing legacy and launched the career of one of the most popular film composers of our time. Literal Dad Rock Literal Dad Rock March 12, 2018 Literal Dad Rock How a famed guitarist best known for working with Frank Zappa and King Crimson scored a hit with his daughter, mocking his semi-successful music career. Straight Flush Straight Flush March 6, 2018 Straight Flush The story of Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader, the greatest book series of all time that targets a uniquely captive audience. The series turns 30 this year. A Screwy Straw Stat A Screwy Straw Stat March 5, 2018 A Screwy Straw Stat A curious estimate seen in a wide variety of stories about plastic straws was uncovered by a 9-year-old. How big of a problem is that? The Suburban Dictionary The Suburban Dictionary March 1, 2018 The Suburban Dictionary How the sniglet took over, to the point where people use sniglets without realizing it. Sniglets don't appear in the dictionary, but they probably should. On Memedom On Memedom March 1, 2018 On Memedom Analyzing the impact of a tweet of mine that went so viral that it nearly broke my phone. Something about sad pepperoni brings out all the retweets. February The Polyphonic Screed The Polyphonic Screed February 22, 2018 The Polyphonic Screed The evolution of the modern cell phone ringtone—and the Ukrainian guy who wants to give Apple’s default noises a refresh. Leavin’ The Light On Leavin’ The Light On February 20, 2018 Leavin’ The Light On The strange, fascinating career of Tom Bodett, who parlayed NPR radio essays into the longest-running spokesperson gig around. Not that it’s all he does. Rethinking the Funny Page Rethinking the Funny Page February 19, 2018 Rethinking the Funny Page With the loss of one newspaper comics-page giant and the departure of another, now’s a good time to reflect on whether the whole model needs to be reworked. Consumer Conflict Consumer Conflict February 15, 2018 Consumer Conflict From literary advocacy to union battles to communism claims, the origin story of the organization that publishes Consumer Reports kind of has it all. Fall Of Voodoo Fall Of Voodoo February 14, 2018 Fall Of Voodoo In a few short years, the graphics card company 3Dfx Interactive provided a polygon-laden shock to the PC world—then fell apart, fast. What happened? A Beautiful Neighborhood A Beautiful Neighborhood February 13, 2018 A Beautiful Neighborhood The story of Neighborhoods, one of the great unheralded albums of the private press era. Read the story of the album and its creator, a Portland jazz icon. A Distinguished Panel A Distinguished Panel February 8, 2018 A Distinguished Panel The panel show, an icon of early television, was a purely American invention, yet somehow it's become deeply associated with modern British TV. Here's why. Ban The Box Ban The Box February 6, 2018 Ban The Box The defining debate of the early compact disc era centered around the longbox, a wasteful form of packaging pushed by retailers and paper manufacturers. Tech’s Biggest Racket Tech’s Biggest Racket February 6, 2018 Tech’s Biggest Racket Why Apple’s MagSafe connectors are both incredibly great and incredibly wasteful—in that they’re expensive, proprietary, and break very easily. Oh? Haven’t You Heard? Oh? Haven’t You Heard? February 1, 2018 Oh? Haven’t You Heard? How a single novelty song capture the public imagination, influenced punk rock and became a cultural institution. Yes, bird is, in fact, the word. January Primitive Streaming Gods Primitive Streaming Gods January 30, 2018 Primitive Streaming Gods Lessons from the music industry’s initial consumer-hostile reaction to the Napster saga. Going from $16 CDs to unlimited streaming is really hard. I See This Dog Everywhere I See This Dog Everywhere January 29, 2018 I See This Dog Everywhere Why Chico, a stock photo dog you’ve probably seen on dozens of flyers and websites over the years, is secretly the future of pet modeling. He's perfect. How's Your Soldering Technique? How's Your Soldering Technique? January 25, 2018 How's Your Soldering Technique? The story of solder, the unsung hero of the digital revolution that benefits from a low melting point. It’s what keeps the circuits attached to the silicon. The Worst Part Of Waking Up The Worst Part Of Waking Up January 23, 2018 The Worst Part Of Waking Up As our alarms went from analog to digital, the noises they made became a lot more abrasive. Here's the story of the technology behind your alarm clock. The Lazies The Lazies January 22, 2018 The Lazies Is the great icon of bad film awards missing the boat in the modern era? Some thoughts on the overly broad, overly obvious Razzie nominations. Dots Vs. Pixels Dots Vs. Pixels January 18, 2018 Dots Vs. Pixels Two tales of resolution, only one of which involves screens. Do you know your dots per inch from your pixels per inch? Let's break down the difference. Going Nuts for Beer Nuts Going Nuts for Beer Nuts January 17, 2018 Going Nuts for Beer Nuts The story of Beer Nuts, the alcohol-accompanying brand of nuts that you’ve probably seen in a sitcom bar somewhere. The Gift Of Abstraction The Gift Of Abstraction January 16, 2018 The Gift Of Abstraction Pondering why the electronic gift card, which is newer than you think, took over the retail industry so quickly. Who had it first, anyway? Why “Zombie” Lingers Why “Zombie” Lingers January 15, 2018 Why “Zombie” Lingers In the wake of Dolores O’Riordan’s passing, reflecting on why The Cranberries’ “Zombie” is one of the most-watched YouTube videos of all time. Your Position, Triangulated Your Position, Triangulated January 11, 2018 Your Position, Triangulated The evolution of the global positioning system, the greatest non-internet idea to come out of the Space Race, and why the military initially hobbled it. Kodak Krypto Kodak Krypto January 10, 2018 Kodak Krypto Why the news that Kodak is trying to cash in on the cryptocurrency trend is literally the most depressing piece of business news, ever. Die, cheap gimmicks! Biography, Unauthorized Biography, Unauthorized January 9, 2018 Biography, Unauthorized An unauthorized look at the master of the unauthorized biography, whose name is not Michael Wolff, as it turns out. Meet Kitty Kelley. Lucky Tickets Lucky Tickets January 4, 2018 Lucky Tickets The South Carolina lottery system preps a big payout, thanks to a really annoying computer error. But is the state actually liable for the ticket flub? You've Been Warned You've Been Warned January 2, 2018 You've Been Warned We pass by all sorts of crazy warning signs every single day—including police tape, wet floor signs, and crazy road warnings. But do they actually connect? Is Blogging Dead? Is Blogging Dead? January 1, 2018 Is Blogging Dead? As some ponder whether the practice of blogging should be seen in the past tense, it may be better to consider what the concept gave us in the first place.