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Ernie Smith

Ernie Smith

Ernie Smith is the editor of Tedium, and an active internet snarker. Between his many internet side projects, he finds time to hang out with his wife Cat, who's funnier than he is.
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Articles By Year 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 December Arbitrary Calendar Marker Commentary Arbitrary Calendar Marker Commentary December 31, 2021 Arbitrary Calendar Marker Commentary Another year of Tedium is behind us, and gotta say—it’s looking like another thousand years of it. Here’s the tedium you should expect in 2022. Down Is Up, Up Is Down Down Is Up, Up Is Down December 29, 2021 Down Is Up, Up Is Down Pondering why “natural scrolling” exists, despite the fact that the first thing a lot of people do when setting up a new computer is turn it off. You Know, For Kids You Know, For Kids December 22, 2021 You Know, For Kids Pondering the uncomfortable relationship kids and parents have with technology—and making a case that kids deserve the chance to fall in love with gadgets. Give Like You Don’t Care Give Like You Don’t Care December 15, 2021 Give Like You Don’t Care This year’s Tedium gifts-for-strangers guide has a bunch of additional gift ideas from eBay, too. Just wait until you see the boxed water from Farm Aid II. These Eyes Are Trackin’ These Eyes Are Trackin’ December 10, 2021 These Eyes Are Trackin’ Pondering the tale of Gator, a company that created a password manager way back in 1999, but ruined goodwill by going full spyware. (Oops, I mean adware.) Cut-Up Culture Cut-Up Culture December 8, 2021 Cut-Up Culture Pondering how coupons became the lingua franca of the grocery store, and why they might be important to the survival of the newspaper. Booting Up The Cash Register Booting Up The Cash Register December 3, 2021 Booting Up The Cash Register Computers didn’t immediately lend themselves to retail, but ambitious early computer retailers sold ‘em anyway. Eventually, they got trampled. A Linux Labor of Love A Linux Labor of Love December 1, 2021 A Linux Labor of Love The JingPad A1, a flashy new tablet from Linux-land, shows a ton of potential, though you might want to wait for a few rounds of software updates first. November Pushing Photos Through Wires Pushing Photos Through Wires November 19, 2021 Pushing Photos Through Wires The technology used to distribute photos through news wire services inspired a whole bunch of innovations with use cases beyond newspapers. Like television. The Scrolling Orb The Scrolling Orb November 12, 2021 The Scrolling Orb The evolution of the trackball, which is more than an upside-down mouse. It's the Royal Canadian Navy’s greatest gift to modern-day computing. Really. Open To Conversion Open To Conversion November 10, 2021 Open To Conversion From PCX to TGA to VRML, considering a number of image formats that the world forgot. Not every image standard is going to last, no matter how pretty it is. The Cold Cocktail The Cold Cocktail November 3, 2021 The Cold Cocktail How NyQuil, the over-the-counter cold medicine of choice for millions of sniffling people, innovated by combining a bunch of drugs together in a novel way. October The Animal Years The Animal Years October 27, 2021 The Animal Years Discussing why anthropomorphism came to dominate early animation, and why that trend never really faded away, while rubber-hose animation quickly did. Embrace Your Inner Stooge Embrace Your Inner Stooge October 22, 2021 Embrace Your Inner Stooge Considering the cultural role of The Three Stooges, one of the most important comedy troupes in history, in the modern day. Source Tags & Codes Source Tags & Codes October 15, 2021 Source Tags & Codes The saga of the Missouri governor reflects a failure by the powerful to embrace curiosity—curiosity encouraged by the HTML language he fails to understand. Does This Ring A Bell? Does This Ring A Bell? October 8, 2021 Does This Ring A Bell? The chatter around breaking up Facebook makes it a great time to talk about why the last effort to break up a communications giant, AT&T, didn’t really work. Repetition, In Four Parts Repetition, In Four Parts October 6, 2021 Repetition, In Four Parts Pondering the issue of repetition in four different ways, in an effort to not repeat myself. Ever feel like you’re repeating yourself? Read this. Braids of Nylon, Everywhere Braids of Nylon, Everywhere October 1, 2021 Braids of Nylon, Everywhere How braided nylon became such a hip part of our charging cables. Long story short: people like it when their cables feel like rope! September The Story Behind A Box The Story Behind A Box September 29, 2021 The Story Behind A Box The cable converter box, a relic of the cable era of the 1970s, was developed in part by one of the first people to install a cable system. Here’s his story. ACE in the Hole ACE in the Hole September 22, 2021 ACE in the Hole Discussing the unusual legacy of the CableACE Awards, the cable industry’s attempt to promote its quality to subscribers. Eventually, the Emmys did the job. v4 v4 September 18, 2021 v4 Tedium has a new, fresher coat of paint, with a design intended to get you to dive in even deeper, if you so choose. How I Research Stuff How I Research Stuff September 10, 2021 How I Research Stuff If you’re a longtime reader of Tedium, you might wonder how I manage to uncover so many strange stories. Well, let me tell you. Hopefully it’s inspiring. Vestigial Tales Vestigial Tales September 8, 2021 Vestigial Tales Why the products you use every day, especially electronics, might come with parts or functions you weren’t expecting or have no actual use for. Let’s Go To The Tape Let’s Go To The Tape September 3, 2021 Let’s Go To The Tape Why Memorex, Silicon Valley’s first true startup, evolved into something of a ghost kitchen of computing. I Love LAMP I Love LAMP September 1, 2021 I Love LAMP Giving some well-deserved appreciation to the LAMP stack, a key building block of the modern-day internet that you use daily. It’s everywhere. It may never die. August No Sprouts No Sprouts August 25, 2021 No Sprouts Why the fast-casual sandwich shop Jimmy John’s struggled with selling sprouts for so long, despite their obvious health risks. A Downgraded Downgrade A Downgraded Downgrade August 18, 2021 A Downgraded Downgrade Why does it suck so much to downgrade an operating system on a modern computer—particularly, on a Mac—and why do we put up with it? Here’s what I had to do. This Old Scandal This Old Scandal August 13, 2021 This Old Scandal Why Bob Vila, perhaps the most famous handyman in history, may have set the stage for a digital era in which stars aren’t afraid to cash in on their names. Train Tracks Train Tracks August 11, 2021 Train Tracks Pondering how Tom Waits seemingly created the perfect tune for other people to sing. Major rock stars were fighting with one another to cover “Downtown Train.” Package Deal Package Deal August 6, 2021 Package Deal Why did the television industry put so much energy into combining TV sets with VCRs, anyway? It seems like they were everywhere for a while. Plug and Pray Plug and Pray August 4, 2021 Plug and Pray Why an early design decision around the IBM PC created the need for an innovation called plug and play—something we very much take for granted today. July The Dial-Up Volunteer Army The Dial-Up Volunteer Army July 23, 2021 The Dial-Up Volunteer Army Considering the fact that many early online networks relied on volunteers to help build up their base—until one such network, AOL, got too big. Crashing The Soda Wars Crashing The Soda Wars July 21, 2021 Crashing The Soda Wars The story of Virgin Cola, Richard Branson’s bold attempt to take on Coca-Cola and Pepsi at their own game. Of course it failed, but it did so stylishly. Changing The Channel Changing The Channel July 16, 2021 Changing The Channel Analyzing the complicated state of affairs, and the long goodbyes, that come when one TV network or cable channel replaces another. Here are 10 examples. Slot Insecurities Slot Insecurities July 14, 2021 Slot Insecurities What the heck is a Kensington security slot, and why does your computer probably have one? And how well does it really work, anyway? No Computers Allowed No Computers Allowed July 9, 2021 No Computers Allowed Thinking about what, exactly, remote work and the creator economy looked like before all these computers got in the way. Bog-Standard Multimedia Bog-Standard Multimedia July 7, 2021 Bog-Standard Multimedia Why the PC industry standardized on multimedia in the early ’90s, and why that standardization effort didn’t really last. A Slow-Burning Hot Take A Slow-Burning Hot Take July 2, 2021 A Slow-Burning Hot Take The modern day evolution of charcoal actually has a lot in common with early automobiles. (At one point, some argued charcoal should replace gasoline!) June Ribbon-Cutting Overkill Ribbon-Cutting Overkill June 30, 2021 Ribbon-Cutting Overkill The evolution of the ribbon-cutting ceremony, as seen through the sharp blades of a huge pair of ceremonial scissors. Did a bridge just open nearby? ProtoAppStore ProtoAppStore June 23, 2021 ProtoAppStore Assessing the landscape of the app store concept in the years before it became an idea “originated” by Apple. The prior art is strong with this one. Wrapped Up Wrapped Up June 9, 2021 Wrapped Up Discussing the radiant techniques required to shrink-wrap an object before you buy it. You can thank frozen turkeys for making it possible. Electric Ink Analysis Electric Ink Analysis June 4, 2021 Electric Ink Analysis A lot of innovation has been happening in the e-paper space, to the point where the technology can be used for far more than reading. Would you want to? May A Home for Mobile Linux A Home for Mobile Linux May 26, 2021 A Home for Mobile Linux The $149 PinePhone isn’t a perfect device, but the nuanced ecosystem it’s going to build for Linux-based smartphones is going to be amazing. It’s Not Delivery, It’s … It’s Not Delivery, It’s … May 19, 2021 It’s Not Delivery, It’s … The evolution of the frozen pizza, the ideal form of sustenance for people who have an oven, a microwave, or an aversion to delivery. (Possibly all three.) Phar Too Ambitious Phar Too Ambitious May 14, 2021 Phar Too Ambitious The story of Phar-Mor, the pharmacy chain that decided that just being a pharmacy chain wasn’t interesting enough and tried to beat Walmart. The World Of Whiteboards The World Of Whiteboards May 12, 2021 The World Of Whiteboards The whiteboard, despite being designed specifically for schools at first, became a huge hit with the business world before schools really embraced it. Boot Vector Boot Vector May 7, 2021 Boot Vector How the live CD, now an essential part of playing around with Linux-based operating systems, found its early footing using a widely mocked disc variant. Worked For Me Worked For Me May 5, 2021 Worked For Me Why it seemed like Hooked on Phonics commercials were everywhere in the 1990s—and why the cassette-tape program was a lot more controversial than you remember. April So Much Stuff Out There So Much Stuff Out There April 21, 2021 So Much Stuff Out There It’s been a while since we’ve done a grab bag, so let’s grab that bag and see what’s inside. Hesitancy On Display Hesitancy On Display April 16, 2021 Hesitancy On Display Why the active-matrix LCD panel, despite largely being invented and developed by American companies, was never really manufactured in the United States. Too Terrible For Television Too Terrible For Television April 14, 2021 Too Terrible For Television For decades, TV networks have spent millions of dollars on unsold pilots that will never become series. Here's how they've tried to recoup their investment. Europe’s Big Tech Bet Europe’s Big Tech Bet April 9, 2021 Europe’s Big Tech Bet How the European Union invested heavily in local manufacturing of microprocessors … only for that technology to become completely globalized anyway. March Novell Cooperation Novell Cooperation March 24, 2021 Novell Cooperation How a networking software company with an unusual approach to competition nearly convinced Apple to bring MacOS to Intel computers in the early ’90s. Newsletter, Untethered Newsletter, Untethered March 19, 2021 Newsletter, Untethered There’s no real reason you have to use a platform like Substack to send email. If you want to get into making a newsletter of your own, understand your options. Tangential Juice Innovation Tangential Juice Innovation March 17, 2021 Tangential Juice Innovation The story of how we got the juice box is really the story of how we got a lot of other things first. And those things look like rabbit holes. Caddy Confusion Caddy Confusion March 12, 2021 Caddy Confusion Trying to answer a complicated question for myself, as a computer user during the multimedia era: Why did the CD-ROM caddy exist, and why didn’t I have one? Even Better Than The Real Thing Even Better Than The Real Thing March 10, 2021 Even Better Than The Real Thing The history of the fake electronics that you sometimes see in furniture stores or in houses for sale. No, that 60-inch flat-screen TV doesn’t turn on. 37’s Signals 37’s Signals March 5, 2021 37’s Signals Explaining why analog television sets never had a channel 37, despite TVs generally able to tune it. Turns out some scientists simply needed that channel more. Thunderbolt Road Thunderbolt Road March 3, 2021 Thunderbolt Road How Thunderbolt, the ultra-fast connector that recently turned 10, started life with a completely different look. (Fun fact: $400 Thunderbolt 3 cables exist.) February Distorting The Electron Gun Distorting The Electron Gun February 19, 2021 Distorting The Electron Gun Discussing the process of degaussing a CRT screen, which is a surprisingly awesome way to spend a Saturday afternoon with a magnet. Scanning And Sorting Scanning And Sorting February 17, 2021 Scanning And Sorting How the banking industry, with an assist from tech, turned an incredibly frustrating, manual process—sorting checks—into an excellent example of automation. I’m Controlling Your Cursor I’m Controlling Your Cursor February 12, 2021 I’m Controlling Your Cursor The evolution of remote desktop access, and why it’s a bad idea for water supplies to be managed through remote desktop access without decent security measures. Tab It Your Way Tab It Your Way February 5, 2021 Tab It Your Way How the power-user web browser Vivaldi has managed to maintain a flexible design philosophy in an era when so much is decided for you online. January Respect Your Power Users Respect Your Power Users January 27, 2021 Respect Your Power Users Pondering why, in the internet era, it has become so common for big tech companies to treat their power users like dirt. (Yes, this is about Google Reader.) Dr. Koop’s Digital Korner Dr. Koop’s Digital Korner January 22, 2021 Dr. Koop’s Digital Korner How famed U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, at the age of 82, became an internet entrepreneur, and why his namesake website burned out, fast. Power Struggle Power Struggle January 20, 2021 Power Struggle The most quietly innovative thing that emerged from the latter half of the ’90s was the on-battery power meter. It was the subject of a complex patent battle. The Default Router The Default Router January 13, 2021 The Default Router How Linksys’ most famous router, the WRT54G, tripped into legendary status because of an undocumented feature that slipped through during a merger. Nothing Lasts Forever Nothing Lasts Forever January 8, 2021 Nothing Lasts Forever The key thing to remember about this week’s Congressional chaos is that it seems to be in the rearview. Here are some thoughts about renewal and fresh starts. Correcting An Error Correcting An Error January 6, 2021 Correcting An Error Why error-correcting memory, long an obscure computing concept, suddenly has major relevance outside of the server room. At least according to Linus Torvalds. Thoughts On Flash Thoughts On Flash January 1, 2021 Thoughts On Flash Pondering the demise of Adobe’s Flash through shifting approaches to digital creation these days—and why we may not have anything quite like it again.