1996
Aboard the NASA Space Shuttle Columbia, astronauts Tammy Jernigan and Thomas Jones are prevented from taking a spacewalk when a hatch fails to open. (STS-80) “I’m pushing as hard as I can,” Jones said. “It just doesn’t seem to want to move,” Jernigan agreed. The malfunction will later be blamed on a loose screw.
1997
The website of the Local 2609, The United Steelworkers of America is hacked by “Magica de Bin”.
2000
Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) introduces the PlayStation 2 in the U.K. The system features a 294.912MHz processor, a single analog DualShock2 controller, two memory card slots, two USB ports, one i-Link (IEEE 1394) port, and a 128-bit Emotion Engine graphics processor. The system is backwards compatible with PlayStation games and supports CD-ROM, Dolby Digital, DTS, DVD-ROM, and DVD-Video media. Price: ₤300 Weight: 5lb
2001
An onboard computer guides a helicopter through a roll without help from a human for the first time. The system was developed by a team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), based on an analysis of actual pilot maneuvers. The feat marks a major milestone towards the creation of automated aircraft. Read more at the Times Higher Education.
The Star Trek: Enterprise episode “Cold Front” first airs. (No. 111) In it, Archer finds out that a crewman on Enterprise is involved the Temporal Cold War against the Suliban and their mysterious benefactor. Memory Alpha entry
2005
The term “Cyber Monday” comes into use to refer to the Monday following Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. Just as the term “Black Friday” denotes the Friday after Thanksgiving for being the busiest shopping day of the calender year, “Cyber Monday” is the busiest day for online shopping as millions of Americans return to work following the holiday weekend and use their office computers to shop for Christmas presents. The term is coined by Shop.org in a press release entitled “‘Cyber Monday’ Quickly Becoming One of the Biggest Online Shopping Days of the Year.” According to the Shop.org, “77 percent of online retailers said that their sales increased substantially last year on the Monday after Thanksgiving, a trend that is driving serious online discounts and promotions on Cyber Monday this year (2005).” Read the initial press release.
2006
Nintendo announces that it has sold over six hundred thousand Wii video game consoles in the eight days since its launch in the Americas. Along with accessories and games, Wii-related revenue has reached US$190 million.
Xandros Incorporated releases version 4.1 of the Xandros operating system. Visit the system’s official website.
2010
The whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks releases over a quarter of a million U.S. diplomatic cables, 15,652 of which are classified “secret,” including messages discussing calls for an attack on Iran, corruption, criticism of world leaders, the Guantánamo Bay prison camp, and other delicate politic matters. [1, 2] Several newspapers, including The New York Times, publish highlights of the release. The ignites a discussion of government secrecy in the information age. Read more at The Guardian.
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