self-congratulations

50 million set-tops = 400 Mt. Everests

Motorola announced to the world that it had shipped its kajillionth set-top box. OK, that's an exaggeration--it's actually 50 million. But any excuse for a party, right?

To commemorate the self-congratulatory occasion, the company treated us all to a fascinating history of the set-top box. I'll paraphrase: Way back in 1996 (the modern equivalent of the Iron Age), Motorola capitalized on this newfangled thing called "digital cable." With its advent, companies could do things like send "program guides" and "shows on-demand." (Cue the French horns.) In its prescience, Motorola put out &… Read more