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Theo Lindqvist
Theo covers the software, file formats and everyday gadgets of the era, and does the then-versus-now math on what things cost, how fast they were, and what replaced them. Theo Lindqvist is a pen name; 404 Memory Found publishes no photos or personal details of its writers.
50 posts by Theo Lindqvist
- Is the Flip Video Camera Still Made? 2026 PricesThe Flip Video camera has not been made since April 2011, when Cisco closed the line it paid $590 million for. Working units now ask $20 to $50.
- Is Sun Microsystems Still Around? Oracle Owns ItSun Microsystems is gone: Oracle paid $7.4 billion in 2010 and renamed it Oracle America. Java and Solaris survived, the SPARC line did not.
- Is Nextel Still Around in 2026? Chirp Died in 2013Nextel is gone: Sprint killed the iDEN network on June 30, 2013. T-Mobile owns the name now, upheld by a federal appeals court in 2024.
- Is the T-Mobile Sidekick Still Around in 2026?The T-Mobile Sidekick is gone: sales ended July 2, 2010, Danger's servers went dark in 2011, and 2G switched off on August 3, 2026.
- Are Pagers Still Used in 2026? Yes, 645,000 of ThemPagers are still used in 2026: Spok had about 645,000 units in service on June 30, 2026, and hospitals are what keeps the network alive.
- DIVX Explained: Circuit City's $337 Million FlopDIVX was Circuit City's pay-per-view DVD. It ran from June 1998 to June 1999, and every disc stopped playing on June 30, 2001.
- Is Windows Movie Maker Still Available in 2026?Windows Movie Maker is gone: Microsoft pulled the download on January 10, 2017. Clipchamp replaced it, and a fake version once charged $29.95.
- Do They Still Make Floppy Disks? No, Not Since 2011No one has made floppy disks since Sony stopped by March 2011. Every disk sold in 2026 is older stock at about $1, and Muni still boots from them.
- How Many Payphones Are Left? The FCC Stopped CountingHow many payphones are left? The FCC's last count found under 100,000 in 2016, then it stopped counting. New York State alone still had 20,716.
- Are LaserDiscs Worth Anything? Most Are Under $5Most LaserDiscs are worth under $5 in 2026, but scarce pressings are different: a mint copy of The Matrix averages $134.61 on the LaserDisc Database.
- Are Heelys Still Sold in 2026? Who Owns Them NowHeelys are still sold new in 2026 at about $60 to $75, owned by BBC International since 2021. Peak year: 6.2 million pairs in 2006.
- Does Yahoo Messenger Still Exist? It Closed in 2018Yahoo Messenger closed on July 17, 2018 and nothing from Yahoo replaced it. Its successor, Yahoo Together, lasted only until April 4, 2019.
- Who Owns Sharper Image Now? No Stores Since 2008Sharper Image is owned by ThreeSixty Group, which paid $100 million for the brand in December 2016. No stores have opened since the 2008 liquidation.
- Is Dial-Up Internet Still Available? NetZero IsIs dial-up internet still available? Yes. NetZero, Juno and MSN all sold it in 2026, and NetZero's owner changed its name in January.
- Is Columbia House Still Around? It Closed in 2026Columbia House is gone: it stopped taking new orders after September 15, 2026, ending 71 years that began with 12 LPs for a penny.
- Scan Old Photos in 2026: What DIY and Mail-In CostScan old photos by mail for about eight cents each in 2026: a flat-rate box of 1,800 prints runs $145, and 400 ppi is the federal minimum.
- Chuck E. Cheese Animatronics: Only 5 Stores LeftChuck E. Cheese animatronics survive in only five US stores in 2026. Every other stage came out by the end of 2024, and the robots went to Kansas.
- How to Run 90s PC Games on Windows 11 in 202690s PC games do run on Windows 11 in 2026, but never alone: DOSBox Staging, ScummVM or a GOG re-release. Two of the three cost nothing.
- Is Skype Still Around in 2026? Teams Replaced ItSkype is gone. Microsoft retired it on May 5, 2025 and Microsoft Teams Free replaced it. The old chats were deleted after June 15, 2026.
- Dial-Up Sound Explained: What Each Screech MeantThe dial-up sound was two modems measuring a phone line: answer tone, capability menus, a 21-tone probe. AOL switched it off on September 30, 2025.
- Betamax vs VHS: Why Sony Lost the First Format WarBetamax vs VHS was settled by tape length and price, not picture: VHS taped four hours for $1,000. Sony shipped its last Beta cassettes in 2016.
- How to Digitize VHS Tapes in 2026: DIY vs LegacyboxDigitize VHS tapes in 2026 for $30 to $80 in home gear, or about $32 an item by mail at Legacybox. No new VCR has been built since July 2016.
- Who Made the Windows 95 Startup Sound? Brian EnoBrian Eno made the Windows 95 startup sound to a 3.25-second brief: 84 versions, written on a Mac, for $35,000. The Library of Congress took it in 2025.
- Is Netscape Still Around in 2026? What Is LeftIs Netscape still around? No. The browser died on March 1, 2008 and the Netscape ISP closed in November 2025. Bending Spoons owns the brand now.
- Why Iridium Failed and Who Owns It Now in 2026Iridium spent $5 billion on 66 satellites, filed for bankruptcy in 1999, and sold for $25 million. Rocket Lab is now buying it for $8 billion.
- Is HyperCard Still Around? Apple Killed It in 2004Apple pulled HyperCard from sale in March 2004, but its stacks still boot in a browser at the Internet Archive. Here is where it went and why.
- Is Microsoft Bob Still Around? Only as a DownloadMicrosoft Bob shipped in March 1995 at $99, sold about 58,000 copies and died within a year. In 2026 it survives only as free Internet Archive disk images.
- Is Eudora Still Around? The Email Client in 2026Eudora is gone as a product: Qualcomm shipped the last version on October 11, 2006. The Computer History Museum owns the code and the name now.
- Windows 95 Launch: The $300 Million Night of 1995The Windows 95 launch on August 24, 1995 cost Microsoft a reported $300 million. It sold 1 million copies in four days and lost support in 2001.
- Is WordPerfect Still Around in 2026? Corel Sells ItWordPerfect is still sold in 2026 by Corel, owned by Vector Capital since May 2026, but the last new version shipped in 2021.
- Is Lotus 1-2-3 Still Around? IBM Killed It in 2013Lotus 1-2-3 is discontinued: IBM stopped selling it on June 11, 2013 and ended support in 2014. It once held 70% of the spreadsheet market.
- Why Google Reader Died and What Replaced It in 2026Google Reader shut down on July 1, 2013 so Google could push Google+. Feedly and Inoreader took over, and 100,000 petition signatures changed nothing.
- Who Owns LimeWire Now? BabyDoge Bought It in 2026LimeWire's file sharing died by court order in October 2010. The brand survived: BabyDoge bought it in September 2026, 8 million users and all.
- Is ICQ Still Around? VK Shut It Down in June 2024ICQ shut down on June 26, 2024 after 28 years, and VK still owns the name. Free NINA servers now run ICQ 2000 through ICQ 8 clients.
- Does Ask Jeeves Still Exist? Ask.com Closed in 2026Ask Jeeves is gone: IAC closed Ask.com on May 1, 2026, sixteen years after it quit running its own search engine. Google paid for the last decade.
- Is TiVo Still Around in 2026? Yes, but Not the DVRTiVo still exists in 2026 as smart TV software owned by Xperi, but it stopped selling DVR hardware on October 1, 2025, after 26 years.
- Is BlackBerry Still in Business? Yes, but No PhonesBlackBerry still exists, but it has not made a phone since 2016. It earned $549.1 million in fiscal 2026 from car software and secure messaging.
- Is Digg Still Around in 2026? Yes, as an AI SiteDigg still exists in 2026, but as an AI news aggregator run by Kevin Rose, not a Reddit rival. The relaunched app shut down on March 14, 2026.
- Is Second Life Still Around in 2026? Yes, 23 Years LaterSecond Life is still running in 2026, 23 years after launch, with daily concurrency in the mid-30,000s and an economy near $650 million a year.
- Is Encarta Still Available in 2026? Why It EndedMicrosoft Encarta is not available in 2026: disc sales ended in June 2009 and MSN Encarta closed October 31, 2009. How to run it now, free.
- Is RealPlayer Still Around? Yes, Free From Real.comRealPlayer still exists: RealNetworks shipped version 25 in 2026 and still gives it away free, with Plus at $39.99. It sells computer vision now.
- Is Adobe Flash Still Around? Flash Player in 2026Adobe Flash Player died on December 31, 2020, but Flash is not fully gone: China still ships version 34 and over 200,000 games survive.
- Is Winamp Still Around in 2026? Yes, and It WorksWinamp still exists in 2026: Winamp Group owns it, and the free 5.9.2 player runs on Windows 11. A Deezer-powered version lands in 2027.
- Who Owns MapQuest Now? System1, Debt and a No. 1 AppMapQuest is owned by System1, which bought it from Verizon in 2019. It hit No. 1 free app in 2026 while System1 warned on going concern.
- Is MSN Messenger Still Around? Yes, on EscargotMSN Messenger died in 2013 and Skype, the thing that replaced it, died in 2025. A free fan server called Escargot still runs it in 2026.
- Is AIM Still Around? AOL Instant Messenger in 2026Is AIM still around? No. AOL Instant Messenger shut down on December 15, 2017, and hobby servers are now the only way to sign on.
- Why Netscape Navigator Lost to Internet ExplorerNetscape Navigator lost to Internet Explorer because Microsoft gave IE away inside Windows. Its usage fell from 76% in 1997 to 19% by 2000.
- Is the Windows XP Bliss Hill Still There in 2026?The Windows XP wallpaper hill is real, on private land off Highway 121 in Sonoma County, and it turned bare and green again on 18 February 2026.
- What Is $1,000 From 1999 Worth in 2026 Dollars?$1,000 from 1999 is worth about $2,000 in 2026: two weeks of a family health premium, or a sliver of a $417,500 median home.
- 90s Tech Prices in 2026 Dollars: 40 Launch CostsA PlayStation cost $299 in 1995, or $657 in 2026 dollars. Forty sourced 90s tech launch prices, adjusted with the BLS CPI-U index.