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201 stories about the technology, games and websites of the 90s and 2000s, newest first.
September 2026
- Is SkyMall Still Around in 2026? Yes, Online OnlySkyMall is still around in 2026 as an online store. C&A Marketing bought the bankrupt in-flight catalog at auction in 2015 for $1.9 million.
- Why Montgomery Ward Failed and Who Owns It NowMontgomery Ward closed all 250 stores in 2001 after 128 years. Colony Brands has owned the name since 2008 and sells it online at wards.com.
- Is Homestar Runner Still Updating? The Site in 2026Homestar Runner is still updating in 2026, just not weekly. The site launched January 1, 2000 and now runs on Ruffle instead of Flash.
- Who Owns Packard Bell Now? Acer Revived the BrandPackard Bell is owned by Acer, which relaunched the dead 1990s PC brand in September 2026 with a 499 euro laptop sold everywhere but the US.
- 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 quit counting in 2018. New York held one in five of them.
- Are LaserDiscs Worth Anything? The 2026 Collector MarketMost LaserDiscs are worth under $5, but scarce pressings run into the hundreds. Tokyo Raiders, the last title ever released, has fetched $5,700.
- Is Tower Records Still Around? Online and in JapanTower Records is still around as an online store and a chain in Japan, but all 89 US stores closed after the 2006 bankruptcy auction.
- Who Owns eToys.com Now? Toys R Us Bought the NameToys R Us has owned eToys.com since February 2009, paying a reported $2.15 million. The original eToys died in 2001, two years after a $76 IPO pop.
- Broadcast.com: The $5.7 Billion Site Yahoo Shut DownYahoo bought Broadcast.com for $5.7 billion in 1999 and closed the service by 2002. The company had booked $22.4 million of revenue in 1998.
- EverQuest in 2026: The 1999 MMO That Still RunsEverQuest is still active in 2026: Darkpaw Games runs the 1999 MMO, and a new server called Lethar opened on August 26, 2026.
- Is Angelfire Still Online? Lycos Closed It in 2026Angelfire is not still online. Lycos took the free web host down on April 24, 2026, after a January outage and 30 days of notice.
- Are Heelys Still Sold in 2026? Who Owns Them NowHeelys are still sold new in 2026, owned by BBC International, which paid $11 million for the brand in 2021. Peak year: 6.2 million pairs in 2006.
- Why Discovery Zone Failed and What's Left in 2026Discovery Zone failed after two bankruptcies and closed for good by the end of 2001. One unaffiliated center still uses the name in 2026.
- How Many Rainforest Cafes Are Left? 16 in the USRainforest Cafe is down to 16 US restaurants in 11 states in 2026, from a peak of 59. Landry's owns it, and the Paris location closes in November.
- Who Owns Kinko's Now? FedEx Retired the BrandKinko's is gone in the US: FedEx bought it for $2.4 billion, then took an $891 million charge in 2008 to stop using the name.
- Is Toonami Still On TV in 2026? Yes, on Adult SwimToonami is still on TV in 2026: Adult Swim airs it Saturdays, midnight to 4 a.m. ET. Cartoon Network killed it in 2008 and a 2012 prank revived it.
- Why G4 TV Failed Twice: The 1,000-Viewer CollapseG4 TV failed twice. Comcast unplugged the gaming channel on December 31, 2014, revived it in November 2021, and shut it down again in October 2022.
- Is Photobucket Still Around? Why Your Photos VanishedPhotobucket is still around in 2026, but only as paid storage: free accounts ended in June 2023 and plans now start at $5 a month for 1TB.
- Does Yahoo Messenger Still Exist? Why It Shut DownYahoo Messenger does not exist: Oath shut it down on July 17, 2018 after 20 years. Its replacement, Yahoo Together, lasted until April 4, 2019.
- Who Owns Game Informer Now? Gunzilla Games DoesGame Informer is owned by Gunzilla Games, which bought it in March 2025 after GameStop killed it in 2024. Issue 381 marks 35 years in print.
- How Many KB Toys Stores Are Left? Zero Since 2009How many KB Toys stores are left? Zero. All 461 closed by February 9, 2009, and the brand now survives online and at a Comic-Con booth.
- Where Is FAO Schwarz Now? Inside Rockefeller CenterFAO Schwarz is still open, but not on Fifth Avenue. The flagship moved to 30 Rockefeller Plaza in 2018, and Nordstrom shops followed in 2026.
- Is Woolworth Still in Business? Only as Foot LockerWoolworth is still in business, but only as Foot Locker: it renamed itself in 2001, four years after shutting all 400 US five-and-dime stores.
- Who Owns Sharper Image Now? No Stores Since 2008Sharper Image is owned by ThreeSixty Group, which paid $100 million for the name in December 2016. No stores have existed since the 2008 collapse.
- Is the Disney Store Still Open? 21 Left in 2026The Disney Store is still open, but only about 21 locations are left in North America in 2026, down from 747 stores at the 1999 peak.
- Where to Buy a Game Boy in 2026 and What to PayBuying a Game Boy in 2026 costs about $70 for a tested original, over $300 boxed. Check the LCD lines and battery terminals before you pay.
- Can You Still Get Dial-Up Internet? NetZero DoesCan you still get dial-up internet? Yes. NetZero, Juno and Microsoft's MSN all sell it in 2026, a year after AOL shut its dialer for good.
- How Many Sam Goody Stores Are Left? Exactly OneExactly one Sam Goody store is left in 2026, at a mall in Medford, Oregon. Musicland closed 226 of them in a single month in 2006.
- When Did Netflix Stop Mailing DVDs? The Last DiscNetflix stopped mailing DVDs on September 29, 2023, after 25 years and 5.2 billion discs. The last red envelope held a Blu-ray of True Grit.
- Is Columbia House Still Around? The 2026 ShutdownColumbia House stops taking new orders after September 15, 2026, closing after 71 years. The club peaked in 1996 with 16 million members.
- Scan Old Photos and Negatives: DIY vs Mail-In CostScan old photos at home or mail them out: a prepaid box of about 1,800 prints runs $145 in 2026, and 400 ppi is the resolution to use.
- Does Nokia Still Make Phones? Who Makes Them NowDoes Nokia still make phones? No. Nokia sold its handset business to Microsoft in 2013, and the last Nokia smartphones were pulled in January 2025.
- Who Owns Borders Now? The $13.9 Million Brand SaleBorders closed its last US stores in September 2011. Barnes & Noble owns the name now, bought for $13.9 million with 48 million customer records.
- Is Hollywood Video Still Around? Every Store ClosedHollywood Video is gone. Movie Gallery liquidated the last 1,900-plus US stores in 2010, and its late fees chased 3.3 million customers for years.
- Is Barnes and Noble Still Open? 720+ Stores in 2026Barnes and Noble is still open and growing: more than 720 US stores in 2026, with 60 more planned. Elliott has owned the chain since 2019.
- Is an Anbernic Handheld Worth It for Game Boy?An Anbernic handheld is worth it for Game Boy games if you bring your own files. Prices start under $60, but US shipping stopped in April 2025.
- Who Owns Claire's Now? The $140 Million BuyoutClaire's is owned by Ames Watson, which bought the chain out of bankruptcy in 2025 for about $140 million. Roughly 900 stores are still open.
- How Many Boston Market Locations Are Left in 2026?Boston Market is down to about six listed locations in 2026, and only three answered the phone. It had 1,143 restaurants in 1998. Here is what closed them.
- Does Chuck E. Cheese Still Have Animatronics?Chuck E. Cheese still has animatronics, but only in five US stores. Every other stage came out by the end of 2024, and the robots went to Kansas.
- Is GameStop Still in Business? 1,598 Stores LeftGameStop is still in business in 2026, but it closed 727 US stores in one year and ended January with 1,598 left. Games are now under 12% of sales.
- How to Run 90s PC Games on Windows 11 in 2026Windows 11 is 64-bit only, so 90s PC games need help: DOSBox Staging, ScummVM or a GOG re-release. Two of the three cost nothing in 2026.
- Why Did Skype Shut Down? What Replaced It in 2025Skype shut down on May 5, 2025 and Microsoft Teams Free replaced it. Skype Credit still works in Teams, but the old chats were deleted in 2026.
- Is Redbox Still Around? Why Kiosks Are Still ThereRedbox is gone: its parent was liquidated in July 2024 and all 24,000 kiosks went dark. Thousands still stand because removal runs about $500 each.
- 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.
- Who Owns Yahoo Now? The $5 Billion Apollo TakeoverYahoo is owned by Apollo Global Management, which paid about $5 billion in 2021. Verizon kept 10 percent. Microsoft once offered $44.6 billion.
- Sega Genesis Games in 2026: The Best Way to PlayThe best way to play Sega Genesis games in 2026 is a used console and a flash cart, about $65 for the console, or $49.99 a year with no hardware.
- Is Habbo Hotel Still Around? The Pixel Hotel in 2026Habbo Hotel is still online in 2026, run by Sulake and owned by Azerion, with 300 million registered accounts and a 2005 replica running next door.
- Does Yahoo Answers Still Exist? Why It Shut DownYahoo Answers does not still exist. It went read-only on April 20, 2021 and closed on May 4, 2021, 15 years after launch. Here is what survived.
- Betamax vs VHS: Why Sony Lost the First Format WarBetamax vs VHS came down to tape length, price and factories, not picture quality. Sony sold 18 million decks and made tapes until 2016.
- Who Owns Napster in 2026? Every Owner Since 2001Napster is owned by Napster Corporation, formerly Infinite Reality, which paid $207 million in 2025 and killed the music service on January 1, 2026.
- How to Digitize VHS Tapes in 2026: DIY vs LegacyboxHow to digitize VHS tapes in 2026: about $30 to $80 in capture gear at home, or $15 to $30 a tape by mail. Your tapes are past 25 years old.
- Who Was the AOL 'You've Got Mail' Voice? Elwood EdwardsElwood Edwards recorded AOL's 'You've Got Mail' on a living room cassette in 1989 and was paid $200 once. He died in 2024, and AOL still plays it.
- Is Sega Still Making Games? Life After the DreamcastIs Sega still making games? Yes. Its games arm sold 326.6 billion yen worth last fiscal year, and Sonic 3 grossed 492.2 million dollars.
- Is RuneScape Still Popular in 2026? OSRS vs RS3Is RuneScape still popular? Old School RuneScape peaked above 240,000 players at once in 2025, roughly eight times RuneScape 3. Here is who owns Jagex.
- Is MySpace Still Around? What Is Left of the SiteIs MySpace still around? Yes, myspace.com is online in 2026 and owned by Viant Technology. But a 2019 server migration erased 50 million songs.
- Is Kmart Still Open? The 3 Stores Left in 2026Is Kmart still open in 2026? Yes, but only three stores are left: Miami, Guam and St. Thomas. It had 2,114 the day it filed for bankruptcy.
- Is CompUSA Still Around? What Happened to the ChainIs CompUSA still around? No. The chain sold its last 103 stores in December 2007, and the brand was written off for $35.3 million in 2012.
- Windows 95 Startup Sound: Brian Eno's 3.25 SecondsBrian Eno wrote the Windows 95 startup sound to a 3.25-second brief, made 84 versions, and did it on a Mac. The Library of Congress took it in 2025.
- Who Owns Sears Now, and How Many Stores Are Left?Sears is owned by Eddie Lampert's Transformco and it is still trading. The last count found five full-line stores left, down from about 3,500.
- Who Owns Atari Now? The Brand That Refuses to DieAtari is owned by Atari SA in Paris and run by Wade Rosen. The brand sold for $5 million in 1998 and booked about $65 million last year.
- Is Toys R Us Still in Business? What Survived 2018Toys R Us closed all 735 US stores on June 29, 2018. The brand survived: WHP Global owns it, and 1,664 stores now trade in 35 countries.
- Is Palm Still a Company? From Pilot to a $349 PhoneIs Palm still a company? No. HP bought it for $1.2 billion in 2010, sold webOS to LG, and TCL has owned the dormant Palm brand since 2014.
- Is Netscape Still Around? What Happened After AOLIs Netscape still around? The browser died in 2008, netscape.com redirects to AOL, and the trademark is still live under a new owner as of 2026.
- Is Blockbuster Still Open? The Last Store in 2026Is Blockbuster still open? Yes, but only one store, in Bend, Oregon. Who owns the brand in 2026, how 9,000 stores became one, and what it sells.
- Does AOL Still Exist? What You Get for $10 a MonthDoes AOL still exist? Yes. Italy's Bending Spoons bought it for about $1.5 billion in January 2026, and dial-up died on September 30, 2025.
- How Compaq Lost the PC Business It Helped InventCompaq went from a pie-shop sketch in 1982 to the world's biggest PC maker, then sold itself to HP for $25 billion. Here is what broke first.
- Why Iridium Failed: The $5 Billion Satellite PhoneIridium put 66 satellites in orbit for about $5 billion, opened for business in 1998, and filed for bankruptcy nine months later. It sold for $25 million.
- The Beanie Babies Bubble: How a $5 Toy Went BustBeanie Babies were a $5 toy people traded like stocks in 1998. How Ty Inc. built the bubble, why it burst in 1999, and what the bears are worth now.
- Why the NSA Banned Furby: The 1998 Toy Craze ExplainedFurby sold 1.8 million units in its first holiday season, hit $100 on the resale market, and got banned from NSA headquarters in January 1999. Here is why.
May 2026
- Sega Channel Explained, the 1994 Cable Game ServiceSega Channel piped Genesis games down cable lines from 1994 to 1998, peaked at 250,000 subscribers, and its lost ROMs were recovered in 2025.
- 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.
- Why the Sega 32X Failed: The $159.99 Add-On FlopThe Sega 32X launched November 21, 1994 at $159.99, sold about 665,000 units, shipped 40 games, and was cleared out at $19.95 before dying in 1996.
- The First Banner Ad of 1994: What AT&T Really PaidThe first banner ad ran on HotWired on October 27, 1994. AT&T paid about $30,000 for 12 weeks and got a reported 44 percent click rate.
- The Game Genie Beat Nintendo. Who Owns It Now?The Game Genie is long discontinued, but it beat Nintendo in court in 1992 and collected a $15 million bond. A loose NES unit runs about $22 in 2026.
- What Happened to Geocaching, the GPS Treasure Hunt That Started With a Bucket and a Can of BeansWhen the US military stopped degrading civilian GPS signals on May 1, 2000, a hobbyist in Oregon hid a bucket in the woods the next day. That bucket became geocaching, a 3-million-cache, 191-country platform with a 25-year run.
- Why the Power Glove Failed but Never Really DiedMattel's Power Glove reached US stores in October 1989 at about $100, was gone within a year, and sells loose for roughly $100 in 2026.
- theGlobe.com Today: The 606% IPO That Left a ShelltheGlobe.com is now an empty shell company with no employees and $15,115 in cash. Its 1998 IPO closed up 606 percent, a record that still stands.
- What Happened to the Atari Lynx, the Color Handheld That Lost to Game BoyIn 1989, the Atari Lynx had a backlit color screen, hardware sprite scaling, and 8-player networking. It got crushed by a $90 gray brick called the Game Boy. Here is exactly why.
- What Happened to Excite, the Search Engine That Turned Down Google for $750,000In 1999, Excite was worth $35 billion and had the chance to buy Google for $750,000. CEO George Bell said no. The full story is more complicated, and a lot more interesting, than the punchline suggests.
- Why the TurboGrafx-16 Won Japan and Lost AmericaNEC's TurboGrafx-16 ruled Japan as the PC Engine but sold just 750,000 US units by 1991. Konami owns the library now, and a Mini shipped in 2020.
- What Happened to PointCast and the 1990s Push Technology BoomIn 1997, News Corporation offered $450 million for a company that delivered headlines through a screensaver. Two years later it sold for $7 million. The full story of push technology's rise and collapse.
- How the Nintendo NES Saved Video Games After the 1983 CrashIn 1985, American retailers had given up on video games. Then a Japanese toy company shipped a gray plastic box with a robot, called it an entertainment system, and resurrected an entire industry. This is the full story of how the NES pulled gaming back from the dead.
- What Happened to Standalone GPS Devices: TomTom and the Smartphone KillerIn 2008, the world bought 42 million standalone GPS devices. By 2014, the category was effectively dead. The story of how a free Android feature, a Cold War satellite system, and an $11 billion map data war ended an entire consumer electronics market.
- What Happened to TechTV and The Screen Savers ChannelZDTV launched in 1998. Comcast killed it in less than a year after the 2004 G4 merger. Here is how a cable channel built for nerds disappeared, and where its hosts went.
- What Happened to Wine.com and the Internet Wine WarsThree companies burned through more than $200M trying to sell wine online between 1995 and 2001. The smallest one ended up owning the Wine.com domain.
- What Happened to the Nokia 3310, the Phone That Refused to DieNokia's 3310 sold 126 million units, became an internet meme for being indestructible, and got resurrected from the grave in 2017. Here is the full story of how a small Finnish company built a phone so good it accidentally turned into a cultural symbol.
- What Happened to NCSA Mosaic, the Browser That Built the World Wide WebBefore Netscape, before Internet Explorer, there was Mosaic. The browser two students built at a public university in 1993 became the front door to the early web, then quietly disappeared while reshaping the next thirty years of the internet.
- What Happened to the Sega CD, the Add-On That Promised Gaming's FutureSega bolted a CD-ROM drive onto the Genesis, charged $299, and promised the future of video games. Here is the messy, fascinating story of how it all went sideways.
- What Happened to Prodigy, the Online Service That Beat AOL to AmericaBefore AOL, before the web, two of the biggest companies in America spent over a billion dollars trying to teach the country how to go online. Prodigy got there first, then lost everything.
- What Happened to the 3DO, the $700 Console That BombedIn 1993, a console hit shelves at $699.99 and promised to be the VHS of gaming. Instead, the 3DO became one of the most spectacular flops in video game history. Here is the full story.
- What Happened to Microsoft Bob, the Friendly Interface That FailedIn 1995, Microsoft tried to replace the desktop with a cartoon house full of talking pets. It sold around 58,000 copies and got pulled from shelves within a year. Here is what really happened.
- What Happened to the Sony Discman, the CD Player That Changed MusicThe Sony Discman made music portable on compact disc for the first time. Here is the full story of how it changed everything, then quietly disappeared.
- What Happened to Xanga, the Blog Platform Before Blogging Was CoolXanga had 27 million users before most people knew what a blog was. Then it vanished. The real story involves a $1 million FTC fine, a failed crowdfunding campaign, and the rise of Facebook.
April 2026
- What Happened to StarCraft, the Game That Invented EsportsHow a real-time strategy game from 1998 accidentally built a billion-dollar esports industry, turned South Korean teenagers into national celebrities, and changed competitive gaming forever.
- What Happened to Kodak, the Company That Invented the Digital Camera Then Chose to Ignore ItKodak controlled 90% of the American film market, employed over 145,000 people, and invented the digital camera in 1975. Then it spent three decades pretending digital photography wasn't coming.
- What Happened to the Virtual Boy, Nintendo's Most Embarrassing FailureNintendo's legendary engineer Gunpei Yokoi created the Game Boy. Then he created the Virtual Boy, which sold 770,000 units and gave everyone a headache.
- What Happened to the Segway, the Invention That Was Supposed to Change the WorldInvestors predicted a billion dollars in first-year sales. The Segway sold roughly 140,000 units across its entire twenty-year lifetime.
- What Happened to the Game Boy, Nintendo's Unbreakable HandheldHow a monochrome brick with an 8-bit processor outlasted every competitor with color screens and better specs, sold 118 million units, and accidentally created the template for portable gaming.
- How the iMac G3 Saved Apple and Killed the Beige Box ForeverIn 1997, Apple was losing $878 million a year and Michael Dell said they should shut it down. Then a translucent blue computer changed the entire industry.
- What Happened to Counter-Strike, the Mod That Became Bigger Than the GameTwo modders, an ICQ chat, and a Half-Life SDK turned into over 50 million copies sold and the birth of competitive PC gaming as we know it.
- What Happened to Tumblr, the Platform Yahoo Bought for a Billion and Sold for PenniesYahoo paid $1.1 billion for Tumblr in 2013. Six years later, Verizon sold it to Automattic for $3 million. Here's the full story of how a culture platform got killed by the companies that owned it.
- What Happened to Arcades: The Rise, Fall, and Unlikely Return of Quarter-Powered GamingIn 1982, arcades earned more than Hollywood and the music industry combined. Then they vanished. Here's the complete story of what happened to arcades, from the golden age to the modern revival.
- What Happened to LiveJournal, the Platform That Invented Modern BloggingLiveJournal had 18 million users and invented friends lists, access controls, and communities years before Facebook existed. Then its servers moved to Russia overnight.
- Is Quake Still Playable in 2026? Who Owns It TodayQuake is still sold and still played in 2026. Microsoft owns it through ZeniMax, and id Software shipped a free 19-map episode in August 2026.
- What Happened to WebTV, the Box That Promised Internet for EveryoneIn 1996, three former Apple engineers built a $325 box that let people browse the web on their televisions. Microsoft paid $425 million for it. By 2013, it was gone.
- What Happened to 3dfx? The Graphics Card That Ruled the '90sIt dominated the late 1990s with an iron fist, commanded 80% of the 3D graphics market, and fundamentally changed what PC gaming could be. Then in just a few years, it was gone.
- What Happened to Flickr, the Photo Site Yahoo Left to DieFlickr once hosted nearly 2 billion photos and defined photo-sharing for a generation. Then Yahoo acquired it, removed the features that made it special, and left it to rot while Instagram ate its lunch.
- What Happened to Oregon Trail, the Game That Taught America to Die of DysenteryCreated in two weeks on a teletype by three student teachers in 1971, Oregon Trail became the most successful educational game ever made, selling 65 million copies before corporate acquisitions scattered its legacy.
- What Happened to GoldenEye 007, the Game That Proved FPS Could Work on ConsoleBuilt by ten first-time developers at a rural British studio, GoldenEye 007 sold 8 million copies and defined console multiplayer for a generation before licensing disputes made it nearly impossible to play for two decades.
- What Happened to IRC, the Chat Protocol That Built the InternetCreated in 1988 by a Finnish computer science student, IRC kept the internet connected during the Gulf War and became home to millions of users. But Discord and Slack made it obsolete.
- Is There a New Tony Hawk Game? The Series in 2026No new Tony Hawk game is announced for 2026. The last one was Pro Skater 3 + 4 in July 2025, and its studio cut up to 90 jobs in April 2026.
- What Happened to the Sega Game Gear, the Handheld That Deserved BetterThe Sega Game Gear had superior hardware, full color graphics, and backlit brilliance. So why did it lose to the Game Boy? Discover the tragic tale of ambitious hardware sabotaged by battery life and Sega's own chaos.
- What Happened to Eudora, the Email Client That Taught the Internet to WriteEudora dominated email in the 1990s with 18 million users and dominated revenue. Gmail and webmail killed desktop email clients. Here's how the world's most popular email software disappeared.
- What Happened to SimCity and How EA Destroyed ItFrom Will Wright’s revolutionary city builder to EA’s catastrophic always-online launch, the rise and fall of SimCity is a cautionary tale about corporate mismanagement.
- What Happened to RollerCoaster Tycoon, Built by One Man in AssemblyChris Sawyer wrote 99% of RollerCoaster Tycoon in assembly language, alone, and earned $30 million. Then the franchise left his hands.
- Newgrounds Is Still Online in 2026, 31 Years LaterNewgrounds is still online in 2026, owned and run by founder Tom Fulp, funded by supporters from $36 a year, with its Flash archive kept alive by Ruffle.
- What Happened to BonziBuddy, the Internet's Friendliest SpywareThe purple gorilla that harvested your data. How BonziBuddy went from desktop companion to FTC settlement, and what it reveals about early internet trust.
- The Original Sims: How a Virtual Dollhouse Became the Best-Selling PC Game EverWill Wright pitched it as an architecture sim. EA almost killed it. Then it outsold every PC game in history and changed who we think of as a gamer.
- What Happened to Polaroid, the Camera That Died and Came BackPolaroid peaked at $3 billion in revenue, went bankrupt twice, and was rescued by a group of enthusiasts who bought the last factory on Earth for $3.1 million.
- What Happened to Iomega Zip Drives and the Click of DeathThe Zip drive made 100MB feel infinite, turned Iomega into a $7 billion company, and then a manufacturing defect brought it all crashing down.
- What Happened to Kazaa and the P2P Wars After NapsterKazaa became the most downloaded software on Earth, survived where Napster couldn't, and still lost everything. The full story of the P2P wars.
- What Happened to Club Penguin, Disney's Accidental MMOHow three guys in Kelowna, BC built a virtual world that captured 200 million kids, sold to Disney for $350 million, and then vanished entirely.
- What Happened to MiniDisc, Sony's Forgotten Music FormatSony spent billions building the perfect portable music format. It conquered Japan, flopped everywhere else, and now Gen Z is collecting them on TikTok.
- What Happened to Screensavers: Flying Toasters, 3D Pipes, and Doing NothingFrom a $30 million software company selling animated toasters to a forgotten Windows setting nobody touches, screensavers had one of the strangest rises and falls in tech history.
- What Happened to Clippy, the Paperclip Everyone Loved to HateMicrosoft spent millions on user research, hired Stanford psychologists, tested 250 character designs, and somehow still created the most universally despised software feature of the 1990s.
- The Night Windows 95 Launched and Changed EverythingOn August 24, 1995, people lined up at midnight to buy an operating system. Microsoft spent $300 million to make sure they did.
- What Happened to Commodore, the Company That Won and LostCommodore sold more home computers than anyone in history. Then its own executives drove it into the ground. Here is how it all fell apart.
- What Happened to Neopets, the Virtual World That Raised a GenerationFrom 150 million accounts and $160 million acquisitions to corporate neglect and a management buyout. The full story of how Neopets rose, fell, and tried to come back.
- How Doom Changed Everything About PC Gaming and the InternetOn December 10, 1993, five people in a Texas office uploaded a file that crashed a university network and generated $100,000 a day. The full story of how Doom rewrote the rules.
- Why the Atari Jaguar Failed and What It Costs NowThe Atari Jaguar sold about 125,000 units before Atari quit hardware in 1996. Sealed consoles have since gone for $1,199.99.
- 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.
- Who Owns Sound Blaster Now? Creative Labs in 2026Sound Blaster still belongs to Creative Technology, which trades as Creative Labs and sold $67.4 million in 2025, down from a $1.6 billion peak.
- Is Lycos Still Around in 2026? Who Owns It NowLycos is still online in 2026 as a small portal owned through Brightcom Group. Terra Networks paid $12.5 billion for it; Ybrant paid $36 million.
- Is HD DVD Still Around? Why It Lost to Blu-rayHD DVD is dead: Toshiba quit on February 19, 2008, after Warner Bros. went Blu-ray exclusive. The retreat cost the company about $1.1 billion.
- 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.
- Was the iPod the First MP3 Player? Not Even CloseNo: the iPod was not the first MP3 player. Korea's MPMan beat it by three years, in March 1998. Apple still won, and here is what did it.
- Is Craigslist Still Around in 2026? Who Owns It NowCraigslist is still online in 2026 and still owned by Craig Newmark and Jim Buckmaster, but revenue fell from $1.034 billion to $302 million.
- Does the Nintendo Wii Still Work Online in 2026?The Nintendo Wii still plays every disc in 2026, but Nintendo killed online play in 2014 and closed the Wii Shop in 2019. Used consoles run $40 to $75.
- Do They Still Make Netbooks? Why the Eee PC DiedNo. Netbooks peaked at 38.8 million units in 2010 and died in 2012. Chromebooks under $200 and cheap Windows laptops replaced them.
- Is the PS2 Still the Best-Selling Console in 2026?Yes. The PS2 still leads at 160 million units sold, but the Nintendo Switch reached 155.92 million by mid-2026 and sits 4 million behind.
- Who Owns CompuServe Now? Yahoo Runs the PortalCompuServe survives as a news portal owned by Yahoo. The dial-up service ended in 2009 and the forums closed on December 15, 2017.
- Who Owns Gateway Computers Now? Acer Still DoesGateway computers still exist as a brand: Acer bought the company in 2007 for $710 million and now sells Gateway laptops only through Walmart.
- Why Boo.com Failed and Who Owns the Domain NowBoo.com burned $135 million in 18 months and collapsed on 18 May 2000. Hostelworld holds the domain now, bought out of a $375,000 fire sale.
- Motorola Razr V3: 130 Million Sold, No Signal LeftThe Motorola Razr V3 sold 130 million units, and since August 3, 2026 it cannot make a call in the US. What one costs second-hand now.
- 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.
- Is the Nokia N-Gage Still Around? Who Owns It NowThe Nokia N-Gage is gone: Nokia stopped the hardware in November 2005 and closed the N-Gage service in 2010, after 3 million of a 6 million target.
- Is Excite@Home Still Around? AT&T Took the NetworkExcite@Home is gone. It filed for Chapter 11 in September 2001 and AT&T took the network for $307 million, about one percent of its $35 billion peak.
- Why the Sega Saturn Failed and What It Costs NowThe Sega Saturn failed after a $399 surprise launch in May 1995 and sold 9.26 million units. A working console costs $180 to $280 in 2026.
- Why the Apple Newton Failed and What It Costs NowApple sold about 50,000 Newton MessagePads in three months, then killed the line in 1998. Why it failed, and what a MessagePad sells for now.
March 2026
- Is the Original Xbox Still Supported in 2026?The original Xbox lost support in 2006 and Microsoft closed its Xbox Live service in 2010. Fans rebuilt the servers, and 39 games still run.
- Is AOL Time Warner Still a Company? What Is LeftAOL Time Warner stopped existing in 2009. AOL is being sold to Bending Spoons for $1.5 billion; Warner Bros. Discovery holds the rest.
- Are LAN Parties Still Around? QuakeCon Sold OutLAN parties are still around in 2026: QuakeCon's BYOC hall sold out in August, but DreamHack ended its own after 32 years.
- Is Kozmo.com Still Around? The Brand's Fate in 2026Kozmo.com died in April 2001 after a $280 million loss. Los Angeles grocer Yummy Foods owns the name now, and the site has been dark since 2023.
- Is Circuit City Still in Business? Zero Stores LeftCircuit City closed its last 567 stores on March 8, 2009. The name survives online under an owner who bought it in 2016. Zero stores left.
- Did Amazon Almost Go Bankrupt in the Dot-Com Crash?Amazon never went bankrupt, but it came close: a Lehman analyst gave it four quarters of cash. A $672 million bond bought the time it needed.
- Is the PSP Still Supported? Sony's Handheld in 2026The PSP is not supported in 2026. Sony sold more than 76.4 million, closed the PSP store in 2021, and PS3 and Vita sales end in July 2027.
- Is Webvan Still Around? The $830 Million CollapseWebvan shut down in July 2001 after burning about $830 million. Amazon owns the name now, and its founder is back with a robot warehouse.
- Why the Nintendo GameCube Lost the Console WarThe Nintendo GameCube sold 21.74 million units to the PlayStation 2's 155 million and died in 2007. Its games returned on Switch 2 in June 2025.
- Is eBay Still Around in 2026? 135 Million BuyerseBay is still around in 2026: a public Nasdaq company with 135 million buyers and $79.6 billion sold in 2025. It started with a broken laser pointer.
- Is RadioShack Still in Business? 2026 Store CountIs RadioShack still in business? Yes, as a brand. The US chain died in the 2017 bankruptcy, and an El Salvador group has owned the name since 2023.
- Is Friendster Still Around? It Came Back in 2026Friendster deleted every profile in 2011 and shut down in 2015, but the name relaunched in April 2026 as an app with no ads and no algorithm.
- Is Fry's Electronics Still Around? All 31 Stores ClosedFry's Electronics is gone. All 31 remaining stores closed on February 24, 2021, with no bankruptcy filing and no farewell sale. Here is what is left.
- Does AltaVista Still Exist? Yahoo Closed It in 2013AltaVista no longer exists: Yahoo closed the search engine on July 8, 2013. Apollo-owned Yahoo still holds the domain that sold for $140 million in 2003.
- 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 became Ask.com, lost the butler in 2006, quit building its own search engine in 2010, and closed for good on May 1, 2026.
- 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.
- Are Tamagotchis Still Made in 2026? Yes, by BandaiTamagotchi is still made by Bandai in 2026. Shipments passed 100 million in July 2025, new models cost $44.99, and 1997 originals fetch $40 to $50.
- Who Owns MTV Now, and Does It Still Play Music?MTV is still on the air in 2026 and owned by Paramount Skydance, but its last five music-only channels went dark on December 31, 2025.
- Is Encarta Still Available? Why Microsoft Killed ItMicrosoft Encarta is gone: disc sales ended in June 2009 and MSN Encarta closed October 31, 2009. What replaced it, and how to run it now.
- 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.
- How MySpace Lost to Facebook and Sold for $35MMySpace lost to Facebook after News Corporation tied the site to a $900 million Google ad deal. It sold for $35 million in June 2011.
- Is Google Glass Still Around? Discontinued in 2023Google Glass is discontinued: sales ended March 15, 2023 and support that September. What the $1,500 headset was, and what Google sells now.
- Is the Microsoft Zune Still Around? Why It FailedMicrosoft Zune hardware died in 2011 and its services in 2015. Here is why it lost to the iPod, and what a used Zune HD costs in 2026.
- 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.
- Why Pets.com Failed and Where the Sock Puppet WentPets.com sold pet food below cost, IPO'd at $11 in February 2000 and shut its store that November. PetSmart owns the domain; the sock puppet outlived it.
- Why Google+ Failed and When Google Shut It DownGoogle+ shut down on April 2, 2019 and Google Currents followed in 2023. Here is why a $585 million social network sat empty.
- Why Sega Stopped Making Consoles After DreamcastSega stopped making consoles on January 31, 2001, after the Dreamcast sold 9.13 million units. It has not built one since, and still will not.
- Palm Pilot Explained: The PDA That Phones ReplacedThe Palm Pilot sold a million units in 18 months, then lost to the smartphone. Palm shipped its last handhelds in October 2005.
- Who Owns MapQuest Now? System1 and the 2026 SurgeMapQuest is still around in 2026, owned by ad tech firm System1 since 2019. Google Maps only passed it in January 2009, by 700,000 users.
- Does Hotmail Still Exist? Outlook.com Runs It NowHotmail still exists. Microsoft retired the name in May 2013 and moved 300 million accounts to Outlook.com, where old addresses still work.
- Does GeoCities Still Exist? Where the Pages WentGeoCities does not still exist. Yahoo deleted it on October 26, 2009, taking about 38 million pages. Archive Team saved 641 GB of them.
- 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.
- Was Apple Really 90 Days From Bankruptcy in 1997?Apple lost $1.04 billion in fiscal 1997 and Steve Jobs called it 90 days from insolvent. Microsoft's $150 million check landed on August 6, 1997.
- 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 free and wired it into Windows. Navigator led 51% to 40% in 1997, then fell.
- Windows XP Bliss Wallpaper: Where the Hill Is NowThe Windows XP Bliss wallpaper hill is real, on private land off Fremont Drive in Sonoma County, and it turned green again on 18 February 2026.
- Y2K Explained: What Really Broke on January 1, 2000The Y2K bug was real and the US spent about $100 billion killing it. Here is what still broke on January 1, 2000, from spy satellites to slot machines.
- Did Napster Kill the Music Industry? The 2026 MathNapster did not kill the music industry. US revenue fell from $14.6 billion in 1999 to $8.5 billion in 2009, then hit a record $11.5 billion in 2025.
- What Is $1,000 From 1999 Worth in 2026 Dollars?$1,000 from 1999 is worth about $2,000 in 2026. That is two weeks of a family health premium now, and it no longer buys the average PC.
- 90s Tech Prices in 2026 Dollars: Full 40-Item TableA PlayStation cost $299 in 1995, or $655 in 2026 dollars. Forty sourced launch prices for 90s and early-2000s tech, adjusted with CPI-U.
- 90s Websites Still Online in 2026: 5 That SurvivedYes, 90s websites are still online in 2026: the 1996 Space Jam site lives at spacejam.com/1996 and info.cern.ch has run since 1991.
- Dial-Up Speed vs 2026 Internet: How Slow Was 56k?Dial-up speed topped out at 53.3 kbit/s, about 1,876 times slower than the 100 Mbps broadband floor. AOL quit dial-up on September 30, 2025.
- What Was the First Thing Sold Online? PizzaNet vs a CDThe first thing sold online was not a pizza. PizzaNet took orders in August 1994, eleven days after a Sting CD sold for $12.48.
- Did Blockbuster Turn Down Netflix for $50 Million?Blockbuster did turn down Netflix for $50 million in 2000. Netflix booked $45.2 billion in 2025 revenue; EchoStar now owns the Blockbuster name.
- Did Yahoo Turn Down Google for $1 Million in 1998?Yahoo never bought Google and Google never bought Yahoo. The $1 million story is thinly sourced, and the real offer in 2002 was $3 billion.
- Microsoft Tried to Buy Nintendo and Got Laughed AtMicrosoft tried to buy Nintendo in 1999 and spent an hour being laughed at. The letter survives, and the Xbox shipped two years later.