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Clever Confidential is Clever’s offshoot series, where we dig into the darker side of design - the shadowy, sometimes sordid tales hiding under a glossy topcoat of respectable legacy.
Olivetti was founded in 1908 by Camillo Olivetti. This Italian powerhouse thrived under his son Adriano, who revolutionized industrial design with a human-centered approach, merging aesthetics with user experience. Olivetti became a titan in office machines and desktop computing, poised to lead the charge into a new technological era.
But as Olivetti rises, dark clouds gather. Adriano and brilliant engineer Mario Tchou meet mysterious and untimely fates, shrouded in Cold War intrigue and fierce corporate rivalry. Despite these tragic losses, Olivetti unveiled the Programma 101 in 1965, hailed as the world’s first desktop computer, forever altering our perception of technology.
So why has Olivetti’s remarkable legacy faded into obscurity? We peel back the layers of this enigma, revealing a web of intrigue—mysterious deaths, hostile takeovers, potential CIA involvement, and hidden narratives that reshaped the tech landscape and distorted our collective cultural memory.
Go to https://porkbun.com/CleverBun to get a .PRO domain for only $1 for the first year with promo code DIGITALPRO at Porkbun!
Audio clips courtesy of Luca Cottini - Italian Innovators youtube video - CAMILLO & ADRIANO OLIVETTI. At the Origins of the Computer Age. Linkedin and instagram @italianinnovators
Editing and Sound Design: Camille Stennis and Mark Zurawinski
Theme Music: “Astronomy” by Thin White Rope courtesy of Frontier Records
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
309 episodes
Clever Confidential is Clever’s offshoot series, where we dig into the darker side of design - the shadowy, sometimes sordid tales hiding under a glossy topcoat of respectable legacy.
Olivetti was founded in 1908 by Camillo Olivetti. This Italian powerhouse thrived under his son Adriano, who revolutionized industrial design with a human-centered approach, merging aesthetics with user experience. Olivetti became a titan in office machines and desktop computing, poised to lead the charge into a new technological era.
But as Olivetti rises, dark clouds gather. Adriano and brilliant engineer Mario Tchou meet mysterious and untimely fates, shrouded in Cold War intrigue and fierce corporate rivalry. Despite these tragic losses, Olivetti unveiled the Programma 101 in 1965, hailed as the world’s first desktop computer, forever altering our perception of technology.
So why has Olivetti’s remarkable legacy faded into obscurity? We peel back the layers of this enigma, revealing a web of intrigue—mysterious deaths, hostile takeovers, potential CIA involvement, and hidden narratives that reshaped the tech landscape and distorted our collective cultural memory.
Go to https://porkbun.com/CleverBun to get a .PRO domain for only $1 for the first year with promo code DIGITALPRO at Porkbun!
Audio clips courtesy of Luca Cottini - Italian Innovators youtube video - CAMILLO & ADRIANO OLIVETTI. At the Origins of the Computer Age. Linkedin and instagram @italianinnovators
Editing and Sound Design: Camille Stennis and Mark Zurawinski
Theme Music: “Astronomy” by Thin White Rope courtesy of Frontier Records
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
309 episodes
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