Microsoft’s Would-Be iPhone — Circa 1991
In our May 2012 issue, contributing editor Joe Hagan profiled Microsoft veteran Nathan Myhrvold, who retired in 1999 after serving 14-years as Bill Gates’ personal tech visionary. Since leaving Microsoft, Myhrvold has lived a nerd fantasy, digging up T. rexes and producing a cookbook only a mad scientist could love.
During his years at the computing giant’s Redmond, Washington headquarters, Myhrvold described in precise terms what the future of computing would look like. More often that not, he was pretty damned accurate: In 1991, while serving as the company’s chief visionary, Myhrvold predicted the emergence of an iPhone-like device down to the smallest detail, describing a “digital wallet” that would consolidate personal communication — telephone, schedule manager, notepad, contacts, and a library of music and books — all in one.
Rarely seen outside of Myhrvold’s inner circle, this sketch of Microsoft’s would-be iPhone portrayed a gadget that could record and archive everything you asked it to, he surmised. “The cost will not be very high,” wrote Myhrvold. “It is pretty easy to imagine a $400 to $1,000 retail price.” Microsoft, however, was too cost conscious and risk averse to execute his vision. “Hey, it was better than predicting the wrong thing,” Myhrvold says now.
For more information about Myhrvold, his tenure at Microsoft, and his newfound passion for molecular gastronomy, read Joe Hagan’s “How a Geek Grills a Burger” here.
We asked four of our favorite guys what gear they never leave behind. Here’s what they had to say. Clockwise from top left:
Travis Rice
Professional Freeride Snowboarder
I never travel without Merken spice. It’s a Chilean hot chili–based spice, not to be confused with a pubic wig of a similar name. There’s no telling where you’ll be forced to eat on the road — you might need to add a smoky, chipotle-like crescendo to your bland meal at uninspired establishments.
Joe Buck
Fox Sports play-by-play announcer
I’m never without my Swiss Army backpack. I have every compartment perfectly packed. It’s got a cheat sheet for that week’s game, a multicolored pen that I use to prioritize what I’ll say on the air, my iPad, and makeup, which I often need to apply in stadium public bathrooms. Hey, you gotta be tough.
Anthony Bourdain
Host of Travel Channel’s No Reservations
I wouldn’t want to be without some good old beat-up cowboy boots. I have a pair of ordinary-looking but nicely broken-in Billy Martins. They have no frills, no decorations, and they’re faded and much stained. But they’re lethally pointy and comfortable, like old friends.
Tony Stewart
NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion
I couldn’t live without my 1956 Chevy step-side pickup truck. It’s restored but not to show standards, so I can use it and not worry about scratching the bed. If I need to haul a boat or pick up parts and take them to the shop, no problem. I like that it’s simple. When life gets complicated, it’s nice to have something simple.
The Five-Blade Kitchen
Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian on the knives every man should own. From top to bottom:
1. All-Purpose Chopping
Save wear and tear on your chef’s knife by using this 10-to-12-inch knife on larger vegetables, and anything with a bone.
2. & 3. Curved and Straight Pairing
You can do with just these two for prep and detail work, such as peeling tomatoes or dicing small vegetables.
4. Chef’s
This is your workhorse — I like the solid feel of forged 12-inch blades from Wüsthof or J.A. Henckels. Spend the most on this knife.
5. Serrated
Use this to make quick work of frozen foods and fresh bread. Most brands will do, but make it easy on yourself by getting a wide-handled one.
The fifth season of Mad Men premieres March 25 on AMC. Will you be watching?
As we begin our 20th year, we decided it’s time to shake things up a bit. Though we’ve tweaked the logo many times since the magazine premiered in 1992, this is the first time we’ve overhauled it. And we think it better reflects Men’s Journal today. Creative director Benjamen Purvis, together with legendary type designer Jim Parkinson, who drew the new logo, took their inspiration from 1930s European auto-racing posters — rugged, elegant, unadorned. “It’s handcrafted, masculine, and authoritative,” Purvis says. “I think it perfectly expresses the spirit of our magazine.”
