Rewind & Capture

How Tech Brands Got Their Names

Why is Alibaba Called Alibaba?

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In 2014, Amazon overtook Wal-Mart as the largest retailer—not just online retailer—in the entire world. Of course, Amazon had dominated online commerce for the majority of its 20-year history. The one-time bookseller had moved on to feature just about every product under the sun. To many, it seemed as though Amazon had captured a throne it would never give up.  Then came Alibaba.

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Why is Meerkat Called Meerkat?

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Although social networking has more than once changed shape throughout human evolution, it’s basic composition is ingrained in our biological makeup. Whether or not we continue to move from face time to FaceTime, the need for community and social interaction between humans is innate. We are social beings by nature, and what once meant gathering around a watering hole or telling stories around a fire, now means sharing status updates, exchanging comments and sending snaps. It’s much different, but also much the same.

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Why is Digg Called Digg?

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If I told you there was a time when Reddit didn’t rule the front page of the Internet, you’d probably shake your head in disbelief. Even harder to believe, is that its predecessor, Digg, was set up for similar success long before internet domination was a twinkle in Alexis Ohanian’s keen eye.

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Why is Evernote Called Evernote?

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What keeps you up at night?

If you’d asked former Evernote CEO Phil Libin in 2008, he quickly would have said “bankruptcy.” By then, it had been almost two years since Stepan Pachikov founded the note taking application and they were desperately failing to gain traction. Like most entrepreneurs, Libin was terrified of failing, but just before he was about to turn the lights off, an opportunity came knocking. Or in this case, chiming.

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Why is Flickr Called Flickr?

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In the late 90s, Neopets was just one of many online games that took computer users by storm. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s essentially a make-believe world where you can care for virtual pets. Not just any pets, but ethereal creatures cuter than those in your wildest dreams and, better yet, ones that won’t die if you neglect them.

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