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You’ve got mail? Here are 5 companies you probably didn’t know still exist

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We’ve all had a moment like this. You’re in a dentist office waiting room. You reach for the stack of magazines on the table and think to yourself, “Wait, Reader’s Digest still exists?” We’re taking a look at some of the companies you may not realize are still hanging on in this week’s Five for Friday.

#5: Kodak

Kodak filed for bankruptcy just over a decade ago but surprisingly it’s still in business. Cellphones made a huge dent in its consumer photography business but Kodak does have Polaroid-esque instant-print cameras which have been making a comeback. Kodak is also a big player in the movie business, working with IMAX to develop the “next generation of film cameras.” And I bet you didn’t know Kodak dipped its toe in pharmaceuticals. Back in 2020 it did land in some hot water due to a prospective deal with the federal government to manufacture generic drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic. It sent Kodak’s stock price skyrocketing, but in the end all they received was an investigation into insider trading.

#4: RadioShack

RadioShack has been around for more than a century. It was once a haven for tech-tinkerers looking to be on the cutting edge. But the consumer electronics industry exploded, especially online, and the Shack hasn’t found where it fits in since. RadioShack filed for bankruptcy twice in the last decade, in 2015 and 2017. Now it operates a cryptocurrency exchange with its own token, which they announced with a series of vulgar tweets. It also appears they are attempting to cash in on the meme of their irrelevance by selling nostalgia-laced merchandise.

#3: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey dominated the circus world since the 1870s. Seeing the “Greatest Show on Earth” was a right of passage for any child for well over a century. But the new millennium brought on its demise with low attendance and protests over animal rights. In 2017 they drew the final curtain with their last show. Or so we thought. This year, Feld Entertainment announced Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey is making a comeback in 2023 but this time, without the animals that sparked criticism.

#2: Atari

Before Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo could run the video game industry, Atari had to walk. Atari was a pioneer throughout the 1970s. The Atari 2600 is a classic, featuring games like Adventure, Centipede and Pitfall. But it hasn’t been a player in the console business for decades, unless you count the console made by Lego in 2022. After filing for bankruptcy in 2013, Atari sold off its biggest intellectual property. The company is now in the blockchain business and entered a partnership to develop a group of Atari-branded gaming hotels, the first of which should pop up in Phoenix and Las Vegas.

#1: AOL

America Online was synonymous with the internet in the 1990s, but now it’s just a company that provides emails to old-timers. AOL was so successful in 2000 that it bought Time Warner for $182 billion, the largest merger in American history. Just 15 years later, Verizon bought AOL for only $4.4 billion. Surprisingly, as of 2021, AOL still had 1.5 million paying subscribers, although they are really paying for ID protection and limited technical support.

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SIMONE DEL ROSARIO:

ARE YOU EVER SHOCKED TO FIND A COMPANY IS STILL IN BUSINESS? I JUST GOT A SHUTTERFLY EMAIL TO UPDATE MY ACCOUNT OR LOSE IT FOREVER, I HAD NO IDEA IT STILL EXISTED. SO WE’RE TAKING A LOOK AT SOME COMPANIES YOU MAY NOT REALIZE ARE STILL HANGIN’ ON IN THIS WEEK’S FIVE FOR FRIDAY.

DESPITE FILING CHAPTER 11 A DECADE AGO, KODAK IS STILL KICKING. CELL PHONES OBVIOUSLY THREATENED TO PUT THEM OUT, BUT AT LEAST THEY HAVE POLAROID-ESQUE INSTANT PRINT CAMERAS, WHICH I HEAR ARE MAKING A COMEBACK. KODAK’S ALSO WORKING WITH IMAX TO DEVELOP THE “NEXT GENERATION OF FILM CAMERAS.” AND I BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW THEY’RE IN THE PHARMA BUSINESS, BUT SO FAR THAT HASN’T TURNED OUT SO GREAT.

RADIOSHACK’S BEEN AROUND FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY, AND SHOCKINGLY IT’S STILL AROUND, JUST NO LONGER RELEVANT. THE COMPANY FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY TWICE IN TWO YEARS {2015 AND 2017}. AND NOW IT’S A CRYPTO EXCHANGE THAT LAUNCHED ITS OWN TOKEN WITH A STRING OF VULGAR TWEETS FOR SOME REASON. BEST THING THEY SELL NOW IS NOSTALGIA-LACED MERCH.

RINGLING BROTHERS AND BARNUM & BAILEY’S DOMINANCE IN THE CIRCUS WORLD DATES BACK TO THE 1800S. AND WHILE FOR WELL OVER A CENTURY IT WAS THE PLACE TO BRING THE FAM, THE NEW MILLENNIUM BROUGHT ON ITS SLOW DEATH WITH LOW ATTENDANCE AND PROTESTS OVER ANIMAL RIGHTS. IN 2017 THEY DREW THE FINAL CURTAIN, OR SO WE THOUGHT. THIS YEAR FELD ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCED IT’S MAKING A COMEBACK IN 2023, BUT THIS TIME ONLY HUMANS COULD BE HARMED IN THE MAKING.

ATARI WAS A PIONEER OF THE VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY IN THE 70S, UHH JUST TRUST ME. THE ATARI 2600 IS A CLASSIC, BUT ATARI HASN’T BEEN A PLAYER IN THE CONSOLE BUSINESS FOR DECADES. AFTER FILING FOR BANKRUPTCY IN 2013 ATARI SOLD OFF ITS BIGGEST IP. BUT LIKE THE SHACK, ATARI IS NOW IN THE BLOCKCHAIN GAME AND ENTERED A PARTNERSHIP TO DEVELOP A GROUP OF ATARI BRANDED GAMING HOTELS.

AOL IS MORE THAN JUST A COMPANY THAT PROVIDES EMAIL TO OLDTIMERS. IT WAS ESSENTIALLY THE INTERNET IN THE 90S. AOL WAS SO SUCCESSFUL IN 2000 IT BOUGHT TIME WARNER FOR $182 BILLION, THE LARGEST MERGER IN AMERICAN HISTORY. FAST FORWARD 15 YEARS AND VERIZON BUYS AOL FOR JUST $4.4 BILL. THAT’S BROADBAND FOR YOU. SURPRISINGLY, AS OF 2021, THERE WERE STILL 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE PAYING FOR AOL SERVICE.

THE YOUNGINS WILL NEVER KNOW THE SOUND OF A MODEM CONNECTING OR THIS ALERT OOOOR THE STACKS OF AOL E WASTE GETTING SENT TO YOUR HOME. THAT’S FIVE FOR FRIDAY. I’M SIMONE DEL ROSARIO. IT’S JUST BUSINESS.