Lmst

What's Inside This Chunky Piece Of Computing History?

https://makertube.net/w/vqM7g5fiw97GaQF5ctqQcH

Just been going through some old boxes and found this. I remember ordering this back in the final weeks of 1999 on the theory that it couldn’t hurt. Although never deployed it as it remains sealed in its packaging.

Feels like we need more of this kind of thing. Maybe an AI protection system?

#voodoo #y2k #computinghistory

A plastic bag in which is a small velvet bag with two small alligator clips attached to it. There is also a square tag which says “Netwanga” on it. The bag has a cardboard level saying “Protects computers. Netwanga Voodoo Bag. Stop Y2K Evil!

A close up of the card attached to a plastic bag. It has the following printed on it:
This Netwanga Magical Voodoo Bag guards your computer against Y2K Evil!
Clip onto keyboard or monitor cable.
Repeat the Activation Code three times.
“Y2K Evil Stay Away!
Y2K Evil Stay Away!
Y2K Evil Stay Away!”

Copyright Micro/future
www.netwanga.com

Für die deutschen #retrocomputing Freunde:

Im letzten c't Newsletter von #heise, war die Rede davon, dass bei genügend Interesse ein #retrocomputing Podcast geplant ist. Ich finde die Podcasts von heise qualitativ sehr gut und ein Podcast zu dem Thema wäre ein Hit.

Also bei Interesse, schickt bitte Michael eine E-Mail. Seine E-Mail Adresse befindet sich im Newsletter unten unter "Olle Kamellen neu vertont".

https://newsletter.heise.de/html_mail.jsp?params=BbPm82fZHlo44lkMTPxja4IaRHGOUP6B%2FM1fHKssMdnLs5EJ8pPZQ1gfKqhtojmABeA9xBQUTK5dYL00p3jjzUpZqqufdD%2BLhOBTunrk73g%3D

#computinghistory #vintagecomputers
#retrocomputers #vintagecomputing #techhistory #tech

Did you know: Engineer Ronald H. Nicholson Jr. was part of both the Macintosh and Amiga teams, and has his signature molded into the cases of the Amiga 1000 and the early Macintosh computers.

#Amiga #Macintosh #computinghistory #vintagecomputers #retrocomputers #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing #photo #Amiga1000 #Mac128K #tech #techhistory #didyouknow #TIL #Apple #Commodore #hardware #funfact

Molded signatures in the case of both the Amiga 1000 and early Macintosh computer, showing the same person in both sets of signatures

A magnetic core memory with 64x64 bits, CERN computing centre. #computinghistory

A central square grid of small rings strung up on thin wires in a square hole, surrounded on all sides by a square frame where the thin wires terminate in thicker traces that radiate outward.

Altair at 50: Remembering the first Personal Computer

https://www.goto10retro.com/p/altair-at-50-remembering-the-first

#HackerNews #Altair50 #PersonalComputer #RetroTech #ComputingHistory

Fascinating and highly recommended read on Nelson’s #Xanadu project and #ComputingHistory.

https://technicshistory.com/2025/01/12/interactive-computing-a-counterculture/?ref=feedle.world

#Feedle

It's rare I'll finish an unabridged audiobook and really wasn't expecting to enjoy this, (not a fan of #BillGates) but found it informative and insightful and stuck with it to the end. #Neurodiversity #STEM #ComputingHistory

#Symbolics #Unix #Lisp #LispMachine #LispMachines #Programming #OperatingSystems #OS #OOP #ObjectOrientedProgramming #ComputerHistory #ComputingHistory

A diagram “Figure 6. The Value of Integration”

Unix Style:
Program 1 outputs to Data File to Program 2 to Data File to Program 3

Symbolics Style:
Program 1, 2, and 3 all share Data Objects

I remember when turning off your computer meant physically cutting power using a big mechanical switch.

Then came #Windows and the "shutdown sequence", along with all the chaos it often caused. Soft power switching, hibernate, and Fast Boot came after.

Today, there are people who've never heard of the concept of switching off a computer or phone.
#computinghistory

Finally having energy post surgery to do some things again 😊

First up... HD-64 for the Commodore 64. HDMI video and Audio, can configure via a program you run on your #Commodore and firmware updatable via a USB-C port.

https://github.com/sideprojectslab/HD-64?tab=readme-ov-file

#C64 #Commodore64 #computinghistory #vintagecomputing #retrocomputing

Inside of a modern Commodore 64 system, that where the RF Modulator is, there's a HD-64 module with a ribbon cable going towards the VIC-2 chip, and a couple of pins soldered for power and ground to the expansion port.

A very sharp HDMI output of a diag tool for the Commodore 64. Ignore the errors as false reporting as FPGA based chips and not all adapters were plugged in.

Thinking of NEXTSTEP this morning...I'd guess many aren't aware of the unusual color display arrangement.

The NeXTstation, which was the first "affordable" color solution for NEXTSTEP, has a 16-bit framebuffer, but instead of rendering the desktop in 65,536 colors (as per Windows or Mac hardware, say), it rendered in 12-bit color with 4-bits of alpha channel (transparency).

That means it had a palette of 4096 colors, with all colors available at once on the display (not like, say, the Amiga or Apple IIgs with a 4096 color palette, but video modes with a small subset of those colors available (yes, yes, HAM mode excluded). Additionally, anything on the screen had 16 levels of opacity available.

It's interesting to see in person, on the actual hardware (especially on a good LCD display). With dithering, it looks very close to 24-bit truecolor.

(The NeXT Dimension color board for the Cube allowed 24-bit color with 8-bits alpha, but that was not so frequently used -- less so than most NeXT hardware even...)

But that's not nearly the weirdest that NEXTSTEP-capable hardware got, when it came to color video display...

#NeXT #NEXTSTEP #NeXTstation #NeXTCube #OS #OpenStep #DisplayPostScript #PostScript #GUI #UNIX #MC68K #vintagecomputing #retrocomputing #computinghistory #SteveJobs #tech

A great new article by Jeffrey Starr, Investigating MacPaint's Source Code: https://ztoz.blog/posts/macpaint-source-code/

#MacPaint #Macintosh #Mac #MacOS #Apple #ComputerGraphics #Graphics #Retrocomputing #ComputerHistory #ComputingHistory #History #SourceCode

From Unix: A History and a Memoir by Brian Kernighan.

#KenThompson #Unix #BellLabs #Aviation #ComputerHistory #ComputingHistory #History

In December 1992, Ken and Fred Grampp went to Moscow to fly a MiG-29, a step up from their normal Cessnas. Figures 2.5 and 2.6 show Ken ready to go and taxiing back after a flight. JA. 0R Figure 2.5: Ken Thompson preparing to take off (Courtesy of cat-v.org)

Source: https://oldvcr.blogspot.com/2024/10/refurb-weekend-symbolics-macivory-lisp.html

#Symbolics #LispMachine #LispMachines #Lisp #AI #AIWinter #ArtificialIntelligence #ComputingHistory #ComputerHistory #History

A newspaper clipping with a photo of Russel Noftsker that says:

AI superstar plunges to earth

Knowledge-based expert systems delivered on symbolic processing machines are "a trend that I'd say is unstoppable at this point."
Russel Noftsker
Chairman, Symbolics, Inc.
February 1986

"I don't want to see the company fail. I don't want to see any more employees lose their jobs."
Noftsker
February 1988

BY CLINTON WILDER
and STANLEY GIBSON
CW STAFF

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Like Icarus, Symbolics, Inc. thought there was no limit to how high... [the picture cuts off]

Its technology was the envy of that sexy new industry, artificial intelligence, and its rapid climb to the $100 million revenue level in 1986 earned it acclaim as "a stock market superstar."

Now mired in red ink and leaderless -- its founders having been eased out of control -- the firm stands as a classic case of missed opportunities, overreaching ambition and market insensitivity.

"Success can be seductive," said Barbara Isgur, a technology analyst with D. H. Brown Associates in Tarrytown, N.Y.

"It's hard to know when to turn the corner or change direction. I can't think of a company that's been able to do that without a lot of pain," Isgur said.

Symbolics -- which sprang up at the forefront of an indus-[the picture cuts off]

Michael Buckland at Ars2013 :: TOTAL RECALL

#ChronoMedia: https://mprove.de/chrono?q=48.31181,14.2907&z=14.61&r=64&t=47&d=0&s=1&i=1

Direct utube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNMAKbH6qyE

#ComputingHistory #HistoryOfHypertext before Vannevar Bush

"More Fun Making It" creates fun videos about repairing and restoring classic computers and other tech, especially the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amiga etc. You can follow at:

➡️ @morefunmakingit

There are already over a hundred videos uploaded. If these haven't federated to your server yet, you can browse them all at https://makertube.net/a/morefunmakingit/videos

#FeaturedPeerTube #RetroComputing #ComputingHistory #ZXSpectrum #Commodore64 #C64 #Amiga #Electronics #RetroTech #PeerTube #PeerTubers

A fascinating new look at what is basically an Apple II Mockingboard soundcard...for the PC...sold by Mindscape.

"Do you own the rarest PC sound card in the world?" -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eeo4INoGyRY

#AppleII #IBMPC #DOSPC #DOS #soundcard #soundboard #AY38910 #SweetMicroSystems #Mockingboard #Mindscape #chiptune #audio #PCaudio #soundblaster #adlib #vintagecomputing #retrocomputing #retrogaming #computinghistory #vintageapple #deepdive #video #gamers #games #interview #ADSR #nostalgia #tech

Linux User Space makes videos about the history of Linux distributions and Linux-related software. You can follow at:

➡️ @linuxuserspace@tilvids.com

There are already 26 videos uploaded, if they haven've federated to your server yet you can browse them all at https://tilvids.com/a/linuxuserspace/videos

You can also follow their general social media account at @linuxuserspace@mastodon.social

#FeaturedPeerTube #Linux #ComputingHistory #Distros #GNULinux #RetroComputing #PeerTube #PeerTubers

Johnny Blanchard / Re-Enthused makes videos about retro computers and consoles, including both famous and obscure systems. You can follow at:

➡️ @johnny_blanchard

There are already 570 videos uploaded. If these haven't federated to your server yet, you can browse them all at https://makertube.net/a/johnny_blanchard/videos

You can also follow Blanchard's general social media account at @jonn_blanchard

#FeaturedPeerTube #RetroComputing #RetroGaming #VideoGames #Gaming #ComputingHistory #PeerTube #PeerTubers

#computinghistory

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