BlueFlash puts USB and Bluetooth on your Apple II

Do you keep revving up your Apple II to check your email, update your contacts and sync your mobile phone only to discover that you can't get Bluetooth up and running because the computer is actually from 1978? Well don't worry, because thanks to a very clever man who goes by the name Vinchysky, you can now utilize the a custom-designed disk controller card to interface with all your Bluetooth (and USB) capable devices. The ingenious design takes advantage of the card by bussing data from the single USB port (with attached Bluetooth dongle) to a CF card wired to the controller, thereby allowing information to be swapped on the card and disk images to be executed wirelessly. The card will be available in the near future for $160, plus an additional $10 for the dongle. If you really want to get a scope of what went into this hack, direct your browser and be awed by the results of three years' hard work.

[Via TUAW]

[Kal-El @ Aug 14th 2007 8:57PM]

No, it does not play Doom.
Yes, it most likely WILL blend.
No, it was not made in Soviet Russia.
Are we done here?

[jabbe @ Aug 14th 2007 9:09PM]

you forgot "i for one welcome our (insert here) overlords"

[Jean-Michel Decombe @ Aug 14th 2007 9:12PM]

No, you should have started with "First post!!!!!!" and added "All your disk image are belong to us".

[sean @ Aug 14th 2007 9:29PM]

4. Profit!!!!!

[js @ Aug 15th 2007 12:11AM]

I don't understand... why does this have to do anything with the iPhone?

[! @ Aug 14th 2007 8:59PM]

I'd get this sooner than Vista, mark my words. And it plays Castle Wolfenstein, if not Doom.

[mark @ Aug 15th 2007 2:19PM]

Wolfenstein rocks.

...and yeup, my original INTEGER Apple ][ still boots just fine. Wizardry anyone?

[Jean-Michel Decombe @ Aug 14th 2007 9:10PM]

Well that solves one part of the equation. Now does he have suggestions on how to implement Bluetooth support on my DynaTAC?

[375-Tim @ Aug 14th 2007 9:10PM]

that is amazing... but why?!

[Jean-Michel Decombe @ Aug 14th 2007 9:15PM]

Furthermore, you should have made an insignificant typo then profusely apologized for it in a lengthy subsequent post.

[Jeremy K. @ Aug 14th 2007 9:24PM]

Great! Just what I've been waiting for. Now I don't have to upgrade to that Centris 650 I've been eyeing.

[sean @ Aug 14th 2007 9:29PM]

I get why he did it, I don't get why he thinks there's a market for the completed product.

I'd think the guy would make more by selling the plans for $1 than by selling the completed card for $160. I mean, the only market for this product are other geeks who still hung on to their Apple ][ and are hard-core DIYers. The kind of people who wana build this, in other words, not the kind of people who just want to install this.

[tiuk @ Aug 14th 2007 9:39PM]

I have the same Bluetooth adapter. It was cheap as hell and it rocks.

[Michael @ Aug 14th 2007 10:20PM]

Now am I correct in thinking that just about any Bluetooh-capable cell phone in existence will actually have MORE computing power than the 'computer' it's being synced with?

Michael

[Michael @ Aug 14th 2007 10:21PM]

Now am I correct in thinking that just about any Bluetooh-capable cell phone in existence will actually have MORE computing power than the 'computer' it's being synced with?

Michael

[Jacob @ Aug 14th 2007 10:30PM]

haha, this has just as many functions as the iphone's bluetooth, 1!

[Jacob @ Aug 14th 2007 10:32PM]

and i actually like the iphone, but am very disappointed by some of its sacrifices

[Trace The Hedgehog @ Aug 14th 2007 10:44PM]

At least its more useful than the attachable PS3 Display.

[Matt @ Aug 14th 2007 10:54PM]

For $170 you could build a new computer, Sure it wouldnt be brilliant but it would run better than this Frankenstein

[Paul @ Aug 14th 2007 11:10PM]

The Apple II might be old, but it is hardly Frankenstein. I had one of the first ones around, a cheap $2495 for 64K of Ram, disk drive and monochrome monitor. It is/was still my favorite computer. There wasn't much you couldn't do on it... it was a thing of beauty. Sure - the graphics left something to be desired, there was the one paltry speaker - but it was just a thing of beauty.

I had the original Wolfenstein Disk too - the non 3D version... I can still remember when the "Wolfen SS!" would come barreling into the room... classic game.

[Fae Jayo @ Aug 15th 2007 9:11AM]

Ahhh.. the Apple II, brings back lot of memories. I still have mine in deep storage – 48K baby!
I was actually able to do a lot with it back in the day.

Okay, now when will someone come out with an iVictrola?

[kyle allen @ Aug 15th 2007 2:36AM]

dang, i forgot about my IIvx, i shold probly dig that thing out and mess with it

[emjoi @ Aug 15th 2007 3:16AM]

I love the modification to the case there.
A pair of pliers to the plastic. Riiip.

[chris @ Aug 15th 2007 9:23AM]

I am pretty sure that is a Apple //e chassis, not a Apple ][ or ][+. The plastic slot covers seen past the bluetooth dongle are the giveaway, the ][ and ][+ did not have them.

[Lawrence Rodriguez @ Aug 15th 2007 11:31AM]

Oregon Trail multiplayer over Bluetooth!

[Marc C Reid @ Aug 15th 2007 4:39PM]

Now if I could get this for my Atari 800XL I'd really have something...

[Glynne @ Aug 15th 2007 7:53PM]

An interesting product but I'd much rather see an ethernet card that supported network printing under ProDOS. I occasionally want to print from Appleworks and I have to lug a printer into the room to print. I would love to do it over my network instead.

[Ed @ Aug 16th 2007 3:28AM]

Awesome. Totally Impractical, Completely Useless, but abso-fucking-lutely awesome. Mad props to the guy who did this.