CrtMonitor
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Students create CRT emulator, hope to recapture that analog gaming vibe of yesteryear
The retro gaming insurgence seems as strong as vinyl these days, but you don't see as many people looking for a CRT monitor to complete the set. More likely, they're playing a HD remake or the original title on a digital screen in more detail than the developers ever anticipated or intended. A group of Georgia Tech students are looking to change all that by modifying open-source Atari 2600 VCS emulator Stella to give players that good ole fashion analog vibe. As highlighted by associate professor Ian Bogost, key attributes such as color bleed, "burned" afterimage, RF-engendered signal noise, and texture created by the phosphor glow have been imitated here in recreating the effect. Hit up the gallery below for pictorial examples while we wait anxiously for video and / or the mod itself to rear its blurry head.
How to build a CRT-powered electrified pet prison
They say that sometimes the only way to get through to those you hold dear is with some tough love, so if you're just about at the end of your rope with a naughty, incorrigible pet gerbil, hamster, cat or guinea pig, it may be time to consider confining little Nibbles or Fluffy in a small electrified cage. For those of you who don't know how to build such a, um, specialty product -- and who would probably electrocute yourselves trying to figure it out -- Metacafe member NK5 has posted a handy how-to video on transforming an old CRT monitor into the power source for what is essentially a miniature version of those fences you see surrounding prisons and meth labs while driving along rural highways. Of course, NK5 also suggests a number of other, more pedestrian uses for the contraption, but embark on this project entirely at your own risk -- we're talking 30,000+ volts coursing through that cage. Check out the vid after the break...Note: No animals were harmed in the writing of this post, and Engadget does not actually endorse shocking small pets, only snuggling them.Update: Whoa, looks like some people didn't watch the video before leaving a comment. If you had, you'd know that it has nothing to do with making a "cat prison," and we only put that spin on this post to highlight the absurdity of the imagery. Still, we apologize to those of you who consider this to be a promotion of animal cruelty, and promise to give our own pets an extra tummy rub tonight in repentance. [Thanks, Aaron C.]
