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MWC 2017 showed us the power of nostalgia
Millennials may recognize the Nokia 3310 from the "Indestructible Nokia" meme, but us older folks will more likely remember it as the first cell phone we ever used. Here at MWC 2017, Nokia revived the iconic handset, giving it a 2-inch color display, a "smart" operating system and a 2-megapixel camera. Yes, those specs are atrocious in this generation, but thanks to the power of nostalgia, no one cared.
Watch how game music went from beeps to Sound Blaster
You can't enjoy retro games without digging the music, and a YouTube video (below) shows exactly how those tunes evolved. As explained by the 8-Bit Guy and Obsolete Geek, early PCs and Apple machines used "beeper speakers" that were driven strictly by your computer's CPU. Those only produced crude sounds, because forcing the CPU to do more actually hurt gameplay. Computers and consoles eventually got dedicated sound chips, but each used a different number of "voices," producing the distinctive differences between, say, a Nintendo NES and a Commodore 64 system.
MMO Mechanics: Three old mechanics I want back
My column has typically heralded modern MMOs as superior advancements of the genre we all adore, but in this week's MMO Mechanics I want to share a small list of some old mechanics I still mourn today. Many older MMOs featured gameplay that could simultaneously exasperate and impress players, especially when the mechanics in question supported a real sense of immersion or realism in otherwise virtual worlds. Recent titles have aimed to open up the in-game world by making it more accessible and much less infuriating, but this has put some of my favourite mechanics and little touches on the development chopping block. I'm particularly fond of game mechanics that make real-world sense. Real life would not reward you for falling off cliffs, running headlong into a crowded room of enemies, or stumbling off the well-beaten track into the untamed wilderness. Consequences in real life can feel rather scary, so I really enjoyed the fear factor of some older MMOs because this allowed for a much more thrilling -- and ultimately rewarding -- gaming experience. I am going to talk about just three older mechanics I particularly enjoy that have fallen out of fashion, but feel free to lengthen my list by adding your favourites in the comments below.
Fraunhofer develops extra-small 1Gbps infrared transceiver, recalls our PDA glory days
Our 1997-era selves would die with envy right about now. Fraunhofer has developed a new generation of infrared transceiver that can transfer data at 1Gbps, or well above anything that our vintage PDAs could manage. While the speed is nothing new by itself -- we saw such rates in 2010 Penn State experiments -- it's the size that makes the difference. The laser diode and processing are efficient enough to fit into a small module whose transceiver is as large as a "child's fingernail." In theory, the advancement makes infrared once more viable for mobile device syncing, with room to grow: even the current technology can scale to 3Gbps, lead researcher Frank Deicke says, and it might jump to 10Gbps with enough work. Along with the usual refinements, most of the challenge in getting production hardware rests in persuading the Infrared Data Association to adopt Deicke's work as a standard. If that ever comes to pass, we may just break out our PalmPilot's infrared adapter to try it for old time's sake.
Bioshock custom rig is Big Daddy of pinball machines, gives players a taste of Rapture
If you're going to revisit a certain underwater dystopia, you might as well have a ball. At least that's the approach being taken by Sweden-based DIYer rasmadrak, who has decided to build a Bioshock-themed custom pinball machine just for kicks. The project is filled with lots of neat little touches from Rapture, including Little Sister vents and a few Big Daddy homages. The builder also does a pretty good job of drilling into the details and providing insight on the creation process -- like the challenge in using two different systems such as Arduino and chipKIT together, for example -- via detailed posts in the Poor Man's Pinball! blog. The project proved to be a pleasant shock to the system for fellow pinball aficionado Ben Heck, who gave the project a sprinkling of Heckendorn love via Twitter. Pinball geeks can also follow the saga, so to speak, by checking out the source link below.
Baldur's Gate coming to iPad
An enhanced edition of Baldur's Gate was announced this month by developers Overhaul Games (which includes a few devs from Bioware that worked on the title originally), and now there's even better news: That enhanced version is also making its way to the iPad. The game will be out on Apple's tablet at the same time as the PC release, and it will include all of the updates and new content as the other platform. Additionally, there will be iPad-specific controls, such as pinching to zoom in and out and dragging to choose units to control. While they're not done yet, Overhaul says there will be more touch-friendly menus and buttons in the interface as well. Which is just awesome, if you ask me or any other old-school gamer with fond memories of the Baldur's Gate series. We'll obviously keep both eyes out for this one. The game is due out sometime later on this summer.
Daily iPhone App: Dragon Fantasy
Dragon Fantasy is basically a love letter to the early age of console RPGs, when Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy ruled the land. It's got classic 8-bit tile-based graphics, random encounters, silly villains and a nice chunk of content to explore and level up through. There's a nice, original soundtrack and a plucky bald-headed hero named Ogden. The one bummer, is that you're only playing with one hero -- even most console games had you building a party. But that's just nitpicking, really. Dragon Fantasy is $2.99 on the App Store right now, and if you like these old-school Nintendo-era RPGs (and know how to play them -- this one can be a little confusing if you're expecting a game with a more modern take on the genre), take a look. And there's an extra bonus here, too: the developers have a nice set of content planned out, including new story content and more. So if this is one you like, you'll be able to enjoy it for a long time to come.
The original Apple TV, the interactive television box
Even some old-schoolers might not know this, but Apple's more recent foray into the living room with the Apple TV wasn't the first time it has attempted that jump. You've probably heard of the home console Pippin, but Apple also spent part of the '90s working on an interactive television box, a very early predecessor to video-on-demand and what would eventually become the Apple TV. Every once in a while, a version will pop up on eBay, but it never actually went into production, so everything out there is just various prototypes still hanging around. And here's another one: friend of TUAW Randall Bennett has posted a few pictures of Apple's Interactive Television Box spotted at Bell Atlantic, presumably from when they were working with Apple to set up the content delivery service. As you can see, it's a little more unwieldy than the little black box that Apple uses today, but that logo is unmissable. This one's named the "Pippen," apparently -- one letter off from Apple's game console -- and it has some neat Mac-like features, including the Finder: "When it boots, you see the Mac OS Finder on your TV and the inits start loading on the bottom of the screen." The back of the device shows an S-video and serial hookup, as well as SCART connections for a TV and a VCR. It's a pretty wild device, but likely before its time in terms of the network infrastructure (not to mention the content marketplace) required to make it into production.
Ion iCade Arcade Cabinet review
The iCade Arcade Cabinet began as an April Fool's joke in 2010, but this golden unicorn of iPad accessories has actually made it to production, showing up at our door last week. iCade creator ThinkGeek partnered with Ion to make this former imaginary gadget a reality, and so far it appears to be a hit, backordered for weeks soon after hitting the online store in April. The $100 cabinet pairs with your iPad or iPad 2 over bluetooth, bringing familiar hardware arcade controls to the Atari's Greatest Hits app, which includes classics like Missile Command (free), and Pong, which you can download from within the free Atari app for $1. The iCade is an awesome addition to your gaming collection, but it won't replace the hours of coin-dropping at your local arcade. Read on to find out why this accessory may become a permanent fixture on our desk. %Gallery-124649%
iCade arcade cabinet for iPad starts selling at $100, already on backorder
Humans, they just love mixing the old with the new. To wit, the iCade gaming cabinet for the iPad, an April Fools' joke that was just a fun idea this time last year, has gone and turned very real, replete with FCC certification and now a pre-order page. The Bluetooth-communicating iPad enclosure seems to have originally been on sale for immediate delivery, but ThinkGeek has burned through its first shipment of units faster than you can say "Atari's Greatest Hits." The second batch of $100 iCades is expected by May 20th at the very latest, although orders are being taken only from the US for now. The rest of the world needn't despair, however -- we hear building one of your own is a pleasurable and rewarding experience.
iCade hits FCC, gets torn asunder
The Ion iCade, our favorite April Fools' joke turned actual product, has just passed through the FCC and moved one step closer to retail reality. The arcade cabinet for your iPad had all its Bluetoothy bits laid bare and even brought along its user manual, in case you're the type who bothers to read those sordid things. There aren't too many surprises here except, perhaps, the inclusion of an Ikea-esque hex key -- some assembly required. With the green light from the feds, though, that means the iCade is right on schedule for its May 31st release. If you want to ensure you nab one of the first batch, you can pre-order it now for $99 from either GameStop or ThinkGeek. And, while you wait for the blissful marriage of Atari's Greatest Hits and Bluetooth joystick, you can peep the pics in the gallery after the break.
A series of unfortunate demises: classic arcade game deaths compiled into a tender tribute video
Whatever your flavor of old school gaming, whether you were a future-loving RoboCop killer or a skeleton-slaying Golden Axe swinger, there's a little slice of nostalgia here for you. The guys from BoingBoing have lovingly compiled some of the most memorable death scenes from the games of yore into a video tribute, and they've been nice enough to leave out the names of all the games featured. There's no Pokémon action in there, but still, can you guess 'em all?
TUAW's Daily App: Dungeons & Such
Dungeons & Such is exactly what it sounds like. It's a very nostalgic homemade RPG game for iOS that will have you looking back fondly on the days of Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy on the NES. Sure, by modern standards, the graphics are a little lame -- this definitely isn't Infinity Blade we're talking about. Most of the game is in menus, and most of the art is static 2D pictures rather than brilliant 3D environments. But the game runs smoothly, the action is varied enough to stay interesting, and if you're a fan of old-school dungeon crawling, you'll probably find yourself right at home. There's quite a bit under the surface, too -- you've got full Game Center integration, in-game guilds to join, and you can even "hire" your friends to play with them asynchronously as you dive into dungeons. The game's being updated, too, with bug fixes, new items to find and other suggestions straight from users. Dungeons & Such is US$2.99 on the App Store right now, or there's a lite version to check out for free if you'd like to do that. It's not completely polished (as I understand it, the whole game is basically the product of one guy's hard work), but if you're interested in an old-school RPG experience, it won't let you down.
Keepin' it real fake: Likea Leica, only not
Of all the KIRFs in all the world, this might be one of the laziest. Sure, aesthetically it does a fine job of aping the Leica rangefinder it takes as its "inspiration," but the Likea camera goes downhill very quickly when you move in a little closer. The first thing you'll notice is that, instead of the finely engineered Leica body, this thing is made out of, well, cardboard. Then you find out that the pinhole element isn't provided in the box and you're faced with the impossible judgment of deciding whether the need for a pinhole element or its omission is the worse offense. Ah well, what do you expect for 20 bucks? Just go buy some film and let your imagination fill the (vast) gap between the Likea and the real stuff.
Sony's last cassette-blastin' boom box is precisely how Ruff Ryders roll('d)
Sony may not shed a tear for the 3.5-inch floppy disk when it meets its maker in March, but you'd better believe the company's crafted a retirement plan for the format that propelled it to fame: the compact cassette. To be fair, the CFD-A110 CD / cassette boom box above isn't actually a new product -- it's a relabeled CFD-A100TV from 2003 minus the nigh-obsolete analog TV band -- but if you're rocking magnetic mix tapes we're guessing you'll welcome this blast from the past. For your projected ¥20,000 (about $215) you'll get a pair of full-range speakers, 14 AM/FM presets, an external microphone port for karaoke and a remote when it launches in Japan this June 21st. What that won't buy you, however, is an obnoxiously large gilded chain, a beefed up left shoulder for carrying it around, and a time machine needed to actually fit in while using this. Ya heard?
Sir Clive Sinclair doesn't use a computer, exceeds recommended irony levels
Clive Sinclair is a Knight Commander of the British Empire, the inventor of the slimline pocket calculator, the man behind the Sinclair ZX80 that made home computing affordable in the Queen's isles and also, by his own admittance, a dude who just can't be bothered to use a computer. Speaking to The Guardian, he glibly confesses that he has his emails read to him (by his manservant, presumably), before launching a broadside against modern computers for being "totally wasteful" with their memory, requiring time to boot up, and having altogether "appalling designs." Hit the source for the full interview and an expanded history of the man's achievements, it's well worth the read.
Zenith 5-S-29 radio case mod explained in excellent, water-cooled detail
The trusty old desktop rarely gets the love it deserves these days. Losing gamers to consoles and casual users to laptops, it's left only with a loyal band of enthusiasts, but what a gorgeous bunch they are. Gary from the Bit-tech forums has put together the above case mod, inspired by the styles of early 20th century electronics, and reminded us all that big can be beautiful. He's managed to fit an entire water cooling setup inside, while leaving no detail undocumented in a thorough, pic-heavy walkthrough of the project. We'd have considered the stunning wooden case enough by itself, but Gary has taken care of the little touches as well, as exemplified by the spare PCI slot covers matching the external construction. Hit the source link for images of the build and the insides laid bare.
Giroux Daguerreotype is world's first mass-produced camera, about to become the most expensive one too
If you thought that shooters like Olympus' E-P1 or Leica's M8 had old school aesthetics, think again. The real old school -- we're talking 1839 here -- was all about wooden boxes and brass lens protrusions, as you can see above. The double box design of the Daguerreotype lets you achieve focus by moving the smaller inner box away from the front-mounted 15-inch lens. Exposure times can take up to half an hour, though, so you might wanna budget for a sturdy tripod as well. Speaking of budget, if you know the meaning of the word you're not probably not the target audience here, as a May auction in Vienna is set to start at €200,000 ($280,000), with predictions placing the final sale price closer to €700,000 ($980,000).
Major media giants to form joint venture for digital future, says WSJ
News Corp, Time Inc., Condé Nast Publications Inc., Hearst Corp., and Meredith Corp. If this Wall Street Journal report is to be believed here, these five major media firms are preparing to announce a new joint venture tomorrow to "prepare print publications for a new generation of electronic readers and other digital devices." Details are a bit sketchy here, and what makes it more interesting / confounding is that many of these companies already have or have showcased separate initiatives, such as Hearst's Skiff and tablet demos from both Time and Condé Nast. We'll be eager to find out if there are any devices the group rallies behind (or even produces itself), but one thing's for sure: good old Rupert Murdoch will have something fun to say on the matter.
Cartel's CT-2000 in-car Bluetooth handset adds music control, can't shake the retro
Cartel's CT-1000 brought about lots of laughs here at Engadget HQ, and frankly, we're shocked and amazed (and glad) these guys are still hanging tough two years later. The newest in-car handset system is the predictably titled CT-2000, which includes a Bluetooth-enabled handset that's meant to be permanently installed within your vehicle and wired to your audio system. Once installed, all of your mobile calls can be routed to this -- because, you know, chatting on a corded phone circa 1992 is entirely more safe than chatting on your mobile or using a handsfree solution. The only difference we can spot between the new guy and the aged sibling is the addition of music control, a "slimmer" (albeit wider) design, room for your phone contacts and one-touch speed dialing. There's no mention of a price, but trust us, you're better off in the dark. [Thanks, Martin]
