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SNK orders Neo Geo X Gold manufacturer to stop producing, selling units and games
The License and Distribution Agreement between TOMMO Inc. and SNK Playmore involving production of the Neo Geo X Gold line of products was "terminated" on October 2, a statement on SNK's site revealed this week. The post describes SNK's demand that TOMMO "immediately cease any and all manufacturing, distribution, marketing and promotion" of the Neo Geo X Gold and its line of Neo Geo X Classic games. SNK has also demanded that TOMMO cease sales of the SNK Neo Geo X Arcade Stick and that they remove it from the shelves of both physical and digital shopfronts. Despite SNK's statement, the Neo Geo X Gold line of products is still available for purchase at some retailers at the time of this writing.
Thomas Schulenberg10.05.2013
Apple's homepage circa 2001 shows us how far we've come
It's always fun to take a look back at the websites of yesteryear just to get a bit of perspective, and there may be no better example of this than Apple's homepage from 2001. The highlight of the site is a fancy graphic showing off the then-new iBook. The laptop was capable of interfacing with a whole bunch of state-of-the-art devices such as CD players, digital cameras and camcorders, PDAs and Apple's own UFO-shaped AirPort. Of course, today, all the tasks performed by those specialized devices can be accomplished with the iPhone in your pocket. Hell, even the iBook itself pales in comparison to your handy smartphone, but that doesn't mean we wouldn't want to still have one around, just for nostalgia's sake.
Mike Wehner10.01.2013
Remember Mutant League Football? An all-new iOS/Mac version needs your Kickstarter pledges
If you played sports games during the Sega Genesis era, you're likely already familiar with the over-the-top action of the Mutant League titles. Both Mutant League Football and Mutant League Hockey hold fond memories for many gaming veterans, and now an all-new spiritual successor could be headed to a wide range of platforms including iOS and Mac, via a new Kickstarter campaign. The game, called Mutant Football League, features HD graphics and all the brutality of its older brother. If the campaign reaches its US$750,000 base goal, it'll be made available for mobile platforms including iOS, while a $1,250,000 stretch goal is in place that would allow it to be ported to Mac. The Kickstarter just began today, so not much progress has been made, but with all the nostalgia this title conjures up it, would be surprising if it didn't skyrocket in a hurry.
Mike Wehner09.16.2013
Help us decide who deserves free tickets to Expand NY
Last week, we flipped the switch on our #ExpandThrowback contest from the submission phase to the voting phase, meaning the winners of our contest are in your capable hands. What is this contest about again, you ask? Simply put, we wanted to see what old technology our readers could dig up in their garages, attics, closets, glove compartments, et cetera, thus paying homage to the old as we prepare to celebrate the new at this November's Expand NY event. One lucky winner gets an all-expense paid trip to the event and four runner-ups get a $250 gift card to update their old technology.* What are some of the old gizmos found in the top 20? Here's the list, complete with WikiLinks (not WikiLeaks) to fill your thirst for knowledge on tech before we could : 16/35MM Recorder 8-Track Tape Apple Lisa Atari Video Gaming System AT&T EO Blickensderfer #5 Coleco Telstar Commodore VIC-20 Datapoint 2200 Motorola Bag Phone MS-DOS DIskette Original IBM PC Original Microsoft Mouse Polaroid Model 150 Portico Miracle PC Sega Game Gear Studer 3/4 Tape Machine Teddy Ruxpin Timex Sinclair 1000 Toshiba T3100 We'll let you hop on over to the contest and vote for your favorite, and make sure to do so by September 19th. Then, on the 20th, we'll announce the winners. You also can see the whole smattering of #ExpandThrowback submissions that didn't make it to the final round here. *Prizes mentioned in this article are bound by the official rules of the contest.
John Colucci09.13.2013
All-in-one retrogaming console RetroN 5 now available for pre-order
Hyperkin's five-slot retrogaming solution RetroN 5 is now up for pre-order at Amazon ahead of an October 31 release date. The RetroN 5 is compatible with original Nintendo Entertainment System, Super NES, Sega Genesis, and Game Boy Advance cartridges, and also supports the Famicom, Mega Drive, Game Boy and Game Boy Color cart formats. The package includes a wireless Bluetooth controller, and the console itself features an array of controller ports, supporting original NES, SNES, and Genesis peripherals. While 8-bit and 16-bit consoles maxed their video output capabilities at S-Video (or worse, composite), the RetroN 5 features HDMI output for all supported games. The platform also offers a number of features common to emulation software, allowing players to speed up and slow down gameplay at will and enabling the use of savestates. Joystiq's JC Fletcher previously weighed in on the console, praising its space-saving form but admitting that it fills a small niche "between pawn shops and Virtual Console." The RetroN 5 is available in black and grey, and is priced at $99.99.
Danny Cowan09.12.2013
Help pick the best retro tech for our #ExpandThrowback contest
We've received hundreds of thousands (of kilobytes) worth of submissions for our #ExpandThrowback contest and we want to thank those who valiantly opened up their closets, garages, attics, or just pivoted to the other side of their desk and snapped photos of their best in retro tech. We've gathered as a team at Engadget HQ and winnowed the pickins' down to our top 20 favorites. Now it's time to turn the decision on who wins over to you. Here's how it works. Click here to jump right to our contest page on Facebook. Peek through the pics and vote for your favorite. To keep it fair, we're only allowing one vote per Facebook account. On September 20th, come back to see who won. What will the winners get? First Prize Winner: All-expenses paid passage for you plus one to Engadget Expand in New York, including airfare, hotel room, transportation and food (ARV $3,000)* (4) Second Prize Winners: We'll give you a $250 gift card so you can finally ditch that StarTAC and pick up a shiny new phone (they even have touchscreens now!). Don't forget, if you're not already connected to all things Expand, stay tuned to our Expand hub for the latest news. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google+. *Prizes mentioned in this article are bound by the official rules of the contest.
John Colucci09.06.2013
The Cross Plane brings Wii U GamePad-like mirroring to any game system with HDMI (video)
A handheld gaming console that plays Conker's Bad Fur Day, Halo, Uncharted 3 and Day Z ? We're intrigued. The Cross Plane resembles a Wii U GamePad and the two have something more in common than just a launch price: both mirror video and audio output to their respective controllers. The difference is that unlike Nintendo's faltering console, the Cross Plane uses wireless HDMI to do so and (as demonstrated in the video after the break) can basically stream content from any device with an HDMI port -- including Ouya, PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. Whatever it's plugged into bears the processing load, meaning that if your PC can't run Crysis 3, neither can the Cross Plane. Designer Advanced Gaming Innovations (AGI) also implemented swappable cartridges (the red bit sticking out in the above picture) containing system-specific hardware support. This serves two functions: One, it cuts down on "interference and issues" between the analog and digital layouts of certain architectures. Next is that it ensures you only have to buy carts for the systems you want, presumably cutting down on price. Speaking of which, a $349 pledge snags you a unit with one system cartridge and $410 nets you a handset with two. Both of these help push AGI closer to a $350,000 Kickstarter goal that even the company admits is lofty. It's not like more expensive ideas haven't been crowdfunded before...
Timothy J. Seppala09.04.2013
Mini classic Macintosh created with Raspberry Pi, runs System 6 (video)
Apple may please fans of diminutive hardware with the Mac Mini, but John Leake of the RetroMacCast has created something that can satisfy fans of miniature and classic hardware: a tiny replica of the original Macintosh. The aptly-dubbed Mini Mac sits at 1/3 the size of the original, is crafted from a PVC board and crams a Raspberry Pi inside. In order for the board to fit however, Leake had to solder wires instead of relying on connectors, trim the SD card and snip part of the USB cable. When it comes to visuals, the box packs a 3.5-inch display, which receives 512 x 384 output from the Pi. As for connectivity, the package supports a wireless keyboards and mice via Bluetooth, plus it exposes two USB ports, an HDMI slot and an ethernet jack. Not only does this slice of the 1980s have the looks to match the era, but it also features some of the old-fashioned functionality. Sure, floppies won't fit into its faux drive slot, but it runs System 6 via the open source Mini vMac emulator. Head past the break to catch a video of the model or visit the source for build shots.
Alexis Santos08.28.2013
Fujifilm Instax mini 90 keeps instant film alive with retro look, new photo modes
Fujifilm is the torch bearer for retro camera design, but you wouldn't know it from looking at the boring, blob-like bodies of its recent instant film cameras. The company is aiming for more consistency with its new Instax mini 90: the shooter matches its older photo format with the vintage (and far more stylish) look we've seen in Fujfilm's X-series cameras. Not that the mini 90 is abandoning modern luxuries in the process, mind you. The new Instax more intelligently adjusts to shooting conditions, captures double exposures and brightens backgrounds in a party mode. Fujifilm ships the Instax mini 90 to analog photographers in Japan on September 20th, and should bring the camera to the US sometime next spring.
Jon Fingas08.23.2013
Flickr Find: Digital Steve Jobs on a bookshelf
We just love it when someone uploads a photo to Flickr that not only pays homage to the late co-founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, but also demonstrates vividly how much some of us like to keep our old Apple equipment and books. Blake Patterson (@blakespot) took this photo on October 7, 2011 -- just two days after Jobs passed away. This Apple //c is displaying a ghostly green monochrome image of Jobs, rendered in Applesoft BASIC line by glowing line with a program by Chris Baird from the A2Central.com IRC chat. A look at the A2Central website indicates that there's still a thriving community of Apple II fans, so if you still have working hardware, there are a lot of people who are willing to help you keep it running.
Steve Sande08.19.2013
Yahoo Toolbar gets a redesign, reminding us to weep for toolbar users
Let's get this straight. Yahoo can afford to kill a dozen products at once, but the Yahoo Toolbar -- a relic from the days when only birds Twittered -- just got a full makeover? Go figure. At least the browser add-on has received the same sort of tender loving care given to other recent Yahoo apps, including a fresh look, speed improvements and Chrome support. If you rely heavily on Yahoo services, or just have trouble letting go of the past, the toolbar update is available today.
Jon Fingas08.15.2013
LG ships retro TV with rotary dials
Do you miss walking over the TV to change the channel? We know LG does. It just launched a 32-inch LCD set, the 32LN630R, that resembles a '70s tube TV down to the working channel and volume dials. Not that the company is foregoing modern luxuries, mind you -- its 1080p, IPS-based display supports both USB-based storage and MHL video from mobile devices. The 32LN630R is available now in South Korea for 840,000 won ($754), but there are no immediate plans to sell the TV to nostalgic Americans.
Jon Fingas08.12.2013
Behind the music: the backstory of Marimba 158, the iPhone text tone
In a fascinating post from Kelly Jacklin, the long time Apple software engineer details how he helped create the default text alert sound on the iPhone -- now known as the "Tri-tone" alert. The history of the the pleasant chime we've all come to know and love stretches all the way back to 1998, nearly 10 years before the iPhone ever hit store shelves. Back in 1998, Jeff Robbin, Bill Kincaid and Dave Heller began working on an MP3 player for the Mac called SoundJam MP. If the name sounds vaguely familiar, it's because Apple famously acquired SoundJam MP in 2000 and quickly repurposed it into the first version of iTunes. But in 1999, before an Apple acquisition was on the horizon, Jeff Robbin asked Jacklin if he could come up with a sound to alert a user when a CD burning session was complete. Being a hobbyist musician, Jacklin was up to the task, and he got to work experimenting with various sounds. I was looking for something "simple" that would grab the user's attention. I thought a simple sequence of notes, played with a clean-sounding instrument, would cut through the clutter of noise in a home or office. So I had two tasks: pick an instrument, and pick a sequence of notes. Simple, right? Yeah, says you; everyone's an armchair musician... I was really into the sound of marimbas and kalimbas at the time, so I thought I'd try both of those. I also went through bank (after bank) of sounds built into the SW1000XG, auditioning instrument sounds, and found three other instrument sounds that I liked: a harp, a koto (Japanese zither), and a pizzicato string sound (that's the sound a violinist makes when plucking the string, rather than bowing it). Jacklin recalls that he wanted a simple sound, which meant that many of the sounds he experimented with were just three of four notes long. For all you music buffs out there, Jacklin also mentions that he wanted the sound to have a happy vibe, so he particularly experimented with "notes from the major scale, focusing on I, III, IV, V, and VIII" octaves. If you'd like the full nitty-gritty as to how Jacklin came up with a plethora of note permutations to choose from, the full article is a must read. But suffice it to say, Jacklin ultimately settled upon a winner, a sound file he called 158-marimba.aiff. As initially intended, the sound did indeed become the default sound when a disc burning session in Soundjam MP concluded. When Apple transformed Soundjam MP into iTunes, the sound remained part of the app. Jumping ahead a few years to the iPhone's release in 2007, Jacklin was pleasantly surprised when he discovered that the sound he created many years earlier continued to live on, this time in the form of the default text alert. So imagine my surprise when the iPhone ships, and the default text message tone is... "158-marimba", now going by the clever (and not actually accurate, from a music theory perspective) name "Tri-Tone". Time goes by, and this sound becomes iconic, showing up in TV shows and movies, and becoming international short-hand for "you have a text message"... Wow! Who'd have thought? Indeed, I myself have noticed, while watching TV with friends, that when the "Tri-tone" sound happens to be played in a scene, a number of people reach for their pockets to see if they have a message. Again, Jacklin's full write-up is worth checking out. As an added and extremely interesting bonus, Jacklin's post includes an audio file comprised of sounds he experimented with that didn't quite make the cut. [Ed. note: It has come to our attention that blockquotes are not working on the mobile version of the site (m.tuaw.com) and may distort this story, particularly for those reading on the iPad via the Facebook app. We are working on a fix and apologize for the inconvenience.]
Yoni Heisler08.11.2013
Ask Engadget: best retro gaming / homebrew machine?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Brady, who just wants to play NBA Jam, dammit. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "Hey, I used to be really into the homebrew and homemade software communities, but times changed and I fell out of the scene. Now I'd like to get back into it, and would love a new device that'll let me play all of these old-school games without having to chop and change -- letting me swap between titles like Mario Kart 64 and NBA Jam without any effort. There are so many new options, from buying an OUYA through to snagging a new PC, so what's my best (and cheapest) bet? Plus, anything that can take a wireless controller is a big plus. Thanks!" Well, we're thinking that if you're prepared to get your hands a little dirty, the OUYA can be turned into an Android-based emulator thanks to its hacking-friendly setup. If that's a bit too rich for your bones, however, you can set up EmulationStation on a Raspberry Pi which will let you run a wide variety of consoles from the same piece of hardware. Still, let's turn this question over to the Engadgeteers for them to share their experiences.
Daniel Cooper08.03.2013
PaperDude VR resurrects Paperboy with Oculus Rift, Kinect, KickR and a bike
One sad aspect of modern tech is that it's all but ruined our dreams of slinging dead trees for comic book money after school. However, gizmos have enabled a killer sequel to the best paperboy simulation ever. Using a smattering of electronics -- and a real bike! -- PaperDude VR is the followup we never knew we wanted. Joining an Oculus Rift VR headset, Microsoft Kinect and Wahoo Fitness KickR into a sweat-drenched union, PaperDude VR creates an almost zen-like experience of tossing newspapers, knocking down road barriers and busting windows. Nostalgia's a powerful drug, and we'd love a ride to see if chasing the dragon of our youth is as good as we remember. Given developer Globacore's history though, the chances of seeing this outside a specialized kiosk are slim to none. Regardless, we have one niggling question: Do pixelated paperdudes dream of 8-bit dogs?
Timothy J. Seppala07.31.2013
X-Arcade's rugged Solo Joystick: supports PC, Mac, Linux and nine gaming consoles
There's multifaceted, and then there's X-Arcade's Solo Joystick. Following up on the outfit's aptly-titled Dual Joystick, the Solo here is a 12-pound beast that's built to withstand just about anything. And, indeed, function just about anywhere. Up for pre-order now, the gamepad is set to ship to gamers everywhere on December 1st, bringing with it 11-inches of arcade-style glory. It'll function with PC, Mac and Linux rigs right out of the box for $99.99, while optional adapters enable support for nine different gaming consoles (PlayStation 1 / 2 / 3, Wii, Dreamcast, GameCube, Xbox, Xbox 360 and Wii U). Oh, and since you're wondering, they company claims that it's "hard at work on new adapters for the upcoming Xbox One and PS4," and it's throwing in a fully licensed version of Maximus Arcade Software for anyone who places an order before September 1st.
Darren Murph07.28.2013
Treasure trove of vintage 80s Apple ads surface on YouTube
Well before we became acquainted with dancing silhouettes and laughed along with the iconic "Get a Mac" ads, Apple's commercials were quintessentially 80s. Thankfully, the YouTube channel EveryAppleAds lives up to its name and over the past week has released a slew of previously forgotten Apple commercials from the 1980s that you've either forgotten about or, most likely, never even knew existed. It's funny looking back at these commercials not just because they're extremely funny and cheezy, but because they also take us back to a time when people actually had to be convinced that they needed a computer in the first place. Here's a sampling: This 1987 commercial called "Power Lunch" is laughably bad to the extent that the commercial itself has a lot of background noise. So it goes in the world of power lunching. I'm no Don Draper, which is to say I'm not an ad man, but muffling the name of the product at the end of the commercial doesn't seem like the wisest of choices. Here's an old Apple IIc ad dubbed "Frog." Yes, it's exactly what it purports to be. And lookee here, some classic misdirection and an old jab at IBM. Here's an Apple II ad starring Kimmy Gibbler from Full House. It's an 80's bonanza. And keeping the celebrity motif going, here's an Apple IIc ad featuring Alan Greenspan. There are a lot more 80s commercials on the EveryAppleAds YouTube channel, so if you're inclined to indulge in some nostalgia this weekend, it's worth hopping over and checking a few of them out.
Yoni Heisler07.27.2013
Lomography reinvents Petzval lens for analog and digital SLRs
When it was invented in 1840, the Petzval lens revolutionized photography thanks to its f/3.6 aperture. It's legendary for producing images with super sharp centers and unique backgrounds with a whirly bokeh -- as such it's particularly well suited for shooting portraits. Most Petzval lenses today are defective because of age and not optimized for modern cameras, so Lomography set out to reinvent the lens for the 21st century. The company just launched a Kickstarter campaign to bring the Petzval lens back for $300 -- it's teaming up with Zenit to manufacture high-quality lenses for analog and digital SLRs with Nikon F and Canon EF mounts. Lomography's Petzval lens is made of brass, features a gear rack focusing mechanism and comes with a Waterhouse aperture set (f/2.2, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11 and f/16). Are you as intrigued as we are? Follow the source link below for the full campaign details.
Myriam Joire07.25.2013
Take a nostalgia trip with minimalist renders of old Macs
You remember your first Mac desktop, but if you don't, Aakash Doshi's wonderfully nostalgic minimalist renders of each all-in-one Mac starting with the beloved 128K will surely jog your memory. The appropriately titled "History of Mac" project is still ongoing, but for the moment Doshi has drawn a total of 14 computers and posted his work on his Tumblr page. The art is certainly lovely as a desktop background, but if you just can't live without a print of a Lisa or an iMac G3 on your wall, you're in luck: Doshi notes he is working on making History of Mac prints available for purchase.
Mike Wehner07.18.2013
Kickstart this retro Mac cooler, so you can have it before it's cool
The world of Apple-themed drink coolers isn't exactly a bustling industry. In fact, I'm not sure I've actually seen one before today. Nevertheless, this adorably retro Mac-shapped box is called the MaCool and it's begging to hold your cold beverages. The MaCool is the brainchild of Scott Sefan, a Mac fan from Florida who clearly thinks that taking an old Apple desktop to the beach is a fantastic idea. According to its Kickstarter page, the MaCool can hold up to eight cans and ice, though in the product shots, it appears as though a 12-pack would fit without issue. You can currently pre-order via the funding campaign for US$39, though the price will jump to $59 after the "early adopter" pledge slots are filled.
Mike Wehner07.18.2013