retro
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Sir, I don't think we service that device any longer
In the age of Retina displays and App Stores, Apple's MessagePad -- lovingly referred to as the "Newton," after its OS -- isn't a terribly capable device. It was axed from the company's lineup shortly after Steve Jobs returned to the company, but Apple would return to the personal-gadget-with-a-touchscreen market less than a decade later with the iPhone. Taking one of these now ancient gadgets into an Apple Store would likely elicit a few giggles and blank stares, especially if you were looking for some repairs or troubleshooting. Still, I'm sure there are a few remaining Newton devotees out there, which begs the question: What is the oldest Apple device you've spent the time and money to repair rather than outright replace? Let us know down below! [Photo credit: mac_ivan]
Mike Wehner09.15.2014
Relive the BBS dream (nightmare?) with Level 29
Do you hate the current Internet and wish you could go back to the days of boring text on a blank background? Of course you don't, but if you want to be reminded of just how great things are these days you can take a temporary trip down memory lane with Level 29, an electronic bulletin board being run on an Apple IIGS. The best part? You can access it via your web browser. The BBS itself offers a variety of utilities and services, including the ability to register your own profile and set up a mail account. Of course, you'll be forgiven if you abandon ship before accomplishing either of those tasks, given that the board is running on a painfully slow 300 bps modem -- which, by the way, you can actually dial into if you feel the urge. Personally, I'd recommend using the site's built-in web browser client. [via The Mac Observer]
Mike Wehner08.12.2014
The poor $10,000 Apple Lisa
A tragic end for one particular Apple Lisa. Not a very fitting end for a computer that once cost US$10,000. [Photo credit: Daniel Rehn]
Mike Wehner08.08.2014
Uncover Castle in the Darkness' secrets soon on Steam
1001 Spikes developer Nicalis announced a new damning action-platformer today, Castle in the Darkness. The game "recalls a golden, bygone era" thanks to its retro-inspired art and steep difficulty curve. In it, players explore the kingdom of Alexandria, hunting down an evil force that took out every knight in the land save for the leaping hero they control. Castle in the Darkness has been in development for the last two years by Matt Kap, who is credited with work on The Binding of Isaac and 1001 Spikes. The game features over 100 weapons, armor and magic to equip as well as RPG-style elements similar to games in the Metroid and Castlevania series. It also includes over 50 bosses to hunt, plus "so many secrets that they all might never be found." Castle in the Darkness will launch on Steam later this summer. [Image: Nicalis]
Mike Suszek08.06.2014
Be the hippest hipster at your local Starbucks with a NeXT sticker for your MacBook
Want to show all the other MacBook-toting latte drinkers at your local coffee shop that you liked Apple before it was cool? There's no better way than boldly displaying your affection for the company that, by being acquired, brought co-founder Steve Jobs back into the Apple fold. For US$24.50, you can do just that. Say goodbye to that flashy, iconic glowing Apple on the lid of your MacBook and bury it under the goofy 3D cube and gaudy pastel colors of the NeXT logo. Only the coolest of the cool will get the reference, and the rest will just have to look it up on Wikipedia like the plebes they are. Ok, in all seriousness, I know that slapping one of these on my MacBook Air would be the most obnoxious thing in the world... but I can't shake the itch to do it. Maybe I'll just get a NeXT coffee mug instead. That's probably the less cringe-worthy option, right?
Mike Wehner07.15.2014
This stackable media hub plays your old 16-bit game cartridges
The set-top box market is currently flooded with many cheap Android boxes, but they tend to offer limited remote access plus expansion capability, so it's about time that something more exciting popped up. One such candidate is the EzeeCube, which aims to be an idiot-proof media hub with three main selling points: Auto-sync content across multiple platforms (Android, iOS, Windows and OS X); simple initial setup for accessing hub content from anywhere; and cable-free expansion that lets you stack up to four modules. We're talking about slapping on an extra hard drive, a Blu-ray drive, a TV tuner and even a retro gaming module that will bring your dusty SNES and Sega Mega Drive / Genesis cartridges back to life. No messy cables here.
Richard Lai07.04.2014
The iPhone turns 7 on Sunday, here's a look back at a classic
The iPhone was released on June 29, 2007, and changed cell phones forever. Dropping the keypad we'd all come to love for a full touch screen and putting a powerful 2.0 MP camera in every user's pocket, the iPhone kickstarted a mobile revolution. To celebrate the iPhone's 7th Birthday the folks at YouTube channel PhoneDog have put together a nice seven-minute look back at the phone that launched a touch screen mobile revolution. June 29, 2007 sowed the seeds for the iPad, Kindle Fire, Android, and most modern touchscreen devices. Let's take a minute to reminisce about the now antiquated device that started it. Enjoy.
John-Michael Bond06.27.2014
YouTube find: Hilariously bad Apple IIe ad promises "six tutorial diskettes" with purchase
Old tech commercials often toe the line between hilarious and cringeworthy. This old Apple II ad from 1985 fits that description to a tee. The best line comes at the end when our noble host exclaims, "Buy now and receive a free training seminar and six tutorial diskettes!" And he actually concludes with "Apple, Apple, Apple."
Yoni Heisler06.17.2014
A Mac SE becomes a store sign
This is some fantastically creative use of an old Mac that still has some life left. Bonus points for using it at what appears to be a retro clothes shop, since the Mac SE is a bit of an antique in its own right. I wonder if the Mac is for sale too? [Photo credit: Maduarte]
Mike Wehner05.19.2014
Fight the (super) power as Kim Jong Un in this bizarre retro-styled shooter
Ah, the '90s. A decade of mullets, heroin-addled rock-stars and 16-bit video games where North Korean dictators waged one-man wars against the United States. Wait, what? In Glorious Leader!, you play as modern-day despot Kim Jong Un in a retro-styled 2D fight against the entire United States Army. Over the course of seven levels, your task is to destroy the Western invaders either on-foot or on the back of a unicorn, and if you can enlist a pal, they'll play as Dennis Rodman. Seriously. Developer Moneyhorse Games stresses that the game is purely tongue-in-cheek and is promising a November release for mobile devices and the PC. Until then, if you want more Sega Genesis-styled mayhem, the teaser after the break will have to do.
Timothy J. Seppala05.19.2014
Hipstamatic brings its retro filter editing to video with Cinamatic
Hipstamatic was early to the filter-driven photo editing fray, and now it takes aim at Vine with the Cinamatic app. The new offering allows users to long press on the screen to record videos that range up to 15 seconds in length -- just like you've encountered before. Once the footage has been captured, a smattering of retro-inspired presets are available for punching up the vids. Unfortunately, there's no way to delete portions of of the video right now, so you'll have to start fresh when you drop an accidental expletive. Unlike Vine or some other popular apps, there's no built-in feed. Cinamatic means for you to beam clips out to other social avenues for circulation. The price of admission is $1.99 and it comes with five filters to start, with the ability to make those tempting in-app purchases to pad the toolbox.
Billy Steele05.08.2014
Introducing the Analogue Nt, a $500 1080p NES
You say you want to play some classic retro games, but you want to do so in the most modern, fiscally irresponsible way possible? Analogue Interactive has just the thing. According to its lengthy, almost fetishistic feature list, the Analogue Nt is crafted from a single block of "6061 aluminum," which contains the same hardware used in the construction of the original NES. As a result, the Analogue Nt supports all NES peripherals (such as the Zapper light gun) as well as cartridges for both the NES and its Japanese analogue, the Famicom. Furthering its modernist design principles, the Analogue Nt offers video output in every common standard, up to HDMI at 1080p resolution. Granted, many NES games were specifically designed to be played on a classic CRT television at a resolution lower than you'd find on a cheap mobile phone, but stretched pixels are easy to ignore when you're incredibly wealthy. Unfortunately, you'd have to be incredibly well-funded to grab an Analogue Nt as an impulse purchase. Pay a visit to the website's storefront and you'll find a $500 price tag attached to the Analogue Nt. Oh, but that's just the base model. An HDMI adaptor (no, you won't find one included in the packaging) will set you back $50, and if you'd like your machine in a color other than "nude aluminum," you should expect to shell out another $50. Controllers are likewise expensive, with "new" NES controllers fetching $50, while refurbished models are priced at a mere $30. Analogue Interactive hopes to ship the Analogue Nt at some point during this Summer. If you just can't wait for your NES fix, know that the original hardware is widely available at a fraction of the Analogue Nt's price tag. [Image: Analogue Interactive]
Earnest Cavalli05.05.2014
This Apple II Raspberry Pi enclosure is incredible
Why just put that Raspberry Pi into a boring little plastic box when you can give it a classy place to live? Charles Mangin is selling these Apple II Raspberry Pi cases at his RetroConnector Etsy shop for US$115. Mangin is the same clever fellow who developed the tiny Disk II SD card reader we covered last month. The cases actually come in several varieties, including the the original Apple II, the IIe or the Platinum IIe, and it's also available in Bell & Howell "Darth Vader" Black. Put the case together with the wee Disk II SD card reader, and the result is even more pure awesomeness.
Steve Sande05.02.2014
The sexiest Mac desk you'll ever see... from 1988
Everyone takes photos of their Mac desks these days, but rarely do we get a glimpse at setups from yesteryear. Ned Raggett was ahead of the game in 1988, snapping a photo of his computer desk way before it was the cool thing to do. His describes the setup as follows: "Let's see, dot-matrix printer on the left, my Mac 512K enhanced with the Kensington add-ons here and there (yes, including the little mouse pocket), extra disk drive on the right along with the disk holder itself, mouse pad...well well well. " In 1988, this was a respectable rig, and that rather ornate table is the perfect place for it all to sit. Great stuff. [Photo credit: Ned Raggett]
Mike Wehner04.23.2014
How to turn your iPhone or iPad into a retro game console without jailbreaking
The iPhone and iPad are already super-capable gaming devices, with thousands of quality titles spanning all genres and tastes, but sometimes it's nice to take a trip back to yesteryear... and sometimes you want to see those games on the big, beautiful HDTV screen in your living room. Here's how to do it. What you'll need A capable iOS device - Anything starting with the iPhone 4s should do fine. With older hardware you risk some serious performance issues with certain games and won't be able to use AirPlay. An A/V adapter w/HDMI or Apple TV - The cheaper route here is to use the official Apple A/V adapter (either for Lightning or the older 30-pin connector), but using AirPlay along with an Apple TV allows you to go cordless and, depending on the emulation software you choose, AirPlay may provide a more responsive, lag-free experience. Emulation software - We'll go over the options here in a little bit. An MFi game controller (optional) - If you prefer real buttons, several emulators allow you to use these accessories for a more tactile experience. The Software Once reserved for gamers willing to jailbreak their devices, game emulators can now be downloaded straight from the web. You'll almost always have to to some trickery with your device's date and time settings in order to get the apps to install correctly, but it's not too much trouble. GBA4iOS - A Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance emulator, GBA4iOS version 2.0, was recently released to much acclaim. It supports MFi game controllers as well as built-in AirPlay functionality that puts the game on the big screen while you use your iPhone or iPad as the game controller. Game downloads can be handled from within the app, with no file management required. NDS4iOS - This Nintendo DS emulator features the same AirPlay and controller support as GBA4iOS, with the added bonus of splitting the DS's twin screen between your TV and iDevice, the latter acting as the console's bottom touch screen. Similarly, game downloads require no file management. MD.emu - A fully featured Sega Genesis / Mega Drive emulator, MD.emu (find on this list) is a bit more demanding in that it doesn't allow you to simply download game ROMs directly to the app itself. Instead, the app lets you browse your iOS file system in search of the games, which you'll have to download and place in the app's "Documents" folder via iTunes and then sync your device. There's a persistent bug with how the gamepad overlay appears on screen, but it's still playable, and MD.emu does not support MFi controllers. SiOS - Like MD.emu, SiOS (find on this list) isn't quite as streamlined as the "4iOS" emulators, but it's still entirely capable of offering a great Super Nintendo (SNES) gaming experience. It includes frameskip support, saves, and a few other nice features, but the most important thing is that the emulation is nearly flawless. You'll need to use iTunes to add ROMs to the app. Does not support MFi controllers. Setting up Once you decide whether you want to go the wired or wireless route, getting things set up is fairly straightforward. If you decided to go with the A/V adapter and HDMI cord, simply plug your iPhone or iPad into the adapter and then connect it to your TV via HDMI. Start up your emulation software, load a game, and enjoy the action on the big screen. AirPlay through the Apple TV is even simpler, letting your wirelessly toss your iDevice screen onto your HDTV. Regardless of which method you choose, be sure to put your HDTV into "Game Mode" or something similar, to cut down on lag between button presses and on-screen action. Adding a controller If you have an MFi controller handy -- like the SteelSeries Stratus, MOGA Ace Power, or Logitech PowerShell -- you have the added option of tactile control with a couple of the emulators available. There are tradeoffs to using each one, however, so keep these in mind: SteelSeries Stratus - The only wireless controller, the Stratus is perfect for kicking back on the couch, but it also introduces a tiny bit of lag that makes fast-moving games hard to play. Platformers and racing games are rough with the Stratus, but RPGs and other, less twitchy games are ideal. The Stratus is also the only MFi controller you can use without having an Apple TV. MOGA Ace Power & Logitech PowerShell - Both of these require the iPhone, so iPad gamers are left out, but on-screen button response is nearly perfect when compared to the wireless Stratus. However, because both of these controllers cover the Lightning port on your iPhone, you'll need to use the AirPlay option instead of the wired A/V adapter. Note: The use of emulators to play game ROMs is a topic that has sparked many an argument, and that's not likely to change any time soon. Some feel that emulating software you already own -- or dumping your own ROMs from your own copy of the original game -- adds some grey area to the issue, but as the ESA notes, using ROMs will almost always run afoul of user licensing agreements. Read up on the effects and potential consequences of game emulation and proceed at your own risk.
Mike Wehner04.15.2014
The best Nintendo DS emulator on iOS doesn't require a jailbreak
Apple has a pretty strict stance on emulators in regards to the App Store, so unless you're willing to jailbreak your iPhone or iPad, the options for retro gaming are usually pretty slim. That is, unless the developers of said apps decide to ignore the App Store entirely -- that is the case with NDS4iOS, a Nintendo DS emulator from the same team that launched the jailbreak-free GBA emulator, GBA4iOS, to much acclaim. Much like its predecessor, NDS4iOS can be downloaded straight from the official website. After some finagling with the date, which is required since Apple predictably revoked the dev certificate, the app will load up and present an empty list for game ROMs. You can tweak settings like the opacity of the controller overlay as well as frame skips and other performance enhancements. When you're ready to play, you can seek out game ROMs (to games you already own, of course) via the built-in site links, which then download directly to the app or to a synced Dropbox account. Loading a game is instantaneous and the game provides save state functionality to resume previous play sessions automatically. Perhaps the best part about the app is that it features full touchscreen support for the "bottom screen" of DS games, offering a true DS experience without the system itself. I found that some games seem to suffer a bit in the transition, however, such as the unexpectedly laggy Mario Kart DS. Other games work splendidly, so it's really a bit of a crapshoot. If you're thirsty to relive your DS glory days, this is as good as it gets without dragging out your dusty Nintendo handheld and trying to remember where you left the charging cord.
Mike Wehner04.14.2014
A Mac graveyard
I'm not sure of the back story on this somewhat creepy collection of defunct computer hardware, which includes quite a few elderly Macs including a Power Mac G4 Cube and a gaggle of iMacs. The photo description says simple "In an old Mac shop," which makes it even more mysterious. Either way, it looks like a meeting of depressed Macs, discussing their glory days. There are some other classics in this collection. Anyone see that Commodore CBM Model 4032 hiding near the Cube? [Photo credit: Martin Deutsch]
Mike Wehner04.14.2014
Apple's state-of-the-art, ground-breaking, game-changing... cassettes?
It's hard to believe, what with modern Macs abandoning even SuperDrives en masse, but way, way back in the late 1970s, programs on the original Apple II came on these. My, how far we've come. [Photo credit: Jim Abeles]
Mike Wehner03.25.2014
You came to the wrong neighborhood, Windows user
There's something a bit menacing about the ways these vintage Macs have gathered, like they're just waiting for an unsuspecting Windows XP user to walk by and get roughed up. [Photo credit: Peter Baldes]
Mike Wehner03.20.2014
Tumblr goes retro by letting you post with a phone call (update: more feature revival than retro)
Forget trying to be retro-cool by replacing your digital music with vinyl -- that's so 2013. Tumblr believes that this year's trendsetters will use its throwback dial-a-post service instead. You can now make an audio post on the social network by calling a toll-free number; all you have to do beforehand is link your phone's digits to your account. Will Tumblr's new feature be a gimmick for most users? Absolutely. However, there's definitely an appeal if you're on a spotty data connection or want to get around online censorship. And besides, it's probably your first opportunity in years to dial the internet. Update: As it turns out, the phone-in feature is itself a bit retro. Tumblr had implemented call-based posting a few years ago -- the company is just drawing attention to its sadly neglected option.
Jon Fingas03.08.2014