Bill Loguidice's Blog, page 84
September 13, 2017
Review: Avantree Keychain Lightning Cable for all Apple iOS Devices
When my wife and I are out and about and our respective Apple iPhone 7 Plus’s happen to be running low, there are times when we don’t have a charging cable handy. Although relatively rare, the handful of times it has happened has proved frustrating, forcing us to either put our phones into airplane mode or turning them off entirely, pretty much defeating their intended purposes. As such, I went on a quest for a practical solution, ultimately purchasing a dual pack of the Avantree Keychain Lightning Cable (it’s also available as a single unit).
Operation is simple. Unsnap the case, plug one end into a USB port and the other into the bottom of your phone or tablet. You get a little over 2 inches of distance when fully extended. This particular lightning cable handles both charging and data. In my testing, both charging and data transfer went off without a hitch.
It’s a good size and fits well on my keychain.
About the only issues I ran into were that I had to clear some room with certain USB ports to get this to plug in because of the extended housing, and, due to the short cable length, snapping it back together was sometimes a challenge. These are two things I can live with, because I’d rather have something that I use occasionally like this be more compact than bulky, particularly since I don’t like having much on my keychain (I recommend the MantaRing by the way). Also, the simpler the design, the less chance that something will break, e.g., like products with retractable cables.
Pluses:
Compact
Works for both charging and syncing
Reasonably priced
One solid piece, so no fear of losing anything
Minuses:
The practical nature of the design can make it difficult to plug into certain USB ports
There is minimal distance between the two ends, so there are certain cases where your phone will have to dangle when connected
Because of the short cable, it’s sometimes hard to snap the unit back together
Summary:
Despite the limitations inherent in this type of portable design, the Avantree proves an invaluable asset.
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Name your own price Humble RPG Book Bundle: Warhammer
Click this link for the bundle! Offer expires September 27, 2017 at 11:00:00 PDT.
Chaos is a bundle. It’s a bundle of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay books from Cubicle 7! You’ll get an epic library of 2nd Edition titles, including the Core Rulebook, companions, sourcebooks, and adventure packs. Plus, score the 1st Edition Rulebook, available here for the first time since the Old Ones introduced the forces of Chaos. (Okay, maybe not quite that long.)
Pay what you want. All together, these books would cost over $386. Here at Humble Bundle, you choose the price and increase your contribution to upgrade your bundle! This bundle has a minimum $1 purchase.
Read them anywhere. These books are available in PDF format, meaning you can read them anywhere at any time. Instructions and a list of recommended reading programs can be found here.
Support charity. Choose where the money goes – between the publisher and, if you’d like, a charity of your choice via the PayPal Giving Fund. If you like what we do, you can leave us a Humble Tip too!
The post appeared first on Armchair Arcade.
September 12, 2017
Name your own price Humble Capcom X SEGA X ATLUS Bundle!
Click here for the bundle. Offer expires September 26, 2017 at 11:00:00 PDT.
This bundle is a triple threat. Capcom and SEGA and ATLUS all bundled into one? Yes, this all-star trio of publishers has assembled an awesome collection of games. Grab DEAD RISING®, Citizens of Earth, Renegade Ops Collection, Sonic Generations Collection, Resident Evil 4, and lots more!
Pay what you want. Normally, the total cost for these games is as much as $216. Here at Humble Bundle, though, you choose the price!
Redeem on Steam. All of the games in this bundle are available on Steam for Windows; Motorsport Manager is also available for Mac and Linux. Please check out the full system requirements here prior to purchasing.
Support charity. Choose where the money goes – between the developers, WWF, GamesAid, Access Sport, SpecialEffect, and, if you’d like, a charity of your choice via the PayPal Giving Fund. If you like the bundle or like what we do, you can leave us a Humble Tip too!
The post appeared first on Armchair Arcade.
Press Release and First Look: Halo Drone, the Best Drone?
What follows is a press release compilation and first look at the Halo Drone, a new quick, fun, and easy-to-fly drone from the makers of the Halo Board, hoverboard. The Halo Drone comes in a standard and Pro configuration, both of which are available from the official site.
A side view
Folded
The Halo Drone’s key properties:
Truedepth 4K video at 30FPS
One touch auto take-off and landing
The Halo Drone Pro’s key properties:
Truedepth 4K video at 30FPS
One touch auto take-off and landing
Follow mode for tracking/follow modes
Sports watch remote for quick flight controls
The Pro Series Pack
What comes in the Pro series pack:
Halo Drone
4K Action Camera
Remote control
Sports Watch Remote
“Follow Me” Module
Halo High-performance Flight Battery
Watch Remote and Module Charger
Halo Drone Charger
Four Propellers (two additional propellers)
Hard Shell Backpack Case
The Sports Watch Remote
The Halo Drone was designed with a single focus in mind — to provide the most enriched flying experience. The innovative team at Halo Board spent years in research and development to create an all-in-one drone that any user can use, be it a beginner or a professional level flyer.
The Follow Modes
The Follow Module
From the advanced way point navigation, to the “follow mode” features, no other drone can compare when it comes to the options the Halo Drone brings to the table. The construction of the Halo Drone provides a unique, sleek design, unlike any other drone on the market. Another distinguishing feature of the Halo Drone is the first ever interchangeable 4K HD action camera.
The Halo Gimbal
The Camera
The internals of the Halo Drone distinguishes itself with a dual-core CPU, leading-edge AHRS attitude algorithm, and intelligent control system. This provides the user a steady and agile flight experience like no other.
The Operation Methods
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September 11, 2017
Pay what you want for For Dummies landing a tech job books!
Click here for the bundle link. This offer expires September 25, 2017 at 11:00 PDT.
Bundling For Dummies (And You). Is a shiny new job calling your name? Grab this bundle and start movin’ on up. You’ll get Business Writing For Dummies, 2nd Edition; Beginning Programming with Python For Dummies; HTML5 Game Development For Dummies; Resumes For Dummies, 7th Edition; and lots more!
Pay what you want. All together, these ebooks would cost over $375. Here at Humble Bundle, you choose the price and increase your contribution to upgrade your bundle! This bundle has a minimum $1 purchase.
Read them anywhere. These books are available in PDF and ePUB formats, meaning you can read them anywhere at any time. Three of the books are also available as MOBI files: Job Interviews For Dummies, 4th Edition; HTML5 Game Development for Dummies; and Your Dream Career For Dummies. Instructions and a list of recommended reading programs can be found here.
Support charity. Choose where the money goes – between the publisher, Ablegamers, and, if you’d like, a charity of your choice via the PayPal Giving Fund. If you like what we do, you can leave us a Humble Tip too!
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September 7, 2017
Big end of summer Steam and DRM-free sale, plus a free game!
The End of Summer Sale on The Humble Store just launched and will be live through Thursday, September 21 at 10 a.m. Pacific time. You’ll not only get big savings on a ton of games, but can also score a free copy of The Walking Dead: Season 1 (less than two days left for the free game, though)!
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September 6, 2017
Editorial and Infographic – STEM Teaching: Using 3D Printers for Your STEM Program
Although I’ve written about 3D printing extensively here on Armchair Arcade, as well at popular media outlets like TechRadar and Ars Technica, I have not yet focused on its STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math(s)) aspects. The editorial content and infographic that follow from Abby Quillen and Quill help address that.
3D printers have revolutionized manufacturing. Companies use them to more efficiently make airplane parts, prosthetic limbs, and orthotics. In several years, it may be common for consumers to print customizable parts and objects at home—a practice that could potentially reduce waste, packaging, and pollution.
3D printing technology could also transform your classroom. Teachers successfully use 3D printing to complement Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education and to integrate technology into non-tech related disciplines, such as history and language arts. Keep reading to learn why you may want to add a 3D printer to your teaching toolbox, and discover a handful of fun 3D–printer projects for elementary students.
From STEM to STEAM
Our educational system has a big task: prepare students to succeed in life. Increasingly, policy makers believe STEM is the best way to do that. STEM integrates engineering and technology into math and science curricula and attempts to replace teacher-led learning with an approach emphasizing discovery, exploratory learning, and problem-solving.
Why STEM? Technology dominates our daily lives and today’s students need to be more scientifically and technologically literate. Many educators hope a greater focus on STEM curricula will help American high school students compete on the Program for International Assessment (PISA), a test that ranks 72 countries in the world in science, reading, and math. In 2015, the U.S. ranked 31st in math and 18th in science out of the 35 industrialized countries who participated.
STEM may also help American students better prepare for the increasingly technological 21st-century workforce. For instance, the biomedical engineering field is projected to grow 62 percent between 2010 and 2020, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Furthermore, educators hope the program will help the next generations become innovators who tackle complex environmental and societal challenges.
Recently, many schools have integrated arts into the STEM curricula to encourage more creative thinking and have rebranded their programs as Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM).
How to Use 3D Printers in the Classroom
3D printers allow users to design and create 3D objects. They’re an amazing tool for STEM and STEAM classrooms because they provide hands-on lessons that integrate technology, engineering, math, art, and other subjects. Moreover, 3D-printing projects encourage creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving.
To print a 3D object, students use one of three ways to create a digital file.
If a 3D scanner is available, they scan and replicate something that exists.
They download a template of a pre-designed object.
They use a computer-aided design (CAD) modeling program to design an original object.
Once students produce a digital file, they send it to the printer, just as they would a document. Most 3D printers have a window, which allows students to watch as the printer creates the object, layer by layer, using a plastic filament.
Teaching STEM Subjects with 3D Printers
It’s an incredibly powerful experience for kids to design an object, watch it print, and then hold it in their hands. T.J. Hendrickson, a technology and engineering teacher at a junior high school in Minnesota, writes that the process is deeply meaningful for his students, and it “changes how they see and understand the world.” 3D printing makes students see themselves less as passive consumers of goods and more as creators who can improve the design of objects in the real world.
STEM and STEAM naturally fit with Project Based Learning (PBL), a teaching approach in which students integrate many disciplines (for instance science, art, and math) to tackle a complex classroom project. PBL emphasizes the four Cs: creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication. A well-designed 3D-printing project requires all four skills. Students must communicate and collaborate to create an original object together. In the process, they become more comfortable with trial and error and revision.
“Content without purpose is only trivia,” writes teacher Steve Revington, in critique of teacher-led classroom learning. He promotes a learning model called Authentic Learning, which goes beyond project-based learning to engage students in solving real-world problems in their communities.
3D-printer projects can offer students the sort of authentic learning experiences Revington favors. Elementary students at STEM3 Academy in Los Angeles use a 3D printer to design and print useful items. They have created a case for tools, a charging holder for a smartphone, doorstops, and business card holders displaying the school’s logo. In Scott County, Indiana, fifth graders used a 3D printer to create prosthetic hands for children in need.
Teachers note a side effect of providing students with authentic, student-led learning opportunities: Students are more engaged in learning. “I have zero behavior issues. My students are motivated. They want to print,” Hendrickson writes.
“I have never seen technology that intrigues my students the way 3D printers do,” writes Trevor Takayama, a technology teacher at a Massachusetts elementary school.
Getting Started with STEM Education Using 3D Printers
Are you excited to try 3D printing with your students? 3D printers have become more affordable and easier to use, making them viable for schools to attain. One printer can usually be used by multiple classes and departments.
3D printers currently range in price from about $300 to several thousand dollars. If you want a 3D scanner, you’ll need to spend more to purchase a printer that includes a scanner. Alternatively, you can buy a stand-alone scanner. You’ll also need a handful of supplies, which together cost approximately $150, including:
PLA filament in multiple colors
Gallon zipper bags to store filament
3-inch blue painter’s tape to print on
A scraper to remove prints off the printer bed
Isopropyl alcohol spray to clean the tape
Tweezers to remove melted plastic strands
Spring-loaded wire cutters to cut off excess plastic
A wiping cloth
If your school’s technology budget is insufficient, investigate grants and fundraising opportunities, or consider a crowd funding campaign using DonorsChoose.org.
Research printers to decide which one best suits your school’s budget and needs. Look for one that uses polylactic acid (PLA) filament, which is biodegradable, relatively safe, and non-toxic. Check user forums to learn about other teachers’ experiences with different printers. Make sure the company that makes your printer offers good tech support.
Once you’ve received your new printer, you’ll need to set it up and learn to use it. If a picture’s worth a thousand words, a video can be worth a million. Fortunately, many companies provide online video tutorials, and you can find hundreds of how-to videos on YouTube.
Experiment with different CAD modeling programs to discover which one you like best. Check online for free, open-source programs; Tinkercad and BlocksCAD are both user-friendly for elementary-age kids.
Once you familiarize yourself with your printer and software, it’s time to introduce it to your students. You can find a collection of projects and lesson plans for students of all ages at thingiverse.com and in Printrbot’s open-source learning center.
Your town or city may have a community makerspace, where locals can learn to use a 3D printer, scanner, and modeling software. These are great places to meet enthusiasts and experts. Consider inviting local makers into the classroom to teach you and your students about your new printer and lead students through a project. T.J. Hendrickson has invited engineers, who’ve challenged his students to produce 3D products to submit to companies, into his junior high classroom.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with your printer and get creative with projects. Remember, 3D printers are all about hands-on learning.
Conclusion
3D printers are new, and it can be daunting to integrate an emerging technology into your classroom. However, a major benefit of authentic learning is the opportunity to learn alongside your students. Together, you’ll get to explore an exciting technology that may soon disrupt how everything from cars to clothes to houses is produced. Your classroom is the laboratory that will shape tomorrow’s curious and skilled innovators.
Click to Enlarge Image
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Name your own price Adventure Travel books from Humble Bundle
Here’s the link to name your own price (expires September 20, 2017 at 11:00:00 PDT)
It’s adventure time! Do you want adventure in the great wide somewhere? This Lonely Planet book bundle is your ticket outta here. Get Secret Marvels of the World, A Spotter’s Guide to Film (and TV) Locations, The World’s Best Spicy Foods, Volunteer: A Traveller’s Guide to Making a Difference Around the World, and more great titles from the celebrated travel publisher!
Pay what you want. All together, these ebooks would cost over $331. Here at Humble Bundle, you choose the price and increase your contribution to upgrade your bundle! This bundle has a minimum $1 purchase.
Read them anywhere. These books are available in PDF, ePUB, and MOBI formats, meaning you can read them anywhere at any time. Instructions and a list of recommended reading programs can be found here.
Support charity. Choose where the money goes – between Lonely Planet and War Child via the PayPal Giving Fund. If you like what we do, you can leave us a Humble Tip too!
The post appeared first on Armchair Arcade.
Blockbuster Memo Uncovered – Atari planned to incorporate ColecoVision back in 1983!
AtariAge forum goer, Dutchman2000, who acquired an Atari-related paperwork lot, has shared the text from a fascinating internal memo that describes plans for the company to make use of a version of Coleco’s ColecoVision hardware in their products. While the author of the original memo does not wish for a scan of the document to be made available, Dutchman2000 did receive permission to transcribe the text. Dutchman2000 in turn gave me permission to repost the text of the memo here.
As an historian, I must admit I’ve never come across this particular bit of information. While we know well the history of Atari’s console ambitions, including the actual releases of the Atari 2600, 5200, 7800, XEGS, and Jaguar, and that, for example, Nintendo approached Atari about distributing their Famicom in the US (later known as the Nintendo Entertainment System and initially distributed by Worlds of Wonder), this particular revelation about a potential monster Atari 5200 revision that could have been a contender throughout the 1980s, Crash or no Crash, is pretty mind-blowing.
Here’s the text of the memo, which also includes some interesting technical analyses unmolested by the needs of marketing:
12-17-83
Our current base unit situation reduces down to a clear leadership in the low end game machine market with the 2600 which is unlikely to be displaced by Mattel's Intellivision II as long as we continue the current course of cost reduction and enhancement.
The mid-range market is currently in the hands of Coleco due to greater production capacity, true sprite management, and better sound generators when compared with the 5200. We are already addressing the first issue and should outdistance them in sheer numbers this year.
We have been asked for a new game machine to be shipped by March 1984 which will place us back into the lead. This time frame absolutely dictates a machine with no new custom chips.
There is a significant danger as well that a new game machine introduced so early in the life cycle of the 5200 would disenfranchise our customers and potential customers by signaling a lack of commitment to recent products.
There are a couple of solutions, however; one of which is simple, inexpensive, and straightforward.
Both solutions build upon the 5200 to provide performance beyond that of either the ColecoVision or the 5200. One is to wrap a 5200 and a ColecoVision in the same package and share power supply, modulator, and some dual-ported RAM. The other solution is to provide an external or internal enhancement to the 5200 in the form of another 6502, additional RAM, and a small ROM.
COLECOVISION + 5200:
-------------------
Since all of the components in a ColecoVision are off-the-shelf (except for the Operating System ROM) there is nothing to prevent us from marketing a ColecoVision adapter for the 5200. A slight rev. to the O.S. would get around the potential copyright problem. This would provide our customers with the most versatile machine on the market ... able to play 2600, 5200, and ColecoVision carts.
Better yet, we can produce a base unit which contains both a 5200 and a ColecoVision. Since the T.I. 9918A graphics chip in the ColecoVision is capable of syncing to an external signal and of using an external video signal as a background image plane, the two graphics systems could conceivably be run simultaneously. This would allow all of the graphics objects (4, monochromatic sprites + a multi-color character stamp playfield) of the 9918A to be used as foreground objects and simultaneous use of the ANTIC/GTIA graphics objects (4, monochromatic players, 4 monochrome missiles, and a multicolored bit map or character stamp playfield) as a background. In essence, there would be three main operating modes: 5200 only, ColecoVision only, and a simultaneous mode.
The simplest way of implementing this is to turn off the ColecoVision's Z80 microprocessor in the simultaneous mode and use the SALLY chip in the 5200 half of this machine to run both graphics and sound systems. This would be accomplished through a dual-ported RAM in the ColecoVision half which would be accessed by the SALLY chip only during VBLANK. This would provide a programmer-manageable, one CPU system but it is unlikely that the SALLY would have enough time to accomplish everything it needs to during VBLANK. This is because the SALLY is already hampered in its performance by the DMA activity of the ANTIC, because collision detection and management between the two graphics systems would have to be entirely in software, and because the two graphic systems have different numbers of pixels per line plus different aspect ratio pixels. In other words, this would probably not work due to real time limits.
A more complex implementation of the 5200 + ColecoVision idea would allow both microprocessors (the SALLY and the Z80) to run in the "simultaneous" mode of this machine. This would entail the same dual-ported RAM concept as the above proposal with communication through that memory space only during VBLANK. This would be a real bear to design and program, in that one would have 2 CPUs with different characteristics and instruction sets, running a two different clock rates, driving very different graphic and sound systems in a tight, real time environment. The advantage of this proposal is that it would be capable of working, would allow one to combine the graphic and sound strengths of both machines, and would require no custom VLSI development. Even with this feasible solution, the limited VBLANK time used for intra-machine coordination would lead to programs of rather limited graphic complexity; and the cost of this base unit would be rather high for the performance gained:
--> cost of PAM Taiwan (with a larger power supply) $110.
+ cost of the ColecoVision + 93.
+ cost of the dual-ported RAM and other control circuitry + 10.
- cost of the ColecoVision modulator and power supply - 10.
----------------------------------------------------------- -------
total estimated bill-of-materials = $203.
In summary, it could be done; Atari needs to at least consider it for a near-term machine; but we don't recommend it.
ENHANCED 5200
-------------
A much cleaner solution to the near-term requirement for a better base unit is to build upon PAM itself .... change it from a system with rather dumb player, sound, and I/O management to one with rather sophisticated, animated sprites, complex sound generation (including speech during non-static screens without the GI speech synthesis chip), and more sophisticated joystick/keypad controller routines.
As we are revving the 5200 anyway to bring out the rest of the address lines, HALT, and READY, we should also take the opportunity to fully tri-state the SALLY and ANTIC/GTIA chips (externally for now). This would allow us to place another 6502 on the main bus, running chase with the SALLY. It would need a small ROM for its normal program and data, and some address decoding to ensure that its zero page and stack utilization (pages 0 and 1) do not conflict with those of the SALLY. While we are at it we could add some additional RAM which could be addressed by either processor (i.e.. be in the main address space).
The primary job of the added 6502 would be to feed the ANTIC/GTIA player/missile RAM space with a succession of graphics data and to store appropriate data to the horizontal position registers of ANTIC. This would allow the combination of the extra 6502 and the ANTIC/GTIA to look like an automatic, animated sprite manager to the SALLY. In other words, the resulting graphic system would automatically step through animation sequences for motion objects with defined width, height, and X,Y position on the screen. This would allow for the maximum use of the capabilities of the players/missiles in creating complex, reused, animated, motion objects with far simpler programming on the part of the game programmers. In the process, this would free-up the SALLY to perform other tasks such as the generation of more complex and more frequently updated bit mapped and character stamped playfields. The combination of both the enhanced motion objects and the enhanced playfield will produce a very noticeable increase in the speed and complexity of the 5200 games.
Alternatively, at times, the extra 6502 can be used to generate simulated vector displays on the bit mapped playfield of the 5200. This can be done now for wire-frame/perspective games such as Tempest, Battle Zone, or Gravitar. The problem is that generating vector information on a raster scan system requires a lot of steps and is relatively slow on the 5200. With the extra 6502 to take some of the processing load off of the SALLY chip, faster and more complex vector displays could be generated more easily.
Also, the extra 6502 can be used to feed the POKEY chip with a stream of sound data many times during each frame. This would allow us to utilize the POKEY's sound generation capabilities to their fullest extent in every game. It could be used as a real sound generator chip with pseudo-registers for control of the amplitude envelope (separate attack, sustain and decay curves), AM effects, FM effects, etc. This would give us a sound generator which is better than that in the ColecoVision in its versatility and ease of use. When needed, it could also be used as a waveform synthesizer for generating waveforms other than the square waves and pulse trains which are POKEY's normal output. When driven as a D/A device the POKEY is capable of producing tones with a wide variety of harmonic contents .... including speech. Normally, however, the only way to have the time to drive the POKEY in that manner is to stop changing the graphic information (i.e.. temporarily have a static screen). With the extra 6502 as the digital source for POKEY in the D/A mode, the SALLY would still be free to run the rest of the game including a changing screen.
Since ROM would be added to the system anyway to run the extra 6502 under most circumstances, and since that ROM would be addressable by both CPUs, it could contain some standard I/O management routines for interpreting the joystick or keypad which could be run by either microprocessor.
In addition, one would want to maximize the speed and memory efficiency of these graphic and sound hardware register stuffing activities of the extra 6502 by mapping the address space of the hardware registers of the 5200 into the bottom of zero page of the extra 6502 (much as has been done on the TIA registers in the 2600). With this feature, the enhanced 5200 would be able to run a kernal on the ANTIC/GTIA requiring the stuffing of all of the horizontal position registers and color/lum registers for the motion objects during a single horizontal retrace period. This would mean players/missiles could be reused vertically without any "dead" scan lines separating incarnations.
One of the really cute aspects of this enhancement to the 5200 is that, except for pages zero and one, all of memory would be accessible to both microprocessors. This means that, most of the time, our games programmers would be able to make use of the above mentioned capabilities of the extra 6502 by making use of the routines that come with it in its associated ROM. At other times, more sophisticated programmers would be able to make use of the extra 6502 in unique ways by providing routines for it in their game cartridge ROM. This is especially nice in that one can "mix and match" the canned routines and special routines for the extra 6502 in the same game.
A side benefit of this wart on the side of PAM is that the added RAM could be used as added variable storage space for either processor. This would allow double buffering (page flipping) of the full, high resolution, bit mapped playfield without running out of variable storage RAM .... something we cannot do now with only 16K of RAM in the base unit. The page flipping technique is one in which the ANTIC/GTIA is programmed to display one chunk of graphic memory while the microprocessor (SALLY or extra 6502) readies another chunk of memory for display. The graphics chips then work with the second piece of RAM and the microprocessor then readies the alternative block of RAM. This allows the entire field display period to be used for modification of the display instead of only the vertical blank interval. Since the entire field time is almost 17 times longer than the vertical blank period, much more time is available for modifying the bit mapped playfield from frame to frame without loss of synchronization of the video image. In a game like Defender, where extensive use is made of the bit map for the generation of a large number of graphic objects in the game, this has been a significant programming problem.
PROBLEMS AND DISADVANTAGES:
1. In order to run cophase 6502s in an enhanced PAM, one requires faster RAM and ROM (including game cart ROM) than that currently specified for the 5200. We would also need to clean-up the manner in which we generate RAS and CAS signals to run that RAM. More seriously, the game cart ROM which we buy is too slow for this cophase application. Our ROM cart costs would be noticeably higher for the new games which would make use of the enhanced features. (Since the cophase 6502 could be turned off automatically if an "old" 5200 cart were inserted, our existing, slower ROM carts would run without any problem in the
new unit.)
2. We have again missed the time window. LITTLE PAM is going to production without the extra lines being brought out to the expansion port and without full tri-stating of SALLY and ANTIC. Several million PAMs and LITTLE PAMs will be out there which will be incapable of using a plug-in enhancer as described above.
The most straightforward solution would be to forget about doing a plug-in enhancer at all and head only toward a higher end PAM with these enhancements built into the base unit. This, of course, is a marketing management issue, not a technical one.
3. The memory map of the 5200 has been squandered. The locations for all of the hardware registers (internal and on the speech module) have been scattered through the remaining areas of the memory map, instead of concentrating them all in one contiguous address space. Any additional ROM or RAM for this cophase application would need to be interdigitated in the remaining address areas. This is both a cumbersome hardware addressing issue with added cost implications ... and a limiting factor in the usefulness of that added memory from a software perspective. Nothing can be done on PAM itself to correct this problem of memory map mismanagement; it is too late. Let us try and learn from this, however, and not make the same mistake on our future game machines.
In terms of my own thoughts on this, I’ve argued that the Atari 5200 had enough horsepower to compete with the ColecoVision as-is, although as a ColecoVision owner back-in-the-day, I will say that Coleco’s console easily had the more exciting software line-up, which was probably the 5200’s biggest issue outside of its controllers. Anyway, the Atari XEGS kind of proved that – at least superficially – the Atari 5200 had the goods to compete into the 1980s. With that said, I really like the COLECOVISION + 5200 idea, particularly with having a frankenstein mode that could in theory run “Super Games,” although I suspect the programming challenges to harness that mode would have been a bit more involved than hinted at. I would have preferred to see that system come out (along with Atari 2600 compatibility) instead of the release of the 7800, although the former likely would have been overpriced for the market versus the latter. Of course, the Great Videogame Crash pretty much put a stop to any plans like that, but it’s yet again another fascinating “what if?” to a growing collection of such things. I for one can’t wait for more amazing discoveries of this nature!
By the way, if you’re interested in a history of the consoles mentioned in this blog post (and more), check out one of my books, Vintage Game Consoles: An Inside Look at Apple, Atari, Commodore, Nintendo, and the Greatest Gaming Platforms of All Time, on Amazon.
The post Blockbuster Memo Uncovered – Atari planned to incorporate ColecoVision back in 1983! appeared first on Armchair Arcade.
Infographic: The Future of Virtual and Augmented Reality
Context approaches higher education with academic and industry leadership to deliver insights that inspire learning. We have explored how advanced technology has transformed the development of augmented and virtual reality in a variety of industries. The result is a market that is expected to be worth $150 billion by 2020. Learn how to gain the education and experience required to enter this rapidly expanding — and potentially lucrative — field.
Virtual Reality is Booming
By 2018, the VR market could reach $7 billion in sales. The race is gaining momentum and this means opportunities for startups and investors.
Top Fields Embracing Virtual Reality
Surprisingly, VR’s impact is expected to affect not only gamers and tech enthusiasts but quite a wide range of industries. Sectors like education, healthcare, journalism, film, automotive, and retail have already started using VR applications.
VR Career and Skills Outlook
As demand for VR and AR products increases, employment growth in specific fields is expected to grow as well. Designers, developers, modelers, animators, project managers and videographers alike can apply their skills in this exciting new field. Enthusiasts should take advantage of educational resources as a way to gain a competitive edge in the job market.
Preparing for a Virtual Reality Career
If you are looking to break into the VR industry, attending conferences, webinars and game jams would be an opportunity to develop skills and meet like-minded individuals. One way of breaking into the VR industry would be to take any position within a VR company, if only to get a foot in the door. But above all, passion and enthusiasm should precede all efforts.
Top Virtual Reality Job Seeking Tips
The saying goes, “A journey begins with one step,” and this couldn’t be any less true for VR job candidates. To turn your passion into a job, keep your eye open for opportunities, don’t forget to take risks and above all, believe in yourself!
Conclusion
With large companies and small startups competing for a slice of the VR market, candidates and startups would be wise to find a niche or skill that would create their own blue ocean of opportunity.
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