Podcasts about microcomputers

Episode 167 Chapter 27, Computer Music (1971–2014). Works Recommended from my book, Electronic and Experimental Music  Welcome to the Archive of Electronic Music. This is Thom Holmes. This podcast is produced as a companion to my book, Electronic and Experimental Music, published by Routledge. Each of these episodes corresponds to a chapter in the text and an associated list of recommended works, also called Listen in the text. They provide listening examples of vintage electronic works featured in the text. The works themselves can be enjoyed without the book and I hope that they stand as a chronological survey of important works in the history of electronic music. Be sure to tune-in to other episodes of the podcast where we explore a wide range of electronic music in many styles and genres, all drawn from my archive of vintage recordings. There is a complete playlist for this episode on the website for the podcast. Let's get started with the listening guide to Chapter 27, Computer Music (1971–2014) from my book Electronic and Experimental music.   Playlist: EARLY MUSIC FROM MICROPROCESSORS   Time Track Time Start Introduction –Thom Holmes 01:36 00:00 1.     David Behrman, “Figure in a Clearing” (1977). KIM- 1 computer- controlled harmonic changes for 33 electronic generators and accompanying cello. 19:10 01:40 2.     Dorothy Siegel, “Rondo from Sonata in B flat for Clarinet and Piano” (by Wanhal) (1979). Realized using an Altair S- 100 microcomputer. 03:53 20:52 3.     Larry Fast, “Artificial Intelligence” (1980). Music generated by a microcomputer self- composing program. 10:46 24:44 4.     Laurie Spiegel, “A Harmonic Algorithm” (1981). Created on an Apple II computer with Mountain Hardware oscillator boards. 03:05 35:30 5.     Nicolas Collins, “Little Spiders” (1982). For two microcomputers equipped with gestural sensing programs, that generated sounds based on analysis of keystrokes. 04:46 38:30 6.     Gordon Mumma, “Than Particle” (1985). For computer percussion and a percussionist. 10:16 43:30 7.     Morton Subotnick, “And the Butterflies Begin to Sing” (1988). For string quartet, bass, MIDI keyboard, and microcomputer. 06:38 53:50 8.     John Bischoff, Mark Trayle, Tim Perkis, “Dovetail” (1989). Three microcomputer programs interact and respond to each other in real time. 05:04 01:00:30 9.     Tim Perkis, “Wax Lips” (1992). Performed by The Hub, an electronic music ensemble networked by a Microcomputer. 04:37 01:05:32 10.   Jin Hi Kim, “Digital Buddha” (2014), recorded live at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Electric komungo, Jin Hi Kim; percussion, Gerry Hemingway; MAX/MSP programming, Alex Noyes. The world's first electric komungo that his equipped with MIDI and controlled using MAX. The komungo is a traditional 6-string instrument from Korea. 12:33 01:10:08   Additional opening, closing, and other incidental music by Thom Holmes. My Books/eBooks: Electronic and Experimental Music, sixth edition, Routledge 2020. Also, Sound Art: Concepts and Practices, first edition, Routledge 2022. See my companion blog that I write for the Bob Moog Foundation. For a transcript, please see my blog, Noise and Notations. Original music by Thom Holmes can be found on iTunes and Bandcamp.

When I invited Roberto Mayer of São Paulo Brazille to be a guest on Unstoppable Mindset I did not foresee the scope and far-ranging directions our conversation would go. Let me first tell you a bit about him. Roberto spent his life in São Paulo. Even at an early age he was teaching and tutoring classmates in math and Science. While in College he in the late 70s he learned about Microcomputers and helped bring them to South America. While at São Paulo University he also held a full-time job working at a bank computerizing the organization. For the past twenty years he has owned and operated his own consultant organization. He also volunteers for several organizations and he even finds time to relax playing in-door volleyball. Roberto, as you will see, is a deep thinker and a philosopher. During our time we discuss computers of course including the future of AI, religion vs spirituality and drugs, alcohol drugs and addiction. I find Roberto to be a humble and thoughtful person. I trust you will find him to be the same and that you will value our time together. About the Guest: Roberto pioneered microcomputers' introduction in South America as a teenager, in the late 70s. After some years as a corporate employee, he started working as an entrepreneur, and has not stopped to this day. In parallel, he developed an academic career in Maths and Computer Science, at São Paulo University, for many years. During his long career, Roberto always worked as a volunteer, across many organizations. His participation in IT Trade Associations evolved from local to worldwide. Hence, when life presented challenged related to drug addiction in his family, he entered the world of mutual help groups. Roberto's writing skills turned into several books over time - covering various aspects of his rich career. Ways to connect with Roberto: Website: https://robertocmayer.com.br LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rocmayer Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/roberto.c.mayer.br Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roberto.c.mayer.br YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/rocmayer About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app. Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Hi, there, I'm your host, Mike hingson. And welcome to another episode of unstoppable mindset. Today, we get to interview Roberto Carlos Mayer, and Roberto lives in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and has a really interesting story to tell I'm sure in a lot of ways, one of the things I learned from reading his bio, is that he brought microcomputers to South America as a teenager in the late 70s. That must be kind of fun. But Roberto has had a long career as an entrepreneur, working with a lot of different kinds of fields. And we'll get to that. He's also a writer, and has been an entrepreneur, as I said most of his life. So Roberto, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're really glad you're here.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 02:08 Thanks, Michael. I'm very glad for your invitation, and hope to share a little bit of my long story. Well,   Michael Hingson ** 02:17 why don't we start at the beginning of your long story. So why don't you tell us a little bit about you growing up and all that.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 02:24 Okay, I, I started my involvement with computers, as you mentioned in the early 70s. Now I at that time, I was in college, and the chemistry professor told me that his brother had brought some micro computers from the United States here. And he was gathering people to try to understand what they did, how they could be programmed and so on. In school, I was always a very good student in math and other scientific subjects. So I accepted that invitation. And from that time on, I started working with computers up to this day, I did change my mind   Michael Hingson ** 03:20 worked out pretty well. Well. So go back a little bit further. Have you always lived in Sao Paulo?   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 03:28 Yes, in fact, I have lived in San Paulo, all my life.   Michael Hingson ** 03:35 So you're your What did your parents do? And how did that shape what you do?   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 03:44 Well, in fact, I have been always independent, I started working very early. I think I was the time 11 or 12 years old when I started lecturing some colleagues in school in hours after school, and I so I developed my independence very, very early in life, and always managed to do many things simultaneously. I think that's my characteristic. And besides my work with computers, I've always managed to bring them together. Studying and social activities and volunteering activities is very, very early. Ah,   Michael Hingson ** 04:40 well when you were 11 and 12. And you said you were lecturing to some of your classmates, what did you lecture about?   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 04:49 Well, in fact, I lectured about math about physics, about chemistry, about English. Many, there were some classmates who He had very difficulty in some of the subjects and the teachers always considered these people to be the those that would not be able to learn it. But I managed to teach them and to pass the exams. So there are parents who are very satisfied with my work. And so this was a tie for me a significant income source. It also allowed me to decide to what to do with my money, which normally is even those times was not the standard behavior for teenagers.   Michael Hingson ** 05:44 No, I certainly certainly wasn't. So did your parents encourage you to do this? In   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 05:51 fact, my, my father was never very involved with me. But my mother, in fact, encouraged this, because she knew that it, it was the thing I like to do.   Michael Hingson ** 06:07 And so she encouraged you to develop your talents. Did she work? Did she work?   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 06:13 Yes. She, she worked as a secretary at the big corporation.   Michael Hingson ** 06:19 And what did your father do?   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 06:21 My father was an eternal student, he was involved in some very exotic subjects, which I never got to understand the 100%. But he didn't have a, as far as I know, irregular or working skills for long.   Michael Hingson ** 06:45 But you were always interested in math and science and technology, which is, which is kind of cool. And you learn to program these computers that your, your chemistry professor told you about? So What languages did you program in? What did you learn?   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 07:02 Well, the first language I learned to program in was the basic basic Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 07:10 I remember based on   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 07:11 that, but then I, I started studying the organization of the microprocessors, and teach myself to program in assembler also. Ah, yeah. So I learned the assembler for the apple, two chip for ADHD chip, and many others, I don't remember.   Michael Hingson ** 07:38 Well, so you, you did that in college. And when you left college, what did you? Well, when you graduate, you graduated? What did you get a degree in?   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 07:51 Well, in fact, the I don't know, this educational system here in Brazil is a little bit different. We get a standard nomination just for completing our studies as teenagers. And then we get into the university main factor, but when I left school, I started working. And due to this involvement with computers, first as a freelancer, and then in a very short time period, I managed to start working for a very huge local bank here in Brazil, where I was responsible for introducing this microcomputer culture. That was at the beginning of the 80s. And so I had the challenge to once again to manage my university studies simultaneously to this professional work, which was obviously was all day   Michael Hingson ** 09:02 what were networks like back then, so you talked about using micro computers, but they they had to in one way or another communicate with each other, I would assume, right?   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 09:13 Well, in fact, communication was very, very restricted. Yeah. We had some communication through serial cables. I remember Rs 232.   Michael Hingson ** 09:25 I know.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 09:30 And another experiment I was involved, which is also uncommon. At that time, there were no printers for microcomputers. So we adopted telex machine to be used as a printer for microcomputers. But the don't the Telex machines don't use the ASCII character system. So we had to study how the Telex machines codes the characters they print, and then develop a routine to do the translation from the computer ASCII set character set to the set used by telex machines, which Alex Baldo was invented by a French mathematician called Bobo.   Michael Hingson ** 10:21 So, basically, when you printed something the the process was that the microcomputer whatever computer you were using would send the ASCII characters to a translating computer, which would translate and then send it to the printer.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 10:43 Now, it was all running on the same computer. Okay, okay, we developed a co developed language, which was running behind the this high level programming language. Yeah. And we connected the Telex machine to the serial port. So it was all running on a single micro computer with 8k of RAM memory.   Michael Hingson ** 11:13 You didn't even have a parallel cable, huh?   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 11:15 No, yeah, I'm not.   Michael Hingson ** 11:19 Well, when I went to college at the University of California at Irvine, one of the things that I didn't have access to was any kind of a braille printer. They didn't really have much of any of those things back then. And one of the people in the computer science department, who I got to know very well Dick Rubinstein found a place that could well that had developed a sort of a way of making a braille printer it was using one of the wasn't an IBM Selectric. It was one of the computers with the little print cylinders, or one of the printers with the little print cylinders. And somebody had developed a routine that and they with a modified version of the cylinder that had some Braille dots on it in certain positions. And in certain rows. The, if I wanted to print something, the printer was actually connected to a PDP eight computer that did the translation. So I could have my print my compute Well, my keyboard and my system connected through a modem 1200 baud, and then this PDP eight would actually do the translation so I could actually get Braille print out. So it was a pretty fascinating sort of thing. And it worked. But, you know, that was back in 1971 1972. And 73 and beyond. But technology has changed a little bit since then, hasn't it? It   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 13:05 hasn't changed by many orders of magnitude.   Michael Hingson ** 13:09 Yeah, being sarcastic. Yeah. So you went to work for a bank? And what did you primarily do for them?   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 13:18 Well, in fact, today, he had bought some micro computers and didn't know exactly how to apply them in practice. So my my first job there was to develop the needed application software's in order to make these micro computers useful. And I started when then this was completed in a couple of months. Then they started buying more and more micro computers, and we needed more and more people. So I was at the time 20 something. And I had to manage a huge team. And to develop a group of new programmers which I had to train me I stayed there until 1986. And at the time I left I was 25. It was managing a team of 40 people.   Michael Hingson ** 14:22 Now when you were working at the bank, were you also doing work at Sao Paulo University.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 14:29 Yes, in fact, at that time, I was a student now i i was studying at San Paolo university, because I was my wish to continue to study something related to math and science and computers. But at that time at the public university here in San Paolo the the only course available with lectures at night was a computer A Course, which was intended to build math professors. So that was the only choice I had. I went after it. And I, I decided to take that course. In fact, when I finished that course, that was one year after I left the bank, I had already started working on my own. Thanks to that, then I was able to start doing my course in as a master's in science, in computer science and applied math. And that took me another five years at the university. And after one year, and a couple of months, I was invited to become a professor at the computer science department stayed there for almost 12 years.   Michael Hingson ** 16:00 When you were studying and working at the bank, and then after you left the bank, you I think you started your own consulting and went out on your own right? Yep. Okay, how did you do all of that at the same time, because being a student is pretty much a full time job typically. And working at the bank had to be a full time job. That was a lot to do at once.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 16:23 Yes, I think that's one of the my abilities I developed over all my life. And managing to balance these very different things requires, in first place, a lot of discipline. And on the other the other thing is, as I was studying many things I, which were, for me relatively easy. studying maths for me was never a problem in attending. Classes was enough for me to be able to pass the exams, net exercises, were just the task professors put on us, but they weren't for me learning to. Now I remember when I was in a very young child in six plus years, 10 years old. There was a professor basics Elementary School. Anyway, he didn't want to teach. He wrote a lot of math exercises, for class to solve. And when he, he ended up writing up all his exercises, I had already solved all but the last one. She took my piece of paper and use it to correct the exercises of the others. And I use this time, I had three inside class to do my other homework for the other. So the this was an example of how I was able to manage various things at the same time. So   Michael Hingson ** 18:07 you worked at the bank during the day, right? Yeah.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 18:11 Well, so Brian, in the morning to 6pm.   Michael Hingson ** 18:15 So classes were mostly at night for you then because yesterday started   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 18:19 about 7pm and went until 10 3011. In the night, yeah. Wow.   Michael Hingson ** 18:28 I should do homework.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 18:31 Well, I the same way I learned to read in school, inside the class.   Michael Hingson ** 18:37 Okay. Can you? Have you ever been able to teach other people to develop those same skills? Have you ever tried to do that?   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 18:48 Well, in fact, that's one of my current projects. I'm involved in its structure in this as a methodology to teach others to be able to do the same and multitask.   Michael Hingson ** 19:03 Yeah, and then be efficient. How's that working out? How is it working? Okay, are you getting? Are you having success of teaching other people to do it?   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 19:15 Well, in fact, I am starting in structuring materials I am not ready to as a public to offer this to the public at this moment. I hope to do this over the next 12 or 15 mil.   Michael Hingson ** 19:30 Well, it it sounds like it'd be a very fascinating thing to to do. And if you can actually develop a program and a process and teach people to do it. That would certainly be a beneficial thing. At the same time, you know, people do need to take some time to relax. Do you ever take time to relax?   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 19:50 Yes, of course.   Michael Hingson ** 19:51 Okay, just checking   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 19:56 about my life the best way I I like to relax is traveling. And and this is also a subject I have developed very uncommon experiences due to many other works. Now another way of relaxing, I always say relaxing doesn't mean doing something relaxing means doing something different from what you are doing that is changing your brain operation to a completely different area. This can involve something like traveling, I like very much to travel by car to plan travels to get to know people in the way they live, and not the way us tourist packages are normally offered. So to know people in fact, and another way of relaxing, let's say I developed also very early when I started with this at the time I was at the bank is in doing voluntary work, which involves promoting a course and provides a way to know a lot of other people which are interested in the same course which have the same goals. But which is different from the working and studying space. So switching from one environment to the other is a very efficient way to relax. Another arena I'm involved now for over 10 years is in sports. So that's another way of relaxing and I take this very seriously. Why is my schedule reserved for that? Doesn't matter how much it rains or whatever happens? What kind of sports? But I'm playing volleyball for 10 years   Michael Hingson ** 22:04 volleyball? indoor or outdoor?   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 22:09 Indoor indoor? Yeah, well, then   Michael Hingson ** 22:11 you get away from the rain. Okay. That's how you do that. Okay, I understand. Well, but even so, I hear what you're saying. And then you You really said something that I have felt for a long time. The problem with a lot of the guided tours and the tours that people buy is that you, you go somewhere and you're on a very strict schedule, and you don't really get to know people and you don't really get the same flavor of, of the environment that gives you a deeper knowledge and understanding and I'm buying with you I'd rather go somewhere and get a chance to meet people and spend some real time. My wife was a travel agent for a few years. Back when we first got married, and we would take occasional trips, familiarization trips, and again, they were they're well organized. But you didn't get to spend a lot of time it was as you would say today very touristy. And so we found that it was a lot more fun when we took our own trips and and really got to spend more time and get to know things a lot better than just the organized tours did.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 23:27 Yes, I fully agree with that. I always try to do it that way. Obviously, when you have a very short scheduled, you have some meetings, for work or for some organization where I volunteer and you have to fly out and back in just one or two days, you're obviously cannot involve a lot of time to do that kind of exploration. But when I have at least a week to be at some place, I always like to reserve some time for these kinds of local incursions.   Michael Hingson ** 24:08 One of the things that I also do is try to find, of course, for me only knowing English it has to be in English, but local radio stations for example that I can listen to, to really get a little bit more of a flavor. But yeah, I think you're right. And as a as a speaker, oftentimes, I will go somewhere and not be able to spend a lot of time because it's like one or two days, and then I'm off again, or I come home. And so I don't get to know things as well as I would like. But I really enjoy it when I do have the time to spend a few days somewhere to get to know people and to get to know the country. It is so wonderful to be able to have that opportunity. Yes,   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 24:56 uh huh. Radio stations you mentioned are very interest thing strategy I also use during my my travels, I speak obviously, Portuguese, I speak English, I fluent in Spanish in German. So this allows me to, to communicate in many countries, but when I'm in a country where I don't know the language, the first thing I do is if I rented a car is hearing the radio. So accustomed the ear to the local language, and it obviously depends which country you are in, had, in some cases, it will be relatively easy. Let's say for example, when I was hearing the radio in the Netherlands, now understanding Dutch, if you're no English and German is not that difficult, once you will get a through the filter of the accent. On the other sides, you have languages, which are so complicated in their organization, that you can hear radio or even television for hours or days, and not be able to know the difference if you are hearing the news, or the transmission of a sports event. Yes. Chinese. To me, that happened to me in Poland, and Poland. In Poland, yes, the Polish language is very complicated, because it's, it's a language, which has roots in Slavic in Latin, and in the old German languages, like German and English. So you have for each word you have to know from which of these roots is word comes from. So it's very, very difficult. Well,   Michael Hingson ** 26:52 then you also have languages like Chinese, which are extremely complex and extremely different. From this, the civil ensign, and all aspects of it are significantly different from what we're all used to.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 27:09 He has of course, the you know, you have languages like Chinese, or Japanese or Hebrew or languages, like the Armenian which use each have different writing structures and different sentence organization. But in this case, for example, if you look at written polish, they use the Latin alphabet, but it's not. It's not understandable. I spent more than a week in Poland and managed to learn the basics, but it's very, very difficult. Yeah, not least I was able to enter a restaurant and ask for sprinkling water or non sprinkling water correctly.   Michael Hingson ** 27:56 Yes, or, or carbonated water or not carbonated water?   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 28:01 That was too much. Yeah, yeah.   Michael Hingson ** 28:04 Well, I hear you, and, but it's, it is fun to go to different places. And I've had the joy of traveling to all 50 states in the United States over the years. And you know, there are different customs in different states. And it's fascinating just in this country. And you, you see some of it, of course, being around different countries in South America, and certainly one of the larger ones. And, again, the same thing, different customs, and it's fun and fascinating to to meet people who observe different customs, and we're used to,   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 28:42 yes, like that considered other privilege. I think it's something which I got back from my volunteering. I, when I started as an entrepreneur, I started to volunteer in it trade associations. And due to my ability to speak in various languages, in a couple of years, I was allocated to international relations. So I started to get involved in International Federations in this area. And due to this, I had the opportunity to, to travel a lot, mainly in in the American area, from Canada to Argentina and in Europe. But in all, in almost 50 countries have driven cars and 29 of them. You   Michael Hingson ** 29:39 You've certainly had a wonderful golden opportunity to experience a lot I I've been to a few countries, not 50 but I've I've been to a number and really enjoy the people and I think that's part of it is that we have to recognize that not everybody's exactly The same way we are and we shouldn't be disappointed if things aren't just the way we are used to hear or in your case where you are because people and different civilizations are different cultures are are different. And we should respect that. And I sometimes I've seen tourists who don't, which is unfortunate.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 30:22 But in fact, the more civilizations and different cultures, you know, you'll have a, I think you'll have a better understanding of how human life in works. In fact, I think most humanity problems come from those people who live in a single culture, maybe due to religious beliefs due to some autocratic government, which are restrained into a very single position. But I think most most humans in our in, in fact, good people, even those involved in autocratic regimes. I, I want tell the guy's name. But for example, I had the opportunity to chat for hours and hours with a guy in Kuba, which was part of the official Communist Party. In Kubernetes, every couple of years now, you can have private businesses, but the licenses are only given out to members of the party. And I, it was my second time in Cuba. So I knew that I would be allowed to travel alone through the country, I went to visit a National Park, which is about 300 kilometers north of Nevada. And then I in the evening, I got to a very scenic city on on the shore. And this guy had who had the license to operate, small hotel and restaurant there. So he invited me to obviously pay to have dinner there. And then we started chatting I came in, it was still day, and when I left his place, it was already after midnight, to drive back to LA bhana. Another three hours, wow, come back to the hotel, because the Congress, the conference, I would I was participating got started next day. But it was a very interesting chat, and after some some doses of coupon room, he lost any restrictions on his talk. And then he, he told me about his real life.   Michael Hingson ** 33:06 And that's, that's the whole point is to get to know people well enough to really have the opportunity to understand. So it's, it's a lot of fun to do. Well, you so you continue to this day to do math and, and deal obviously with science and so on. But when you left the bank, what what did you start to do from a consulting an entrepreneurial standpoint? Although obviously, you had an entrepreneurial spirit before then, but what did you start to do to earn an income and so on after leaving the bank?   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 33:42 Well, in the first years, I worked as a consultant, I did some programming and I did a lot of teaching other people to learn to program at the time, the C language was on the market. And here in Brazil, there were very few people who were able to teach to other programmers. Yeah. So at that time, I, I started teaching and also writing I published some technical books in the programming arena, the time also was invited to translate some of the of the American authors which were writing about those subjects at that time. So, I, I had a lot of involvement and then when, at the university, I went into the working my thesis then I started to develop a project about the development of user interfaces. Now that was at a time where not even Windows three was on the map. market. And that was the the keystone to set up my my first former business. Yeah. That was 1990. Yeah.   Michael Hingson ** 35:18 Yep, Windows was was around. I loved MS DOS. But I also understand the value of windows and graphic interfaces and all the other things that Windows brought. But for a while MS DOS was a much more accessible language or system operating system for me to use then windows that wasn't really something that worked well with screen readers for blind people. And that evolved over time.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 35:50 Technology always, always evolves. Basically, companies reframe recycling what they do in the you have to reinvent yourself every couple of years to stay on the market. And you have at this time, no, no it product you can buy, which is on the market for more than 10 years.   Michael Hingson ** 36:18 If that long, but yeah, and you're right. And and look, there are some things that although the products change, the basic concepts are things that have been around for a while, and it's just that they evolve. I mean, look at integrated circuits, what are they, they're, they're made up in part of a lot of transistors that that came around first, and transistors came from tubes. And although the theory is a little bit different, basically what they do, ultimately is the same thing, but we're getting faster and smaller and more efficient in everything that we do.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 36:56 Yeah, in fact, that happens on the electronic arena and happens also on the on the math Friday, if you look at the papers written by mathematicians like poster from Neumann in the 30s and 40s the structure of current computers still obeys the basic ideas they put on paper. And the thing the what we are now seeing being developed, which changes this is what is called the quantum computers that right that will change the the theoretical background, but they are still very, very limited and needs to use standard computers as an interface because they have no interface of their own up to this moment. Right. So maybe that in the future, they there will be just add ons with very capable processors to do something with standard computers do not. But there is no no clear way for them to to gain the the main market for us to have these kinds of computers at home or in standard business. Right?   Michael Hingson ** 38:13 Not yet. But it will happen, it will happen. No, no doubt that it will happen at some point. Well, so going on that same discussion point. What about artificial intelligence, I actually listened to an interview with someone recently who said that the time is going to definitely come and maybe not in the too distant future. But the time is going to come that computers will be able to truly create on their own and truly have the potential to overwhelming what we do you think that's true?   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 38:56 I don't, I don't either. I don't artificial intelligence is a very old subject. I remember I was still a student at University. We were visited by a Japanese professors, which were coming down here to tell us about what other time was called the fifth generation computer project to develop artificial intelligence that's 40 years ago. So and we had a lot of press coverage during the last 12 months due to this kind of generative AI, which Chad GPG provides. And in fact, the algorithms which are based inside these kinds of plugs are known in the computer science arena for decades. The main point is computing power available at the time wasn't enough to build big enough models so that they can simulate being humans. That is the I think the main difference nowadays. But this doesn't change the basic conceptual fact that they are just reproducing a combination of facts and knowledge which they collected from other humans. And creativity is very different from neural networks are from other AI, so called algorithms,   Michael Hingson ** 40:40 so do you. So you don't think that with, let's bring back into a quantum computers and so on, that take processing to a whole new level, you don't think that will give computers the opportunity to become creative in their own right and compete for experiences?   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 41:05 I think we won't see this in our generation, I think the if you look at the human brain, in detail, science has still not explained how it works. how humans are, in fact, able to connect ideas which have been stored in your brain for decades. Like I'm using know my brain in order to answer your question. And what's happening in my brain in order to module the words I'm saying to you, that's not yet explained. So it would be very, very difficult to have something simulating something we don't know how it works. Yeah, that's about the, the number of neurons we have inside the brain of every human is still bigger than any computer ever built. The other point is economical, I think there's another factor which people are not looking after that this very huge AI models need a lot of computing power. So they are restricted to very huge organizations. And, in fact, we are seeing that the capacity of data centers, which are being used for by these kinds of models, is restricted to what's called by the President, the big tech companies. And smaller companies are just reminded to pay them to use their capacity. The other point is, the amount of electric power. And the impact on environment, this will all have could also be a limitation over time for the usage of this kind of computing. The same way. For example, it has been happening with some of these crypto currencies, which was also a church promise for big changes for humanity a couple of decades ago, and it still hasn't happened. In fact, we have obviously, you have a range of people using this kind of stuff. But it has not got mainstream mainstream is still standard money. Banks continue to exist. International trade is still conducted using standard money.   Michael Hingson ** 43:48 Well, and cryptocurrency took some big hits over the last year or two as well. And it is not the panacea that everyone said it was going to be.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 43:58 Yeah, exactly. That's called culminate in it. Right. We frequently have this kind of huge promises, which then do not deliver. Metaverse, for example, is another example that was very huge in hype in marketing a couple of years ago. And it seems also to have been these appearing just days behind AI.   Michael Hingson ** 44:26 Yeah, yeah, we are. We're very fickle as a as a race. We just go by the latest thing or the thing that people start to publicize and we forget the other things and that that's a problem. We don't focus very well, especially over the long term.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 44:47 Yes, the that requires the capacity to at first to remember all what has happened. And most people prefer to do Forget, yes,   Michael Hingson ** 45:00 we do not learn from history nearly as well as we ought to.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 45:07 And so that we are condemned to repeat it.   Michael Hingson ** 45:11 Good point. Well,   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 45:15 someone wrote this before me, I'm just repeating it. I don't remember who wrote this.   Michael Hingson ** 45:19 No, I know what you're saying though. I, I've heard that too. So what made you decide to, in addition to work, in addition to working and to being in school and being an academic, now, are you still doing things at South Paulo University?   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 45:35 No, I left university at the end of the 90s. So you're just do my involvement in the I trade associations. Plus, at the time, I had little children, two boys to care for. So that was too much to synchronize on to manage all of this even for me, so I had to step down from university. People they didn't want me to live. It was a battle for almost two years to be be able to live better in the end i i left   Michael Hingson ** 46:17 children do take time, don't they?   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 46:19 Oh, yes. When they are small, especially. Yeah.   Michael Hingson ** 46:25 Well, but as they grow older, you have other challenges. Yeah.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 46:31 You need less time, but resources, you will will still have too   Michael Hingson ** 46:36 many some less time. But it's got to be quality time. Yeah. Now, are you still married?   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 46:44 Yes. But I'm in a second marriage. Marriage went,   Michael Hingson ** 46:52 went went a different way. But it's good to have somebody to share with you as of course. Now, have you taught her to multitask and be as organized as you   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 47:05 think? Similar maybe not to the same level, but But I think when we get older we will learn to to see value in these kinds of abilities in other people's.   Michael Hingson ** 47:21 Yeah. Which is great. Why did you start volunteering and doing some of that in the first place?   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 47:31 Well, my, I had started volunteering, when I was still at the bank to organize user groups to foster the introduction of microcomputers here. And the time I was involved with the was called the Microsoft User Group, which   Michael Hingson ** 47:56 was, I remember that, yeah.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 47:58 And I even had the opportunity to, to interact in person with Bill Gates when he was just a couple of millions words, not billings,   Michael Hingson ** 48:12 you mean that guy who said we never need any more than what was it? 64k of memory? Yeah. Okay.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 48:19 She traveled here to Brazil for the first time in 1987. And at that time, due to my English, I was in charge to helping him out with the lectures, you was going to provide our meetings. And I also had a long conversation. One evening, in fact, one night, it was the, there was a huge meeting at the house of the guy who at the time was the president of the user group. And this guy had also commercial interests in representing Microsoft in Brazil, and he invited many politicians and other businessman and they were all on Bill Gates. sides the whole evening, and I remember it was always midnight, the owner of the house, called me in to decide and asked me if I was able to have a bit and bite conversation in English. I said, Yeah, of course. And then he said me it is. Bill Gates is already tired of speaking about economics, politics and business. He's asking for someone to talk about technical subjects. So I had the privilege to sit before the on a sofa line in in a room during that big house with Bill Gates. For almost two hours, chatting about technical subjects at that time, Microsoft was developing what was called the Quick family of programming languages, which then became the visual family, which is still on the market today in Visual Basic, and maybe the most normal. So I think the that was a privileged situation. Getting back to what you were calling about the volunteering, and you all to all these experiences, I also started writing as a volunteer for some magazines, some newspapers, regular columns, and due to this publicity, then people were the time leaders for the IT trade associations came after me and invited me to participate. And I, in that arena have a very long, very, very long training in on the person on the state level, then on the national level. And then on the international level. I so much that about eight years ago, I wrote a book about all these experience.   Michael Hingson ** 51:25 What's it called? Well,   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 51:27 it's written in Portuguese. Yes, the title translating into English, it will be something like, together, we are more, in fact doing. And you'll gather, a basic idea is when you gather together people which are after the same course, then you have a lot of techniques you can apply in order to influence public opinion, governments and to create relations about the communities you are connecting. Because business is always between people. So when you want to do international trade, for example, you have to develop in first place relations in second place, trust with other people. Otherwise, you can travel a lot, spend a lot of money, but you want to be able to sell anything. Go   Michael Hingson ** 52:25 back to Bill Gates for just a quick second, would you? Would you say that Bill Gates is clearly one of the leading visionaries of our time.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 52:37 I don't think so, at current time, but he was at that time. Here and Steve Jobs said up infrastructure for change in the IT arena, which we are still experiencing. They're the consequences of what they set up.   Michael Hingson ** 52:58 What would you say are the leading visionaries today in in all of that?   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 53:04 While I think we don't have some someone we could call a very big visionary, some people, many people are trying to to be this person. But it doesn't matter if you look at Elon Musk or not the guy from Oracle that they are not presenting anything, which in fact will bring in us huge changes. As these two guys we were talking before half.   Michael Hingson ** 53:33 My My thought is Elon Musk's should have stayed with with the Tesla vehicles. He's done more to change and bring about and could do more to bring about change regarding vehicles and electric vehicles and so on and going into the technology world. Yeah, I think there are some issues there.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 53:57 Yes, of course, but I but electric vehicles are not a new invention. In fact, electric vehicles existed before details which are powered on oil. So that is the first experiments done in German at the end of the 90s. In the late 19th century, were electrical vehicles. And then the oil based motors obviously showed much more power, so they replace them and that got into production. I think this is a an evolutionary process. What I think I've seen, yes, what is now called the traditional carmakers like Mr. Ford or Honda or the others. They have the capacity to produce similar products there is no invention and no patents and nothing which To avoid makes the Tesla production unique.   Michael Hingson ** 55:05 I guess I guess what I'm saying, though, is that I think he stood and stands a bigger chance of having a greater impact if he had stuck with that than going into to some of the computer stuff where he clearly does not. But, you know, everybody makes their own choices.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 55:28 Yeah, of course, I think if you look at his his work at Twitter, then exactly. You're back. He's been able to, at least that's the way I see it. Yeah. But there has basically been destroyed by Yeah, he's his policies inside the company. Yeah, I think that's the people who have created the code or have left the company changing the name to make any good? No,   Michael Hingson ** 56:03 that makes no sense and doesn't doesn't help anything at all. Well, so you, you've been writing what are some of the more recent books that you've written?   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 56:15 Well, after this, this book for the IT trade association experience, I started working on another book in a very different arena, I I got involved in multiple support groups, for people and families, which are involved with addiction due to a problem in my current family. And due to all this experience, I had previously in in other voluntary movements, I was telling you before, then, I was able to understand the significance of this and also to ask questions, which most participants had never made before. So I was led to get to get in touch with the founders, the leaders and I myself, decided to research subjects which had not been researched before. Maybe you are the audience have heard about the Serenity Prayer which aims in the surface due to Alcoholics Anonymous, which is used in most of mutual support groups are most people just repeat it in a very mechanical way. And don't think about it at all. Think what it really means. Yeah. I had the that was another very interesting coincidence. One of the founders of the movement, I participated at the time, was an American priest, the father issues with Father, which was American, he was born in southern Texas near to the Mexican border and came here to Brazil at the end of the 60s, he lived pulled up 200 years and nine months in age. And during his last, let's say, five or six years of life, in fact, I, I had a lot of interaction with him. And he is has written the foreword to this book I wrote about the Serenity Prayer. He even instigated me to publish this book in the United States, put me in contact with some Jesuits in America. But then the pandemic came in. So this is still on the my to do list.   Michael Hingson ** 59:03 I hope it does get published in the United States, I think it would be very beneficial to do it, what got you involved in the whole issue of religion and, you know, in spirituality and so on,   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 59:17 but in fact, it's not. Religion and Spirituality are mixed up with you two interests or by many people, but in fact, they in my vision, they are two very different concepts. I was born in a Jewish family so I, I have this this word view since a child but I've never been orthodox. So I've always been open to to understand other people and even over time, participated in many other cultures. But the main fact is, when you look at religions, they try to explain how you have to behave or what's expected in order for you to get some kind of reward. Maybe in this world, or I suppose the next word, or will be after our, that's us, physically, humans. And Spirituality, in my view is something very different that spirituality is, in fact, a couple of rules, which teach you how to behave, how to act, so that you can benefit from that, and others are not damaged, by the way you are acting. And it's about interaction and action. And this is very different from religion, if you look at human history, doesn't matter. If you look at Western civilization, like the crusades in the middle age, or what's happening over the centuries in India, there are a lot of human wars, which have been fought just for religious differences. So that's a very, very complicated subject, which we could be talking about for hours, hours. Yeah. Well, I have even a whole speech about the subject, telling you this history of religions and how spirituality is different, is a very interesting subject. And it's, it is the subjects I touched in this last book. What   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:53 is so unfortunate is God is God, everywhere. But every religion thinks that it's the only way to get to God. And it's, it's, and God just supports that religion. And neither of those is true.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 1:02:11 In fact, the most religious leaders tried tried to use this as a way of, in some way gaining power. Yeah. That's what history has, has shown us.   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:28 Yeah, it's it's not that way at all.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 1:02:33 Of course, but the I think the this process of people understanding this and acting in a way, which is collectively positive for the whole of humanity, and it is, in fact, something which is still in its beginnings, we still have wars, for religious reasons.   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:01 Why Well, or we have wars and people, some of the people try to say it's for religious reasons, but it's not I mean, look at we've experienced over, you know, a little while the whole issue with Israel and Hamas and Israel, and and I'm not gonna say the Muslim world, because I think it isn't. It doesn't need to be that way. If you deal with the fact that in reality, that's the same God. But some people try to use it again for their own purposes, rather than really being very spiritual about it at all.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 1:03:39 Yeah, the fact that the moment you fire doesn't matter if it's a rifle or a missile, or a bomb, you are damaging another human. So yeah, at that moment, you have stopped having a spiritual behavior, right, because you're out there in one direction you are sending in a nation. Yeah.   Michael Hingson ** 1:04:02 You mentioned mutual support groups. Tell me more about that.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 1:04:08 Well, the this is what I mentioned, who wrote the foreword to my book. He was responsible, his name is was Harold ROM, and he brought to Brazil an American movement called the Townsville app to help families of people involved with addiction. That's got some kind of adaptation here in Brazil. And after a couple of years, this is movement is still active, but I participated there also. But I had some, some problems with it after this. This book came out I At some very difficult problems there. I think this, they were very, very stuck at what they had made up and didn't want to change anything. And I think the main reason behind is this, the contents I set up in this book that we're showing something was really needed. Now over any, any human invention needs to be adapted over time, because we are not, God, now we are not perfect. Makeup up can always be entered. And so now for it's now almost four years, we have set up a new organization called Conscious laughs translating it from Portuguese, which has the same purpose. But we have done a lot of updates to the methodology and having expanded it to cover not only addiction, but also other kinds of very difficult situations people can have in life, like, for example, people who have children with strong disabilities like autism, or, or others, which are really difficult to handle. So,   Michael Hingson ** 1:06:25 have you had any addiction issues in your family? Yeah. So that brings a personal and a little bit closer to home?   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 1:06:35 Yes, of course, the the addiction in society is still kind of taboo. And you know, most people don't know what's happening. Most people don't want to learn about it. And it's very, very, at least here in Brazil, most people who are not informed about the subject tend to do some moral judgment, while in fact, it's a disease. Yeah.   Michael Hingson ** 1:07:12 I know. And there are a lot of people who drink a lot of alcohol. I've never liked the taste of alcohol, I can drink wine, and I can occasionally have a drink. But I've seen people drunk. And I just don't ever want to be in that position. It doesn't help. I've seen how people behave. And some of the times it's not been from a person who's an alcoholic, they just overindulged once, when I was in college, there was one. One colleague, who just drank to excess one night, he wasn't an alcoholic, he never did it again. But he got really sick from all the drinking. He never did that, again, least in the time that I knew him. But you know, it's, it's a problem. And we, we also try to use some of those things to cover up our own fears. And we don't learn to deal with those either.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 1:08:13 In fact, for whatever it is, most people are in this situation you are mentioning, they get sequenced, they consider it very, very bad to be in that situation. And don't repeat it. But that's another arena where science is still in depth with humanity. And there is a small group of people, which go into addiction very easily that is the but stay saints after using alcohol or other substances is so important for them that they transform themselves in a kind of slaves. Repeat this experience, again and again and again. And medicine already knows that when you repeat this process, the amount of alcohol or other substances, you need to provoke the same result in in your body gets bigger and bigger. So that's the reason why people who start to drink regularly then drink every time more as the in general, this brings huge health problems for people when they don't stop and it beings from other other kinds of what's called the more heavy drugs. In general, are people's people stop earlier because the consequences come up rapidly and   Michael Hingson ** 1:09:52 for the people who don't want to face the consequences, and it's not only a problem for them, but it becomes more of a problem for all of us. Yes,   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 1:09:58 and for people who We live with them. That's the point. Yeah. Every single person who's in addiction provokes problems for at least four other people around them. And that's the reason why these support groups exist, because supporting these people is not as a standard public policy, up to this moment in any country in the world, I know. Yeah, governments are into what's called the drug wars, and not about the process of healing families. Some health organizations around the world, help people who are in addiction, but the families around them have very little support. And   Michael Hingson ** 1:10:51 so they don't know what to do about it. And when well   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 1:10:55 not really know what to do, but it's so that the addiction changes people's right, you're very radically, right. This is it, this creates emotion, very strong emotions inside us when you live together with up to the point you think you are the worst person in the world, you're having a church problems that nobody else have passed through this. And this is not true. In fact, everyone who goes through this process has the same kind of behavior, but at this is taboo, you have no access to this information, then you are put into this obviously, the first thing we say in support groups, when you come in as you are not alone. There are a lot of people who have gone through the same process.   Michael Hingson ** 1:11:49 And that's the real point. And that's the value of support groups is that there are people who have been there they've been they've done that. And if you let them into your lives, and you learn a lot more about how to deal with it, and how to address it. Well, what kind of activities and initiatives do you have coming up? What's next for you?   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 1:12:11 Well, I, I'm I told you at the beginning of our conversation, I am into transforming my abilities in time management and discipline into a methodology is become probably another book will become, obviously, a lot of teachings. And structuring this kind of thing is very, it's a very, has to be done very carefully. Because you are you are involved directly with people's life. So the idea is helping people to live more significantly to balance all areas of life. It's customary that people say I don't have time to do that, and that, but it's just a matter of choices. No, every day, every moment we can choose what we want to do.   Michael Hingson ** 1:13:14 Always a bad choice.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 1:13:15 Yeah, exactly. And choice. So this has to be done very carefully. And I think this this many experiences I've been telling you about has put me into a situation where I can understand the impact of this is it's very different when you talk about something like this with people like us in American scenario or if you look at people in other cultures. So this has to be in respected, but at the same time, humans are although there are differences, we have also similarities which can be explored if we are carefully to to deliver this, I believe worldwide. But this is a huge pretension and I am doing it carefully. So that it really goes through it. I'm not in a hurry to to produce this publicly. But I'm already developed some speeches with some parts of this. I think people are liking it. Well,   Michael Hingson ** 1:14:35 I hope it gets translated into English as it gets done and I can I would love to read it.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 1:14:42 In fact, we'll do the work we are doing in the cultures of movement. We are already developing many things in various languages. And while you were asking me the previous question, I was remembering a phrase from Elizabeth Gilbert now, he wrote that about their share experience traveling in the Middle East and then to the Far East. He was into the film, maybe you heard about her. And she was also a person which addiction problems. And there's a phrase I remember too, when you were talking about religion and spirituality, and he, she says that religions are the way they promise you to save you from hell. And spirituality is for those who have already been in hell.   Michael Hingson ** 1:15:42 That point? Well, I want to thank you for being with us. We, we've done well over an hour. And that's fine. That means we've, we've enjoyed it. And I hope everyone listening has enjoyed it. And I really appreciate you being here. And I hope that you listening, enjoyed this and found it useful and inspiring and helpful as well. Love to hear your thoughts. So how can people reach out to you learn about what you do as a consultant and so on? And if they'd like to reach out how do they do that?   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 1:16:19 Well, the easiest way is, I have a website. That personal my personal website is ROberto C. Meyer, my name.com.br is spelled out that I have a QR code projected here in my background where people can access this directly.   Michael Hingson ** 1:16:38 Could you go ahead and spell the website? Yes,   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 1:16:42 it's the domain name is. My name is Roberto our R O B E R, T. O. C, which is the initial of my middle name. Mayer my surname M q y e r.com.br. From Brazil, Brazil, right.   Michael Hingson ** 1:17:06 Okay. Well, I hope people will reach out. I very much enjoyed this and also want to keep in touch, we can certainly explore that. But I want to thank you. And I also want to thank you for listening. If you'd like to reach out to me any one you're welcome to do that. I'd love to get your thoughts and comments. Feel free to email me at Michaelhi m i c h a e l h i at accessibe A c c e s s i b e.com. Or go to our website, www dot Michael hingson.com/podcast. And hingson is h i n g s o n So www dot Michael hingson.com/podcast. Wherever you're listening, please give us a five star rating. We love those ratings. And we really value them and appreciate them and all of the comments that you want to make. So please give us a five star rating and review the podcast and hope you'll listen to other episodes if you haven't if you just discovered us. Welcome I hope to see you on more of these. And Roberto one last time I want to thank you for being with us and spending all your time.   Roberto Carlos Mayer ** 1:18:10 Thanks to you, Michael for your invitation.   Michael Hingson ** 1:18:23 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com . AccessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for Listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.

This episode focuses on the entry of computers into the chemical laboratory, which began in tiny doses in 1948, but expanded in the 1960s with the LINC at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a forerunner of the PC. We talk also of the growth of computers used to calculate and model molecular structures, from the 1950s use with x ray crystallography and some ab initio calculations, through semi-empirical calculations in 1965 and early computer graphics. The 1960s saw the introduction of the Cooley-Tukey fast-Fourier transform (FFT) for quick spectroscopy, which led to dedicated FFT spectrometers by the 1970s. Microcomputers became a part of computer laboratories in the 1970s and 1980s, from electrochemistry to analytical chemistry, and the very beginnings of computerized automation. And thus began the computer revolution in the laboratory in the 1980s.Support the show Support my podcast at https://www.patreon.com/thehistoryofchemistry Tell me how your life relates to chemistry! E-mail me at steve@historyofchem.com Get my book, O Mg! How Chemistry Came to Be, from World Scientific Publishing, https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/12670#t=aboutBook

Interview with Forrest Mims III, Electronics Author Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays Sponsors: 8-Bit Classics  Arcade Shopper   Books: Forrest's first memoir "Siliconnections: Coming of Age in the Electronic Era" - https://amzn.to/48wmIao  Forrest's best-selling book "Getting Started in Electronics" - https://amzn.to/3LDExdY  Forrest's upcoming book "Maverick Scientist: My Adventures as an Amateur Scientist" - https://amzn.to/3PAgP3k  Hello, and welcome to episode 130 of the Floppy Days Podcast for September 2023.  I'm your host, Randy Kindig, and I'll be bringing you this podcast as the beautiful fall weather and foliage descends on central Indiana.  I love the podcast, and I love the computer shows that start popping up in the fall, which you'll hear more about on this show. I feel like I've been EXTREMELY lucky lately, in being able to get interviews with some outstanding contributors to the early home computer era of the late 70's and early 80's.  As you know, I've had interviews recently published with Paul Terrell, who jump-started the early Apple Computer with his purchase of their first 50 Apple I's.  Those interviews will continue as Paul and I continue to talk.  Additionally, I also recently was able to talk with one of the most prolific, impactful authors of electronics books and kits on the planet, Mr. Forrest Mims III.  I would be surprised if just about every listener of this podcast hasn't heard of Forrest and wasn't impacted in some positive manner by his terrific tutorials on electronics.  In this episode, Forrest and I talk about his early involvement with the creation of MITS and the Altair, how he got into publishing numerous books for Radio Shack, and much, much more.  Forrest is still extremely busy and involved with the scientific community today and was happy to share his story.  Almost as happy as we are to have been able to talk with him. Before we talk with Forrest, I will give a short run-down of what I've been up to and new acquisitions (that's where the computer show discussion comes in). New Acquisitions/What I've Been Up To TS2068 Twister/HDMI board - https://www.andertone.com/product/the-twist/  TS2068 OS64 board - https://www.andertone.com/product/zebra-os-64-cartridge-for-timex-sinclair-2068/  HDMI cable - https://www.amazon.com/Genesis-Original-Master-System-Console/dp/B07Z5W7QS7/  2068 Personal Color Computer User Manual - https://www.andertone.com/product/timex-sinclair-2068-personal-color-computer-user-manual/  T/S 2068 Basics and Beyond by Sharon Zardetto Aker - https://www.andertone.com/product/t-s-2068-basics-and-beyond/  The Essential Guide to Timex/Sinclair Home Computers - https://www.andertone.com/product/the-essential-guide-to-timex-sinclair-home-computers/  TS2068 group on groups.io - https://groups.io/g/TS2068  “Back Into the Storm” by Bil Herd and Margaret Morabito (autographed) - https://www.8bitclassics.com/product/back-into-the-storm-a-design-engineers-story-of-commodore-computers-in-the-1980s/  modern power supply for TS2068 - https://www.andertone.com/product/ts-2068-power-supply/  M100/T102/T200 TPDD1 boot disk - https://www.arcadeshopper.com/wp/store/#!/TPDD1-disk-26-3808/p/141211027  TI99 CF7+ case - https://www.arcadeshopper.com/wp/store/#!/3D-printed-case-for-CF7/p/80201708  Upcoming Shows Tandy Assembly - Sep. 29-Oct. 1 - Courtyard by Marriott in Springfield, Ohio - http://www.tandyassembly.com/  Amiga38 Germany - Oct. 6-7 - Das Rote Krokodil - Kunstwerk Mönchengladbach - https://amigaevent.de/WB.html  The Interim Computer Festival - Oct. 7-8 - Seattle, WA - https://sdf.org/icf/  AmiWest - October 14-15 - Sacramento, CA - https://retro.directory/browse/events/4/AmiWest.net  Dragon MeetUp - October 7-8 - The Centre for Computing History in Cambridge -  https://www.facebook.com/events/225011523831254/?ref=newsfeed  Portland Retro Gaming Expo - October 13-15, 2023 - Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR - https://retrogamingexpo.com/  Chicago TI International World Faire - October 14, 2023 - Evanston Public Library, Evanston, IL - http://chicagotiug.sdf.org/faire/   Mactoberfest Bay Area Meetup - October 14, 2023 - Belmont, CA - https://www.bigmessowires.com/2023/09/03/mactoberfest-bay-area-meetup-is-october-14/  World of Commodore - Dec. 2-3, 2023 - Admiral Inn Mississauga, Mississauga, ON - http://www.worldofcommodore.ca/  http://chiclassiccomp.org/events.html  Facebook show schedule - https://www.facebook.com/VintageComputerShows/  Interview Web site operated by Forrest - http://www.forrestmims.org/biography.html  History of MITS - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro_Instrumentation_and_Telemetry_Systems  Forrest at Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forrest_Mims  “The Altair story; early days at MITS.”, CREATIVE COMPUTING VOL. 10, NO. 11 / NOVEMBER 1984 / PAGE 17, Forrest M. Mims III - https://www.atarimagazines.com/creative/v10n11/17_The_Altair_story_early_d.php  Easy-to-understand guide to home computers by Forrest Mims III - https://archive.org/details/easy-to-understand-guide-to-home-computers  Digital computer book by Paul Malvino - https://www.amazon.com/Digital-computer-electronics-introduction-microcomputers/dp/0070399018/  Understanding Digital Computers by Forrest Mims III - https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Digital-Computers-Self-learning-Microcomputer/dp/B002E6HIAI/  Forrest's articles in Popular Electronics Magazine - https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Consumer/Archive-Poptronics-IDX/search.cgi?zoom_query=forrest+mims&zoom_page=2&zoom_per_page=10&zoom_and=1&zoom_sort=0&zoom_xml=0   

Before the World Wide Web, savvy computer users were flocking to USENET to participate in discussions on everything from the latest advance in computing to the worst jokes you could imagine. USENET is still around today. So what the heck is it?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eine neue Folge der Rubrik „Junge Startups” ist da!

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays Sponsors: 8-Bit Classics  Arcade Shopper   Welcome to Floppy Days #125 for April, 2023.  And I'm your host, Randy Kindig. We are currently in the year 1982 for home computers.  This episode is the continuation of a multi-episode arc that covers the Sinclair ZX Spectrum through all the usual topics.  This is the seventh of those, with the first having been the interview with John Grant of Nine Tiles, the second and third being coverage of the history of the Spectrum with Alessandro Grussu, the fourth being the interview with the author of the terrific book “The ZX Spectrum Ula: How to Design a Microcomputer”, Mr. Chris Smith, the fifth covering tech specs for the Speccy with Chris, and the sixth covering the topics peripherals, using the machine, and magazines with PJ Evans, Tour Guide and Sinclair curator at The National Museum of Computing on Bletchley Park in the U.K. The topics covered in this episode include books, software, ads, modern upgrades, emulation, buying one today, community, and Web sites.  Once again, my co-host will be PJ Evans, who did a wonderful job last episode.  This will be the final episode covering the ZX Spectrum, after setting the record in terms of number of episodes on Floppy Days about a single machine. As usual, I will also talk a bit about what I have been up to, including an update on any new acquisitions that have come my way.  In addition, I'll briefly tell you about upcoming shows of which I'm aware. Before we get started I want to mention the show sponsors for Floppy Days. https://www.8bitclassics.com, run by my friend Corey Koltz, is a great place to get vintage computer items.  This includes video cables, power supplies, PC boards, cartridges, upgrades and more for a wide variety of vintage computer platforms.  In the New Acquisitions section I cover each month on this show, often one of the items I talk about has been ordered from 8-Bit Classics.  Corey has been a friend of the show for some time and I really appreciate his support of the podcast.  Check out the site… he has some great stuff. https://www.arcadeshopper.com, run by my friend Greg McGill, is another terrific site to get vintage computer items.  Greg has a wide variety of hard-to-find items for a large number of platforms.  This is another site that I do and have done a lot of shopping at and have mentioned numerous times on Floppy Days.  If anything shows out of stock, just ping Greg through the contact form and he can check whether he has or can get more of the item for you. I also wanted to mention those listeners who appreciate the show enough to donate through patreon.com.  This includes Chris Petzel, Tony Cappellini, laurens, Richard Goulstone, Josh Malone, Andy Collins, Simon McCullough, Jason Moore, Quentin Barnes.  I really appreciate you guys and it helps offset the cost of running the podcast. Links Mentioned in the Show: New Acquisitions and What I've Been Up To Amiga 500 Parceiro - amiga.parceiro@outlook.com  Atari XEP80-II Case - https://thebrewingacademy.com/collections/atari-800-xl-xe-xel-xld/products/xep80-ii-by-mytek  FD sign and shirt - http://www.vistaprint.com  book - Over the Spectrum - https://amzn.to/3AmFaSZ  ZXPand+ Case - http://www.sellmyretro.com  Upcoming Shows Indy Classic Computer and Video Game Expo - April 29 & 30 - Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel, Indianapolis, IN - https://indyclassic.org/  The 64 bits or less Retro Gaming Festival - June 3-4 - Benton County Fairgrounds in Corvallis, Oregon (sponsored by the PortlandRetro Gaming Expo) - https://www.64bitsorless.com/  Boatfest Vintage Computer Exposition - June 23-25 - Hurricane, WV - http://boatfest.info  VCF Southwest - June 23-25 - Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center at University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX - http://vcfsw.org  Pacific Commodore Expo NW v4 - June 24-25 - “Interim” Computer Museum, Seattle, WA - https://www.portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=pacommex:start j KansasFest, the largest and longest running annual Apple II conference - July 18-23, 2023 - Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri - https://www.kansasfest.org/  Southern Fried Gaming Expo and VCF Southeast - July 28-30 2023 - Atlanta, GA - https://gameatl.com/  ZZAP! Live 2023 - August 12 - The Holiday Inn, Kenilworth, CV8 1ED - https://fusionretroevents.co.uk/category/zzap-live/  VCF Midwest - September 9-10 - Waterford Banquets and Conference Center, Elmhurst, IL - http://vcfmw.org/  Tandy Assembly - Sep. 29-Oct. 1 - Courtyard by Marriott in Springfield, Ohio - http://www.tandyassembly.com/  AmiWest - October 14-15 - Sacramento, CA - https://retro.directory/browse/events/4/AmiWest.net  Portland Retro Gaming Expo - October 13-15, 2023 - Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR - https://retrogamingexpo.com/  World of Commodore - Dec. 2-3, 2023 - Admiral Inn Mississauga, Mississauga, ON - http://www.worldofcommodore.ca/  Books books listed at World of Spectrum - https://worldofspectrum.org/archive/books  Spectrum Machine Language For The Absolute Beginner by William Tang 2020 - https://amzn.to/3Ix6mn3 (Retro Reproductions) Over the Spectrum by Philip Williams 2020 - https://amzn.to/3YFsbGu (Retro Reproductions)  Spectrum Games Bible 1982-1984 Paperback – June 11, 2008 by P Johns - https://amzn.to/3KfL0vy  ZX Spectrum Games Code Club: Twenty fun games to code and learn Paperback – November 23, 2015 by Gary Plowman  (Author) - https://amzn.to/3EgSFGk  Spectrumpedia by Alessandro Grussu (2 volumes) - https://www.alessandrogrussu.it/sp.html  Volume I (English) - https://amzn.to/3Ek9boX  Volume II (English) - https://amzn.to/3IGVwet  The Micro Kids: An 80s Adventure with ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and more Paperback – Illustrated, December 8, 2018 by Gary Plowman - https://amzn.to/3Klsan7  The ZX Spectrum Ula: How to Design a Microcomputer Illustrated Edition by Christopher David Smith - https://amzn.to/3IwGgjU  Sinclair ZX Spectrum : A Visual Compendium - https://www.bitmapbooks.com/collections/by-system/products/sinclair-zx-spectrum-a-visual-compendium  Software archive at World of Spectrum - https://worldofspectrum.org/archive  TOSEC at archive.org by Lady Eklipse - https://archive.org/details/zx-spectrum-tosec-set-v-2020-02-18-lady-eklipse  Top 10 games - https://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/30-best-zx-spectrum-games-594151  1. Elite – Firebird Games 2. R-Type – Electric Dreams Software 3. Chuckie Egg - A'n'F Software 4. Manic Miner - Bug-Byte Software Ltd 5. Knight Lore - Ultimate Play The Game 6. Back to Skool - Microsphere 7. Football Manager - Addictive Games Ltd 8. Lunar Jetman - Ultimate Play The Game 9. Horace Goes Skiing – Beam Software 10. Boulder Dash – Front Runner Productivity and Education Software from Sinclair Catalog (all cassette) - https://archive.org/details/sinclair-research/ZX%20Spectrum%20Software%20Catalog/mode/2up  Ads and Appearances Starring the Computer - http://www.starringthecomputer.com/  Ad - http://www.retro8bitcomputers.co.uk/Sinclair/ZXSpectrum  Modern Upgrades ZX-AY external stereo audio interface for all ZX Spectrum models - https://www.bytedelight.com/?product=zx-ay-external-stereo-audio-interface-for-all-zx-spectrum-models  ZX-HD HDMI Interface - https://www.bytedelight.com/?product=zx-hd-hdmi-interface-with-ulaplus  DIVMMC - https://www.thefuturewas8bit.com/shop/sinclair/divmmcfuture.html SpectraNet - https://www.bytedelight.com/?product=spectranet-internet-interface-with-closed-case  Emulation Emulator list at World of Spectrum - https://worldofspectrum.net/emulators/  Spectaculator (paid) https://www.spectaculator.com/  Fuse: Windows - https://sourceforge.net/projects/fuse-emulator/files/fuse-utils/1.4.3/fuse-utils-1.4.3-win32.zip/download  macOS - https://fuse-for-macosx.sourceforge.io/ Linux - http://fuse-emulator.sourceforge.net/  Speccy - https://fms.komkon.org/Speccy/  Eighty One - https://www.aptanet.org/eightyone/  Retro Virtual Machine (RVM) - https://www.retrovirtualmachine.org/  ZEsarUX - https://github.com/chernandezba/zesarux/  ZX Spectrum 4 Android - https://www.zxspectrum4.net/android/  QAOP (browser-based) - http://torinak.com/qaop JSSpeccy (browser-based) - https://jsspeccy.zxdemo.org/  Community Facebook Spectrum Forever - https://www.facebook.com/groups/491247224287188  Spectrum for Everyone - https://www.facebook.com/groups/400461880300289  World of Spectrum - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1571053279836005  ZX Spectrum - https://www.facebook.com/groups/164156683632183  Twitter ZX Spectrum Code Club - https://twitter.com/zxspectrum_club  Mastodon Sinclair ZX Spectrum Bot - https://oldbytes.space/@zxspectrumbot@mastodon.cloud  Spectrum User - https://oldbytes.space/@spectrumuser@toot.wales  Forums AtariAge - https://www.atariage.com  https://worldofspectrum.org/forums/  https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/forums/index.php  https://www.sinclairzxworld.com/viewforum.php  Podcasts Our Sinclair: A ZX Spectrum Podcast by Amigos Retro Gaming - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/our-sinclair-a-zx-spectrum-podcast/id1454120857  Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/zxspectrum/  Web Sites Byte Delight shop - https://www.bytedelight.com  The Future Was 8bit shop - https://www.thefuturewas8bit.com/  Power supplies for Spectrum machines at Retro Games Supply - https://en.retrogamesupply.com/collections/other  Dr. Steve Vickers at YouTube - https://www.cs.bham.ac.uk/~sjv/  “The first ZX Spectrum prototype laid bare” article about John Grant - https://www.theregister.com/2019/03/05/the_first_zx_spectrum_prototype_laid_bare/  The official world archive for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum - https://worldofspectrum.org/  The Spectrum Show by Paul Jenkinson - https://m.youtube.com/user/BuckingTheTrend2008  The MagPi - https://magpi.raspberrypi.com/issues/67 Interview with Steve Vickers & Richard Altwasser - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLnuY3EKnWE  References Retro 8-bit Computers - http://www.retro8bitcomputers.co.uk/  Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX_Spectrum  Old-Computers.com museum - https://www.old-computers.com/museum/default.asp https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/

A common theme repeated when regarding the advancement of technology arrives in the phrase from Jurassic Park: "Our scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn't stop to think if they should." Yet outside of the metaphorical Silicon Valley, with the rise of AI, and the advancement of technology as a tool for surveillance, the conversation is evolving to reconsider the Rights of the Individual. Whether bitcoin could function as the antidote to centralized banking, or if encrypted communications are a threat to the nation state, part of considering technology is what is could do, and another is what it should do. Stagnancy is not an option. Surveillance, Counter Surveillance, Communications, and Enhancing the capabilities of cooperative technology, the Base Station by GridBase provides many of the benefits of computing technology for OffGrid and Decentralized applications. Jake Knight is the man behind GRIDBASE.Instagram:  @gridbasedotnet  Use Code REDACTED for 10% off a Base Station at www.gridbase.netSupport the REDACTED Culture Cast at redactedculture.locals.comMerch Available at redactedllc.comFollow us on Instagram at @redactedllcSupport the REDACTED Culture Cast at redactedculture.locals.comSSP and boutique products at redactedllc.comFollow us on Instagram at @redactedllc

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays Sponsors: 8-Bit Classics  Arcade Shopper   Welcome to Floppy Days #124 for March, 2023.  And I'm your host, Randy Kindig. We are currently covering the very productive year for home computers of 1982.  This episode is the continuation of a multi-episode arc that covers the Spectrum through all the usual topics.  This is the sixth of those, with the first having been the interview with John Grant of Nine Tiles, the second and third being coverage of the history of the Spectrum with Alessandro Grussu, the fourth being the interview with the author of the terrific book “The ZX Spectrum Ula: How to Design a Microcomputer”, Mr. Chris Smith, and the sixth covering tech specs for the Speccy with Chris. The topics covered in this episode include peripherals, using the machine, and magazines.  Next episode we will complete the ZX Spectrum coverage, by talking about books, software, ads, modern upgrades, emulation, buying one today, community, and Web sites. As usual, I will also talk a bit about what I have been up to, including an update on any new acquisitions that have come my way.  In addition, I'll briefly tell you about upcoming shows of which I'm aware and share any feedback I've gotten. Before we get started I want to mention that I now have some show sponsors for Floppy Days. https://www.8bitclassics.com, run by my friend Corey Koltz, is a great place to get vintage computer items.  This includes video cables, power supplies, PC boards, cartridges, upgrades and more for a wide variety of vintage computer platforms.  In the New Acquisitions section I cover each month on this show, often one of the items I talk about has been ordered from 8-Bit Classics.  Corey has been a friend of the show for some time and I really appreciate his support of the podcast.  Check out the site… he has some great stuff. https://www.arcadeshopper.com, run by my friend Greg McGill, is another terrific site to get vintage computer items.  Greg has a wide variety of hard-to-find items for a large number of platforms.  This is another site that I do and have done a lot of shopping at and have mentioned numerous times on Floppy Days.  If anything shows out of stock, just ping Greg through the contact form and he can check whether he has or can get more of the item for you. I also wanted to mention those listeners who appreciate the show enough to donate through patreon.com.  This includes Chris Petzel, Tony Cappellini, laurens, Richard Goulstone, Josh Malone, Andy Collins, Simon McCullough, Jason Moore, Quentin Barnes.  I really appreciate you guys and it helps offset the cost of running the podcast. Links Mentioned in the Show: New Acquisitions and What I've Been Up To Amiga 1000 - amiga.parceiro@outlook.com  Commodore SX-64 repair video by The Commodore Room - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Flsn_FD2zpA  Upcoming Shows Midwest Gaming Classic - March 31-April 2 - Wisconsin Center, Milwaukee, WI - https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/  VCF East 2023 - Apr 14-16, 2023 - InfoAge Science and History Museums, Wall, NJ - https://vcfed.org/events/vintage-computer-festival-east/  The Commodore Los Angeles Super Show - April 15-16, 2023 - Burbank VFW Hall, Burbank, CA - https://www.portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=class:start  31st Annual “Last” CocoFest - April 22-23, 2023 - Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago, Carol Stream, IL - https://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/  Indy Classic Computer and Video Game Expo - April 29 & 30 - Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel, Indianapolis, IN - https://indyclassic.org/  The 64 bits or less Retro Gaming Festival - June 3-4 - Benton County Fairgrounds in Corvallis, Oregon (sponsored by the PortlandRetro Gaming Expo) - https://www.64bitsorless.com/  Boatfest Vintage Computer Exposition - June 23-25 - Hurricane, WV - http://boatfest.info  VCF Southwest - June 23-25 - Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center at University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX - http://vcfsw.org  Pacific Commodore Expo NW v4 - June 24-25 - “Interim” Computer Museum, Seattle, WA - https://www.portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=pacommex:start j KansasFest, the largest and longest running annual Apple II conference - July 18-23, 2023 - Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri - https://www.kansasfest.org/  Southern Fried Gaming Expo and VCF Southeast - July 28-30 2023 - Atlanta, GA - https://gameatl.com/  ZZAP! Live 2023 - August 12 - The Holiday Inn, Kenilworth, CV8 1ED - https://fusionretroevents.co.uk/category/zzap-live/  VCF Midwest - September 9-10 - Waterford Banquets and Conference Center, Elmhurst, IL - http://vcfmw.org/  Tandy Assembly - Sep. 29-Oct. 1 - Courtyard by Marriott in Springfield, Ohio - http://www.tandyassembly.com/  AmiWest - October 14-15 - Sacramento, CA - https://retro.directory/browse/events/4/AmiWest.net  Portland Retro Gaming Expo - October 13-15, 2023 - Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR - https://retrogamingexpo.com/  World of Commodore - Dec. 2-3, 2023 - Admiral Inn Mississauga, Mississauga, ON - http://www.worldofcommodore.ca/  Feedback Claus, webmaster at www.mtxworld.dk  Using the Machine http://www.retro8bitcomputers.co.uk/Sinclair/ZXSpectrum  Popular Magazines/Newsletters https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:ZX_Spectrum_magazines  https://www.old-computers.com/museum/default.asp   Crash https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crash_(magazine)  Modern Crash - https://fusionretrobooks.com/collections/crash-magazine  articles for Crash written by Paul Evans - https://www.google.com/search?domains=www.crashonline.org.uk&sitesearch=www.crashonline.org.uk&q=paul%20evans  Your Sinclair  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Your_Sinclair  Current blog - https://www.ys3.org/  Sinclair User https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_User  https://archive.org/details/sinclair-user-magazine?&sort=-week&page=2  Spectrofon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectrofon  Sinclair Programs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_Programs  https://archive.org/search?query=Sinclair+Programs&and%5B%5D=mediatype%3A%22texts%22  ZX Magazin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX_Magaz%C3%ADn  References Retro 8-bit Computers - http://www.retro8bitcomputers.co.uk/  Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX_Spectrum  Old-Computers.com museum - https://www.old-computers.com/museum/default.asp  https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/   

Dontate at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays Welcome to Floppy Days #120 for November, 2022.  And I'm your host, Randy Kindig.  I hope everyone is well. We are currently covering the very productive year for home computers of 1982.  This episode is the continuation of a multi-episode arc that covers the Spectrum through all the usual topics.  I'm still unsure how many episodes we're going to end up with in this arc.  There's so much to talk about and so many knowledgeable people on the subject, that the Spectrum is probably going to set the illustrious Floppy Days record for the number of episodes about a single machine. This is the fifth of those, with the first having been the interview with John Grant of Nine Tiles, the second and third being coverage of the history of the Spectrum with Alessandro Grussu, and the fourth being the interview with the author of the terrific book “The ZX Spectrum Ula: How to Design a Microcomputer”; Mr. Chris Smith. As I don't know of anyone who knows more about the internals of this machine than Chris, as evidenced by his book, other than maybe the original designers, Chris continues to help me with this episode and we cover the tech specs of the Spectrum. As usual, I will also talk a bit about what I have been up to, including an update on the The Great Barn Find of 2022, as well as a few new acquisitions (beyond the barn find) that have come my way.  In addition, I'll briefly tell you about upcoming shows of which I'm aware and share any feedback I've gotten. Finally, while I usually abstain from talking about monetary support for this podcast, I do want to mention that I have a way for you to help if you have the  inclination.  I have a page set up at https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays where you can donate.  Any funds will be used to defray the cost of managing the podcast as well as acquiring new hardware to  talk about.  On that topic, I do intend to beef up the various Floppy Days offerings, including some additional content depending on the donation level at Patreon.  Look for that as soon as I've figured out what I want to offer and how to manage it.  I do want to send out a heart-felt thank you for everyone who has already contributed and continues to contribute! Before we get started, I want to apologize for the lateness of this episode.  It's being published a couple days into December due to my son having been in the hospital the past week.  However, I'm happy to report that he's home now and I'm delighted to be able to get this to you now.  I hope you enjoy it.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays  Welcome to Floppy Days #119 for October, 2022.  And I'm your host, Randy Kindig.  I hope everyone is safe and sound... We are currently covering the prolific year (for home computers) of 1982.  This episode is the continuation of a multi-episode arc that covers the Spectrum through all the usual topics.  I don't even know yet how many episodes we're going to end up in this arc.  There's so much to talk about and so many knowledgeable people on the subject, that the Spectrum is probably going to set the illustrious Floppy Days records for the number of episodes about a single machine. This is the fourth of those, with the first having been the interview with John Grant of Nine Tiles, and the second and third being coverage of the history of the Spectrum with Alessandro Grussu. In this episode, I talk with the author of the wonderful book “The ZX Spectrum Ula: How to Design a Microcomputer”; Mr. Chris Smith.  I don't know of anyone who knows more about the internals of this machine than Chris, as evidenced by his book, other than maybe the original designers.  In this episode, I interview Chris about him, his book, his collection and other topics. As usual, I will talk a bit about what I have been up to, including an update on the The Great Barn Find of 2022, attendance at a computer show, as well as a few new acquisitions (beyond the barn find) that have come my way.  In addition, I'll briefly tell you about upcoming shows of which I'm aware. Finally, while I usually abstain from talking about monetary support for this podcast, I do want to mention that I have a way for you to help if you have the  inclination.  I have a page set up at https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays where you can donate.  Any funds will be used to defray the cost of managing the podcast as well as acquiring new hardware to  talk about.  Thank you so much everyone who has contributed and continues to contribute! Links Mentioned in the Show: New Acquisitions and What I've Been Up To Apple GS monitor connector for CoCo - Mike Rojas, Facebook - (https://www.facebook.com/commerce/listing/392874865780089/?ref=share_attachment)  GFA BASIC - http://gfabasic.net/  “GFA BASIC Training Reboot Camp - A Beginning Tutorial for the GFA BASIC Interpreter” - https://docs.dev-docs.org/  “GFA BASIC Book - An intermediate programming tutorial for GFA BASIC” - https://docs.dev-docs.org/  GFA BASIC Atari Reference Manual  Tandy Assembly - http://www.tandyassembly.com  Vintage is the New Old with Paulo Garcia - https://www.vintageisthenewold.com/  Jeff Birt's Website at Tindie - https://www.tindie.com/stores/hey_birt/ Upcoming Shows Chicago TI International Worlds Faire = Oct. 29, Evanston Public Library, Evanston, IL - http://chicagotiug.sdf.org/faire/  World of Commodore = Dec. 3-4. - Mississauga, Ontario, Canada - https://www.tpug.ca/world-of-commodore/world-of-commodore-2022 - Virtual and Physical!  Interview with Chris Smith The ZX Spectrum Ula: How to Design a Microcomputer (ZX Design Retro Computer) Illustrated Edition  Chris' Web site - http://www.zxdesign.info/indexPage.shtml  Harlequin - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ZX_Spectrum_clones#Harlequin  ZX Spectrum 30-year Anniversary event - http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/news/23039/Celebrating-30-Years-of-the  MicroMen: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1459467/  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIcAyFVK0gE 

Lee Felsenstein went to the University of California, Berkeley in the 1960s. He worked at the tape manufacturer Ampex, where Oracle was born out of before going back to Berkeley to finish his degree. He was one of the original members of the Homebrew Computer Club, and as with so many inspired by the Altair S-100 bus, designed the Sol-20, arguably the first microcomputer that came with a built-in keyboard that could be hooked up to a television in 1976. The Apple II was introduced the following year. Adam Osborne was another of the Homebrew Computer Club regulars who wrote An Introduction to Microcomputers and sold his publishing company to McGraw-Hill in 1979. Flush with cash, he enlisted Felsenstein to help create another computer, which became the Osborne 1. The first commercial portable computer, although given that it weighed almost 25 pounds, is more appropriate to call a luggable computer. Before Felsensten built computers, though, he worked with a few others on a community computing project they called Community Memory.  Judith Milhon was an activist in the 1960s Civil Rights movement who helped organize marches and rallies and went to jail for civil disobedience. She moved to Ohio, where she met Efrem Lipkin, and as with many in what we might think of as the counterculture now, they moved to San Francisco in 1968. St Jude, as she became called learned to program in 1967 and ended up at the Berkeley Computer Company after the work on the Berkeley timesharing projects was commercialized. There, she met Pam Hardt at Project One.  Project One was a technological community built around an alternative high school founded by Ralph Scott. They brought together a number of non-profits to train people in various skills and as one might expect in the San Francisco area counterculture they had a mix of artists, craftspeople, filmmakers, and people with deep roots in technology. So much so that it became a bit of a technological commune. They had a warehouse and did day care, engineering, film processing, documentaries, and many participated in anti-Vietnam war protests. They had all this space and Hardt called around to find the computer. She got an SDS-940 mainframe donated by TransAmerica in 1971. Xerox had gotten out of the computing business and TransAmerica's needs were better suited for other computers at the time. They had this idea to create a bulletin board system for the community and created a project at Project One they called Resource One. Plenty thought computers were evil at the time, given their rapid advancements during the Cold War era, and yet many also thought there was incredible promise to democratize everything.  Peter Deutsch then donated time and an operating system he'd written a few years before. She then published a request for help in the People's Computer Computer magazine and got a lot of people who just made their own things. An early precursor to maybe micro-services, where various people tinkered with data and programs. They were able to do so because of the people who could turn that SDS into a timesharing system.  St Jude's partner Lipkin took on the software part of the project. Chris Macie wrote a program that digitized information on social services offered in the area that was maintained by Mary Janowitz, Sherry Reson, and Mya Shone. That was eventually taken over by the United Way until the 1990s.  Felsenstein helped with the hardware. They used teletype terminals to connect a video terminal and keyboard built into a wooden cabinet so real humans could access the system. The project then evolved into what was referred to as Community Memory. Community Memory Community Memory became the first public computerized bulletin board system established in 1973 in Berkeley, California. The first Community Memory terminal was located at Leopard's Record in Berkeley. This was the first opportunity for people who were not studying the scientific subject to be able to use computers. It became very popular but soon was shut down by the founders because they face hurdles to replicate the equipment and languages being used. They were unable to expand the project.  This allowed them to expand the timesharing system into the community and became a free online community-based resource used to share knowledge, organize, and grow. The initial stage of Community Memory from 1973 to 1975, was an experiment to see how people would react to using computers to share information.  Operating from 1973 to 1992, it went from minicomputers to microcomputers as those became more prevelant. Before Resource One and Community Memory, computers weren't necessarily used for people. They were used for business, scientific research, and military purposes. After Community Memory,  Felsenstein and others in the area and around the world helped make computers personal. Commun tty Memory was one aspect of that process but there were others that unfolded in the UK, France, Germany and even the Soviet Union - although those were typically impacted by embargoes and a lack of the central government's buy-in for computing in general.  After the initial work was done, many of the core instigators went in their own directions. For example, Felsenstein went on to create the SOL and pursue his other projects in personal computing. Many had families or moved out of the area after the Vietnam War ended in 1975. The economy still wasn't great, but the technical skills made them more employable.  Some of the developers and a new era of contributors regrouped and created a new non-profit in 1977. They started from scratch and developed their own software, database, and communication packages. It was very noisy so they encased it in a card box. It had a transparent plastic top so they could see what was being printed out. This program ran from 1984 to 1989.  After more research, a new terminal was released in 1989 in Berkeley. By then it had evolved into a pre-web social network.  The modified keyboard had brief instructions mounted on it, which showed the steps to send a message, how to attach keywords to messages, and how to search those keywords to find messages from others.  Ultimately, the design underwent three generations, ending in a network of text-based browsers running on basic IBM PCs accessing a Unix server. It was never connected to the Internet, and closed in 1992. By then, it was large, unpowered, and uneconomical to run in an era where servers and graphical interfaces were available. A booming economy also ironically meant a shortage of funding. The job market exploded for programmers in the decade that led up to the dot com bubble and with inconsistent marketing and outreach, Community Memory shut down in 1992. Many of the people involved with Resource One and Community memory went on to have careers in computing. St Jude helped found the cypherpunks and created Mondo 2000 magazine, a magazine dedicated to that space where computers meet culture. She also worked with Efrem Lipkin on CoDesign, and he was a CTO for many of the dot coms in the late 1990s. Chris Neustrup became a programmer for Agilent. The whole operation had been funded by various grants and donations and while there haven't been any studies on the economic impact due to how hard it is to attribute inspiration rather than direct influence, the payoff was nonetheless considerable.

Amy's back with us this episode, to have a bit of a natter about retrogaming, and why it means so much to us nostalgia geeks! And as it's us, we also take a few other nostalgic tangents, because why not? Back to the Eighties @ Twitter: @BTTEPOD Back to the 80's on Facebook: facebook.com/bttepod

Con un'intervista esclusiva Marco Marinacci, fondatore di quella che è stata la più iconica rivista italiana di informatica personale (MC Microcomputer), ci racconta gli esordi della sua carriera e di come sia stato il primo in Italia a parlare del fenomeno dei personal computer che stavano rivoluzionando il mondo. Ascoltate l'episodio per andare alla scoperta delle origini dell'editoria informatica italiana.

One of my first jobs out of college was ripping Banyan VINES out of a company and replacing it with LAN Manager. Banyan VINES was a network operating system for Unix systems. It came along in 1984. This was a time when minicomputers running Unix were running at most every University and when Unix offered far more features that the alternatives. Sharing files was as old as the Internet. Telnet was created in 1969. FTP came along in 1971. SMB in 1983. Networking computers together had evolved from just the ARPANET to local protocols like ALOHAnet, which inspired Bob Metcalfe to start work on the PARC Universal Packet protocol with David Boggs, which evolved into the Xerox Network Systems, or XNS, suite of networking protocols that were developed to network the Xerox Alto. Along the way the two of them co-invented Ethernet. But there were developments happening in various locations in silos. For example, TCP was more of an ARPANET then NSFNET project so wasn't used for computers on their own networks to communicate yet. Data General was founded in 1968 when Edson de Castro, the project manager for the PDP-8 at Digital Equipment Corporation, grew frustrated that the PDP wasn't evolving fast enough. He, Henry Burkhardt, and Richard Sogge of Digital would be joined by Herbert Richman, who did sales for Fairchild Semiconductor. They were proud of the PDP-8. It was a beautiful machine. But they wanted to go even further. And they didn't feel like they could do so at Digital. A few computers later, Within a year, they shipped the next generation machine, which they called the Nova. They released more computers but then came the explosion of computers that was the personal computing market. Microcomputers showed up in offices around the world and on multiple desks. And it didn't take long before people started wondering if it wouldn't be faster to run a cable between computers than it was to save a file to a floppy and get on an elevator. By the 1970s, Data General had been writing software for customers, mostly for the rising tide of UNIX System V implementations. But just giving customers a TCP/IP stack or an application that could open a socket over an X.25 network, which was later replaced with Frame Relay networks run by phone systems and for legacy support on those X.25 was streamed over TCP/IP. Some of the people from those projects at Data General saw an opportunity to build a company that focused on a common need, moving files back and forth between the microcomputers that were also being connected to these networks. David Mahoney was a manager at Data General who saw what customers were asking for. And he saw an increasing under of those microcomputers needed a few common services to connect to. So he left to form Banyan Systems in 1983, bringing Anand Jagannathan and Larry Floryan with him. They built Banyan VINES (Virtual Integrated NEtwork Service) in 1984, releasing version 1. Their client software could run on DOS and connect to X.25, Token Ring (which IBM introduced in 1984), or the Ethernet networks Bob Metcalfe from Xerox and then 3Com was a proponent of. After all, much of their work resembled the Xerox Network Systems protocols, which Metcalfe had helped develop. They used a 32-bit address. They developed an Address Resolution Protocol (or ARP) and Routing Table Protocol (RTP) that used tables on a server. And they created a file services application, print services application, and directory service they called StreetTalk. To help, they brought in Jim Allchin, who eventually did much of the heavy lifting. It was similar enough to TCP/IP, but different. Yet as TCP/IP became the standard, they added that at a cost. The whole thing came in at $17,000 and ran on less bandwidth than other services, and so they won a few contracts with the US State Deparment, US Marine Corps, and other government agencies. Many embassies used 300 baud phone lines with older modems and the new VINES service allowed them to do file sharing, print sharing, and even instant messaging throughout the late 80s and early 90s. The Marine Corp used it during the Gulf War and in an early form of a buying tornado, they went public in 1992, raising $28 million through NASDAQ. They grew to 410 employees and peaked at around $75 million in sales, spread across 7000 customers. They'd grown through word of mouth and other companies with strong marketing and sales arms were waiting in the wings. Novel was founded in 1983 in Utah and they developed the IPX network protocol. Netware would eventually become one of the most dominant network operating systems for Windows 3 and then Windows 95 computers. Yet, with incumbents like Banyan VINES and Novel Netware, this is another one of those times when Microsoft saw an opening for something better and just willed it into existence. And the story is similar to that of dozens of other companies including Novell, Lotus, VisiCalc, Netscape, Digital Research, and the list goes on and on and on. This kept happening because of a number of reasons. The field of computing had been comprised of former academics, many of whom weren't aggressive in business. Microsoft ended up owning the operating system and so had selling power when it came to cornering adjacent markets because they could provide the cleanest possible user experience. People seemed to underestimate Microsoft until it was too late. Inertia. Oh, and Microsoft could outspend on top talent and offer them the biggest impact for their work. Whatever the motivators, Microsoft won in nearly every nook and cranny in the IT field that they pursued for decades. The damaging part for Banyan was when they teamed up with IBM to ship LAN Manager, which ultimately shipped under the name of each company. Microsoft ended up recruiting Jim Allchin away and with network interface cards falling below $1,000 it became clear that the local area network was really just in its infancy. He inherited LAN Manager and then NT from Dave Cutler and the next thing we knew, Windows NT Server was born, complete with file services, print services, and a domain, which wasn't a fully qualified domain name until the release of Active Directory. Microsoft added Windsock in 1993 and released their own protocols. They supported protocols like IPX/SPX and DECnet but slowly moved customers to their own protocols. Banyan released the last version of Banyan VINES, 7.0, in 1997. StreetTalk eventually became an NT to LDAP bridge before being cancelled in the end. The dot com bubble was firmly here, though, so all was not lost. They changed their name in 1999 to ePresence, shifting their focus to identity management and security, officially pulling out of the VINES market. But the dot com bubble burst, so they were acquired in 2003 by Unisys. There were other companies in different networking niches along the way. Phil Karn wrote KA9Q NOS to connect CP/M and then DOS to TCP/IP in 1985. He wrote it on a Xerox 820, but by then Xerox was putting Zilog chips in computers and running CP/M, seemingly with little of the flair the Alto could have had. But with KA9Q NOS any of the personal computers on the market could get on the Internet and that software helped host many a commercial dialup connection and would go on to be used for years in small embedded devices that needed IP connectivity. Those turned out to be markets overtaken by Banyan who was overtaken by Novel, who was overtaken by Microsoft when they added WinSock. There are a few things to take away from this journey. The first is that when IBM and Microsoft team up to develop a competing product, it's time to pivot when there's plenty of money left in the bank. The second is that there was an era of closed systems that was short lived when vendors wanted to increasingly embrace open standards. Open standards like TCP/IP. We also want to keep our most talented team in place. Jim Allchin was responsible for those initial Windows Server implementations. Then SQL Server. He was the kind of person who's a game changer on a team. We also don't want to pivot to the new hotness because it's the new hotness. Customers pay vendors to solve problems. Putting an e in front of the name of a company seemed really cool in 1998. But surveying customers and thinking more deeply about problems they face - that's where magic can happen. Provided we have the right talent to make it happen.

We're joined by someone new this week - Sacha AKA Coffeehound RetroSharka! She's here to talk about one of favourite subjects here at BTTE Towers - computer games of the Microcomputer era! Spectrum, C64, even the BBC Micro, we'll talk about them all, with a few cameos from a few other characters! You think that there was a video game bust in the mid-80s - think again! Back to the Eighties @ Twitter: @BTTEPOD Back to the 80's on Facebook: facebook.com/bttepod

This concludes my series on the distinctive shape of early home computers. In this episode we finally cover the Sol-20 itself, the first system on the market to be shaped like a wedge. More generally, we try to figure out if the Sol-20 was the progenitor of hundreds of machines that followed, or if the wedge was inevitable. For such a simple question, this has become a surprisingly complicated topic. Selected sources: http://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/access/text/2012/10/102702231-05-01-acc.pdf - Lee Felsenstein, oral history at CHM http://www.leefelsenstein.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/I_Designed_the_Sol.pdf - Article about the Sol-20's design process http://www.leefelsenstein.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Felsenstein-Tabloid-BW.pdf - Tom Swift Lives! Like the show? Then why not head over and support me on Patreon. Perks include early access to future episodes, and bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/adventofcomputing

Today on Speedrun, Jamie and Jazzie are joined by Neil from RMC as they discuss cross-pond gaming, the wonders of cassette-based gaming, and incredible British microcomputers that the US and Canada never got.   Check out Neil on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLEoyoOKZK0idGqSc6Pi23w Check out the This Week in Retro podcast: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/q62n9-dd344/This-Week-in-Retro-Podcast Check out his Patreon (and maybe help him build a secret arcade) as well: https://www.patreon.com/RMCRetro/   Speedrun is now recorded via Riverside.fm! Record your own meetings or podcasts via Riverside using their premium recording tools for as low as $7.50 a month and support the show in the process by signing up through our affiliate link: https://riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_1&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=speedrun   This podcast is made possible in part by Podbean - who we're now affiliated with! If you're interested in some podcast hosting of your own, then check out Podbean and use the code "Speedrun" to help out our show, too - or just check them out using this link: http://podbean.com/speedrun ---- Email or DM us about joining our Discord server! Supported in part by Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stuffweplay Check out Speedrun on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/podcastspeedrun Email Jamie directly at jamie@stuffweplay.com Email Jazzie directly at jazzie@stuffweplay.com Theme Music by Woofle: https://soundcloud.com/leila-wilson-woofle New episodes every Friday!

Early home microcomputers have a very distinctive shape to them. From the Apple II and the ZX Spectrum, to the Commodore 64 and the Amiga, wedged were the order of the day. I've always wondered why that shape became so popular, and where it came from. Today we start a deep dive into that question, slowly tracing the origins of the first wedge shaped computer. Selected Sources: http://www.leefelsenstein.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/TST_scan_150.pdf The Tom Swift Terminal, or a Convivial Cybernetic Device https://archive.org/details/levy-s-hackers-heroes-computer-revolution "Hackers", by Levy http://www.s100computers.com/Hardware%20Manuals/Processor%20Technology/VDM-1%20Manual.pdf VDM-1 manual

Michelle Suedel is currently the Chief Information Security Officer for Guaranty and Title Co. In the role of Chief Information Security Officer, Michelle is the master of the slide puzzle, moving infrastructure and systems into place in order to streamline and standardize the infrastructure and security for the organization. Guaranty and Title Co. is based in Bismarck, ND with offices spread across North Dakota and Minnesota, and a small presence in Montana and Wisconsin. Michelle's strongest skill, and biggest blind spot, is asking questions! She likes to have all of the facts to analyze the situation, draw a conclusion as to the best path forward, and execute. Her goals include providing the most seamless technology and security process for the team members on a day-to-day basis and keeping the company in a recoverable position from any attack. Michelle's 20 years of experience in Information Technology and Security include a 14-year career in the banking sector, where she grew a department from her alone to a team of 10, facilitated the first 3 bank merger in the state of ND, developed all of the information security and technology policy and function, and coached and developed a great team of people. Michelle earned an Associate's Degree in Microcomputer and Network Technology and a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Information Technology. She also attained and maintains the following certifications: Certified Information Security Manager, Project Management Professional, Certified ScrumMaster, Certified Scrum Product Owner. Michelle has served in many volunteer activities for a variety of nonprofits organizations and is currently on the Board for Arise! Communities, a recently formed nonprofit that believes in inclusive technology education and embracing diversity in our community. Arise is currently fundraising in order to fulfill the role of an Executive Director. The three founding females have found high value in finding a dedicated person to organizing and developing training topics and sessions. Arise is also looking for people who like to share their knowledge that would contribute as a course instructor. The website, https://www.arisecommunities.com/, provides more detail about the organization and goals. Find Michelle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellesuedel/ Check out Michelle's Website: https://msuedel.weebly.com/ Books Mentioned: - Blink by Malcolm Gladwell - Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain - Crucial Communication by Gary Peterson - Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein - Clifton StrengthsFinder® (StrengthsQuest) ✦ SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss more tech tutorials and tech career tips videos:: http://bit.ly/SlyGittensYouTubeChannel ✦ LinkedIn Profile ➜ https://www.linkedin.com/in/slygittens/ ✦ Instagram Profile ➜ https://www.instagram.com/sly_gittens/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

The Integrated Circuit is born, Home computers storm CES and Atari orders massive chip inventory These stories and many more on this episode of the Video Game Newsroom Time Machine This episode we will look back at the biggest stories in and around the video game industry in March of 1981. As always, we'll mostly be using magazine cover dates, and those are of course always a bit behind the actual events. Peter is still out "on assignment" so we are joined again by Jon from the Retro Game Squad. http://retrogamesquad.libsyn.com/ Get us on your mobile device: Android: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly92aWRlb2dhbWVuZXdzcm9vbXRpbWVtYWNoaW5lLmxpYnN5bi5jb20vcnNz iOS: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/video-game-newsroom-time-machine And if you like what we are doing here at the podcast, don't forget to like us on your podcasting app of choice, YouTube, and/or support us on patreon! https://www.patreon.com/VGNRTM Send comments on twitter @videogamenewsr2 Or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/vgnrtm Or videogamenewsroomtimemachine@gmail.com Links: Jon's 7 Minutes in Heaven https://www.mobygames.com/game/asteroids-deluxe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEvQCLhkwGg Corrections: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/transcripts/tcw114 https://www.mobygames.com/game-group/sierra-hi-res-adventures https://www.mobygames.com/company/aventuras-ad https://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,82501/ https://archive.org/details/SoftwarePeopleDougCarlston/page/n9/mode/2up 1961: Fairchild introduces the IC https://www.nytimes.com/1961/03/15/archives/fairchild-introduces-circuits-in-miniature.html?searchResultPosition=1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairchild_Semiconductor The libraries of the year 2000 will be on computer tape https://www.nytimes.com/1961/03/28/archives/librarian-of-2000-may-be-computer-mathematician-gives-plan-for.html?searchResultPosition=2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_G._Kemeny 1971: Film editing goes non-linear thanks to computers https://www.nytimes.com/1971/03/14/archives/computer-to-save-millions-in-film-editing-due-soon-computer-to-save.html?searchResultPosition=11 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-linear_editing#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CMX_Systems https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CMX_600 https://web.archive.org/web/20080210020634/http://www.sssm.com/editing/museum/offline/cmx600.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npExd1D6mtI George Lucas makes his feature film debut with THX1138 https://www.nytimes.com/1971/03/12/archives/lucass-thx1138love-is-a-punishable-crime-in-future.html?searchResultPosition=66 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066434/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0 https://www.nytimes.com/1971/03/21/archives/wandas-a-wow-sos-thx-wandas-a-wow-sos-thx.html?searchResultPosition=121 1981: Electronic toys dissapoint at CES but video games come out swinging Toys Hobbies & Crafts March 1981, pg. 14 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_Electronics_Show https://videogamenewsroomtimemachine.libsyn.com/tom-dusenberry-interview Microcomputers take the stage at CES https://archive.org/details/creativecomputing-1981-03/page/n51/mode/2up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharp_MZ http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-japanese-pc-industry/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APF_Electronics_Inc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bally_Astrocade https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GRASS_(programming_language) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFnD_K3abOc https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellivision#Keyboard_Component https://videogamenewsroomtimemachine.libsyn.com/dan-daglow-interview-part-1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_8-bit_family https://www.mobygames.com/game/atari-8-bit/asteroids_ https://www.mobygames.com/game/atari-8-bit/missile-command_ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scram_(video_game) https://videogamenewsroomtimemachine.libsyn.com/michael-katz-interview-part-1 https://videogamenewsroomtimemachine.libsyn.com/tom-dusenberry-interview https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_VIC-20 https://www.mobygames.com/company/commodore-business-machines-inc https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX80 http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/sir-clive-of-zx/ https://www.mobygames.com/game/rockys-boots https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Instruments_TI-99/4A https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Instruments_TMS9918 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086567/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 https://videogamenewsroomtimemachine.libsyn.com/1979-fcc-reform-special-feat-quarterpast38 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC-8000_series https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TurboGrafx-16 Atari orders chips from Commodore https://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/06/business/briefs-030360.html?searchResultPosition=2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOS_Technology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_8-bit_family https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_2600 Membrane keyboards are vying for dominance https://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/05/business/technology-the-membrane-keyboard.html?searchResultPosition=32 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Membrane_keyboard Surge expected at the patent office https://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/14/business/patents-reagan-budget-asks-rise-in-patent-office-funds.html?searchResultPosition=18 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Patent_and_Trademark_Office Automated Simulations launches Epyx line https://archive.org/details/softalkv1n07mar1981/page/36/mode/1up https://www.mobygames.com/company/epyx-inc https://videogamenewsroomtimemachine.libsyn.com/video-game-newsroom-time-machine-0 https://videogamenewsroomtimemachine.libsyn.com/michael-katz-interview-part-1 Recommended Links: The History of How We Play: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/ Gaming Alexandria: https://www.gamingalexandria.com/wp/ They Create Worlds: https://tcwpodcast.podbean.com/ Digital Antiquarian: https://www.filfre.net/ The Arcade Blogger: https://arcadeblogger.com/ Retro Asylum: http://retroasylum.com/category/all-posts/ Retro Game Squad: http://retrogamesquad.libsyn.com/ Sound Effects by Ethan Johnson of History of How We Play and Enzo Maida.    

This episode is not about the IBM PC. In 1981 the Personal Computer would change the world. Really, it's hard to talk about home computing without diving into it. But I've always had an issue with the traditional story. The PC didn't come out of left field, IBM had actually been trying to make a home computer for years. In 1981 those efforts would pay off, but the PC wasn't revolutionary hardware for Big Blue, it was evolutionary. So today we are looking at that run up with SCAMP, the 5100, and the Datamaster. Like the show? Then why not head over and support me on Patreon. Perks include early access to future episodes, and bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/adventofcomputing

Andy from the Smorgaspod is back with us to talk about 80's and 90's video games, including what microcomputers and consoles we had as kids growing up!  It's all Sega vs Nintendo, Atari vs the ZX Spectrum, tape players, disks and carts, oh my! To be this good really does take ages. Back to the Eighties @ Twitter: @BTTEPOD Back to the 80's on Facebook: facebook.com/bttepod

GOD IS NOT HAPPY by Flo Taber-Brown This book is written so that people will realize many of the behaviors and thinking what our hearts feel is contrary to what is our operating manual. Flo Taber-Brown taught special education for many years before going to seminary to be a clergy member. She previously wrote a book entitled Microcomputers in Special Education. Flo and her husband have nine children, twenty-seven grandchildren, and twelve great-grandchildren. She is a hospital chaplain and a deacon in her church. https://www.stratton-press.com/books/god-is-not-happy/ http://www.bluefunkbroadcasting.com/root/twia/ftbrown.mp3

Welcome to the History of Computing Podcast, where we explore the history of information technology. Because understanding the past prepares us to innovate (and sometimes cope with) the future! Today we're going to look at an often forgotten period in the history of computers. The world before DOS.  I've been putting off telling the story of CP/M. But it's time. Picture this: It's 1974. It's the end of the Watergate scandal. The oil crisis. The energy crisis. Stephen King's first book Carrie is released. The Dolphins demolish my Minnesota Vikings 24-7 in the Super Bowl. Patty Hearst is kidnapped. The Oakland As win the World Series. Muhammad Ali pops George Forman in the grill to win the Heavyweight title. Charles de Gaulle opens in Paris. The Terracotta Army is discovered in China. And in one of the most telling shifts that we were moving from the 60s into the mid-70s, the Volkswagen Golf replaces the Beetle. I mean, the Hippies shifted to Paul Anka, Paper Lace, and John Denver. The world was settling down. And the world was getting ready for something to happen. A lot of people might not have known it yet, but the Intel 8080 series of chips was about to change the world. Gary Kildall could see it. He'd bought the first commercial microprocessor, the Intel 4004 when it came out in 1971. He'd been enamored and consulted with Intel. He finished his doctorate in computer science and went tot he Naval Postgraduate School in Monterrey to teach and developed Kildall's Method, to optimize compilers. But then he met the 8080 chip.  The Intel Intellec-8 was an early computer that he wanted to get an operating system running on. He'd written PL/M or the Programming Language for Microcomputers and he would write the CP/M operating system, short for Control Program/Monitor, loosely based on TOPS-10, the OS that ran on his DECsystem-10 mainframe.  He would license PL/M through Intel but operating systems weren't really a thing just yet. By 1977, personal computers were on the rise and he would take it to market though calling the company Digital Research, Inc. His wife Dorothy ran the company.  And they would go into a nice rise in sales. 250,000 licenses in 3 years. This was the first time consumers could interact with computer hardware in a standardized fashion across multiple systems. They would port the code to the Z80 processors, people would run CP/M on Apple Its, Altair's, IMSaI, Kaypro, Epson, Osbourne, Commodore and even the trash 80, or TRS-80. The world was hectic and not that standard, but there were really 3 main chips so the software actually ran on 3,000 models during an explosion in personal computer hobbyists.  CP/M quickly rose and became the top operating system on the market. We would get WordStar, dBase, VisiCalc, MultiPlan, SuperCalc, Delphi, and Turbo Pascal for the office. And for fun, we'd get Colossal Cave Adventure, Gorillas, and Zork.  It bootstrapped from floppy disks. They made $5 million bucks in 1981. Almost like cocoaine money at the time. Gary got a private airplane. And John Opel from IBM called. Bill Gates told him to. IBM wanted to buy the rights to CP/M. Digital Research and IBM couldn't come to terms. And this is where it gets tricky. IBM was going to make CP/M the standard operating system for the IBM PC. Microsoft jumped on the opportunity and found a tool called 86-DOS from a company called Seattle Computer Products. The cool thing there is that used the CP/M Api and so would be easy to have compatible software. Paul Allen worked with them to license the software then compiled it for the IBM. This was the first MS DOS and became the standard, branded as PC DOS for IBM.  Later, Kildall agreed to sell CP/M for $240 on the IBM PCs. The problem was that PC DOS came in at $40. If you knew nothing about operating systems, which would you buy? And so even though it had compatibility with the CP/M API, PC DOS really became the standard. So much so that Digital Research would clone the Microsoft DOS and release their own DR DOS. Kildall would later describe Bill Gates using the following quote: "He is divisive. He is manipulative. He is a user. He has taken much from me and the industry.” While Kildall considered DOS theft, he was told not to sue because the laws simply weren't yet clear.  At first though, it didn't seem to hurt. Digital Research continued to grow. By 1983 computers were booming. Digital Research would hit $45 million in sales. They had gone from just Gary to 530 employees by then. Gangbusters. Although they did notice that they missed the mark on the 8088 chips from Intel and even with massive rises in sales had lost market share to Unix System V and all the variants that would come from that. CP/M would add DOS emulation.  But sales began to slip. The IBM 5150 and subsequent machines just took over the market. And CP/M, once a dominant player, would be left behind. Gary would move more into research and development but by 1985 resigned as the CEO of Digital Research, in a year where they laid off 200 employees.  He helped start a show called the Computer Chronicles in 1983. It has been something I've been watching a lot recently, researching these episodes and it's awesome! He was a kinda and wicked smart man. Even to people who had screwed him over.  As many would after them, Digital Research went into long-term legal drama, involving the US Department of Justice. But none of that saved them. And it wouldn't save any of the other companies that went there either. Digital Research would sell to Novell for $80 million in 1991 and various parts of the intellectual property would live on with compilers, interpreters, and DR DOS living on. For example, as Caldera OpenDOS. But CP/M itself would be done.   Kildall would die in a bar in Monterey, California in 1994. One of the pioneers of the personal computer market. From CP/M to disk buffering the data structure that made the CD, he was all over the place in personal computers. And CP/M was the gold standard of operating systems for a few years.  One of the reasons I put this episode off is because I didn't know how I would end it. Like, what's the story here. I think it's mostly that I've heard it said that he could have been Bill Gates. I think that's a drastic oversimplification. CP/M could have been the operating system on the PC. But a lot of other things could have happened as well. He was wealthy, just not Bill Gates level wealthy. And rather than go into a downward spiral over what we don't have, maybe we should all be happy with what we have.  And much of his technology survived for decades to come. So he left behind a family and a legacy. In uncertain times, focus on the good and do well with it. And thank you for being you. And for tuning in to this episode of the History of Computing Podcast. 

They don’t fit in your pocket. But in their day, minicomputers were an order of magnitude smaller than the room-sized mainframes that preceded them. And they paved the way for the personal computers that could fit in a bag and, eventually, the phones in your pocket.16-bit minicomputers changed the world of IT in the 1970s. They gave companies the opportunity for each engineer to have their own machines. But it wasn’t quite enough, not until the arrival of 32-bit versions.Carl Alsing and Jim Guyer recount their work at Data General to create a revolutionary new 32-bit machine. But their now legendary work was done in secret. Codenamed “Eagle,” their machine was designed to compete with one being built by another team in their own company. These engineers recall the corporate politics and intrigue required to keep the project going—and how they turned restrictions into advantages. Neal Firth discusses life on an exciting-but-demanding project. One where the heroes worked together because they wanted to, without expectations of awards or fame. And all three discuss how this story was immortalized in the non-fiction engineering classic, The Soul of a New Machine by Tracy Kidder. If you want to read up on some of our research on minicomputers, you can check out all our bonus material over at redhat.com/commandlineheroes. You’ll find extra content for every episode. Follow along with the episode transcript.

No one ever said hardware was easy. In Season 4, Command Line Heroes is telling 7 special stories about people and teams who dared to change the rules of hardware and in the process changed how we all interact with technology. The first episode drops January 28, 2020. Subscribe today and sign up for the newsletter to get the latest updates and bonus content.

Podcast main page: www.mspvoice.com/ Show-notes: www.mspvoice.com/msp-voice-episode-68/ Guest: Thomas O’Brien Company: IDEOLITY This week I welcome Thomas O’Brien with IDEOLITY to the show. Thomas is in the Kansas City area and has been in business since 1988. While it took Thomas and his partners about 3 years to settle on IT services, they have been going strong ever since. In 2008 they changed the name of the company to IDEOLITY to better reflect what they do and it’s also much shorter than the previous name. Even though Thomas has been doing IT services for over 30 years, this is actually his 4th career. With the introduction of the Microcomputer, Thomas taught himself the platform and started up a training company to train companies on how to use these new computers. This experience eventually led him to IT services. With an educational background in psychology and government, Thomas went back to school in 1991 and got his master’s in computer and information management. He says this additional education experience really helped him to better understand the business. Interestingly, IDEOLITY has always been “the IT resource” for their clients and has basically had them on monthly contracts. They were doing break/fix in the early days, mostly because things always broke. While they have a core group of clients who have been with them since the ’90s, many of their customers have been with them for about 10 years. Thomas also recommends continuing education and found some great resources at the Kauffman Foundation which helped him tie the technical to the business aspects at IDEOLITY. Listen to the end to understand the meaning of the title of this episode.

Just some quick reminders as you move from Outlines to your Budget assignment. Outline due 11/10. Budget due 11/17.

As a follow up from the Microcomputer episode, Skyblaze runs us through a number of SEGA games designed to work on MS-DOS.

With the topic suggested by BritGamer, Skyblaze takes a look at games released by SEGA, but on non-SEGA consoles or computers; well before they stopped making consoles themselves.

The idea behind the BrainCraft board (stand-alone, and Pi “hat”) is that you’d be able to “craft brains” for Machine Learning on the EDGE, with Microcontrollers & Microcomputers. On ASK AN ENGINEER, our founder & engineer chatted with Pete Warden, the technical lead of the mobile, embedded TensorFlow Group on Google’s Brain team about what would be ideal for a board like this. And here’s a first look! We’ve started to design a BrainCraft HAT for Raspberry Pi and other linux computers. It has a 240×240 TFT display for inference output, slot for Camera connector cable for imaging projects, a 5 way joystick and button for UI input, left and right microphones, stereo headphone, stereo speaker out, three RGB dotstar LEDs, two 3 pin STEMMA connectors on PWM pins so they can drive NeoPixels or servos, and grove/stemma/qwiic I2C port. This should let people build a wide range of audio/video AI projects while also allowing easy plug in of sensors and robotics! Most importantly, there’s an On/Off switch that will disable the audio codec so that when its off there’s no way its listening to you! #machinelearning #tensorflow #raspberrypi Visit the Adafruit shop online - http://www.adafruit.com ----------------------------------------- LIVE CHAT IS HERE! http://adafru.it/discord Adafruit on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adafruit Subscribe to Adafruit on YouTube: http://adafru.it/subscribe New tutorials on the Adafruit Learning System: http://learn.adafruit.com/ -----------------------------------------

The idea behind the BrainCraft board (stand-alone, and Pi “hat”) is that you’d be able to “craft brains” for Machine Learning on the EDGE, with Microcontrollers & Microcomputers. On ASK AN ENGINEER, our founder & engineer chatted with Pete Warden, the technical lead of the mobile, embedded TensorFlow Group on Google’s Brain team about what would be ideal for a board like this. And here’s a first look! We’ve started to design a BrainCraft HAT for Raspberry Pi and other linux computers. It has a 240×240 TFT display for inference output, slot for Camera connector cable for imaging projects, a 5 way joystick and button for UI input, left and right microphones, stereo headphone, stereo speaker out, three RGB dotstar LEDs, two 3 pin STEMMA connectors on PWM pins so they can drive NeoPixels or servos, and grove/stemma/qwiic I2C port. This should let people build a wide range of audio/video AI projects while also allowing easy plug in of sensors and robotics! Most importantly, there’s an On/Off switch that will disable the audio codec so that when its off there’s no way its listening to you! #machinelearning #tensorflow #raspberrypi Visit the Adafruit shop online - http://www.adafruit.com ----------------------------------------- LIVE CHAT IS HERE! http://adafru.it/discord Adafruit on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adafruit Subscribe to Adafruit on YouTube: http://adafru.it/subscribe New tutorials on the Adafruit Learning System: http://learn.adafruit.com/ -----------------------------------------

Jenna becomes a computer scientist! On this episode, with just a little coaching, she builds her first computer! A Raspberry Pi Zero W, to be precise. SayWhatRadio.com

Jenna becomes a computer scientist! On this episode, with just a little coaching, she builds her first computer! A Raspberry Pi Zero W, to be precise. SayWhatRadio.com

Richie Leahey breaks down the included components on the Raspberry Pi 3. He talks about his plans for his own Raspberry Pi and gives his reasons for using a clean Raspbian operating system.

Microcomputers were a significant part of gaming in the world for the better part of the 80s and early 90s.  In the United States, they were more of a hobby at lower price points or only for those willing to shell out large sums.  That all changed in 1982 when the Commodore 64 hit the market.  In other countries, the C64 was present and significant, but not quite to the degree as in the US.  In a time when the console world was crashing, the C64 became the go-to gaming platform for the early to mid 80s.  Special guest Eric Bouchard from Everyday Gamers joins Fred to discuss their childhood microcomputer with a plethora of great games.

Lecture 168 (15 August 1984)

Who knew that Chariot had a microcomputer revolutionary connected to a consultant on our staff? Turns out, we do. Bill Mensch co-invented the 6502 processor, the chip that launched the Apple 1, Commodore VIC-20, and many other devices - all in our backyard. The post TechCast #89 – Bill Mensch on the Microcomputer Revolution appeared first on Chariot Solutions.

In questo servizio si analizzano i vari modelli di microcomputer che, pur essendo grandi come carte di credito, garantiscono prestazioni in mille situazioni

Main Topic: The TRS-80 Model II   At this point in the podcast run, we are still in the late 1970’s time frame, and the TRS-80 Model II falls into that time frame for its release.  As usual, we’ll cover the history, technical specs, peripherals, Web sites, books, emulation and much, much more.  I am joined by special guest host Myles Wakeham who will help me cover this machine.  But first, I’ll cover new acquisitions, news, feedback, and an interview with Myles before diving into the TRS-80 Model II. Links Mentioned in the Show: New Acquisitions Holmes Engineering IM-2 TRS-80 Model I Memory Upgrade - http://www.trs-80.org/holmes-internal-memory/ News CoCo Coding Contest - http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php/CoCoCoding_1980_Contest The MISE Project - http://home.comcast.net/~bartlett.p/MISE/ DynoSprite - https://www.github.com/richard42/dynosprite RetroChallenge - http://www.wickensonline.co.uk/retrochallenge-2012sc/ VCF East X - http://www.vintage.org/2015/east/exhibit.php Feedback OSI Challenger advertisement on the back cover of the Dec 1980 Byte magazine - https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1980-12/1980_12_BYTE_05-12_Adventure#page/n403/mode/2up Magazines/Newsletters/Books/Manuals manual for the TRS 80 Model II in PDF - http://electrickery.xs4all.nl/comp/trs80m2/doc/Model_2_Operation_Manual_(19xx)(Tandy).pdf Trs-80 Means Business: Trs-80 Model II, With 64K (Diskette and Book) Hardcover – July, 1982 by Ted G. Lewis - http://www.amazon.com/Trs-80-Means-Business-Model-Diskette/dp/0471875651 User's Handbook to the Trs-80 Model II Computer Paperback – June, 1983 by Jeffrey R. Weber - http://www.amazon.com/Users-Handbook-Trs-80-Model-Computer/dp/0938862014/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418176303&sr=1-5&keywords=trs-80+model+II VisiCalc for the TRS-80 model II and model 16 computers (Microcomputer power series) 1982 by Edouard J Desautels - http://www.amazon.com/VisiCalc-TRS-80-model-computers-Microcomputer/dp/0697099555/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418176303&sr=1-7&keywords=trs-80+model+II Ads Marketing brochure for the Model II - http://www.trailingedge.com/trs80/TRS80Mod2.pdf Modern Upgrades FreHD hard drive emulator - http://ianmav.customer.netspace.net.au/trs80/emulator Emulation MESS - http://www.progettoemma.net/mess/system.php?machine=trs80m2 Videos Model II  Ramblings - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG0ABstKl4Q Unboxing a TRS-80 Model II by Devin2277 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTc7ceIwREA Reassembling the TRS-80 Model II (4 parts) by Devin2277 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKtbOwDVed0 Current Web Sites oldcomputers.net - http://oldcomputers.net/trs80ii.html home page of Kees Stravers - http://home.iae.nl/users/pb0aia/cm/modelii.html Ira Goldklang’s TRS-80 Revived Site @ trs-80.com - http://www.trs-80.com/wordpress/trs-80-computer-line/model-ii/ VanNatta Computer History - http://www.vannattabros.com/history2.html old-computers.com - http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=243 Dave’s Old Computers - http://classiccmp.org/dunfield/trs80/index.htm Digibarn Computer Museum - http://www.digibarn.com/collections/systems/trs80-model2/ PDF documentation for the Tandy TRS-80 model II - http://electrickery.xs4all.nl/comp/trs80m2/doc/index.html Bill Degnan’s Model II Restoration Project - http://www.vintagecomputer.net/browse_thread.cfm?id=184 Computer Museum of FJKraan (Yet Another Computer Museum) - http://fjkraan.home.xs4all.nl/comp/trs80m2/ References Wikipedia - http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS-80#Model_II_and_12

MEC 2010 For over 30 years, The Microcomputers in Education Conference has been a pioneer in providing a forum for discussion among educators, administrators, researchers, instructional designers and technology leaders. Since 1980, MEC has provided a rich and diverse learning experience through workshops, hands-on presentations, and exhibitors showcasing the newest technologies; equipping educators and students, industry leaders and administrators, publishers and product designers with the skills and knowledge they need to become innovators in the classroom, at home, and throughout the community. At MEC, we foster the spirit and determination, the promise and potential, of educators gathering to ‘network’ toward advancing education through technology. http://mec.asu.edu/

Download Generating and Testing Hypothesis Pt.1 Subscribe Recorded at the Microcomputers in Education Conference ’07 Generating and Testing Hypothesis Pt. 1 Show Notes: BBC Schools Science Clips are a collection of science simulations for the elementary grades. United Streaming Roller Coaster Simulations: Funderstanding Amusement Park Physics FOSSweb Intel Education, Showing Evidence Tool

I sat down with three high school students during the Microcomputers in Education (MEC) 2006 Conference in Tempe, Arizona, where I was invited to be a keynote speaker. These students are part of a program focusing upon migrant students' use of technology and interpersonal relationships skills. The students talked about their leadership roles, how they perceive leaders, and how the Conexiones Project has helped them succeed in their academic pursuits. Music for this episode was provided by Ted Scalzo, Bay Area High School in New York. The audio for this episode is quite poor due to the conditions in which we recorded. Plus, I did not have my mixer with me, so we had to use only one microphone and it was highly directional. I pointed the mic at the students rather than myself. Please pardon the quality, but I had to make a decision to go ahead with the recording or to miss this opportunity completely. I chose to record! If you have not done so already, I invite you to subscribe to this podcast in iTunes (free). Please feel free to leave feedback or comments here on this blog. Or, you can send me an email. In addition, please call in to the Think Like A Leader hotline at 206/984-3136 and leave a voicemail. I really do want to hear from you, especially if you have suggestions for improving this podcast or have ideas for future episodes.

  It's not 8 bits, but it's retro.  And it talks... Welcome to Show 035!  This week's Topic: The Texas Instruments 99/4A Microcomputer! Topics and links discussed in the podcast... Use your old DOS PC as a Commodore hard drive.  How?  With 64HDD... A 21st century recreation of a 1960s educational computer toy?  Now, that's retro!  Check out the DigiComp I v 2.0 from Minds-On Toys. If you're like me, and you think an Altair looked cooler than your modern-day LAN party case, have a look at the AltairPC project at Briel Computers. Commodore 64 native code, cooked on a SuperCPU C64 or PC.  Interested?  Check out Slang, recently updated! Wikipedia article on the TI 99/4A - great info, as always. Another of my favorite sites, Old Computers Dot Com, with their coverage of the 99/4A.  Check out the forums. An early 80s review of the 99/4A, from Creative Computing, on the Atari Magazines site.  Cool! Want to see some photos of the 99/4A, and it's various stuff?  Here's a Flickr site that will get you hooked up. The TI 99/4A Tech Pages - bits, bytes, schematics, pinouts - it's all here! There are several emulators for the 99/4A, including the Win994a simulator. The excitement continues with an annual fair in Chicago - couldn't find a main site, but there are videos of the event for your viewing enjoyment. Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to retrobits@gmail.com. For online discussions on Retrobits Podcast topics, check out the Retrobits Podcast forum on the PETSCII Forums page! Our Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan. Thanks for listening! - Earl  

Diciassettesima puntata. Qualche riflessione sulle ultime mosse di Microsoft, e su quello che invece avrebbe potuto fare per creare un sistema operativo veramente nuovo, senza chissà quante difficoltà... Inoltre, due riflessioni: la prima è sul perché in USA la Apple fa tantissime belle pubblicità televisive e in Italia no; l'altra è un ricordo dei bei manuali cartacei forniti un tempo con i computer. Mi scuso per gli sporadici pop audio. Sono bene accetti commenti, segnalazioni e critiche sul blog (http://www.felicemente.altervista.org/) o via e-mail (felicemente@altervista.org). (I brani musicali in sottofondo sono "Steam Train", "Aunt Louise", "Soon Enough", "Old Man Rocking Chair" e "Talkin Back", di John Williams, e sono distribuiti sotto licenze Creative Commons)