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@Kellam⚙️Бур This may come as a surprise, but: Nomadic identity is not an abstract concept or a science-fiction idea for the Fediverse.
It is reality. It exists. Right now. In stable, daily-driver software that's federated with Mastodon. And it has been for over a decade.
I'm literally replying to you here from a nomadic channel that simultaneously exists on two servers.
Nomadic identity was invented by @Mike Macgirvin 🖥️ (formerly American software developer of about half a century who has been living in rural Australia for decades now) in 2011 and first implemented in 2012. Almost four years before Mastodon was first launched.
In 2010, he had invented the Facebook alternative Friendica, originally named Mistpark and based on his own DFRN protocol.
Over the months, he witnessed lots of privately operated public Friendica nodes shut down with or without an announcement and the users on these nodes lose everything. He added the possibility to export and import Friendica accounts. But that would only help if a permanent shutdown was announced. It did not protect you against shutdowns out of the blue.
There was only one solution to this problem. And that was for someone's identity to not be bound to one server, but to exist on multiple servers simultaneously. The whole thing with everything that's attached to it. Name, settings, connections, posts, files in the file storage etc. etc., everything.
So in 2011, Mike designed a whole new protocol named Zot around this brand-new idea of what he called "nomadic identity" back then already.
In 2012, Mike forked Friendica into something called Red, later the Red Matrix, and rebuilt the whole thing from the ground up against Zot. Red was the first nomadic social networking software in the world, almost four years before Mastodon.
In 2015, ten months before Mastodon was first released, the Red Matrix became Hubzilla, the Fediverse's ultimate Swiss army knife.
I am on Hubzilla myself. This channel of mine is constantly being mirrored between its main instance on https://hub.netzgemeinde.eu and its clone on https://hub.hubzilla.de. Anything that happens on the main instance is backed up on the clone. I can also log into the clone and use that, and whatever happens there is backed up on the main instance.
https://hub.netzgemeinde.eu could go down, temporarily, permanently, doesn't matter; I still have my channel, namely the clone. And I can declare the clone my new main instance.
Well, Mike didn't stop at Hubzilla and its original version of the Zot protocol. He wanted to refine it and advance it, but in ways that wouldn't be possible on daily-driver software.
Zot went through several upgrades: Zot6 in 2018 (backported to Hubzilla in 2020, along with OpenWebAuth magic single sign-on). Zot8 in 2020. Zot11 in 2021 which had become incompatible with Zot6 and therefore was renamed to Nomad. Today's Nomad would be Zot12.
Also, in order to advance and test Zot, Mike created a whole bunch of forks and forks of forks. Osada and Zap for Zot6 in 2018, followed by another short-lived Osada in 2019. A third Osada, Mistpark 2020 (a.k.a. Misty) and Redmatrix 2020 in 2020 for Zot8. Roadhouse for Zot11 Nomad in 2021. All Osadas, Zap, Misty, Redmatrix 2020 and Roadhouse were discontinued on New Year's Eve of 2022.
The most recent software based on Nomad is from October, 2021. It can be found in the streams repository. It is officially and intentionally nameless and brandless, it has next to nodeinfo code that could submit statistics, and it is intentionally released into the public domain. The community named it (streams) after the code repository.
I also have two (streams) channels, one of which is cloned so far.
The newest thing, and that's what the Friendica and Hubzilla veteran @Tim Schlotfeldt ⚓?️? referred to, is nomadic identity using nothing but ActivityPub, no longer relying on a special protocol.
This was not Mike Macgirvin's idea. This came from @silverpill, the creator and developer of the microblogging server application Mitra. He wanted to make Mitra nomadic, make it resilient against server shutdown. But he didn't want to port it to Nomad. He wanted to achieve it with nothing but ActivityPub.
So he hit up Mike. The two came to the conclusion: This is actually possible. And they began to work on it. Amongst the results were several FEPs coined by silverpill.
This time, Mike did not create another fork to develop nomadic identity via ActivityPub. He did it all on the nomadic branch of the streams repository while silverpill did his part on a special development branch of Mitra.
In mid-2024, after enough sparring between (streams) instances, between Mitra instances and between (streams) and Mitra, Mike was confident enough that his implementation of support of nomadic identity via ActivityPub was stable enough. He merged the nomadic branch into the dev branch which ended up being merged into the stable release branch in summer.
Now, at this point, (streams) didn't use ActivityPub for nomadic identity. It still used the Nomad protocol for everything first and foremost, including cloning. But it understood nomadic identity via ActivityPub as implemented on experimental Mitra.
However, while it worked under lab conditions, it blew up under real-life conditions. At this point, (streams) had to handle so many different identities that it confused them, and it couldn't federate with anything yet.
In mid-August, while trying to fix the problem, Mike eventually forked the streams repository into Forte. It got a name again, it got a brand identity again, it got its nodeinfo back, it was put under the MIT license again.
But most importantly: Any and all support for Nomad was ripped out, also to get rid of a whole number of IDs, namely those for Nomad-actually-Zot12 and for Hubzilla's Nomad-actually-Zot6. Forte only uses ActivityPub for everything. And so, Forte also had to fully rely on ActivityPub for nomadic identity, cloning and syncing.
For almost seven months, Forte was considered experimental and unstable. For most of the time, the only existing servers were Mike's.
But on March 12th, 2025, Mike Macgirvin released Forte 25.3.12, the first official stable release of Forte. This is what Tim wrote about. Because this actually made it into Fediverse-wide news.
Not because it's nomadic. Nomadic identity has been daily-driven for over a decade now.
But because it uses ActivityPub for nomadic identity. Which means that you can theoretically make any kinds of Fediverse software nomadic now, all without porting it to the Nomad protocol first.
For the future, Mike and silverpill envision a Fediverse in which one can clone between different server applications. A Fediverse in which one can have one and the same identity cloned across multiple servers of Mastodon, Pixelfed, PeerTube, Mitra, Forte, Mobilizon, Lemmy, BookWyrm etc., all with the same name, all with the same content and settings (as far as the software allows; you will certainly not be able to clone your PeerTube videos to Mastodon and Lemmy).
Even if you don't intend to clone, it will make moving instances and even moving from one software to another dramatically easier.
If you're concerned about your privacy, let me tell you this:
Hubzilla's privacy, security and permissions system is unparalleled in the Fediverse. Except for that on (streams) and Forte which is another notch better.
I can define who can see my profile (my default, public profile on Hubzilla where each channel can have multiple profiles).
I can define who can see my stream and my posts when looking at my channel.
I can define who can see my connections (Hubzilla, (streams) and Forte don't distinguish between follower and followed; they aren't Twitter clones).
I can define who can look into my file space (individual permission settings per folder and per file notwithstanding).
I can define who can see my webpages on Hubzilla (if I have any).
I can define who can see my wikis on Hubzilla (no shit, I've got wikis on my Hubzilla channel).
On Hubzilla, I can define individually for any of these whether it's- everyone on the Internet
- everyone with a recognisable Fediverse account
- everyone on Hubzilla (maybe also on (streams); anyone using ActivityPub is definitely excluded here)
- everyone on the same server as myself (AFAIK, only main instances of channels count here, clones don't)
- unapproved (= followers) as well as approved (= mutual) connections
- confirmed connections
- those of my confirmed connections whom I explicitly grant that permission by contact role
- only myself
There's a whole bunch more permissions than these. And they all have seven or eight permission levels (depending on whether the general non-Fediverse public can be given permission).
On (streams) and Forte, I can define whether things are allowed for- everyone on the Internet (where applicable)
- everyone with a recognisable Fediverse account
- all my approved connections
- only me myself plus those whom I explicitly grant that permission in the connection settings
Yes, connection settings. Hubzilla, (streams) and Forte give you various ways of configuring individual connections, much unlike Mastodon. This includes what any individual connection is allowed to do.
Hubzilla uses so-called "contact roles" for that, presets with a whopping 17 permissions to grant or deny for any one individual connection. That is, what the channel generally allows, a contact role can't forbid.
(streams) and Forte still have 15 permissions per contact, but they lack some features which Hubzilla has permissions for. These permissions can be set individually for each connection, or you can define permission roles that cover all 15 permissions to make things easier.
Okay, how about posting in public vs in private? And when I say "private", I mean "private". It's "private messages" on Hubzilla, (streams) and Forte, not "direct messages".
Hubzilla, (streams) and Forte let you post- in public
- only to yourself
- only to your connections ((streams) and Forte only; Hubzilla requires a privacy group with all your connections in it for this)
- to all members of one specific privacy group (Hubzilla)/access list ((streams), Forte); that's like being able to only post to those on one specific list on Mastodon
- to everyone to whom one specific non-default profile is assigned (Hubzilla only)
- to a specific group/forum (I'll get back to that later)
- to a custom one-by-one selection of connections of yours
Now, let's assume I have a privacy group with Alice, Bob and Carol in it. I send a new post to only this privacy group. This means:- Only Alice, Bob and Carol can see the post and the conversation.
- Alice can reply to me, Bob and Carol.
- Bob can reply to me, Alice and Carol.
- Carol can reply to me, Alice and Bob.
- Nobody else can see the post. Not even by searching for it. Not by hashtag either. Not at all.
- Nobody else can see any of the comments.
- Nobody else can comment.
If one of them was on Mastodon, they'd see my post as a DM, by the way, and they could only reply to me. But that's Mastodon's limitation because it understands neither threaded conversations nor permissions.
Or how about reply control? This is something that many Mastodon users have been craving for quite a while now. Hubzilla, (streams) and Forte have them. Right now. And they work. They have since 2012.
Hubzilla optionally lets me disallow comments on either of my posts. Users on Hubzilla, (streams) and Forte won't even be able to comment; they won't have the UI elements to do so. Everyone else is able to comment locally. But that comment will never end up on my channel. It will never officially be added to the conversation. And at least users on Friendica, Hubzilla, (streams) and Forte will never fetch that comment from my channel as part of the conversation, i.e. never at all.
(streams) and Forte can go even further with all available options. They can disallow comments like Hubzilla. But in addition, they can allow only the members of one particular access list to comment, regardless of who can see the post/the conversation. On top of that, comments can be closed at a pre-defined point in the future. And then you even have a channel-wide setting for how long people can comment on your posts.
Oh, and there's even a setting for who is generally permitted to comment on your posts. And you can additionally allow specific connections of yours to comment on your posts.
Lastly, I've already mentioned groups/forums. Like, you know, Web forums or Facebook groups or subreddits or whatever. Like Guppe Groups on a mountain of coke and with moderation and permission control and optionally private.
Hubzilla has them, and it has inherited them from Friendica. (streams) has them. Forte has them. They're basically channels like social networking channels, but with some extra features. This includes that everything that's send to a group/forum as what amounts to a PM is automatically forwarded to all other members.
On Hubzilla, a forum can be gradually made private by denying permission to see certain elements to everyone but its own members (= connections): the profile, the members, what's going on in it. Depending on what you want or do not want people to see.
On (streams) and Forte, you have four types of forums:- public, and members can upload images and other files to the forum channel
- public, but members cannot upload images and other files to the forum channel
- like above, but additionally, posts and comments from new members must be manually approved by the admin(s) until their connections are configured to make them full members
- private, non-members can't see the profile, non-members can't see the connections, non-members can't see what's going on in it, but members can upload images and other files to the forum channel
In addition, on all three, a group/forum channel can choose to hide itself from directories. This is always an extra option that's independent from public/private.
What we have here is the most secure and most private Fediverse software of all.
And, once again, at its core, this is technology from 2012. It pre-dates Mastodon by almost four years.
Finally, if you want to know how Hubzilla and (streams) compare to Mastodon: I have made a number of tables that compare Mastodon, Friendica, Hubzilla and (streams).
#Long #LongPost #CWLong #CWLongPost #FediMeta #FediverseMeta #CWFediMeta #CWFediverseMeta #Fediverse #Mastodon #Mitra #Friendica #Hubzilla #Streams #(streams) #Forte #ActivityPub #Zot #Zot6 #Zot8 #Nomad #NomadicIdentity #Security #FediverseSecurity #Privacy #FediversePrivacy #Permissions -
@Kellam⚙️Бур This may come as a surprise, but: Nomadic identity is not an abstract concept or a science-fiction idea for the Fediverse.
It is reality. It exists. Right now. In stable, daily-driver software that's federated with Mastodon. And it has been for over a decade.
I'm literally replying to you here from a nomadic channel that simultaneously exists on two servers.
Nomadic identity was invented by @Mike Macgirvin 🖥️ (formerly American software developer of about half a century who has been living in rural Australia for decades now) in 2011 and first implemented in 2012. Almost four years before Mastodon was first launched.
In 2010, he had invented the Facebook alternative Friendica, originally named Mistpark and based on his own DFRN protocol.
Over the months, he witnessed lots of privately operated public Friendica nodes shut down with or without an announcement and the users on these nodes lose everything. He added the possibility to export and import Friendica accounts. But that would only help if a permanent shutdown was announced. It did not protect you against shutdowns out of the blue.
There was only one solution to this problem. And that was for someone's identity to not be bound to one server, but to exist on multiple servers simultaneously. The whole thing with everything that's attached to it. Name, settings, connections, posts, files in the file storage etc. etc., everything.
So in 2011, Mike designed a whole new protocol named Zot around this brand-new idea of what he called "nomadic identity" back then already.
In 2012, Mike forked Friendica into something called Red, later the Red Matrix, and rebuilt the whole thing from the ground up against Zot. Red was the first nomadic social networking software in the world, almost four years before Mastodon.
In 2015, ten months before Mastodon was first released, the Red Matrix became Hubzilla, the Fediverse's ultimate Swiss army knife.
I am on Hubzilla myself. This channel of mine is constantly being mirrored between its main instance on https://hub.netzgemeinde.eu and its clone on https://hub.hubzilla.de. Anything that happens on the main instance is backed up on the clone. I can also log into the clone and use that, and whatever happens there is backed up on the main instance.
https://hub.netzgemeinde.eu could go down, temporarily, permanently, doesn't matter; I still have my channel, namely the clone. And I can declare the clone my new main instance.
Well, Mike didn't stop at Hubzilla and its original version of the Zot protocol. He wanted to refine it and advance it, but in ways that wouldn't be possible on daily-driver software.
Zot went through several upgrades: Zot6 in 2018 (backported to Hubzilla in 2020, along with OpenWebAuth magic single sign-on). Zot8 in 2020. Zot11 in 2021 which had become incompatible with Zot6 and therefore was renamed to Nomad. Today's Nomad would be Zot12.
Also, in order to advance and test Zot, Mike created a whole bunch of forks and forks of forks. Osada and Zap for Zot6 in 2018, followed by another short-lived Osada in 2019. A third Osada, Mistpark 2020 (a.k.a. Misty) and Redmatrix 2020 in 2020 for Zot8. Roadhouse for Zot11 Nomad in 2021. All Osadas, Zap, Misty, Redmatrix 2020 and Roadhouse were discontinued on New Year's Eve of 2022.
The most recent software based on Nomad is from October, 2021. It can be found in the streams repository. It is officially and intentionally nameless and brandless, it has next to nodeinfo code that could submit statistics, and it is intentionally released into the public domain. The community named it (streams) after the code repository.
I also have two (streams) channels, one of which is cloned so far.
The newest thing, and that's what the Friendica and Hubzilla veteran @Tim Schlotfeldt ⚓?️? referred to, is nomadic identity using nothing but ActivityPub, no longer relying on a special protocol.
This was not Mike Macgirvin's idea. This came from @silverpill, the creator and developer of the microblogging server application Mitra. He wanted to make Mitra nomadic, make it resilient against server shutdown. But he didn't want to port it to Nomad. He wanted to achieve it with nothing but ActivityPub.
So he hit up Mike. The two came to the conclusion: This is actually possible. And they began to work on it. Amongst the results were several FEPs coined by silverpill.
This time, Mike did not create another fork to develop nomadic identity via ActivityPub. He did it all on the nomadic branch of the streams repository while silverpill did his part on a special development branch of Mitra.
In mid-2024, after enough sparring between (streams) instances, between Mitra instances and between (streams) and Mitra, Mike was confident enough that his implementation of support of nomadic identity via ActivityPub was stable enough. He merged the nomadic branch into the dev branch which ended up being merged into the stable release branch in summer.
Now, at this point, (streams) didn't use ActivityPub for nomadic identity. It still used the Nomad protocol for everything first and foremost, including cloning. But it understood nomadic identity via ActivityPub as implemented on experimental Mitra.
However, while it worked under lab conditions, it blew up under real-life conditions. At this point, (streams) had to handle so many different identities that it confused them, and it couldn't federate with anything yet.
In mid-August, while trying to fix the problem, Mike eventually forked the streams repository into Forte. It got a name again, it got a brand identity again, it got its nodeinfo back, it was put under the MIT license again.
But most importantly: Any and all support for Nomad was ripped out, also to get rid of a whole number of IDs, namely those for Nomad-actually-Zot12 and for Hubzilla's Nomad-actually-Zot6. Forte only uses ActivityPub for everything. And so, Forte also had to fully rely on ActivityPub for nomadic identity, cloning and syncing.
For almost seven months, Forte was considered experimental and unstable. For most of the time, the only existing servers were Mike's.
But on March 12th, 2025, Mike Macgirvin released Forte 25.3.12, the first official stable release of Forte. This is what Tim wrote about. Because this actually made it into Fediverse-wide news.
Not because it's nomadic. Nomadic identity has been daily-driven for over a decade now.
But because it uses ActivityPub for nomadic identity. Which means that you can theoretically make any kinds of Fediverse software nomadic now, all without porting it to the Nomad protocol first.
For the future, Mike and silverpill envision a Fediverse in which one can clone between different server applications. A Fediverse in which one can have one and the same identity cloned across multiple servers of Mastodon, Pixelfed, PeerTube, Mitra, Forte, Mobilizon, Lemmy, BookWyrm etc., all with the same name, all with the same content and settings (as far as the software allows; you will certainly not be able to clone your PeerTube videos to Mastodon and Lemmy).
Even if you don't intend to clone, it will make moving instances and even moving from one software to another dramatically easier.
If you're concerned about your privacy, let me tell you this:
Hubzilla's privacy, security and permissions system is unparalleled in the Fediverse. Except for that on (streams) and Forte which is another notch better.
I can define who can see my profile (my default, public profile on Hubzilla where each channel can have multiple profiles).
I can define who can see my stream and my posts when looking at my channel.
I can define who can see my connections (Hubzilla, (streams) and Forte don't distinguish between follower and followed; they aren't Twitter clones).
I can define who can look into my file space (individual permission settings per folder and per file notwithstanding).
I can define who can see my webpages on Hubzilla (if I have any).
I can define who can see my wikis on Hubzilla (no shit, I've got wikis on my Hubzilla channel).
On Hubzilla, I can define individually for any of these whether it's- everyone on the Internet
- everyone with a recognisable Fediverse account
- everyone on Hubzilla (maybe also on (streams); anyone using ActivityPub is definitely excluded here)
- everyone on the same server as myself (AFAIK, only main instances of channels count here, clones don't)
- unapproved (= followers) as well as approved (= mutual) connections
- confirmed connections
- those of my confirmed connections whom I explicitly grant that permission by contact role
- only myself
There's a whole bunch more permissions than these. And they all have seven or eight permission levels (depending on whether the general non-Fediverse public can be given permission).
On (streams) and Forte, I can define whether things are allowed for- everyone on the Internet (where applicable)
- everyone with a recognisable Fediverse account
- all my approved connections
- only me myself plus those whom I explicitly grant that permission in the connection settings
Yes, connection settings. Hubzilla, (streams) and Forte give you various ways of configuring individual connections, much unlike Mastodon. This includes what any individual connection is allowed to do.
Hubzilla uses so-called "contact roles" for that, presets with a whopping 17 permissions to grant or deny for any one individual connection. That is, what the channel generally allows, a contact role can't forbid.
(streams) and Forte still have 15 permissions per contact, but they lack some features which Hubzilla has permissions for. These permissions can be set individually for each connection, or you can define permission roles that cover all 15 permissions to make things easier.
Okay, how about posting in public vs in private? And when I say "private", I mean "private". It's "private messages" on Hubzilla, (streams) and Forte, not "direct messages".
Hubzilla, (streams) and Forte let you post- in public
- only to yourself
- only to your connections ((streams) and Forte only; Hubzilla requires a privacy group with all your connections in it for this)
- to all members of one specific privacy group (Hubzilla)/access list ((streams), Forte); that's like being able to only post to those on one specific list on Mastodon
- to everyone to whom one specific non-default profile is assigned (Hubzilla only)
- to a specific group/forum (I'll get back to that later)
- to a custom one-by-one selection of connections of yours
Now, let's assume I have a privacy group with Alice, Bob and Carol in it. I send a new post to only this privacy group. This means:- Only Alice, Bob and Carol can see the post and the conversation.
- Alice can reply to me, Bob and Carol.
- Bob can reply to me, Alice and Carol.
- Carol can reply to me, Alice and Bob.
- Nobody else can see the post. Not even by searching for it. Not by hashtag either. Not at all.
- Nobody else can see any of the comments.
- Nobody else can comment.
If one of them was on Mastodon, they'd see my post as a DM, by the way, and they could only reply to me. But that's Mastodon's limitation because it understands neither threaded conversations nor permissions.
Or how about reply control? This is something that many Mastodon users have been craving for quite a while now. Hubzilla, (streams) and Forte have them. Right now. And they work. They have since 2012.
Hubzilla optionally lets me disallow comments on either of my posts. Users on Hubzilla, (streams) and Forte won't even be able to comment; they won't have the UI elements to do so. Everyone else is able to comment locally. But that comment will never end up on my channel. It will never officially be added to the conversation. And at least users on Friendica, Hubzilla, (streams) and Forte will never fetch that comment from my channel as part of the conversation, i.e. never at all.
(streams) and Forte can go even further with all available options. They can disallow comments like Hubzilla. But in addition, they can allow only the members of one particular access list to comment, regardless of who can see the post/the conversation. On top of that, comments can be closed at a pre-defined point in the future. And then you even have a channel-wide setting for how long people can comment on your posts.
Oh, and there's even a setting for who is generally permitted to comment on your posts. And you can additionally allow specific connections of yours to comment on your posts.
Lastly, I've already mentioned groups/forums. Like, you know, Web forums or Facebook groups or subreddits or whatever. Like Guppe Groups on a mountain of coke and with moderation and permission control and optionally private.
Hubzilla has them, and it has inherited them from Friendica. (streams) has them. Forte has them. They're basically channels like social networking channels, but with some extra features. This includes that everything that's send to a group/forum as what amounts to a PM is automatically forwarded to all other members.
On Hubzilla, a forum can be gradually made private by denying permission to see certain elements to everyone but its own members (= connections): the profile, the members, what's going on in it. Depending on what you want or do not want people to see.
On (streams) and Forte, you have four types of forums:- public, and members can upload images and other files to the forum channel
- public, but members cannot upload images and other files to the forum channel
- like above, but additionally, posts and comments from new members must be manually approved by the admin(s) until their connections are configured to make them full members
- private, non-members can't see the profile, non-members can't see the connections, non-members can't see what's going on in it, but members can upload images and other files to the forum channel
In addition, on all three, a group/forum channel can choose to hide itself from directories. This is always an extra option that's independent from public/private.
What we have here is the most secure and most private Fediverse software of all.
And, once again, at its core, this is technology from 2012. It pre-dates Mastodon by almost four years.
Finally, if you want to know how Hubzilla and (streams) compare to Mastodon: I have made a number of tables that compare Mastodon, Friendica, Hubzilla and (streams).
#Long #LongPost #CWLong #CWLongPost #FediMeta #FediverseMeta #CWFediMeta #CWFediverseMeta #Fediverse #Mastodon #Mitra #Friendica #Hubzilla #Streams #(streams) #Forte #ActivityPub #Zot #Zot6 #Zot8 #Nomad #NomadicIdentity #Security #FediverseSecurity #Privacy #FediversePrivacy #Permissions -
@Kellam⚙️Бур This may come as a surprise, but: Nomadic identity is not an abstract concept or a science-fiction idea for the Fediverse.
It is reality. It exists. Right now. In stable, daily-driver software that's federated with Mastodon. And it has been for over a decade.
I'm literally replying to you here from a nomadic channel that simultaneously exists on two servers.
Nomadic identity was invented by @Mike Macgirvin 🖥️ (formerly American software developer of about half a century who has been living in rural Australia for decades now) in 2011 and first implemented in 2012. Almost four years before Mastodon was first launched.
In 2010, he had invented the Facebook alternative Friendica, originally named Mistpark and based on his own DFRN protocol.
Over the months, he witnessed lots of privately operated public Friendica nodes shut down with or without an announcement and the users on these nodes lose everything. He added the possibility to export and import Friendica accounts. But that would only help if a permanent shutdown was announced. It did not protect you against shutdowns out of the blue.
There was only one solution to this problem. And that was for someone's identity to not be bound to one server, but to exist on multiple servers simultaneously. The whole thing with everything that's attached to it. Name, settings, connections, posts, files in the file storage etc. etc., everything.
So in 2011, Mike designed a whole new protocol named Zot around this brand-new idea of what he called "nomadic identity" back then already.
In 2012, Mike forked Friendica into something called Red, later the Red Matrix, and rebuilt the whole thing from the ground up against Zot. Red was the first nomadic social networking software in the world, almost four years before Mastodon.
In 2015, ten months before Mastodon was first released, the Red Matrix became Hubzilla, the Fediverse's ultimate Swiss army knife.
I am on Hubzilla myself. This channel of mine is constantly being mirrored between its main instance on https://hub.netzgemeinde.eu and its clone on https://hub.hubzilla.de. Anything that happens on the main instance is backed up on the clone. I can also log into the clone and use that, and whatever happens there is backed up on the main instance.
https://hub.netzgemeinde.eu could go down, temporarily, permanently, doesn't matter; I still have my channel, namely the clone. And I can declare the clone my new main instance.
Well, Mike didn't stop at Hubzilla and its original version of the Zot protocol. He wanted to refine it and advance it, but in ways that wouldn't be possible on daily-driver software.
Zot went through several upgrades: Zot6 in 2018 (backported to Hubzilla in 2020, along with OpenWebAuth magic single sign-on). Zot8 in 2020. Zot11 in 2021 which had become incompatible with Zot6 and therefore was renamed to Nomad. Today's Nomad would be Zot12.
Also, in order to advance and test Zot, Mike created a whole bunch of forks and forks of forks. Osada and Zap for Zot6 in 2018, followed by another short-lived Osada in 2019. A third Osada, Mistpark 2020 (a.k.a. Misty) and Redmatrix 2020 in 2020 for Zot8. Roadhouse for Zot11 Nomad in 2021. All Osadas, Zap, Misty, Redmatrix 2020 and Roadhouse were discontinued on New Year's Eve of 2022.
The most recent software based on Nomad is from October, 2021. It can be found in the streams repository. It is officially and intentionally nameless and brandless, it has next to nodeinfo code that could submit statistics, and it is intentionally released into the public domain. The community named it (streams) after the code repository.
I also have two (streams) channels, one of which is cloned so far.
The newest thing, and that's what the Friendica and Hubzilla veteran @Tim Schlotfeldt ⚓?️? referred to, is nomadic identity using nothing but ActivityPub, no longer relying on a special protocol.
This was not Mike Macgirvin's idea. This came from @silverpill, the creator and developer of the microblogging server application Mitra. He wanted to make Mitra nomadic, make it resilient against server shutdown. But he didn't want to port it to Nomad. He wanted to achieve it with nothing but ActivityPub.
So he hit up Mike. The two came to the conclusion: This is actually possible. And they began to work on it. Amongst the results were several FEPs coined by silverpill.
This time, Mike did not create another fork to develop nomadic identity via ActivityPub. He did it all on the nomadic branch of the streams repository while silverpill did his part on a special development branch of Mitra.
In mid-2024, after enough sparring between (streams) instances, between Mitra instances and between (streams) and Mitra, Mike was confident enough that his implementation of support of nomadic identity via ActivityPub was stable enough. He merged the nomadic branch into the dev branch which ended up being merged into the stable release branch in summer.
Now, at this point, (streams) didn't use ActivityPub for nomadic identity. It still used the Nomad protocol for everything first and foremost, including cloning. But it understood nomadic identity via ActivityPub as implemented on experimental Mitra.
However, while it worked under lab conditions, it blew up under real-life conditions. At this point, (streams) had to handle so many different identities that it confused them, and it couldn't federate with anything yet.
In mid-August, while trying to fix the problem, Mike eventually forked the streams repository into Forte. It got a name again, it got a brand identity again, it got its nodeinfo back, it was put under the MIT license again.
But most importantly: Any and all support for Nomad was ripped out, also to get rid of a whole number of IDs, namely those for Nomad-actually-Zot12 and for Hubzilla's Nomad-actually-Zot6. Forte only uses ActivityPub for everything. And so, Forte also had to fully rely on ActivityPub for nomadic identity, cloning and syncing.
For almost seven months, Forte was considered experimental and unstable. For most of the time, the only existing servers were Mike's.
But on March 12th, 2025, Mike Macgirvin released Forte 25.3.12, the first official stable release of Forte. This is what Tim wrote about. Because this actually made it into Fediverse-wide news.
Not because it's nomadic. Nomadic identity has been daily-driven for over a decade now.
But because it uses ActivityPub for nomadic identity. Which means that you can theoretically make any kinds of Fediverse software nomadic now, all without porting it to the Nomad protocol first.
For the future, Mike and silverpill envision a Fediverse in which one can clone between different server applications. A Fediverse in which one can have one and the same identity cloned across multiple servers of Mastodon, Pixelfed, PeerTube, Mitra, Forte, Mobilizon, Lemmy, BookWyrm etc., all with the same name, all with the same content and settings (as far as the software allows; you will certainly not be able to clone your PeerTube videos to Mastodon and Lemmy).
Even if you don't intend to clone, it will make moving instances and even moving from one software to another dramatically easier.
If you're concerned about your privacy, let me tell you this:
Hubzilla's privacy, security and permissions system is unparalleled in the Fediverse. Except for that on (streams) and Forte which is another notch better.
I can define who can see my profile (my default, public profile on Hubzilla where each channel can have multiple profiles).
I can define who can see my stream and my posts when looking at my channel.
I can define who can see my connections (Hubzilla, (streams) and Forte don't distinguish between follower and followed; they aren't Twitter clones).
I can define who can look into my file space (individual permission settings per folder and per file notwithstanding).
I can define who can see my webpages on Hubzilla (if I have any).
I can define who can see my wikis on Hubzilla (no shit, I've got wikis on my Hubzilla channel).
On Hubzilla, I can define individually for any of these whether it's- everyone on the Internet
- everyone with a recognisable Fediverse account
- everyone on Hubzilla (maybe also on (streams); anyone using ActivityPub is definitely excluded here)
- everyone on the same server as myself (AFAIK, only main instances of channels count here, clones don't)
- unapproved (= followers) as well as approved (= mutual) connections
- confirmed connections
- those of my confirmed connections whom I explicitly grant that permission by contact role
- only myself
There's a whole bunch more permissions than these. And they all have seven or eight permission levels (depending on whether the general non-Fediverse public can be given permission).
On (streams) and Forte, I can define whether things are allowed for- everyone on the Internet (where applicable)
- everyone with a recognisable Fediverse account
- all my approved connections
- only me myself plus those whom I explicitly grant that permission in the connection settings
Yes, connection settings. Hubzilla, (streams) and Forte give you various ways of configuring individual connections, much unlike Mastodon. This includes what any individual connection is allowed to do.
Hubzilla uses so-called "contact roles" for that, presets with a whopping 17 permissions to grant or deny for any one individual connection. That is, what the channel generally allows, a contact role can't forbid.
(streams) and Forte still have 15 permissions per contact, but they lack some features which Hubzilla has permissions for. These permissions can be set individually for each connection, or you can define permission roles that cover all 15 permissions to make things easier.
Okay, how about posting in public vs in private? And when I say "private", I mean "private". It's "private messages" on Hubzilla, (streams) and Forte, not "direct messages".
Hubzilla, (streams) and Forte let you post- in public
- only to yourself
- only to your connections ((streams) and Forte only; Hubzilla requires a privacy group with all your connections in it for this)
- to all members of one specific privacy group (Hubzilla)/access list ((streams), Forte); that's like being able to only post to those on one specific list on Mastodon
- to everyone to whom one specific non-default profile is assigned (Hubzilla only)
- to a specific group/forum (I'll get back to that later)
- to a custom one-by-one selection of connections of yours
Now, let's assume I have a privacy group with Alice, Bob and Carol in it. I send a new post to only this privacy group. This means:- Only Alice, Bob and Carol can see the post and the conversation.
- Alice can reply to me, Bob and Carol.
- Bob can reply to me, Alice and Carol.
- Carol can reply to me, Alice and Bob.
- Nobody else can see the post. Not even by searching for it. Not by hashtag either. Not at all.
- Nobody else can see any of the comments.
- Nobody else can comment.
If one of them was on Mastodon, they'd see my post as a DM, by the way, and they could only reply to me. But that's Mastodon's limitation because it understands neither threaded conversations nor permissions.
Or how about reply control? This is something that many Mastodon users have been craving for quite a while now. Hubzilla, (streams) and Forte have them. Right now. And they work. They have since 2012.
Hubzilla optionally lets me disallow comments on either of my posts. Users on Hubzilla, (streams) and Forte won't even be able to comment; they won't have the UI elements to do so. Everyone else is able to comment locally. But that comment will never end up on my channel. It will never officially be added to the conversation. And at least users on Friendica, Hubzilla, (streams) and Forte will never fetch that comment from my channel as part of the conversation, i.e. never at all.
(streams) and Forte can go even further with all available options. They can disallow comments like Hubzilla. But in addition, they can allow only the members of one particular access list to comment, regardless of who can see the post/the conversation. On top of that, comments can be closed at a pre-defined point in the future. And then you even have a channel-wide setting for how long people can comment on your posts.
Oh, and there's even a setting for who is generally permitted to comment on your posts. And you can additionally allow specific connections of yours to comment on your posts.
Lastly, I've already mentioned groups/forums. Like, you know, Web forums or Facebook groups or subreddits or whatever. Like Guppe Groups on a mountain of coke and with moderation and permission control and optionally private.
Hubzilla has them, and it has inherited them from Friendica. (streams) has them. Forte has them. They're basically channels like social networking channels, but with some extra features. This includes that everything that's send to a group/forum as what amounts to a PM is automatically forwarded to all other members.
On Hubzilla, a forum can be gradually made private by denying permission to see certain elements to everyone but its own members (= connections): the profile, the members, what's going on in it. Depending on what you want or do not want people to see.
On (streams) and Forte, you have four types of forums:- public, and members can upload images and other files to the forum channel
- public, but members cannot upload images and other files to the forum channel
- like above, but additionally, posts and comments from new members must be manually approved by the admin(s) until their connections are configured to make them full members
- private, non-members can't see the profile, non-members can't see the connections, non-members can't see what's going on in it, but members can upload images and other files to the forum channel
In addition, on all three, a group/forum channel can choose to hide itself from directories. This is always an extra option that's independent from public/private.
What we have here is the most secure and most private Fediverse software of all.
And, once again, at its core, this is technology from 2012. It pre-dates Mastodon by almost four years.
Finally, if you want to know how Hubzilla and (streams) compare to Mastodon: I have made a number of tables that compare Mastodon, Friendica, Hubzilla and (streams).
#Long #LongPost #CWLong #CWLongPost #FediMeta #FediverseMeta #CWFediMeta #CWFediverseMeta #Fediverse #Mastodon #Mitra #Friendica #Hubzilla #Streams #(streams) #Forte #ActivityPub #Zot #Zot6 #Zot8 #Nomad #NomadicIdentity #Security #FediverseSecurity #Privacy #FediversePrivacy #Permissions -
@Kellam⚙️Бур This may come as a surprise, but: Nomadic identity is not an abstract concept or a science-fiction idea for the Fediverse.
It is reality. It exists. Right now. In stable, daily-driver software that's federated with Mastodon. And it has been for over a decade.
I'm literally replying to you here from a nomadic channel that simultaneously exists on two servers.
Nomadic identity was invented by @Mike Macgirvin 🖥️ (formerly American software developer of about half a century who has been living in rural Australia for decades now) in 2011 and first implemented in 2012. Almost four years before Mastodon was first launched.
In 2010, he had invented the Facebook alternative Friendica, originally named Mistpark and based on his own DFRN protocol.
Over the months, he witnessed lots of privately operated public Friendica nodes shut down with or without an announcement and the users on these nodes lose everything. He added the possibility to export and import Friendica accounts. But that would only help if a permanent shutdown was announced. It did not protect you against shutdowns out of the blue.
There was only one solution to this problem. And that was for someone's identity to not be bound to one server, but to exist on multiple servers simultaneously. The whole thing with everything that's attached to it. Name, settings, connections, posts, files in the file storage etc. etc., everything.
So in 2011, Mike designed a whole new protocol named Zot around this brand-new idea of what he called "nomadic identity" back then already.
In 2012, Mike forked Friendica into something called Red, later the Red Matrix, and rebuilt the whole thing from the ground up against Zot. Red was the first nomadic social networking software in the world, almost four years before Mastodon.
In 2015, ten months before Mastodon was first released, the Red Matrix became Hubzilla, the Fediverse's ultimate Swiss army knife.
I am on Hubzilla myself. This channel of mine is constantly being mirrored between its main instance on https://hub.netzgemeinde.eu and its clone on https://hub.hubzilla.de. Anything that happens on the main instance is backed up on the clone. I can also log into the clone and use that, and whatever happens there is backed up on the main instance.
https://hub.netzgemeinde.eu could go down, temporarily, permanently, doesn't matter; I still have my channel, namely the clone. And I can declare the clone my new main instance.
Well, Mike didn't stop at Hubzilla and its original version of the Zot protocol. He wanted to refine it and advance it, but in ways that wouldn't be possible on daily-driver software.
Zot went through several upgrades: Zot6 in 2018 (backported to Hubzilla in 2020, along with OpenWebAuth magic single sign-on). Zot8 in 2020. Zot11 in 2021 which had become incompatible with Zot6 and therefore was renamed to Nomad. Today's Nomad would be Zot12.
Also, in order to advance and test Zot, Mike created a whole bunch of forks and forks of forks. Osada and Zap for Zot6 in 2018, followed by another short-lived Osada in 2019. A third Osada, Mistpark 2020 (a.k.a. Misty) and Redmatrix 2020 in 2020 for Zot8. Roadhouse for Zot11 Nomad in 2021. All Osadas, Zap, Misty, Redmatrix 2020 and Roadhouse were discontinued on New Year's Eve of 2022.
The most recent software based on Nomad is from October, 2021. It can be found in the streams repository. It is officially and intentionally nameless and brandless, it has next to nodeinfo code that could submit statistics, and it is intentionally released into the public domain. The community named it (streams) after the code repository.
I also have two (streams) channels, one of which is cloned so far.
The newest thing, and that's what the Friendica and Hubzilla veteran @Tim Schlotfeldt ⚓?️? referred to, is nomadic identity using nothing but ActivityPub, no longer relying on a special protocol.
This was not Mike Macgirvin's idea. This came from @silverpill, the creator and developer of the microblogging server application Mitra. He wanted to make Mitra nomadic, make it resilient against server shutdown. But he didn't want to port it to Nomad. He wanted to achieve it with nothing but ActivityPub.
So he hit up Mike. The two came to the conclusion: This is actually possible. And they began to work on it. Amongst the results were several FEPs coined by silverpill.
This time, Mike did not create another fork to develop nomadic identity via ActivityPub. He did it all on the nomadic branch of the streams repository while silverpill did his part on a special development branch of Mitra.
In mid-2024, after enough sparring between (streams) instances, between Mitra instances and between (streams) and Mitra, Mike was confident enough that his implementation of support of nomadic identity via ActivityPub was stable enough. He merged the nomadic branch into the dev branch which ended up being merged into the stable release branch in summer.
Now, at this point, (streams) didn't use ActivityPub for nomadic identity. It still used the Nomad protocol for everything first and foremost, including cloning. But it understood nomadic identity via ActivityPub as implemented on experimental Mitra.
However, while it worked under lab conditions, it blew up under real-life conditions. At this point, (streams) had to handle so many different identities that it confused them, and it couldn't federate with anything yet.
In mid-August, while trying to fix the problem, Mike eventually forked the streams repository into Forte. It got a name again, it got a brand identity again, it got its nodeinfo back, it was put under the MIT license again.
But most importantly: Any and all support for Nomad was ripped out, also to get rid of a whole number of IDs, namely those for Nomad-actually-Zot12 and for Hubzilla's Nomad-actually-Zot6. Forte only uses ActivityPub for everything. And so, Forte also had to fully rely on ActivityPub for nomadic identity, cloning and syncing.
For almost seven months, Forte was considered experimental and unstable. For most of the time, the only existing servers were Mike's.
But on March 12th, 2025, Mike Macgirvin released Forte 25.3.12, the first official stable release of Forte. This is what Tim wrote about. Because this actually made it into Fediverse-wide news.
Not because it's nomadic. Nomadic identity has been daily-driven for over a decade now.
But because it uses ActivityPub for nomadic identity. Which means that you can theoretically make any kinds of Fediverse software nomadic now, all without porting it to the Nomad protocol first.
For the future, Mike and silverpill envision a Fediverse in which one can clone between different server applications. A Fediverse in which one can have one and the same identity cloned across multiple servers of Mastodon, Pixelfed, PeerTube, Mitra, Forte, Mobilizon, Lemmy, BookWyrm etc., all with the same name, all with the same content and settings (as far as the software allows; you will certainly not be able to clone your PeerTube videos to Mastodon and Lemmy).
Even if you don't intend to clone, it will make moving instances and even moving from one software to another dramatically easier.
If you're concerned about your privacy, let me tell you this:
Hubzilla's privacy, security and permissions system is unparalleled in the Fediverse. Except for that on (streams) and Forte which is another notch better.
I can define who can see my profile (my default, public profile on Hubzilla where each channel can have multiple profiles).
I can define who can see my stream and my posts when looking at my channel.
I can define who can see my connections (Hubzilla, (streams) and Forte don't distinguish between follower and followed; they aren't Twitter clones).
I can define who can look into my file space (individual permission settings per folder and per file notwithstanding).
I can define who can see my webpages on Hubzilla (if I have any).
I can define who can see my wikis on Hubzilla (no shit, I've got wikis on my Hubzilla channel).
On Hubzilla, I can define individually for any of these whether it's- everyone on the Internet
- everyone with a recognisable Fediverse account
- everyone on Hubzilla (maybe also on (streams); anyone using ActivityPub is definitely excluded here)
- everyone on the same server as myself (AFAIK, only main instances of channels count here, clones don't)
- unapproved (= followers) as well as approved (= mutual) connections
- confirmed connections
- those of my confirmed connections whom I explicitly grant that permission by contact role
- only myself
There's a whole bunch more permissions than these. And they all have seven or eight permission levels (depending on whether the general non-Fediverse public can be given permission).
On (streams) and Forte, I can define whether things are allowed for- everyone on the Internet (where applicable)
- everyone with a recognisable Fediverse account
- all my approved connections
- only me myself plus those whom I explicitly grant that permission in the connection settings
Yes, connection settings. Hubzilla, (streams) and Forte give you various ways of configuring individual connections, much unlike Mastodon. This includes what any individual connection is allowed to do.
Hubzilla uses so-called "contact roles" for that, presets with a whopping 17 permissions to grant or deny for any one individual connection. That is, what the channel generally allows, a contact role can't forbid.
(streams) and Forte still have 15 permissions per contact, but they lack some features which Hubzilla has permissions for. These permissions can be set individually for each connection, or you can define permission roles that cover all 15 permissions to make things easier.
Okay, how about posting in public vs in private? And when I say "private", I mean "private". It's "private messages" on Hubzilla, (streams) and Forte, not "direct messages".
Hubzilla, (streams) and Forte let you post- in public
- only to yourself
- only to your connections ((streams) and Forte only; Hubzilla requires a privacy group with all your connections in it for this)
- to all members of one specific privacy group (Hubzilla)/access list ((streams), Forte); that's like being able to only post to those on one specific list on Mastodon
- to everyone to whom one specific non-default profile is assigned (Hubzilla only)
- to a specific group/forum (I'll get back to that later)
- to a custom one-by-one selection of connections of yours
Now, let's assume I have a privacy group with Alice, Bob and Carol in it. I send a new post to only this privacy group. This means:- Only Alice, Bob and Carol can see the post and the conversation.
- Alice can reply to me, Bob and Carol.
- Bob can reply to me, Alice and Carol.
- Carol can reply to me, Alice and Bob.
- Nobody else can see the post. Not even by searching for it. Not by hashtag either. Not at all.
- Nobody else can see any of the comments.
- Nobody else can comment.
If one of them was on Mastodon, they'd see my post as a DM, by the way, and they could only reply to me. But that's Mastodon's limitation because it understands neither threaded conversations nor permissions.
Or how about reply control? This is something that many Mastodon users have been craving for quite a while now. Hubzilla, (streams) and Forte have them. Right now. And they work. They have since 2012.
Hubzilla optionally lets me disallow comments on either of my posts. Users on Hubzilla, (streams) and Forte won't even be able to comment; they won't have the UI elements to do so. Everyone else is able to comment locally. But that comment will never end up on my channel. It will never officially be added to the conversation. And at least users on Friendica, Hubzilla, (streams) and Forte will never fetch that comment from my channel as part of the conversation, i.e. never at all.
(streams) and Forte can go even further with all available options. They can disallow comments like Hubzilla. But in addition, they can allow only the members of one particular access list to comment, regardless of who can see the post/the conversation. On top of that, comments can be closed at a pre-defined point in the future. And then you even have a channel-wide setting for how long people can comment on your posts.
Oh, and there's even a setting for who is generally permitted to comment on your posts. And you can additionally allow specific connections of yours to comment on your posts.
Lastly, I've already mentioned groups/forums. Like, you know, Web forums or Facebook groups or subreddits or whatever. Like Guppe Groups on a mountain of coke and with moderation and permission control and optionally private.
Hubzilla has them, and it has inherited them from Friendica. (streams) has them. Forte has them. They're basically channels like social networking channels, but with some extra features. This includes that everything that's send to a group/forum as what amounts to a PM is automatically forwarded to all other members.
On Hubzilla, a forum can be gradually made private by denying permission to see certain elements to everyone but its own members (= connections): the profile, the members, what's going on in it. Depending on what you want or do not want people to see.
On (streams) and Forte, you have four types of forums:- public, and members can upload images and other files to the forum channel
- public, but members cannot upload images and other files to the forum channel
- like above, but additionally, posts and comments from new members must be manually approved by the admin(s) until their connections are configured to make them full members
- private, non-members can't see the profile, non-members can't see the connections, non-members can't see what's going on in it, but members can upload images and other files to the forum channel
In addition, on all three, a group/forum channel can choose to hide itself from directories. This is always an extra option that's independent from public/private.
What we have here is the most secure and most private Fediverse software of all.
And, once again, at its core, this is technology from 2012. It pre-dates Mastodon by almost four years.
Finally, if you want to know how Hubzilla and (streams) compare to Mastodon: I have made a number of tables that compare Mastodon, Friendica, Hubzilla and (streams).
#Long #LongPost #CWLong #CWLongPost #FediMeta #FediverseMeta #CWFediMeta #CWFediverseMeta #Fediverse #Mastodon #Mitra #Friendica #Hubzilla #Streams #(streams) #Forte #ActivityPub #Zot #Zot6 #Zot8 #Nomad #NomadicIdentity #Security #FediverseSecurity #Privacy #FediversePrivacy #Permissions -
I was researching #LacticAcidBacteria, and came across this article. It could be game changer for those of us who have issues digesting #SoyProducts!
These three plant bacteria turn #soy yogurt into a safer, creamier product while stripping out troublesome sugars
by Technical University of Denmark
edited by Lisa Lock, reviewed by Andrew ZininApril 21, 2026
"Researchers at DTU have found that a particular type of lactic acid bacteria displays considerable potential for producing plant-based yogurt alternatives. The bacteria can inhibit potentially harmful bacteria and break down sugars that cause stomach discomfort.
"#PlantBased alternatives to yogurt are often made using bacterial cultures employed in yogurt production, even though plant-based raw materials differ markedly from milk. For example, there is no lactose in plants, and plant proteins are more difficult to break down than milk proteins.
"Researchers from DTU, in collaboration with colleagues at Chalmers University of Technology and the University of Cambridge, therefore investigated whether lactic acid bacteria isolated from vegetables and fermented foods, and often found in the intestines of humans and animals, might be better suited to the task.
"The research, which has been published in the Journal of Food Protection, showed that three plant-isolated enterococci (a type of lactic acid bacteria) were highly suitable for producing a soy-based yogurt alternative.
" 'The bacteria did more than simply ferment the soy drink. They were also able to suppress undesirable bacteria, break down unwanted sugars, and reduce phytic acid, that make it difficult for the body to absorb minerals such as iron, zinc, magnesium and calcium,' says postdoctoral researcher Belay Tilahun Tadesse of the DTU National Food Institute.
"Improved food safety and shelf life
In the experiments, the lactic acid bacteria grew efficiently in the soy drink and lowered the pH, making the product acidic and yogurt-like. The most promising candidates acidified rapidly, even without the addition of sugar."The bacteria were also able to ferment at a relatively high temperature, at which many undesirable microorganisms, including pathogenic ones, do not thrive. This could help to extend shelf life and improve food safety.
" 'We observed that three of the bacterial strains quickly took control of the fermentation in the soy drink. This is important because stable and effective acidification is one of the first requirements when developing a robust product,' says Belay Tilahun Tadesse.
"The three most promising bacterial strains showed a broad antimicrobial effect against pathogenic bacteria, including listeria and E. coli. This makes them particularly interesting, given the high priority placed on food safety.
"In addition, the bacterial strains tested were able to produce compounds that contribute to texture, making the yogurt creamier.
"Overall, the research findings show that the isolated enterococci have a stronger effect against undesirable microorganisms and a better acidification capacity than enterococci already on the market and approved for use in food and feed.
" 'We have shown that the lactic acid bacteria tested are safe. However, further research is needed, for example, to determine how flavor is affected and whether plant raw materials other than soy can be used. Also, before they can be used in Europe, they must be approved by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA),' says Associate Professor Christian Solem of the DTU National Food Institute.
Findings:
- Four safe enterococci were investigated as potential starter cultures for the production of soy-based yogurt alternatives. Three of the bacterial strains proved promising (Enterococcus faecium BT0194, Enterococcus lactis BT0173_2, Enterococcus lactis BT0167_2).
- The bacteria were able to acidify soy milk and produce a yogurt-like product.
The three best candidates combined rapid fermentation with the ability to inhibit the pathogenic bacteria tested.
- The results show that the bacteria can break down undesirable sugars, which can cause digestive discomfort, and phytic acid, which can inhibit the absorption of iron, zinc, magnesium and calcium.
- The bacteria also showed properties that may be relevant to achieving a thicker, creamier consistency.
Further research and EU-approval is needed before the bacteria can be used in finished starter cultures."https://phys.org/news/2026-04-bacteria-soy-yogurt-safer-creamier.html
#SolarPunkSunday #SoyProducts #Vegan #VeganYogurt #SoyYogurt #Fermentation
-
I was researching #LacticAcidBacteria, and came across this article. It could be game changer for those of us who have issues digesting #SoyProducts!
These three plant bacteria turn #soy yogurt into a safer, creamier product while stripping out troublesome sugars
by Technical University of Denmark
edited by Lisa Lock, reviewed by Andrew ZininApril 21, 2026
"Researchers at DTU have found that a particular type of lactic acid bacteria displays considerable potential for producing plant-based yogurt alternatives. The bacteria can inhibit potentially harmful bacteria and break down sugars that cause stomach discomfort.
"#PlantBased alternatives to yogurt are often made using bacterial cultures employed in yogurt production, even though plant-based raw materials differ markedly from milk. For example, there is no lactose in plants, and plant proteins are more difficult to break down than milk proteins.
"Researchers from DTU, in collaboration with colleagues at Chalmers University of Technology and the University of Cambridge, therefore investigated whether lactic acid bacteria isolated from vegetables and fermented foods, and often found in the intestines of humans and animals, might be better suited to the task.
"The research, which has been published in the Journal of Food Protection, showed that three plant-isolated enterococci (a type of lactic acid bacteria) were highly suitable for producing a soy-based yogurt alternative.
" 'The bacteria did more than simply ferment the soy drink. They were also able to suppress undesirable bacteria, break down unwanted sugars, and reduce phytic acid, that make it difficult for the body to absorb minerals such as iron, zinc, magnesium and calcium,' says postdoctoral researcher Belay Tilahun Tadesse of the DTU National Food Institute.
"Improved food safety and shelf life
In the experiments, the lactic acid bacteria grew efficiently in the soy drink and lowered the pH, making the product acidic and yogurt-like. The most promising candidates acidified rapidly, even without the addition of sugar."The bacteria were also able to ferment at a relatively high temperature, at which many undesirable microorganisms, including pathogenic ones, do not thrive. This could help to extend shelf life and improve food safety.
" 'We observed that three of the bacterial strains quickly took control of the fermentation in the soy drink. This is important because stable and effective acidification is one of the first requirements when developing a robust product,' says Belay Tilahun Tadesse.
"The three most promising bacterial strains showed a broad antimicrobial effect against pathogenic bacteria, including listeria and E. coli. This makes them particularly interesting, given the high priority placed on food safety.
"In addition, the bacterial strains tested were able to produce compounds that contribute to texture, making the yogurt creamier.
"Overall, the research findings show that the isolated enterococci have a stronger effect against undesirable microorganisms and a better acidification capacity than enterococci already on the market and approved for use in food and feed.
" 'We have shown that the lactic acid bacteria tested are safe. However, further research is needed, for example, to determine how flavor is affected and whether plant raw materials other than soy can be used. Also, before they can be used in Europe, they must be approved by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA),' says Associate Professor Christian Solem of the DTU National Food Institute.
Findings:
- Four safe enterococci were investigated as potential starter cultures for the production of soy-based yogurt alternatives. Three of the bacterial strains proved promising (Enterococcus faecium BT0194, Enterococcus lactis BT0173_2, Enterococcus lactis BT0167_2).
- The bacteria were able to acidify soy milk and produce a yogurt-like product.
The three best candidates combined rapid fermentation with the ability to inhibit the pathogenic bacteria tested.
- The results show that the bacteria can break down undesirable sugars, which can cause digestive discomfort, and phytic acid, which can inhibit the absorption of iron, zinc, magnesium and calcium.
- The bacteria also showed properties that may be relevant to achieving a thicker, creamier consistency.
Further research and EU-approval is needed before the bacteria can be used in finished starter cultures."https://phys.org/news/2026-04-bacteria-soy-yogurt-safer-creamier.html
#SolarPunkSunday #SoyProducts #Vegan #VeganYogurt #SoyYogurt #Fermentation
-
I was researching #LacticAcidBacteria, and came across this article. It could be game changer for those of us who have issues digesting #SoyProducts!
These three plant bacteria turn #soy yogurt into a safer, creamier product while stripping out troublesome sugars
by Technical University of Denmark
edited by Lisa Lock, reviewed by Andrew ZininApril 21, 2026
"Researchers at DTU have found that a particular type of lactic acid bacteria displays considerable potential for producing plant-based yogurt alternatives. The bacteria can inhibit potentially harmful bacteria and break down sugars that cause stomach discomfort.
"#PlantBased alternatives to yogurt are often made using bacterial cultures employed in yogurt production, even though plant-based raw materials differ markedly from milk. For example, there is no lactose in plants, and plant proteins are more difficult to break down than milk proteins.
"Researchers from DTU, in collaboration with colleagues at Chalmers University of Technology and the University of Cambridge, therefore investigated whether lactic acid bacteria isolated from vegetables and fermented foods, and often found in the intestines of humans and animals, might be better suited to the task.
"The research, which has been published in the Journal of Food Protection, showed that three plant-isolated enterococci (a type of lactic acid bacteria) were highly suitable for producing a soy-based yogurt alternative.
" 'The bacteria did more than simply ferment the soy drink. They were also able to suppress undesirable bacteria, break down unwanted sugars, and reduce phytic acid, that make it difficult for the body to absorb minerals such as iron, zinc, magnesium and calcium,' says postdoctoral researcher Belay Tilahun Tadesse of the DTU National Food Institute.
"Improved food safety and shelf life
In the experiments, the lactic acid bacteria grew efficiently in the soy drink and lowered the pH, making the product acidic and yogurt-like. The most promising candidates acidified rapidly, even without the addition of sugar."The bacteria were also able to ferment at a relatively high temperature, at which many undesirable microorganisms, including pathogenic ones, do not thrive. This could help to extend shelf life and improve food safety.
" 'We observed that three of the bacterial strains quickly took control of the fermentation in the soy drink. This is important because stable and effective acidification is one of the first requirements when developing a robust product,' says Belay Tilahun Tadesse.
"The three most promising bacterial strains showed a broad antimicrobial effect against pathogenic bacteria, including listeria and E. coli. This makes them particularly interesting, given the high priority placed on food safety.
"In addition, the bacterial strains tested were able to produce compounds that contribute to texture, making the yogurt creamier.
"Overall, the research findings show that the isolated enterococci have a stronger effect against undesirable microorganisms and a better acidification capacity than enterococci already on the market and approved for use in food and feed.
" 'We have shown that the lactic acid bacteria tested are safe. However, further research is needed, for example, to determine how flavor is affected and whether plant raw materials other than soy can be used. Also, before they can be used in Europe, they must be approved by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA),' says Associate Professor Christian Solem of the DTU National Food Institute.
Findings:
- Four safe enterococci were investigated as potential starter cultures for the production of soy-based yogurt alternatives. Three of the bacterial strains proved promising (Enterococcus faecium BT0194, Enterococcus lactis BT0173_2, Enterococcus lactis BT0167_2).
- The bacteria were able to acidify soy milk and produce a yogurt-like product.
The three best candidates combined rapid fermentation with the ability to inhibit the pathogenic bacteria tested.
- The results show that the bacteria can break down undesirable sugars, which can cause digestive discomfort, and phytic acid, which can inhibit the absorption of iron, zinc, magnesium and calcium.
- The bacteria also showed properties that may be relevant to achieving a thicker, creamier consistency.
Further research and EU-approval is needed before the bacteria can be used in finished starter cultures."https://phys.org/news/2026-04-bacteria-soy-yogurt-safer-creamier.html
#SolarPunkSunday #SoyProducts #Vegan #VeganYogurt #SoyYogurt #Fermentation
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I was researching #LacticAcidBacteria, and came across this article. It could be game changer for those of us who have issues digesting #SoyProducts!
These three plant bacteria turn #soy yogurt into a safer, creamier product while stripping out troublesome sugars
by Technical University of Denmark
edited by Lisa Lock, reviewed by Andrew ZininApril 21, 2026
"Researchers at DTU have found that a particular type of lactic acid bacteria displays considerable potential for producing plant-based yogurt alternatives. The bacteria can inhibit potentially harmful bacteria and break down sugars that cause stomach discomfort.
"#PlantBased alternatives to yogurt are often made using bacterial cultures employed in yogurt production, even though plant-based raw materials differ markedly from milk. For example, there is no lactose in plants, and plant proteins are more difficult to break down than milk proteins.
"Researchers from DTU, in collaboration with colleagues at Chalmers University of Technology and the University of Cambridge, therefore investigated whether lactic acid bacteria isolated from vegetables and fermented foods, and often found in the intestines of humans and animals, might be better suited to the task.
"The research, which has been published in the Journal of Food Protection, showed that three plant-isolated enterococci (a type of lactic acid bacteria) were highly suitable for producing a soy-based yogurt alternative.
" 'The bacteria did more than simply ferment the soy drink. They were also able to suppress undesirable bacteria, break down unwanted sugars, and reduce phytic acid, that make it difficult for the body to absorb minerals such as iron, zinc, magnesium and calcium,' says postdoctoral researcher Belay Tilahun Tadesse of the DTU National Food Institute.
"Improved food safety and shelf life
In the experiments, the lactic acid bacteria grew efficiently in the soy drink and lowered the pH, making the product acidic and yogurt-like. The most promising candidates acidified rapidly, even without the addition of sugar."The bacteria were also able to ferment at a relatively high temperature, at which many undesirable microorganisms, including pathogenic ones, do not thrive. This could help to extend shelf life and improve food safety.
" 'We observed that three of the bacterial strains quickly took control of the fermentation in the soy drink. This is important because stable and effective acidification is one of the first requirements when developing a robust product,' says Belay Tilahun Tadesse.
"The three most promising bacterial strains showed a broad antimicrobial effect against pathogenic bacteria, including listeria and E. coli. This makes them particularly interesting, given the high priority placed on food safety.
"In addition, the bacterial strains tested were able to produce compounds that contribute to texture, making the yogurt creamier.
"Overall, the research findings show that the isolated enterococci have a stronger effect against undesirable microorganisms and a better acidification capacity than enterococci already on the market and approved for use in food and feed.
" 'We have shown that the lactic acid bacteria tested are safe. However, further research is needed, for example, to determine how flavor is affected and whether plant raw materials other than soy can be used. Also, before they can be used in Europe, they must be approved by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA),' says Associate Professor Christian Solem of the DTU National Food Institute.
Findings:
- Four safe enterococci were investigated as potential starter cultures for the production of soy-based yogurt alternatives. Three of the bacterial strains proved promising (Enterococcus faecium BT0194, Enterococcus lactis BT0173_2, Enterococcus lactis BT0167_2).
- The bacteria were able to acidify soy milk and produce a yogurt-like product.
The three best candidates combined rapid fermentation with the ability to inhibit the pathogenic bacteria tested.
- The results show that the bacteria can break down undesirable sugars, which can cause digestive discomfort, and phytic acid, which can inhibit the absorption of iron, zinc, magnesium and calcium.
- The bacteria also showed properties that may be relevant to achieving a thicker, creamier consistency.
Further research and EU-approval is needed before the bacteria can be used in finished starter cultures."https://phys.org/news/2026-04-bacteria-soy-yogurt-safer-creamier.html
#SolarPunkSunday #SoyProducts #Vegan #VeganYogurt #SoyYogurt #Fermentation
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Andere Stunde, andere Wege, neue Schlaglöcher, Spaziergänge abseits des geplanten Kurses. Rotes Fähnchen irgendwo in Sichtweite. Metaphorischer Nebel und keine richtige Vorstellung vom Terrain zwischen hier und dort. Annäherung in großen Schleifen. Jede Menge Gegenwind und wechselnde Licht und der eigene Schatten bleibt auch keine verlässliche Größe. Und irgendwann öffnet man die Fenster und lässt etwas mehr des äußeren Tages in die Räume, etwas der Kälte unter blassem Himmel und des rauhen Gemurmels geschäftigen Alltags im Viertel. Ändert Verbindungen. Für kurz. Damit Geist und Seele atmen können.
#outerworld #concrete city #office hours #where we do what we do #stories of technology and temporary fixes
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For #Tabula users, extracting tables from PDFs
If you export to CSV, you may run into trouble with newlines in cells - they can make a row break over multiple lines and mess up the whole extraction.
There is a command line option, -u, that skips newlines and fixes this exact problem, but it's unused internally.
You can hack it by modifying [1] and setting the argument to false.
I may create a PR for this when I'm done with the current project.
[1]: https://github.com/tabulapdf/tabula-java/blob/master/src/main/java/technology/tabula/Cell.java#L44
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More Apple ][*, //* II* and classic Macintosh hardware upgrades
The mini micro classic Apple emulators related post last week became way too big, so here is the classic Apple 2/Macintosh hardware upgrade part follow-up I announced in Some notes on mini/micro Apple //e emulators.
Last week, I mentioned [Wayback/Archive] ARC Javmaster – YouTube. Let’s continue from there for an even bigger post (:
Javmaster actually has a shop at [Wayback/Archive] Welcome to the 8-bit stuff store – 8 bit stuff cool retro computer 3D gadgets and geekery with a lot of interesting (mainly Apple ][ era related) retro things like:
- USD 25 [Wayback/Archive] Apple IIc USB C power adapter with Volt Gauge – 8 bit stuff cool retro computer 3D gadgets and geekery
Apple IIc USB C power adapter with Volt Gauge with USB-C connected and showing 15.2 volts
[Wayback/Archive] Transform your Apple IIc experience with this sleek USB-C power supply replacement! – YouTube
- USD 120-430 [Wayback/Archive] Floppy Emu 3.5 Drive Case – 8 bit stuff cool retro computer 3D gadgets and geekery
Floppy Emu 3.5 Drive Case powered up with green screen fitting well together with an Apple //c plus
[Wayback/Archive] Step into the future of vintage computing with the Floppy Emu 3.5! – YouTube
[Wayback/Archive] New 3.5 drive case for Apple II & Macintosh Floppy Emu: soon at 8bitstuff.com! #3dprinting #Apple – YouTube
[Wayback/Archive] Starting GSOS 6.04 from the new Floppy Emu 3.5, a match made in heaven! #apple #3dprint #appleiigs – YouTube
- USD 120-430 [Wayback/Archive] Floppy Emulator Disk ][ Case – 8 bit stuff cool retro computer 3D gadgets and geekery
Floppy Emulator Disk ][ Case with green screen fitted in an original Apple ][ era 5.25 inch diskette drive case
[Wayback/Archive] New Release: Floppy Emu ][ Case Assembly Guide! – YouTube[Wayback/Archive] #AprilApples Guest episode: Watch Jon Assemble a Floppy Emu Case from Scratch! – YouTube
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3D Printed Apple II Joystick – clear Special edition: internals
3D Printed Apple II Joystick – clear Special edition
3D Printed Apple II Joystick
USD 80-155 Apple II Joystick Recreation: cheapest is 3D printed in classic color, the other clear
The 3D recreation of the iconic Apple II Joystick, keeping all the classic features with brand new mechanical parts. The moving parts brand new, adapted to work seamlessly with Apple II’s that use the DB9 port.
The switches are brand-new Matias key switches, a new version of the ALPS keys that were so successful in most original keyboards.
By using these materials, the quality and durability are better. The 3D printed case and switches resemble the original and is crafted to be enjoyed and used with your retro systems.- [Wayback/Archive] 3D Printed Apple II Joystick – A Fusion of Nostalgia and Innovation – 8 bit stuff cool retro computer 3D gadgets and geekery
- [Wayback/Archive] 3D Printed Apple II Joystick – clear Special edition – 8 bit stuff cool retro computer 3D gadgets and geekery
[Wayback/Archive] Apple II Joystick Recreation – Rediscover the Ultimate Retro Gaming Experience! – YouTube
- [Wayback/Archive] 3D Printed Apple II Joystick – A Fusion of Nostalgia and Innovation – 8 bit stuff cool retro computer 3D gadgets and geekery
8bitstuff also pointed me to this shop with cool parts helping you fix Apple ][* and Apple //e and II* model issues: [Wayback/Archive] Shop | ReActiveMicro.com which is part of [Wayback/Archive] ReActiveMicro.com which has this great card in their catalog:
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A2FPGA Multicard
USD 150 [Wayback/Archive] A2FPGA Multicard | ReActiveMicro.com
[Wayback/Archive] #156: Can One Apple II Card Replace Them All? – YouTube
The firmware is open source at [Wayback/Archive] GitHub – a2fpga/a2fpga_core: Apple II FPGA Co-Processor and still being maintained.
[Wayback/Archive] A2FPGA – The ReActiveMicro Apple II Wiki
The A2FPGA is primarily an HD video and Mockingboard-compatible sound card for the Apple II, II+, //e, and IIgs.
and other hardware like:
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Disk ][+ v1.0 kit
USD 30-40 [Wayback/Archive] Disk ][+ – Assembled or Kit | ReActiveMicro.com
Disk ][+ v1.0 is a small PCB that installs into Apple Disk ][ drives. It replaces the red LED in the drives with a two-color LED, to better distinguish the reading phases, in green, from the writing phases, in red. Comes assembled or in kit form.
Notes:
- You need one set for each drive.
- I don’t really like the way they connect to the drive electronics, see picture below from [Wayback/Archive] Disk II+ – The ReActiveMicro Apple II Wiki . Instead of the pin, I would likely solder the wires to the electronics.
4 hook probes connected to the Disk II analog board.
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Apple IIe Enhancement Kit
USD 30-35 [Wayback/Archive] IIe Enhancement Kit | ReActiveMicro.com
Comes with an ‘Enhanced’ paper template, 65C02 CPU, and all the ROM’s necessary to upgrade your Apple IIe.
[Wayback/Archive] Apple IIe Enhancement Kit – The ReActiveMicro Apple II Wiki
Note it has various options (USA vs European Apple //e, plus languages: check before you order!)
I need to check if my Apple //e already has this enhancement kit.
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No-Slot Clock v1.0
USD 65 [Wayback/Archive] No-Slot Clock | ReActiveMicro.com
The No-Slot Clock v1.0 allows your Apple II to remember the date and time. It will work on an Apple II, Apple II+, Apple IIe, Apple IIc, and Clone systems. It features dual battery holders. Two CR1025 cells included.
The No Slot Clock does not fit in to the IIc or IIc+ with a RAM Card installed.
[Wayback/Archive] No-Slot Clock – The ReActiveMicro Apple II Wiki
Likely won’t needs this as ROMXe and ROMXc both include a clock.
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Ultimate-Micro.com Apple II 3.5″ Disk Controller Card v1.0
USD 200 [Wayback/Archive] Apple II 3.5 Disk Controller Card | ReActiveMicro.com
This is the Apple II 3.5″ Disk Controller Card v1.0 from Ultimate-Micro.com.
The Apple II 3.5″ Disk Controller Card v1.0 is a clone of Apple’s Apple II 3.5″ Disk Controller Card. The disk controller card allows you to use 3.5-inch floppy disk drives, including the Apple SuperDrive and Apple 3.5 Drive, with all Apple II computers. This card also supports the operation of older model Apple II UniDisk 3.5 drives.
Not sure if I really want this one, especially with the USD 200 price tag: The
Ultimate-Micro.comdomain vanished and the Yellowstone Universal Disk Controller mentioned below at USD 170 (including cables) can do more. -
Apple II A2io Bluetooth Game Port Receiver
USD 20 [Wayback/Archive] A2io Bluetooth Game Port Receiver For Your Apple II Systems | ReActiveMicro.com
This is the A2io Bluetooth Game Port Receiver from CraftyMech and designed by Aaron Reid. Works on all Apple II systems with a 9 pin game port.
…
A2io allow you to connect and use a modern wireless game pad as either a joystick, paddle, or pad input device. You pair the game pad with your mobile device (phone/tablet/laptop) and then connect to the A2io. The mobile device acts like a translator between your Apple and game pad.
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CFFA 300 REV C
USD 225 [Wayback/Archive] CFFA3000 v1.0 Rev C-RM for II, II+, ///, IIe, and IIgs | ReActiveMicro.com
This is the CFFA3000 v1.0 Rev C-RM built by ReActiveMicro under license from R&D Automation.
…
The CFFA3000 v1.0 Rev C-RM Controller is a Mass Storage Device and Floppy Emulator that once installed in your Apple II system acts like a solid-state Hard Drive using Compact Flash Cards and USB Flash Drives. Floppy Emulation allows users to load .PO images as if they were physical disk. See the manual for more details. There is also discussion about adding .WOZ support, and we will post updates if/when it happens.
Comes with CF Card as pictured, and with Remote option standard. Manual can be found here for review.
Plug and play ready, and fully tested. Comes started with **256MB** CF Card, preloaded with several ProDOS 8 volumes with games and utilities, and several GS/OS volumes. You can select which one to boot using the on-board firmware menu (press “M” key on power up).
[Wayback/Archive] wiki.reactivemicro.com/images/9/9d/2021-10-23-CFFA-RM_Manual.pdf
I already have this, including the original remote back in 2014 from dreher: [Wayback/Archive] CFFA3000 Run 3: Order Status
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CFFA3000 Remote
USD 40 [Wayback/Archive] CFFA3000 – Remote Option With Cable | ReActiveMicro.com
This is the CFFA3000 Remote option built by ReActiveMicro under license from R&D Automation. ***REMOTE ONLY!***
ReActiveMicro is an authorized dealer and partner with R&D…
The CFFA3000 Remote option comes with the connector cable, which attaches to the CFFA3000 card installed in your Apple II system. It comes as pictured, with the Remote, the connection cable, and a 3D printed enclosure.
Finally it pointed me to [Wayback/Archive] Home | JD Micro which has RAMX (for Apple ][* systems) and ROMX (variants for any Apple 2 model) for which these are most applicable to my systems (both ROMX versions also contain the fonts mentioned in their blog post [Wayback/Archive] 11th May 2021 | JD Micro):
[Wayback/Archive] Review: ROMX+ Device for Apple II+ – YouTube
- [Wayback/Archive] ROMXe | JD Micro for Apple //e – includes clock
[Wayback/Archive] Review: ROMXe by JD Micro – More ROMS than you can shake a joystick at! – YouTube
- [Wayback/Archive] ROMXc | JD Micro for Apple IIc – includes clock
[Wayback/Archive] Boot Instantly – ROMXc Review for the Apple //c – YouTube
Other results from the queries I used in the post last week also returned some hardware that can be used for classic Apple machines:
- [Wayback/Archive] The ESP32 SoftCard for the Apple II | Applefritter
I’ve been working on a new card for the Apple II that would extend its capabilities using my favorite Wi-Fi module: the ESP32. I decided to called it a soft card, because similarly to the original Z80 SoftCard it contains its own processor allowing it to run software not originally meant for the Apple II. And similarly to the original 80-column card that was needed, it produces its own composite video enabled through a soft switch. Both NTSC and PAL are supported and can be switched using a command. In addition it can produce 8-bit sound that is mixed and played through the Apple II speaker. For most of its applications the card also needs a FAT32 formatted microSD card.
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[Wayback/Archive] ESP32 SoftCard Expansion Card for the Apple II from CVT on Tindie
ESP32 SoftCard Expansion Card for the Apple II
- [Wayback/Archive] Apple2idiot card (ESP32) | Applefritter
It is an interesting and different take on interfacing an ESP32 module to an Apple II. It uses a dual ported SRAM instead of trying to interface the ESP32 to the Apple II bus using something like 74LVC245s or through a parallel chip like a 6522 or 82C55 or through a serial chip like a 6551 or 6850.
https://github.com/equant/apple2idiot
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[Wayback/Archive] GitHub – equant/apple2idiot: A general purpose ESP32 IOT board for the Apple IIe
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assembly lines
[Wayback/Archive] Shop – CT6502 and [Wayback/Archive] Shop – Page 2 of 2 – CT6502a
- [Wayback/Archive] Assembly Lines: The Mug – CT6502
Assembly Lines: The Mug; Print-on-demand from Printful.
Mug; handle left
Mug; handle behind
Mug; handle right
This is a really cool idea including the Choplifter and Lode Runner main sprites on the mug. The right picture shows you can also get it in 15oz size.
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Apple II wDrive Disk Drive Emulator
[Wayback/Archive] Apple II wDrive Disk Drive Emulator – CT6502
The wDrive is a disk drive emulator for the Apple II (II+, IIe, IIc, IIGS) that boots disk images (WOZ, DSK, 2MG, HDV, etc) from an SD card.
Manufacturer: [Wayback/Archive] Mfa2 Workshop
We are developer of wDrive, softSP card and related accessories which are published through Kboo HK
Note it there are two options to choose from:
- USD ~80: wDrive only (Apple IIc and IIGS)
- USD ~100: wDrive plus SoftSP card (Apple II, II+, IIe)
The second option includes this one:
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MFA2 SoftSP Card
[Wayback/Archive] Apple II MFA2 SoftSP Card wDrive or FujiNet – CT6502
The SoftSP card allows you to boot hard disk images or use FujiNet devices on an Apple II+ or IIe, which do not have SmartPort support.
The SoftSP card is not needed on the Apple IIc or Apple IIGS.
…
The SoftSP card should be placed into a slot lower than the wDrive disk controller card. Slot 1 or 2 usually works well.
Note: The SoftSP card will also work with the FloppyEMU. However, you MUST use a special drive cable that isolates pin 12, to avoid damaging your FloppyEMU. You do not need to use this cable with the wDrive, although it won’t cause any issues if you do. You can find details about the issue here.
That last bit is really really important as SoftSP only can be installed in a system that also connects to a FloppyEMU under these circumstances:
- Connect the FloppyEMU to a Yellowstone is a universal disk controller card for Apple II computers (see below), especially since the Yellowstone also supports both wDrive and FujiNet.
- Connect the FloppyEMU to an original Disk Controller, but cut wire #12 as explained in [Wayback/Archive] Floppy Emu SoftSP Warning | Big Mess o’ Wires
You can’t safely connect a Smartport device to a Disk II controller card, no matter how the card’s internal logic might be modified. That includes Floppy Emu when it’s configured in Smartport emulation mode. The reason is that Smartport devices connect pin 12 internally to ground. This is how other connected equipment and daisy-chained drives know that they’re Smartport drives, and it’s essential for correct daisy-chain operation of Smartport drives with the BMOW Daisy Chainer or the Apple Unidisk 3.5 drive.
Both options essentially makes the SoftSP unneeded for FloppyEMU, and with this signalling problem for wire #12 (which is the SmartPort compatibility indicator) I am not sure which other SmartPort devices besides wDrive will actually work with the Apple ][, Apple ][+ and Apple //e without damaging the SmartPort device.
- a
- a
- [Wayback/Archive] Assembly Lines: The Mug – CT6502
- a
Another shop via [Wayback/Archive] Big Mess o’ Wires -> [Wayback/Archive] Big Mess o’ Wires Store
Bring new life to your classic computer
From disk emulators to ROM upgrades, keyboard and mouse adapters, and more hardware creations, BMOW has your retrocomputer needs covered.
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Yellowstone Universal Disk Controller Card and two DB-19 female adapters
[Wayback/Archive] Yellowstone Disk Controller Everything Bundle – Big Mess o’ Wires
Yellowstone is a universal disk controller card for Apple II computers. It supports nearly every type of Apple disk drive ever made, including standard 3.5 inch drives, 5.25 inch drives, smart drives like the Unidisk 3.5 and the BMOW Floppy Emu’s smartport hard disk, and even Macintosh 3.5 inch drives. Yellowstone combines the power of an Apple 3.5 Disk Controller Card, a standard 5.25 inch Disk II controller card, the Apple Liron controller, and more, all in a single card.
…
The “everything” bundle includes the latest version Yellowstone Universal Disk Controller Card and two DB-19 female adapters
- [Wayback/Archive] Yellowstone: Cloning the Apple II Liron | Big Mess o’ Wires
…
The “Liron” disk controller was introduced by Apple in 1985. More formally known as the Apple II UniDisk 3.5 Controller, it’s designed to work with a new generation of “smart” disk drives more sophisticated than the venerable Disk II 5.25 inch floppy drive. The smart disk port on the Liron is appropriately named the Smartport, and it can communicate with block-based storage devices such as the Unidisk 3.5 (an early 800K drive) and Smartport-based Apple II hard drives.
Why care about the Liron? The Apple IIc and Apple IIgs have integrated disk ports with built-in Smartport functionality, but for the earlier Apple II+ and IIe, the Liron is the only way to get a Smartport. For owners of the BMOW Floppy Emu disk emulator, the Liron card makes it possible to use the Floppy Emu as an external hard drive for the II+ and IIe. Unfortunately finding a Liron is difficult, and although they occasionally turn up on eBay, they’re quite expensive. That made cloning the Liron a logical first goal.…
- [Wayback/Archive] Yellowstone Universal Disk Controller – Big Mess o’ Wires
Article: [Wayback/Archive] Yellowstone Universal Disk Controller for Apple II | Big Mess o’ Wires – Run any disk drive with your Apple II computer!
Supported Drives
Need to attach a disk drive to your Apple II? Yellowstone has got you covered. Yellowstone is compatible with the Apple IIe, Apple IIgs, Apple II+, Apple II, and most Apple II clones. It works with these disk drives and drive emulators:
Can be connected directlyDisk II A2M0003Naked Apple 3.5” 800K, black labelNaked half-height Apple 5.25″Naked Apple 3.5” 800K, red labelFloppy Emu 5.25 modeNaked Apple 3.5” 1.44MB, auto-injectFloppy Emu Model C dual 5.25 modeNaked Apple 3.5” 1.44MB, manual-injectFloppy Emu 3.5 modewDriveFloppy Emu Unidisk 3.5 mode [1]Floppy Emu Smartport hard disk mode [1]And more…Requires optional DB-19F connectorUnidisk 5.25 A9M0104Macintosh 800K External M0131Disk IIc A2M4050Apple SuperDrive (Apple FDHD Drive) G7287Duo Disk 5.25 A9M0108Unidisk 3.5 A2M2053 [1]AppleDisk 5.25 A9M01075Applied Engineering 3.5 [2]Laser FD100 5.25Apple 3.5 Drive A9M0106And more…[1] smart drive
[2] partial compatibilityWhen using 3.5 inch drives, Yellowstone is compatible with Apple II standard 800K double-sided double-density disk media.
A naked drive is a bare drive mechanism without any enclosure, such as an internal drive taken from a Macintosh, Apple IIc, or Apple IIc+.
Yes, pull the internal 3.5 inch drive from an old Mac and use it directly with your Apple II!
This brought back Applied Engineering memories (:
- [Wayback/Archive] Yellowstone DB-19 Female Disk Adapter – Big Mess o’ Wires
The adapter includes a six inch ribbon cable and a detachable mini-board that converts the ribbon cable connector into a DB-19 female shape.
…
This adapter has custom wiring that’s specifically designed for use with Yellowstone, and should not be used with other disk hardware.
Can be connected directly to Yellowstone boardApple Disk II A2M0003BMOW Floppy EmuNaked Apple 5.25” DriveswDriveNaked Apple 3.5” DrivesRequires Yellowstone DB-19F adapterUnidisk 5.25 A9M0104Macintosh 800K External M0131Disk IIc A2M4050Apple SuperDrive (Apple FDHD Drive) G7287Duo Disk 5.25 A9M0108Unidisk 3.5 A2M2053AppleDisk 5.25 A9M01075Applied Engineering 3.5Apple 3.5 Drive A9M0106Laser FD100 5.25 A naked drive is a bare drive mechanism without any enclosure, such as an internal drive taken from a Macintosh, Apple IIc, or Apple IIc+.(note that’s a ~15 cm ribbon cable)
- [Wayback/Archive] Yellowstone Back From the Dead | Big Mess o’ Wires
- [Wayback/Archive] Yellowstone: Cloning the Apple II Liron | Big Mess o’ Wires
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Floppy Emu Model C Deluxe Bundle
USD 130 [Wayback/Archive] Floppy Emu Model C Deluxe Bundle – Big Mess o’ Wires
The BMOW Floppy Emu is a disk emulator for classic Apple II, Macintosh, and Lisa computers.
…
The bundle includes:
- Floppy Emu Model C
- Frosted Ice Acrylic Case
- Vintage Apple Software Collection SD Card
- Full-Size SD Adapter
- Disk Extension Cable
- USD 110 [Wayback/Archive] Floppy Emu Model C – Big Mess o’ Wires
Articles and videos:
- [Wayback/Archive] Floppy Emu Technology Design | Big Mess o’ Wires
- [Wayback/Archive] Floppy Emu Disk Emulator for Apple II, Macintosh, and Lisa | Big Mess o’ Wires
There are way more, but these are a good start.
- USD 10 [Wayback/Archive] Frosted Ice Case for Floppy Emu Model C – Big Mess o’ Wires
- USD 15 [Wayback/Archive] Vintage Software Collection SD Card – Big Mess o’ Wires which includes the Full-Size SD Adapter
- USD 20 [Wayback/Archive] Yellowstone DB-19 Female Disk Adapter – Big Mess o’ Wires but with a 100cm cable instead of a ~15cm cable
[Wayback/Archive] BMOW Floppy EMU for Vintage Apple Computers! | Mastergeko4 – YouTube shot at the time the YouTuber was quite a novice, which brought back memories of me being young and figuring out things by fiddling with them and bumping my head against walls (:
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Noisy Disk Mechanical Sounder with 2 ribbon cables attached
USD 20 [Wayback/Archive] Noisy Disk Mechanical Sounder – Big Mess o’ Wires
Noisy Disk uses a mechanical relay to create authentic-sounding mechanical stepping sounds for disk head movements for your Floppy Emu disk emulator’s virtual 5.25 inch floppy disk.
…
Nothing will be harmed if Noisy Disk is used with other computers or emulation modes, but you’ll hear strange clacking noises that don’t match the disk activity.
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The product includes the Noisy Disk board with 2 x 10 pin rectangular input and output connectors, and a 6-inch extension cable for connecting to your Floppy Emu board.
This likely sounds exactly like the more expensive Disk Clicker which was reviewed at [Wayback/Archive] Testing the New Classic Floppy Clicker on Apple Floppy Emulator – Authentic Retro Sounds! – YouTube and sold at [Wayback/Archive] Disk Clicker – 8bitdevices.com
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Internal/External Drive Switcher for Apple IIc
USD 25 [Wayback/Archive] Internal/External Drive Switcher for Apple IIc – Big Mess o’ Wires
At the flip of a switch, select which Apple IIc floppy drives should act as Drive 1 and Drive 2. Add support for dual external 5.25 inch floppy emulation. For the Apple IIc with the Floppy Emu disk emulator.
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[Wayback/Archive] Internal/External Drive Switcher for Apple IIc | Big Mess o’ Wires
This is a two-part device: a signal tap that should be installed inside the Apple IIc, and a modified DB19 adapter with two slide switches for the external connection. Two female-female jumper wires are passed through a gap in the case to make the connection between the two parts.
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Daisy Chainer Disk Coupler
USD 45 [Wayback/Archive] Daisy Chainer Disk Coupler – Big Mess o’ Wires
Link the Floppy Emu disk emulator into a daisy chain with other Apple II disk drives. For use with Floppy Emu Model B and C.
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In order to work correctly, Apple II computers require daisy chained drives to be connected in a specific order:
- any 3.5 inch drives must go first in the chain
- Smartport and Unidisk 3.5 inch drives must go second
- any 5.25 inch drives must go last
There can be at most two drives of each type, six drives total.
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There are two primary firmware versions for the Floppy Emu: normal firmware and Smartport daisy chain SPDC firmware. When using a Floppy Emu with the Daisy Chainer, the SPDC firmware is required if your Emu is configured to emulate a Smartport Hard Disk or a Unidisk 3.5. In all other cases, the normal firmware should be used.
[Wayback/Archive] Floppy Emu Update: Smartport Daisy-Chain Support | Big Mess o’ Wires
Most people should use the normal firmware version, and it’s the default for newly-purchased hardware. The Smartport daisy chain firmware version is only needed in uncommon situations when:
1. The Floppy Emu’s selected emulation mode is Smartport Hard Disk, Smartport Unit 2, or Unidisk 3.5AND
2. The Floppy Emu is plugged into the back of a BMOW Daisy Chainer or to the Apple Unidisk 3.5 drive, A2M2053.
The
wiki.apple2.orgdied, so here are archived links: [Wayback/Archive] wiki.apple2.org: A2 3.5 Drives -> Apple UniDisk 3.5 (A2M2053)Daisy Chainer clear acrylic case
Oh: there is also this one for it:
- USD 10 [Wayback/Archive] Clear Acrylic Case for Daisy Chainer – Big Mess o’ Wires
A clear acrylic case to protect and showcase your Daisy Chainer board. These custom-made Daisy Chainer cases protect your board in style!
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This is a top-and-bottom “plate” style case with open sides. Assembly takes about 5 minutes.
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Apple Disk Drive A/B Switch
USD 20 [Wayback/Archive] Apple Disk Drive A/B Switch – Big Mess o’ Wires
Select between a Floppy Emu and a real floppy drive at the flip of a switch. Includes switch module and one 3 foot 20-pin ribbon cable.
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For Lisa computer owners, and Macs with only one internal floppy connector, disk drive emulation can be awkward sometimes. The Apple Disk Drive A/B Switch aims to eliminate that awkwardness. This accessory makes it possible to attach a Floppy Emu and a real floppy disk drive at the same time, and select between them with a switch. Both drives will be powered, but the computer will only “see” one drive at a time, depending on the switch position.
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⚠ Do not use Floppy Emu’s Dual 5.25 mode in combination with the A/B Switch. It will cause disk errors and may damage the Floppy Emu or your other 5.25 inch drive.
Macintosh specific stuff from BMOW:
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Mac Sync-inator VGA Sync Converter
USD 40 [Wayback/Archive] Mac Sync-inator VGA Sync Converter – Big Mess o’ Wires
Take the hassles out of vintage Macintosh monitor setup! The Mac Sync-inator is a Mac-to-VGA video converter with a powerful sync processor built-in.
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[Wayback/Archive] Mac Sync-inator VGA Sync Converter | Big Mess o’ Wires has much more information including tables for the DIP-switches that set:
- Setting the Desired Video Resolution
- Choosing the Sync Processing Mode
Too bad this is not compatible with my Macintosh SE/30, but still interesting to know it exists.
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ADB-USB Wombat Input Converter
USD 40 [Wayback/Archive] ADB-USB Wombat Input Converter – Big Mess o’ Wires
ADB-USB Wombat is a bidirectional input converter for USB and ADB keyboards and mice. It works in two directions, connecting modern USB peripherals to a classic ADB-based Macintosh or Apple IIgs computer, or ADB peripherals to a USB-based computer running Windows, OSX, or Linux. The foreign keyboards and mice behave exactly like native peripherals, requiring no special software or drivers – just plug it in and go. This is the Wombat main board. You will also need ADB and/or USB cables depending on your intended usage (sold separately).
[Wayback/Archive] Wombat ADB-USB Input Converter | Big Mess o’ Wires has extensive documentation.
USD 10 [Wayback/Archive] Black Acrylic Case for ADB-USB Wombat – Big Mess o’ Wires protects the top of the board (but not the sides)
USD 6 [Wayback/Archive] ADB Cable, 3 ft – Big Mess o’ Wires (sold out at the time of writing, but might be in stock when you read this)
Despite having spare ADB keyboards, I don’t have spare ADB mice, so this might come in really useful.
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Mac ROM-inator II
USD 45 [Wayback/Archive] Mac ROM-inator II | Big Mess o’ Wires
This was actually a trip down memory lane, as 10 years ago, I bought a Macintosh SE/30, upgraded the memory, and helped the original author – Doug Brown – with their documentation:Want to add new features to your old Mac? The Mac ROM-inator II replaces the stock Macintosh ROM SIMM with a custom flash memory module. Add a bootable ROM disk, make your system 32-bit clean, gain HD20 hard disk support, and more. The Mac ROM-inator II supports the Macintosh SE/30, IIx, IIcx, IIci, IIfx, and IIsi.
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The ROM-inator II is based on Doug Brown’s earlier Mac ROM SIMM design, used with permission.
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Compatibility The ROM SIMM and pre-programmed ROM contents are compatible with the Macintosh SE/30, IIx, IIcx, IIci, IIfx, and IIsi. The SIMM simply snaps into the ROM socket on the computer’s logic board. Note the Macintosh SE differs from the SE/30 internally, and is not compatible with the ROM-inator II. CPU accelerators such as the Daystar PowerCache and Turbo series are not compatible with the ROM-inator II. Some SE/30 hardware may require a shim to ensure ideal fit of the SIMM – see instructions for details. If running Mac OS System 7.5 or later, some Mac models require a software patch to the System file.…
The ROM disk contains:- System 7.1, with System Update 3.0 and Apple CD-ROM Extension 5.3.1
- HD SC Setup 7.3.5 (patched to support formatting non-Apple hard disks)
- SCSI Probe 3.3 (for troubleshooting the SCSI bus)
- ResEdit 2.1.3
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Usage Most of the ROM-inator II’s benefits are automatic: just install the SIMM, and you’ll gain HD20 support, 32-bit cleanliness, and custom sounds and icons. Only the ROM disk requires any user interaction. When first powered on, a Macintosh with the ROM-inator II will play a customized startup sound, and display diagnostic info about the amount of installed RAM, the current addressing mode, and the detected ROM disk type. After a moment, an interactive startup menu will be displayed. To boot from the ROM disk as a read-only disk, press the R key on the keyboard. Or to convert the ROM disk into a writable RAM disk, press the A key. Or to bypass the ROM disk, do nothing and wait five seconds. If no keys are pressed, the Macintosh will boot normally from an attached SCSI or HD20 disk, or wait for a floppy disk to be inserted. Note: If booting from a SCSI disk when the ROM-inator II is installed, any 32-bit enablers or extensions such as MODE32 or 32-Bit System Enabler must be removed from the disk’s System folder.[Wayback/Archive] Mac SE/30 with Upgraded ROM | Big Mess o’ Wires
- [Wayback/Archive] GitHub – dougg3/mac-rom-simm-programmer.software: Control software for Mac ROM SIMM programmer
- [Wayback/Archive] GitHub – dougg3/mac-rom-simm-programmer: Firmware for Mac ROM SIMM programmer
- [Wayback/Archive] GitHub – jpluimers/dougg3..mac-rom-simm-programmer: Firmware for Mac ROM SIMM programmer
- [Wayback/Archive] Wiki updates (images, links); added README.md to master branch; added downloads branch. by jpluimers · Pull Request #25 · dougg3/mac-rom-simm-programmer · GitHub
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Then there is a shop on the Cayman Islands that ships world wide and has both the Mac ROM SIMM and the Mac ROMM SIMM programmer:
- USD 10 [Wayback/Archive] RTC PCB for SE30 – CayMac Vintage’s Ko-fi Shop – Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get support from fans through donations, memberships, shop sales and more! The original ‘Buy Me a Coffee’ Page.
Replacement RTC chip for the SE30. This RTC is a ATTiny85 on a PCB with its own crystal for better accuracy on the SE30. No battery is needed when using this RTC version as the P/RAM settings are stored in the flash RAM. The external crystal on the logic board is not needed either.
And there is [Wayback/Archive] a2heaven: For everyone who still loves and uses old computers.:
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Liron Reborn
USD 60 [Wayback/Archive] Liron Reborn
Liron Reborn is a Samrt Port / Disk II controller card for Apple II/IIe computers.
It is a functional hardware compatible Liron clone , with original Liron card Firmware.
A difference from Original Liron card is that card can be used as a a standard 5.25 inch (Disk II) controller or Liron ( SmartPort ) card .
I likely won’t need this as the Yellowstone card looks way more promising
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FASTChip //e – 65C02
USD 150 [Wayback/Archive] FASTChip //e – 65C02
The FASTChip //e accelerates the Apple //e™ by replacing the on-board microprocessor with a much faster one. Because the memory on the Apple //e™ can only run at a 1 MHz speed maximum, faster memory (SRAM) must be provided to increase performance and allow the 65C02/65C816 CPU to run at full speed.
To do this, the FASTChip //e contains 512KB/1024KB of fast SRAM memory. The clever design allows the acceleration of programs running in both main and auxiliary memory. The additional FASTChip //e memory can emulate both 192/448 KB fast RamWorks compatible RAM and 256/512 KB fast RamFactor (slinky) compatible RAM.
[Wayback/Archive] REVIEW: FastChip //e Accellerator by A2Heaven – YouTube
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65C816->65C02 Board
USD 35 [Wayback/Archive] 65C816->65C02 Board
You can use 65C816->65C02 board to connect 65C816 CPU to your Apple II computer .
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* This board was based on Daryl Rictor’s original design. More information can be found here: sbc.rictor.org/support/conv.html
[Wayback/Archive] 65816 to 6502 converter by Daryl Rictor.
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DB19 to IDC20
USD 11 [Wayback/Archive] DB19 to IDC20 Floppy Disk adapter
DB19 to IDC20 Floppy Disk adapter
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directly connect IDC20 Pin Cable connector to the 19-pin port of Apple IIc, or to a floppy controller with a 19-pin connector
Probably cheaper to use the package deals from BMOW
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IDC20 to DB19 cable adapter
USD 13 [Wayback/Archive] IDC20 to DB19 cable adapter
The product is designed to be directly connect IDC20 pin connector to the DB19 pin port .
Likely the combo from BMOW is cheaper.
TrackStar II
- USD 75 [Wayback/Archive] TRAK STAR II
Readout of Disk Drive head position .
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Constant Digital Readout of Disk Drive head position .
Work with any 5″ Apple II compatible Drive .
Display Full , Half and Quarter track head position .Nice idea, but has not been in stock for a long time and feels overpriced.
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Quadlink Clone Kit
USD 160 [Wayback/Archive] Quadlink Clone Kit
It’s an ISA expansion card from the ’80s designed to turn your IBM PC (such as a 5150 or 5160) into an Apple ][! After booting and running the software, you can switch quickly between PC and Apple mode using Ctrl-Alt-A (for Apple) and Ctrl-Alt-P (for PC).
Kit contain all PCB , passive components and chips needed to build working Quadlink Clone .
[Wayback/Archive] GitHub – schlae/quapple: Quadlink clone turns your ancient IBM PC into an Apple ][
Only useful if I find back an ISA compatible PC.
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3D Stickers set
USD 10 [Wayback/Archive] 3D Stickers set
Apple II logo and Disk II label sticker set .
Actually this is quite a nice idea, despite them having been out of stock like forever.
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RamFactor1M
USD 85 [Wayback/Archive] RamFactor1M
RamFactor1M is based on Aplied Engineering RAMFactor card ( firmware is same as original ), however it uses more modern low power 1MB SRAM and can provided battery backup up to 1-2 Year with small CR2032 Battery.
The battery is for backup data (just like PowerFactor from Aplied Engineering ) and can be used as Solid State Disk.
This is a trip down memory lane, though back then school could not afford these.
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Apple II Slot Extender
USD 40 [Wayback/Archive] Apple II Slot Extender
The Apple II slot extender allows you to easily and freely test the functionality and repair your Apple II cards outside of the computer.
You can also turn off voltages that aren’t necessary for the card to work to prevent testing errors.
Package include
- 1 x Apple II extender PCB bottom
- 1 x Apple II extender PCB Top
- 1 x 50 pin Flat ribbon cable with 0.5m length ( contact me if you want a longer cable )
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One more shop (: I think I found it searching for [Wayback/Archive] BlueSCSI, but anyway at [Wayback/Archive] Shop – Joe’s Computer Museum, focussing on [Wayback/Archive] Apple //e Archives – Joe’s Computer Museum I found these interesting items:
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A2Pico
USD 55 [Wayback/Archive] A2Pico – Multi-Function Card – Joe’s Computer Museum
A2Pico is, essentially, a universal peripheral card for your Apple ][ Computer. Want a Z80 CPM Card? Maybe you need inexpensive mass storage. Need to add SmartPort support to your machine? Or, maybe you’re a hacker and want to design your own function. A2Pico lets you do just that!
Using it easy: Flash it with the firmware you want to use (or write your own firmware!), put it in the appropriate Apple // slot and have fun!
NOTE: your card will come without firmware, so that you can choose to make the card whatever you like!
[Wayback/Archive] GitHub – oliverschmidt/a2pico: A2Pico
A2Pico is about Apple II peripheral cards based on the Raspberry Pi Pico. It consists of two parts:
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A2DVI card
USD 50 [Wayback/Archive] A2DVI v2.0 – Apple II Digital Video Adapter – Joe’s Computer Museum
Unlike the below “universal” adapter, the A2DVI might be just the thing for me.The A2DVI produces a digital video stream from your Apple II’s memory. The signal is output via an HDMI-compatible connector, giving your Apple II the option of output to modern displays. No more analog signal conversion required.
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JCM Universal Apple RGB Adapter
USD 20-35 (kit or assembled) [Wayback/Archive] JCM Universal Apple RGB Adapter – Joe’s Computer Museum
The Universal Apple RGB Adapter takes the 4-Bit TTL RGB signal from an Apple ///, the Apple /// Plus or the Apple IIe Video7-style RGB card and converts it to two formats: IBM-style CGA-Compatible TTL, and Apple IIgs Standard. On the Apple /// machines, it also connects the color NTSC signal from the rear connector to a standard RCA-Jack so you can use it.
Since I don’t have either an Apple ///, nore a Apple IIe Video7-style RGB card, this might not be fore me.
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Why Cable? – Original DB19
USD 15-30 [Wayback/Archive] Why Cable? – Apple IIe Card Y-Cable Replacement (Original DB19) – Joe’s Computer Museum
Everybody wants the Apple IIe Card. Nobody has the “Y-Cable” that goes with it; they tend to get lost. So, I designed a replacement solution!
The Why Cable? Apple IIe Card Y-Cable Replacement solves your Floppy and Joystick problem with your Apple IIe Card. Just plug it into your card, then add your floppy drive and joystick and your Apple IIe card will work as intended!
This version emulates the original DB19 cable, and is fully compatible with all drives the Apple IIe Card lists as compatible.
Need to check out if I still have this cable/connector or need the below one (:
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Why Cable? – 20-Pin Cable Version
USD 10-25 [Wayback/Archive] Why Cable? – Apple IIe Card Y-Cable Replacement (20-Pin Cable Version) – Joe’s Computer Museum
Everybody wants the Apple IIe Card. Nobody has the “Y-Cable” that goes with it; they tend to get lost. So, I designed a replacement solution!
The Why Cable? Apple IIe Card Y-Cable Replacement solves your Floppy and Joystick problem with your Apple IIe Card. Just plug it into your card, then add your floppy drive and joystick and your Apple IIe card will work as intended!
This version works with 20-pin ribbon cable connectors and supports any drive that properly emulates a standard 5.25 inch Disk ][ drive, including the FloppyEMU and wDrive.
And I need to check if it is missing, if I need the 19 or 20 pin version. Likely I need the 20-pin one.
- Some 3D printed replacement for your Apple //e opening covers on the back of your machine, and for your Alps Key Stems:
DB-19/DB-25/DB-9 back plates (3D printed, STL files if you want to print your own)
DB-19: outside view
DB-19: inside view
DB-25: outside view
DB-25: inside view
DB-25 for Audio Jacks: outside
DB-25 for Audio Jacks: inside
DB-9: outside view
DB-9: inside view
DB-25 with DB-9 opening: assembled
DB-25 with DB-9 opening: outside
DB-25 with DB-9 opening: inside
USD 1
[Wayback/Archive]
Apple //e DB-19 Back PlateUSD 1
[Wayback/Archive]
Apple //e DB-25 Back PlateUSD 1
[Wayback/Archive]
Apple //e DB-25 Back Plate for Audio JacksUSD 1
[Wayback/Archive]
Apple //e DB-9 Back PlateUSD 1
[Wayback/Archive]
Apple //e DB25 Back Plate with DB9 Opening[Wayback]
A2e-DB25-with-DB9-insert.stl[Wayback]
A2e-DB25-with-DB9-insert.stl[Wayback]
A2e-DB25-with-DB9-insert.stl[Wayback]
A2e-DB25-with-DB9-insert.stl[Wayback]
A2e-DB25-with-DB9-insert.stlAdding the hole in the design required thickening of the base and increasing the depth of the holding clips so they would not pull out when tension is applied to an attached external cable.Note that all link(ed?) to the same .stl file, which is only correct for the right most back plate: “DB-25 with DB-9 opening”.
All of these are based on [Wayback/Archive] Apple IIe port covers, thicker for FFF printers by scruss – Thingiverse which in turn is based on [Wayback/Archive] Apple IIe port covers, three sizes by option8 – Thingiverse.
Alps Key Stems (one of them has the wrong picture, but they are manufactured correctly; 3D printed; no STL-files on the product pages)
Alps Key Stems, Short – 10 Pack
Alps Key Stems, Long – 10 Pack
USD 5
[Wayback/Archive]
Alps Key Stems, Short – 10 Pack – Joe’s Computer MuseumUSD 5
[Wayback/Archive]
Alps Key Stems, Long – 10 Pack – Joe’s Computer MuseumThis might have been the base STL file for this: [Wayback] Hairpin-To-Alps-keycap-adaptor.stl
- Some 3D printed replacement for your Apple //e opening covers on the back of your machine, and for your Alps Key Stems:
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For all shops: I didn’t list all of their items, just the ones that I might use in the future.
An interesting device I did not know about either was the FujiNet one: it is fully open source! One thing to check out is where to order pre-assembled ones for Apple II series.
- [Wayback/Archive] FujiNet · GitHub
FujiNet is a multi-peripheral emulator and WiFi network device for vintage computers. The first completed hardware was for the Atari 8-Bit line of computers and development has begun for other systems (Coleco ADAM, Apple II, Commodore 64, Atari Lynx, ZX Spectrum and more) with the goal of supporting as many old systems as possible. What sets FujiNet apart from other WiFi devices is the new Network Device (the N Device). The N device allows vintage computers that do not have enough processing power to handle TCP/IP connections themselves to talk to the modern internet over WiFi. Virtual adapters have been created for many protocols including: TCP, UDP, HTTP, FTP, TNFS, HTTPS (SSL/TLS), SSH, TELNET, WebDAV and JSON parser. The FujiNet project is 100% completely open source, software and hardware. All code and schematics are available here.
- [Wayback/Archive] FutureVision Research was the only shop I found selling them, but I probably overlooked others.
- [Wayback/Archive] FujiNet – FutureVision Research
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Apple II/III FujiNet w/ accesoiries
USD 110 [Wayback/Archive] FujiNet for Apple II & III (With Accessories) – FutureVision Research
The FujiApple Rev1.1 for SmartPort enabled Apple II computers emulates SmartPort drives, Disk II drives (read only), CP/M, Clock, Modem, and a new Network Device. Disk images can be mounted directly from the internet via TNFS servers or from the onboard MicroSD socket*. The Network device enables access to Internet protocols such as HTTP, HTTPS, TNFS, SSH, TCP, UDP and more.
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This kit comes with the following (ribbon cable color may be gray or rainbow depending on availability):- FujiNet for Apple II & III
- DB-19 to IDC20 Female adapter
- 30cm IDC20 Female to Male cable
- 30cm IDC20 Female to Female cable
- DB-19 spacer
- Two different lengths of thumbscrews
- Two 1.375″ thumbscrews for use with IIe/III
- Two 1.5″ thumbscrews for use with IIc/gs/+
The page contains many more helpful information and links.
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Some non-shop links
- [Wayback/Archive] FloppyEmu vs. CFFA3000/Booti | Applefritter
- [Wayback/Archive] Plus Too Mac Replica | Big Mess o’ Wires
- [Wayback/Archive] Floppy Emu Disk Emulator? : apple2
Yes. I’d rank it as the most versatile as it works across the greatest number of machines (Apple 2s and Macs).
It is cheaper and more readily available than the other solutions.
The only slight downside is it isn’t as fast, direct memory access/processor wise, as the card solutions that exist – but those do use up a slot, and there isn’t much software that can take advantage of the speed difference anyway – and on a machine that only goes a couple Mhz anyway, it won’t make much difference.It’s 7 years old at this point, but Joe’s Computer Museum did an excellent video comparing the major options here:
https://youtu.be/Wjy6_qnTnv0a covering
- MicroDrive/Turbo
- CFFA3000
- Floppy Emu
- SDFloppy II
- UNISDISK Air 19 – [Wayback/Archive] UNISDISK Air Series, very hard to get
[Wayback/Archive] Apple II Mass Storage Benchmark Results – Joe’s Computer Museum
[Wayback/Archive] Apple II Mass Storage Mega Roundup – YouTube
- [Wayback/Archive] Nerdly Pleasures: wDrive v. Floppy Emu – Comparison of the Best Apple II Disk Emulators
- [Wayback/Archive] Thoughts on wDrive versus Floppy Emu? | Applefritter
- [Wayback/Archive] Fujinet for Apple II, SD card and Internet capable device for SmartPort | Applefritter (works with Yellowstone card)
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An external monitor on a Macingosh SE/30
- [Wayback/Archive] Mac SE can use an external Monitor?? – Apple Community
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Mac SE/30 and Macintosh Classic
Since I own both a Macintosh SE/30 and a Macintosh Classic, these are relevant too:
- [Wayback/Archive] Classic II vs SE/30 – TidBITS
- [Wayback/Archive] Siblings – Macintosh SE and Mac Classic : VintageApple
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Queries
I used additional queries than the first blog post to complete this blog post. Here they are:
- [Wayback/Archive] macintosh Floppy Emu 3.5 – Google Suche
- [Wayback/Archive] apple 2 disk sd card – Google Suche
- [Wayback/Archive] Liron disk controller card – Google Search
- [Wayback/Archive] cffa vs floppy emu – Google Search
- [Wayback/Archive] floppy emu apple ii disk controller – Google Suche
- [Wayback/Archive] wDrive vs floppy emu – Google Search
- [Wayback/Archive] fujinet apple ii – Google Search
- [Wayback/Archive] Apple Liron – Search on Google
- [Wayback/Archive] Yellowstone fujinet – Sök på Google
- [Wayback/Archive] does floppy emu work with classic macintosh – Google Search
- [Wayback/Archive] mac se/30 versus macintosh classic – Google Suche
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- [Wayback/Archive] bluescsi v2 – Sök på Google
--jeroenRate this:
#12 #156 #25 #3dprint #3dprinting #4 #Apple #appleiigs #AprilApples
- USD 25 [Wayback/Archive] Apple IIc USB C power adapter with Volt Gauge – 8 bit stuff cool retro computer 3D gadgets and geekery
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More Apple ][*, //* II* and classic Macintosh hardware upgrades
The mini micro classic Apple emulators related post last week became way too big, so here is the classic Apple 2/Macintosh hardware upgrade part follow-up I announced in Some notes on mini/micro Apple //e emulators.
Last week, I mentioned [Wayback/Archive] ARC Javmaster – YouTube. Let’s continue from there for an even bigger post (:
Javmaster actually has a shop at [Wayback/Archive] Welcome to the 8-bit stuff store – 8 bit stuff cool retro computer 3D gadgets and geekery with a lot of interesting (mainly Apple ][ era related) retro things like:
- USD 25 [Wayback/Archive] Apple IIc USB C power adapter with Volt Gauge – 8 bit stuff cool retro computer 3D gadgets and geekery
Apple IIc USB C power adapter with Volt Gauge with USB-C connected and showing 15.2 volts
[Wayback/Archive] Transform your Apple IIc experience with this sleek USB-C power supply replacement! – YouTube
- USD 120-430 [Wayback/Archive] Floppy Emu 3.5 Drive Case – 8 bit stuff cool retro computer 3D gadgets and geekery
Floppy Emu 3.5 Drive Case powered up with green screen fitting well together with an Apple //c plus
[Wayback/Archive] Step into the future of vintage computing with the Floppy Emu 3.5! – YouTube
[Wayback/Archive] New 3.5 drive case for Apple II & Macintosh Floppy Emu: soon at 8bitstuff.com! #3dprinting #Apple – YouTube
[Wayback/Archive] Starting GSOS 6.04 from the new Floppy Emu 3.5, a match made in heaven! #apple #3dprint #appleiigs – YouTube
- USD 120-430 [Wayback/Archive] Floppy Emulator Disk ][ Case – 8 bit stuff cool retro computer 3D gadgets and geekery
Floppy Emulator Disk ][ Case with green screen fitted in an original Apple ][ era 5.25 inch diskette drive case
[Wayback/Archive] New Release: Floppy Emu ][ Case Assembly Guide! – YouTube[Wayback/Archive] #AprilApples Guest episode: Watch Jon Assemble a Floppy Emu Case from Scratch! – YouTube
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3D Printed Apple II Joystick – clear Special edition: internals
3D Printed Apple II Joystick – clear Special edition
3D Printed Apple II Joystick
USD 80-155 Apple II Joystick Recreation: cheapest is 3D printed in classic color, the other clear
The 3D recreation of the iconic Apple II Joystick, keeping all the classic features with brand new mechanical parts. The moving parts brand new, adapted to work seamlessly with Apple II’s that use the DB9 port.
The switches are brand-new Matias key switches, a new version of the ALPS keys that were so successful in most original keyboards.
By using these materials, the quality and durability are better. The 3D printed case and switches resemble the original and is crafted to be enjoyed and used with your retro systems.- [Wayback/Archive] 3D Printed Apple II Joystick – A Fusion of Nostalgia and Innovation – 8 bit stuff cool retro computer 3D gadgets and geekery
- [Wayback/Archive] 3D Printed Apple II Joystick – clear Special edition – 8 bit stuff cool retro computer 3D gadgets and geekery
[Wayback/Archive] Apple II Joystick Recreation – Rediscover the Ultimate Retro Gaming Experience! – YouTube
- [Wayback/Archive] 3D Printed Apple II Joystick – A Fusion of Nostalgia and Innovation – 8 bit stuff cool retro computer 3D gadgets and geekery
8bitstuff also pointed me to this shop with cool parts helping you fix Apple ][* and Apple //e and II* model issues: [Wayback/Archive] Shop | ReActiveMicro.com which is part of [Wayback/Archive] ReActiveMicro.com which has this great card in their catalog:
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A2FPGA Multicard
USD 150 [Wayback/Archive] A2FPGA Multicard | ReActiveMicro.com
[Wayback/Archive] #156: Can One Apple II Card Replace Them All? – YouTube
The firmware is open source at [Wayback/Archive] GitHub – a2fpga/a2fpga_core: Apple II FPGA Co-Processor and still being maintained.
[Wayback/Archive] A2FPGA – The ReActiveMicro Apple II Wiki
The A2FPGA is primarily an HD video and Mockingboard-compatible sound card for the Apple II, II+, //e, and IIgs.
and other hardware like:
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Disk ][+ v1.0 kit
USD 30-40 [Wayback/Archive] Disk ][+ – Assembled or Kit | ReActiveMicro.com
Disk ][+ v1.0 is a small PCB that installs into Apple Disk ][ drives. It replaces the red LED in the drives with a two-color LED, to better distinguish the reading phases, in green, from the writing phases, in red. Comes assembled or in kit form.
Notes:
- You need one set for each drive.
- I don’t really like the way they connect to the drive electronics, see picture below from [Wayback/Archive] Disk II+ – The ReActiveMicro Apple II Wiki . Instead of the pin, I would likely solder the wires to the electronics.
4 hook probes connected to the Disk II analog board.
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Apple IIe Enhancement Kit
USD 30-35 [Wayback/Archive] IIe Enhancement Kit | ReActiveMicro.com
Comes with an ‘Enhanced’ paper template, 65C02 CPU, and all the ROM’s necessary to upgrade your Apple IIe.
[Wayback/Archive] Apple IIe Enhancement Kit – The ReActiveMicro Apple II Wiki
Note it has various options (USA vs European Apple //e, plus languages: check before you order!)
I need to check if my Apple //e already has this enhancement kit.
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No-Slot Clock v1.0
USD 65 [Wayback/Archive] No-Slot Clock | ReActiveMicro.com
The No-Slot Clock v1.0 allows your Apple II to remember the date and time. It will work on an Apple II, Apple II+, Apple IIe, Apple IIc, and Clone systems. It features dual battery holders. Two CR1025 cells included.
The No Slot Clock does not fit in to the IIc or IIc+ with a RAM Card installed.
[Wayback/Archive] No-Slot Clock – The ReActiveMicro Apple II Wiki
Likely won’t needs this as ROMXe and ROMXc both include a clock.
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Ultimate-Micro.com Apple II 3.5″ Disk Controller Card v1.0
USD 200 [Wayback/Archive] Apple II 3.5 Disk Controller Card | ReActiveMicro.com
This is the Apple II 3.5″ Disk Controller Card v1.0 from Ultimate-Micro.com.
The Apple II 3.5″ Disk Controller Card v1.0 is a clone of Apple’s Apple II 3.5″ Disk Controller Card. The disk controller card allows you to use 3.5-inch floppy disk drives, including the Apple SuperDrive and Apple 3.5 Drive, with all Apple II computers. This card also supports the operation of older model Apple II UniDisk 3.5 drives.
Not sure if I really want this one, especially with the USD 200 price tag: The
Ultimate-Micro.comdomain vanished and the Yellowstone Universal Disk Controller mentioned below at USD 170 (including cables) can do more. -
Apple II A2io Bluetooth Game Port Receiver
USD 20 [Wayback/Archive] A2io Bluetooth Game Port Receiver For Your Apple II Systems | ReActiveMicro.com
This is the A2io Bluetooth Game Port Receiver from CraftyMech and designed by Aaron Reid. Works on all Apple II systems with a 9 pin game port.
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A2io allow you to connect and use a modern wireless game pad as either a joystick, paddle, or pad input device. You pair the game pad with your mobile device (phone/tablet/laptop) and then connect to the A2io. The mobile device acts like a translator between your Apple and game pad.
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CFFA 300 REV C
USD 225 [Wayback/Archive] CFFA3000 v1.0 Rev C-RM for II, II+, ///, IIe, and IIgs | ReActiveMicro.com
This is the CFFA3000 v1.0 Rev C-RM built by ReActiveMicro under license from R&D Automation.
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The CFFA3000 v1.0 Rev C-RM Controller is a Mass Storage Device and Floppy Emulator that once installed in your Apple II system acts like a solid-state Hard Drive using Compact Flash Cards and USB Flash Drives. Floppy Emulation allows users to load .PO images as if they were physical disk. See the manual for more details. There is also discussion about adding .WOZ support, and we will post updates if/when it happens.
Comes with CF Card as pictured, and with Remote option standard. Manual can be found here for review.
Plug and play ready, and fully tested. Comes started with **256MB** CF Card, preloaded with several ProDOS 8 volumes with games and utilities, and several GS/OS volumes. You can select which one to boot using the on-board firmware menu (press “M” key on power up).
[Wayback/Archive] wiki.reactivemicro.com/images/9/9d/2021-10-23-CFFA-RM_Manual.pdf
I already have this, including the original remote back in 2014 from dreher: [Wayback/Archive] CFFA3000 Run 3: Order Status
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CFFA3000 Remote
USD 40 [Wayback/Archive] CFFA3000 – Remote Option With Cable | ReActiveMicro.com
This is the CFFA3000 Remote option built by ReActiveMicro under license from R&D Automation. ***REMOTE ONLY!***
ReActiveMicro is an authorized dealer and partner with R&D…
The CFFA3000 Remote option comes with the connector cable, which attaches to the CFFA3000 card installed in your Apple II system. It comes as pictured, with the Remote, the connection cable, and a 3D printed enclosure.
Finally it pointed me to [Wayback/Archive] Home | JD Micro which has RAMX (for Apple ][* systems) and ROMX (variants for any Apple 2 model) for which these are most applicable to my systems (both ROMX versions also contain the fonts mentioned in their blog post [Wayback/Archive] 11th May 2021 | JD Micro):
[Wayback/Archive] Review: ROMX+ Device for Apple II+ – YouTube
- [Wayback/Archive] ROMXe | JD Micro for Apple //e – includes clock
[Wayback/Archive] Review: ROMXe by JD Micro – More ROMS than you can shake a joystick at! – YouTube
- [Wayback/Archive] ROMXc | JD Micro for Apple IIc – includes clock
[Wayback/Archive] Boot Instantly – ROMXc Review for the Apple //c – YouTube
Other results from the queries I used in the post last week also returned some hardware that can be used for classic Apple machines:
- [Wayback/Archive] The ESP32 SoftCard for the Apple II | Applefritter
I’ve been working on a new card for the Apple II that would extend its capabilities using my favorite Wi-Fi module: the ESP32. I decided to called it a soft card, because similarly to the original Z80 SoftCard it contains its own processor allowing it to run software not originally meant for the Apple II. And similarly to the original 80-column card that was needed, it produces its own composite video enabled through a soft switch. Both NTSC and PAL are supported and can be switched using a command. In addition it can produce 8-bit sound that is mixed and played through the Apple II speaker. For most of its applications the card also needs a FAT32 formatted microSD card.
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[Wayback/Archive] ESP32 SoftCard Expansion Card for the Apple II from CVT on Tindie
ESP32 SoftCard Expansion Card for the Apple II
- [Wayback/Archive] Apple2idiot card (ESP32) | Applefritter
It is an interesting and different take on interfacing an ESP32 module to an Apple II. It uses a dual ported SRAM instead of trying to interface the ESP32 to the Apple II bus using something like 74LVC245s or through a parallel chip like a 6522 or 82C55 or through a serial chip like a 6551 or 6850.
https://github.com/equant/apple2idiot
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[Wayback/Archive] GitHub – equant/apple2idiot: A general purpose ESP32 IOT board for the Apple IIe
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assembly lines
[Wayback/Archive] Shop – CT6502 and [Wayback/Archive] Shop – Page 2 of 2 – CT6502a
- [Wayback/Archive] Assembly Lines: The Mug – CT6502
Assembly Lines: The Mug; Print-on-demand from Printful.
Mug; handle left
Mug; handle behind
Mug; handle right
This is a really cool idea including the Choplifter and Lode Runner main sprites on the mug. The right picture shows you can also get it in 15oz size.
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Apple II wDrive Disk Drive Emulator
[Wayback/Archive] Apple II wDrive Disk Drive Emulator – CT6502
The wDrive is a disk drive emulator for the Apple II (II+, IIe, IIc, IIGS) that boots disk images (WOZ, DSK, 2MG, HDV, etc) from an SD card.
Manufacturer: [Wayback/Archive] Mfa2 Workshop
We are developer of wDrive, softSP card and related accessories which are published through Kboo HK
Note it there are two options to choose from:
- USD ~80: wDrive only (Apple IIc and IIGS)
- USD ~100: wDrive plus SoftSP card (Apple II, II+, IIe)
The second option includes this one:
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MFA2 SoftSP Card
[Wayback/Archive] Apple II MFA2 SoftSP Card wDrive or FujiNet – CT6502
The SoftSP card allows you to boot hard disk images or use FujiNet devices on an Apple II+ or IIe, which do not have SmartPort support.
The SoftSP card is not needed on the Apple IIc or Apple IIGS.
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The SoftSP card should be placed into a slot lower than the wDrive disk controller card. Slot 1 or 2 usually works well.
Note: The SoftSP card will also work with the FloppyEMU. However, you MUST use a special drive cable that isolates pin 12, to avoid damaging your FloppyEMU. You do not need to use this cable with the wDrive, although it won’t cause any issues if you do. You can find details about the issue here.
That last bit is really really important as SoftSP only can be installed in a system that also connects to a FloppyEMU under these circumstances:
- Connect the FloppyEMU to a Yellowstone is a universal disk controller card for Apple II computers (see below), especially since the Yellowstone also supports both wDrive and FujiNet.
- Connect the FloppyEMU to an original Disk Controller, but cut wire #12 as explained in [Wayback/Archive] Floppy Emu SoftSP Warning | Big Mess o’ Wires
You can’t safely connect a Smartport device to a Disk II controller card, no matter how the card’s internal logic might be modified. That includes Floppy Emu when it’s configured in Smartport emulation mode. The reason is that Smartport devices connect pin 12 internally to ground. This is how other connected equipment and daisy-chained drives know that they’re Smartport drives, and it’s essential for correct daisy-chain operation of Smartport drives with the BMOW Daisy Chainer or the Apple Unidisk 3.5 drive.
Both options essentially makes the SoftSP unneeded for FloppyEMU, and with this signalling problem for wire #12 (which is the SmartPort compatibility indicator) I am not sure which other SmartPort devices besides wDrive will actually work with the Apple ][, Apple ][+ and Apple //e without damaging the SmartPort device.
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- [Wayback/Archive] Assembly Lines: The Mug – CT6502
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Another shop via [Wayback/Archive] Big Mess o’ Wires -> [Wayback/Archive] Big Mess o’ Wires Store
Bring new life to your classic computer
From disk emulators to ROM upgrades, keyboard and mouse adapters, and more hardware creations, BMOW has your retrocomputer needs covered.
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Yellowstone Universal Disk Controller Card and two DB-19 female adapters
[Wayback/Archive] Yellowstone Disk Controller Everything Bundle – Big Mess o’ Wires
Yellowstone is a universal disk controller card for Apple II computers. It supports nearly every type of Apple disk drive ever made, including standard 3.5 inch drives, 5.25 inch drives, smart drives like the Unidisk 3.5 and the BMOW Floppy Emu’s smartport hard disk, and even Macintosh 3.5 inch drives. Yellowstone combines the power of an Apple 3.5 Disk Controller Card, a standard 5.25 inch Disk II controller card, the Apple Liron controller, and more, all in a single card.
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The “everything” bundle includes the latest version Yellowstone Universal Disk Controller Card and two DB-19 female adapters
- [Wayback/Archive] Yellowstone: Cloning the Apple II Liron | Big Mess o’ Wires
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The “Liron” disk controller was introduced by Apple in 1985. More formally known as the Apple II UniDisk 3.5 Controller, it’s designed to work with a new generation of “smart” disk drives more sophisticated than the venerable Disk II 5.25 inch floppy drive. The smart disk port on the Liron is appropriately named the Smartport, and it can communicate with block-based storage devices such as the Unidisk 3.5 (an early 800K drive) and Smartport-based Apple II hard drives.
Why care about the Liron? The Apple IIc and Apple IIgs have integrated disk ports with built-in Smartport functionality, but for the earlier Apple II+ and IIe, the Liron is the only way to get a Smartport. For owners of the BMOW Floppy Emu disk emulator, the Liron card makes it possible to use the Floppy Emu as an external hard drive for the II+ and IIe. Unfortunately finding a Liron is difficult, and although they occasionally turn up on eBay, they’re quite expensive. That made cloning the Liron a logical first goal.…
- [Wayback/Archive] Yellowstone Universal Disk Controller – Big Mess o’ Wires
Article: [Wayback/Archive] Yellowstone Universal Disk Controller for Apple II | Big Mess o’ Wires – Run any disk drive with your Apple II computer!
Supported Drives
Need to attach a disk drive to your Apple II? Yellowstone has got you covered. Yellowstone is compatible with the Apple IIe, Apple IIgs, Apple II+, Apple II, and most Apple II clones. It works with these disk drives and drive emulators:
Can be connected directlyDisk II A2M0003Naked Apple 3.5” 800K, black labelNaked half-height Apple 5.25″Naked Apple 3.5” 800K, red labelFloppy Emu 5.25 modeNaked Apple 3.5” 1.44MB, auto-injectFloppy Emu Model C dual 5.25 modeNaked Apple 3.5” 1.44MB, manual-injectFloppy Emu 3.5 modewDriveFloppy Emu Unidisk 3.5 mode [1]Floppy Emu Smartport hard disk mode [1]And more…Requires optional DB-19F connectorUnidisk 5.25 A9M0104Macintosh 800K External M0131Disk IIc A2M4050Apple SuperDrive (Apple FDHD Drive) G7287Duo Disk 5.25 A9M0108Unidisk 3.5 A2M2053 [1]AppleDisk 5.25 A9M01075Applied Engineering 3.5 [2]Laser FD100 5.25Apple 3.5 Drive A9M0106And more…[1] smart drive
[2] partial compatibilityWhen using 3.5 inch drives, Yellowstone is compatible with Apple II standard 800K double-sided double-density disk media.
A naked drive is a bare drive mechanism without any enclosure, such as an internal drive taken from a Macintosh, Apple IIc, or Apple IIc+.
Yes, pull the internal 3.5 inch drive from an old Mac and use it directly with your Apple II!
This brought back Applied Engineering memories (:
- [Wayback/Archive] Yellowstone DB-19 Female Disk Adapter – Big Mess o’ Wires
The adapter includes a six inch ribbon cable and a detachable mini-board that converts the ribbon cable connector into a DB-19 female shape.
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This adapter has custom wiring that’s specifically designed for use with Yellowstone, and should not be used with other disk hardware.
Can be connected directly to Yellowstone boardApple Disk II A2M0003BMOW Floppy EmuNaked Apple 5.25” DriveswDriveNaked Apple 3.5” DrivesRequires Yellowstone DB-19F adapterUnidisk 5.25 A9M0104Macintosh 800K External M0131Disk IIc A2M4050Apple SuperDrive (Apple FDHD Drive) G7287Duo Disk 5.25 A9M0108Unidisk 3.5 A2M2053AppleDisk 5.25 A9M01075Applied Engineering 3.5Apple 3.5 Drive A9M0106Laser FD100 5.25 A naked drive is a bare drive mechanism without any enclosure, such as an internal drive taken from a Macintosh, Apple IIc, or Apple IIc+.(note that’s a ~15 cm ribbon cable)
- [Wayback/Archive] Yellowstone Back From the Dead | Big Mess o’ Wires
- [Wayback/Archive] Yellowstone: Cloning the Apple II Liron | Big Mess o’ Wires
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Floppy Emu Model C Deluxe Bundle
USD 130 [Wayback/Archive] Floppy Emu Model C Deluxe Bundle – Big Mess o’ Wires
The BMOW Floppy Emu is a disk emulator for classic Apple II, Macintosh, and Lisa computers.
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The bundle includes:
- Floppy Emu Model C
- Frosted Ice Acrylic Case
- Vintage Apple Software Collection SD Card
- Full-Size SD Adapter
- Disk Extension Cable
- USD 110 [Wayback/Archive] Floppy Emu Model C – Big Mess o’ Wires
Articles and videos:
- [Wayback/Archive] Floppy Emu Technology Design | Big Mess o’ Wires
- [Wayback/Archive] Floppy Emu Disk Emulator for Apple II, Macintosh, and Lisa | Big Mess o’ Wires
There are way more, but these are a good start.
- USD 10 [Wayback/Archive] Frosted Ice Case for Floppy Emu Model C – Big Mess o’ Wires
- USD 15 [Wayback/Archive] Vintage Software Collection SD Card – Big Mess o’ Wires which includes the Full-Size SD Adapter
- USD 20 [Wayback/Archive] Yellowstone DB-19 Female Disk Adapter – Big Mess o’ Wires but with a 100cm cable instead of a ~15cm cable
[Wayback/Archive] BMOW Floppy EMU for Vintage Apple Computers! | Mastergeko4 – YouTube shot at the time the YouTuber was quite a novice, which brought back memories of me being young and figuring out things by fiddling with them and bumping my head against walls (:
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Noisy Disk Mechanical Sounder with 2 ribbon cables attached
USD 20 [Wayback/Archive] Noisy Disk Mechanical Sounder – Big Mess o’ Wires
Noisy Disk uses a mechanical relay to create authentic-sounding mechanical stepping sounds for disk head movements for your Floppy Emu disk emulator’s virtual 5.25 inch floppy disk.
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Nothing will be harmed if Noisy Disk is used with other computers or emulation modes, but you’ll hear strange clacking noises that don’t match the disk activity.
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The product includes the Noisy Disk board with 2 x 10 pin rectangular input and output connectors, and a 6-inch extension cable for connecting to your Floppy Emu board.
This likely sounds exactly like the more expensive Disk Clicker which was reviewed at [Wayback/Archive] Testing the New Classic Floppy Clicker on Apple Floppy Emulator – Authentic Retro Sounds! – YouTube and sold at [Wayback/Archive] Disk Clicker – 8bitdevices.com
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Internal/External Drive Switcher for Apple IIc
USD 25 [Wayback/Archive] Internal/External Drive Switcher for Apple IIc – Big Mess o’ Wires
At the flip of a switch, select which Apple IIc floppy drives should act as Drive 1 and Drive 2. Add support for dual external 5.25 inch floppy emulation. For the Apple IIc with the Floppy Emu disk emulator.
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[Wayback/Archive] Internal/External Drive Switcher for Apple IIc | Big Mess o’ Wires
This is a two-part device: a signal tap that should be installed inside the Apple IIc, and a modified DB19 adapter with two slide switches for the external connection. Two female-female jumper wires are passed through a gap in the case to make the connection between the two parts.
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Daisy Chainer Disk Coupler
USD 45 [Wayback/Archive] Daisy Chainer Disk Coupler – Big Mess o’ Wires
Link the Floppy Emu disk emulator into a daisy chain with other Apple II disk drives. For use with Floppy Emu Model B and C.
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In order to work correctly, Apple II computers require daisy chained drives to be connected in a specific order:
- any 3.5 inch drives must go first in the chain
- Smartport and Unidisk 3.5 inch drives must go second
- any 5.25 inch drives must go last
There can be at most two drives of each type, six drives total.
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There are two primary firmware versions for the Floppy Emu: normal firmware and Smartport daisy chain SPDC firmware. When using a Floppy Emu with the Daisy Chainer, the SPDC firmware is required if your Emu is configured to emulate a Smartport Hard Disk or a Unidisk 3.5. In all other cases, the normal firmware should be used.
[Wayback/Archive] Floppy Emu Update: Smartport Daisy-Chain Support | Big Mess o’ Wires
Most people should use the normal firmware version, and it’s the default for newly-purchased hardware. The Smartport daisy chain firmware version is only needed in uncommon situations when:
1. The Floppy Emu’s selected emulation mode is Smartport Hard Disk, Smartport Unit 2, or Unidisk 3.5AND
2. The Floppy Emu is plugged into the back of a BMOW Daisy Chainer or to the Apple Unidisk 3.5 drive, A2M2053.
The
wiki.apple2.orgdied, so here are archived links: [Wayback/Archive] wiki.apple2.org: A2 3.5 Drives -> Apple UniDisk 3.5 (A2M2053)Daisy Chainer clear acrylic case
Oh: there is also this one for it:
- USD 10 [Wayback/Archive] Clear Acrylic Case for Daisy Chainer – Big Mess o’ Wires
A clear acrylic case to protect and showcase your Daisy Chainer board. These custom-made Daisy Chainer cases protect your board in style!
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This is a top-and-bottom “plate” style case with open sides. Assembly takes about 5 minutes.
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Apple Disk Drive A/B Switch
USD 20 [Wayback/Archive] Apple Disk Drive A/B Switch – Big Mess o’ Wires
Select between a Floppy Emu and a real floppy drive at the flip of a switch. Includes switch module and one 3 foot 20-pin ribbon cable.
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For Lisa computer owners, and Macs with only one internal floppy connector, disk drive emulation can be awkward sometimes. The Apple Disk Drive A/B Switch aims to eliminate that awkwardness. This accessory makes it possible to attach a Floppy Emu and a real floppy disk drive at the same time, and select between them with a switch. Both drives will be powered, but the computer will only “see” one drive at a time, depending on the switch position.
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⚠ Do not use Floppy Emu’s Dual 5.25 mode in combination with the A/B Switch. It will cause disk errors and may damage the Floppy Emu or your other 5.25 inch drive.
Macintosh specific stuff from BMOW:
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Mac Sync-inator VGA Sync Converter
USD 40 [Wayback/Archive] Mac Sync-inator VGA Sync Converter – Big Mess o’ Wires
Take the hassles out of vintage Macintosh monitor setup! The Mac Sync-inator is a Mac-to-VGA video converter with a powerful sync processor built-in.
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[Wayback/Archive] Mac Sync-inator VGA Sync Converter | Big Mess o’ Wires has much more information including tables for the DIP-switches that set:
- Setting the Desired Video Resolution
- Choosing the Sync Processing Mode
Too bad this is not compatible with my Macintosh SE/30, but still interesting to know it exists.
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ADB-USB Wombat Input Converter
USD 40 [Wayback/Archive] ADB-USB Wombat Input Converter – Big Mess o’ Wires
ADB-USB Wombat is a bidirectional input converter for USB and ADB keyboards and mice. It works in two directions, connecting modern USB peripherals to a classic ADB-based Macintosh or Apple IIgs computer, or ADB peripherals to a USB-based computer running Windows, OSX, or Linux. The foreign keyboards and mice behave exactly like native peripherals, requiring no special software or drivers – just plug it in and go. This is the Wombat main board. You will also need ADB and/or USB cables depending on your intended usage (sold separately).
[Wayback/Archive] Wombat ADB-USB Input Converter | Big Mess o’ Wires has extensive documentation.
USD 10 [Wayback/Archive] Black Acrylic Case for ADB-USB Wombat – Big Mess o’ Wires protects the top of the board (but not the sides)
USD 6 [Wayback/Archive] ADB Cable, 3 ft – Big Mess o’ Wires (sold out at the time of writing, but might be in stock when you read this)
Despite having spare ADB keyboards, I don’t have spare ADB mice, so this might come in really useful.
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Mac ROM-inator II
USD 45 [Wayback/Archive] Mac ROM-inator II | Big Mess o’ Wires
This was actually a trip down memory lane, as 10 years ago, I bought a Macintosh SE/30, upgraded the memory, and helped the original author – Doug Brown – with their documentation:Want to add new features to your old Mac? The Mac ROM-inator II replaces the stock Macintosh ROM SIMM with a custom flash memory module. Add a bootable ROM disk, make your system 32-bit clean, gain HD20 hard disk support, and more. The Mac ROM-inator II supports the Macintosh SE/30, IIx, IIcx, IIci, IIfx, and IIsi.
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The ROM-inator II is based on Doug Brown’s earlier Mac ROM SIMM design, used with permission.
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Compatibility The ROM SIMM and pre-programmed ROM contents are compatible with the Macintosh SE/30, IIx, IIcx, IIci, IIfx, and IIsi. The SIMM simply snaps into the ROM socket on the computer’s logic board. Note the Macintosh SE differs from the SE/30 internally, and is not compatible with the ROM-inator II. CPU accelerators such as the Daystar PowerCache and Turbo series are not compatible with the ROM-inator II. Some SE/30 hardware may require a shim to ensure ideal fit of the SIMM – see instructions for details. If running Mac OS System 7.5 or later, some Mac models require a software patch to the System file.…
The ROM disk contains:- System 7.1, with System Update 3.0 and Apple CD-ROM Extension 5.3.1
- HD SC Setup 7.3.5 (patched to support formatting non-Apple hard disks)
- SCSI Probe 3.3 (for troubleshooting the SCSI bus)
- ResEdit 2.1.3
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Usage Most of the ROM-inator II’s benefits are automatic: just install the SIMM, and you’ll gain HD20 support, 32-bit cleanliness, and custom sounds and icons. Only the ROM disk requires any user interaction. When first powered on, a Macintosh with the ROM-inator II will play a customized startup sound, and display diagnostic info about the amount of installed RAM, the current addressing mode, and the detected ROM disk type. After a moment, an interactive startup menu will be displayed. To boot from the ROM disk as a read-only disk, press the R key on the keyboard. Or to convert the ROM disk into a writable RAM disk, press the A key. Or to bypass the ROM disk, do nothing and wait five seconds. If no keys are pressed, the Macintosh will boot normally from an attached SCSI or HD20 disk, or wait for a floppy disk to be inserted. Note: If booting from a SCSI disk when the ROM-inator II is installed, any 32-bit enablers or extensions such as MODE32 or 32-Bit System Enabler must be removed from the disk’s System folder.[Wayback/Archive] Mac SE/30 with Upgraded ROM | Big Mess o’ Wires
- [Wayback/Archive] GitHub – dougg3/mac-rom-simm-programmer.software: Control software for Mac ROM SIMM programmer
- [Wayback/Archive] GitHub – dougg3/mac-rom-simm-programmer: Firmware for Mac ROM SIMM programmer
- [Wayback/Archive] GitHub – jpluimers/dougg3..mac-rom-simm-programmer: Firmware for Mac ROM SIMM programmer
- [Wayback/Archive] Wiki updates (images, links); added README.md to master branch; added downloads branch. by jpluimers · Pull Request #25 · dougg3/mac-rom-simm-programmer · GitHub
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Then there is a shop on the Cayman Islands that ships world wide and has both the Mac ROM SIMM and the Mac ROMM SIMM programmer:
- USD 10 [Wayback/Archive] RTC PCB for SE30 – CayMac Vintage’s Ko-fi Shop – Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get support from fans through donations, memberships, shop sales and more! The original ‘Buy Me a Coffee’ Page.
Replacement RTC chip for the SE30. This RTC is a ATTiny85 on a PCB with its own crystal for better accuracy on the SE30. No battery is needed when using this RTC version as the P/RAM settings are stored in the flash RAM. The external crystal on the logic board is not needed either.
And there is [Wayback/Archive] a2heaven: For everyone who still loves and uses old computers.:
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Liron Reborn
USD 60 [Wayback/Archive] Liron Reborn
Liron Reborn is a Samrt Port / Disk II controller card for Apple II/IIe computers.
It is a functional hardware compatible Liron clone , with original Liron card Firmware.
A difference from Original Liron card is that card can be used as a a standard 5.25 inch (Disk II) controller or Liron ( SmartPort ) card .
I likely won’t need this as the Yellowstone card looks way more promising
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FASTChip //e – 65C02
USD 150 [Wayback/Archive] FASTChip //e – 65C02
The FASTChip //e accelerates the Apple //e™ by replacing the on-board microprocessor with a much faster one. Because the memory on the Apple //e™ can only run at a 1 MHz speed maximum, faster memory (SRAM) must be provided to increase performance and allow the 65C02/65C816 CPU to run at full speed.
To do this, the FASTChip //e contains 512KB/1024KB of fast SRAM memory. The clever design allows the acceleration of programs running in both main and auxiliary memory. The additional FASTChip //e memory can emulate both 192/448 KB fast RamWorks compatible RAM and 256/512 KB fast RamFactor (slinky) compatible RAM.
[Wayback/Archive] REVIEW: FastChip //e Accellerator by A2Heaven – YouTube
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65C816->65C02 Board
USD 35 [Wayback/Archive] 65C816->65C02 Board
You can use 65C816->65C02 board to connect 65C816 CPU to your Apple II computer .
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* This board was based on Daryl Rictor’s original design. More information can be found here: sbc.rictor.org/support/conv.html
[Wayback/Archive] 65816 to 6502 converter by Daryl Rictor.
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DB19 to IDC20
USD 11 [Wayback/Archive] DB19 to IDC20 Floppy Disk adapter
DB19 to IDC20 Floppy Disk adapter
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directly connect IDC20 Pin Cable connector to the 19-pin port of Apple IIc, or to a floppy controller with a 19-pin connector
Probably cheaper to use the package deals from BMOW
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IDC20 to DB19 cable adapter
USD 13 [Wayback/Archive] IDC20 to DB19 cable adapter
The product is designed to be directly connect IDC20 pin connector to the DB19 pin port .
Likely the combo from BMOW is cheaper.
TrackStar II
- USD 75 [Wayback/Archive] TRAK STAR II
Readout of Disk Drive head position .
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Constant Digital Readout of Disk Drive head position .
Work with any 5″ Apple II compatible Drive .
Display Full , Half and Quarter track head position .Nice idea, but has not been in stock for a long time and feels overpriced.
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Quadlink Clone Kit
USD 160 [Wayback/Archive] Quadlink Clone Kit
It’s an ISA expansion card from the ’80s designed to turn your IBM PC (such as a 5150 or 5160) into an Apple ][! After booting and running the software, you can switch quickly between PC and Apple mode using Ctrl-Alt-A (for Apple) and Ctrl-Alt-P (for PC).
Kit contain all PCB , passive components and chips needed to build working Quadlink Clone .
[Wayback/Archive] GitHub – schlae/quapple: Quadlink clone turns your ancient IBM PC into an Apple ][
Only useful if I find back an ISA compatible PC.
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3D Stickers set
USD 10 [Wayback/Archive] 3D Stickers set
Apple II logo and Disk II label sticker set .
Actually this is quite a nice idea, despite them having been out of stock like forever.
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RamFactor1M
USD 85 [Wayback/Archive] RamFactor1M
RamFactor1M is based on Aplied Engineering RAMFactor card ( firmware is same as original ), however it uses more modern low power 1MB SRAM and can provided battery backup up to 1-2 Year with small CR2032 Battery.
The battery is for backup data (just like PowerFactor from Aplied Engineering ) and can be used as Solid State Disk.
This is a trip down memory lane, though back then school could not afford these.
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Apple II Slot Extender
USD 40 [Wayback/Archive] Apple II Slot Extender
The Apple II slot extender allows you to easily and freely test the functionality and repair your Apple II cards outside of the computer.
You can also turn off voltages that aren’t necessary for the card to work to prevent testing errors.
Package include
- 1 x Apple II extender PCB bottom
- 1 x Apple II extender PCB Top
- 1 x 50 pin Flat ribbon cable with 0.5m length ( contact me if you want a longer cable )
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One more shop (: I think I found it searching for [Wayback/Archive] BlueSCSI, but anyway at [Wayback/Archive] Shop – Joe’s Computer Museum, focussing on [Wayback/Archive] Apple //e Archives – Joe’s Computer Museum I found these interesting items:
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A2Pico
USD 55 [Wayback/Archive] A2Pico – Multi-Function Card – Joe’s Computer Museum
A2Pico is, essentially, a universal peripheral card for your Apple ][ Computer. Want a Z80 CPM Card? Maybe you need inexpensive mass storage. Need to add SmartPort support to your machine? Or, maybe you’re a hacker and want to design your own function. A2Pico lets you do just that!
Using it easy: Flash it with the firmware you want to use (or write your own firmware!), put it in the appropriate Apple // slot and have fun!
NOTE: your card will come without firmware, so that you can choose to make the card whatever you like!
[Wayback/Archive] GitHub – oliverschmidt/a2pico: A2Pico
A2Pico is about Apple II peripheral cards based on the Raspberry Pi Pico. It consists of two parts:
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A2DVI card
USD 50 [Wayback/Archive] A2DVI v2.0 – Apple II Digital Video Adapter – Joe’s Computer Museum
Unlike the below “universal” adapter, the A2DVI might be just the thing for me.The A2DVI produces a digital video stream from your Apple II’s memory. The signal is output via an HDMI-compatible connector, giving your Apple II the option of output to modern displays. No more analog signal conversion required.
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JCM Universal Apple RGB Adapter
USD 20-35 (kit or assembled) [Wayback/Archive] JCM Universal Apple RGB Adapter – Joe’s Computer Museum
The Universal Apple RGB Adapter takes the 4-Bit TTL RGB signal from an Apple ///, the Apple /// Plus or the Apple IIe Video7-style RGB card and converts it to two formats: IBM-style CGA-Compatible TTL, and Apple IIgs Standard. On the Apple /// machines, it also connects the color NTSC signal from the rear connector to a standard RCA-Jack so you can use it.
Since I don’t have either an Apple ///, nore a Apple IIe Video7-style RGB card, this might not be fore me.
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Why Cable? – Original DB19
USD 15-30 [Wayback/Archive] Why Cable? – Apple IIe Card Y-Cable Replacement (Original DB19) – Joe’s Computer Museum
Everybody wants the Apple IIe Card. Nobody has the “Y-Cable” that goes with it; they tend to get lost. So, I designed a replacement solution!
The Why Cable? Apple IIe Card Y-Cable Replacement solves your Floppy and Joystick problem with your Apple IIe Card. Just plug it into your card, then add your floppy drive and joystick and your Apple IIe card will work as intended!
This version emulates the original DB19 cable, and is fully compatible with all drives the Apple IIe Card lists as compatible.
Need to check out if I still have this cable/connector or need the below one (:
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Why Cable? – 20-Pin Cable Version
USD 10-25 [Wayback/Archive] Why Cable? – Apple IIe Card Y-Cable Replacement (20-Pin Cable Version) – Joe’s Computer Museum
Everybody wants the Apple IIe Card. Nobody has the “Y-Cable” that goes with it; they tend to get lost. So, I designed a replacement solution!
The Why Cable? Apple IIe Card Y-Cable Replacement solves your Floppy and Joystick problem with your Apple IIe Card. Just plug it into your card, then add your floppy drive and joystick and your Apple IIe card will work as intended!
This version works with 20-pin ribbon cable connectors and supports any drive that properly emulates a standard 5.25 inch Disk ][ drive, including the FloppyEMU and wDrive.
And I need to check if it is missing, if I need the 19 or 20 pin version. Likely I need the 20-pin one.
- Some 3D printed replacement for your Apple //e opening covers on the back of your machine, and for your Alps Key Stems:
DB-19/DB-25/DB-9 back plates (3D printed, STL files if you want to print your own)
DB-19: outside view
DB-19: inside view
DB-25: outside view
DB-25: inside view
DB-25 for Audio Jacks: outside
DB-25 for Audio Jacks: inside
DB-9: outside view
DB-9: inside view
DB-25 with DB-9 opening: assembled
DB-25 with DB-9 opening: outside
DB-25 with DB-9 opening: inside
USD 1
[Wayback/Archive]
Apple //e DB-19 Back PlateUSD 1
[Wayback/Archive]
Apple //e DB-25 Back PlateUSD 1
[Wayback/Archive]
Apple //e DB-25 Back Plate for Audio JacksUSD 1
[Wayback/Archive]
Apple //e DB-9 Back PlateUSD 1
[Wayback/Archive]
Apple //e DB25 Back Plate with DB9 Opening[Wayback]
A2e-DB25-with-DB9-insert.stl[Wayback]
A2e-DB25-with-DB9-insert.stl[Wayback]
A2e-DB25-with-DB9-insert.stl[Wayback]
A2e-DB25-with-DB9-insert.stl[Wayback]
A2e-DB25-with-DB9-insert.stlAdding the hole in the design required thickening of the base and increasing the depth of the holding clips so they would not pull out when tension is applied to an attached external cable.Note that all link(ed?) to the same .stl file, which is only correct for the right most back plate: “DB-25 with DB-9 opening”.
All of these are based on [Wayback/Archive] Apple IIe port covers, thicker for FFF printers by scruss – Thingiverse which in turn is based on [Wayback/Archive] Apple IIe port covers, three sizes by option8 – Thingiverse.
Alps Key Stems (one of them has the wrong picture, but they are manufactured correctly; 3D printed; no STL-files on the product pages)
Alps Key Stems, Short – 10 Pack
Alps Key Stems, Long – 10 Pack
USD 5
[Wayback/Archive]
Alps Key Stems, Short – 10 Pack – Joe’s Computer MuseumUSD 5
[Wayback/Archive]
Alps Key Stems, Long – 10 Pack – Joe’s Computer MuseumThis might have been the base STL file for this: [Wayback] Hairpin-To-Alps-keycap-adaptor.stl
- Some 3D printed replacement for your Apple //e opening covers on the back of your machine, and for your Alps Key Stems:
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For all shops: I didn’t list all of their items, just the ones that I might use in the future.
An interesting device I did not know about either was the FujiNet one: it is fully open source! One thing to check out is where to order pre-assembled ones for Apple II series.
- [Wayback/Archive] FujiNet · GitHub
FujiNet is a multi-peripheral emulator and WiFi network device for vintage computers. The first completed hardware was for the Atari 8-Bit line of computers and development has begun for other systems (Coleco ADAM, Apple II, Commodore 64, Atari Lynx, ZX Spectrum and more) with the goal of supporting as many old systems as possible. What sets FujiNet apart from other WiFi devices is the new Network Device (the N Device). The N device allows vintage computers that do not have enough processing power to handle TCP/IP connections themselves to talk to the modern internet over WiFi. Virtual adapters have been created for many protocols including: TCP, UDP, HTTP, FTP, TNFS, HTTPS (SSL/TLS), SSH, TELNET, WebDAV and JSON parser. The FujiNet project is 100% completely open source, software and hardware. All code and schematics are available here.
- [Wayback/Archive] FutureVision Research was the only shop I found selling them, but I probably overlooked others.
- [Wayback/Archive] FujiNet – FutureVision Research
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Apple II/III FujiNet w/ accesoiries
USD 110 [Wayback/Archive] FujiNet for Apple II & III (With Accessories) – FutureVision Research
The FujiApple Rev1.1 for SmartPort enabled Apple II computers emulates SmartPort drives, Disk II drives (read only), CP/M, Clock, Modem, and a new Network Device. Disk images can be mounted directly from the internet via TNFS servers or from the onboard MicroSD socket*. The Network device enables access to Internet protocols such as HTTP, HTTPS, TNFS, SSH, TCP, UDP and more.
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This kit comes with the following (ribbon cable color may be gray or rainbow depending on availability):- FujiNet for Apple II & III
- DB-19 to IDC20 Female adapter
- 30cm IDC20 Female to Male cable
- 30cm IDC20 Female to Female cable
- DB-19 spacer
- Two different lengths of thumbscrews
- Two 1.375″ thumbscrews for use with IIe/III
- Two 1.5″ thumbscrews for use with IIc/gs/+
The page contains many more helpful information and links.
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Some non-shop links
- [Wayback/Archive] FloppyEmu vs. CFFA3000/Booti | Applefritter
- [Wayback/Archive] Plus Too Mac Replica | Big Mess o’ Wires
- [Wayback/Archive] Floppy Emu Disk Emulator? : apple2
Yes. I’d rank it as the most versatile as it works across the greatest number of machines (Apple 2s and Macs).
It is cheaper and more readily available than the other solutions.
The only slight downside is it isn’t as fast, direct memory access/processor wise, as the card solutions that exist – but those do use up a slot, and there isn’t much software that can take advantage of the speed difference anyway – and on a machine that only goes a couple Mhz anyway, it won’t make much difference.It’s 7 years old at this point, but Joe’s Computer Museum did an excellent video comparing the major options here:
https://youtu.be/Wjy6_qnTnv0a covering
- MicroDrive/Turbo
- CFFA3000
- Floppy Emu
- SDFloppy II
- UNISDISK Air 19 – [Wayback/Archive] UNISDISK Air Series, very hard to get
[Wayback/Archive] Apple II Mass Storage Benchmark Results – Joe’s Computer Museum
[Wayback/Archive] Apple II Mass Storage Mega Roundup – YouTube
- [Wayback/Archive] Nerdly Pleasures: wDrive v. Floppy Emu – Comparison of the Best Apple II Disk Emulators
- [Wayback/Archive] Thoughts on wDrive versus Floppy Emu? | Applefritter
- [Wayback/Archive] Fujinet for Apple II, SD card and Internet capable device for SmartPort | Applefritter (works with Yellowstone card)
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An external monitor on a Macingosh SE/30
- [Wayback/Archive] Mac SE can use an external Monitor?? – Apple Community
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Mac SE/30 and Macintosh Classic
Since I own both a Macintosh SE/30 and a Macintosh Classic, these are relevant too:
- [Wayback/Archive] Classic II vs SE/30 – TidBITS
- [Wayback/Archive] Siblings – Macintosh SE and Mac Classic : VintageApple
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Queries
I used additional queries than the first blog post to complete this blog post. Here they are:
- [Wayback/Archive] macintosh Floppy Emu 3.5 – Google Suche
- [Wayback/Archive] apple 2 disk sd card – Google Suche
- [Wayback/Archive] Liron disk controller card – Google Search
- [Wayback/Archive] cffa vs floppy emu – Google Search
- [Wayback/Archive] floppy emu apple ii disk controller – Google Suche
- [Wayback/Archive] wDrive vs floppy emu – Google Search
- [Wayback/Archive] fujinet apple ii – Google Search
- [Wayback/Archive] Apple Liron – Search on Google
- [Wayback/Archive] Yellowstone fujinet – Sök på Google
- [Wayback/Archive] does floppy emu work with classic macintosh – Google Search
- [Wayback/Archive] mac se/30 versus macintosh classic – Google Suche
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- [Wayback/Archive] bluescsi v2 – Sök på Google
--jeroenRate this:
#12 #156 #25 #3dprint #3dprinting #4 #Apple #appleiigs #AprilApples
- USD 25 [Wayback/Archive] Apple IIc USB C power adapter with Volt Gauge – 8 bit stuff cool retro computer 3D gadgets and geekery
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More Apple ][*, //* II* and classic Macintosh hardware upgrades
The mini micro classic Apple emulators related post last week became way too big, so here is the classic Apple 2/Macintosh hardware upgrade part follow-up I announced in Some notes on mini/micro Apple //e emulators.
Last week, I mentioned [Wayback/Archive] ARC Javmaster – YouTube. Let’s continue from there for an even bigger post (:
Javmaster actually has a shop at [Wayback/Archive] Welcome to the 8-bit stuff store – 8 bit stuff cool retro computer 3D gadgets and geekery with a lot of interesting (mainly Apple ][ era related) retro things like:
- USD 25 [Wayback/Archive] Apple IIc USB C power adapter with Volt Gauge – 8 bit stuff cool retro computer 3D gadgets and geekery
Apple IIc USB C power adapter with Volt Gauge with USB-C connected and showing 15.2 volts
[Wayback/Archive] Transform your Apple IIc experience with this sleek USB-C power supply replacement! – YouTube
- USD 120-430 [Wayback/Archive] Floppy Emu 3.5 Drive Case – 8 bit stuff cool retro computer 3D gadgets and geekery
Floppy Emu 3.5 Drive Case powered up with green screen fitting well together with an Apple //c plus
[Wayback/Archive] Step into the future of vintage computing with the Floppy Emu 3.5! – YouTube
[Wayback/Archive] New 3.5 drive case for Apple II & Macintosh Floppy Emu: soon at 8bitstuff.com! #3dprinting #Apple – YouTube
[Wayback/Archive] Starting GSOS 6.04 from the new Floppy Emu 3.5, a match made in heaven! #apple #3dprint #appleiigs – YouTube
- USD 120-430 [Wayback/Archive] Floppy Emulator Disk ][ Case – 8 bit stuff cool retro computer 3D gadgets and geekery
Floppy Emulator Disk ][ Case with green screen fitted in an original Apple ][ era 5.25 inch diskette drive case
[Wayback/Archive] New Release: Floppy Emu ][ Case Assembly Guide! – YouTube[Wayback/Archive] #AprilApples Guest episode: Watch Jon Assemble a Floppy Emu Case from Scratch! – YouTube
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3D Printed Apple II Joystick – clear Special edition: internals
3D Printed Apple II Joystick – clear Special edition
3D Printed Apple II Joystick
USD 80-155 Apple II Joystick Recreation: cheapest is 3D printed in classic color, the other clear
The 3D recreation of the iconic Apple II Joystick, keeping all the classic features with brand new mechanical parts. The moving parts brand new, adapted to work seamlessly with Apple II’s that use the DB9 port.
The switches are brand-new Matias key switches, a new version of the ALPS keys that were so successful in most original keyboards.
By using these materials, the quality and durability are better. The 3D printed case and switches resemble the original and is crafted to be enjoyed and used with your retro systems.- [Wayback/Archive] 3D Printed Apple II Joystick – A Fusion of Nostalgia and Innovation – 8 bit stuff cool retro computer 3D gadgets and geekery
- [Wayback/Archive] 3D Printed Apple II Joystick – clear Special edition – 8 bit stuff cool retro computer 3D gadgets and geekery
[Wayback/Archive] Apple II Joystick Recreation – Rediscover the Ultimate Retro Gaming Experience! – YouTube
- [Wayback/Archive] 3D Printed Apple II Joystick – A Fusion of Nostalgia and Innovation – 8 bit stuff cool retro computer 3D gadgets and geekery
8bitstuff also pointed me to this shop with cool parts helping you fix Apple ][* and Apple //e and II* model issues: [Wayback/Archive] Shop | ReActiveMicro.com which is part of [Wayback/Archive] ReActiveMicro.com which has this great card in their catalog:
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A2FPGA Multicard
USD 150 [Wayback/Archive] A2FPGA Multicard | ReActiveMicro.com
[Wayback/Archive] #156: Can One Apple II Card Replace Them All? – YouTube
The firmware is open source at [Wayback/Archive] GitHub – a2fpga/a2fpga_core: Apple II FPGA Co-Processor and still being maintained.
[Wayback/Archive] A2FPGA – The ReActiveMicro Apple II Wiki
The A2FPGA is primarily an HD video and Mockingboard-compatible sound card for the Apple II, II+, //e, and IIgs.
and other hardware like:
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Disk ][+ v1.0 kit
USD 30-40 [Wayback/Archive] Disk ][+ – Assembled or Kit | ReActiveMicro.com
Disk ][+ v1.0 is a small PCB that installs into Apple Disk ][ drives. It replaces the red LED in the drives with a two-color LED, to better distinguish the reading phases, in green, from the writing phases, in red. Comes assembled or in kit form.
Notes:
- You need one set for each drive.
- I don’t really like the way they connect to the drive electronics, see picture below from [Wayback/Archive] Disk II+ – The ReActiveMicro Apple II Wiki . Instead of the pin, I would likely solder the wires to the electronics.
4 hook probes connected to the Disk II analog board.
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Apple IIe Enhancement Kit
USD 30-35 [Wayback/Archive] IIe Enhancement Kit | ReActiveMicro.com
Comes with an ‘Enhanced’ paper template, 65C02 CPU, and all the ROM’s necessary to upgrade your Apple IIe.
[Wayback/Archive] Apple IIe Enhancement Kit – The ReActiveMicro Apple II Wiki
Note it has various options (USA vs European Apple //e, plus languages: check before you order!)
I need to check if my Apple //e already has this enhancement kit.
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No-Slot Clock v1.0
USD 65 [Wayback/Archive] No-Slot Clock | ReActiveMicro.com
The No-Slot Clock v1.0 allows your Apple II to remember the date and time. It will work on an Apple II, Apple II+, Apple IIe, Apple IIc, and Clone systems. It features dual battery holders. Two CR1025 cells included.
The No Slot Clock does not fit in to the IIc or IIc+ with a RAM Card installed.
[Wayback/Archive] No-Slot Clock – The ReActiveMicro Apple II Wiki
Likely won’t needs this as ROMXe and ROMXc both include a clock.
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Ultimate-Micro.com Apple II 3.5″ Disk Controller Card v1.0
USD 200 [Wayback/Archive] Apple II 3.5 Disk Controller Card | ReActiveMicro.com
This is the Apple II 3.5″ Disk Controller Card v1.0 from Ultimate-Micro.com.
The Apple II 3.5″ Disk Controller Card v1.0 is a clone of Apple’s Apple II 3.5″ Disk Controller Card. The disk controller card allows you to use 3.5-inch floppy disk drives, including the Apple SuperDrive and Apple 3.5 Drive, with all Apple II computers. This card also supports the operation of older model Apple II UniDisk 3.5 drives.
Not sure if I really want this one, especially with the USD 200 price tag: The
Ultimate-Micro.comdomain vanished and the Yellowstone Universal Disk Controller mentioned below at USD 170 (including cables) can do more. -
Apple II A2io Bluetooth Game Port Receiver
USD 20 [Wayback/Archive] A2io Bluetooth Game Port Receiver For Your Apple II Systems | ReActiveMicro.com
This is the A2io Bluetooth Game Port Receiver from CraftyMech and designed by Aaron Reid. Works on all Apple II systems with a 9 pin game port.
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A2io allow you to connect and use a modern wireless game pad as either a joystick, paddle, or pad input device. You pair the game pad with your mobile device (phone/tablet/laptop) and then connect to the A2io. The mobile device acts like a translator between your Apple and game pad.
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CFFA 300 REV C
USD 225 [Wayback/Archive] CFFA3000 v1.0 Rev C-RM for II, II+, ///, IIe, and IIgs | ReActiveMicro.com
This is the CFFA3000 v1.0 Rev C-RM built by ReActiveMicro under license from R&D Automation.
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The CFFA3000 v1.0 Rev C-RM Controller is a Mass Storage Device and Floppy Emulator that once installed in your Apple II system acts like a solid-state Hard Drive using Compact Flash Cards and USB Flash Drives. Floppy Emulation allows users to load .PO images as if they were physical disk. See the manual for more details. There is also discussion about adding .WOZ support, and we will post updates if/when it happens.
Comes with CF Card as pictured, and with Remote option standard. Manual can be found here for review.
Plug and play ready, and fully tested. Comes started with **256MB** CF Card, preloaded with several ProDOS 8 volumes with games and utilities, and several GS/OS volumes. You can select which one to boot using the on-board firmware menu (press “M” key on power up).
[Wayback/Archive] wiki.reactivemicro.com/images/9/9d/2021-10-23-CFFA-RM_Manual.pdf
I already have this, including the original remote back in 2014 from dreher: [Wayback/Archive] CFFA3000 Run 3: Order Status
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CFFA3000 Remote
USD 40 [Wayback/Archive] CFFA3000 – Remote Option With Cable | ReActiveMicro.com
This is the CFFA3000 Remote option built by ReActiveMicro under license from R&D Automation. ***REMOTE ONLY!***
ReActiveMicro is an authorized dealer and partner with R&D…
The CFFA3000 Remote option comes with the connector cable, which attaches to the CFFA3000 card installed in your Apple II system. It comes as pictured, with the Remote, the connection cable, and a 3D printed enclosure.
Finally it pointed me to [Wayback/Archive] Home | JD Micro which has RAMX (for Apple ][* systems) and ROMX (variants for any Apple 2 model) for which these are most applicable to my systems (both ROMX versions also contain the fonts mentioned in their blog post [Wayback/Archive] 11th May 2021 | JD Micro):
[Wayback/Archive] Review: ROMX+ Device for Apple II+ – YouTube
- [Wayback/Archive] ROMXe | JD Micro for Apple //e – includes clock
[Wayback/Archive] Review: ROMXe by JD Micro – More ROMS than you can shake a joystick at! – YouTube
- [Wayback/Archive] ROMXc | JD Micro for Apple IIc – includes clock
[Wayback/Archive] Boot Instantly – ROMXc Review for the Apple //c – YouTube
Other results from the queries I used in the post last week also returned some hardware that can be used for classic Apple machines:
- [Wayback/Archive] The ESP32 SoftCard for the Apple II | Applefritter
I’ve been working on a new card for the Apple II that would extend its capabilities using my favorite Wi-Fi module: the ESP32. I decided to called it a soft card, because similarly to the original Z80 SoftCard it contains its own processor allowing it to run software not originally meant for the Apple II. And similarly to the original 80-column card that was needed, it produces its own composite video enabled through a soft switch. Both NTSC and PAL are supported and can be switched using a command. In addition it can produce 8-bit sound that is mixed and played through the Apple II speaker. For most of its applications the card also needs a FAT32 formatted microSD card.
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[Wayback/Archive] ESP32 SoftCard Expansion Card for the Apple II from CVT on Tindie
ESP32 SoftCard Expansion Card for the Apple II
- [Wayback/Archive] Apple2idiot card (ESP32) | Applefritter
It is an interesting and different take on interfacing an ESP32 module to an Apple II. It uses a dual ported SRAM instead of trying to interface the ESP32 to the Apple II bus using something like 74LVC245s or through a parallel chip like a 6522 or 82C55 or through a serial chip like a 6551 or 6850.
https://github.com/equant/apple2idiot
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[Wayback/Archive] GitHub – equant/apple2idiot: A general purpose ESP32 IOT board for the Apple IIe
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assembly lines
[Wayback/Archive] Shop – CT6502 and [Wayback/Archive] Shop – Page 2 of 2 – CT6502a
- [Wayback/Archive] Assembly Lines: The Mug – CT6502
Assembly Lines: The Mug; Print-on-demand from Printful.
Mug; handle left
Mug; handle behind
Mug; handle right
This is a really cool idea including the Choplifter and Lode Runner main sprites on the mug. The right picture shows you can also get it in 15oz size.
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Apple II wDrive Disk Drive Emulator
[Wayback/Archive] Apple II wDrive Disk Drive Emulator – CT6502
The wDrive is a disk drive emulator for the Apple II (II+, IIe, IIc, IIGS) that boots disk images (WOZ, DSK, 2MG, HDV, etc) from an SD card.
Manufacturer: [Wayback/Archive] Mfa2 Workshop
We are developer of wDrive, softSP card and related accessories which are published through Kboo HK
Note it there are two options to choose from:
- USD ~80: wDrive only (Apple IIc and IIGS)
- USD ~100: wDrive plus SoftSP card (Apple II, II+, IIe)
The second option includes this one:
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MFA2 SoftSP Card
[Wayback/Archive] Apple II MFA2 SoftSP Card wDrive or FujiNet – CT6502
The SoftSP card allows you to boot hard disk images or use FujiNet devices on an Apple II+ or IIe, which do not have SmartPort support.
The SoftSP card is not needed on the Apple IIc or Apple IIGS.
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The SoftSP card should be placed into a slot lower than the wDrive disk controller card. Slot 1 or 2 usually works well.
Note: The SoftSP card will also work with the FloppyEMU. However, you MUST use a special drive cable that isolates pin 12, to avoid damaging your FloppyEMU. You do not need to use this cable with the wDrive, although it won’t cause any issues if you do. You can find details about the issue here.
That last bit is really really important as SoftSP only can be installed in a system that also connects to a FloppyEMU under these circumstances:
- Connect the FloppyEMU to a Yellowstone is a universal disk controller card for Apple II computers (see below), especially since the Yellowstone also supports both wDrive and FujiNet.
- Connect the FloppyEMU to an original Disk Controller, but cut wire #12 as explained in [Wayback/Archive] Floppy Emu SoftSP Warning | Big Mess o’ Wires
You can’t safely connect a Smartport device to a Disk II controller card, no matter how the card’s internal logic might be modified. That includes Floppy Emu when it’s configured in Smartport emulation mode. The reason is that Smartport devices connect pin 12 internally to ground. This is how other connected equipment and daisy-chained drives know that they’re Smartport drives, and it’s essential for correct daisy-chain operation of Smartport drives with the BMOW Daisy Chainer or the Apple Unidisk 3.5 drive.
Both options essentially makes the SoftSP unneeded for FloppyEMU, and with this signalling problem for wire #12 (which is the SmartPort compatibility indicator) I am not sure which other SmartPort devices besides wDrive will actually work with the Apple ][, Apple ][+ and Apple //e without damaging the SmartPort device.
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- [Wayback/Archive] Assembly Lines: The Mug – CT6502
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Another shop via [Wayback/Archive] Big Mess o’ Wires -> [Wayback/Archive] Big Mess o’ Wires Store
Bring new life to your classic computer
From disk emulators to ROM upgrades, keyboard and mouse adapters, and more hardware creations, BMOW has your retrocomputer needs covered.
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Yellowstone Universal Disk Controller Card and two DB-19 female adapters
[Wayback/Archive] Yellowstone Disk Controller Everything Bundle – Big Mess o’ Wires
Yellowstone is a universal disk controller card for Apple II computers. It supports nearly every type of Apple disk drive ever made, including standard 3.5 inch drives, 5.25 inch drives, smart drives like the Unidisk 3.5 and the BMOW Floppy Emu’s smartport hard disk, and even Macintosh 3.5 inch drives. Yellowstone combines the power of an Apple 3.5 Disk Controller Card, a standard 5.25 inch Disk II controller card, the Apple Liron controller, and more, all in a single card.
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The “everything” bundle includes the latest version Yellowstone Universal Disk Controller Card and two DB-19 female adapters
- [Wayback/Archive] Yellowstone: Cloning the Apple II Liron | Big Mess o’ Wires
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The “Liron” disk controller was introduced by Apple in 1985. More formally known as the Apple II UniDisk 3.5 Controller, it’s designed to work with a new generation of “smart” disk drives more sophisticated than the venerable Disk II 5.25 inch floppy drive. The smart disk port on the Liron is appropriately named the Smartport, and it can communicate with block-based storage devices such as the Unidisk 3.5 (an early 800K drive) and Smartport-based Apple II hard drives.
Why care about the Liron? The Apple IIc and Apple IIgs have integrated disk ports with built-in Smartport functionality, but for the earlier Apple II+ and IIe, the Liron is the only way to get a Smartport. For owners of the BMOW Floppy Emu disk emulator, the Liron card makes it possible to use the Floppy Emu as an external hard drive for the II+ and IIe. Unfortunately finding a Liron is difficult, and although they occasionally turn up on eBay, they’re quite expensive. That made cloning the Liron a logical first goal.…
- [Wayback/Archive] Yellowstone Universal Disk Controller – Big Mess o’ Wires
Article: [Wayback/Archive] Yellowstone Universal Disk Controller for Apple II | Big Mess o’ Wires – Run any disk drive with your Apple II computer!
Supported Drives
Need to attach a disk drive to your Apple II? Yellowstone has got you covered. Yellowstone is compatible with the Apple IIe, Apple IIgs, Apple II+, Apple II, and most Apple II clones. It works with these disk drives and drive emulators:
Can be connected directlyDisk II A2M0003Naked Apple 3.5” 800K, black labelNaked half-height Apple 5.25″Naked Apple 3.5” 800K, red labelFloppy Emu 5.25 modeNaked Apple 3.5” 1.44MB, auto-injectFloppy Emu Model C dual 5.25 modeNaked Apple 3.5” 1.44MB, manual-injectFloppy Emu 3.5 modewDriveFloppy Emu Unidisk 3.5 mode [1]Floppy Emu Smartport hard disk mode [1]And more…Requires optional DB-19F connectorUnidisk 5.25 A9M0104Macintosh 800K External M0131Disk IIc A2M4050Apple SuperDrive (Apple FDHD Drive) G7287Duo Disk 5.25 A9M0108Unidisk 3.5 A2M2053 [1]AppleDisk 5.25 A9M01075Applied Engineering 3.5 [2]Laser FD100 5.25Apple 3.5 Drive A9M0106And more…[1] smart drive
[2] partial compatibilityWhen using 3.5 inch drives, Yellowstone is compatible with Apple II standard 800K double-sided double-density disk media.
A naked drive is a bare drive mechanism without any enclosure, such as an internal drive taken from a Macintosh, Apple IIc, or Apple IIc+.
Yes, pull the internal 3.5 inch drive from an old Mac and use it directly with your Apple II!
This brought back Applied Engineering memories (:
- [Wayback/Archive] Yellowstone DB-19 Female Disk Adapter – Big Mess o’ Wires
The adapter includes a six inch ribbon cable and a detachable mini-board that converts the ribbon cable connector into a DB-19 female shape.
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This adapter has custom wiring that’s specifically designed for use with Yellowstone, and should not be used with other disk hardware.
Can be connected directly to Yellowstone boardApple Disk II A2M0003BMOW Floppy EmuNaked Apple 5.25” DriveswDriveNaked Apple 3.5” DrivesRequires Yellowstone DB-19F adapterUnidisk 5.25 A9M0104Macintosh 800K External M0131Disk IIc A2M4050Apple SuperDrive (Apple FDHD Drive) G7287Duo Disk 5.25 A9M0108Unidisk 3.5 A2M2053AppleDisk 5.25 A9M01075Applied Engineering 3.5Apple 3.5 Drive A9M0106Laser FD100 5.25 A naked drive is a bare drive mechanism without any enclosure, such as an internal drive taken from a Macintosh, Apple IIc, or Apple IIc+.(note that’s a ~15 cm ribbon cable)
- [Wayback/Archive] Yellowstone Back From the Dead | Big Mess o’ Wires
- [Wayback/Archive] Yellowstone: Cloning the Apple II Liron | Big Mess o’ Wires
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Floppy Emu Model C Deluxe Bundle
USD 130 [Wayback/Archive] Floppy Emu Model C Deluxe Bundle – Big Mess o’ Wires
The BMOW Floppy Emu is a disk emulator for classic Apple II, Macintosh, and Lisa computers.
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The bundle includes:
- Floppy Emu Model C
- Frosted Ice Acrylic Case
- Vintage Apple Software Collection SD Card
- Full-Size SD Adapter
- Disk Extension Cable
- USD 110 [Wayback/Archive] Floppy Emu Model C – Big Mess o’ Wires
Articles and videos:
- [Wayback/Archive] Floppy Emu Technology Design | Big Mess o’ Wires
- [Wayback/Archive] Floppy Emu Disk Emulator for Apple II, Macintosh, and Lisa | Big Mess o’ Wires
There are way more, but these are a good start.
- USD 10 [Wayback/Archive] Frosted Ice Case for Floppy Emu Model C – Big Mess o’ Wires
- USD 15 [Wayback/Archive] Vintage Software Collection SD Card – Big Mess o’ Wires which includes the Full-Size SD Adapter
- USD 20 [Wayback/Archive] Yellowstone DB-19 Female Disk Adapter – Big Mess o’ Wires but with a 100cm cable instead of a ~15cm cable
[Wayback/Archive] BMOW Floppy EMU for Vintage Apple Computers! | Mastergeko4 – YouTube shot at the time the YouTuber was quite a novice, which brought back memories of me being young and figuring out things by fiddling with them and bumping my head against walls (:
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Noisy Disk Mechanical Sounder with 2 ribbon cables attached
USD 20 [Wayback/Archive] Noisy Disk Mechanical Sounder – Big Mess o’ Wires
Noisy Disk uses a mechanical relay to create authentic-sounding mechanical stepping sounds for disk head movements for your Floppy Emu disk emulator’s virtual 5.25 inch floppy disk.
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Nothing will be harmed if Noisy Disk is used with other computers or emulation modes, but you’ll hear strange clacking noises that don’t match the disk activity.
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The product includes the Noisy Disk board with 2 x 10 pin rectangular input and output connectors, and a 6-inch extension cable for connecting to your Floppy Emu board.
This likely sounds exactly like the more expensive Disk Clicker which was reviewed at [Wayback/Archive] Testing the New Classic Floppy Clicker on Apple Floppy Emulator – Authentic Retro Sounds! – YouTube and sold at [Wayback/Archive] Disk Clicker – 8bitdevices.com
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Internal/External Drive Switcher for Apple IIc
USD 25 [Wayback/Archive] Internal/External Drive Switcher for Apple IIc – Big Mess o’ Wires
At the flip of a switch, select which Apple IIc floppy drives should act as Drive 1 and Drive 2. Add support for dual external 5.25 inch floppy emulation. For the Apple IIc with the Floppy Emu disk emulator.
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[Wayback/Archive] Internal/External Drive Switcher for Apple IIc | Big Mess o’ Wires
This is a two-part device: a signal tap that should be installed inside the Apple IIc, and a modified DB19 adapter with two slide switches for the external connection. Two female-female jumper wires are passed through a gap in the case to make the connection between the two parts.
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Daisy Chainer Disk Coupler
USD 45 [Wayback/Archive] Daisy Chainer Disk Coupler – Big Mess o’ Wires
Link the Floppy Emu disk emulator into a daisy chain with other Apple II disk drives. For use with Floppy Emu Model B and C.
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In order to work correctly, Apple II computers require daisy chained drives to be connected in a specific order:
- any 3.5 inch drives must go first in the chain
- Smartport and Unidisk 3.5 inch drives must go second
- any 5.25 inch drives must go last
There can be at most two drives of each type, six drives total.
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There are two primary firmware versions for the Floppy Emu: normal firmware and Smartport daisy chain SPDC firmware. When using a Floppy Emu with the Daisy Chainer, the SPDC firmware is required if your Emu is configured to emulate a Smartport Hard Disk or a Unidisk 3.5. In all other cases, the normal firmware should be used.
[Wayback/Archive] Floppy Emu Update: Smartport Daisy-Chain Support | Big Mess o’ Wires
Most people should use the normal firmware version, and it’s the default for newly-purchased hardware. The Smartport daisy chain firmware version is only needed in uncommon situations when:
1. The Floppy Emu’s selected emulation mode is Smartport Hard Disk, Smartport Unit 2, or Unidisk 3.5AND
2. The Floppy Emu is plugged into the back of a BMOW Daisy Chainer or to the Apple Unidisk 3.5 drive, A2M2053.
The
wiki.apple2.orgdied, so here are archived links: [Wayback/Archive] wiki.apple2.org: A2 3.5 Drives -> Apple UniDisk 3.5 (A2M2053)Daisy Chainer clear acrylic case
Oh: there is also this one for it:
- USD 10 [Wayback/Archive] Clear Acrylic Case for Daisy Chainer – Big Mess o’ Wires
A clear acrylic case to protect and showcase your Daisy Chainer board. These custom-made Daisy Chainer cases protect your board in style!
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This is a top-and-bottom “plate” style case with open sides. Assembly takes about 5 minutes.
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Apple Disk Drive A/B Switch
USD 20 [Wayback/Archive] Apple Disk Drive A/B Switch – Big Mess o’ Wires
Select between a Floppy Emu and a real floppy drive at the flip of a switch. Includes switch module and one 3 foot 20-pin ribbon cable.
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For Lisa computer owners, and Macs with only one internal floppy connector, disk drive emulation can be awkward sometimes. The Apple Disk Drive A/B Switch aims to eliminate that awkwardness. This accessory makes it possible to attach a Floppy Emu and a real floppy disk drive at the same time, and select between them with a switch. Both drives will be powered, but the computer will only “see” one drive at a time, depending on the switch position.
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⚠ Do not use Floppy Emu’s Dual 5.25 mode in combination with the A/B Switch. It will cause disk errors and may damage the Floppy Emu or your other 5.25 inch drive.
Macintosh specific stuff from BMOW:
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Mac Sync-inator VGA Sync Converter
USD 40 [Wayback/Archive] Mac Sync-inator VGA Sync Converter – Big Mess o’ Wires
Take the hassles out of vintage Macintosh monitor setup! The Mac Sync-inator is a Mac-to-VGA video converter with a powerful sync processor built-in.
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[Wayback/Archive] Mac Sync-inator VGA Sync Converter | Big Mess o’ Wires has much more information including tables for the DIP-switches that set:
- Setting the Desired Video Resolution
- Choosing the Sync Processing Mode
Too bad this is not compatible with my Macintosh SE/30, but still interesting to know it exists.
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ADB-USB Wombat Input Converter
USD 40 [Wayback/Archive] ADB-USB Wombat Input Converter – Big Mess o’ Wires
ADB-USB Wombat is a bidirectional input converter for USB and ADB keyboards and mice. It works in two directions, connecting modern USB peripherals to a classic ADB-based Macintosh or Apple IIgs computer, or ADB peripherals to a USB-based computer running Windows, OSX, or Linux. The foreign keyboards and mice behave exactly like native peripherals, requiring no special software or drivers – just plug it in and go. This is the Wombat main board. You will also need ADB and/or USB cables depending on your intended usage (sold separately).
[Wayback/Archive] Wombat ADB-USB Input Converter | Big Mess o’ Wires has extensive documentation.
USD 10 [Wayback/Archive] Black Acrylic Case for ADB-USB Wombat – Big Mess o’ Wires protects the top of the board (but not the sides)
USD 6 [Wayback/Archive] ADB Cable, 3 ft – Big Mess o’ Wires (sold out at the time of writing, but might be in stock when you read this)
Despite having spare ADB keyboards, I don’t have spare ADB mice, so this might come in really useful.
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Mac ROM-inator II
USD 45 [Wayback/Archive] Mac ROM-inator II | Big Mess o’ Wires
This was actually a trip down memory lane, as 10 years ago, I bought a Macintosh SE/30, upgraded the memory, and helped the original author – Doug Brown – with their documentation:Want to add new features to your old Mac? The Mac ROM-inator II replaces the stock Macintosh ROM SIMM with a custom flash memory module. Add a bootable ROM disk, make your system 32-bit clean, gain HD20 hard disk support, and more. The Mac ROM-inator II supports the Macintosh SE/30, IIx, IIcx, IIci, IIfx, and IIsi.
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The ROM-inator II is based on Doug Brown’s earlier Mac ROM SIMM design, used with permission.
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Compatibility The ROM SIMM and pre-programmed ROM contents are compatible with the Macintosh SE/30, IIx, IIcx, IIci, IIfx, and IIsi. The SIMM simply snaps into the ROM socket on the computer’s logic board. Note the Macintosh SE differs from the SE/30 internally, and is not compatible with the ROM-inator II. CPU accelerators such as the Daystar PowerCache and Turbo series are not compatible with the ROM-inator II. Some SE/30 hardware may require a shim to ensure ideal fit of the SIMM – see instructions for details. If running Mac OS System 7.5 or later, some Mac models require a software patch to the System file.…
The ROM disk contains:- System 7.1, with System Update 3.0 and Apple CD-ROM Extension 5.3.1
- HD SC Setup 7.3.5 (patched to support formatting non-Apple hard disks)
- SCSI Probe 3.3 (for troubleshooting the SCSI bus)
- ResEdit 2.1.3
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Usage Most of the ROM-inator II’s benefits are automatic: just install the SIMM, and you’ll gain HD20 support, 32-bit cleanliness, and custom sounds and icons. Only the ROM disk requires any user interaction. When first powered on, a Macintosh with the ROM-inator II will play a customized startup sound, and display diagnostic info about the amount of installed RAM, the current addressing mode, and the detected ROM disk type. After a moment, an interactive startup menu will be displayed. To boot from the ROM disk as a read-only disk, press the R key on the keyboard. Or to convert the ROM disk into a writable RAM disk, press the A key. Or to bypass the ROM disk, do nothing and wait five seconds. If no keys are pressed, the Macintosh will boot normally from an attached SCSI or HD20 disk, or wait for a floppy disk to be inserted. Note: If booting from a SCSI disk when the ROM-inator II is installed, any 32-bit enablers or extensions such as MODE32 or 32-Bit System Enabler must be removed from the disk’s System folder.[Wayback/Archive] Mac SE/30 with Upgraded ROM | Big Mess o’ Wires
- [Wayback/Archive] GitHub – dougg3/mac-rom-simm-programmer.software: Control software for Mac ROM SIMM programmer
- [Wayback/Archive] GitHub – dougg3/mac-rom-simm-programmer: Firmware for Mac ROM SIMM programmer
- [Wayback/Archive] GitHub – jpluimers/dougg3..mac-rom-simm-programmer: Firmware for Mac ROM SIMM programmer
- [Wayback/Archive] Wiki updates (images, links); added README.md to master branch; added downloads branch. by jpluimers · Pull Request #25 · dougg3/mac-rom-simm-programmer · GitHub
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Then there is a shop on the Cayman Islands that ships world wide and has both the Mac ROM SIMM and the Mac ROMM SIMM programmer:
- USD 10 [Wayback/Archive] RTC PCB for SE30 – CayMac Vintage’s Ko-fi Shop – Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get support from fans through donations, memberships, shop sales and more! The original ‘Buy Me a Coffee’ Page.
Replacement RTC chip for the SE30. This RTC is a ATTiny85 on a PCB with its own crystal for better accuracy on the SE30. No battery is needed when using this RTC version as the P/RAM settings are stored in the flash RAM. The external crystal on the logic board is not needed either.
And there is [Wayback/Archive] a2heaven: For everyone who still loves and uses old computers.:
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Liron Reborn
USD 60 [Wayback/Archive] Liron Reborn
Liron Reborn is a Samrt Port / Disk II controller card for Apple II/IIe computers.
It is a functional hardware compatible Liron clone , with original Liron card Firmware.
A difference from Original Liron card is that card can be used as a a standard 5.25 inch (Disk II) controller or Liron ( SmartPort ) card .
I likely won’t need this as the Yellowstone card looks way more promising
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FASTChip //e – 65C02
USD 150 [Wayback/Archive] FASTChip //e – 65C02
The FASTChip //e accelerates the Apple //e™ by replacing the on-board microprocessor with a much faster one. Because the memory on the Apple //e™ can only run at a 1 MHz speed maximum, faster memory (SRAM) must be provided to increase performance and allow the 65C02/65C816 CPU to run at full speed.
To do this, the FASTChip //e contains 512KB/1024KB of fast SRAM memory. The clever design allows the acceleration of programs running in both main and auxiliary memory. The additional FASTChip //e memory can emulate both 192/448 KB fast RamWorks compatible RAM and 256/512 KB fast RamFactor (slinky) compatible RAM.
[Wayback/Archive] REVIEW: FastChip //e Accellerator by A2Heaven – YouTube
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65C816->65C02 Board
USD 35 [Wayback/Archive] 65C816->65C02 Board
You can use 65C816->65C02 board to connect 65C816 CPU to your Apple II computer .
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* This board was based on Daryl Rictor’s original design. More information can be found here: sbc.rictor.org/support/conv.html
[Wayback/Archive] 65816 to 6502 converter by Daryl Rictor.
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DB19 to IDC20
USD 11 [Wayback/Archive] DB19 to IDC20 Floppy Disk adapter
DB19 to IDC20 Floppy Disk adapter
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directly connect IDC20 Pin Cable connector to the 19-pin port of Apple IIc, or to a floppy controller with a 19-pin connector
Probably cheaper to use the package deals from BMOW
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IDC20 to DB19 cable adapter
USD 13 [Wayback/Archive] IDC20 to DB19 cable adapter
The product is designed to be directly connect IDC20 pin connector to the DB19 pin port .
Likely the combo from BMOW is cheaper.
TrackStar II
- USD 75 [Wayback/Archive] TRAK STAR II
Readout of Disk Drive head position .
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Constant Digital Readout of Disk Drive head position .
Work with any 5″ Apple II compatible Drive .
Display Full , Half and Quarter track head position .Nice idea, but has not been in stock for a long time and feels overpriced.
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Quadlink Clone Kit
USD 160 [Wayback/Archive] Quadlink Clone Kit
It’s an ISA expansion card from the ’80s designed to turn your IBM PC (such as a 5150 or 5160) into an Apple ][! After booting and running the software, you can switch quickly between PC and Apple mode using Ctrl-Alt-A (for Apple) and Ctrl-Alt-P (for PC).
Kit contain all PCB , passive components and chips needed to build working Quadlink Clone .
[Wayback/Archive] GitHub – schlae/quapple: Quadlink clone turns your ancient IBM PC into an Apple ][
Only useful if I find back an ISA compatible PC.
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3D Stickers set
USD 10 [Wayback/Archive] 3D Stickers set
Apple II logo and Disk II label sticker set .
Actually this is quite a nice idea, despite them having been out of stock like forever.
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RamFactor1M
USD 85 [Wayback/Archive] RamFactor1M
RamFactor1M is based on Aplied Engineering RAMFactor card ( firmware is same as original ), however it uses more modern low power 1MB SRAM and can provided battery backup up to 1-2 Year with small CR2032 Battery.
The battery is for backup data (just like PowerFactor from Aplied Engineering ) and can be used as Solid State Disk.
This is a trip down memory lane, though back then school could not afford these.
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Apple II Slot Extender
USD 40 [Wayback/Archive] Apple II Slot Extender
The Apple II slot extender allows you to easily and freely test the functionality and repair your Apple II cards outside of the computer.
You can also turn off voltages that aren’t necessary for the card to work to prevent testing errors.
Package include
- 1 x Apple II extender PCB bottom
- 1 x Apple II extender PCB Top
- 1 x 50 pin Flat ribbon cable with 0.5m length ( contact me if you want a longer cable )
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One more shop (: I think I found it searching for [Wayback/Archive] BlueSCSI, but anyway at [Wayback/Archive] Shop – Joe’s Computer Museum, focussing on [Wayback/Archive] Apple //e Archives – Joe’s Computer Museum I found these interesting items:
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A2Pico
USD 55 [Wayback/Archive] A2Pico – Multi-Function Card – Joe’s Computer Museum
A2Pico is, essentially, a universal peripheral card for your Apple ][ Computer. Want a Z80 CPM Card? Maybe you need inexpensive mass storage. Need to add SmartPort support to your machine? Or, maybe you’re a hacker and want to design your own function. A2Pico lets you do just that!
Using it easy: Flash it with the firmware you want to use (or write your own firmware!), put it in the appropriate Apple // slot and have fun!
NOTE: your card will come without firmware, so that you can choose to make the card whatever you like!
[Wayback/Archive] GitHub – oliverschmidt/a2pico: A2Pico
A2Pico is about Apple II peripheral cards based on the Raspberry Pi Pico. It consists of two parts:
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A2DVI card
USD 50 [Wayback/Archive] A2DVI v2.0 – Apple II Digital Video Adapter – Joe’s Computer Museum
Unlike the below “universal” adapter, the A2DVI might be just the thing for me.The A2DVI produces a digital video stream from your Apple II’s memory. The signal is output via an HDMI-compatible connector, giving your Apple II the option of output to modern displays. No more analog signal conversion required.
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JCM Universal Apple RGB Adapter
USD 20-35 (kit or assembled) [Wayback/Archive] JCM Universal Apple RGB Adapter – Joe’s Computer Museum
The Universal Apple RGB Adapter takes the 4-Bit TTL RGB signal from an Apple ///, the Apple /// Plus or the Apple IIe Video7-style RGB card and converts it to two formats: IBM-style CGA-Compatible TTL, and Apple IIgs Standard. On the Apple /// machines, it also connects the color NTSC signal from the rear connector to a standard RCA-Jack so you can use it.
Since I don’t have either an Apple ///, nore a Apple IIe Video7-style RGB card, this might not be fore me.
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Why Cable? – Original DB19
USD 15-30 [Wayback/Archive] Why Cable? – Apple IIe Card Y-Cable Replacement (Original DB19) – Joe’s Computer Museum
Everybody wants the Apple IIe Card. Nobody has the “Y-Cable” that goes with it; they tend to get lost. So, I designed a replacement solution!
The Why Cable? Apple IIe Card Y-Cable Replacement solves your Floppy and Joystick problem with your Apple IIe Card. Just plug it into your card, then add your floppy drive and joystick and your Apple IIe card will work as intended!
This version emulates the original DB19 cable, and is fully compatible with all drives the Apple IIe Card lists as compatible.
Need to check out if I still have this cable/connector or need the below one (:
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Why Cable? – 20-Pin Cable Version
USD 10-25 [Wayback/Archive] Why Cable? – Apple IIe Card Y-Cable Replacement (20-Pin Cable Version) – Joe’s Computer Museum
Everybody wants the Apple IIe Card. Nobody has the “Y-Cable” that goes with it; they tend to get lost. So, I designed a replacement solution!
The Why Cable? Apple IIe Card Y-Cable Replacement solves your Floppy and Joystick problem with your Apple IIe Card. Just plug it into your card, then add your floppy drive and joystick and your Apple IIe card will work as intended!
This version works with 20-pin ribbon cable connectors and supports any drive that properly emulates a standard 5.25 inch Disk ][ drive, including the FloppyEMU and wDrive.
And I need to check if it is missing, if I need the 19 or 20 pin version. Likely I need the 20-pin one.
- Some 3D printed replacement for your Apple //e opening covers on the back of your machine, and for your Alps Key Stems:
DB-19/DB-25/DB-9 back plates (3D printed, STL files if you want to print your own)
DB-19: outside view
DB-19: inside view
DB-25: outside view
DB-25: inside view
DB-25 for Audio Jacks: outside
DB-25 for Audio Jacks: inside
DB-9: outside view
DB-9: inside view
DB-25 with DB-9 opening: assembled
DB-25 with DB-9 opening: outside
DB-25 with DB-9 opening: inside
USD 1
[Wayback/Archive]
Apple //e DB-19 Back PlateUSD 1
[Wayback/Archive]
Apple //e DB-25 Back PlateUSD 1
[Wayback/Archive]
Apple //e DB-25 Back Plate for Audio JacksUSD 1
[Wayback/Archive]
Apple //e DB-9 Back PlateUSD 1
[Wayback/Archive]
Apple //e DB25 Back Plate with DB9 Opening[Wayback]
A2e-DB25-with-DB9-insert.stl[Wayback]
A2e-DB25-with-DB9-insert.stl[Wayback]
A2e-DB25-with-DB9-insert.stl[Wayback]
A2e-DB25-with-DB9-insert.stl[Wayback]
A2e-DB25-with-DB9-insert.stlAdding the hole in the design required thickening of the base and increasing the depth of the holding clips so they would not pull out when tension is applied to an attached external cable.Note that all link(ed?) to the same .stl file, which is only correct for the right most back plate: “DB-25 with DB-9 opening”.
All of these are based on [Wayback/Archive] Apple IIe port covers, thicker for FFF printers by scruss – Thingiverse which in turn is based on [Wayback/Archive] Apple IIe port covers, three sizes by option8 – Thingiverse.
Alps Key Stems (one of them has the wrong picture, but they are manufactured correctly; 3D printed; no STL-files on the product pages)
Alps Key Stems, Short – 10 Pack
Alps Key Stems, Long – 10 Pack
USD 5
[Wayback/Archive]
Alps Key Stems, Short – 10 Pack – Joe’s Computer MuseumUSD 5
[Wayback/Archive]
Alps Key Stems, Long – 10 Pack – Joe’s Computer MuseumThis might have been the base STL file for this: [Wayback] Hairpin-To-Alps-keycap-adaptor.stl
- Some 3D printed replacement for your Apple //e opening covers on the back of your machine, and for your Alps Key Stems:
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For all shops: I didn’t list all of their items, just the ones that I might use in the future.
An interesting device I did not know about either was the FujiNet one: it is fully open source! One thing to check out is where to order pre-assembled ones for Apple II series.
- [Wayback/Archive] FujiNet · GitHub
FujiNet is a multi-peripheral emulator and WiFi network device for vintage computers. The first completed hardware was for the Atari 8-Bit line of computers and development has begun for other systems (Coleco ADAM, Apple II, Commodore 64, Atari Lynx, ZX Spectrum and more) with the goal of supporting as many old systems as possible. What sets FujiNet apart from other WiFi devices is the new Network Device (the N Device). The N device allows vintage computers that do not have enough processing power to handle TCP/IP connections themselves to talk to the modern internet over WiFi. Virtual adapters have been created for many protocols including: TCP, UDP, HTTP, FTP, TNFS, HTTPS (SSL/TLS), SSH, TELNET, WebDAV and JSON parser. The FujiNet project is 100% completely open source, software and hardware. All code and schematics are available here.
- [Wayback/Archive] FutureVision Research was the only shop I found selling them, but I probably overlooked others.
- [Wayback/Archive] FujiNet – FutureVision Research
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Apple II/III FujiNet w/ accesoiries
USD 110 [Wayback/Archive] FujiNet for Apple II & III (With Accessories) – FutureVision Research
The FujiApple Rev1.1 for SmartPort enabled Apple II computers emulates SmartPort drives, Disk II drives (read only), CP/M, Clock, Modem, and a new Network Device. Disk images can be mounted directly from the internet via TNFS servers or from the onboard MicroSD socket*. The Network device enables access to Internet protocols such as HTTP, HTTPS, TNFS, SSH, TCP, UDP and more.
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This kit comes with the following (ribbon cable color may be gray or rainbow depending on availability):- FujiNet for Apple II & III
- DB-19 to IDC20 Female adapter
- 30cm IDC20 Female to Male cable
- 30cm IDC20 Female to Female cable
- DB-19 spacer
- Two different lengths of thumbscrews
- Two 1.375″ thumbscrews for use with IIe/III
- Two 1.5″ thumbscrews for use with IIc/gs/+
The page contains many more helpful information and links.
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Some non-shop links
- [Wayback/Archive] FloppyEmu vs. CFFA3000/Booti | Applefritter
- [Wayback/Archive] Plus Too Mac Replica | Big Mess o’ Wires
- [Wayback/Archive] Floppy Emu Disk Emulator? : apple2
Yes. I’d rank it as the most versatile as it works across the greatest number of machines (Apple 2s and Macs).
It is cheaper and more readily available than the other solutions.
The only slight downside is it isn’t as fast, direct memory access/processor wise, as the card solutions that exist – but those do use up a slot, and there isn’t much software that can take advantage of the speed difference anyway – and on a machine that only goes a couple Mhz anyway, it won’t make much difference.It’s 7 years old at this point, but Joe’s Computer Museum did an excellent video comparing the major options here:
https://youtu.be/Wjy6_qnTnv0a covering
- MicroDrive/Turbo
- CFFA3000
- Floppy Emu
- SDFloppy II
- UNISDISK Air 19 – [Wayback/Archive] UNISDISK Air Series, very hard to get
[Wayback/Archive] Apple II Mass Storage Benchmark Results – Joe’s Computer Museum
[Wayback/Archive] Apple II Mass Storage Mega Roundup – YouTube
- [Wayback/Archive] Nerdly Pleasures: wDrive v. Floppy Emu – Comparison of the Best Apple II Disk Emulators
- [Wayback/Archive] Thoughts on wDrive versus Floppy Emu? | Applefritter
- [Wayback/Archive] Fujinet for Apple II, SD card and Internet capable device for SmartPort | Applefritter (works with Yellowstone card)
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An external monitor on a Macingosh SE/30
- [Wayback/Archive] Mac SE can use an external Monitor?? – Apple Community
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Mac SE/30 and Macintosh Classic
Since I own both a Macintosh SE/30 and a Macintosh Classic, these are relevant too:
- [Wayback/Archive] Classic II vs SE/30 – TidBITS
- [Wayback/Archive] Siblings – Macintosh SE and Mac Classic : VintageApple
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Queries
I used additional queries than the first blog post to complete this blog post. Here they are:
- [Wayback/Archive] macintosh Floppy Emu 3.5 – Google Suche
- [Wayback/Archive] apple 2 disk sd card – Google Suche
- [Wayback/Archive] Liron disk controller card – Google Search
- [Wayback/Archive] cffa vs floppy emu – Google Search
- [Wayback/Archive] floppy emu apple ii disk controller – Google Suche
- [Wayback/Archive] wDrive vs floppy emu – Google Search
- [Wayback/Archive] fujinet apple ii – Google Search
- [Wayback/Archive] Apple Liron – Search on Google
- [Wayback/Archive] Yellowstone fujinet – Sök på Google
- [Wayback/Archive] does floppy emu work with classic macintosh – Google Search
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Retropost: Politicians Aren't The Characters They Play On TV
https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2024/08/retropost-politicians-arent-the-characters-they-play-on-tv/This is a retropost. Mostly written in August 2020 but published long after I left the Civil Service.
It is, although I don't quite realise it, the depths of the pandemic. Everyone is relegated to working from home. Thousands of Civil Servants trying to keep things running from their kitchen tables, on dodgy WiFi, with crying children in the background.
Things are happening quickly. Much more quickly than ever before. Perhaps that's a good thing, but it doesn't leave much time for preparation. I know it is terribly clichéd of me to think I'm in an episode of The West Wing, but this scene keeps running through my head:
https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/West-Wing-Briefing.mp4Today I have meeting with one the Internet's "Main Characters". You know, that politician. The one you (and certainly I) have send snarky tweets about - the duplicitous lickspittle. Every time I see them on TV I physically cringe. How can someone like that be part and parcel of the democratic process? Ugh!
The Zoom call flickers to life. A couple of dozen people start appearing like the world's dullest advent calendar. The Minister is, of course, late. The twat. We make small talk and eventually their grinning mug graces us with their presence.
I've seen this wazzock lose their rag on Question Time - there's no way they can manage a meeting with this many people.
But… I'm wrong. I'm very wrong. They are collegiate and welcoming. They acknowledge the strain we're all under and give us a reassuring - and human - thanks for our hard work. They have complete command of the room. They know who to call on to ask a question. Their follow ups are friendly and incisive - not flippant and ignorant.
They're as good as any CEO I've worked with.
And then they turn to me.
My job is simple. They have requested something from our department. It is my job to say "no".
I'm nervous. Lockdown has worn me down and there's every chance I'll make what's euphemistically called "a career limiting remark".
"Terence! Thanks so much for joining us. I know you're all frightfully busy. Have you had the chance to consider...?"
I give them the bad news. I distil several hours of technical discussions and (small p) political wrangling into a couple of sentences. I brace for impact. Surely this smug git isn't going make me walk the plank?
"I see. What about...?" they then launch into a, frankly, excellent dismantling of my position. I cynically wonder who has been briefing them. But as our conversation progresses (!) it's clear they've actually read the paper we presented them. They know the science, the law, and the technology.
I wasn't prepared for the fact that they were… competent!
However after a few minutes (that feel like an eternity) they concede. I am right. They are wrong. There are no fireworks. No histrionics. No sloganeering, Gish-galloping, or threats. They are charming, intelligent, and happy to be contradicted.
The eye of Sauron moves on. I breathe. If we had capitulated, I'm sure the decision would have been in the papers. It might even have been in (what we're all grimly calling) The Inevitable Public Inquiry. As it is, it will be a dusty footnote about what might have been.
Later that night, I scroll through Twitter. The Minister's account pops up - and they're spewing the sort of appalling rhetoric which would make a Roman Senator blush.
I speak to my mentor about the encounter. "Politicians aren't the characters they play on TV," they say.
Sure, some of them are idiots. But it is hard to be elected without having some level of charm and ability to make personal connections.
Yeah, a few are promoted above their ability, but many are quietly competent at running a department of thousands of people.
And, of course, they all play up to the cameras. Every sound-bite is a vote. Every spittle of fury a chance to go viral and raise their profile. Every stunt a chance to embed themselves into the nation's psyche.
We all code-switch. The way you talk to you partner isn't the same way you speak to your friends. The way you talk to your co-workers isn't the same way you speak to your plumber.
And the way politicians speak to their electorate isn't always the same way they speak to their public servants.
It took me an embarrassingly long time to figure that out.
Whoever you think this is about, you're wrong. I had the same experience several times throughout Covid and have amalgamated them into this parable of a blog post.
https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2024/08/retropost-politicians-arent-the-characters-they-play-on-tv/
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AmigaOS 4 Monthly Roundup – September 2025
Hi,
Thanks for visiting, and welcome to a new post here on the Old School Game Blog!
Today, on October 1st, it is once again time for a new AmigaOS 4 Monthly Roundup.
Many are probably looking forward to the Amiga40 event, which takes place in Germany on October 17th to 19th. More information is available here. I’m hoping for some news on the Mirari board and about AmigaOS 4 in general. 🙂
Now, let’s take a peek at the AmigaOS 4 news for September 2025.
Software News
The Settlers 2 is coming…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_WLwpWvmBg
On Paddy’s Retro Kanal, you can check out an interview with Steffen Häuser in relation to this game. This is a German podcast. Subtitles in English are available.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzgl3xtzEZo
Amiga-news.de reports that a port of Serious Sam to AmigaOS 4 is in progress. Steffen Häuser is currently working on this. Please visit amiga-news.de for the full news. Maijestro of the Amiga Retro Channel has uploaded a video showing the beta version in action.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VzPmPZhJ1Q
Next up is version 1.1 of ShaderNova from Juha Niemimäki. This application can mirror content from other windows and render it using fragment shaders. This enables various post-processing effects. Normal mouse and keyboard events are forwarded to the original window. The input window and shader program can be chosen using the RMB menus.
https://os4depot.net/?function=showfile&file=graphics/misc/shadernova.lha
Domenico Lattanzi has released version 1.0 of the game Connect 4. It is powered by Fairy Stockfish, a multi-purpose engine derived from the famous Stockfish that was created for Chess. You can find the game for download here:
https://os4depot.net/?function=showfile&file=game/board/connect4.lha
George Sokianos is back with a new release of Kyvos. This time it is version v1.5.0. This is a smaller release with a couple of features implemented and a reported bug fix. Sokianos created Kyvos as a means to make it easy to use AmigaOS 4, MorphOS and AROS through QEMY.
Cppcheck 2.18.0 has been released. This is a static analysis tool for C and C++ code. It provides unique code analysis to detect bugs, focusing on identifying undefined behavior and hazardous coding constructs. The goal is to have very few false positives. Cppcheck is designed to be able to analyze your C/C++ code even if it has non-standard syntax (common in embedded projects). It was developed by the Cppcheck team and ported to AmigaOS 4 by George Sokianos. It has now been synced with the latest upstream version.
https://os4depot.net/?function=showfile&file=development/utility/cppcheck.lha
Would you like to have your Google Calendar displayed on AmigaOS 4? With the tool iCalVortex from Thomas Kölsch, this is now a possibility. Version 1.0 is out now, and the author has fixed an alarm and a time zone bug.
https://os4depot.net/?function=showfile&file=utility/misc/icalvortex.lha
Steffen Gutmann released version 1.2 of BeeBase for AmigaOS 4. This is a relational, programmable database system with a GUI for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Amiga. It is well-suited for managing structured data with clear semantics that can be organized into tables and fields. It can be regarded as an application development environment. You can find more information about the program on its website. https://beebase.sourceforge.io/index.php.
https://os4depot.net/?function=showfile&file=office/database/beebase.lha
DRIDI has released version 11.6Final of the Arabic Console Device. Changes are as follows:
(version 11.6Final) “Version education&legacy” finished (for me) –
L/arabcon-handler – bug with Ctrl_C in input stream fixed.https://os4depot.net/?function=showfile&file=driver/input/arabic_console_devicepro2.lha
Version 53.4 of A1222Mix has been released by Lyle Hazelwood. This is an audio mixer for the A1222+.
https://os4depot.net/?function=showfile&file=audio/misc/a1222mix.lha
AmigaGPT is a versatile ChatGPT client for AmigaOS 3.x, 4.1, and MorphOS. It is being developed by Nightfox. This powerful tool brings the capabilities of OpenAI’s GPT to your Amiga system, enabling text generation, question-answering, and creative exploration. AmigaGPT can also generate stunning images using DALL-E and includes support for speech output, making it easier than ever to interact with AI on your Amiga. Designed to integrate seamlessly with your system, AmigaGPT delivers modern AI technology while embracing the timeless Amiga experience. Version 2.11.2 is now available for download from OS4Depot.
Changes:
– Improve handling of server disconnections
– Fix occasional crash downloading chat responses
– Startup script for the daemon in AmigaOS 4 and MorphOS no longer causes errors
– The say.rexx script now works with the daemonhttps://os4depot.net/?function=showfile&file=network/chat/amigagpt.lha
Version 5.23 of AmiSSL has been released! As mentioned in earlier editions of the AmigaOS 4 Monthly Roundup, the AmiSSL project is a collaborative effort to develop a port of OpenSSL in a shared library for Amiga-based systems. It is a must-have if you use AmigaOS 4 to browse the web!
Here is the SDK for developers:
https://os4depot.net/?function=showfile&file=development/misc/amissl-sdk.lha
Regular package for users:
https://os4depot.net/?function=showfile&file=library/misc/amissl.lha
RetroArch in action – Screenshot by PuniSteffen Häuser a.k.a TheMagicSN has returned with a new version of RetroArch, 1.21.0R1.4, for AmigaOS 4! With RetroArch, you can enjoy many different systems on your computer, like the Nintendo Entertainment System, SEGA Genesis, and many, many more! It certainly opens up gaming possibilities on your computer!
New in this release:
– A version for QEmu is included (for QEmu Version 1.20.0 is used, for other OS4 Targets 1.21.0, 1.20.0 does not use Compositing and 16 Bit Color Depth). This version should also work for UAE OS4 Emulation.
Thumbnail Maker Amiga, created by David Woolley, is an application for creating thumbnails from a video. This is version 1.10, the first public release.
https://os4depot.net/?function=showfile&file=video/misc/thumbnail_maker_amiga.lha
An update to Report+, a ReAction-based utility with nine functions, has been released by James Jacobs. It was made available on OS4Depot on September 24th. This tool can help you with generating Aminet- and OS4Depot-style readme files, performing batch processing on icons, and much more. Changes since 8.67 are miscellaneous improvements and bug fixes.
https://os4depot.net/?function=showfile&file=utility/misc/reportplus.lha
VBCC is a portable and retargetable ISO/ANSI C compiler. Frank Wille has done version 0.9h patch2, which is available on Aminet.
https://aminet.net/package/dev/c/vbcc_bin_amigaosppc
Chris Young has released version 3.1 of Avalanche, a ReAction unarchive GUI for xfd/xadmaster. Please check out Aminet for the download.
https://aminet.net/package/util/arc/avalanche
Deepscan 1.5 lists dependencies in a binary. The utility was created by Lorence Lombardo. Deepscan was based on Megacz’s “Depstrack”, but was not translated at all, and was written entirely from scratch.
https://os4depot.net/?function=showfile&file=utility/shell/depscan.lha
Screenshot from an older version.MediaVault is an open-source desktop application for AmigaOS 4, which can be used to discover online audio and video content.
With MediaVault, you can discover radio stations and podcasts and listen to them using your audio player of choice. There are different ways to search and filter results, based on language and category/genre. The program has been developed by George Sokianos a.k.a Walkero. Version 1.6.0 is out now and contains the following changes:
v1.6.0 – 2025-09-27
– Added Autoinstall script for AmiUpdate
– Compiled with gcc11
– Disabled the self-update process
– Fixed the radio stations discovery
– Updated the list of supporters in the About window
– Updated used librariesYou can download the package from OS4Depot:
https://os4depot.net/?function=showfile&file=audio/misc/mediavault.lha
SDL3 has received an update, bumping it to version 3.2.22.
https://os4depot.net/?function=showfile&file=library/misc/sdl3.lha
Version 35.23 of AmiArcadia for AmigaOS 4, a Signetics-based machines emulator, has been released by James Jacobs.
Screenshot from an older version.According to the documentation, AmiArcadia supports the following systems:
- Emerson Arcadia 2001 console family (Bandai, Emerson, Grandstand, Intervision, Leisure-Vision, Leonardo, MPT-03, Ormatu, Palladium, Poppy, Robdajet, Tele-Fever, Tempest, Tryom, Tunix, etc.) (c. 1982);
- Interton VC 4000 console family (Acetronic, Cabel, Fountain, Hanimex, Interton, Prinztronic, Radofin, Rowtron, Soundic, Voltmace, Waddingtons, etc.) (c. 1978);
- Elektor TV Games Computer (1979);
- PIPBUG- and BINBUG-based machines (EA 77up2, EA 78up5, Signetics Adaptable Board Computer, Eurocard 2650, etc.) (1977-1978);
- Signetics Instructor 50 trainer (1978);
- Signetics TWIN minicomputer (1976);
- Central Data 2650 computer (1977);
- PHUNSY computer (c. 1980);
- Ravensburger Selbstbaucomputer aka 2650 Minimal Computer trainer (1984);
- Hofacker MIKIT 2650 trainer (1978);
- Astro Wars, Galaxia, Laser Battle and Lazarian coin-ops by Zaccaria (1979-1981);
- Malzak 1 and 2 coin-ops by Kitronix (c. 1981);
- AY-3-8500/8550/8600-based Pong systems (Coleco Telstar Galaxy, Sheen TVG-201, etc.) (1976-1977);
- VTech Type-right machine (1985)
It is packed with features, far too many to list here. Examples include ReAction GUI, load/save snapshots, and windowed and fullscreen modes. Other features are CPU tracing, trainer, and drag and drop support. Additionally, it offers graphics scaling, PAL/NTSC modes, and frame skipping, among many other features!
Changes since V35.22:
Summary:
- Enhanced “Peripherals|Printer(s)…” subwindow.
- Miscellaneous improvements and bug fixes.
AmiArcadia is free to download. You can get it from OS4Depot via the link below:
http://os4depot.net/?function=showfile&file=emulation/gamesystem/amiarcadia.lha
Here are the links to the websites of the author:
http://amigan.1emu.net/releases/
FFmpeg is a fast video and audio converter that can also grab from a live audio/video source. It can also convert between arbitrary sample rates and resize video on the fly with a high-quality polyphase filter. MickJT has released a new update that brings it to version 8.0. More information about the program is available on OS4Depot.
https://os4depot.net/?function=showfile&file=video/convert/ffmpeg.lha
Version 1.1 of the Infinite Icons Theme Pack by JTDigital Designs is now available for purchase from AmiKit.
https://www.amikit.amiga.sk/infiniteicons
The price for the package is 12.95 EUR.
That was the software news for this time. Let us move on to other news!
Misc
Issue 176 of Amiga Future has been released!
The picture was lent from the official website of Amiga Future.More information about the magazine can be found on the official website:
https://www.amigafuture.de/app.php/kb/viewarticle?a=10932
Hyperion Entertainment finally have made AmigaOS 4.1 FE for Pegasos 2 available digitally!
Screenshot lent from the website of Hyperion EntertainmentThis is excellent news, especially for those interested in running AmigaOS 4 through QEMU as a Pegasos 2 setup.
According to Hyperion, more AmigaOS 4 versions will follow as physical stock runs out in stores. A price adjustment has also been made.
Please read on for the press release published on their website:
AmigaOS 4.1 Final Edition for Pegasos 2 is now available digitally
Brussels – September 9., 2025
Over the past few months, we have seen a massive increase in demand for AmigaOS 4.1 Final Edition for Pegasos 2. Since all physical copies are sold out, we have decided to make the ISO available for digital purchase.
The ISO can be purchased via 2Checkout. Once you have purchased your copy, you will receive a serial number that can be used to register at www.hyperion-entertainment.com.
As stock of the other versions of AmigaOS 4.1 Final Edition runs out, they will also be made available for digital download.
The price of AmigaOS 4.1 Final Edition has not been adjusted for almost 20 years, even though inflation and rising production costs have increased considerably. Therefore, the price of the digital download version of AmigaOS 4.1 Final Edition for Pegasos 2 is €39.95 including VAT.
The price of the digital version of AmigaOS 4.1 Final Edition for Classic has also been adjusted to €39.95 including VAT.
Thank you for your continued support of AmigaOS.
Ghettofinger Gaming has published many videos on his YouTube channel during September. He’s now doing a weekly show called Boing & Beyond, which takes place on Wednesdays.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jivV1-sQh3g
Helge Kvalheim is back again with a brand new song called Your Beautiful Smile. This was composed using an AmigaOne X5000/020 running OctaMED SoundStudio.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=787wCGLKCzU
More AmigaOS 4 videos can be found on Maijestro’s Amiga Retro Channel. This month, he has uploaded a video showing Browservice in action, a trailer of Siedler 2 (The Settlers 29 and Serious Sam: The Second Encounter/First Encounter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VzPmPZhJ1Q
In his latest video, Muf@ takes a look at the Nano Model 979 and how it works with Amiga NG. This video is in Polish, but you can turn on English subtitles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mfs9UK_AGSM
Davebraco’s YouTube channel has been updated with several videos in September. One of these shows his A1222+ in action outdoors!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6g3nTZqzF8
Hirudov has also been busy in September with many AmigaOS 4 related videos. In this one, we can see him emulating Windows 3.11 on his AmigaOne X1000.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2sTgTJdYT8
Interested in how to build Raylib on AmigaOS 4? In this video from KSD – Amiga Corner, you can find out how to do this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6LYzYgvrS4
Until next time
That was all for this time. Hope you enjoyed the news for September!
Thank for reading and for visiting my blog! Also thanks to everyone who supports this initiative, it is very much appreciated!
I wish you all a nice autumn, and see you in the next AmigaOS 4 Monthly Roundup!
Best regards,
Puni
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-
AmigaOS 4 News – February 2024
Hi,
Welcome to the second AmigaOS 4 Monthly Roundup of 2024!
It has been yet another active month in the world of AmigaOS 4. We’ve got plenty of updates to software and releases. The A1222+ is not out the door yet, but hopefully, it will be in March. As you’ve noticed, you are reading this on the Old School Game Blog, not on the Gaming on AmigaOS 4 blog. I’ve melted the two together, so from now on the roundups will be hosted here.
Without further ado, let us move on to the news! 🙂
Software News
Let us start with some AI-related news. AmigaGPT is a text generation program that runs on the classic AmigaOS and AmigaOS 4. Utilizing the power of OpenAI’s GPT-3 and GPT-4 architectures, this program provides state-of-the-art language modeling.
Features:
– Generates text based on input prompts
– UI customization
– Full conversation history
– Text-to-speechVersion 1.4.2 (2024-01-31) is now available from OS4Depot. They replaced clicktabs for AmigaOS 3.x since the version is too old and will crash. 3.x users can select the mode at startup.
Screenshot by PuniAfter hard work, HunoPPC is back with a massive update to the Super Nintendo emulator for AmigaOS4 called SNES9X NG.
Here are the changes from the previous version:
– Added modifications of prefs KEYBOARD on native GUI now!!
– Added on engine, new converter of keys intuition events to keys SDL2 events for new function of keyboard prefs
– Added recognition of duplicates in modified keys
– Added 2 new image for recognition, one for OK (green) and one for NOK (red)
– Rewinding cool option working now on game :-), use GUI for activate and add number of Mo for rewind dans on game press F12 for a moment to operate rewinding, IMPORTANT!! this hack is very big for your CPU, on X5000 90% of usage with 60FPS
– Fixed Vsync, now working with -vsync and for disable using -novsync (thanks to Kas1e)
– Fixed limiter of fps without Vsync
– Fixed loading Rom offset “Tintin in Tibet (Europe) (En,Es,Sv)
– Fixed loading Wild Guns, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers – The Fighting Edition with a good IRQ cycles and DMA delay
– Fixed LowMapRom and HiMapRom on memmap functions
– Optimized DSP2 for AmigaOS4
– Fixed small audio Crackling
– Fixed Speedup audio DSP1 and DSP2
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– Tipo fixed on locale (thanks Javier)
– Tipo fixed on SuperFX Mhz-> to ->%
– Fixed Run game selected with RETURN now!!
– Fixed quit GUI with ESCAPE
– Added cool sounds effects on native GUI (mario voice and yoshi voice)
– Added option -interpolationmethod for Sound Interpolation Method, Gaussian=0 / Linear=1 / Cubic=2 (default) / Sinc=3
– Remove Key Q for quit Snes9X
– Added new filters:
* 2xBR
* 2xBR-lv1
* DDT
* Scanlines 25%
* Dot Matrix
– Fixed draw time with FPS count
– Fixed HACKVIDEO config write
– Fixed INTERPOLATION config write
– Fixed OVERCLOCKCPU config write
– Added button for sounds effects on GUI
– New all catalogs
– Sound now is Threaded
– Fixed timing for all games with Vsync
– Fixed Joypad2, now working with the GUI launcher
– Added new hack option “-disablespritelimit” disable max sprite tiles rendered per line. Default = 34, Unlimited ~= 128
– Fixed Mute now working!!
– On game FULLSCREEN/WINDOW mode now working with = L_ALT + RETURN
– Added new option -emulatedmachine for a virtuel machine, activate a correct software rendering on internal engine (disable: vsync, FULLSCREEN_DESKTOP)
– Fixed commandline for all filters
– fixed commandline for support optical games: mouse, superscope, justifier and macsrifle.
– GUI is now V1.0.7
– Added to GUI news options: sound thread and Emulated machine (for QEMU and WinUAE machines)
– Fixed Vsync disable if you use emulated machine or rwinding options (thank to Javier)
– Added new images for inputs : Keyboard, joypad, mouse, superscope, justifier and macsrifle
– Now superscope working with a mouse Amiga
– fixed disabled prefs Buttons of joypad if you use other input
– Center the cursor on screen
– Support all optical games with cursor and mouse for shooting (move working, now i working on the buttons) IMPORTANT: Correctly choose the type of weapon suitable for the game otherwise it may not work correctly, MOUSE ONLY!!!
– Added new folder “Roms-Optical” for copy your games Guns or Optical (Konami Justifier, superscope, mouse and a special MacsRiffle)
– Fixed -nooverscan and center a screen on 320×240 mode (window and fullscreen)
– Fixed on mode -nooverscan and 320×240 centered screen with L_ALT + RETURN
– Fixed Justifier1 AimOffscreen Trigger button, now working with the center button of mouse
– Added 2 KEYS on KEYBOARD with optical mode:
* KEY HOME : “Superscope Pause”
* KEY END : “Superscope AimOffscreen”
– Fixed mode -emulatedmachine on all renderer
– Fixed if you use optical games with with L_ALT + RETURN disable a pointer on window mode
– Added 3 new images availablecover3dMSU1.png, availablecover3dOPTICAL.png and availablecover3dSUPERFX.png for not available previews
– GUI checking now all datas dependency for interface on launching and push requester if you have an error
– Fixed disable vsync on GUI with -emulatedmachine -nooverscan and -rewinding options
– Fix fps limiter on PAL mode
Screenshot by PuniThe emulator is available for download on OS4Depot:
OS4Depot – Your one stop for AmigaOS4 files
Rene Engel has created a video showing the emulator running on his AmigaOS 4 setup through QEMU. The footage was created with the previous version of SNES9X NG.
Leu is a spreadsheet application by Marcus Sackrow, which started as an Excel and OpenOffice viewer. Now it also features basic editing functions and a fully working parser.
Screenshot by PuniIt supports the loading of Excel (XLSX), Libre/OpenOffice (ods), ASCII (CSV), and TurboCalc (TCD) files. You can export the tables to Excel, Libre/OpenOffice, ASCII, HTML, or wiki tables. Version 0.08 is now available for download at OS4Depot.
Screenshot by PuniA. Pankalla has released an update to Luettje Bookholler, which is a personal finance program. For those of you who are curious about what «Luettje Bookholler» means (I have mentioned this in an earlier roundup, but will repeat it for new readers), I can tell you that it is German and means «Little Accountant». Version 1.87 contains several bug fixes and changes:
- Bug: Report account-flow has not offer the last years, only last 12 months.
- Bug: Long catogory names are not shown in ignition tables.
- Changes: Now also the values are shown in ignition pie-graphics.
- Bug: Corrects some little bugs in ignition-sheets.
SDL2 (Simple DirectMedia Layer 2) 2.30 was released in February. You can download it from OS4Depot, as well as find more information about it there:
http://os4depot.net/?function=showfile&file=library/misc/sdl2.lha
Screenshot by PuniVersion 30.81 of AmiArcadia for AmigaOS 4, a Signetics-based machines emulator, has been released by James Jacobs.
According to the documentation, AmiArcadia supports the following systems:
- Emerson Arcadia 2001 console family (Bandai, Emerson, Grandstand, Intervision, Leisure-Vision, Leonardo, MPT-03, Ormatu, Palladium, Poppy, Robdajet, Tele-Fever, Tempest, Tryom, Tunix, etc.) (c. 1982);
- Interton VC 4000 console family (Acetronic, Cabel, Fountain, Hanimex, Interton, Prinztronic, Radofin, Rowtron, Soundic, Voltmace, Waddingtons, etc.) (c. 1978);
- Elektor TV Games Computer (1979);
- PIPBUG- and BINBUG-based machines (EA 77up2, EA 78up5, Signetics Adaptable Board Computer, Eurocard 2650, etc.) (1977-1978);
- Signetics Instructor 50 trainer (1978);
- Central Data 2650 computer (1977);
- PHUNSY computer (c. 1980);
- Ravensburger Selbstbaucomputer aka 2650 Minimal Computer trainer (1984);
- Hofacker MIKIT 2650 trainer (1978);
- Astro Wars, Galaxia, Laser Battle and Lazarian coin-ops by Zaccaria (1979-1981);
- Malzak 1 and 2 coin-ops by Kitronix (c. 1981);
- AY-3-8500/8550/8600-based Pong systems (Coleco Telstar Galaxy, Sheen TVG-201, etc.) (1976-1977);
- VTech Type-right machine (1985)
It is packed with features, far too many to list here. Examples are ReAction GUI, load/save snapshots, windowed and fullscreen modes, CPU tracing, trainer, drag and drop support, graphics scaling, PAL/NTSC modes, frame skipping, and much more!
Screenshot by PuniHere is an overview of the changes since the last release:
Changes since V30.8:
Summary:
- Miscellaneous improvements and bug fixes.
Details:
- arcadia: improved overlay text for basketball and horse racing.
- wa: arcadia: changed white to grey in sidebar game glyphs (for better contrast against default sidebar background).
- wa: arcadia: fixed: sidebar game glyphs for red clash and robot killer were swapped.
- incorporated Mikhail’s latest Russian translation.
- aa: fixed: it was crashing during exit if eg. a needed ReAction class was not available.
- assembler: fixed: INCBIN directive was broken.
- pipbug: now autostarts biorhythm (300 baud) and life (machine code).
- pipbug: fixed: VDU autoadjustment could result in a mislocated LED display.
- pipbug: adjusted VDU autosense settings for biorhythm, calendar maker, mazemaker.
- fixed: WC,WP command were writing garbage error messages.
- pipbug: improved compatibility (improves random number generator, russian roulette, etc.).
- pipbug,binbug: now silences sound when resetting.
- pipbug: now translates ENTER to Ctrl-L automatically for mastermind and revised mastermind.
- wa: fixed: first string sent to output window was not being displayed.
- pipbug: added knowledge about good dump of RYTMON.
- pipbug 2: added comment support for pipla example.
- pipbug: fixed: baud rate addresses were incorrect after reset (fixes pipla test).
- pipbug: added autostart for Micro BASIC programs.
AmiArcadia is free to download. 🙂 You can grab it from OS4Depot here:
http://os4depot.net/?function=showfile&file=emulation/gamesystem/amiarcadia.lha
Here are the links to the authors websites:
http://amigan.1emu.net/releases/
HunoPPC and the Amiga French Team 2024 have ported Wipeout Rewrite to AmigaOS 4!
Screenshot by PuniThe rewrite of WipEout was done by Phoboslab. Here is the link to the Github page.
Please read on for more information from HunoPPC:
AmigaOS 4.1 Port by HunoPPC with the Amiga French Team 2024
Important: OpenGL renderer with MiniGL Library (no software)
A big thank you to Samo79 because this port for minigl would never have been made if he had not insisted 🙂
Use glewMGL port and code for minigl by HunoPPC 2024
Use SDL2 port by Capehill
IMPORTANT!! If you use hack GUI please check your DEVS/MONITOR/”driver” for add all new resolutions, thanks.
First release 1.0.0 AmigaOS4
- Added GUI for start a new prefs on live (important !! it’s an hack)
- Added Icon created by me
- Fixed loading texture with glewMGL
- Fixed fullscreen mode on glewMGL
- Added KPH counter on screen (thanks Samo79)
The game can be downloaded from OS4Depot, but the archive does not contain the assets (textures, 3d models, etc.) required to run the game. You can find the download link for the data files in the documentation on OS4Depot. 🙂
http://os4depot.net/?function=showfile&file=game/driving/wipeout.lha
The screenshot is from George Sokianos page on Ko-fiVersion 2.4.6 of the WHD-Load front-end iGame was released in February. The AmigaOS 4 port is maintained by George Sokianos a.k.a. Walkero. This is a front-end application for launching WHDLoad games and demos.
Features include:
– Multiple WHDLoad slaves repositories on hard disk partitions
– On-demand scanning in repositories for installed WHDLoad slaves (games, demos etc.)
– Use game tool types on the run
– Shows game screenshot (screenshot window can be altered through
– tool types/settings use datatypes to load foreign formats)
– Categorization of the games and filtering
– Manual addition of non-WHDLoad games, demos, etc.
– Simple statistics
– Find-as-you-type search filterIf you’d like to read about the changes since the previous version, please have a look at the appropriate page on GitHub.
An update to Report+, a ReAction-based utility with nine functions, has been released by James Jacobs. It was made available on OS4Depot on February 18th. This tool can help you with generating Aminet- and OS4Depot-style readme files, performing batch processing on icons, and much more. Click here to go to the download page or to find information about the recent changes.
Several language catalog files For AmiUpdate have been uploaded to OS4Depot thanks to the work of Niels Bache (Danish), Samir Hawamdeh (Italian), Michael Merkel and Gerd Frank (German), Petrol (French), Javier de las Rivas (Spanish).
René W. Olsen has released version 1.27 of the Amiga VNC Server. It has been written from scratch, and according to the author, it still needs some work. The source code is available on GitHub. Click here to download the archive. He has also released version 2.7 of ReSrc4, an MC680x0 Disassembler.
Heretic II from Hyperion Entertainment is getting close to becoming available for purchase! I’ve been in touch with the Alinea Computer Shop. They will stock the game. I wrote them and asked them to reserve a copy, which they will. 😉 If you want to know more about Heretic II for AmigaOS 4, I recommend checking out this interview I did a while back with Steffen Häuser a.k.a. TheMagicSN, who ported it to AmigaOS 4.
AmiGemini version 0.11 was released on the February 20th. It was created by Karl Jeacle and uploaded to OS4Depot by Samir Hawamdeh. It is a browser for Gemini, Spartan, Gopher, and Finger. The source code is included.
Kas1e has released version 0.10 of WB2Filer. WB2Filer is a hack that patches Intuition’s functions via SetMethod() to allow transparently run of the Filer binary pointing to the given partition on Workbench’s desktop instead of the original Workbench windows. Please click here to get an overview of the changes since the last release.
Screenshot by PuniHexSee, a hex viewer that displays file contents in blocks of 16 characters per line, has been updated to version 1.1. The author is Retrami Software. It contains a few extra features that are not always available in other AmigaOS hex viewers. It can read any file up to 4 GB in size, while a single file buffer will not use more than 128 KB even for the largest file. Text and background colors can be set to any color, and it was written especially for AmigaOS 4.1.
– Added program information to the Screen Bar
– Added Tool Tips to the gadgets
– Enabled Localisation
– Added Text & Hex Search
– Added Text & Hex selection
– Enabled Home/End/PgUp/PgDown keysYou can download HexSee from OS4Depot.
MCE, Multi-game Character Editor, is a user-friendly open-source editor of character files, saved games, high score tables, levels, and graphics for 115 games. James Jacobs, the author, has now released version 14.61. Changes include a Dungeon Master 2 save game editor, and miscellaneous improvements and bug fixes.
On February 23rd, Michael Rupp released an update for the SonosController program, which allows you to control your Sonos speakers from any Amiga connected to the same network. The changelog can be found on OS4Depot, along with the program itself.
– NEW: first release for AROS x86
– NEW: ARexx command REINDEX to invoke re-indexing the Sonos music library
– NEW: include all icons in every distribution in new subdrawer “Icons”
– NEW: include additional icons by AMIGASYSTEM (thanks Carlos!)
– IMPROVED: reloading the browser with F5 will not loose the selected position and item anymore.
– FIXED: loading of data (playlists, queues, etc.) is no longer limited to 100 entries (bug introduced with 1.3).
– FIXED: if network is off the app won’t crash on startup but show an error message.
– FIXED: possible crash when clicking the “looking for Sonos…” entry.A major release this month was the update to Rave. Daniel Jedlicka, a.k.a. Trixie on Amiga forums, has released an updated version of Rave, his sound editor for AmigaOS 4 compatible computers.
Changes since the previous release are as follows:
– The program now keeps a list of recently opened files and has an associated item in the Project menu for quickly opening these files again.
– Reworked the file requester, which now features a more flexible Access Panel with a user-definable Favourites section.
– Another addition to the file requester is the Browsing History pop-up for selecting recently used paths.
– Fixed a playback-related bug that would make Rave unresponsive, waiting for a signal that never arrives.
– Updated documentation.Download link:
http://os4depot.net/?function=showfile&file=audio/edit/rave.lha
Rave requires AmigaOS 4.1 Final Edition Update 2 or newer. It also requires Enhancer Core classes (toolbar.gadget, infodata.gadget, select.gadget, shared.image).
Here is an overview of Rave’s features:
– A modern, configurable graphical user interface (GUI).
– A tabbed environment for managing multiple projects from within a single program window.
– A powerful custom file requester with preview playback and other useful features.
– A wide selection of editing functions with unlimited Undo.
– Asynchronous operation: performing a task in a project doesn’t block the other projects.
– Support for multiple clipboard units.
– Modular design with an object-oriented plugin system, which makes the program easy to extend.
– A wide range of supported audio file types and formats.Trixie has also published a new post on his blog, Rear Window, which is called Crawling back to life. There you can read more about the development of Rave.
Amiga-news.de reports that AmiUpdate has been updated twice in February. First to version 2.50, then to 2.51. Please visit amiga-news.de here to read the full story.
Another piece of news from amiga-news.de is about QEMU and the BBoot bootloader version 0.6. According to amiga-news.de, “BBoot is a simple, minimal bootloader for loading AmigaOS on QEMU-emulated AmigaOne and Pegasos2 machines, written by Amiga QEMU developer Balaton Zoltan.” Please click here to read the whole article concerning BBoot.
The last news is the release of version 6.22 of Codesets. More information and a download is available over at OS4Depot.
Miscellaneous
Versus is a demoscene chart and disk magazine created by two demo groups, Nukleus and Void, for Amiga OCS/ECS and AmigaOS 4. Nine issues have been released so far. The last one, Versus #9, came out for Classic Amiga and AmigaOS 4 in 2019.
Versus #10 is on the way, and voting has officially opened!
Cast your vote for your favorite demos, intros, programmers, musicians, and so forth! 🙂 The more votes collected, the more accurate the charts will be. Thank you in advance for your support!
You can find the Online votesheet here:
https://www.nukleus.nu/VersusVote.php
It is worth mentioning that you are not required to fill out all the fields.
We are very grateful for every vote we receive, and we really hope you’ll spend a few minutes filling out the votesheet as soon as possible. 🙂
Some of you might have noticed that I’ve not published much on Gaming on AmigaOS 4 recently. AmigaOS 4 related posts have been published on the Old School Game Blog instead. The reason is that I’ve decided to continue Gaming on AmigaOS 4 on Old School Game Blog from now on. I’m involved in many projects, such as those with Void (Amiga demo group), so it easier to blog in one place. 🙂
The AmigaOS 4 Monthly Roundup will continue, but on Old School Game Blog instead. I’ve added an AmigaOS 4 Monthly Roundup section to the site. Here is the link. I hope you’ll continue reading my blog posts about AmigaOS 4 and Amiga in general at Old School Game Blog.
Screenshot taken on February 28th by PuniThe A1222+ motherboard and a full A1222+ computer system were listed on the website of amigakit.fr in February. The price for a motherboard without RAM is 1,199 EUR. 4 GB of RAM costs 39,99 EUR extra. A full system will set you back 1,599 EUR. The final price depends on taxes, fees, and shipping. You can not order either one from the shop yet, but according to AmigaKit, they should be available soon. Here is a quote from AmigaKit dated February 12th:
“No, AmigaKit FR is getting ready for general sale. First stock arriving is for Early Adopters very shortly. A date for non-early adopters will be added to the webstore in the next week or so.”
Source: https://www.amigans.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=9258&start=60
A date has not been added yet (today it is February 29th). March is just around the corner. When the A1222+ was announced (again) in October, one was told that the boards would ship in October, or November at the latest. This information can be found at Discord, as well as on Amigans.net. Several months have passed since then, and as far as I know, no one has received the A1222+ yet. The Facebook page of AAA Technology has not been updated since October, so it is not easy for customers or potential buyers to know what is going on. I really hope the A1222+ will be released soon though, and I feel for all those who are waiting and waiting for it to arrive. I’m sure it will be a fun system to experiment with!
A preview of the March/April issue of Amiga Future has been published on the official website of the magazine. Here is the link.
The Lost C has published a video on YouTube showing the new HunoPPC port of WipeOut for AmigaOS 4.1 in action. He shows it running a Sam440, Sam460, and an Amiga 1200 with BlizzardPPC and BVision. The video is in Italian.
He is not the only one who has created a video of Wipeout. So has McFlyPPC. His video shows it running on an AmigaOne X5000.
Rene Engel has uploaded a video showing version 1.33 of the Dgen SEGA Mega Drive emulator running with QEMU / Pegasos 2.
Muf has created a review of the Velocap HDR Tbox Deluxe, which you can see here. It is in Polish.
In February we’ve been playing a game by Entwickler-X called Balance Blox on Amigans.net.
BillE is currently in the lead with a whopping 124,200 points! There’s still a little bit of time left if you want to try to beat the score and become this month’s game champion over at Amigans.net.
https://www.amigans.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=9472
Until next time
You’ve reached the end of this month’s AmigaOS 4 Monthly Roundup. Hope you have enjoyed reading the news. 🙂
Thanks to all of you for supporting this initiative by reading, spreading, commenting, and sending me messages. It is much appreciated!
Have a great day, and see you in the next roundup! 🙂
Best regards,
Puni/Void a.k.a AmigaOldSkooler
Rate this:
https://oldschoolgameblog.com/2024/02/29/amigaos-4-monthly-roundup-february-2024/
#10 #9 #Amiga #AmigaNews #AmigaOS4 #AmigaOS4MonthlyRoundup #AmigaOS41
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Perplexity releases AI web browser Comet for free – TechHQ
Perplexity releases AI web browser Comet for free – TechHQ
October 20, 2025
- AI browser Comet from Perplexity rolls out for free.
- iOS version still in the works, despite rogue App Store appearance.
- Company CEO declares bogus app “fake and spam”.
The new AI-powered browser from Perplexity, Comet, is currently winning headlines and gaining popularity – but in the mobile space, only on Android devices.
Aravind Srinivas, the CEO of AI startup Perplexity has issued a public warning via social media that the iOS version of the app, which was available on the App Store for iOS users, is a hoax application and should not be downloaded.
As of the time of writing, the listing for the bogus app has been removed, although links from search engines still exist.
Srinivas called the app “fake and spam”, stating the app is not affiliated with Perplexity, and that the company has yet to release the browser for iOS. “You will directly hear from us when Comet iOS is ready for pre-registering and downloading.”
The Comet AI browser has received a positive reception on the Google Play Store in the geographies where it’s available. The company has also released the desktop Comet browser for free in some areas – previously it was only an option to paying subscribers of Perplexity’s AI services. Comet now offers AI-powered features to users at zero cost (depending on their location, release cadences may vary), including recommendations, shopping, and smart search. Features include AI-powered summaries of searches, a contextual recommendation engine, and various integrated tools for content discovery.
The company has been careful to position Comet as a direct Chrome rival; a tall order given the latter’s ubiquitous position in the browser league tables. Chrome currently dominates web browser choice, with approximately 65% of the market across mobile and desktop. Main rival, Apple’s Safari, holds around 15% of the total
Continue/Read Original Article Here: Perplexity releases AI web browser Comet for free – TechHQ
#2025 #AI #AIBrowser #artificialIntelligence #Comet #CometBrowser #Education #Free #Health #History #Libraries #Library #ModernBrowsers #Perplexity #PerplexityAI #Science #TechHQ #Technology #UnitedStates
-
Perplexity releases AI web browser Comet for free – TechHQ
Perplexity releases AI web browser Comet for free – TechHQ
October 20, 2025
- AI browser Comet from Perplexity rolls out for free.
- iOS version still in the works, despite rogue App Store appearance.
- Company CEO declares bogus app “fake and spam”.
The new AI-powered browser from Perplexity, Comet, is currently winning headlines and gaining popularity – but in the mobile space, only on Android devices.
Aravind Srinivas, the CEO of AI startup Perplexity has issued a public warning via social media that the iOS version of the app, which was available on the App Store for iOS users, is a hoax application and should not be downloaded.
As of the time of writing, the listing for the bogus app has been removed, although links from search engines still exist.
Srinivas called the app “fake and spam”, stating the app is not affiliated with Perplexity, and that the company has yet to release the browser for iOS. “You will directly hear from us when Comet iOS is ready for pre-registering and downloading.”
The Comet AI browser has received a positive reception on the Google Play Store in the geographies where it’s available. The company has also released the desktop Comet browser for free in some areas – previously it was only an option to paying subscribers of Perplexity’s AI services. Comet now offers AI-powered features to users at zero cost (depending on their location, release cadences may vary), including recommendations, shopping, and smart search. Features include AI-powered summaries of searches, a contextual recommendation engine, and various integrated tools for content discovery.
The company has been careful to position Comet as a direct Chrome rival; a tall order given the latter’s ubiquitous position in the browser league tables. Chrome currently dominates web browser choice, with approximately 65% of the market across mobile and desktop. Main rival, Apple’s Safari, holds around 15% of the total
Continue/Read Original Article Here: Perplexity releases AI web browser Comet for free – TechHQ
#2025 #AI #AIBrowser #artificialIntelligence #Comet #CometBrowser #Education #Free #Health #History #Libraries #Library #ModernBrowsers #Perplexity #PerplexityAI #Science #TechHQ #Technology #UnitedStates
-
The ultimate rebuild of an ancient Yaesu FT-817.
I think it was a couple of years ago now I ordered a QRP Labs QMX transceiver. It quickly, but temporarily, became my favorite radio for portable field operations. I have written before about why I believe the QMX is a mighty fine piece of miniaturized technology but is less suitable for the rigors of being operated in the kind of field operating environment to which I expose my radios. My QMX is the low-band version and I also miss the opportunity to explore the higher bands when propagation conditions permit.
What’s a poor Ham to do?
I could buy another QMX, but order the high band version this time. It would be a very modest investment, but would still require ruggedizing. Another downside is the long, long wait time betwixt ordering and receiving the tiny parcel from Turkey. I could also order a QMX+ which is a fine all HF band radio, but then what to do with the QMX low band? There is another solution.
The Paranoid Android
I recall a quote from the book “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams in which the perenially depressed robot “Marvin the Paranoid Android” moans: “The first ten million years were the worst.” When I look at the front panel of my ancient Yaesu FT-817 non-ND version it kinda has a Marvin look about it. It has spent almost a quarter of a century waiting patiently in a drawer for the day when it might be called into action again. Many radios have come and gone during that time but – even though I had planned to sell it on many occasions – I still own it and it’s day to see the sunshine again has finally come.
Where are the features?
The non-ND version of the FT-817 is a barebones rig. I needed a CW memory keyer – it doesn’t have one. Activating a POTA park sometimes requires great patience and many, many CQs. My QMX at least has that covered. I also needed an audio filter. It used to be possible to buy a Collins mechanical filter but they are no longer made. My QMX also has that feature covered, but the FT-817 requires an external audio filter.
Failure is not an option
The FT-817 does have a higher level of ruggedness than the QMX. With a few extra precautionary measures it can be protected from the ingress of sand particles during a beach activation, or unexpected spray from waves on the shores of the Great Lakes. The QMX will not tolerate wide variations in DC supply voltage; the FT-817 has that covered. The QMX uses inexpensive but fragile PA transistors (mine have not succumbed to failure – yet). Well, the FT-817 also had fragile PA transistors in its early days and mine did indeed fail during a field deployment. The FT-817’s PA board is a small module that is easily replaced with the new upgraded module – as was mine.
Assembled rebuilt FT-817 portable operations rig. The battered, field protective canvas pouch on the right contains a Talentcell LiFePO4 battery. Right hand side view of the “helper modules” showing the input jack for connecting a cable from the headphone output of the FT-817. The switch allows the K4ICY AF filter to be bypassed for a barn door wide audio bandwidth. Left hand side view of the “helper modules” showing the switch allowing selection of 2-stage or 4-stage audio frequency filtering. To the right of the switch is the AF output jack for connecting headphones. The jack on the K3NG keyer connects to the “Key” jack on the FT-817. On the back of the AF filter module is the power switch controlling the internal
9-volt battery (now replaced by a buck converter) which supplies both modules. Internal view of the keyer module and the filter module. The 9 volt battery has now been replaced with a buck converter that converts the radio’s DC supply from 12.6 volts down to 9 volts to power the helper modules.I get by with a little help from my friends
The feature shortcomings of the FT-817 have been overcome with two “helper modules” assembled inside aluminum Hammond project enclosures. The front enclosure contains a K3NG Arduino nano based CW keyer and a very simple no-thrills set of 3D printed paddles. Well who really needs to spend $300 on a fancy set of paddles for a brief POTA exchange? These paddles get the job done FB. The same cannot be said about the fist that operates them!
The front panel controls are very simple. The paddles protrude through a cutout in the Hammond enclosure.
Beside the paddles is a knob. This knob is used to operate a rotary encoder inside. Clicking the knob operates the switch built into the rotary encoder and triggers the sending of a “CQ CQ POTA de VA3KOT VA3KOT k” stored message in the Arduino keyer.
Rotating the knob adjusts the speed of the CW over a wide range. I have found this to be a very useful feature. I usually send at 20wpm and receive responses that are slower and faster than my sending speed. With this prominent control front-and-center I can quickly adjust my sending speed to suit.
I built the K4ICY audio frequency filter module around a quad op-amp DIL chip. This is a very simple circuit that provides 2 or 4 stages of filtering to narrow the bandwidth of a received signal. Each stage contains identical components whose values are selected according the operator’s desired sidetone frequency. The whole module can be bypassed if required allowing an audio bandwidth wide enough to pass a crosstown bus sideways.
Both modules are rigidly secured to each other using two aluminum rails made from scrap material. I hoard scraps of metal, plastic and other materials – you just never know when you’re gonna need ’em.
The dimensions of the two modules provide an ample flat surface on which to mount the ancient, but revered, transceiver. I purchased some “peel & stick” Gorilla brand “Slipstick” gripper pads and applied four of them to the base of the FT-817. This is a genuinely useful product I recommend to any hambrewer. The radio has been secured to the top of the helper modules with two woodland zip ties made from thin cordage. These simple cord fasteners work just as well as plastic zip ties and can be easily undone for servicing the modules.
I purchased a box load of these Hammond enclosures at an auction many years ago. They have proved very useful. In another build, using the same enclosures configured in an identical manner, I was able to construct two battery modules each containing four 18650 Lithium Ion batteries in 4S1P configuration for powering another one of my ancient QRP transceivers.
This is not the first time I have revived my FT-817, but previous rebuilds were clumsy. It is one thing to put together multiple modules on the shack bench. Clumsy, cluttered, loose modules might work in a picnic-tables-on-the-air type activation. But would it work in a situation where there are no convenient surfaces to mount the equipment; where – at any moment – we might be politely asked to vacate the area by a hungry bear looking for a space to eat his lunch? This new build is a grab-and-go package that works in small, tight spaces – even on top of a rock in the backcountry – and that’s the kind of environment where I like to operate.
Help support HamRadioOutsidetheBox
No “tip-jar”, “buy me a coffee”, Patreon, or Amazon links here. I enjoy my hobby and I enjoy writing about it. If you would like to support this blog please follow/subscribe using the link at the bottom of my home page, or like, comment (links at the bottom of each post), repost or share links to my posts on social media. If you would like to email me directly you will find my email address on my QRZ.com page. Thank you!
The following copyright notice applies to all content on this blog.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. -
The ultimate rebuild of an ancient Yaesu FT-817.
I think it was a couple of years ago now I ordered a QRP Labs QMX transceiver. It quickly, but temporarily, became my favorite radio for portable field operations. I have written before about why I believe the QMX is a mighty fine piece of miniaturized technology but is less suitable for the rigors of being operated in the kind of field operating environment to which I expose my radios. My QMX is the low-band version and I also miss the opportunity to explore the higher bands when propagation conditions permit.
What’s a poor Ham to do?
I could buy another QMX, but order the high band version this time. It would be a very modest investment, but would still require ruggedizing. Another downside is the long, long wait time betwixt ordering and receiving the tiny parcel from Turkey. I could also order a QMX+ which is a fine all HF band radio, but then what to do with the QMX low band? There is another solution.
The Paranoid Android
I recall a quote from the book “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams in which the perenially depressed robot “Marvin the Paranoid Android” moans: “The first ten million years were the worst.” When I look at the front panel of my ancient Yaesu FT-817 non-ND version it kinda has a Marvin look about it. It has spent almost a quarter of a century waiting patiently in a drawer for the day when it might be called into action again. Many radios have come and gone during that time but – even though I had planned to sell it on many occasions – I still own it and it’s day to see the sunshine again has finally come.
Where are the features?
The non-ND version of the FT-817 is a barebones rig. I needed a CW memory keyer – it doesn’t have one. Activating a POTA park sometimes requires great patience and many, many CQs. My QMX at least has that covered. I also needed an audio filter. It used to be possible to buy a Collins mechanical filter but they are no longer made. My QMX also has that feature covered, but the FT-817 requires an external audio filter.
Failure is not an option
The FT-817 does have a higher level of ruggedness than the QMX. With a few extra precautionary measures it can be protected from the ingress of sand particles during a beach activation, or unexpected spray from waves on the shores of the Great Lakes. The QMX will not tolerate wide variations in DC supply voltage; the FT-817 has that covered. The QMX uses inexpensive but fragile PA transistors (mine have not succumbed to failure – yet). Well, the FT-817 also had fragile PA transistors in its early days and mine did indeed fail during a field deployment. The FT-817’s PA board is a small module that is easily replaced with the new upgraded module – as was mine.
Assembled rebuilt FT-817 portable operations rig. The battered, field protective canvas pouch on the right contains a Talentcell LiFePO4 battery. Right hand side view of the “helper modules” showing the input jack for connecting a cable from the headphone output of the FT-817. The switch allows the K4ICY AF filter to be bypassed for a barn door wide audio bandwidth. Left hand side view of the “helper modules” showing the switch allowing selection of 2-stage or 4-stage audio frequency filtering. To the right of the switch is the AF output jack for connecting headphones. The jack on the K3NG keyer connects to the “Key” jack on the FT-817. On the back of the AF filter module is the power switch controlling the internal
9-volt battery (now replaced by a buck converter) which supplies both modules. Internal view of the keyer module and the filter module. The 9 volt battery has now been replaced with a buck converter that converts the radio’s DC supply from 12.6 volts down to 9 volts to power the helper modules.I get by with a little help from my friends
The feature shortcomings of the FT-817 have been overcome with two “helper modules” assembled inside aluminum Hammond project enclosures. The front enclosure contains a K3NG Arduino nano based CW keyer and a very simple no-thrills set of 3D printed paddles. Well who really needs to spend $300 on a fancy set of paddles for a brief POTA exchange? These paddles get the job done FB. The same cannot be said about the fist that operates them!
The front panel controls are very simple. The paddles protrude through a cutout in the Hammond enclosure.
Beside the paddles is a knob. This knob is used to operate a rotary encoder inside. Clicking the knob operates the switch built into the rotary encoder and triggers the sending of a “CQ CQ POTA de VA3KOT VA3KOT k” stored message in the Arduino keyer.
Rotating the knob adjusts the speed of the CW over a wide range. I have found this to be a very useful feature. I usually send at 20wpm and receive responses that are slower and faster than my sending speed. With this prominent control front-and-center I can quickly adjust my sending speed to suit.
I built the K4ICY audio frequency filter module around a quad op-amp DIL chip. This is a very simple circuit that provides 2 or 4 stages of filtering to narrow the bandwidth of a received signal. Each stage contains identical components whose values are selected according the operator’s desired sidetone frequency. The whole module can be bypassed if required allowing an audio bandwidth wide enough to pass a crosstown bus sideways.
Both modules are rigidly secured to each other using two aluminum rails made from scrap material. I hoard scraps of metal, plastic and other materials – you just never know when you’re gonna need ’em.
The dimensions of the two modules provide an ample flat surface on which to mount the ancient, but revered, transceiver. I purchased some “peel & stick” Gorilla brand “Slipstick” gripper pads and applied four of them to the base of the FT-817. This is a genuinely useful product I recommend to any hambrewer. The radio has been secured to the top of the helper modules with two woodland zip ties made from thin cordage. These simple cord fasteners work just as well as plastic zip ties and can be easily undone for servicing the modules.
I purchased a box load of these Hammond enclosures at an auction many years ago. They have proved very useful. In another build, using the same enclosures configured in an identical manner, I was able to construct two battery modules each containing four 18650 Lithium Ion batteries in 4S1P configuration for powering another one of my ancient QRP transceivers.
This is not the first time I have revived my FT-817, but previous rebuilds were clumsy. It is one thing to put together multiple modules on the shack bench. Clumsy, cluttered, loose modules might work in a picnic-tables-on-the-air type activation. But would it work in a situation where there are no convenient surfaces to mount the equipment; where – at any moment – we might be politely asked to vacate the area by a hungry bear looking for a space to eat his lunch? This new build is a grab-and-go package that works in small, tight spaces – even on top of a rock in the backcountry – and that’s the kind of environment where I like to operate.
Help support HamRadioOutsidetheBox
No “tip-jar”, “buy me a coffee”, Patreon, or Amazon links here. I enjoy my hobby and I enjoy writing about it. If you would like to support this blog please follow/subscribe using the link at the bottom of my home page, or like, comment (links at the bottom of each post), repost or share links to my posts on social media. If you would like to email me directly you will find my email address on my QRZ.com page. Thank you!
The following copyright notice applies to all content on this blog.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. -
The ultimate rebuild of an ancient Yaesu FT-817.
I think it was a couple of years ago now I ordered a QRP Labs QMX transceiver. It quickly, but temporarily, became my favorite radio for portable field operations. I have written before about why I believe the QMX is a mighty fine piece of miniaturized technology but is less suitable for the rigors of being operated in the kind of field operating environment to which I expose my radios. My QMX is the low-band version and I also miss the opportunity to explore the higher bands when propagation conditions permit.
What’s a poor Ham to do?
I could buy another QMX, but order the high band version this time. It would be a very modest investment, but would still require ruggedizing. Another downside is the long, long wait time betwixt ordering and receiving the tiny parcel from Turkey. I could also order a QMX+ which is a fine all HF band radio, but then what to do with the QMX low band? There is another solution.
The Paranoid Android
I recall a quote from the book “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams in which the perenially depressed robot “Marvin the Paranoid Android” moans: “The first ten million years were the worst.” When I look at the front panel of my ancient Yaesu FT-817 non-ND version it kinda has a Marvin look about it. It has spent almost a quarter of a century waiting patiently in a drawer for the day when it might be called into action again. Many radios have come and gone during that time but – even though I had planned to sell it on many occasions – I still own it and it’s day to see the sunshine again has finally come.
Where are the features?
The non-ND version of the FT-817 is a barebones rig. I needed a CW memory keyer – it doesn’t have one. Activating a POTA park sometimes requires great patience and many, many CQs. My QMX at least has that covered. I also needed an audio filter. It used to be possible to buy a Collins mechanical filter but they are no longer made. My QMX also has that feature covered, but the FT-817 requires an external audio filter.
Failure is not an option
The FT-817 does have a higher level of ruggedness than the QMX. With a few extra precautionary measures it can be protected from the ingress of sand particles during a beach activation, or unexpected spray from waves on the shores of the Great Lakes. The QMX will not tolerate wide variations in DC supply voltage; the FT-817 has that covered. The QMX uses inexpensive but fragile PA transistors (mine have not succumbed to failure – yet). Well, the FT-817 also had fragile PA transistors in its early days and mine did indeed fail during a field deployment. The FT-817’s PA board is a small module that is easily replaced with the new upgraded module – as was mine.
Assembled rebuilt FT-817 portable operations rig. The battered, field protective canvas pouch on the right contains a Talentcell LiFePO4 battery. Right hand side view of the “helper modules” showing the input jack for connecting a cable from the headphone output of the FT-817. The switch allows the K4ICY AF filter to be bypassed for a barn door wide audio bandwidth. Left hand side view of the “helper modules” showing the switch allowing selection of 2-stage or 4-stage audio frequency filtering. To the right of the switch is the AF output jack for connecting headphones. The jack on the K3NG keyer connects to the “Key” jack on the FT-817. On the back of the AF filter module is the power switch controlling the internal
9-volt battery (now replaced by a buck converter) which supplies both modules. Internal view of the keyer module and the filter module. The 9 volt battery has now been replaced with a buck converter that converts the radio’s DC supply from 12.6 volts down to 9 volts to power the helper modules.I get by with a little help from my friends
The feature shortcomings of the FT-817 have been overcome with two “helper modules” assembled inside aluminum Hammond project enclosures. The front enclosure contains a K3NG Arduino nano based CW keyer and a very simple no-thrills set of 3D printed paddles. Well who really needs to spend $300 on a fancy set of paddles for a brief POTA exchange? These paddles get the job done FB. The same cannot be said about the fist that operates them!
The front panel controls are very simple. The paddles protrude through a cutout in the Hammond enclosure.
Beside the paddles is a knob. This knob is used to operate a rotary encoder inside. Clicking the knob operates the switch built into the rotary encoder and triggers the sending of a “CQ CQ POTA de VA3KOT VA3KOT k” stored message in the Arduino keyer.
Rotating the knob adjusts the speed of the CW over a wide range. I have found this to be a very useful feature. I usually send at 20wpm and receive responses that are slower and faster than my sending speed. With this prominent control front-and-center I can quickly adjust my sending speed to suit.
I built the K4ICY audio frequency filter module around a quad op-amp DIL chip. This is a very simple circuit that provides 2 or 4 stages of filtering to narrow the bandwidth of a received signal. Each stage contains identical components whose values are selected according the operator’s desired sidetone frequency. The whole module can be bypassed if required allowing an audio bandwidth wide enough to pass a crosstown bus sideways.
Both modules are rigidly secured to each other using two aluminum rails made from scrap material. I hoard scraps of metal, plastic and other materials – you just never know when you’re gonna need ’em.
The dimensions of the two modules provide an ample flat surface on which to mount the ancient, but revered, transceiver. I purchased some “peel & stick” Gorilla brand “Slipstick” gripper pads and applied four of them to the base of the FT-817. This is a genuinely useful product I recommend to any hambrewer. The radio has been secured to the top of the helper modules with two woodland zip ties made from thin cordage. These simple cord fasteners work just as well as plastic zip ties and can be easily undone for servicing the modules.
I purchased a box load of these Hammond enclosures at an auction many years ago. They have proved very useful. In another build, using the same enclosures configured in an identical manner, I was able to construct two battery modules each containing four 18650 Lithium Ion batteries in 4S1P configuration for powering another one of my ancient QRP transceivers.
This is not the first time I have revived my FT-817, but previous rebuilds were clumsy. It is one thing to put together multiple modules on the shack bench. Clumsy, cluttered, loose modules might work in a picnic-tables-on-the-air type activation. But would it work in a situation where there are no convenient surfaces to mount the equipment; where – at any moment – we might be politely asked to vacate the area by a hungry bear looking for a space to eat his lunch? This new build is a grab-and-go package that works in small, tight spaces – even on top of a rock in the backcountry – and that’s the kind of environment where I like to operate.
Help support HamRadioOutsidetheBox
No “tip-jar”, “buy me a coffee”, Patreon, or Amazon links here. I enjoy my hobby and I enjoy writing about it. If you would like to support this blog please follow/subscribe using the link at the bottom of my home page, or like, comment (links at the bottom of each post), repost or share links to my posts on social media. If you would like to email me directly you will find my email address on my QRZ.com page. Thank you!
The following copyright notice applies to all content on this blog.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. -
The real differentiator isn’t the technology, it is execution:
* Start from business outcomes, not tables and tools
* Map those outcomes to data sources and quality
* Deliver value in small, focused phases
* Measure and communicate impact at every step💡 In short: a data warehouse is less an IT project and more a strategic capability for data-driven decision-making.
#DataWarehouse #Analytics #DataStrategy #BusinessIntelligence
-
Mediathek
Hier sammele ich alles, was anderswo über mich oder von mir erschien.
Library – a collection of material by me publishd elsewhere, about me, my blog.
- Deutsch
- Texte von mir woanders
- Texte über mich und meine Aktivitäten
- Interviews
- Video
- Audio
- English
- Italiano / Espagnol / Français / Norsk / Polski / Svenska
Deutsch
Texte von mir woanders
- Meine Digital-Kolumne in der Tageszeitung Neues Deutschland
- Deepfakes: Strafrecht ist keine Lösung, Neues Deutschland, 26. März 2026
- Digitale Gewalt: Formen, Folgen, fehlender Schutz, in: Wikimedia Deutschland (Hg.): Grundrechte im Digitalen, Sept. 2025, S. 184 – 197
- Haecksen-Konferenz: „Bislang fehlte eine Diskussion über Utopien“, netzpolitik.org, 4. Aug. 2025
- Femizide: „Unverantwortlich, die Risikobewertung einem Algorithmus zu überlassen“. netzpolitik.org, 9. Juni 2025
- Digitale Teilhabe und das Recht auf analogen Zugang. Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung, 6. März 2025
- Interview zu Standort-Trackern: Google und Apple kooperieren lieber, als ein Verbot zu riskieren. netzpolitik.org, 28. Mai 2024
- NETmundial+10. Internet Governance 10 Jahre nach dem Snowden-Schock. netzpolitik.org, 23. Mai 2024
- Ein Jahr kein Digitale-Gewalt-Gesetz. netzpolitik.org, 27. April 2024
- Digitalzwang: In zweifacher Hinsicht abgehängt. netzpolitik.org, 10. April 2024
- Ein Update zu digitaler Gewalt. Bei netzpolitik.org, 15. Sept. 2023
- Twitter: Wollen wir hier bleiben? In analyse & kritik, 15. Nov. 2022
- Chatkontrolle. Durchsuchung auf Verdacht. In Neues Deutschland, 7. Juni 2022
- Von Otto-Paketen bis Messenger-Diensten. In Neues Deutschland, 11. Sept. 2021
- Digitale Gewalt: überall und nirgends – Polizei und Justiz sind für Frauen nur selten eine Hilfe. In: cilip 126, Juli 2021
- Luca kam, sah – und spionierte. In Der Freitag 16/2021, 22. April 2021
- Chaos im Computerclub. In Der Freitag, Ausgabe 1/2018, 5. Jan. 2018
- Der NSA-Untersuchungsausschuss des Bundestages. In: cilip 114 – Die Cyberpolizei, Nov 2017
- Digitale Gewalt. Tags und nachts in Cyberparks. In Zeit Online, Serie ’10 nach 8′, 5. Okt. 17
- Massenüberwachung. In ‚Smarte Worte‘, neues Deutschland, 14. Nov. 16
- Wer kontrolliert wen?, Zwischenbericht aus dem NSA-Untersuchungsausschuss. In: vorgänge Nr. 215 (Heft 3/2016), S. 3-11
- Gegen Geheimdienste hilft Öffentlichkeit. Untersuchungsausschuss versucht die Massenüberwachung durch NSA, BND und Co. aufzuklären. In Lotta #61, Februar 16
- Totalüberwachung? War da was?. Im FAZ-Blog Ich. Heute. 10 vor 8, 28. Aug 14
- Zurück aufs Dorf?. Im FAZ-Blog Ich. Heute. 10 vor 8, 25. April 14
- Klick doch mal für die Hebammen. Im FAZ-Blog Ich. Heute. 10 vor 8, 22. Feb 14
- Warum protestiert eigentlich niemand? In der Bewegungskolumne des ‚Neuen Deutschland‘, 15. Jan 14
- Die Gedanken sind frei. In: Markus Beckedahl, Andre Meister (Hg.): Überwachtes Netz – Edward Snowden und der größte Überwachungsskandal der Geschichte, Nov 13
- Wo ist die linke Netzzeitung? In: ak – analyse & kritik – zeitung für linke Debatte und Praxis / Nr. 580 / 15. Feb 13
- Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung: Praktische Tipps zur Kontrolle persönlicher Daten: Mach Dich rar!, Dez. 12
- Verfassungsschutz abschaffen? Beitrag zum Sonntaz Streit der Woche, 19. Nov 11
- Bitte recht freundlich, in: Der Freitag, 21. Okt 11
- Das Annalist-Blog. Innenansichten einer Terrorismus-Ermittlung, in: Hans Christian Voigt/Thomas Kreiml (Hg.): Soziale Bewegungen und Social Media. Handbuch für den Einsatz von Web 2.0, ÖGB Verlag 2011
- Facebook: Whose side are you on? In: Oliver Leistert/Theo Röhle (Hg.): Generation Facebook. Über das Leben im Social Net, Transcript 2011, S. 217-219
- Zensus 2011: Volkszählung im Verborgenen, In: Blätter für deutsche und internationale Politik 3’11, S. 12-15 (pdf) (mit Daniel Leisegang)
- Gastbloggerin beim Missy Mazine, Oktober 2010
- Innenansicht einer Überwachung. Das Blog annalist (pdf). Aus: Leipziger Kamera – Initiative gegen Überwachung (Hg.) Kontrollverluste. Interventionen gegen Überwachung (Blog zum Buch)
- Blogging against Surveillance, In: Riseup: Digital Security for Activists (pdf)
- Terrorermittlungen und Internet. Verdachtsmomente und Gegenstrategien, In: Kulturrisse. Zeitschrift für radikaldemokratische Kulturkritik 1 – 2008. Innere Sicherheit 2.0 (mit Andrej Holm)
Texte über mich und meine Aktivitäten
- DerStandard, 28. Mai 24: Expertin: Google und Apple kooperieren lieber, als Verbote zu riskieren
- Recklinghäuser Zeitung, 16. Sept. 23: Bloßstellen, beleidigen, bedrohen, bedrängen Digitale Gewalt gegen Frauen ist alltäglich
- Spiegel Online, 12. Mai 19: Digitale Gewalt gegen Frauen. Spammen, spannen, stalken
- Spiegel Online, 6. Mai 19: Netzwelt-Newsletter
- Salzburger Nachrichten Online, 8. März 19: Der Kampf gegen den Hass im Netz
- MIT Technology Review, 24. Jan. 19: „Niemand hilft mehr den Opfern“
- der Freitag, 3. Jan. 19: Das Digitale ist politisch
- Süddeutsche Online, 28. Dez 18: Die digitale Seite der häuslichen Gewalt
- SWR3, 28. Dez 18: Cyber-Stalking nimmt zu – vor allem Frauen betroffen
- Futurezone.at, 26. Okt 16: „Ein Gefühl, das man nur aus totalitären Staaten kennt“
- Frankfurter Rundschau, 8. März 16: Wir sind Heldinnen
- NDR.de, 21. Sep 15: Das Netz: Bunte Glitzerwelt oder offene Plattform?
- FAZ, 10. Juni 14: Whistleblower Edward Snowden. Der hat doch gar nichts enthüllt
- Brandeins, März 14: Das große Unbehagen
- Featurette 24. Feb 14: Bloggerin der Woche
- DW Akademie 13. Dez. 13: Digitale Sicherheit für Journalisten
- Feministische Studien 1. Nov. 11, Sylvia Pritsch: Verletzbarkeit im Netz – zur sexistischen Rhetorik des Trollens
- Cafe Babel, 30. Aug 10: Politik-Bloggerinnen: “Ellenbogen, klappern, laut sein, ‘hier’ schreien”
- Emma, Sommer 2010: Geschlechterkrieg im Internet?
- FAZ, 14. Apr 10: Dossier: Deutsche Blogger / Über Anne Roth
- Missy Magazine 1/2010: Ja, wo bloggen sie denn?
- der Freitag, 1. Dez. 09: Nicht an den Rand drängen lassen!
- Medienforum Mittweida, 28. Okt 08: Staatsüberwachung: Eine wahre Geschichte
- Spiegel Online, 25. März 08: Unterwegs in Digitalien. Selbstüberwachung schützt vor Fremdüberwachung
- FutureZone, 15. Feb 08: Terrorismusverdacht in „Nahaufnahme“
- ZEIT Online, 30. Okt 07: Vom Leben als Terrorist
- Telepolis, 22. Okt 07: Ein Weblog des Terrors
Interviews
- Evangelisches Frankfurt und Offenbach, 4. März 2025: „Digitalisierung ist oft einfach schlecht gemacht“
- Hilfetelefon Gewalt gegen Frauen – Newsletter, 10. Sept. 2019: Ein Gespräch mit Netzaktivistin Anne Roth über Gewalt gegen Frauen im Internet
- Gender Equality Media, 26. Juli 2019: „Der Hass sitzt in den Köpfen“ – im Gespräch mit Renate Künast, Anne Roth und Jasna Strick
- Frankfurter Rundschau, 29. Jan. 2019: „Digitale Gewalt betrifft alle“
- Technology Review, Dez 2018: »Niemand hilft mehr den Opfern«
- prager frühling, Feb 2016: „Wir müssen uns auf einen sehr langen Kampf einstellen“. Interview mit Anne Roth über Erfahrungen aus dem NSA-Untersuchungsausschuss
- an.schläge, 1/2016 – „Schlicht gefährlich“. Anne Roth über ihre Überwachung durch Geheimdienste. (Interview: Brigitte Theißl)
- Fillmore, 26. Januar 2016: 1000 Profile bei speakerinnen.org: “Wir wünschen uns Speakerinnen aus allen Bereichen” (Interview: Teresa Hammerl)
- Zeitschrift für Medienwissenschaft, 13 (2/2015) – Überwachung und Kontrolle: »Die Auseinandersetzung verlagert sich deshalb immer wieder auf die Frage: Wer kontrolliert wen?« (Interview: Oliver Leistert)
- AVIVA Berlin: 9. März 2014: Speakerinnen-Liste gelauncht – Geschlechterverhältnis unter SpeakerInnen ist unausgeglichen
- Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung, 8. März 2014: Überwachung und Quote: Blogs annalist und 50 Prozent
- kleinerdrei, 29. April 2013: „Die gläserne Decke gibt es im Netz genau wie in der analogen Welt“
- Netzpiloten, 2. Januar 2012: Destination Check: Wie war’s @ 29. Kongress des CCC (29C3)?
- Jetzt, Süddeutsche, 15. März 2012: „Die Menschen wollen sich nicht abspeisen lassen“
- wdr.de, 29. Juli 2011: Netzexperten über Pseudonyme, Identität und Netzwerke. Wer bin ich und wenn ja wo?
- Girls can blog, 5. Mai 2011: Anne Roth
- heute.de 9. Sep 10: Feministischer Ruck im Netz
- Kölner Stadtanzeiger 21. Mai 09: Meine fürsorgliche Belagerung
- Annegang. Magazin zur Überwindung der Inneren Sicherheit Winter 08/09 „Wenn du was sagst, ist es verdächtig, wenn du nichts sagst, ist es noch viel verdächtiger“ (auch erschienen in Malmoe Nr. 46, Sommer 09)
- gulli news 4. Feb 09: Annalist-Interview. Ein Jahr später
- „Wir sind alle 129a“ Rote Hilfe-Broschüre Aug 08: Ganz seltsam war es, Sachen für den Knast zusammenzupacken(pdf).
- WOZ 12. Juni 08: Dr. Holm kennt böse Wörter. Wie wird man, ohne es zu merken, zum Terroristen? Ein Berliner Paar kennt die Antwort
- Gulli Wochenrückblick 2.Dez 07: Geschichte wird gemacht (auch in Datenschleuder #92/2008 (pdf))
Beiträge, in denen ich erwähnt oder zitiert werde
(Der Vollständigkeit halber)- .inf Das Informatik-Magazin, Winter 2025: Ein technisches Problem?
- t-online, 28. Nov. 25: Auf „Indymedia“ kann jeder Anschläge verübt haben
- DLF Kultur „Breitband“, 19. Juli 25: Zum Thema Transparenz im Digitalausschuss
- Zeit Online, 11. April 25: Die Polizei-KI sagte, die Frau sei nicht in Gefahr. Jetzt ist sie tot
- vpro Tegenlicht, 18. März 25: kiest Duitsland voor een digitalisering waarbij mensenrechten centraal staan?
- vpro Tegenlicht, 6. Feb. 25: kan Duitsland het alternatief worden voor Big Tech uit Silicon Valley?
- vpro Tegenlicht, 15. jan. 25: Duitsland, de digitale dinosaurus van Europa
- Der Standard, 28. Mai 24: Expertin: Google und Apple kooperieren lieber, als Verbote zu riskieren
- Telepolis, 11. Mai 24: Netzpolitik: Warum im Wahlkampf die Arbeit im digitalen Zeitalter kaum thematisiert wird
- netzpolitik.org, 30. März 24: Was ist digitale Gewalt?
- Der Westen, 27. Dez. 23: „Danke, Sahra Wagenknecht“ – Frau kriegt wegen ihr die Kündigung direkt zu Weihnachten
- Deutschlandfunk, 6. Dez. 23: Die Linksfraktion ist aufgelöst
- Ruhr-Nachrichten, 25. Nov. 23: Wie Frauen und Mädchen digitale Gewalt erleben, S.28
- Zeit Online, 26. Okt. 23: Twitter-Alternativen: Tausendmal diskutiert
- Deutschlandfunk, 5. Okt. 23: Nur das Blaue vom Social-Media-Himmel?
- netzpolitik.org, 4. Okt. 23: Warum Bluesky gerade durch die Decke geht – und was Mastodon daraus lernen kann
- der Freitag, 2. Okt. 23: Linker Exodus aus Elon Musks X: Bluesky ist wie Twitter ohne AfD
- t-online.de, 24. Mai 23: „Letzte Generation“: Aufregung um Interview der Justizsenatorin
- netzpolitik.org, 14. April 23: Die Woche, als ein Gesetz gegen „Digitale Gewalt“ seinen Namen nicht verdiente
- SWR 2, 28. März 23: KI macht’s möglich: Der Papst in Rapper-Daune
- netzpolitik.org, 18. Feb. 23: Verpflichtung zur BundID
- Neues Deutschland, 20. April 20: Corona-App vor dem Scheitern
- Spiegel Online, 8. März 20: Cyber-Stalking. Das könnten Anzeichen für eine Späh-App auf Ihrem Handy sein
- Spiegel Online, 29. Jan. 20: Verbotene Internetplattform. Was ist eigentlich Linksunten.indymedia?
- Süddeutsche.de, 23. Dez. 19: Stalkerware. Wenn der Ex das ganze Leben überwacht
- heise online, 14. Dez. 19: Justizministerium: WhatsApp, Gmail & Co. sollen Passwörter herausgeben müssen
- Spiegel Online, 28. Aug. 19: Antiviren-Apps übersehen Spionagesoftware
- taz, 16. Mai 19: #Twittersperrt vor der Europawahl. Satire verboten
- Neues Deutschland, 16. Mai 19: Menschliches Versagen bei Twitter.Vertreterin des Kurznachrichtendienstes gesteht in einer Ausschusssitzung im Bundestag Fehler ein
- Spiegel Online, 13. Mai 19: Twitter sperrt „Jüdische Allgemeine“ nach kritischem AfD-Tweet
- Spiegel Online, 9. Jan. 19: Daten-Leak Die Lösung bin ich!
- Der Freitag, 3. Jan. 19: Das Digitale ist politisch
- Neues Deutschland online, 30. Dez. 18: Das Hackerherz schlägt links
- Kreuzer Leipzig online, 28. Dez. 18: Politik unter Plastikpalmen
- Netzpiloten,17. Nov 16: NSA-Untersuchungsausschuss: Urteil zu Selektoren-Liste enttäuschend
- Zeit Online, 19. Jan 16: Achtung, Sie wurden gehackt! Wir sagen aber nicht, von wem
- Zeit Online, 11. Jan 16: #ausnahmslos : Twitter-Kampagne gegen sexuelle Gewalt
- Spiegel Online, 7. Jan 16: #besorgteEier bei Twitter: Hashtag führt zu Hassbotschaften
- BR Zündfunk Netzteil, 7. Jan 16: #besorgteEier: Wie Trolle im Netz mit Eiern beschmissen werden
- heise online, 18. Okt 14: Netzpolitik: Ritterschlags-Rüffel zum 10. Geburtstag
- Goethe-Institut, Okt 14: Netzfeminismus Diskussion im Wohnzimmer statt theoretischer Debatte
- Spiegel Online, 7. Jun 14: Folgen der NSA-Affäre: Wie Snowden das Netz verändert hat
- Der Freitag, 1. Dez. 09: Nicht an den Rand drängen lassen!
Video
TV
- Deutsche Welle, 24. Juli 17: ‚Gast des Tages‘ bei „Der Tag“ mit Julia Hahn, (Kurzzusammenschnitt)
- ZDF LogIn, 19. Juni 13: Datenklau für mehr Sicherheit? (YouTube)
- 140 Sekunden / Elektrischer Reporter Okt 11 (YouTube)
- Polylux 1. Nov. 07: Mein Leben als Terrorist (mp4, 50mb)
Panels, Talks, Konferenzen
- NPA 155 – Netzpolitischer Abend der Digitalen Gesellschaft e.V. „Digitale Gewalt„
- Social-Media-Verbot: Wer wird hier wirklich geschützt? Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung, 5. März 2026
- Keynote „Digitale Gewalt“ beim Fachtag Online-Delinquenz in der Jugendsozialarbeit der Katholischen Hochschule für Sozialwesen Berlin, 15. Jan. 2024
- 38C3 – Digitalisierung mit der Brechstange, 29. Dez. 2024
- 37C3 – Was Digitale Gewalt mit Restaurantkritik zu tun hat, 27. Dez. 2023
- NPA 129 – Netzpolitischer Themenabend „Digitale Gewalt“, 5. Sept. 2023
- Chaos Communication Camp 2023 – Digitale Gewalt – Das Update, 18. Aug. 2023
- Die Arbeit des NSA-Untersuchungsausschusses – Netzpolitischer Abend #126, 2. Mai 2023
- Netztalk zur Corona Warn-App (Kulturzentrum Pavillon in Hannover, c’t Magazin für Computertechnik, heise online) – online, 10. Juli 2020
- Mit Apps gegen den Virus? – Ausnahme&Zustand #1, 24. April 2020
- Chaos Communication Camp 2019 – Was tun gegen Digitale Gewalt gegen Frauen, 23. Aug. 2019
- 35C3 – Stalking, Spy Apps, Doxing: Digitale Gewalt gegen Frauen, 27. Dez. 18
- Immer noch nichts zu verbergen? Privatsphäre in Zeiten des Rechtspopulismus, 26. Sept. 18, Privacyweek Berlin
- Außer Spesen nichts gewesen? Ein Fazit des NSA-Untersuchungsausschusses, 23 Okt. 17, Privacyweek Wien
- Panel „Journalismus und Datenspuren“, 23. Okt. 17, Privacyweek Wien
- Lightning Talk über den NSA-Untersuchungsausschuss, 17. Oktober 15, Jugend hackt Berlin
- Wer überwacht die Überwacher? Ein Bericht aus dem NSA-Untersuchungsausschuss, 26. Aug. 15, Woche der Privatheit Köln
- NSA-Untersuchungsausschuss – Wer kontrolliert wen? 15. August 15, CCCamp 2015
- 37. Netzpolitischer Abend, Digitale Gesellschaft e.V., , 2. Juni 15, „Ein Jahr Untersuchungsausschuss“ (YouTube)
- Netztalk: Bloggerin Anne Roth will freies Netz zurück, 9. Feb 15, Hannover
- Talk bei Bloch.Live Yes we scan – Totale Freiheit oder totale Kontrolle? Ludwigshafen, 5. Feb. 15
- 10 Jahre Campact Kongress, 15. Nov 14, Podiumsdiskussion „NSA & Co: Was macht umfassende Überwachung aus unserer Demokratie, und was können wir dagegen tun?“ (YouTube)
- FifFKon 2014, 8. Nov 14, „Das trojanische Pferd ‚Terrorismus'“ (YouTube)
- 10 Jahre netzpolitik.org Podiumsdiskussion “Wir sind politisch?” – Journalismus zwischen Eintreten und Einordnen, 17. Okt 14 (YouTube)
- Medien International: Digitale Sicherheit für Journalisten, 23. Jan 14 (YouTube)
- Elevate Festival, 24. Okt 13 „Open Everything? – Wie verändert Openness die Gesellschaft?“ (Vimeo)
- “Wer überwacht die ÜberwacherInnen. Politische Konsequenzen aus den Snowden-Leaks” 6. Sept 13 (YouTube)
- re:publica 2013: Panel “Das kleine Digitale und das große Ganze. Internetaktivismus, Netzbewegung und Politik” (YouTube)
- Buchvorstellung „Generation Facebook. Über das Leben im Social Net“, 14. Nov 11, (YouTube)
- 29C3 – 29. Chaos Communication Congress, „Best of.. Verfassungsschutz“ 30. Dez 12 (YouTube)
- Ungehorsam! Disobedience! Kongress, Podiumsdiskussion „Die Pflicht zum Ungehorsam – Protest zwischen legitimer Aktionen und illegitimer Repression“, 29. Jan 12 (YouTube)
- Gespräch mit Wikileaks-Gründungsmitglied Daniel Mathews, 28. Mai 11 (YouTube)
- 28C3 – 28. Chaos Communication Congress „Sachsen dreht frei„, 27. Dez 11 (YouTube)
- Piraten auf Erfolgswelle, 28. Sep 11 (YouTube)
- Netz für alle „Wie das Internet Politik verändert„, 3. Sept 11 (YouTube)
- Netz für alle „Was lernen wir aus dem Wikileaks-Desaster?„, 3. Sept 11 (YouTube)
- Podiumsdiskussion „Wikipedia und Kritik“ im Rahmen der Konferenz „Wikipedia: Ein Kritischer Standpunkt“, 26. Sept 10 (Vimeo)
- re:publica 2010: Panel Das andere Geschlecht, 15. April 10 (YouTube)
- Mein Profil gehört mir, mediatuesday / taz, 13. April 10
- CFP 2009 „Creating The Future“, 4. Juni 09, Washington DC
Keynote Panel Panopticon: Internalizing the Gaze - SIGINT, 23. Mai 09, Köln: Bloggen gegen Überwachung (YouTube) (CCC-TV) (mp4 690mb, mp3, 56,3mb)
- 25C3 – 25. Chaos Communication Congress „Terrorist All-Stars“ (YouTube)
- 24C3 – 24. Chaos Communication Congress „What is Terrorism“ (YouTube)
Online
- HPImgzn: Stalking, Spy Apps, Doxing: Digitale Gewalt gegen Frauen, Dez 18
- Verdi TV: Anne Roth über digitale Sicherheit, Sept 14
- Anne Roth supports We Promise, Apr 14
- dctp.tv „Meinungsmacher“, Feb 10 (mp4, 172mb) (Video dctp.tv)
- Offener Kanal Dortmund Mai 08: Interview zum Thema Überwachung (mp4, 28mb, ogv, 27mb) (YouTube)
Film
- „Nothing to Hide“ (2017), Regisseur Marc Meillassoux. Filmfriend / IMDb / The Movie DB
- „Gefährder“, Regisseur Hans Weingartner, in „Deutschland 09 – 13 kurze Filme zur Lage der Nation“. Premiere 13 Feb 09. Pressespiegel (YouTube)
Demos
- „Freiheit statt Angst“, 7. Sep 13 (YouTube)
- „Freiheit statt Angst“, 12. Sep 09 (YouTube)
- „Freiheit statt Angst“, 11. Okt 08 (mp4, 56mb, ogv, 27mb) (YouTube)
Audio
Radio
- Radio Corax, 26. März 2026: Gesetzesentwurf gegen sexualisierte Übergriffe im Netz
- DLF Kultur – Breitband, 7. März 2026: Wie versagen Internetplattformen beim Schutz von Frauen
- Radio Blau, 14. Dez. 2025: Berlin wird immer langweiliger
- Radio Corax, 3. März 2025: Digitales Stalking und wie man sich dagegen wehrt
- Deutschlandfunk Kultur – Breitband, 4. Mai 2024: Digitale Gewalt: Werden Menschen im Netz ausreichend geschützt? (Min 28)
- Deutschlandfunk – Hintergrund, 5. Juni 2023: 10 Jahre Snowden-Enthüllungen. Die Überwachung ist immer noch überall
- Deutschlandfunk Kultur – Diskurs, 18. Sept. 2022: Zukunft der Digitalisierung. Brauchen wir eine feministische Digitalpolitik?
- Radio Orange 94.0 – Radio Dispositiv, 28. Feb. 2022: Digitale Souveränität – Anne Roth im Gespräch
- Deutschlandradio Kultur – Fazit, 15. Aug. 2021: Digitalisierung mit diskriminierenden Denkmustern: Symposion in Hamburg
- Deutschlandradio Kultur – Breitband, 24. Okt. 2020: „Ein weiterer Schritt zum Abbau der Grundrechte“
- Deutschlandradio Kultur – Im Gespräch, 2. Nov. 2019: Was tun gegen Hass und Hetze im Netz?
- Deutschlandradio Kultur – Breitband, 21. Sept. 2019: Wir brauchen neue „Snowden-Momente“
- RBB Kultur – Zeitpunkte, 14. Sept. 2019: Debatte: Was tun gegen Digitale Gewalt gegen Frauen?
- Deutschlandradio Kultur – Breitband, 18. Mai 19: #twittersperrt. Was steckt hinter den Accountsperrungen bei Twitter?
- Deutschlandradio Kultur – Fazit, 3. März 2019: Digitales Hausverbot. Wer darf wann unliebsame Twitternutzer blocken?
- Deutschlandradio Kultur – Breitband, 2. März 2019: Patriarchat 2.0
- Deutschlandradio Kultur – Kompressor, 23. Jan. 2019: Die frauenfeindlichen Ursprünge des Doxxing – und was wir jetzt tun sollten (mp3)
- Ö1 – Matrix, 27. Okt 17: Die dunkle Seite des Netzes, Interview zum NSA-Untersuchungsausschuss anlässlich der Privacyweek 2017
- Deutschlandfunk Kultur – Kompressor, 1. Aug 17: Überwachungssoftware austricksen„. Ein schiefer Pony kann helfen“ (mp3)
- Radio Fritz – Blue Moon „Chaosradio“, 29. Sept. 16: Geheimdienstgesetzgebung (Video)
- Deutschlandradio Kultur – Kompressor, 22. März 16: FBI entschlüsselt iPhone. Leben wir in einer Welt ohne Geheimnisse?
- Orange 94.0 – Radio Dispositiv, 23. Nov. 15: Vom Versuch kontrollierter Kontrolle
- Bayrischer Rundfunk – Puls, 19. Nov. 15: Warum mehr Überwachung nichts bringt
- WDR 5 – Morgenecho Interview zum EuGH-Urteil zu Safe Harbor
- Radio Fritz – Blue Moon „Chaosradio“, 28. Mai 15: „Was von Snowden übrig blieb„
- Deutschlandradio Kultur – Breitband, 13. Dez 14: „#NSAUA„
- Radio Fritz – Trackback, 4. Okt 14: Chancen und Probleme des neuen sozialen Netzwerks Ello
- RBB Kulturradio Hörerstreit, 4. Juli 14: Brauchen wir Anonymtität im Internet?
- Radio Fritz -Trackback, 23. Nov 13: Netzpolitische Pläne der Großen Koalition
- Deutschlandfunk Breitband, 7. Sep 13: Das Internet deiner Wahl
- Deutschlandfunk, 15. Aug 13: Das digitale Zuhause schützen (mp3)
- WDR 2, 3. Aug 13: Beobachtet und belauscht
- DRadio Wissen c’t Onlinetalk, 16. Juni 13: Spitzel auf dem digitalen Spielplatz
- DRadio Wissen c’t Onlinetalk, 16. März 13: Zwischen Euphorie und Entsetzen
- DRadio Wissen c’t Onlinetalk, 19. Jan 13: Von Kulturtechniken und Technikkultur
- Radio Fritz – Trackback, 12. Jan 13: Frauen und Netzpolitik
- Deutschlandradio Kultur – Breitband, 29. Dez. 2012: Computer, Politik und Kochtöpfe #29C3 (mp3)
- Medienradio, August 2012: Netzpolitische USA-Reise (mp3)
- DRadio Wissen c’t Online Talk, 20. Nov 11: Die gläserne Gesellschaft (mp3 25mb)
- DRadio Wissen c’t Online Talk, 18. Juni 2011: Hacktivismus. Die Zukunft der politischen Aktion Anonymous, Hacktivismus und digitale Militanz: Neue politische Aktionsformen in Digitalien? (mp3 25mb)
- Interview vor der Freiheit-statt-Angst-Demo 3.11.10, Make Capitalism History, Reboot.FM (ca. ab Min 38)
- DRadio Wissen 11. Sept. 10: Innenansichten einer Ermittlung
(mp3, 25mb) - Film & Diskussion im Rahmen der Film- und Veranstaltungsreihe Esc[Ctrl], Hannover, Kino im Sprengel, 27. März 10 30-min. Zusammenschnitt von Radio Flora.
- Radio Fritz Blogger privat – Trackback, 11. Juli 09 (mp3/5mb, ogg/4,4mb)
- Interview bei Radio 1984 nach der Demo „Freiheit statt Angst“, 11. Okt 08 (ogg, 14,6 mb).
- SWR 2: Und plötzlich bist Du Terrorist. Der Fall des Berliner Soziologen Andrej Holm, 1. Dez 08, von Tim Zülch. (Skript / mp3, 25 min, 11,4mb).
- Deutschlandfunk Corso – Kultur nach 3, 4. Feb 08 zu Konspiratives Verhalten: Wer terrorisiert wen bei der Transmediale 2008 (ogg-Datei)
- Film & Diskussion im Rahmen der Film- und Veranstaltungsreihe Esc[Ctrl], Hannover, Kino im Sprengel, 27. März 10 30-min. Zusammenschnitt von Radio Flora.
Veranstaltungen
- Zukunftswerkstatt Community Media „Wer nutzt die Community Medien? Wer macht sie? Wer hört und sieht zu?“ 25. Okt 12 (mp3)
- re:publica XI, 15. April 2011: Panel „Cyberfeministinnen und Girls on Web“ (Soundcloud)
- Rede bei der Demo Freiheit statt Angst, 11. Sept 10 (Text als pdf) (mp3, 8,1mb)
- Bloggen gegen Überwachung. Veranstaltung des CCC Bremen am 6. Juni 09 mp3 | ogg (Ca. 1,5 Std.)
- Comeback der Überzeugungen. Starker Staat, schwache Banken, politische Presse: Haben die linken Medien im Krisenjahr 2009 wieder Konjunktur?. Veranstaltung der Linken Medienakademie am 12. Feb 09 mit Bascha Mika, Jürgen Reentz, Wolfgang Storz, Philip Grassmann.
- Congressradio 25c3, 28. Dez 08: Internationaler Terrorismusverdacht (mp3)
- 25c3 „Terrorist All-Stars“, Vortrag beim 25. Chaos Communication Congress, 28. Dez 08 (Teil 1 mp3, 30mb, Teil 2 mp3, 27mb)
- Veranstaltung in Freiburg, 19. Okt 08.
Andrej Holm zum §129(a)-Verfahrens gegen ihn (mp3, 41mb)
Anne Roth zum Alltag mit Terrorismus-Verfahren (mp3, 39mb) - Rede bei der Auftaktkundgebung der Demo Freiheit statt Angst 11. Okt 08 (ogg, 7,7 mb).
- WOZ 12. Aug 08: Dr. Holm kennt böse Wörter
- Congress Radio 24C3, 30. Dez 07: Gespräch mit Anne Roth, Bloggerin über Privatheit und Öffentlichkeit in Zeiten der Überwachung 22 min. (mp3)
- Congress Radio 24C3, 30. Dez 07: Interview Anne Roth „Was ist Terrorismus?“ Radio Netwatcher / ORANGE 94.0, 26 min. (mp3)
- Veranstaltung NGBK, Nov 07: myterrorist.gov – Hausbesuche im „Kampf gegen den Terrorismus“. Teil 1 – Teil 2 – Teil 3 (mp3)
- Radiokampagne Berlin, 30. Sept 07: Wie sieht ein Leben in totaler Überwachung aus? 6 min. (mp3)
Podcasts
- They Talk Tech, 4. Feb. 25: AmA zum Fall “Jolie” mit Anne Roth
- They Talk Tech, 28. Dez. 25: Live mit Anne Roth (Video)
- c’t uplink, 27. Dez 25: Digitale Souveränität – sind Häcker:innen jetzt fürs Staatswohl verantwortlich? Live beim 39C3. (Video)
- BERIT Podcast, 23. Sept. 25: Die Betroffenen-Zahlen von Digitaler Gewalt sind eklatant hoch
- The Diner Podcast, 8. Sept. 23: Politikbetrieb Teil 1 / Teil 2
- ://hyperlinks, 25. Juni 22: Indymedia – was bisher geschah
- Chaosradio #264, 1. Dez. 20: Schnüffelgesetze auf ewiger Wiedervorlage
- machtmenschmaschine, 13. Nov. 20: Wenn Politik auf digitale Zukunft trifft – Ein Gespräch mit Anne Roth
- Netzpolitik Podcast, 9. März 19: NPP 168: Wenn Männer stalken, drohen und abhören
- Wir. Müssen Reden, 16. Aug 13: Überwachung
- Logbuch Netzpolitik, 9. Aug 13: Politische Reise nach Jerusalem
english
Video
- 38th Chaos Communication Congress, Digitalization with a heavy-handed approach Dec 28, 2024
- CCCamp 2019 – What do do against digital violence, Aug 23, 2019
- 35C3 Chaos Communication Congress: Digital Violence against Women, Dec 27, 2018
- Mass Surveillance and Pattern Recognition in Big Data, AI Symposium, Castello di Rivoli, Turin, Dec 12, 2018
- ECRYPT-CSA Workshop on Crypto Policies – Crypto policy and intelligence, Jan 23, 2018
- Entrevista Cryptorave 2016, Aug 23, 2016
- German Parlamentary Inquiry on Mass Surveillance, Aug 16, 15, CCCamp 2015
- Dirty Cables: The Technology & Politics of Network Infrastructures, Jun 17, 2016 Disruption Network Lab: Deep Cables
- Cryptorave Sao Paolo 2016: Keynote „Terrorismo e Vigilância“, May 6, 2016
- Seminário Internacional de Privacidade e Vigilância, May 4, 2016
- NSA Inquiry – Who controls whom? Aug 15, 15, CCCamp 2015
- Data Days 2014 – Keynote „Why Privacy Matters“ (YouTube)
- GenderIT / APC How technology informs my activism: A conversation with Anne Roth, June 14
- DW Akademie: Avoiding Digital Danger Zones, Dez 2, 13 (YouTube)
- Elevate Festival Graz, Oct 24, 2013 „Open Everything? – How does Openness change society?“ (Vimeo)
- Centre for Internet and Society Interview on Privacy and Surveillance, Oct 18, 2013
- Naked Citizens – World, May 7, 2013 (YouTube)
- CFP 2009 Creating The Future, June 4, 2009, Washington DC
Keynote Panel Panopticon: Internalizing the Gaze - „Terrorist All-Stars“, 25c3 – 25th Chaos Communication Congress, Dec 27, 2008, Berlin (YouTube)
- Chaos Computer Congress 24C3, 30 Dec 07 What is terrorism? (YouTube) Audio Part 1 25:45 min / Part 2 28:18 min.
- Current TV, 8 Oct 07: Stasi 2.0 (Video)
Audio
- Watching me, watching you, Fall 2009, Herbstradio
With Diana McCarty, Steve Kurtz, Michelle Teran, Christian de Lutz, Rich Pell, Anne Roth (mp3, 135 mb), approx. 2 hrs) - xname: Conversation with Annalist during CCC: about fear and terror, surveillance and control… Dec 07, 9 min ogg | mp3
Text
- Newsweek: Is the U.S. Government Hacking into Twitter Accounts? Jan 22, 2016
- threatpost: Twitter’s Silence Deafening on State-Sponsored Attacks, Jan 20, 2016
- The Local: ‚Keep men at arm’s length‘: no fix for assault, Jan 6, 2016
- The Guardian: Berlin’s digital exiles: where tech activists go to escape the NSA, Nov 14
- EFF: Counter-Surveillance Success Stories: Blogging Under Surveillance, Oct 14
- Exberliner: Berlin’s top chicks: Movers and shakers, March 11
- Anne Roth: Blogging against Surveillance Nov 08
Zum Terrorismus-Verfahren gegen Andrej Holm 2007
Text
- Der Spiegel 27. Aug 07: Mit aller Härte Die Bundesanwaltschaft steht wegen ihres Vorgehens gegen linke Wissenschaftler in der Kritik. Die Ermittlungen werden zum Präzedenzfall: Was ist heute Terrorismus?
- Frankfurter Rundschau 30. Aug 07: Neun Worte – ein Terrorverdacht
- Telepolis 3. Okt 97: Büchner und ein schwarzer Beutel Bundesgerichtshof prüft Anklagen gegen „militante gruppe“. Wird der Justizfarce ein Ende gesetzt?
- Die Zeit 25. Okt 07: Tatvorwurf Forschung. Wissenschaftler wehren sich in einem offenen Brief gegen die Verhaftung des Berliner Soziologen Andrej H.. Sie sehen sich dem Generalverdacht ausgesetzt, Terroristen zu sein.
- taz 11. Nov 07: „Was für eine Zeitverschwendung!“ Wegen angeblicher Unterstützung von Terroristen war Holm drei Wochen in Untersuchungshaft. Ein Gespräch über den Einbruch des Verdachts ins Leben, den Knastalltag und die Solidarität.
- Freitag Nov 07: Andrej Holm: „Im Kreis. Von der Logik von 129a-Verfahren“
- Der Spiegel 47/2007, 18. Nov 07: Gebildet, unauffällig, verdächtig Seit Jahren ermittelt die Bundesanwaltschaft mit aller Härte gegen vermeintliche linke Terroristen. Nun kritisiert der Bundesgerichtshof die Praxis in ungewöhnlicher Schärfe.
- analyse & kritik Dez 07: Andrej Holm „Black Box Solidarität – Über Fallstricke und Missverständnisse der Solidaritätsarbeit“
- taz 15. Dez 07: „Das sind keine legal erworbenen Informationen“ Bei Ermittlungen gegen die „militante gruppe“ nutzt die Bundesanwaltschaft sogar Stasi-Akten. Ist da die Stasi 2.0 am Werk? Drei Betroffene und eine Bürgerrechtlerin streiten über die Vergleichbarkeit staatlicher Verfolgung.
- Spiegel Online 10. Juli 08: Wenn das Telefon merkwürdige Dinge tut
- Heise News 6. Okt 09: BKA suchte Hilfe beim Entschlüsseln
Video
- Kulturzeit 3sat, kurz nach der Haftverschonung Spätsommer ’07
- Frontal 21, ZDF: Unschuldige unter Terrorverdacht Dez 07 (YouTube)
- Veranstaltung in der Volksbühne (I) 30.Sep 07 Ist jetzt alles Terrorismus? Die politische Dimension des §129a (Videos)
- Veranstaltung in der Volksbühne (II) 16. Sep 07 Wir sind alle TerroristInnen! Der § 129a und seine Folgen für Politik und Alltag. Szenische Lesung zu den Ermittlungen und Podiumsdiskussion mit Beschuldigten aus vier aktuellen § 129a-Verfahren (Video)
- ZDF Dokumentation „Der gläserne Deutsche„, April 09, ZDF (mp4,186mb, wmv, 507mb, ogv, 179mb)
- Quarks & Co, WDR, 9. März 2010: Nackt aber sicher? Wie viel Sicherheit verträgt die Demokratie? (mp4, 96mb) und Andrej Holm. Ein linker Wissenschaftler im Visier der Terrorfahnder (YouTube, Teile zwei, drei, vier, fünf)
- „Gefährder“ (YouTube)
- Arte, 6. Sep 11: Freiheit oder Sicherheit (Vimeo)
Audio
- documenta12, 22. Aug 07: Freiheit von Kunst und Wissenschaft
Am 1. August 2007 wurde gegen Andrej Holm, Stadtsoziologe an der Humboldt Universität Berlin, zusammen mit drei anderen Personen Haftbefehl erlassen unter dem Verdacht der Bildung einer terroristischen Vereinigung. Die Umstände dieser Verhaftung bedrohen die Freiheit von Wissenschaft und Kunst. - Küchenradio, 14. März 10: KR252 Andrej Holm (mp3)
The terrorism case against Andrej Holm in 2007
- Open letter to the Generalbundesanwaltschaft against the criminalization of critical academic research and political engagement
- Deutsche Welle, 17 Aug 2007: International Protest Over Berlin Sociologist’s Arrest
- The Chronicle of Higher Education, 20 Aug 2007: Academics Protest Germany’s Arrest of Scholar Accused of Aiding Militant Group
- The Guardian, 21 Aug 2007: Protests over terror arrest of German academic
- National Public Radio, 21 Aug 2007: Professor’s Research Results in Terrorism Charges (Audio)
- The Guardian, 21 Aug 2007: Richard Sennett and Saskia Sassen: Guantánamo in Germany
- Der Spiegel, 27 Aug 2007: Berlin Struggles to Define ‚Terror‘
- The Nation, 6 Sept 2007: Neil Smith: German GWOT Misfire
- rabble.ca, 7 Sept 2007: Roger Keil & Ute Lehrer: Scientists find out: gentrification is bad for you
- Statewatch, 8 Oct 2007: Crime by association – Terrorist law used to criminalise critical research
- Deutsche Welle World, 25 Oct 2007: Court Overturns Controversial Arrest of Sociology Professor
- heise online, 19 Nov 2007: Punk-bands, Eastern German magazines and journalists caught in surveillance grid
- Human Rights Watch: World Report 2008, Chapter European Union:
- Russia Today, Sep 11, 2010: Give us back our privacy (video)
- Naked Citizens – Documentary, May 2013 (YouTube)
Italiano
- Digimag.it 31/Feb 08: Annalist: Controllo, Terrore e Sorveglianza (Eleonora Oreggia)
Espagnol
- El País 22. Aug 07: Palabras incendiarias
- (con)textos (2009) 3 – Irene Sabaté Muriel: Conversando con Andrej Holm. Por unas ciencias sociales críticas con las transformaciones urbanas
- Cafe Babel 1. Sept 10: Blogueras políticas, ¡gritad “estoy aquí”!
Francais
- Reseau Agir ensemble contre le Chômage et la précarité, 18. Aug 07:Le „terroriste“ allait un peu trop à la bibliothèque…
- Libertés Internets 21 Aug 07: Les Gens qui fréquentent des bibliothèques sont des terroristes en puissance: Au trou!
- Nouvel Obs 22. Aug 07: Déclaration contre la criminalisation d’une science engagée à l’esprit critique / Pétition contre l’incarcération d’un sociologue
- Cafe Babel 1 Sept 10: Blogueuses politiques : faut-il qu’elles gueulent pour qu’on les écoute ?
- RTS Info 11 Oct 12: Le mouchard de la police allemande plus redoutable qu’imaginé (+ audio)
Norsk
- Universitas.no 12 Sept 07: En trussel mot fri forskning
- Forskningsetiske komiteer 3 Dez 07: Er sosiologisk begrepsbruk straffbart?
- Forskningsetiske komiteer 3 Dez 07: Dette er saken om Andrej Holm
Polski
- Cafe Babel 2 Sep 10: Blogerki polityczne: „Tu jestem!”
Svenska
- Geografiska Notiser 2-3. 07 Andrej Holm och hotet mot den kritiska forskningen (PDF)
- Expressen 16. Juni 08: Christopher Kulenberg: FRA-lagen hindrar fria forskningen
- Ord & Bild 1-2/2010 Havarier: Anne Roth: Att skapa en terrorist
- Deutsch
-
AmigaOS 4 Monthly Roundup – April 2025
Hi,
Welcome to a new edition of the AmigaOS 4 Monthly Roundup! 🙂
The month of May has arrived. Spring is in the air! It is time to look at what has been happening in the community during April.
Thanks for reading and for visiting my blog. Hope you’ll enjoy the news!
Software News
First up is some gaming news! Hold on to your horses!
Warcraft-2-Engine: Stratagus 3.3.3 for AmigaOS 4
Press release from amiga-news.de
Picture from the webshop of Alinea ComputerAlinea Computer is pleased to be able to offer another port by Steffen Häuser. Steffen has taken care of the porting of the latest version 3.3.3 and the installation routines for easy installation under AmigaOS 4. Stratagus is the port of the engine in version 3.3.3, which makes it possible to play the game Warcraft 2 from Blizzard Entertainment natively on the Amiga under AmigaOS 4.
The archive contains an installer with which it is possible to install the game directly from the PC CD without pre-installing it on the PC. At least for the Warcraft 2 Classic PC CD, for the Battle.Net CD or the Gog version it is necessary to unpack a file with a Windows tool, but with the Classic CD you can install directly on the Amiga.
Picture from the webshop of Alinea ComputerWarcraft 2 is one of the most famous strategy games of all time, practically the prequel to the famous MMO “World of Warcraft”. In addition to the base game “Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness”, the add-on CD “Warcraft 2: Beyond the Dark Portal” (already included in the Battle.Net CD and Gog version) is also supported.
Stratagus is based on the current “latest Git” version of the Stratagus project (version 3.3.3). In contrast to an earlier implementation, 3.3.3 offers the following features:
- Iconic game music and not just sound effects (the music files are only installed with the Warcraft 2 Classic CD and the Battle.net CD, but can be copied manually afterwards when using the Gog version).
- The game’s video sequences (video sequences not available on AmigaOne A1222)
- A functional level editor
- Numerous bug fixes
Of course, the localisation of Warcraft 2 into different languages is also supported.
Stratagus is under GPL licence, the source code of the Amiga version will be integrated into the github of the PC version in the foreseeable future, but is also available as a request by e-mail (see readme for details).
Picture from the webshop of Alinea ComputerThe minimum requirements for Stratagus are:
A computer with AmigaOS 4.1 FE Update 2 or higher
Special executables optimised for the respective platforms (x1000, x5000, Sam 440, Sam 460, G3 and A1222) can be selected during installation.https://www.amiga-shop.net/en/Amiga-Software/Amiga-Games/Stratagus-3-3-3-for-AmigaOS-4::1412.html
Juan Carlos Herrán Martín is an active software developer for platforms like AmigaOS 4, MorphOS, and AROS. We’ve seen many releases from him in the earlier monthly roundups. Now he is back with a new version of the game Los Malditos. It is a free adaption of the mythical books from Timun Mas from the 1980s and 1990s. These books are related to Dungeons & Dragons. The author is a fan of these works. It is now available for download at OS4Depot.
Improvements since the previous version:
- Improved on-screen text
- Improvement of the game speed, removing the delay refresh in the game window
- Bugs fixed
- Removed the option to exit the game when you are in a fight and you are in places preventing you from running away from the enemy
- New cover
- The game has been made free, but donations are welcome
He also released version Final2 of High-Low-Equal Poker. This is a special version to promote the game Los Malditos del Valle del Cerro and a way to show the possibilities of his games to promote magazines, books, movies, and other games and programs, even hardware.
Screenshot by Puni from an earlier version- The game has the exclusive Baphomet deck with the Heroes from the game “Los Malditos’ del Valle del Cerro”
- Bug fixed with card engine
- Two game modes: A=1 Ace equals 1 and Poker A>K Ace as in poker is the highest card
- Now the game cans open and play with Baphomet decks
- New screen to exit the game instead of the window requester
- Small improvements
If that was not enough, he updated his utility Cards Making Kit to version 2.20. With this program, you can make your decks for the following games:
- HLE Poker Card (High-Low-Equal Poker Card)
- BlackJuan
- Siete y Media
- Baccarat
- BlackIvan Card
You can make your decks using pictures from your family, pets, hobbies, etc.
Screenshot by Puni from an earlier versionHere is another one from the same author. Version 2.05 of a game called Baccarat has been released. This is a tribute to the mythical card game, popularized by the James Bond movie Dr. No with Sean Connery. The author has added a new exit cover (more James Bond style), and fixed a bug with the Baphomet decks and the overload in the game screen that slowed down the game.
Screenshot by Puni from an earlier versionBlackjuan Poker Card has been updated to version 2.00. This is another card game from the author above. The development of the game started back in 2012. This release includes new graphics and bug fixes. The game now supports Baphomet decks.
Screenshot by Puni from an earlier versionLast, but not least, he has updated the game Siete y Media to version 2.00. This is a Spanish Blackjack version with a Spanish deck of 40 cards. The aim of the game is not to get 21 which is common in Blackjack, but the sum of 7.5. You can read more about this in the readme. An SDK is included for those interested in making their decks of cards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J67WwNSgq3A
Amifish is a chess program made to play chess with Amiga-like systems. It exploits the power of one of the most powerful chess engines in the world: Stockfish. This engine was developed by Tord Romstad, Marco Costalba, Joona Kiiski, and Gary Linscott. A chess engine is a console program that plays chess, receiving strings as commands and producing strings in output as a result of computation. Stockfish and many other engines are compatible with a standard named UCI (Universal Chess Interface). The name Amifish is obtained by joining the words ‘Amiga’ and ‘Stockfish’. However, the project is open to all engines compliant with the UCI standard. It is a light program for amateurs. It is made to have fun with chess. Only the most important options are implemented. Version 2.1 is out for AmigaOS 4 and can be downloaded from OS4Depot.
Version R19 of iMage, a fast image viewer by Lazi has been released. According to the author, it handles JPG files very fast.
MCE, Multi-game Character Editor, is a user-friendly open-source editor of character files, saved games, high score tables, levels, and graphics for 122 games. James Jacobs, the author, has now released version 15.31, which provides miscellaneous improvements, as well as an enhanced Goal! Team editor.
Lorence Lombardo released version 1.0 of chklib. It is currently used in the “amiaudcomp” lib project. He also released version 1.0 of flushmem, which in theory flushes all flushable items from memory.
AmiSSL received an update to version 5.20. As mentioned in earlier editions of the AmigaOS 4 Monthly Roundup, the AmiSSL project is a collaborative effort to develop a port of OpenSSL in a shared library for Amiga-based systems. The download is available here. If you are interested in the SDK, it can be found here. It is a must-have if you use AmigaOS 4 to browse the web!
An updated version, 3.4, of the YouTube URL Extractor Script by Michael Trebilcock was released on April 16th. YT.rexx is a script for providing direct video and audio links from YouTube URLs. Changes from the previous version include:
3.4 – 16th Apr 2025:
- Compatibility fixes.
- Removed MEDIACONNECT client as it was no longer supported.
- Added ANDROIDVR client. This is the default in a new YT.cfg. Please note that
YouTube Kids videos are incompatible with this client. - DualTagVid / DualTagAud settings in the .cfg can now have multiple tag
numbers in order of priority, for use with the dualplay option.
More history within the archive.
PolarPaint is an experimental paint program made in Hollywood by Anbjørn Myren. Version 1.055 was uploaded to OS4Depot and became available on April 18th. If you are interested in checking it out, please click here. Another version called PolarPaint Small can be downloaded via this link.
Deark is an application that can extract data from a wide range of file formats. Developed by Jason Summers, this tool can help you get data from everything from AMOS ABK files to Doom WADs. You can read more about supported formats, as well as download the utility from OS4Depot. Version 1.7.0 became available on OS4Depot on April 18th.
George Sokianos a.k.a. Walkero has released a new version of aiostreams. “All In One streams” (aiostreams) is a pack of scripts, written in Python, that can be used to stream and watch videos from different online networks, like Twitch.tv, YouTube, and Vimeo.com. Please click here to download it or to read the changelog.
Version 3.451 of IMP3, a utility created by Juen a.k.a Pawl Nowak, has been released! The program was originally meant for 68K but does run OK on AmigaOS 4. With IMP3, you can listen to over 168.000 music files through the Internet. These are ProTracker modules, SID tunes, and so forth. Besides this, it has cloud storage and Online gaming with high scores.
The source code for AmiCraftNova has been released to the public domain by Caras Ghant.
Frank Wille has released an updated version of vasm m68k std, vasm PPC std, and vasm 68k mot. vasm is a portable and re-targetable assembler to create linkable objects in various formats and absolute code. Multiple CPU-, syntax, and output-modules can be selected.
AmigaGPT is a versatile ChatGPT client for AmigaOS 3.x, 4.1 and MorphOS. It is being developed by Cameron Armstrong a.k.a. Nightfox. This powerful tool brings the capabilities of OpenAI’s GPT to your Amiga system, enabling text generation, question-answering, and creative exploration. AmigaGPT can also generate stunning images using DALL-E and includes support for speech output, making it easier than ever to interact with AI on your Amiga. Designed to integrate seamlessly with your system, AmigaGPT delivers modern AI technology while embracing the timeless Amiga experience. Version 2.5.0 is now available for download from OS4Depot.
Privoxy is a web proxy with advanced filtering capabilities for protecting privacy, modifying web page data, managing cookies, controlling access, and removing ads, banners, pop-ups, and other obnoxious Internet junk. It is being developed by Mark Mansnerus. Privoxy has a very flexible configuration and can be customized to suit individual needs and tastes. Privoxy has applications for both stand-alone systems and multi-user networks. Version 3.0.6 is now out and available for download.
WormHole allows you to transfer files to another computer within the same LAN without having to make any adjustments. It is being developed by Lazi. The main advantage of using WormHole between Amiga systems is that it can handle icons and all AmigaOS file attributes in one step.
Main features:
- Transfers all Amiga file attributes
- Transfers icons automatically
- Zero configuration
- Transfers files bi-directional at the same time
- Transfer multiple files parallel at the same time
- Multiplatform
Version 0.5 has been released. Please click here to download it.
AStone is a picture viewer created in Hollywood by Sandro Barbagelata. Version 1.0 was released on April 26th. It is heavily inspired by the utility Fastone on Windows.
The AmigaOS 4 port of Open Medal of Honor is now available on OS4Depot. The porting has been done by Ryan Dixon a.k.a. rjd324. The main goal of OpenMoHAA is to ensure the future and continuity of Medal of Honor: Allied Assault (including Spearhead and Breakthrough expansions) on all platforms/architectures by providing new patches/features.
The source code for the AmigaOS4 port can be found at:
https://github.com/3246251196/openmohaa
The download is available here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQhvT-h2jk0
An update to Report+, a ReAction-based utility with nine functions, has been released by James Jacobs. It was made available on OS4Depot on April 27th. This tool can help you with generating Aminet- and OS4Depot-style readme files, performing batch processing on icons, and much more. Recent changes since 8.64 include miscellaneous improvements and bug fixes. More detailed information can be found on OS4Depot.
Screenshot by Puni from an older versionVersion 34.3 of AmiArcadia for AmigaOS 4, a Signetics-based machines emulator, has been released by James Jacobs.
According to the documentation, AmiArcadia supports the following systems:
- Emerson Arcadia 2001 console family (Bandai, Emerson, Grandstand, Intervision, Leisure-Vision, Leonardo, MPT-03, Ormatu, Palladium, Poppy, Robdajet, Tele-Fever, Tempest, Tryom, Tunix, etc.) (c. 1982);
- Interton VC 4000 console family (Acetronic, Cabel, Fountain, Hanimex, Interton, Prinztronic, Radofin, Rowtron, Soundic, Voltmace, Waddingtons, etc.) (c. 1978);
- Elektor TV Games Computer (1979);
- PIPBUG- and BINBUG-based machines (EA 77up2, EA 78up5, Signetics Adaptable Board Computer, Eurocard 2650, etc.) (1977-1978);
- Signetics Instructor 50 trainer (1978);
- Signetics TWIN minicomputer (1976);
- Central Data 2650 computer (1977);
- PHUNSY computer (c. 1980);
- Ravensburger Selbstbaucomputer aka 2650 Minimal Computer trainer (1984);
- Hofacker MIKIT 2650 trainer (1978);
- Astro Wars, Galaxia, Laser Battle and Lazarian coin-ops by Zaccaria (1979-1981);
- Malzak 1 and 2 coin-ops by Kitronix (c. 1981);
- AY-3-8500/8550/8600-based Pong systems (Coleco Telstar Galaxy, Sheen TVG-201, etc.) (1976-1977);
- VTech Type-right machine (1985)
It is packed with features, far too many to list here. Examples include ReAction GUI, load/save snapshots, and windowed and fullscreen modes. Other features are CPU tracing, trainer, and drag and drop support. Additionally, it offers graphics scaling, PAL/NTSC modes, and frame skipping, among many other features!
Here is a summary of the changes since the last version:
- TWIN: added emulation of high-speed papertape reader.
- CD2650, PHUNSY: added “Tools|Sprite/character editor/viewer…”
command. - Miscellaneous improvements and bug fixes.
Please click here to be taken to the download page.
Xiangqi is a chess program made to play Xiangqi (Chinese chess), by making use of chess engines UCI compatible with the moves played by computers. A chess engine is a console program that play chess, receiving strings as commands and producing strings in output as a result of computation. The program is developed by Domenico Lattanzi. More information is available on OS4Depot.
That was the software news for this time. Now let us move over to hardware! 🙂
Hardware
I first heard about the new PPC hardware on Discord and was very surprised, to say the least! amiga-news.de has an extensive article about the subject. It will explain the project much better than I would be able to do. 🙂 I recommend you pop over to them and have a look at what this new PPC hardware is about.
https://www.amiga-news.de/en/news/AN-2025-04-00129-EN.html
The Sam460. Photo lent from the official website of ACube SystemsHere are two announcements from ACube Systems about UBoot updates! 🙂
UBoot 2015.d for Sam460EX / Sam460CR / Sam460LE boards available
Bassano del Grappa, Italy – 08 April 2025ACube Systems is pleased to announce a new release of the UBoot firmware for its Sam460 line of motherboards.
For the first time in Amiga history, it is now possible to boot from an NVMe SSD.
This groundbreaking achievement marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the Amiga platform. Thanks to recent advancements, users can now experience dramatically improved boot speeds and data access times by utilizing modern NVMe solid-state drives—bringing the Amiga into a new era of performance and reliability.
This development not only enhances the capabilities of current NG systems but also demonstrates the ongoing innovation and dedication within the Amiga community. Booting from an NVMe SSD was once considered impossible—today, it is a reality.
This update is completely free for all users.
We are excited to announce a new version packed with important features and improvements—available as a free download.
New in this release:
- NVMe SSD driver – For the first time ever, you can boot from an NVMe drive using a standard NVMe-to PCIe adapter.
- PCIe SATA2 support – Added driver for the Silicon Image 3132 controller, allowing booting from both SATA SSDs and DVD drives.
- DDR2 timing adjustments – Fine-tune DDR2 RAM timings for faster memory access.
- Customizable USB stack – Choose between EHCI (faster for mass storage) or OHCI (greater compatibility with keyboards).
- Enhanced “sata” command – Now displays more detailed information about drivers and connected devices.
- Improved serial console navigation – Navigate menu items using W and S keys.
- General bug fixes and improvements.
- Unified source code – Now streamlined for both 460ex and 440ep platforms.
- An updated installation guide is included, covering the standard ISO image method as well as alternative installation methods via TFTP and USB.
- Updater tool can be downloaded from:
https://acube-systems.biz/download/Sam460_updater_2015d.zip
If you are not comfortable installing UBoot yourself, we also offer fully updated UBoot chips through our online store.
Additional information:
Please note: UBoot and UBoot updater make use of GPL code and thus are both published under GPL.Sources can be downloaded from:
UBoot & UBoot updater
https://acube-systems.biz/download/u-boot-2015.d_prod.tar.gzParthenope
The Sam440EP Flex – Photo by Puni
https://acube-systems.biz/download/ub2lb_0.94.tar.gzUBoot 2015.d for Sam440ep mini-itx and Sam440ep flex boards available
Bassano del Grappa, Italy – 14 April 2025ACube Systems is pleased to announce a new release of the U-Boot firmware for its Sam440 line of motherboards.
Following the recent update for the Sam460, the Sam440 now also benefits from enhanced support, including compatibility with NVMe SSDs. Additionally, this update introduces support for Radeon RX and Radeon HD graphics cards.
This release represents a significant investment of time and resources. Nevertheless, we have chosen to offer it at the symbolic price of €3.99.
Highlights of this release include:
- Support for Radeon RX graphics cards () Improved support for Radeon HD graphics cards ()
NVMe SSD driver: boot directly from NVMe devices using a PCIe adapter () Driver for the PCIe SATA2 Silicon Image 3132 controller, with support for booting from SSDs and DVDs () - Enhanced RAM access speed on Sam440ep-flex boards
- New graphical interface style
- Revised ‘sata’ command, now displaying more detailed information about drivers and connected devices
- Serial console improvements: menu navigation via the W (up) and S (down) keys
- General bug fixes and overall improvements
- Unified source code for the 460ex and 440ep platforms
Note:
Features marked with an asterisk (*) require a PCI-to-PCIe bridge.
Radeon RX and Radeon HD graphics cards also require a specific driver (to be sold separately by A-EON Technology once available) for use with AmigaOS 4.Purchase the update:
The update is available through our online store.
For those not comfortable performing the update themselves, we also offer pre-programmed, fully updated U-Boot chips.Additional Information:
UBoot makes use of GPL-licensed code and is therefore released under the terms of the GPL.
Source code downloads:
U-Boot:
https://acube-systems.biz/download/u-boot-2015.d_prod.tar.gz
Parthenope:
https://acube-systems.biz/download/ub2lb_0.94.tar.gzYouTube
Marek Glogowski has published a new video showing Super Star Blast running on AmigaOS 4 through QEMU 10 and GPU Passthrough:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd_a9kpbXtQ
HunoPPC shows DOSBox Enhanced running on AmigaOS 4 with 3dfx support and shader effects:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSCPkfZ-pVo
Here is a video of Baldur’s Gate running on AmigaOS 4. The video was created by anouk33.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UT8a-33z2o
Here is another video, but this time of WarCraft II:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY5ktfyiK7o
And one of Quake II:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewALudVmDRc
Amiga Wave has made a long video. It lasts for more than 2 hours and covers his experience with AmigaOS 4 on the Sam460LE. The video is in Spanish.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nVsxjDwqHM
Mr. Byte shows Stratagus 3.3.3 running on his A1222+:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCJhZh_f_qY
The Lost C is back with a new video. This time he does a test of the A1222 with a Radeon HD7750. The vide is in Italian.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLYq27YKxls
He also created a video with the A1222 and AmiCygnix:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCDn4hMeabY
TJ Ferreira is back once again. This time, he takes us on a journey through his experience with playing Glubble on his AmigaOne X5000. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72WX8T2Lsd4
Until next time
You’ve now reached the end of the AmigaOS 4 Monthly Roundup for April 2025. I had not expected it to be this extensive. There is a clearly a lot happening in the world of AmigaOS 4 and Amiga in general these days!
Thanks as always to all readers and supporters out there. Thanks for visiting my blog and see you in the next roundup! 🙂
Best regards,
Puni
Rate this:
#A1222 #Amiga #AmigaNews #AmigaOne #AmigaOS4 #AmigaOS4MonthlyRoundup #AmigaOS41
-
AmigaOS 4 Monthly Roundup – April 2025
Hi,
Welcome to a new edition of the AmigaOS 4 Monthly Roundup! 🙂
The month of May has arrived. Spring is in the air! It is time to look at what has been happening in the community during April.
Thanks for reading and for visiting my blog. Hope you’ll enjoy the news!
Software News
First up is some gaming news! Hold on to your horses!
Warcraft-2-Engine: Stratagus 3.3.3 for AmigaOS 4
Press release from amiga-news.de
Picture from the webshop of Alinea ComputerAlinea Computer is pleased to be able to offer another port by Steffen Häuser. Steffen has taken care of the porting of the latest version 3.3.3 and the installation routines for easy installation under AmigaOS 4. Stratagus is the port of the engine in version 3.3.3, which makes it possible to play the game Warcraft 2 from Blizzard Entertainment natively on the Amiga under AmigaOS 4.
The archive contains an installer with which it is possible to install the game directly from the PC CD without pre-installing it on the PC. At least for the Warcraft 2 Classic PC CD, for the Battle.Net CD or the Gog version it is necessary to unpack a file with a Windows tool, but with the Classic CD you can install directly on the Amiga.
Picture from the webshop of Alinea ComputerWarcraft 2 is one of the most famous strategy games of all time, practically the prequel to the famous MMO “World of Warcraft”. In addition to the base game “Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness”, the add-on CD “Warcraft 2: Beyond the Dark Portal” (already included in the Battle.Net CD and Gog version) is also supported.
Stratagus is based on the current “latest Git” version of the Stratagus project (version 3.3.3). In contrast to an earlier implementation, 3.3.3 offers the following features:
- Iconic game music and not just sound effects (the music files are only installed with the Warcraft 2 Classic CD and the Battle.net CD, but can be copied manually afterwards when using the Gog version).
- The game’s video sequences (video sequences not available on AmigaOne A1222)
- A functional level editor
- Numerous bug fixes
Of course, the localisation of Warcraft 2 into different languages is also supported.
Stratagus is under GPL licence, the source code of the Amiga version will be integrated into the github of the PC version in the foreseeable future, but is also available as a request by e-mail (see readme for details).
Picture from the webshop of Alinea ComputerThe minimum requirements for Stratagus are:
A computer with AmigaOS 4.1 FE Update 2 or higher
Special executables optimised for the respective platforms (x1000, x5000, Sam 440, Sam 460, G3 and A1222) can be selected during installation.https://www.amiga-shop.net/en/Amiga-Software/Amiga-Games/Stratagus-3-3-3-for-AmigaOS-4::1412.html
Juan Carlos Herrán Martín is an active software developer for platforms like AmigaOS 4, MorphOS, and AROS. We’ve seen many releases from him in the earlier monthly roundups. Now he is back with a new version of the game Los Malditos. It is a free adaption of the mythical books from Timun Mas from the 1980s and 1990s. These books are related to Dungeons & Dragons. The author is a fan of these works. It is now available for download at OS4Depot.
Improvements since the previous version:
- Improved on-screen text
- Improvement of the game speed, removing the delay refresh in the game window
- Bugs fixed
- Removed the option to exit the game when you are in a fight and you are in places preventing you from running away from the enemy
- New cover
- The game has been made free, but donations are welcome
He also released version Final2 of High-Low-Equal Poker. This is a special version to promote the game Los Malditos del Valle del Cerro and a way to show the possibilities of his games to promote magazines, books, movies, and other games and programs, even hardware.
Screenshot by Puni from an earlier version- The game has the exclusive Baphomet deck with the Heroes from the game “Los Malditos’ del Valle del Cerro”
- Bug fixed with card engine
- Two game modes: A=1 Ace equals 1 and Poker A>K Ace as in poker is the highest card
- Now the game cans open and play with Baphomet decks
- New screen to exit the game instead of the window requester
- Small improvements
If that was not enough, he updated his utility Cards Making Kit to version 2.20. With this program, you can make your decks for the following games:
- HLE Poker Card (High-Low-Equal Poker Card)
- BlackJuan
- Siete y Media
- Baccarat
- BlackIvan Card
You can make your decks using pictures from your family, pets, hobbies, etc.
Screenshot by Puni from an earlier versionHere is another one from the same author. Version 2.05 of a game called Baccarat has been released. This is a tribute to the mythical card game, popularized by the James Bond movie Dr. No with Sean Connery. The author has added a new exit cover (more James Bond style), and fixed a bug with the Baphomet decks and the overload in the game screen that slowed down the game.
Screenshot by Puni from an earlier versionBlackjuan Poker Card has been updated to version 2.00. This is another card game from the author above. The development of the game started back in 2012. This release includes new graphics and bug fixes. The game now supports Baphomet decks.
Screenshot by Puni from an earlier versionLast, but not least, he has updated the game Siete y Media to version 2.00. This is a Spanish Blackjack version with a Spanish deck of 40 cards. The aim of the game is not to get 21 which is common in Blackjack, but the sum of 7.5. You can read more about this in the readme. An SDK is included for those interested in making their decks of cards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J67WwNSgq3A
Amifish is a chess program made to play chess with Amiga-like systems. It exploits the power of one of the most powerful chess engines in the world: Stockfish. This engine was developed by Tord Romstad, Marco Costalba, Joona Kiiski, and Gary Linscott. A chess engine is a console program that plays chess, receiving strings as commands and producing strings in output as a result of computation. Stockfish and many other engines are compatible with a standard named UCI (Universal Chess Interface). The name Amifish is obtained by joining the words ‘Amiga’ and ‘Stockfish’. However, the project is open to all engines compliant with the UCI standard. It is a light program for amateurs. It is made to have fun with chess. Only the most important options are implemented. Version 2.1 is out for AmigaOS 4 and can be downloaded from OS4Depot.
Version R19 of iMage, a fast image viewer by Lazi has been released. According to the author, it handles JPG files very fast.
MCE, Multi-game Character Editor, is a user-friendly open-source editor of character files, saved games, high score tables, levels, and graphics for 122 games. James Jacobs, the author, has now released version 15.31, which provides miscellaneous improvements, as well as an enhanced Goal! Team editor.
Lorence Lombardo released version 1.0 of chklib. It is currently used in the “amiaudcomp” lib project. He also released version 1.0 of flushmem, which in theory flushes all flushable items from memory.
AmiSSL received an update to version 5.20. As mentioned in earlier editions of the AmigaOS 4 Monthly Roundup, the AmiSSL project is a collaborative effort to develop a port of OpenSSL in a shared library for Amiga-based systems. The download is available here. If you are interested in the SDK, it can be found here. It is a must-have if you use AmigaOS 4 to browse the web!
An updated version, 3.4, of the YouTube URL Extractor Script by Michael Trebilcock was released on April 16th. YT.rexx is a script for providing direct video and audio links from YouTube URLs. Changes from the previous version include:
3.4 – 16th Apr 2025:
- Compatibility fixes.
- Removed MEDIACONNECT client as it was no longer supported.
- Added ANDROIDVR client. This is the default in a new YT.cfg. Please note that
YouTube Kids videos are incompatible with this client. - DualTagVid / DualTagAud settings in the .cfg can now have multiple tag
numbers in order of priority, for use with the dualplay option.
More history within the archive.
PolarPaint is an experimental paint program made in Hollywood by Anbjørn Myren. Version 1.055 was uploaded to OS4Depot and became available on April 18th. If you are interested in checking it out, please click here. Another version called PolarPaint Small can be downloaded via this link.
Deark is an application that can extract data from a wide range of file formats. Developed by Jason Summers, this tool can help you get data from everything from AMOS ABK files to Doom WADs. You can read more about supported formats, as well as download the utility from OS4Depot. Version 1.7.0 became available on OS4Depot on April 18th.
George Sokianos a.k.a. Walkero has released a new version of aiostreams. “All In One streams” (aiostreams) is a pack of scripts, written in Python, that can be used to stream and watch videos from different online networks, like Twitch.tv, YouTube, and Vimeo.com. Please click here to download it or to read the changelog.
Version 3.451 of IMP3, a utility created by Juen a.k.a Pawl Nowak, has been released! The program was originally meant for 68K but does run OK on AmigaOS 4. With IMP3, you can listen to over 168.000 music files through the Internet. These are ProTracker modules, SID tunes, and so forth. Besides this, it has cloud storage and Online gaming with high scores.
The source code for AmiCraftNova has been released to the public domain by Caras Ghant.
Frank Wille has released an updated version of vasm m68k std, vasm PPC std, and vasm 68k mot. vasm is a portable and re-targetable assembler to create linkable objects in various formats and absolute code. Multiple CPU-, syntax, and output-modules can be selected.
AmigaGPT is a versatile ChatGPT client for AmigaOS 3.x, 4.1 and MorphOS. It is being developed by Cameron Armstrong a.k.a. Nightfox. This powerful tool brings the capabilities of OpenAI’s GPT to your Amiga system, enabling text generation, question-answering, and creative exploration. AmigaGPT can also generate stunning images using DALL-E and includes support for speech output, making it easier than ever to interact with AI on your Amiga. Designed to integrate seamlessly with your system, AmigaGPT delivers modern AI technology while embracing the timeless Amiga experience. Version 2.5.0 is now available for download from OS4Depot.
Privoxy is a web proxy with advanced filtering capabilities for protecting privacy, modifying web page data, managing cookies, controlling access, and removing ads, banners, pop-ups, and other obnoxious Internet junk. It is being developed by Mark Mansnerus. Privoxy has a very flexible configuration and can be customized to suit individual needs and tastes. Privoxy has applications for both stand-alone systems and multi-user networks. Version 3.0.6 is now out and available for download.
WormHole allows you to transfer files to another computer within the same LAN without having to make any adjustments. It is being developed by Lazi. The main advantage of using WormHole between Amiga systems is that it can handle icons and all AmigaOS file attributes in one step.
Main features:
- Transfers all Amiga file attributes
- Transfers icons automatically
- Zero configuration
- Transfers files bi-directional at the same time
- Transfer multiple files parallel at the same time
- Multiplatform
Version 0.5 has been released. Please click here to download it.
AStone is a picture viewer created in Hollywood by Sandro Barbagelata. Version 1.0 was released on April 26th. It is heavily inspired by the utility Fastone on Windows.
The AmigaOS 4 port of Open Medal of Honor is now available on OS4Depot. The porting has been done by Ryan Dixon a.k.a. rjd324. The main goal of OpenMoHAA is to ensure the future and continuity of Medal of Honor: Allied Assault (including Spearhead and Breakthrough expansions) on all platforms/architectures by providing new patches/features.
The source code for the AmigaOS4 port can be found at:
https://github.com/3246251196/openmohaa
The download is available here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQhvT-h2jk0
An update to Report+, a ReAction-based utility with nine functions, has been released by James Jacobs. It was made available on OS4Depot on April 27th. This tool can help you with generating Aminet- and OS4Depot-style readme files, performing batch processing on icons, and much more. Recent changes since 8.64 include miscellaneous improvements and bug fixes. More detailed information can be found on OS4Depot.
Screenshot by Puni from an older versionVersion 34.3 of AmiArcadia for AmigaOS 4, a Signetics-based machines emulator, has been released by James Jacobs.
According to the documentation, AmiArcadia supports the following systems:
- Emerson Arcadia 2001 console family (Bandai, Emerson, Grandstand, Intervision, Leisure-Vision, Leonardo, MPT-03, Ormatu, Palladium, Poppy, Robdajet, Tele-Fever, Tempest, Tryom, Tunix, etc.) (c. 1982);
- Interton VC 4000 console family (Acetronic, Cabel, Fountain, Hanimex, Interton, Prinztronic, Radofin, Rowtron, Soundic, Voltmace, Waddingtons, etc.) (c. 1978);
- Elektor TV Games Computer (1979);
- PIPBUG- and BINBUG-based machines (EA 77up2, EA 78up5, Signetics Adaptable Board Computer, Eurocard 2650, etc.) (1977-1978);
- Signetics Instructor 50 trainer (1978);
- Signetics TWIN minicomputer (1976);
- Central Data 2650 computer (1977);
- PHUNSY computer (c. 1980);
- Ravensburger Selbstbaucomputer aka 2650 Minimal Computer trainer (1984);
- Hofacker MIKIT 2650 trainer (1978);
- Astro Wars, Galaxia, Laser Battle and Lazarian coin-ops by Zaccaria (1979-1981);
- Malzak 1 and 2 coin-ops by Kitronix (c. 1981);
- AY-3-8500/8550/8600-based Pong systems (Coleco Telstar Galaxy, Sheen TVG-201, etc.) (1976-1977);
- VTech Type-right machine (1985)
It is packed with features, far too many to list here. Examples include ReAction GUI, load/save snapshots, and windowed and fullscreen modes. Other features are CPU tracing, trainer, and drag and drop support. Additionally, it offers graphics scaling, PAL/NTSC modes, and frame skipping, among many other features!
Here is a summary of the changes since the last version:
- TWIN: added emulation of high-speed papertape reader.
- CD2650, PHUNSY: added “Tools|Sprite/character editor/viewer…”
command. - Miscellaneous improvements and bug fixes.
Please click here to be taken to the download page.
Xiangqi is a chess program made to play Xiangqi (Chinese chess), by making use of chess engines UCI compatible with the moves played by computers. A chess engine is a console program that play chess, receiving strings as commands and producing strings in output as a result of computation. The program is developed by Domenico Lattanzi. More information is available on OS4Depot.
That was the software news for this time. Now let us move over to hardware! 🙂
Hardware
I first heard about the new PPC hardware on Discord and was very surprised, to say the least! amiga-news.de has an extensive article about the subject. It will explain the project much better than I would be able to do. 🙂 I recommend you pop over to them and have a look at what this new PPC hardware is about.
https://www.amiga-news.de/en/news/AN-2025-04-00129-EN.html
The Sam460. Photo lent from the official website of ACube SystemsHere are two announcements from ACube Systems about UBoot updates! 🙂
UBoot 2015.d for Sam460EX / Sam460CR / Sam460LE boards available
Bassano del Grappa, Italy – 08 April 2025ACube Systems is pleased to announce a new release of the UBoot firmware for its Sam460 line of motherboards.
For the first time in Amiga history, it is now possible to boot from an NVMe SSD.
This groundbreaking achievement marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the Amiga platform. Thanks to recent advancements, users can now experience dramatically improved boot speeds and data access times by utilizing modern NVMe solid-state drives—bringing the Amiga into a new era of performance and reliability.
This development not only enhances the capabilities of current NG systems but also demonstrates the ongoing innovation and dedication within the Amiga community. Booting from an NVMe SSD was once considered impossible—today, it is a reality.
This update is completely free for all users.
We are excited to announce a new version packed with important features and improvements—available as a free download.
New in this release:
- NVMe SSD driver – For the first time ever, you can boot from an NVMe drive using a standard NVMe-to PCIe adapter.
- PCIe SATA2 support – Added driver for the Silicon Image 3132 controller, allowing booting from both SATA SSDs and DVD drives.
- DDR2 timing adjustments – Fine-tune DDR2 RAM timings for faster memory access.
- Customizable USB stack – Choose between EHCI (faster for mass storage) or OHCI (greater compatibility with keyboards).
- Enhanced “sata” command – Now displays more detailed information about drivers and connected devices.
- Improved serial console navigation – Navigate menu items using W and S keys.
- General bug fixes and improvements.
- Unified source code – Now streamlined for both 460ex and 440ep platforms.
- An updated installation guide is included, covering the standard ISO image method as well as alternative installation methods via TFTP and USB.
- Updater tool can be downloaded from:
https://acube-systems.biz/download/Sam460_updater_2015d.zip
If you are not comfortable installing UBoot yourself, we also offer fully updated UBoot chips through our online store.
Additional information:
Please note: UBoot and UBoot updater make use of GPL code and thus are both published under GPL.Sources can be downloaded from:
UBoot & UBoot updater
https://acube-systems.biz/download/u-boot-2015.d_prod.tar.gzParthenope
The Sam440EP Flex – Photo by Puni
https://acube-systems.biz/download/ub2lb_0.94.tar.gzUBoot 2015.d for Sam440ep mini-itx and Sam440ep flex boards available
Bassano del Grappa, Italy – 14 April 2025ACube Systems is pleased to announce a new release of the U-Boot firmware for its Sam440 line of motherboards.
Following the recent update for the Sam460, the Sam440 now also benefits from enhanced support, including compatibility with NVMe SSDs. Additionally, this update introduces support for Radeon RX and Radeon HD graphics cards.
This release represents a significant investment of time and resources. Nevertheless, we have chosen to offer it at the symbolic price of €3.99.
Highlights of this release include:
- Support for Radeon RX graphics cards () Improved support for Radeon HD graphics cards ()
NVMe SSD driver: boot directly from NVMe devices using a PCIe adapter () Driver for the PCIe SATA2 Silicon Image 3132 controller, with support for booting from SSDs and DVDs () - Enhanced RAM access speed on Sam440ep-flex boards
- New graphical interface style
- Revised ‘sata’ command, now displaying more detailed information about drivers and connected devices
- Serial console improvements: menu navigation via the W (up) and S (down) keys
- General bug fixes and overall improvements
- Unified source code for the 460ex and 440ep platforms
Note:
Features marked with an asterisk (*) require a PCI-to-PCIe bridge.
Radeon RX and Radeon HD graphics cards also require a specific driver (to be sold separately by A-EON Technology once available) for use with AmigaOS 4.Purchase the update:
The update is available through our online store.
For those not comfortable performing the update themselves, we also offer pre-programmed, fully updated U-Boot chips.Additional Information:
UBoot makes use of GPL-licensed code and is therefore released under the terms of the GPL.
Source code downloads:
U-Boot:
https://acube-systems.biz/download/u-boot-2015.d_prod.tar.gz
Parthenope:
https://acube-systems.biz/download/ub2lb_0.94.tar.gzYouTube
Marek Glogowski has published a new video showing Super Star Blast running on AmigaOS 4 through QEMU 10 and GPU Passthrough:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd_a9kpbXtQ
HunoPPC shows DOSBox Enhanced running on AmigaOS 4 with 3dfx support and shader effects:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSCPkfZ-pVo
Here is a video of Baldur’s Gate running on AmigaOS 4. The video was created by anouk33.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UT8a-33z2o
Here is another video, but this time of WarCraft II:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY5ktfyiK7o
And one of Quake II:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewALudVmDRc
Amiga Wave has made a long video. It lasts for more than 2 hours and covers his experience with AmigaOS 4 on the Sam460LE. The video is in Spanish.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nVsxjDwqHM
Mr. Byte shows Stratagus 3.3.3 running on his A1222+:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCJhZh_f_qY
The Lost C is back with a new video. This time he does a test of the A1222 with a Radeon HD7750. The vide is in Italian.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLYq27YKxls
He also created a video with the A1222 and AmiCygnix:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCDn4hMeabY
TJ Ferreira is back once again. This time, he takes us on a journey through his experience with playing Glubble on his AmigaOne X5000. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72WX8T2Lsd4
Until next time
You’ve now reached the end of the AmigaOS 4 Monthly Roundup for April 2025. I had not expected it to be this extensive. There is a clearly a lot happening in the world of AmigaOS 4 and Amiga in general these days!
Thanks as always to all readers and supporters out there. Thanks for visiting my blog and see you in the next roundup! 🙂
Best regards,
Puni
Rate this:
#A1222 #Amiga #AmigaNews #AmigaOne #AmigaOS4 #AmigaOS4MonthlyRoundup #AmigaOS41
-
AmigaOS 4 Monthly Roundup – April 2025
Hi,
Welcome to a new edition of the AmigaOS 4 Monthly Roundup! 🙂
The month of May has arrived. Spring is in the air! It is time to look at what has been happening in the community during April.
Thanks for reading and for visiting my blog. Hope you’ll enjoy the news!
Software News
First up is some gaming news! Hold on to your horses!
Warcraft-2-Engine: Stratagus 3.3.3 for AmigaOS 4
Press release from amiga-news.de
Picture from the webshop of Alinea ComputerAlinea Computer is pleased to be able to offer another port by Steffen Häuser. Steffen has taken care of the porting of the latest version 3.3.3 and the installation routines for easy installation under AmigaOS 4. Stratagus is the port of the engine in version 3.3.3, which makes it possible to play the game Warcraft 2 from Blizzard Entertainment natively on the Amiga under AmigaOS 4.
The archive contains an installer with which it is possible to install the game directly from the PC CD without pre-installing it on the PC. At least for the Warcraft 2 Classic PC CD, for the Battle.Net CD or the Gog version it is necessary to unpack a file with a Windows tool, but with the Classic CD you can install directly on the Amiga.
Picture from the webshop of Alinea ComputerWarcraft 2 is one of the most famous strategy games of all time, practically the prequel to the famous MMO “World of Warcraft”. In addition to the base game “Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness”, the add-on CD “Warcraft 2: Beyond the Dark Portal” (already included in the Battle.Net CD and Gog version) is also supported.
Stratagus is based on the current “latest Git” version of the Stratagus project (version 3.3.3). In contrast to an earlier implementation, 3.3.3 offers the following features:
- Iconic game music and not just sound effects (the music files are only installed with the Warcraft 2 Classic CD and the Battle.net CD, but can be copied manually afterwards when using the Gog version).
- The game’s video sequences (video sequences not available on AmigaOne A1222)
- A functional level editor
- Numerous bug fixes
Of course, the localisation of Warcraft 2 into different languages is also supported.
Stratagus is under GPL licence, the source code of the Amiga version will be integrated into the github of the PC version in the foreseeable future, but is also available as a request by e-mail (see readme for details).
Picture from the webshop of Alinea ComputerThe minimum requirements for Stratagus are:
A computer with AmigaOS 4.1 FE Update 2 or higher
Special executables optimised for the respective platforms (x1000, x5000, Sam 440, Sam 460, G3 and A1222) can be selected during installation.https://www.amiga-shop.net/en/Amiga-Software/Amiga-Games/Stratagus-3-3-3-for-AmigaOS-4::1412.html
Juan Carlos Herrán Martín is an active software developer for platforms like AmigaOS 4, MorphOS, and AROS. We’ve seen many releases from him in the earlier monthly roundups. Now he is back with a new version of the game Los Malditos. It is a free adaption of the mythical books from Timun Mas from the 1980s and 1990s. These books are related to Dungeons & Dragons. The author is a fan of these works. It is now available for download at OS4Depot.
Improvements since the previous version:
- Improved on-screen text
- Improvement of the game speed, removing the delay refresh in the game window
- Bugs fixed
- Removed the option to exit the game when you are in a fight and you are in places preventing you from running away from the enemy
- New cover
- The game has been made free, but donations are welcome
He also released version Final2 of High-Low-Equal Poker. This is a special version to promote the game Los Malditos del Valle del Cerro and a way to show the possibilities of his games to promote magazines, books, movies, and other games and programs, even hardware.
Screenshot by Puni from an earlier version- The game has the exclusive Baphomet deck with the Heroes from the game “Los Malditos’ del Valle del Cerro”
- Bug fixed with card engine
- Two game modes: A=1 Ace equals 1 and Poker A>K Ace as in poker is the highest card
- Now the game cans open and play with Baphomet decks
- New screen to exit the game instead of the window requester
- Small improvements
If that was not enough, he updated his utility Cards Making Kit to version 2.20. With this program, you can make your decks for the following games:
- HLE Poker Card (High-Low-Equal Poker Card)
- BlackJuan
- Siete y Media
- Baccarat
- BlackIvan Card
You can make your decks using pictures from your family, pets, hobbies, etc.
Screenshot by Puni from an earlier versionHere is another one from the same author. Version 2.05 of a game called Baccarat has been released. This is a tribute to the mythical card game, popularized by the James Bond movie Dr. No with Sean Connery. The author has added a new exit cover (more James Bond style), and fixed a bug with the Baphomet decks and the overload in the game screen that slowed down the game.
Screenshot by Puni from an earlier versionBlackjuan Poker Card has been updated to version 2.00. This is another card game from the author above. The development of the game started back in 2012. This release includes new graphics and bug fixes. The game now supports Baphomet decks.
Screenshot by Puni from an earlier versionLast, but not least, he has updated the game Siete y Media to version 2.00. This is a Spanish Blackjack version with a Spanish deck of 40 cards. The aim of the game is not to get 21 which is common in Blackjack, but the sum of 7.5. You can read more about this in the readme. An SDK is included for those interested in making their decks of cards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J67WwNSgq3A
Amifish is a chess program made to play chess with Amiga-like systems. It exploits the power of one of the most powerful chess engines in the world: Stockfish. This engine was developed by Tord Romstad, Marco Costalba, Joona Kiiski, and Gary Linscott. A chess engine is a console program that plays chess, receiving strings as commands and producing strings in output as a result of computation. Stockfish and many other engines are compatible with a standard named UCI (Universal Chess Interface). The name Amifish is obtained by joining the words ‘Amiga’ and ‘Stockfish’. However, the project is open to all engines compliant with the UCI standard. It is a light program for amateurs. It is made to have fun with chess. Only the most important options are implemented. Version 2.1 is out for AmigaOS 4 and can be downloaded from OS4Depot.
Version R19 of iMage, a fast image viewer by Lazi has been released. According to the author, it handles JPG files very fast.
MCE, Multi-game Character Editor, is a user-friendly open-source editor of character files, saved games, high score tables, levels, and graphics for 122 games. James Jacobs, the author, has now released version 15.31, which provides miscellaneous improvements, as well as an enhanced Goal! Team editor.
Lorence Lombardo released version 1.0 of chklib. It is currently used in the “amiaudcomp” lib project. He also released version 1.0 of flushmem, which in theory flushes all flushable items from memory.
AmiSSL received an update to version 5.20. As mentioned in earlier editions of the AmigaOS 4 Monthly Roundup, the AmiSSL project is a collaborative effort to develop a port of OpenSSL in a shared library for Amiga-based systems. The download is available here. If you are interested in the SDK, it can be found here. It is a must-have if you use AmigaOS 4 to browse the web!
An updated version, 3.4, of the YouTube URL Extractor Script by Michael Trebilcock was released on April 16th. YT.rexx is a script for providing direct video and audio links from YouTube URLs. Changes from the previous version include:
3.4 – 16th Apr 2025:
- Compatibility fixes.
- Removed MEDIACONNECT client as it was no longer supported.
- Added ANDROIDVR client. This is the default in a new YT.cfg. Please note that
YouTube Kids videos are incompatible with this client. - DualTagVid / DualTagAud settings in the .cfg can now have multiple tag
numbers in order of priority, for use with the dualplay option.
More history within the archive.
PolarPaint is an experimental paint program made in Hollywood by Anbjørn Myren. Version 1.055 was uploaded to OS4Depot and became available on April 18th. If you are interested in checking it out, please click here. Another version called PolarPaint Small can be downloaded via this link.
Deark is an application that can extract data from a wide range of file formats. Developed by Jason Summers, this tool can help you get data from everything from AMOS ABK files to Doom WADs. You can read more about supported formats, as well as download the utility from OS4Depot. Version 1.7.0 became available on OS4Depot on April 18th.
George Sokianos a.k.a. Walkero has released a new version of aiostreams. “All In One streams” (aiostreams) is a pack of scripts, written in Python, that can be used to stream and watch videos from different online networks, like Twitch.tv, YouTube, and Vimeo.com. Please click here to download it or to read the changelog.
Version 3.451 of IMP3, a utility created by Juen a.k.a Pawl Nowak, has been released! The program was originally meant for 68K but does run OK on AmigaOS 4. With IMP3, you can listen to over 168.000 music files through the Internet. These are ProTracker modules, SID tunes, and so forth. Besides this, it has cloud storage and Online gaming with high scores.
The source code for AmiCraftNova has been released to the public domain by Caras Ghant.
Frank Wille has released an updated version of vasm m68k std, vasm PPC std, and vasm 68k mot. vasm is a portable and re-targetable assembler to create linkable objects in various formats and absolute code. Multiple CPU-, syntax, and output-modules can be selected.
AmigaGPT is a versatile ChatGPT client for AmigaOS 3.x, 4.1 and MorphOS. It is being developed by Cameron Armstrong a.k.a. Nightfox. This powerful tool brings the capabilities of OpenAI’s GPT to your Amiga system, enabling text generation, question-answering, and creative exploration. AmigaGPT can also generate stunning images using DALL-E and includes support for speech output, making it easier than ever to interact with AI on your Amiga. Designed to integrate seamlessly with your system, AmigaGPT delivers modern AI technology while embracing the timeless Amiga experience. Version 2.5.0 is now available for download from OS4Depot.
Privoxy is a web proxy with advanced filtering capabilities for protecting privacy, modifying web page data, managing cookies, controlling access, and removing ads, banners, pop-ups, and other obnoxious Internet junk. It is being developed by Mark Mansnerus. Privoxy has a very flexible configuration and can be customized to suit individual needs and tastes. Privoxy has applications for both stand-alone systems and multi-user networks. Version 3.0.6 is now out and available for download.
WormHole allows you to transfer files to another computer within the same LAN without having to make any adjustments. It is being developed by Lazi. The main advantage of using WormHole between Amiga systems is that it can handle icons and all AmigaOS file attributes in one step.
Main features:
- Transfers all Amiga file attributes
- Transfers icons automatically
- Zero configuration
- Transfers files bi-directional at the same time
- Transfer multiple files parallel at the same time
- Multiplatform
Version 0.5 has been released. Please click here to download it.
AStone is a picture viewer created in Hollywood by Sandro Barbagelata. Version 1.0 was released on April 26th. It is heavily inspired by the utility Fastone on Windows.
The AmigaOS 4 port of Open Medal of Honor is now available on OS4Depot. The porting has been done by Ryan Dixon a.k.a. rjd324. The main goal of OpenMoHAA is to ensure the future and continuity of Medal of Honor: Allied Assault (including Spearhead and Breakthrough expansions) on all platforms/architectures by providing new patches/features.
The source code for the AmigaOS4 port can be found at:
https://github.com/3246251196/openmohaa
The download is available here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQhvT-h2jk0
An update to Report+, a ReAction-based utility with nine functions, has been released by James Jacobs. It was made available on OS4Depot on April 27th. This tool can help you with generating Aminet- and OS4Depot-style readme files, performing batch processing on icons, and much more. Recent changes since 8.64 include miscellaneous improvements and bug fixes. More detailed information can be found on OS4Depot.
Screenshot by Puni from an older versionVersion 34.3 of AmiArcadia for AmigaOS 4, a Signetics-based machines emulator, has been released by James Jacobs.
According to the documentation, AmiArcadia supports the following systems:
- Emerson Arcadia 2001 console family (Bandai, Emerson, Grandstand, Intervision, Leisure-Vision, Leonardo, MPT-03, Ormatu, Palladium, Poppy, Robdajet, Tele-Fever, Tempest, Tryom, Tunix, etc.) (c. 1982);
- Interton VC 4000 console family (Acetronic, Cabel, Fountain, Hanimex, Interton, Prinztronic, Radofin, Rowtron, Soundic, Voltmace, Waddingtons, etc.) (c. 1978);
- Elektor TV Games Computer (1979);
- PIPBUG- and BINBUG-based machines (EA 77up2, EA 78up5, Signetics Adaptable Board Computer, Eurocard 2650, etc.) (1977-1978);
- Signetics Instructor 50 trainer (1978);
- Signetics TWIN minicomputer (1976);
- Central Data 2650 computer (1977);
- PHUNSY computer (c. 1980);
- Ravensburger Selbstbaucomputer aka 2650 Minimal Computer trainer (1984);
- Hofacker MIKIT 2650 trainer (1978);
- Astro Wars, Galaxia, Laser Battle and Lazarian coin-ops by Zaccaria (1979-1981);
- Malzak 1 and 2 coin-ops by Kitronix (c. 1981);
- AY-3-8500/8550/8600-based Pong systems (Coleco Telstar Galaxy, Sheen TVG-201, etc.) (1976-1977);
- VTech Type-right machine (1985)
It is packed with features, far too many to list here. Examples include ReAction GUI, load/save snapshots, and windowed and fullscreen modes. Other features are CPU tracing, trainer, and drag and drop support. Additionally, it offers graphics scaling, PAL/NTSC modes, and frame skipping, among many other features!
Here is a summary of the changes since the last version:
- TWIN: added emulation of high-speed papertape reader.
- CD2650, PHUNSY: added “Tools|Sprite/character editor/viewer…”
command. - Miscellaneous improvements and bug fixes.
Please click here to be taken to the download page.
Xiangqi is a chess program made to play Xiangqi (Chinese chess), by making use of chess engines UCI compatible with the moves played by computers. A chess engine is a console program that play chess, receiving strings as commands and producing strings in output as a result of computation. The program is developed by Domenico Lattanzi. More information is available on OS4Depot.
That was the software news for this time. Now let us move over to hardware! 🙂
Hardware
I first heard about the new PPC hardware on Discord and was very surprised, to say the least! amiga-news.de has an extensive article about the subject. It will explain the project much better than I would be able to do. 🙂 I recommend you pop over to them and have a look at what this new PPC hardware is about.
https://www.amiga-news.de/en/news/AN-2025-04-00129-EN.html
The Sam460. Photo lent from the official website of ACube SystemsHere are two announcements from ACube Systems about UBoot updates! 🙂
UBoot 2015.d for Sam460EX / Sam460CR / Sam460LE boards available
Bassano del Grappa, Italy – 08 April 2025ACube Systems is pleased to announce a new release of the UBoot firmware for its Sam460 line of motherboards.
For the first time in Amiga history, it is now possible to boot from an NVMe SSD.
This groundbreaking achievement marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the Amiga platform. Thanks to recent advancements, users can now experience dramatically improved boot speeds and data access times by utilizing modern NVMe solid-state drives—bringing the Amiga into a new era of performance and reliability.
This development not only enhances the capabilities of current NG systems but also demonstrates the ongoing innovation and dedication within the Amiga community. Booting from an NVMe SSD was once considered impossible—today, it is a reality.
This update is completely free for all users.
We are excited to announce a new version packed with important features and improvements—available as a free download.
New in this release:
- NVMe SSD driver – For the first time ever, you can boot from an NVMe drive using a standard NVMe-to PCIe adapter.
- PCIe SATA2 support – Added driver for the Silicon Image 3132 controller, allowing booting from both SATA SSDs and DVD drives.
- DDR2 timing adjustments – Fine-tune DDR2 RAM timings for faster memory access.
- Customizable USB stack – Choose between EHCI (faster for mass storage) or OHCI (greater compatibility with keyboards).
- Enhanced “sata” command – Now displays more detailed information about drivers and connected devices.
- Improved serial console navigation – Navigate menu items using W and S keys.
- General bug fixes and improvements.
- Unified source code – Now streamlined for both 460ex and 440ep platforms.
- An updated installation guide is included, covering the standard ISO image method as well as alternative installation methods via TFTP and USB.
- Updater tool can be downloaded from:
https://acube-systems.biz/download/Sam460_updater_2015d.zip
If you are not comfortable installing UBoot yourself, we also offer fully updated UBoot chips through our online store.
Additional information:
Please note: UBoot and UBoot updater make use of GPL code and thus are both published under GPL.Sources can be downloaded from:
UBoot & UBoot updater
https://acube-systems.biz/download/u-boot-2015.d_prod.tar.gzParthenope
The Sam440EP Flex – Photo by Puni
https://acube-systems.biz/download/ub2lb_0.94.tar.gzUBoot 2015.d for Sam440ep mini-itx and Sam440ep flex boards available
Bassano del Grappa, Italy – 14 April 2025ACube Systems is pleased to announce a new release of the U-Boot firmware for its Sam440 line of motherboards.
Following the recent update for the Sam460, the Sam440 now also benefits from enhanced support, including compatibility with NVMe SSDs. Additionally, this update introduces support for Radeon RX and Radeon HD graphics cards.
This release represents a significant investment of time and resources. Nevertheless, we have chosen to offer it at the symbolic price of €3.99.
Highlights of this release include:
- Support for Radeon RX graphics cards () Improved support for Radeon HD graphics cards ()
NVMe SSD driver: boot directly from NVMe devices using a PCIe adapter () Driver for the PCIe SATA2 Silicon Image 3132 controller, with support for booting from SSDs and DVDs () - Enhanced RAM access speed on Sam440ep-flex boards
- New graphical interface style
- Revised ‘sata’ command, now displaying more detailed information about drivers and connected devices
- Serial console improvements: menu navigation via the W (up) and S (down) keys
- General bug fixes and overall improvements
- Unified source code for the 460ex and 440ep platforms
Note:
Features marked with an asterisk (*) require a PCI-to-PCIe bridge.
Radeon RX and Radeon HD graphics cards also require a specific driver (to be sold separately by A-EON Technology once available) for use with AmigaOS 4.Purchase the update:
The update is available through our online store.
For those not comfortable performing the update themselves, we also offer pre-programmed, fully updated U-Boot chips.Additional Information:
UBoot makes use of GPL-licensed code and is therefore released under the terms of the GPL.
Source code downloads:
U-Boot:
https://acube-systems.biz/download/u-boot-2015.d_prod.tar.gz
Parthenope:
https://acube-systems.biz/download/ub2lb_0.94.tar.gzYouTube
Marek Glogowski has published a new video showing Super Star Blast running on AmigaOS 4 through QEMU 10 and GPU Passthrough:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd_a9kpbXtQ
HunoPPC shows DOSBox Enhanced running on AmigaOS 4 with 3dfx support and shader effects:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSCPkfZ-pVo
Here is a video of Baldur’s Gate running on AmigaOS 4. The video was created by anouk33.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UT8a-33z2o
Here is another video, but this time of WarCraft II:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY5ktfyiK7o
And one of Quake II:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewALudVmDRc
Amiga Wave has made a long video. It lasts for more than 2 hours and covers his experience with AmigaOS 4 on the Sam460LE. The video is in Spanish.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nVsxjDwqHM
Mr. Byte shows Stratagus 3.3.3 running on his A1222+:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCJhZh_f_qY
The Lost C is back with a new video. This time he does a test of the A1222 with a Radeon HD7750. The vide is in Italian.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLYq27YKxls
He also created a video with the A1222 and AmiCygnix:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCDn4hMeabY
TJ Ferreira is back once again. This time, he takes us on a journey through his experience with playing Glubble on his AmigaOne X5000. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72WX8T2Lsd4
Until next time
You’ve now reached the end of the AmigaOS 4 Monthly Roundup for April 2025. I had not expected it to be this extensive. There is a clearly a lot happening in the world of AmigaOS 4 and Amiga in general these days!
Thanks as always to all readers and supporters out there. Thanks for visiting my blog and see you in the next roundup! 🙂
Best regards,
Puni
Rate this:
#A1222 #Amiga #AmigaNews #AmigaOne #AmigaOS4 #AmigaOS4MonthlyRoundup #AmigaOS41
-
AmigaOS 4 Monthly Roundup – April 2025
Hi,
Welcome to a new edition of the AmigaOS 4 Monthly Roundup! 🙂
The month of May has arrived. Spring is in the air! It is time to look at what has been happening in the community during April.
Thanks for reading and for visiting my blog. Hope you’ll enjoy the news!
Software News
First up is some gaming news! Hold on to your horses!
Warcraft-2-Engine: Stratagus 3.3.3 for AmigaOS 4
Press release from amiga-news.de
Picture from the webshop of Alinea ComputerAlinea Computer is pleased to be able to offer another port by Steffen Häuser. Steffen has taken care of the porting of the latest version 3.3.3 and the installation routines for easy installation under AmigaOS 4. Stratagus is the port of the engine in version 3.3.3, which makes it possible to play the game Warcraft 2 from Blizzard Entertainment natively on the Amiga under AmigaOS 4.
The archive contains an installer with which it is possible to install the game directly from the PC CD without pre-installing it on the PC. At least for the Warcraft 2 Classic PC CD, for the Battle.Net CD or the Gog version it is necessary to unpack a file with a Windows tool, but with the Classic CD you can install directly on the Amiga.
Picture from the webshop of Alinea ComputerWarcraft 2 is one of the most famous strategy games of all time, practically the prequel to the famous MMO “World of Warcraft”. In addition to the base game “Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness”, the add-on CD “Warcraft 2: Beyond the Dark Portal” (already included in the Battle.Net CD and Gog version) is also supported.
Stratagus is based on the current “latest Git” version of the Stratagus project (version 3.3.3). In contrast to an earlier implementation, 3.3.3 offers the following features:
- Iconic game music and not just sound effects (the music files are only installed with the Warcraft 2 Classic CD and the Battle.net CD, but can be copied manually afterwards when using the Gog version).
- The game’s video sequences (video sequences not available on AmigaOne A1222)
- A functional level editor
- Numerous bug fixes
Of course, the localisation of Warcraft 2 into different languages is also supported.
Stratagus is under GPL licence, the source code of the Amiga version will be integrated into the github of the PC version in the foreseeable future, but is also available as a request by e-mail (see readme for details).
Picture from the webshop of Alinea ComputerThe minimum requirements for Stratagus are:
A computer with AmigaOS 4.1 FE Update 2 or higher
Special executables optimised for the respective platforms (x1000, x5000, Sam 440, Sam 460, G3 and A1222) can be selected during installation.https://www.amiga-shop.net/en/Amiga-Software/Amiga-Games/Stratagus-3-3-3-for-AmigaOS-4::1412.html
Juan Carlos Herrán Martín is an active software developer for platforms like AmigaOS 4, MorphOS, and AROS. We’ve seen many releases from him in the earlier monthly roundups. Now he is back with a new version of the game Los Malditos. It is a free adaption of the mythical books from Timun Mas from the 1980s and 1990s. These books are related to Dungeons & Dragons. The author is a fan of these works. It is now available for download at OS4Depot.
Improvements since the previous version:
- Improved on-screen text
- Improvement of the game speed, removing the delay refresh in the game window
- Bugs fixed
- Removed the option to exit the game when you are in a fight and you are in places preventing you from running away from the enemy
- New cover
- The game has been made free, but donations are welcome
He also released version Final2 of High-Low-Equal Poker. This is a special version to promote the game Los Malditos del Valle del Cerro and a way to show the possibilities of his games to promote magazines, books, movies, and other games and programs, even hardware.
Screenshot by Puni from an earlier version- The game has the exclusive Baphomet deck with the Heroes from the game “Los Malditos’ del Valle del Cerro”
- Bug fixed with card engine
- Two game modes: A=1 Ace equals 1 and Poker A>K Ace as in poker is the highest card
- Now the game cans open and play with Baphomet decks
- New screen to exit the game instead of the window requester
- Small improvements
If that was not enough, he updated his utility Cards Making Kit to version 2.20. With this program, you can make your decks for the following games:
- HLE Poker Card (High-Low-Equal Poker Card)
- BlackJuan
- Siete y Media
- Baccarat
- BlackIvan Card
You can make your decks using pictures from your family, pets, hobbies, etc.
Screenshot by Puni from an earlier versionHere is another one from the same author. Version 2.05 of a game called Baccarat has been released. This is a tribute to the mythical card game, popularized by the James Bond movie Dr. No with Sean Connery. The author has added a new exit cover (more James Bond style), and fixed a bug with the Baphomet decks and the overload in the game screen that slowed down the game.
Screenshot by Puni from an earlier versionBlackjuan Poker Card has been updated to version 2.00. This is another card game from the author above. The development of the game started back in 2012. This release includes new graphics and bug fixes. The game now supports Baphomet decks.
Screenshot by Puni from an earlier versionLast, but not least, he has updated the game Siete y Media to version 2.00. This is a Spanish Blackjack version with a Spanish deck of 40 cards. The aim of the game is not to get 21 which is common in Blackjack, but the sum of 7.5. You can read more about this in the readme. An SDK is included for those interested in making their decks of cards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J67WwNSgq3A
Amifish is a chess program made to play chess with Amiga-like systems. It exploits the power of one of the most powerful chess engines in the world: Stockfish. This engine was developed by Tord Romstad, Marco Costalba, Joona Kiiski, and Gary Linscott. A chess engine is a console program that plays chess, receiving strings as commands and producing strings in output as a result of computation. Stockfish and many other engines are compatible with a standard named UCI (Universal Chess Interface). The name Amifish is obtained by joining the words ‘Amiga’ and ‘Stockfish’. However, the project is open to all engines compliant with the UCI standard. It is a light program for amateurs. It is made to have fun with chess. Only the most important options are implemented. Version 2.1 is out for AmigaOS 4 and can be downloaded from OS4Depot.
Version R19 of iMage, a fast image viewer by Lazi has been released. According to the author, it handles JPG files very fast.
MCE, Multi-game Character Editor, is a user-friendly open-source editor of character files, saved games, high score tables, levels, and graphics for 122 games. James Jacobs, the author, has now released version 15.31, which provides miscellaneous improvements, as well as an enhanced Goal! Team editor.
Lorence Lombardo released version 1.0 of chklib. It is currently used in the “amiaudcomp” lib project. He also released version 1.0 of flushmem, which in theory flushes all flushable items from memory.
AmiSSL received an update to version 5.20. As mentioned in earlier editions of the AmigaOS 4 Monthly Roundup, the AmiSSL project is a collaborative effort to develop a port of OpenSSL in a shared library for Amiga-based systems. The download is available here. If you are interested in the SDK, it can be found here. It is a must-have if you use AmigaOS 4 to browse the web!
An updated version, 3.4, of the YouTube URL Extractor Script by Michael Trebilcock was released on April 16th. YT.rexx is a script for providing direct video and audio links from YouTube URLs. Changes from the previous version include:
3.4 – 16th Apr 2025:
- Compatibility fixes.
- Removed MEDIACONNECT client as it was no longer supported.
- Added ANDROIDVR client. This is the default in a new YT.cfg. Please note that
YouTube Kids videos are incompatible with this client. - DualTagVid / DualTagAud settings in the .cfg can now have multiple tag
numbers in order of priority, for use with the dualplay option.
More history within the archive.
PolarPaint is an experimental paint program made in Hollywood by Anbjørn Myren. Version 1.055 was uploaded to OS4Depot and became available on April 18th. If you are interested in checking it out, please click here. Another version called PolarPaint Small can be downloaded via this link.
Deark is an application that can extract data from a wide range of file formats. Developed by Jason Summers, this tool can help you get data from everything from AMOS ABK files to Doom WADs. You can read more about supported formats, as well as download the utility from OS4Depot. Version 1.7.0 became available on OS4Depot on April 18th.
George Sokianos a.k.a. Walkero has released a new version of aiostreams. “All In One streams” (aiostreams) is a pack of scripts, written in Python, that can be used to stream and watch videos from different online networks, like Twitch.tv, YouTube, and Vimeo.com. Please click here to download it or to read the changelog.
Version 3.451 of IMP3, a utility created by Juen a.k.a Pawl Nowak, has been released! The program was originally meant for 68K but does run OK on AmigaOS 4. With IMP3, you can listen to over 168.000 music files through the Internet. These are ProTracker modules, SID tunes, and so forth. Besides this, it has cloud storage and Online gaming with high scores.
The source code for AmiCraftNova has been released to the public domain by Caras Ghant.
Frank Wille has released an updated version of vasm m68k std, vasm PPC std, and vasm 68k mot. vasm is a portable and re-targetable assembler to create linkable objects in various formats and absolute code. Multiple CPU-, syntax, and output-modules can be selected.
AmigaGPT is a versatile ChatGPT client for AmigaOS 3.x, 4.1 and MorphOS. It is being developed by Cameron Armstrong a.k.a. Nightfox. This powerful tool brings the capabilities of OpenAI’s GPT to your Amiga system, enabling text generation, question-answering, and creative exploration. AmigaGPT can also generate stunning images using DALL-E and includes support for speech output, making it easier than ever to interact with AI on your Amiga. Designed to integrate seamlessly with your system, AmigaGPT delivers modern AI technology while embracing the timeless Amiga experience. Version 2.5.0 is now available for download from OS4Depot.
Privoxy is a web proxy with advanced filtering capabilities for protecting privacy, modifying web page data, managing cookies, controlling access, and removing ads, banners, pop-ups, and other obnoxious Internet junk. It is being developed by Mark Mansnerus. Privoxy has a very flexible configuration and can be customized to suit individual needs and tastes. Privoxy has applications for both stand-alone systems and multi-user networks. Version 3.0.6 is now out and available for download.
WormHole allows you to transfer files to another computer within the same LAN without having to make any adjustments. It is being developed by Lazi. The main advantage of using WormHole between Amiga systems is that it can handle icons and all AmigaOS file attributes in one step.
Main features:
- Transfers all Amiga file attributes
- Transfers icons automatically
- Zero configuration
- Transfers files bi-directional at the same time
- Transfer multiple files parallel at the same time
- Multiplatform
Version 0.5 has been released. Please click here to download it.
AStone is a picture viewer created in Hollywood by Sandro Barbagelata. Version 1.0 was released on April 26th. It is heavily inspired by the utility Fastone on Windows.
The AmigaOS 4 port of Open Medal of Honor is now available on OS4Depot. The porting has been done by Ryan Dixon a.k.a. rjd324. The main goal of OpenMoHAA is to ensure the future and continuity of Medal of Honor: Allied Assault (including Spearhead and Breakthrough expansions) on all platforms/architectures by providing new patches/features.
The source code for the AmigaOS4 port can be found at:
https://github.com/3246251196/openmohaa
The download is available here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQhvT-h2jk0
An update to Report+, a ReAction-based utility with nine functions, has been released by James Jacobs. It was made available on OS4Depot on April 27th. This tool can help you with generating Aminet- and OS4Depot-style readme files, performing batch processing on icons, and much more. Recent changes since 8.64 include miscellaneous improvements and bug fixes. More detailed information can be found on OS4Depot.
Screenshot by Puni from an older versionVersion 34.3 of AmiArcadia for AmigaOS 4, a Signetics-based machines emulator, has been released by James Jacobs.
According to the documentation, AmiArcadia supports the following systems:
- Emerson Arcadia 2001 console family (Bandai, Emerson, Grandstand, Intervision, Leisure-Vision, Leonardo, MPT-03, Ormatu, Palladium, Poppy, Robdajet, Tele-Fever, Tempest, Tryom, Tunix, etc.) (c. 1982);
- Interton VC 4000 console family (Acetronic, Cabel, Fountain, Hanimex, Interton, Prinztronic, Radofin, Rowtron, Soundic, Voltmace, Waddingtons, etc.) (c. 1978);
- Elektor TV Games Computer (1979);
- PIPBUG- and BINBUG-based machines (EA 77up2, EA 78up5, Signetics Adaptable Board Computer, Eurocard 2650, etc.) (1977-1978);
- Signetics Instructor 50 trainer (1978);
- Signetics TWIN minicomputer (1976);
- Central Data 2650 computer (1977);
- PHUNSY computer (c. 1980);
- Ravensburger Selbstbaucomputer aka 2650 Minimal Computer trainer (1984);
- Hofacker MIKIT 2650 trainer (1978);
- Astro Wars, Galaxia, Laser Battle and Lazarian coin-ops by Zaccaria (1979-1981);
- Malzak 1 and 2 coin-ops by Kitronix (c. 1981);
- AY-3-8500/8550/8600-based Pong systems (Coleco Telstar Galaxy, Sheen TVG-201, etc.) (1976-1977);
- VTech Type-right machine (1985)
It is packed with features, far too many to list here. Examples include ReAction GUI, load/save snapshots, and windowed and fullscreen modes. Other features are CPU tracing, trainer, and drag and drop support. Additionally, it offers graphics scaling, PAL/NTSC modes, and frame skipping, among many other features!
Here is a summary of the changes since the last version:
- TWIN: added emulation of high-speed papertape reader.
- CD2650, PHUNSY: added “Tools|Sprite/character editor/viewer…”
command. - Miscellaneous improvements and bug fixes.
Please click here to be taken to the download page.
Xiangqi is a chess program made to play Xiangqi (Chinese chess), by making use of chess engines UCI compatible with the moves played by computers. A chess engine is a console program that play chess, receiving strings as commands and producing strings in output as a result of computation. The program is developed by Domenico Lattanzi. More information is available on OS4Depot.
That was the software news for this time. Now let us move over to hardware! 🙂
Hardware
I first heard about the new PPC hardware on Discord and was very surprised, to say the least! amiga-news.de has an extensive article about the subject. It will explain the project much better than I would be able to do. 🙂 I recommend you pop over to them and have a look at what this new PPC hardware is about.
https://www.amiga-news.de/en/news/AN-2025-04-00129-EN.html
The Sam460. Photo lent from the official website of ACube SystemsHere are two announcements from ACube Systems about UBoot updates! 🙂
UBoot 2015.d for Sam460EX / Sam460CR / Sam460LE boards available
Bassano del Grappa, Italy – 08 April 2025ACube Systems is pleased to announce a new release of the UBoot firmware for its Sam460 line of motherboards.
For the first time in Amiga history, it is now possible to boot from an NVMe SSD.
This groundbreaking achievement marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the Amiga platform. Thanks to recent advancements, users can now experience dramatically improved boot speeds and data access times by utilizing modern NVMe solid-state drives—bringing the Amiga into a new era of performance and reliability.
This development not only enhances the capabilities of current NG systems but also demonstrates the ongoing innovation and dedication within the Amiga community. Booting from an NVMe SSD was once considered impossible—today, it is a reality.
This update is completely free for all users.
We are excited to announce a new version packed with important features and improvements—available as a free download.
New in this release:
- NVMe SSD driver – For the first time ever, you can boot from an NVMe drive using a standard NVMe-to PCIe adapter.
- PCIe SATA2 support – Added driver for the Silicon Image 3132 controller, allowing booting from both SATA SSDs and DVD drives.
- DDR2 timing adjustments – Fine-tune DDR2 RAM timings for faster memory access.
- Customizable USB stack – Choose between EHCI (faster for mass storage) or OHCI (greater compatibility with keyboards).
- Enhanced “sata” command – Now displays more detailed information about drivers and connected devices.
- Improved serial console navigation – Navigate menu items using W and S keys.
- General bug fixes and improvements.
- Unified source code – Now streamlined for both 460ex and 440ep platforms.
- An updated installation guide is included, covering the standard ISO image method as well as alternative installation methods via TFTP and USB.
- Updater tool can be downloaded from:
https://acube-systems.biz/download/Sam460_updater_2015d.zip
If you are not comfortable installing UBoot yourself, we also offer fully updated UBoot chips through our online store.
Additional information:
Please note: UBoot and UBoot updater make use of GPL code and thus are both published under GPL.Sources can be downloaded from:
UBoot & UBoot updater
https://acube-systems.biz/download/u-boot-2015.d_prod.tar.gzParthenope
The Sam440EP Flex – Photo by Puni
https://acube-systems.biz/download/ub2lb_0.94.tar.gzUBoot 2015.d for Sam440ep mini-itx and Sam440ep flex boards available
Bassano del Grappa, Italy – 14 April 2025ACube Systems is pleased to announce a new release of the U-Boot firmware for its Sam440 line of motherboards.
Following the recent update for the Sam460, the Sam440 now also benefits from enhanced support, including compatibility with NVMe SSDs. Additionally, this update introduces support for Radeon RX and Radeon HD graphics cards.
This release represents a significant investment of time and resources. Nevertheless, we have chosen to offer it at the symbolic price of €3.99.
Highlights of this release include:
- Support for Radeon RX graphics cards () Improved support for Radeon HD graphics cards ()
NVMe SSD driver: boot directly from NVMe devices using a PCIe adapter () Driver for the PCIe SATA2 Silicon Image 3132 controller, with support for booting from SSDs and DVDs () - Enhanced RAM access speed on Sam440ep-flex boards
- New graphical interface style
- Revised ‘sata’ command, now displaying more detailed information about drivers and connected devices
- Serial console improvements: menu navigation via the W (up) and S (down) keys
- General bug fixes and overall improvements
- Unified source code for the 460ex and 440ep platforms
Note:
Features marked with an asterisk (*) require a PCI-to-PCIe bridge.
Radeon RX and Radeon HD graphics cards also require a specific driver (to be sold separately by A-EON Technology once available) for use with AmigaOS 4.Purchase the update:
The update is available through our online store.
For those not comfortable performing the update themselves, we also offer pre-programmed, fully updated U-Boot chips.Additional Information:
UBoot makes use of GPL-licensed code and is therefore released under the terms of the GPL.
Source code downloads:
U-Boot:
https://acube-systems.biz/download/u-boot-2015.d_prod.tar.gz
Parthenope:
https://acube-systems.biz/download/ub2lb_0.94.tar.gzYouTube
Marek Glogowski has published a new video showing Super Star Blast running on AmigaOS 4 through QEMU 10 and GPU Passthrough:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd_a9kpbXtQ
HunoPPC shows DOSBox Enhanced running on AmigaOS 4 with 3dfx support and shader effects:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSCPkfZ-pVo
Here is a video of Baldur’s Gate running on AmigaOS 4. The video was created by anouk33.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UT8a-33z2o
Here is another video, but this time of WarCraft II:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY5ktfyiK7o
And one of Quake II:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewALudVmDRc
Amiga Wave has made a long video. It lasts for more than 2 hours and covers his experience with AmigaOS 4 on the Sam460LE. The video is in Spanish.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nVsxjDwqHM
Mr. Byte shows Stratagus 3.3.3 running on his A1222+:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCJhZh_f_qY
The Lost C is back with a new video. This time he does a test of the A1222 with a Radeon HD7750. The vide is in Italian.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLYq27YKxls
He also created a video with the A1222 and AmiCygnix:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCDn4hMeabY
TJ Ferreira is back once again. This time, he takes us on a journey through his experience with playing Glubble on his AmigaOne X5000. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72WX8T2Lsd4
Until next time
You’ve now reached the end of the AmigaOS 4 Monthly Roundup for April 2025. I had not expected it to be this extensive. There is a clearly a lot happening in the world of AmigaOS 4 and Amiga in general these days!
Thanks as always to all readers and supporters out there. Thanks for visiting my blog and see you in the next roundup! 🙂
Best regards,
Puni
#A1222 #Amiga #AmigaNews #AmigaOne #AmigaOS4 #AmigaOS4MonthlyRoundup #AmigaOS41
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Terminaux 8.0 is now available!
After the release of the most exciting Terminaux 7.0, we are continuing the journey of performance and productivity by releasing Terminaux 8.0 to build on top of the preceding version. We have done further refinements in this version to upgrade your terminal applications to a whole new level.
With new features being in place, we have taken a step further and introduced some more features that are taken from Nitrocid, such as audio cues for each keypress. This extends the feature from being exclusive to the terminal reader to being globally available across all areas of console applications. Not only that, but you can also customize the audio cues to play any sound you like using file streams. Introduced with Nitrocid, we have extended audio feedback to all areas of Terminaux applications, such as interactive TUIs.
To hide some commands that are worth hiding, such as hidden features and easter eggs, we have decided to add support for hidden commands through a command flag to make it easier for you to hide a command. This way, we have used it to introduce a plethora of commands that are related to strings, numbers, and other commands that are useful for scripting. You can show them using the
-hiddenswitch when executing thehelpcommand.To speed up documentation, we have decided to add a new switch that allows you to export a list of commands to Markdown tables. This will print the output to the console, which you can copy and paste to your favorite markdown editor or anynother editor that supports Markdown, such as VS Code. This will make life easier for the documentation team for your application.
We are aware of the importance of redirecting Terminaux application’s output to a file or to a pipe. To achieve this goal, we have decided to remove the whole console checker feature that was there in Nitrocid. This will open new possibilities for applications that use Terminaux, especially the CLI. Please note that Terminaux applications using graphical renderers and other rich output, such as animated text, will not work properly in redirections.
You can upgrade Terminaux applications to use the eighth major version today, and for free!
Release notes NuGet package#Net #csharp #Library #news #Tech #Technology #terminaux #Terminaux8 #Terminaux80 #update
-
Terminaux 8.0 is now available!
After the release of the most exciting Terminaux 7.0, we are continuing the journey of performance and productivity by releasing Terminaux 8.0 to build on top of the preceding version. We have done further refinements in this version to upgrade your terminal applications to a whole new level.
With new features being in place, we have taken a step further and introduced some more features that are taken from Nitrocid, such as audio cues for each keypress. This extends the feature from being exclusive to the terminal reader to being globally available across all areas of console applications. Not only that, but you can also customize the audio cues to play any sound you like using file streams. Introduced with Nitrocid, we have extended audio feedback to all areas of Terminaux applications, such as interactive TUIs.
To hide some commands that are worth hiding, such as hidden features and easter eggs, we have decided to add support for hidden commands through a command flag to make it easier for you to hide a command. This way, we have used it to introduce a plethora of commands that are related to strings, numbers, and other commands that are useful for scripting. You can show them using the
-hiddenswitch when executing thehelpcommand.To speed up documentation, we have decided to add a new switch that allows you to export a list of commands to Markdown tables. This will print the output to the console, which you can copy and paste to your favorite markdown editor or any other editor that supports Markdown, such as VS Code. This will make life easier for the documentation team for your application.
We are aware of the importance of redirecting Terminaux application’s output to a file or to a pipe. To achieve this goal, we have decided to remove the whole console checker feature that was there in Nitrocid. This will open new possibilities for applications that use Terminaux, especially the CLI. Please note that Terminaux applications using graphical renderers and other rich output, such as animated text, will not work properly in redirections.
You can upgrade Terminaux applications to use the eighth major version today, and for free!
Release notes NuGet package#Net #csharp #Library #news #Tech #Technology #terminaux #Terminaux8 #Terminaux80 #update