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#retro

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danie10@squeet.me
Danie

The mystery of the rogue HP calculator: 12C or not 12C? That is the question

A retro style HP 12C calculator
For most of us, a calculator might have been superseded by Excel or an app on a phone, yet there remains a die-hard contingent with a passion for the push-button marvels. So, the shocking discovery of an apparently rogue HP-12C has sent tremors through the calculator aficionado world.

The HP-12C [PDF] is a remarkably long-lived financial calculator from Hewlett-Packard (HP). It first appeared in 1981 and has continued in production ever since, with just the odd tweak here and there to its hardware.

Murray wrote a lengthy blog post on the topic and put together a battery of TVM tests designed to stretch the TVM solver and found to his, and others, surprise, that not all HP-12C units were equal. Dubbing the unit the “rogue edition,” Murray demonstrated some worrying bugs and differences in the “rogue” hardware, which was shipped from Brazil, versus another unit.

So his test may be useful to others to do a check on their HP to ensure it is 100% accurate. Maybe even a rogue version is found to be accurate, so it won’t be proof that a calculator is an original HP.

See theregister.com/2024/09/21/hp_…
#Blog, #calculators, #retro, #technology

danie10@squeet.me
Danie

The Tildeverse is a minimalistic community-driven Internet experience without the commercial bloatware

A text based page showing plain green text that states the following: we're a loose association of like-minded tilde communities. if you're interested in learning about *nix (linux, unix, bsd, etc) come check out our member tildes and sign up! tildes are pubnixes in the spirit of tilde.club, which was created in 2014 by paul ford. member status in the tildeverse mainly involves some level of engagement or presence on irc; all other systems are independent. stop by our irc network (or use our web client) and hang out. there's a bot that can toot from this mastodon account, but it's mostly silly quotes from chat. there's also a wiki that documents a bunch of things in and outside the tildeverse. anyone with an account on a recognized tilde can make an account, so feel free to help out once in a while.
For many of us of a particular vintage, the internet blossomed in the ’90s with the invention of the Web and just a few years of development. Back then, we had the convenience of expression on the WWW and the backup of mature services such as IRC for all that other stuff we used to get up to. Some of us still hang out there. Then something happened. Something terrible. Big-commerce took over, and it ballooned into this enormously complex mess with people tracking you every few seconds and constantly trying to bombard you with marketing messages. Enough now. Many people have had enough and have come together to create the Tildeverse, a minimalist community-driven internet experience.

Tilde, literally ‘ ~ ‘, is your home on the internet. You can work on your ideas on a shared server or run your own. Tilde emphasises the retro aesthetic by being minimal and text-orientated.

The Tildeverse also supports Gopher and the new Gemini protocol, as well as IRC (I saw over 700 active IRC users across the 9 servers), wikis, RSS, Jitsi, Cryptpad, news aggregation, a Minecraft server, a Gopher proxy, a radio service, their own Mastodon instance, and lots more. Due to its nature it is lightweight, fast and clean.

A modern web browser will work with much of it, but RSS readers, IRC chat clients, NNTP (Network News Transfer) clients, the Lynx browser, and similar lightweight clients really rule here.

The Tildeverse is the main site which has links to many of the other services available. It is very much like going back in time to a cleaner, simpler, well-meaning world. Yes, commercial entities won’t be there as this is the world they tried to swamp with their banner ads, tracking, 3rd party cookies, pop-ups, and glitzy advertising. None of that works on the Tildeverse.

There are two videos at the linked post below that explain a bit more about it.

See hackaday.com/2024/09/14/taking…
#Blog, #retro, #technology, #tildeverse

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danie10@squeet.me
Danie

Radio Shack Catalogues Online in Flipbook format going back to 1939

An assortment of Radio Shack catalogues set out on a wooden surface. The title appears in the middle, saying Radio Shack Catalogs.
In the virtual corridors of RadioShackCatalogs.com, a digital archive unfolds like a time capsule, preserving the history of RadioShack from its inception in 1921. As a venerable retailer, RadioShack had been a cornerstone of innovation for over 100 years, providing an array of cutting-edge technology products and services that spanned personal, mobile, and home technology.

The heart of this online archive lay in its collection of catalogues, spanning the years 1939 to 2011. For 72 years, RadioShack had meticulously crafted these catalogues, showcasing a diverse range of products that mirrored the evolving landscape of technology. From hi-fidelity stereos to communication equipment, from computers to electronic components, these catalogues are a visual journey through the history of RadioShack.

Brands like Tandy, Realistic, TRS-80, Micronta, Archer, Optimus, Clarinette, Nova, Patrolman, Enercell, and Science Fair adorned the pages, each representing a chapter in the RadioShack story. Professionals, tech-savvy consumers, and hobbyists alike eagerly perused these catalogues, seeking the latest gadgets, tools, and electronic wonders that would shape their world.

What sets RadioShackCatalogs.com apart is its innovative approach to showcasing this historical material. The pages of these catalogues come alive in a page-flipping format, allowing users to traverse the years, page by page. Whether researching RadioShack products, immersing in historical material, tracking the progression of electronics and computer technology, or simply indulging in a nostalgic trip down memory lane, this site offers a unique and captivating journey through time experience.

In a world where technology continues to advance, this digital repository ensures that the memories, products, and innovations of RadioShack will forever be accessible to those who wish to reminisce and appreciate the enduring impact of this iconic retailer.

Fascinating to see how much radios, telephones, calculators, etc featured back then, and when computers started appearing they were relegated to the last 4 or 6 pages of the catalogue.

See radioshackcatalogs.com/index.h…
#Blog, #RadioShack, #retro, #technology

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