Toni Westbrook

@Megaboz@oldbytes.space
24 Followers
46 Following
163 Posts

I'm a computer scientist who absolutely loves #retrocomputing and #retrogaming!

Some of my software & hardware creations: Shredz64 (#C64 Guitar Hero), ZISA-X (ISA compatible #Z80 computer), Whirlwind (NES FPGA).

I'm currently working on a #BBS themed adventure RPG, Cloudburst Connection.

Recent repairs & mods: IMSAI 8080, TRS-80 Model III, C128DCR.

Research interests: Bioinformatics, genomics, file systems, HPC, and scientific reproducibility. Check out my ORCID page for my publications!

Day JobDep Director Research Computing & AI @ UNH
Githubhttps://github.com/ToniWestbrook
Research Publicationshttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-5398-6916
Websitehttps://www.toniwestbrook.com

Two of my favorite mobile devices, the DevTerm and Flipper Zero, having a nice "chat" with each other. I would love to use my DevTerm more, I need suggestions of things I can print on the thermal printer!

#devterm #FlipperZero #cyberdecks

New video: Let's Code MS DOS 0x30: VGA 3D Textmode

The EGA and VGA card can do a lot of magic tricks in textmode. This time we will investigate how you can draw a rotating 3D cube overlayed on normal text by utilising the EGA/VGA feature of a second character set.

https://youtu.be/4hrVpFY43bY
https://makertube.net/w/vyeR1JSA7p4TmfSbBkyFWG

#letscode #msdos #retrocomputing #demoscene

over the years i've become more interested in game/software ephemera than the software itself.

for example, few people under 20 have grown up with a local computer store or brick & mortar store that sells boxed games. biking over to the computer store to line up, pay cash, and buy a game you've been saving for months has become an alien experience.

a few days ago i bought some old PC boxed games from a guy that had them in storage for decades. of all of them, i was the least excited about Millionaire. it looked like the kind of lazy portware that probably started its life as a text simulation on the Apple II and made its way to every godforsaken architecture.

tucked away on the last page of the manual was an absolute treasure: the original VISA transaction record for the day the game was bought, for $52.88, on July 20, 1985 at the Real Canadian Superstore in Edmonton, AB, Canada. This is before Canada had the goods and services tax (GST), and when Alberta was abbreviated to Alta.

the owner stapled it on to the warranty registration card, just in case he had to return it or RMA it some day.

Superstore #1572 is still there, in the north end. while i knew they had always sold video games, i had no idea that they sold IBM XT software way back in 1985.

(for anyone not in Canada, Superstore is a national discount grocery chain.)

even better, no one under the age of 30 will have seen these credit card transaction records. they were made using a "credit card imprinter" - a sliding mechanism that pressed the card number through several layers of invoice and carbon copy paper. The invoice papers were usually two or three layered - a white and pink copy for the business, and a yellow copy went to the customer.

#vintageComputing #softwarePreservation #digiPres #canada

From a recent C128 mod - drilled and added two switches to case for turning on/off JiffyDOS and changing internal floppy from device 8 to 9. First switch is wired up to highest address line of a ROM that contains both JiffyDOS and stock image. For second switch, I cut the trace that keeps the device selection at gnd for ID 8 and instead wired it into the switch.

#retrocomputing #commodore #c128 #electronics

I'm liking #regicide the awesome RPG style battle card game that you can use a normal 52 card deck (with jokers) and play solo or up to several players. You're battling progressively big baddies and have combos and abilities and other stuff, pretty cool... and free!

https://www.regicidegame.com/site_files/33132/upload_files/RegicideRulesA4.pdf?dl=1

#cardgame

Got my 3D printer camera mounted in the enclosure! Now I have a top down view of my prints that I can monitor without having to walk over to the printer. Next up is an air filter!

#3dprinting #prusa

has anyone ever come across a video documentary about CorelDraw! and the Corel corporation? it's eluding me on web/yt searches, and *someone* must have done a deep dive on this by now?

#retroComputing #vintageComputing

Wowww, noticed incredible attention to detail in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle last night! According to the game, this is supposed to read "The _guardians_ vowed to protect the gift of the _gods_ and the legacy of _king Khufu_". I used to be into the Egyptian Book of the Dead and learning hieroglyphs when I was younger, and though I've forgotten almost all of it, I remember: 3 flags is gods (neteru), a seated man with a stick is guard (mnjw), and the big circle things are of course cartouches. I looked up the cartouche and it's indeed the one for the pharaoh Khufu. Not sure about the rest but it seems like they did an accurate job with the hieroglyphs - so cool!

#indianajones #hieroglyphics #egyptology #videogames

Not sure why it took me so long, but I finally bought an enclosure for my 3D printer. It dampens the noise and I love not having to smell PLA anymore. Just need to mount my camera inside now. What printers are folks out there using out of curiosity? I love my #prusa mk3s, it's been a workhorse!

#3dprinting

If you remember eXoDOS, one of the greatest ways to play DOS games, then welcome to eXoIF - a similar collection of 876 interactive fiction games throughout history!

Video from eXo describing the project:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AncVf2d34fY

https://www.retro-exo.com/if.html