Camp Atari

Wet Hot American Summer

When I was a kid back in the 1980s, I remember being in the back seat of my parents' car, probably on our way back home from the mall, and listening to two guys on the radio prattling on with some "back in my day" rant -- kind of like this blog. At one point, during the laughter and comedy, one of the DJs says to the other "if your kid comes back from summer camp with a tan this year, it's because they moved Pac-Man outside." The idiot kid I was, I immediately sat up in my seat and inquired of my father as to just exactly where this awesome summer camp was where they play video games. "It's a joke, son, they were joking" was all I got back.


Well as it turns out, there actually was such a camp, sort of.

Back in 1982 our old pal, Atari, decided to throw their fortunes at a risky proposition (they were great at doing this) by investing in a series of computer camps across the U.S. called, of course, Atari Computer Camps. I never got to meet anyone that actually went to one, and at nearly $3,000 for a week's stay that's not a shocker. Keep in mind, $3,000 back in 1982, adjusted for inflation, would be about one kajillion dollars today. So you know, that one super-duper-rich kid in your school probably got to go. Along with the normal camp activities, swimming, baseball, volleyball, weaving, bonfires and sing-a-longs, kids got to learn how to program and operate Atari 8-bit computers, thereby positioning the next generation of kids to be well-informed future-consumers of all things gadgety and technical. I would have LOVED it! Legend has it that all of the remaining E.T. carts that weren't buried in that landfill in New Mexico were used to stuff mattresses at the camps while the instruction manuals were stacked high in the commodes for, ahem, personal use.

Want to know more? Then watch this historical document:



Oh, and there's a mini-documentary on the subject as well. Have a gander at this:



Still not enough? For even more info check out the links below:

CLICK HERE TO READ AN ARTICLE FROM ANTIC MAGAZINE, OCTOBER 1982

CLICK HERE TO READ AN ARTICLE FROM ATARI CONNECTION, AUGUST 1982

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT OFFICIAL ATARI LITERATURE INCLUDING BROCHURES

CLICK HERE FOR THE PODCAST AND MORE LINKS FROM THE TEAM AT ANTIC

HISHE: Tron Rap

An example of early computer animation.

If you're a dork like me, you'll love this. Although I still would have preferred a more old-school rap style for this particular video, like UTFO.

Retro Round-Up

Lordy have we got a lot of retro-geekin' news for you on this lovely Tuesday! Today's Retro Round-Up includes Amiga computers, acquitted murderers, new Star Wars and old Star Trek, what more could you ask for? Check out the links below before you get any older, gramps.

Lando Calrissian Returns in Star Wars: Rebels Animated Series
Dissed by Abrams but still loved by Disney, our favorite space-scoundrel-turned-malt-liquor-pimp strikes back!




The City on the Edge of Forever #1 Out This Wednesday
The classic Harlan Ellison-penned original series Star Trek episode gets its own graphic novel this week.




Turn Your Old Mac Into a New Amiga
Got some old Amiga software? Got a PowerPC computer you're not using? Well then, you're probably the only person you know who'll enjoy this.




It Was 20 Years Ago Today: The OJ. Chase
Relive the excitement of television's first combination live celebrity car chase and Ford Bronco commercial!

Happy Birthday Mac!

It's the Mac's 30th birthday today and in true Apple style, I'm celebrating minimalistically. Now watch this video from 1986's Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, which features my favorite on-screen appearance by today's birthday-box, second only to that scene from Zoolander where Wilson throws the iMac over the balcony. Here's to another 30 years.

1984 Revisited

Not as confusing as Prometheus

On January 22nd, 1984, Apple Computer ran, what was at the time, the most expensive 1-minute television commercial ever produced, titled "1984." The $900,000 ad, directed by Ridley Scott, was shown only once during the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII and it was immediately recognized as something special and unique, winning several awards and helping to kickstart the tradition of producing elaborate, over-the-top commercials for the Super Bowl. Apple's purpose behind the ad was to whip up enthusiasm for the company's next big product at the time, the Macintosh. As you may or may not know, the Macintosh computer introduced the concepts of the mouse and icon-driven computing environments in 1984 to a market who had been, up until then, operating their computers by typing in cryptic codes and commands via keyboard. After shaking up the advertising world with its innovative commercial, Apple successfully shook up the computer world with the introduction of its radical new machine two days later on January 24th, 1984.

Do you prefer brand X over brand Y?

Yesterday was the 30th anniversary of the commercial's original public broadcast and tomorrow will be the 30th anniversary of the introduction of Macintosh itself. When you get a chance, take a minute or two to watch Apple's little micro-epic and consider how much our world has changed in the years between 1984 and 2014. Thirty years may seem like a long time, but as the great philosopher, Ferris Bueller once said: life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

When Toasters Fly

A flying toaster.

Back in 1996 I was hanging around a little mom and pop computer shop in Indianapolis with my buddy Pete, who worked there at the time. Pete was a great guy and knew a ton about computers of all kinds, but he was sort of a dick too, and he had little time for people who didn't want to listen to him muse about technology. Well, this particular day, as we were shooting the breeze about who knows what --- it was 1996 so we were probably bitching about how much AOL sucked --- a young couple walked into the otherwise empty store and started looking around the place. They were both blond, well-tanned and well-primped; probably college students out shopping on a pleasant summer day. That's what I saw. Pete, on the other hand, saw a couple of non-geeks (muggles) who, at worst, were going to waste his precious slacking-off time and at best, provide him with some fodder with which he could amuse himself (he ended up going with the latter). Eventually, after wandering aimlessly around for a bit, the couple made their way towards the counter where Pete and I were both standing. They briefly looked my way before directing their attention to Pete and asked him where they could find some screen-savers. I remember Pete stoically blinking at them for a couple of seconds as the snarkyness was no doubt building up inside of him.
As I said, it was 1996 and a lot of folks were just starting to purchase their first internet-ready, multimedia computer, although most really didn't know what to do with these veritable powerhouses of machinery sitting on their desks besides use them to check their Prodigy mail. So, they went to computer stores and bought screen-savers. Now this particular computer store that Pete worked in only handled hardware and, in fact, had no software of any kind to sell, and this of course, made Buffy and Blake, who were staring blankly from across the counter, look even more ridiculous to him. So Pete informed them that yes, the store did have screen-savers and not only that, but that they had the BEST screen-saver of all! He motioned to the computer next to the cash register and asked them if they'd like to see it. The couple's eyes lit up as they looked at each other in glee, "Sure!' they both answered and they quickly scooted up behind Pete's counter to see this amazing screen-saver in action. Pete gestured towards the computer as they stared wide-eyed at the beige, 14-inch CRT monitor and switched it off. The screen went blank as the sound of static electricity fizzled away. It took the couple a second or two of staring at the powered-off display to realize that they'd been duped and once they did, I could clearly see the look of "well, screw you" on their faces as they silently left the store to find a salesperson who wasn't such a prick. Ah, Pete, you big jerk.
Anyway, in celebration of screen-savers, here's a video showing off nearly every module made for the original titan of the genre, After Dark, including the flying toasters. Enjoy.

Woz Speaks at KansasFest 2013

Mt.Dew! (photo courtesy of nicholsphotography)

For you geeks that don't already know, KansasFest is an annual get-together for Apple II enthusiasts held at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri, and from what I understand, it's a bit like Comicon or GenCon albeit with a slightly (but not much) different fan base. Having been founded way back in 1989 the conference has played host to various notable tech-industry guest-speakers ranging from original Apple employees to early 8-bit software developers to magazine publishers. Well this year the attendees (of which I was not one - booo!) got an extra-special super-treat in the form of actual real-life inventor of the Apple II, Mr. Steve "Fucking" Wozniak, better known as Woz. Woz, along with that other Steve, co-founded Apple Computer in 1976, made a crap-ton of cash and then went on to become a legend in the history of personal computing and technology. You want to know more? Google it. Graciously, the folks at OpenApple have posted both the entire interview with Woz in audio format, and a 10-minute video excerpt on YouTube for the enjoyment of the world's masses. So go masses, go enjoy!!

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE COMPLETE AUDIO INTERVIEW WITH WOZ

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE OFFICIAL KANSASFEST SITE

CLICK HERE FOR PORN

Vacation '83

When Chevy Chase was funny.

Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Anthony Michael Hall, Ms. Dana Barron and Mr. Chevy Chase in National Lampoon's Vacation. Guest starring, the mythical Bally Astrocade and venerable Apple II. Enjoy!

Retro Computing on the Boob Tube

Keeping up on tech news these days is piece of piss. Push notifications, Twitter feeds and an increasingly large number of other digital enemas make it easy to forget that there was a time when people actually sat down to watch TV programs about technology, or more specifically, home computing. Two of the more notable entries in this genre were an unassuming and decidedly stilted tech-show called, rather unimaginatively, Computer Chronicles, and its more colloquially-monikered spinoff, The Internet Café, later retitled simply Net Café. Having enjoyed an impressively lengthy run on PBS from 1981 to 2002, Computer Chronicles played witness to many key developments in the home computing industry including the introduction of the Mac, Windows 95, CD-ROMs and even birth of the internet which prompted the creation of its sister show, The Internet Café, in 1996. While you can't just turn on your TV and hope to catch a rerun of either program, episodes of both can be found tucked away at the always awesome and always free Internet Archive. Click below to take a trip back to a time before corporations owned the internet and 512K was more than enough for anyone.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE COMPUTER CHRONICLES

CLICK HERE TO WATCH NET CAFÉ

BONUS VIDEO!!
PITFALL INVENTOR DAVID CRANE EXPLAINS HIS NEW GHOSTBUSTERS GAME FOR THE COMMODORE 64

It's Floppy and Sticky

Why does the save button in MS Word still look like a floppy disk? Because floppies are cool, that's why! Just like these floppy-disk-styled sticky notes (not Post-it® Notes) from ThinkGeek. Fool your friends! Break the ice at parties! Be the center of attention at all costs! Order now, operators are freaking out!

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE FLOPPY STICKY PRODUCT PAGE

Oh No! Not More Lemmings!

Nope it's not Lemmings, just an incredible simulation. It's called Caveman and if you ever got sucked into a three-hour game of Lemmings then this app is for you. Released all the way back in 1991 by British developer Psygnosis for the Commodore Amiga, Lemmings was a puzzle game in which you guided a herd of lemmings (although they looked more like Fraggles to me) across a treacherous path littered with traps and pitfalls with the ultimate goal of reaching an exit portal, which would invariably lead to another, more difficult level. The catch was, however, that the lemmings never stopped moving and would simply fall off of a cliff or walk into a spinning fan if someone didn't tell them otherwise, which is where the player comes in, assigning specific tasks to individual lemmings to help them overcome any obstacles or dangers that might otherwise get in their way. You could pause the game and plan your strategy, but assigning tasks was all done on the fly and since there was a time limit of just a few minutes, the game could get pretty intense as your cursor flew all over the screen trying to block one group of lemmings from strolling into a fire-pit while simultaneously keeping a builder-lemming busy constructing bridges over a chasm. The game itself was hugely popular and spawned several sequels and conversions for other systems up until about 2000 when the party stopped. Since then gamers have either had to make do with limited-release ports such as the one made for the PSP in 2006 or indie clones such as the excellent Pingus, which runs on Mac, Linux and Windows.

So in early 2010, when a little-known group called mobile1up took it upon themselves to bring Lemmings to the contemporary world of mobile gaming, I about pissed my pants with excitement. Working from a port of the original game that was made for the PalmOS (remember PalmPilots?) the folks at mobile1up managed to strip away the hacks and additions that had been bolted on to make the game work with Palm's unique idiosyncrasies resulting in a pixel-perfect rendition of the game while retaining most of the original source code. Development of the game was tracked on mobile1up's development blog with regular updates until June of 2010 when Sony, who somehow managed to pick up the property after the dissolution of Psygnosis, sent them a cease and desist effectively throwing all of their hard work into the trash. So in a big FU to the man, mobile1up released it anyway, but with all new graphics, sounds and a caveman theme, and it became an underground hit. Sorry, Sony, you had your chance. Caveman plays and feels almost exactly like Lemmings and features all of the same levels and even the same animations as its counterpart and is available for a multitude of platforms:

• iPhone / iPod Touch / iPad 
• Palm Pre / Pre 2 running WebOS 1.4.5 or later 
• TouchPad running WebOS 3.0.0 or later 
• BlackBerry PlayBook 2.0.1 or later 
• Mac OSX 10.4 or later (PowerPC and Intel)

Windows and Linux versions are currently in the works. I don't think there's an Android version yet, but you Android folks are used to not having any apps anyway, right? (just kidding, gawd!)

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE CAVEMAN SITE AND BUY THIS AWESOME GAME!

CLICK HERE TO READ THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF LEMMINGS!

Microsoft Mixes It Up...A Little

Today, our beloved old dinosaur, Microsoft, unveiled their first logo redesign in 25 years, taking the familiar multi-colored flag and squaring it off to form more of a, well, window.  It’s one of the many changes the company is making in preparation for the Windows 8 launch, said Jeffrey Meisner, general manager of brand strategy.

“Starting today, you’ll see the new Microsoft logo being used prominently. It will be used on Microsoft.com – the 10th most visited website in the world. It is in three of our Microsoft retail stores today (Boston, Seattle’s University Village and Bellevue, Wash.) and will shine brightly in all our stores over the next few months,” Mesiner wrote on the company’s blog.

The new logo is inspired by the company’s brand values, fonts and colors, he explained.

“The symbol is important in a world of digital motion … the symbol’s squares of color are intended to express the company’s diverse portfolio of products.”

The revision comes, Meisner said, ahead of “one of the most significant waves of product launches in Microsoft’s history.”

Frankly, it looks to me like the breeze died down and the old wavy flag logo came to a sudden stop. In light of what Meisner said about "digital motion" I'd say that the new symbol expresses less energy compared to the fanciful designs of Microsoft's past, and since the company has been around since 1975, they are no strangers to logo changes. Check out some of the previous designs that Bill and company had to offer.

Beam Me Up, Portland!

Leave it Portland, Oregon to keep feeding us white, geeky, hipster news. The land espoused by SNL alum, Fred Armisen, as being a place where "the 90s never died" and "the tattoo ink never runs dry," has dipped a little further back into pop-culture's history to bring us a new summer pastime: Trek in the Park. Check out the video below - my apologies for the ad - for a glimpse of the Oregonian brother-sister duo, Adam and Amy Rosko, staging dramatic recreations of some of the original Star Trek's most-loved episodes to an audience of folks who are too hip to have cable.



CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL ARTICLE AND GALLERY ON CBS NEWS