“Everyone needs a hobby,” they tell us. For the blogger mysteriously identified only as “R,” that hobby would be an almost fanatical nostalgia for the Commodore 64 computer.

At first we thought this was a fan community site, but apparently it’s all the work of a single person. [R] has tweaked, extended, repackaged and resurfaced this 1980’s icon in nearly every imaginable way. They tend to gloss over the technical aspects of these mods, but that’s okay – the C64 is such an exhaustively documented system now that the site dwells mainly on the aesthetics and meaning of these reborn devices.

The 64 has made an indelible impression on electronic music, and the machines are still sought after by collectors, composers and circuit-benders. [R] pays homage by housing these vintage systems in styles reminiscent of even vintage-er synthesizers. Any one of these would warrant a post here, yet there’s a whole collection to browse. Check it out!

[via Retro Thing]

Meet GuruPlug, an all-in-one server that is now available for pre-order. This is the next generation of the popular SheevaPlug that features some added goodies. The base model sells for the same $99 and appears to have the same specs as the original but for $30 more, the GuruPlug Server PLUS moves to 2 Gigabit Ethernet ports, one eSATA connector, and built-in WiFi and Bluetooth. All of this for $129 and it only pulls 5 watts? Wow.

[Thanks Chris]

During an acceptance speech at the Japan Media Arts Festival this past weekend, Shigeru Miyamoto casually referred to unannounced Nintendo hardware and at least one new Wii project he’s working on, which uses the MotionPlus peripheral. Of course, since Miyamoto wasn’t making any formal announcements, that’s all he said on those fronts, according to Andriasang’s summary of a 4Gamer report.

Miyamoto was onstage accepting a Special Achievement Prize when he revealed that, in addition to Zelda, he’s working on an unspecified number of other projects that use MotionPlus. While unconfirmed, the “Special Achievement” might have been awarded for Miyamoto’s work in the field of vague announcements.

[Via Andriasang]

Miyamoto mentions new hardware, new MotionPlus games originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

[Oliver] has been doing some work to use his TI ez430 Chronos wristwatch for some home automation. He’s working with a RF controllable lightbulb adapter which operates in the 433 MHz band. A dirt-cheap breadboard-friendly transmitter is available from Seeed Studios and he uses this in conjunction with a computer and an Arduino. Before the trolls get to their thing, YES, this is incredible overkill. But remember that he’s prototyping. We hope that if he intends to actually use this setup he’ll migrate to something like an ATtiny2313 running V-USB. Better yet, you should be able to tap into the watch’s companion receiver and cut the computer out completely.

If you’re easily amused you’ll appreciate the video of a light turning on and off after the break. If you’re a little harder to please then take a look at Oliver’s methods of using Python processing for the watch’s data.

Ok, now we’ve seen this watch turning on lights and unlocking doors. What else ‘ya got?

[Nick] tipped us off about a guide to unlock extra features on Panasonic televisions. The hack works on the G10 models of plasma TVs and uses the service menu to gain access to the EEPROM memory. With a few quick steps you can change some data with a built in hex editor, unlocking several new settings menus, or bricking your entertainment centerpiece. We’ve seen some Samsung TV hacking in the past and hope that with increased processing power in today’s models we’ll someday see consumer TVs available with open-source firmware so that we can integrate of our favorite entertainment software.

Just relax — you might feel a slight pinch.

Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:

Last updated: Monday, 12:40 PM

Continue reading Now Playing: February 8-14, 2010

Now Playing: February 8-14, 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Catch The Latest Movies On Your R4 DS Micro SD

With the Micro SD Slot on the R4 DS Card, you get a whole lot more than just easy file storage.  Once you install moonshell (which can be downloaded on the product page) you’re all set up and ready to watch the latest movies and TV shows on your R4 DS and your Micro SD card.  All you have to do is a quick convert, drag and drop copy the movie, video or TV Show that you have, and want to watch on your R4 DS Card, and you’re all set.

What the micro sd card really does for the r4 ds and your Nintendo DS is open up a whole world of functions and features that should simply have been included anyway.  Unfortunately they were not….  But the great thing about third part accessory makers is that they aim to fill a need…

That need, in this case, is the ability to use those two beautiful screens on your Nintendo DS to actually be able to watch movies.  Doesn’t seem too unrealistic does it?  I mean, the PSP can watch movies, the iPod Touch (*mentioned here because it also plays games) can watch movies too…  And we’re not even talking about those 3rd party China made game systems that can – you guessed it – watch movies too!

Thankfully, by using the R4 DS Card, your Nintendo DS or DSi can now watch movies as well.  You use the included software to convert any of your DVD movies, TV shows, or any other type of video that you want to carry with you, and copy and paste it over to the microSD card that you’ll be using in your NDS console.  I guess one could call the R4 DS a Nintendo DS Movie Player.

Find out more about the R4 DS by visitin our online store.

We apologize for any and all spelling or grammatical errors this post may contain. We’re not at our usual razor-sharp level of literary acuity this morning, due to the fact that we stayed up all night to analyze the image you see above. According to Siliconera, that silhouetted figure up there is the first new fifth-generation Pokémon, and we need to know what it is. We’ll find out during the February 21 episode of Pokémon Sunday – but we both know that we can’t be expected to wait that long.

So, let’s just start riffing. It looks bipedal, right? That could indicate that it’s a fighting-type — then again, look at its plumage. Kinda looks like the trappings of a fire-type, doesn’t it? Then again, it could just as easily be a new evolution of Lucario! Or — wait, you know what it actually resembles? Our shame.

Let’s all analyze this new Pokemon’s silhouette originally appeared on Joystiq Nintendo on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Just when you think you’ve heard all you can about the N900 PUSH competition, we have some more news for you.

The original PUSH competition was only for UK members, but now Nokia has introduced the ‘Mod in the USA‘ N900 PUSH competition. Similar to the original, anyone (within region) can submit a cool mod, hack, useful creation that would use the N900. Winners will be selected, and thats when the differences start.

There will be a $10,000 for 1st prize, and smaller prizes for 2nd and 3rd. Plus a trip to Vegas to showcase the 3 winning hacks at CTIA 2010 as well as funding, N900s and support to build the mods.

Don’t have an idea but still want to try? They have a discussion group to get the juices flowing, or you could always discuss in our comments.

And here we thought the well of Lego Star Wars material had dried up. Perhaps we’ve underestimated TT Games, which has revealed that it’s constructing a new armed and fully operational entry in the series: Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars. Destined for an Autumn 2010 release on the Xbox 360, PS3, PSP, Nintendo DS and Wii, the game will focus on the events of the Cartoon Network animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Expect “brand new battle modes, giving players unique, head-to-head combat” and an expanded level editor, allowing potential Padawans and Seperatists the chance to construct their own “customized bases and in-game battlefields.” You’ll also be able to employ new tactics throughout the game, such as “Squad command, Lightsaber slicing, Lightsaber jumps, long distance Jedi attacks and Grapple Tie-Ups.”

Wait, lightsaber slicing? Does that mean the obvious, or the radical ability to slice through lightsabers?

Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars marching to multiple platforms this fall originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

There’s a wide selection of downloads available on Wii and DSi this week — including stuff that people might have heard of before and/or be interested in! Two days after its reveal, the new Blaster Master game is available on WiiWare, along with Hudson’s Princess Tomato, a somewhat forgotten NES oddity. And DSiWare has the iPhone hit Fieldrunners and a new puzzle game by Intelligent Systems. Read about all ten (!) new games after the break.

Continue reading NintendoWare Weekly: Blaster Master Overdrive, Princess Tomato, Fieldrunners

NintendoWare Weekly: Blaster Master Overdrive, Princess Tomato, Fieldrunners originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments