Dave F

It was a long day and I'm slap-happy so...

I was just thinking about the need to do this earlier today. www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJid...

‘Floppy disks’. A highly centralised data system impacted by Ukrainian strikes, October 2026.

A what did WHAT, and posted it WHERE?!

Windows XP turns 25 this weekend. Not many versions of Windows had as much staying power as XP did. In this blog post, we explore why. We even explore whether it really counts as retro. dfarq.homeip.net/windows-xp-r... #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing

(dude slides into a security webinar 42 minutes in) HEY ANYONE ASK ABOUT PHP YET? Nah bruh, we've been talking about the World Series for the last 41 minutes. And the election. And someone asked a random question about bears.

If you're chasing the PHP2Shell vulnpocalypse, here's something I wish I'd known about 24 hours ago. Potentially a lifesaver. www.linuxcompatible.org/story/php2sh...

Creative Computing was one of the greatest magazines of the 1970s and 80s. Over its 11 year run, it gave coverage to platforms the other magazines ignored. It also published some type-ins that became classic games, like Oregon Trail. dfarq.homeip.net/creative-com... #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing

Epyx was a leading game producer for Commodore and Atari 8-bit computers, producing titles like Impossible Mission, Jumpman, and Pitstop. What was your favorite Epyx game? dfarq.homeip.net/what-happene... #retrocomputing #retrogaming

I voted today. Driving there took longer than the actual voting process. I was home within 30 minutes.

Was the VICmodem the first modem to sell a million units? I dug into it. In this blog post, I estimate how many units actually sold and I share my methodology. And this one's personal, it was my first modem. dfarq.homeip.net/how-many-vic... #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing

I'm old enough to remember when conservatives held a grudge against Toshiba for YEARS for selling machine tools to Russia that helped them make their submarines quieter. Posting this for no reason today. dfarq.homeip.net/toshibas-sov...

I found my original modem from 1986. All 300 baud of it. #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing

On October 17, 1985, Intel released a new 32-bit CPU. IBM's hesitation to use the 386 opened the door for Compaq to move the PC into workstation and minicomputer territory. But did you know one faction in IBM did want the 386? dfarq.homeip.net/intel-386-re... #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing

Token Ring cards sometimes turn up in Youtube mailcall videos and lead to confusion. I used to work in a Token Ring shop, so I'll try to clear up the confusion. dfarq.homeip.net/what-was-a-t... #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing

The Roads Have Eyes! 👁️ Turn on the Surveillance Layer in Map Options to see known license plate readers from Flock Safety, Motorola Solutions (Vigilant), Genetec, Axis Communications, Axon, Leonardo (ELSAG), Neology, Rekor, PlateSmart, Ubicquia, Verkada, and other outdoor surveillance cameras.

I got my hands on a book called Foundation of Geopolitics by Alexander Dugin. It's the basis of modern Russian political theory. Think of it like Putin's Mein Kampf. No official, authorized English translation exists but searches will turn some up. Not an easy read but seems worthwhile.

Hmm, sounds like it's a good thing I don't have any smart home devices.

dBASE was a software classic. On October 12, 1991, it changed hands. Borland purchased its publisher for $439 million. But Borland's dreams of controlling 70 percent of the database market proved short-lived. dfarq.homeip.net/what-happene... #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing

Nvidia's first GPU, or at least its first product it called a GPU, made its debut 27 years ago this week. It was the Nvidia GeForce 256. dfarq.homeip.net/nvidias-firs... #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing

Unintended consequences. According to cloudfare, the targeting of Yandex data centres by Ukraine has resulted in a massive drop in russian bots. Could this have an impact on the American mid term elections?

Check out this cool open source tool that removes or disables unwanted AI components like Copilot, Recall, and other AI tools from Windows. 👏 Don't let Big Tech track you!💪🏼 ➡️ www.opensourceprojects.dev/post/c54eaf7...

Apple Records and Apple Computer tangled over trademark infringement, settling when Apple agreed to stay out of the music business. But then Apple released the Apple IIgs with an Ensoniq synthesizer in it, so Apple Records sued. dfarq.homeip.net/when-apple-r... #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing

I think all phones should answer unidentified callers by playing this song. Is that too much to ask? www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q6Y...

39 years ago, Commodore hired former Compaq executive Max Toy to turn the company around. Was he just another two-years-and-done Commodore president, or was there something different about him? dfarq.homeip.net/max-toy-emba... #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing

I'll always remember Activision for Ghostbusters and Pitfall!. Happy birthday to Activision, the original third-party game development studio. dfarq.homeip.net/what-happene... #retrocomputing #retrogaming

The web used to be littered with GIF files, as far as the eye could see. Then Unisys decided to get unisysy and GIFs disappeared for a while. Twenty years ago today, the last patent expired, and GIF became free to use, forever. dfarq.homeip.net/the-day-gif-... #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing

38 years ago, IBM announced it had sold its 3 millionth PS/2. IBM thought it was doing fine, not realizing how fast the market as a whole was growing. That was the problem with the PS/2. dfarq.homeip.net/ibm-ps2-seri... #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing

It was 54 years ago that AMD held its IPO. It's easy to forget AMD is that old, and that AMD processor logic powered most 1970s minicomputers, so they were no stranger to enterprises when they started selling x86 CPUs. dfarq.homeip.net/amds-ipo-sep... #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing

First console: Coleco Telstar (a Pong clone), 1981-ish. It could play tennis, hockey, handball, or Jai-Alai, all variants on the same theme. First computer: Commodore 64, 1984. I'm more nostalgic for the 64 than I am for the console.

I went about 12 years without using my health insurance. Pretty common for men in their late 20s and into their 30s. Moral of the story: Use your health insurance once a year whether you need to or not, so you don't lose it.

I score 14 of 16. I never used Myspace and never downloaded ringtones. I was around at those times but not interested in either of those things. I resisted Flash too (I hate gratuitous blinky movement) but couldn't completely avoid it.

The consumer DVD player turns 30 this weekend. Toshiba was the first to announce a player September 26, 1996. dfarq.homeip.net/first-dvd-pl... #retrotech #techhistory

What did x86 need at the dawn of the 64-bit era? More baggage! That was AMD's bet-the-company wager. They won. dfarq.homeip.net/athlon-64-ho... #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing

The NEC V20 is a misunderstood CPU from the mid 1980s. Part 8088, part 80186, and part 8080, it drew a lawsuit from Intel. If you're looking for a period-correct speed boost for an XT or clone, this chip is perfect. dfarq.homeip.net/nec-v20-cpu-... #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing

Alex Karp of Palantir says the AI industry must be nationalized to protect it from lawsuits if it accidentally destroys the world. More likely, he sees the bubble about to burst and he wants to be bought out with our tax dollars before that happens.

Flu and Rona. Pharmacist said the mRNA is 30% more effective, 30% more side effects, in case you're wondering. You can get mRNA versions of both now. Or conventional, if you like yours less spicy.

Hey mainstream media outlets! How about you boycott the White House? If nobody shows up to cover the news…. He would literally go out of his mind. He can’t live without attention. Maybe we stop giving it to him because everything he says are lies anyway.

Osborne Computer Corp invented the portable computer and self-destructed less than five years later. The usual story is it was too quick to announce a new product. But it turns out that was a lie to cover up its other problems. dfarq.homeip.net/osborne-comp... #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing

I'm breaking from my usual retro computing content today because this is important. There is a spy in your living room and you need to do something about it. And yes, I am aware I sound like John McAfee. dfarq.homeip.net/the-spy-in-y...

LG's bullshit response: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToP9...