blinkenlights

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  • Metalab wires its Blinkenwall to run from Commodore 64, gives no word on the obligatory Tetris port (video)

    We've seen some ambitious Blinkenwalls in our time. Nearly all of the attention is unsurprisingly focused on the wall, however, and not on the often clever hardware and software behind it. Vienna's Metalab wants to shift the limelight by kicking it old school. Instead of the thoroughly modern Arduino and Fonera hotspot that normally light up Metalab's 45-block glass wall, the team's Blinken64 project swaps in a Commodore 64 with a cassette drive and the unusual Final Cartridge III feature extender. Getting lights to strobe requires dusting off more than just hardware -- all the animations have to be written in assembly-level MOS Technology 6510 code that even our nerdy parents might forget. The result you'll see in the video after the break is a far cry from the relatively easy, web-accessible hardware that normally powers such blinkenlight creations, but it's also a testament to how relevant classic technology can remain when it's in the right hands.

    Jon Fingas
    07.24.2012

  • Arduino-powered modder recreates 'first PC'

    Before the Altair 8800, before the SCElBI, there was the Kenbak-1 -- considered to be the first personal computer by the Computer History Museum. Designed in 1970, it used Transistor-Transistor logic instead of a microprocessor -- which is one of the reasons only 40 of the units were ever sold, of which 14 are known to still exist today. That's what prompted modder funnypolynomial to produce his own using an Arduino. It may look a little more functional than the gloriously retro hexagonal design of the original, but it wouldn't take much to copy that look, too. What are you waiting for? Get ordering your blinkenlights!

    Daniel Cooper
    10.03.2011

  • Mini Altair 8800 looks authentic, runs Windows 7 (video)

    It was just a few weeks ago that we lost Dr. Henry Roberts, the pioneer whose company created the Altair 8800, and while this project isn't exactly a tribute to the man it is at least a sign that his legacy lives on. Bob Alexander had always wanted an 8800 of his own, but now that he could afford one didn't want a gigantic blue case filling up his life. So, be bought a repurposed Altair 680, little brother of the 8800, and set about stuffing it with an Intel Core i5-650 processor on a Mini-ITX motherboard with 4GB of RAM, 80GB of SSD and 500GB on platters. That's all standard fare, but the front of the case pulls it all together, a custom-made, USB-powered circuit board with LEDs that turn on and off similarly to how the 8800's would. Those blinkenlights and the rest of the project are demonstrated after the break, but sadly there's no word of whether Kill the Bit is playable.

    Tim Stevens
    04.27.2010

  • Project Blinkenlights presents "Stereoscope," and you're invited

    A massive spectacle is brewing in Canada. From the 4th of October through the 12th, the two towers of Toronto's city hall will become grandiose pixel displays with the help of Project Blinkenlights. Dubbed "Stereoscope," the installation will use wirelessly-controlled lights placed behind the windows of the building to generate the pixel art. This project adds to the growing list of large-scale interactive light installations executed by Project Blinkenlights... it also happens to be as Mac-friendly as they come, thanks to some help from our friends at The Coding Monkeys. When we talked to Martin and Dominik at WWDC, they hinted at their involvement in this project. They stayed pretty tight-lipped about it, stating only that it would be "big." Now they've unveiled a simulator for Leopard and a mobile version for the iPhone [iTunes link] which allow users around the world to watch in realtime as the exhibition unfolds. Beyond that, they had a hand in creating some of the tools which allow users from all over the globe to generate and contribute their own animations for the event. I've been playing with both the desktop and iPhone simulators, and I'm duly impressed. The iPhone version -- with smooth, touch-based navigation and amazing 3D rendering -- is definitely not to be missed (especially since it's free). This event would be big enough if it stayed in Toronto, but Project Blinkenlights and The Coding Monkeys have made it possible for users around the world to take part in the spectacle. Check out the gallery for more shots of the iPhone version of the simulator in action. %Gallery-33502%

    Brett Terpstra
    10.03.2008