Gizmodo
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reader submission
The Atari 2600 iPod Dock
In the days of touchscreens and wireless data, our heroes of yesteryear find solace in the companionship of one another. More »
6,699
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By Mark WilsonComment by strider_mt2k: Wasted space, no real additional features. Just an iPod dock stuck into the cart hole of a dead gaming icon's carcass. Sad... 3 Responses | Other threads
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music
Old School Computer Band Rocks Bohemian Rhapsody (Poorly)
I can't think of a more old school, geeky tribute to Queen than a band comprised of an Atari 800XL, 8-inch floppy disk, 3.5-in hard drive and HP Scanjet 3C. If only it sounded better. More » -
t-shirts
In Case of Rapid Atari 2600 Disassembly, Consult This T-Shirt
Geek tees: can we ever have enough? I already own this, but I'm digging this exploded 2600 schematic shirt. Actually we probably can have enough, but one more never hurt. It's $23 shipped. [Exploded 2600]
6,232
By John MahoneyComment by .357: Anything Atari related is instant awesome in my book. 2 Responses | Other threads
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bling
Found 18-Karat Atari Computer Chip Bangle, Geek Vitality +10
Lil' Scrappy can have his diamond pinkie ring—you? You want this exact 18-karat cast of an original Atari processor. Conceptual and without price, but awesome to the max. [Sakurako Shimizu via BBG]
8,309
By John MahoneyComment by Mike Camilleri: The sad thing is no-one will know what it is =/ 5 Responses | Other threads
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dude
Industrious Stoners Tackle Another Project: The Atari Pipe
Sorry, straight-edgers. Continuing our theme of "Pot Hacks March," loyal reader Brian sent in his creation, a pipe made out of an Atari 2600 controller. More »
11,526
By Dan NosowitzComment by Hyman Decent: I don't remember this joystick having buttons on the side. 10 Responses | Other threads
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7,367
By Mark WilsonComment by Optimus-Prime: It really is amazing how old Darwin's theories are. I mean there is no math to prove them and... 7 Responses | Other threads
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fashion
Vintage Gaming Ties Futilely Subvert Corporate Authority
If a red tie is considered to exude power and authority at some business lunch, then an Asteroids tie must allude to nothing less than intergalactic domination. More »
10,061
By Mark WilsonComment by tande04: I think you could actually pull off that asteroids tie. Its not near as overt as the others. ... 6 Responses | Other threads
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retromodo
Retromodo: A Modern Day Unboxing of a 1984 Atari Touch Tablet
Personally, I'm not much into unboxing unless I'm the one doing the honors, but a modern day unboxing of a 25 year old Atari CX77 Touch Tablet is like opening up a time capsule. More »
11,591
By Sean FallonComment by PastorDoodah: Wow, they had styrofoam back then. 4 Responses | Other threads
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mods
Guy Mods Atari 400 Into Ugly Knob-and-Button-Covered Synth
This Atari 400 synth gets 10 points for effort, but minus 1 billion points for aesthetics. The buttons aren't even lined up correctly. Your 1970s dad would be ashamed. [Technabob via BBG]
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By Jason ChenComment by Poison_Shroom: Anyone know where I can get a Synth? Looking online (I searched around Newegg a little) it was mainly keyboards and... 5 Responses | Other threads
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diy
Build Your Own Giant Atari Joystick Lamp
Who hasn't dreamed about owning a giant Atari joystick lamp? Seriously, its right up there with winning the lottery. The good news is that you can make it happen with a little hard work. More » -
gaming
The Original Simon Patent (And 32 More Vintage Game Patents)
Over at Technologizer, they've assembled a fantastic list of vintage electronic game patents, including this original patent drawing of Simon.
6,227
By Mark WilsonComment by OMG! Ponies!: "and that's a lot more than you can say for Atari's Touch Me predecessor (which Simon essentially cloned and improved)." For... 4 Responses | Other threads
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video games
The Evolution of the Console Controller
It's not just some unfounded stereotype that video game controllers have gotten more complex over time, just look at this fantastic chronological illustration.
39,852
By Mark WilsonComment by d_r_e: Ahhh the Gamecube controller. How I love thee. Oh, and the 360 controller is very comfy too. 9 Responses | Other threads
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chuck e cheese
Chuck E. Cheese Arcade: A Place Where Moms Punch Dads In the Face
Chuck E. Cheese, the arcade with robot band, is a violent place. An uninvited kid joined a birthday party. And when the cops showed up, they found a rumble between 40 bloodthirsty parents.
84,177
By Brian LamComment by OMG! Ponies!: Holy shit! I need to go to Chuck E. Cheese's more often. There's one at Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn. ... 16 Responses | Other threads
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mods
The Blip Festival: Like Girl Talk and a Game Boy Had a Baby
Brooklyn's Blip Festival 2008, which is taking place this weekend, December 4th through 7th, is a celebration of modders, music, vintage game consoles, and graphics. Artists come from all over the world to perform electronic music created with Game Boys, Commodore 64s, and Famicoms, and it's more than just bleeps and bloops: this stuff is really fun. More » -
retromodo
Papercraft Retro Game Consoles Will Adorn Your Cubicle With Geekery on the Cheap
If your co-workers don't already know about the soft morsel of love for late-70s gaming consoles deep in your heart, why not load up the company's color printer with some heavy-bond and fold up an Atari 2600 to stand proudly by your enterprise Dell (and your HAL 9000). These patterns by Marshall Alexander feature cool 3D pop-outs and nice old-school-appropriate graphics and typography. Better than the limited edition in-box Spawn action figures you have now, and cheaper (ie: free). [Foldskool Heroes via TOYSREVIL]
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By John MahoneyComment by Curves: If any type of game goes in my cube, it will be a pin ball machine. A pre-electronics one at... 3 Responses | Other threads
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modding
Atari 2600 Crammed Into Sega Game Gear Is Wonderfully Backwards Mod
An awkward cross-breed time-travelling mongrel is a fairly fitting description for this mod that's jammed an Atari 2600 emulator into the shell of a Sega Game Gear. Sure, it's not the prettiest of mods, but taking the '80s-era Atari and squishing it into the '90s-era Sega took some tricky work: it has a built-in 40-game Atari chip, and can actually take 2600 carts into a slot on the back. The resulting "Atari Game 2600" has a 2.5-inch screen and can go for 7-8 hours on AA batteries, which seems pretty impressive. [Ben Heck via Technabob]
3,767
By Kit EatonComment by tater_salad: This atari 2600 emulator would be better with a touch screen, much like the one on the motorola Krave. I've... 2 Responses | Other threads
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video games
Man's Necessities: Air, Water, and USB Atari 2600 Joysticks
The finicky, rubbery controls of the Atari 2600 were as much part of its charm as the classic arcade ports it's known for. And now, for a mere $15, those bittersweet memories can come to your Windows, Linux or OSX system through this faithful-looking USB recreation of the original Atari 2600 joystick. The peripheral promises compatibility for most emulators and support for up to four simultaneous controllers. We're just glad to see the phallus making a comeback. [Legacy]
3,740
By Mark WilsonComment by Anonymoose: was that text added on or is it actually part of their advertisement? if it's the latter, someone needs to... 10 Responses | Other threads
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breakout clone
iPhone Breakout Knockoffs Being Nastygrammed By Atari
Programmers who made knockoffs of the Atari game Breakout are getting nasty letters from the game developer to remove their apps from the iPhone App Store. So far touchArcade says BreakClassic, BreakTouch 3D and Super Pong 2 have all been targeted, which is similar to the situation where the Tetris knockoff Tris was also pulled due to the Tetris company. On a similar note, the lightsaber app PhoneSaber was removed by request of Lucas Arts, and went back with new art assets and official help. We don't think Atari will be so kind. [TouchArcade via Kotaku]
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By Jason ChenComment by coketown: Two observations: 1) Wasn't the point of the SDK and App store to stoke innovation? Are, what, 5 copies of an... 1 Responses | Other threads
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future cars
Peugeot Concept Cars of Tomorrow Have Propellers, Joysticks
If Gundam mated with Will Smith's Audi in I, Robot, the offspring would resemble these futuristic concept cars from European brand Peugeot. Thecarscar-like vehicles were all entries in the 2008 Peugeot Design Contest. Designers were asked by organizers to create vehicles for that ambiguous but tantalizing "city of the future." Areas of focus included environmental awareness, "social harmony," interactive mobility and efficiency. As you can see in the "Blade" vehicle above, efficiency is improved with the wind turbine that designer Ying Hui Choo added to charge an on-board electric battery. More »
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By Jack LoftusComment by BiZarRroBALlmeR: The drag coefficient must counter act the gains in using/recharging the battery, No? I'll run some calculations. 5 Responses | Other threads
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space invaders
Space Invaders Have Infiltrated the Kitchen
The Space Invaders magnet set—the perfect accompaniment to your refrigerator. But don't even think about reaching for that milk without a pixel blaster. Oh, you're out of ammo? Poor baby. Guess you're ordering a pizza. Dial, bitch. (Or order online, of course.) [Jlist via Random Good Stuff]
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By Mark WilsonComment by CapitalC: Curse my non-magnetic stainless fridge! more » | Other threads
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retromodo
Gallery of 101 Vintage Computer Ads
Sure, some of us remember using the Commodore 64, but do any of us recall what the ads for it were like? Boingboing has aggregated a wonderful collection of 101 classic computer advertisements by everyone from AT&T (yeah, I forgot they tried their hand in making PCs too) to Texas Instruments. Aah, to be back in a world where everything fit inside a bulky keyboard and displays were monochromatic. [Boing boing]
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By Elaine ChowComment by RacecarBoobTat: Oh yeah, and my first machine was a Radio Shack TRS-80 Model III and my dad modded a Radio Shack... more » | Other threads
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atari
Atari Founder Nolan Bushnell to be Portrayed by Leonardo Dicaprio
A movie based on Nolan Bushnell's founding of Atari was sold to Paramount on Friday and Leonardo Dicaprio is set to play the lead. Most people remember Bushnell for Atari, but I remember him for the scathing pit of rancid pizza and yuppie spawn called Chuck E. Cheese. More »
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By Brian LamComment by BrookeGreene: Ted Dabney is my father and he knew nothing about this movie. I really hope he is not portrayed... more » | Other threads
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accessories
Pitfall Bag Celebrates Man's Two Passions: Adventure and Needlepoint
Pitfall fans with 13-inch laptops, this is your day! Over at Etsy, one artist is selling handmade needlepoint Pitfall laptop cases. Diehard Apple fanboys will notice that the featured Pitfall screen is actually from the Apple IIC version of the game. But don't worry PC-users, anyone who noticed that piece of trivia would be a fairly intolerable companion anyway. At $150 it's a doable purchase, but we're not so sure about that choice of lining. [Etsy via technabob] -
family trainer
Atari's Family Trainer Is Wii Fit Meets NES Power Pad Meets DDR
Atari isn't going to let Nintendo hog all the video game fitness money, as evidenced by the announcement of Family Trainer for the Wii. It's pretty similar to Wii Fit in that people stand on it and do activities, but it doesn't weigh you and actually has pads for you to jump or step on. No price yet, but is there enough room in your house for both this and the Wii Fit? How many more photoshoots of Japanese people jumping around their living rooms are we going to get in this console generation? [Reg Hardware]
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By Jason ChenComment by wecanfreakit: i love the powerpad...its soooo baaaaddd. more » | Other threads
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gaming
Super Genintari 4-in-1 Console Jams Nintendo, SEGA, and Atari
Super Genintari is the latest mega-console mod by Richard DaLuz, a perfect cocktail of Atari 2600, Nintendo Entertainment System, Genesis and Super NES enclosed in a retro-'80s bronze acrylic case, "formed and shaped on a homemade stript heater." It connects to a TV using a single cable, running four games simultaneously, and probably cooks bread with the generated heat—like the video shows after the jump. We talked with Richard about his superconsole mod: More » -
gaming
1981 Atari Handheld Breakout Game Prototype Up on eBay
Sure, you may have heard of Atari's less-than-stellar handheld offerings such as the Lynx and the Touch Me, but my guess is that you've never seen this, a prototype for a handheld breakout game that was never released. In fact, only two of these prototypes exist in the world. More »
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By Adam FrucciComment by JoOngle: I never understood why the Atari Lynx didn´t rule the world back then...it was lightyears ahead in technology, awesome games,... more » | Other threads
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supersized
Giant Atari Joystick is Just Enough Kill
Sometimes the only way to make something old new again is to increase its proportions to a gigantic scale. The mantra has worked for the fast food, automobile and twine industries for some time. So its introduction into the vintage console modding market was inevitable. Take this gigantic, functional Atari Joystick. In video, this oversized controller has both Oscar performance and Nobel Prize written all over it. Award cat fight! [boingboing]
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By Mark WilsonComment by toyotaboy: Cool, now I can play that tournament of satan's hollow I've been wanting to have for 25 years.. Vidiot would... more » | Other threads
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pcs
Vintage Computer Festival 10.0 Features Old Computers, Older Nerds
The 10th Vintage Computer Festival took place this past weekend at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA, featuring, among other things, "the largest collection of Radio Shack Pocket Computers I've ever seen," says CNet's Peter Glaskowsky. Highlights in the gallery above include the 1-bit flat-panel Apple IIc—one of just 10,000 ever made—Mac-maker Jef Raskin's Canon Cat, the ConBrio 200R synthesizer built by Cal Tech students in 1980 and a sh'load of Atari PCs. Hungry for more? Check out CNet's nerdishly in-depth coverage. [CNet Speeds and Feeds; CNet's photo gallery]
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Comment by Jeff the Riffer: Hmmm, I've still got my TRS-80 Model 100 in the closet. With built-in 300 baud modem! And yes, I did use... more » | Other threads
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mods
Ben Heck's Definitive Atari Mod Mega Timeline
Console modding extraordinaire Ben Heckendorn is up to it again; reminding us that, yes, he is still selling his sexy revision 5.1 Atari handhelds for $350 and a sacrificial 2600. The Atari Rev 5.1 really is his most complete system yet, including built-in paddle controller, difficulty switches and player 2 port for multiplayer games. And it's a mere one inches thick—no small feat when you realize there's an entire vintage console in your hands. All in all, the 5.1 really may be Ben Heckendorn's definitive Atari 2600 project.
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gaming
Ben Heck Stuffs an NES and an Atari Into a Handheld
Ben Heck, everyone's favorite video-game modder, has gone and done it again. This time, he's gone and stuffed an Atari AND an NES into a handheld portable, and dubbed it the NEStari. As usual, he goes through plenty of detail showing how he did it, and as usual, it's way too complicated for 99% of us to attempt on our own. [Ben Heck] -
dial 9 for space invaders
Atari "Punk" Console Stuffed in a Rotary Phone
Is no gadget sacred anymore? Here we have an old school Ericsson rotary telephone stripped of its innards which were subsequently replaced with a home-built Atari 'punk' console. Did we need a new way to present the Pong box? Hit the jump for the DIY schematic on the console itself. More »
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By kthompsonComment by supergeeky: That isn't the schematic for a pong game. The IC is an LM556 which is two 555 timers on a... more » | Other threads
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we need quarters
Bally Pong Makes Gambling Even More Addictive
Atari's Pong is stealing our quarters once again, recently approved for use in a slot machine made by Bally: "Bally Pong." A cabinet decorated with chrome fixtures and retro fonts will be a pretty standard 5-line slot, though featuring two knobs for the 1-in-70 occurrence of a 45-second Pong minigame. And while earnings at this point are "skill based," will expert Pongers see a real payout advantage? More »
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By Mark WilsonComment by John_Plumber: Hey Dude, I do not know how you define a game "skill tester". I saw a couple of games in... more » | Other threads
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gaming
Atari Memorabilia to Go Under the Hammer in NYC Today
Sotheby's is holding a sale of Americana at its auction house in New York today. One of the lots on offer is described as "an extensive archive of original marketing materials from the 'Golden Age' of Atari." More »
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By Addy DugdaleComment by ImABigTool: You know, if crap from the 80s (and don't kid yourself, it's crap) is fetching so much dough...it's making me... more » | Other threads
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throwback
DIY Atari Joystick TV Remote Mod
Alan over at HackedGadgets put together this nifty little mod that is a great addition to any retro gamer's home entertainment center. Unfortunately, this mod uses one of those all-in-one controller game console things rather than an original Atari controller, but I'm not too picky. Hit the link to see how Alan did it, step-by-step. Remember the Atari paddles? I think I would rather put a TV remote in one of those. More » -
throwback
Atari Joystick Candle Holder
This one goes out to all of my old school, Pitfall-playing, Space Invader-destroying homies out there. This Atari candle holder is the work of artist Mixko and is not currently for sale, but if you own an Atari joystick you could probably create your own mold Mythbusters-style and begin manufacturing them yourself. More »
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Comment by FubarGuy: Attnetion Mixko: I am American, lazy & have expendable cash. (Is that redundant?) Make these real & I will buy... more » | Other threads
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gadgets
Technology Review Nominates its Objects of Desire: Gizmodo says 'Phwoar!'
Technology Review has rounded up a bunch of objects that it feels are design classics from the past 30 or so years and got a bunch of industrial designers to talk about them. And you've gotta admit they're right—on some of the candidates, at least. First up is the Polaroid SX-70, which dates back to 1972. More »
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By Addy DugdaleComment by jrghoull: as i sit here thinkin about current technology and past....it makes me wonder if we could be the instant polaroid... more » | Other threads
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portable media
Ben Heck's VCSp Rev 5.1 Portable Atari System
Benjamin Heckerdorn has been making consoles portable for a while, but who knew that he has been getting his paws dirty with console parts for seven years now. In honor of the sevenyeariversary of console modding he created a new revision to his Atari-playing VCSp portable, but it is a bit different this time around because you can actually buy it! Ben will be creating between 20 and 30 of these devices and selling them for around $300 each. More » -
gadgets
HANG & PLAY: Time to Buy More Coats
The Hang & Play coat hangers are just a Felipe Morales concept, but surely these are not at a "could never be reproduced except by a mystical robot from the future that could absolutely never exist because it would destroy, by laser, the great grandmother of its creator when it traveled back in time therefore creating a time paradox which would end the universe" technology. (Like any cool car made in the last ten years seems to be). More »
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By Mark WilsonComment by strider_mt2k: I killed a guy with a trident. I love hook. more » | Other threads
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home entertainment
Atari Father Takes a Poo on PS3
The godfather of the video game industry, Atari-creator Nolan Bushnell, has taken sides with Microsoft and Nintendo in the next gen gaming console wars. In an interview with Red Herring, Bushnell went on record saying "Sony shot themselves in the foot" with regards to the PS3. Adding insult to injury, he also talked smack about the PS2 saying, "it wasn't anything brilliant that they did. With the PS and PS2 it was timing." The PS3 does face an uphill battle price-wise, but after seeing it in action, we certainly wouldn't call it a failure. What do you think folks, agree or disagree with Mr. Atari? More »
atari
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