Lab Notes
Experiments with computing, electronics, and maker crafts.
Adding a feature to the MEGA65
On every Commodore computer that has a Home key, I routinely hit Home when I mean to hit the Del key. The only way to move the cursor back to where I need it is with the arrow keys. With the MEGA65, I finally have the opportunity to do something about this, once and for all.
Welcome to the MEGA65
The MEGA65 is a new personal computer based on the Commodore 65, the unreleased 1991 sequel to the inimitable Commodore 64 and 128 home computers of the 1980’s. I’m so excited about mine, I wrote the MEGA65 Welcome Guide, a supplementary booklet for new owners.
Electronic Bulletin Boards by Carolyn E. Cooper, a book report
Electronic Bulletin Boards by Carolyn E. Cooper, a book report by Dan Sanderson, age 12. Six handwritten pages, in cursive, with a cover page and five printed pages of figures from a Boise BBS. I got an A+.
What if the Bee had an S?
What would it be like if the #nytspellingbee had an S in it?
@thegridkid is on record as saying an S-Bee would be “too easy,” a nice way of saying it’s difficult to balance difficulty, size, and funness. I wanted a sense of this design space, so I did some computer’ing.
PICO-8 on the RG 351M handheld game console
Wow, #pico8 on the RG 351M handheld game console is fantastic! This one from Anbernic is metal, heavy, with solid controls. $139 USD is pricey but worth it.
Angle math demo in PICO-8
We were discussing angles and coordinates in the #pico8 Discord and I whipped up this quick demo while we were chatting. It’s a neat demo, and super-neat how easy it was to put it together! The value of a tight feedback loop cannot be understated. gist.github.com/dansanderson/2…
PICO-8 fillp shortcuts
DID YOU KNOW: 20 of the #pico8 typeable symbols are predefined fillp() patterns! Pass each one as the argument—without quotes—to get a fill pattern that looks a bit like the symbol.
Clockwork DevTerm and PICO-8
I wrote up my Clockwork #DevTerm adventures as a review and #pico8 tutorial on the PICO-8 BBS. Enjoy! lexaloffle.com/bbs/?tid=44522
