Latest in old school

Ah, the humble keyboard key. Each computer user has over a hundred of them at his disposal, but most of us don’t give them a moment’s thought (except, maybe, to hunt-and-peck if you’re not a touch typist). Using the keyboard almost exclusively is one of the hallmarks of the skilled computer user, but even the nerdiest of users is usually limited to just typing and using hotkey combinations. But what if there was another way to use your keyboard?
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What was the first website to ever be published? What was the first Amazon item ever ordered? What is the first line to ever be tweeted? Curious? So was I. After several hours of extensive research, I came up with some very interesting answers. Buckle your seatbelts, we’re going back in time!
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There are a lot of exciting new Web technologies emerging at the moment, with Google’s Native Client joining HTML5 and CSS3 in paving the way to a more versatile and interactive Internet. Robert Isaacs has put this technology to good use with NaClBox, a version of DOSBox that runs in Google’s Chrome browser. The project is a little over a year old and has recently launched a closed beta for the site’s most exciting feature - the ability to upload your own DOS games and store them in the cloud.
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Times change, and I understand that; but does that mean I cannot yearn for the old days? I cannot be the only one who misses some things about the good old days of video games, a time when things were simpler. A time when fuzzy puppy dogs and rainbows abounded, and everyone was happy. That is not to say that I do not love modern video games, because obviously I do, seeing as I write a weekly column.
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A little later than advertised, it’s time to take a second look at chiptune creation, this week focusing on using hardware in the form of native music trackers that run on original systems. If it’s software trackers you’re after then check the previous article, and if you’re just interested in listening to chiptune then we’ve got some great resources for that too. Today might just be the day you dust off your old Game Boy, dig out the Commodore 64 and start creating chiptune like a pro.
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The art of creating demos - non-interactive, animated digital bragging rights - has its roots within the cracking subculture of yore. Upon cracking a piece of software, pirates would often add their own intro or “crack screens” which initially were quite plain, eventually evolving into increasingly technical and impressive animations.
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Last week, I made my attempt at welcoming newbies to the wonderful world of Internet Relay Chats. This week, we're going to step things up to the next level for those of you who have decided that HydraIRC belongs in your taskbar. If you're anything like me, you feel it's necessary to be in 50 different channels at once. It's time for you to learn how to save yourself a lot of time at every startup.
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You may be taking your Skype instant messaging and video calls or your iPhone FaceTime for granted, but way back before the standalone IM client was even an idea, there was one major solution: IRC (Internet Relay Chat). There are a lot of multi-IM clients that support the IRC protocol, but nothing really beats the efficiency and oldschool feel of a standalone chat client.
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There are a lot of really weird things that you can accomplish when you start combining different technologies that exist today. Today, you've got email, text messaging, RSS feeds, chat rooms, and countless other text-based methods to communicate. There are so many ways to communicate information to each other, that sometimes it's easy to forget all of the methods we've used in the past to communicate.
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Telnet is one of those tech terms you may occasionally hear, but not in an ad or a feature laundry list of any product you may buy. That’s because it’s a protocol, or a language used to talk to computers and other machines; not only that, but Telnet is actually ancient in Internet terms, dating back from 1973. So what is Telnet, and what is it good for, anyway?
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Good Old Games, or GOG for short, is a service that specialises in charming games of years gone by. If you’re a Windows user then you’ve pretty much got complete access to the entire catalogue, from old-school shooters to those resource management RTS games they just don’t make any more.
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Today we're lucky enough to be able to enjoy a selection of the Sierra On-Line back catalogue without dusting off floppies or paying a penny. Not only are there some originals online for your retro-inspired pleasure, but there are also a few decent modern remakes and a series of free independent King's Quest-inspired titles to enjoy as well.
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Windows 7 still features a command prompt window. so there's still a place for DOS commands. So for those of you that like the idea of typing in a few commands to avoid the hassle of several mouse clicks, I'm going to review eight of what I consider to be the most essential and helpful DOS commands that are still available in Windows 7.
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Check out the ultimate in fan-created Mario goodness: Super Mario Brothers X. This game combines elements from every Mario game ever made into one, and the result is a lot of fun. While the level design is far from perfect you shouldn't miss out on this free download for Windows. It's free, so you have nothing to lose by trying it out.
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It’s easy to take your keyboard for granted.  They don’t seem to do anything besides sit on your desk, resisting the punishment of your fingertips. Upon closer examination, however, the keyboard becomes very important. It is, along with your mouse, one of two ways that you interact with your computer. And if you’re like me, [...]
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