| Rare Commodore KIM-1 hits eBay, shows you the PET's barebones roots May 16th 2012, 20:00  Most of us think of Commodore's pre-C64 computing history in terms of the still-legendary PET-2001, but an eBay auction run by Lawrence Bezuska shows just how far back the tradition really goes. He's selling a KIM-1, the stripped-down hobbyist computer from Chuck Peddle that was the foundation for what the PET became. It's so old that it was originally made by MOS Technologies in 1976 -- Commodore bought the company and kept making the KIM-1 until 1981. Inside, you're still looking at a 6502 chip, although you get just 1.12Kb of RAM and lose more than a few things that even DIY enthusiasts take for granted today, such as a power supply. There's no way you'll play Doom on it, then, but the winning bidder does get the luxury of a keypad just inches away from bare circuitry. If you're quick enough to make the May 17th auction deadline and miss the days of very, very low-level programming, be sure to check the source link. Rare Commodore KIM-1 hits eBay, shows you the PET's barebones roots originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 May 2012 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  Retro Thing |  eBay | Email this | Comments | | Eton anticipates next natural disaster with self-powered FRX radios May 16th 2012, 19:38  Eton, the name behind solar-powered sound systems and emergency radios, is updating its disaster-preparedness portfolio with the new FRX series of self-powered radios. The FRX 1, FRX 2 and FRX 3 use hand-turbine energy to keep the internal lithium ion battery juiced, and all include a glow-in-the-dark indicator, LED flashlight and DC input. While the FRX 1 offers only the basic components, the FRX 2 and 3 have solar panels for recharging, along with a headphone jack and a USB port for powering other gadgets. The FRX 3 boasts a digital alarm and radio -- as opposed to the analog radio on the FRX 2 -- and a display for receiving NOAA weather alerts. Eton priced the radios at $25, $40 and $60, respectively, and it's currently selling the three options with American Red Cross co-branding at outlets such as Amazon, Best Buy and REI. Realizing your crank-powered Raptor is on its last legs? Check out the PR past the break. Continue reading Eton anticipates next natural disaster with self-powered FRX radios Eton anticipates next natural disaster with self-powered FRX radios originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 May 2012 15:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | |
