retrocomputing

Developer Salvatore Sanfilippo, known as antirez and the creator of Redis, has released a Commodore 64 hardware simulator on GitHub. The tool models the machine's circuitry at a level where users can deliberately break chips or individual pins and observe the effects on the system. It is drawing attention from retrocomputing and electronics enthusiasts curious about low-level hardware behaviour.

Paul Flo Williams' annotated disassembly of the DEC VT100 terminal's firmware is circulating again among retrocomputing enthusiasts. The project documents the 1978 terminal's 8080 assembly code in detail, explaining how DEC implemented its control sequences and character rendering. Readers are revisiting it as a well-preserved example of early hardware-software co-design, and it remains a key reference for anyone studying classic computer terminals.

A developer has released VMMouse for NT 3.x, a driver that adds QEMU and VMware mouse integration to Microsoft's early-1990s operating system. With it installed, the pointer moves seamlessly between guest and host without needing to click and release, as with modern virtual machines. The project is drawing attention from retrocomputing enthusiasts who enjoy keeping legacy Windows versions usable in emulators.

A hobbyist has built a fully functional 16-bit magnetic core memory unit as a DIY project, demonstrating a working version of the storage technology that predated modern silicon RAM. The build showcases hand-wound core arrays that can store and read 16 bits of data, drawing interest from electronics and retrocomputing enthusiasts who admire the rare hands-on revival of 1950s-era computing hardware.

A regular programming show has resumed its usual schedule, with the latest episode featuring Jeff Shrager, Kent Pitman and Ramin Honary on air, plus audience participation in a MOO virtual reality space. The discussion covered Lisp, 3-Lisp and retrocomputing topics, with the host praising the episode as great.