David L. Farquhar on technology old and new, computer security, and more
An unassuming chip, labeled VTI 73192 E4002, lurks within the Atari compatibility products of the 1980s that made Coleco and other video game consoles compatible with the Atari 2600. Here’s what that chip does and why it was important.
The Marx Bogota passenger car was a 6-inch passenger car based on the design Marx used for its 6-inch freights. The basic design underwent some changes and updates over the years, but Marx used the name from 1935 to 1942, then resumed production in 1946 and continued until 1961.
I’m not sure anyone likes refilling their Weed Eater or other string trimmer. Once you’ve done it a few times, it’s not the worst chore in the world, but if I told you how to make your string trimmer line last longer, I don’t think anyone would object to it. Especially since you can make it last longer almost for free. Soak your Weed Eater string in water to make it last longer.
The IBM PC/XT-286, also known as the IBM 5162 or IBM model 5162, was a short-lived computer from IBM announced in 1986 and released in 1987. It was a difficult computer to understand at the time, and had a mixed reception when it was new, although it has a cult following today. In this blog post, I’ll explain what was wrong with this PC at the time, and what makes it appealing to hobbyists now.
YouTuber Adrian Black was repairing a dilapidated AT motherboard with battery damage and mentioned how tedious it is to remove motherboard plastic standoffs with needle nose pliers and other tools. I have an unconventional but cheap and effective motherboard plastic standoff removal tool. I’ve been using it since the early ’90s.
Are Lionel trains O gauge? Lionel’s brand name practically became synonymous with O gauge, but not all O gauge trains are Lionel. And not all Lionel trains are O gauge either.
Sometimes you need to merge some MP4 video files from the command line. Here’s how to use a command line tool, ffmpeg, to merge video. It may be a little harder to learn than a GUI tool. But it’s much easier to automate, which is helpful if you have a large number of video clips to merge or concatenate together.
Plantronics color was a superset of CGA, introduced in 1982, similar to but not compatible with the extended color modes in the IBM PCjr and Tandy 1000.
As a security professional, I frequently get questions about security careers. One common topic is the role of SOC analyst. What is a SOC analyst, and is a SOC analyst a good job? Those are fair questions, and not necessarily as straightforward as it first sounds.
Marx roadbed track is a curiosity today, but it was a cheap way for them to improve their track in the 1960s to try to make their trains more competitive.