Rick Swartz
@swartz.bsky.social
swartz_de everywhere else. Ur-Pälzer. Hi there, I'm an old ex-Californian living in Germany since '82. I tend to discuss retro technology with a focus on Pocket Computers. #ポケコン
Reposted by Rick Swartz
🧵 It’s nighttime in Dublin. The skies have turned from flickering gold to the darkest of blues. Even in big cities colour is all around us & I find it inspiring. My art is about evoking the colours of nature to bring joy to the viewer. Here’s some happiness in a thread, to see in your home! [1]
July 28, 2025 at 11:56 PM
🧵 It’s nighttime in Dublin. The skies have turned from flickering gold to the darkest of blues. Even in big cities colour is all around us & I find it inspiring. My art is about evoking the colours of nature to bring joy to the viewer. Here’s some happiness in a thread, to see in your home! [1]
Reposted by Rick Swartz
I'd gladly trade Gemini for a return of Google+ ngl
April 24, 2025 at 10:13 PM
I'd gladly trade Gemini for a return of Google+ ngl
Nah, it'll never catch on. youtu.be/W8-54-9J9ns
1981: How COMPUTER GRAPHICS Will Change the World | Horizon | Retro Tech | BBC Archive
YouTube video by BBC Archive
youtu.be
April 16, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Nah, it'll never catch on. youtu.be/W8-54-9J9ns
Reposted by Rick Swartz
sometimes I feel like a dinosaur, cause no one looks anything up anymore 🦕
April 5, 2025 at 4:15 PM
sometimes I feel like a dinosaur, cause no one looks anything up anymore 🦕
A picture of our old water tower & the absolute explosion of greenery happening right now. I pass by here daily on the way to work and shout a picture before you can't see anything through the trees. We should finally get some much needed rain today, but at the moment, it's still quite nice.
April 15, 2025 at 5:04 PM
A picture of our old water tower & the absolute explosion of greenery happening right now. I pass by here daily on the way to work and shout a picture before you can't see anything through the trees. We should finally get some much needed rain today, but at the moment, it's still quite nice.
Reposted by Rick Swartz
sorry for the downtime, it's fixed now! SPACEHEY IS BACK! 🥳
April 8, 2025 at 6:04 PM
sorry for the downtime, it's fixed now! SPACEHEY IS BACK! 🥳
Reposted by Rick Swartz
Tempest 2000 was a fabulous remake of one of my favourite arcade games. Played it for hours on end. He’s only gone and done it again. Can’t wait for this!
Anyway now the cat's out of the bag I need to carry on with the last bits of psvr2 fettling. 🐂
February 12, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Tempest 2000 was a fabulous remake of one of my favourite arcade games. Played it for hours on end. He’s only gone and done it again. Can’t wait for this!
🧵1/11 Hello friends! Here's another Twitter-necro thread. You're welcome! This time, it's about my company and not tiny vintage computers.
BASF, where I've worked for 41 years now, is a big company. You could fit the country of Monaco inside the Ludwigshafen site about 3 times.
BASF, where I've worked for 41 years now, is a big company. You could fit the country of Monaco inside the Ludwigshafen site about 3 times.
February 12, 2025 at 9:13 AM
🧵1/11 Hello friends! Here's another Twitter-necro thread. You're welcome! This time, it's about my company and not tiny vintage computers.
BASF, where I've worked for 41 years now, is a big company. You could fit the country of Monaco inside the Ludwigshafen site about 3 times.
BASF, where I've worked for 41 years now, is a big company. You could fit the country of Monaco inside the Ludwigshafen site about 3 times.
Reposted by Rick Swartz
Reposted by Rick Swartz
Or maybe not. Thanks to @thelastpsion.com for discovering this. Looks like it is officially endorsed by Microsoft. Though very naughty of them not to mention it in the email, or make AI an opt-in. Sigh.
Switching to Microsoft 365 Personal and Family Classic Plans - Microsoft SupportYour Privacy Choices Opt-Out Icon
Learn how to switch to a Microsoft 365 subscription plan without AI features, which include Microsoft 365 Basic, Microsoft 365 Personal Classic and Microsoft 365 Family Classic.
support.microsoft.com
January 20, 2025 at 10:29 AM
Or maybe not. Thanks to @thelastpsion.com for discovering this. Looks like it is officially endorsed by Microsoft. Though very naughty of them not to mention it in the email, or make AI an opt-in. Sigh.
Reposted by Rick Swartz
January 4, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Reposted by Rick Swartz
One of the most unsual x86 compatible CPUs we have seen, Transmeta's design tried todo things very differently. Some of technology is still around today in moden x86-64 chips youtu.be/U2aQTJDJwd8
Transmeta: A CPU Revolution That Never Was
YouTube video by RetroBytes
youtu.be
January 19, 2025 at 9:28 AM
One of the most unsual x86 compatible CPUs we have seen, Transmeta's design tried todo things very differently. Some of technology is still around today in moden x86-64 chips youtu.be/U2aQTJDJwd8
"Yeah, it has a touch of patina, but cell phone reception is phenomenal."
January 19, 2025 at 6:31 AM
"Yeah, it has a touch of patina, but cell phone reception is phenomenal."
Reposted by Rick Swartz
This is going to be a VGA interface for the PET. I hope, I will find a display, that is able to sync with the CRTC machines (8032). I was initially looking for an RGBI interface for the miniPET. Found a circuit and thought, I might try something for the PET, first.
January 18, 2025 at 12:23 PM
This is going to be a VGA interface for the PET. I hope, I will find a display, that is able to sync with the CRTC machines (8032). I was initially looking for an RGBI interface for the miniPET. Found a circuit and thought, I might try something for the PET, first.
🧵1/6 Back in December I acquired a "Junk" #Sharp PC-E550 through Mercari. It turns out, it truly is junk. The battery leakage has even destroyed the keyboard traces. RIP, my little pocket computer friend.😢🕯️
Although the insides can't be saved, all isn't totally lost. #ポケコン #Takethedamnbatteriesout
Although the insides can't be saved, all isn't totally lost. #ポケコン #Takethedamnbatteriesout
January 2, 2025 at 8:15 PM
🧵1/6 Back in December I acquired a "Junk" #Sharp PC-E550 through Mercari. It turns out, it truly is junk. The battery leakage has even destroyed the keyboard traces. RIP, my little pocket computer friend.😢🕯️
Although the insides can't be saved, all isn't totally lost. #ポケコン #Takethedamnbatteriesout
Although the insides can't be saved, all isn't totally lost. #ポケコン #Takethedamnbatteriesout
When encountering strange behaviour trying to port a program, you might want to check if some fundamental function has been changed between versions. And Sharp, why did you change the 254 character unDIMed string length we had in the E5xx series back to 7 in the G85x? #ポケコン #twitterarchive
January 1, 2025 at 9:07 PM
When encountering strange behaviour trying to port a program, you might want to check if some fundamental function has been changed between versions. And Sharp, why did you change the 254 character unDIMed string length we had in the E5xx series back to 7 in the G85x? #ポケコン #twitterarchive
Happy New Year from downtown Germany!
December 31, 2024 at 11:05 PM
Happy New Year from downtown Germany!
🧵1/7 Hello friends! I finally got around to taking a closer look at a Sharp PC-G850 I got as part of a job lot. It powers on but the display has some missing pixel columns; a typical problem on these units. It also has 1 *row* of missing pixels near the bottom that has a different cause. #ポケコン
December 31, 2024 at 7:44 PM
🧵1/7 Hello friends! I finally got around to taking a closer look at a Sharp PC-G850 I got as part of a job lot. It powers on but the display has some missing pixel columns; a typical problem on these units. It also has 1 *row* of missing pixels near the bottom that has a different cause. #ポケコン
Reposted by Rick Swartz
Fixing vinegar syndrome LCD displays is one of the most nasty things I think I've ever done, smells horrible. Way worse than capacitor fluid
December 30, 2024 at 9:47 PM
Fixing vinegar syndrome LCD displays is one of the most nasty things I think I've ever done, smells horrible. Way worse than capacitor fluid
I've fallen over this same problem before, but forgot about it and now I'm going to write it down so I can find it again. So mostly a memo to myself, I guess. If you find yourself having trouble with 2fa in form of an authenticator app, switch off your VPN.
December 31, 2024 at 10:24 AM
I've fallen over this same problem before, but forgot about it and now I'm going to write it down so I can find it again. So mostly a memo to myself, I guess. If you find yourself having trouble with 2fa in form of an authenticator app, switch off your VPN.
I'll be reviving old Twitter necro threads here, to keep the information accessible in multiple places. For those of you that follow me on twitter, please excuse the regurgitated content.
December 31, 2024 at 10:20 AM
I'll be reviving old Twitter necro threads here, to keep the information accessible in multiple places. For those of you that follow me on twitter, please excuse the regurgitated content.
#Casio really loved this case design and used it for quite a few products. I agree with them, it's compact and the clam shell design protects the screen and keyboard. The membrane keyboard they used is probably as good as they get. The four pictured here : fx-7500G, FC-1000, SF-4000 and DK-1000s
December 31, 2024 at 10:05 AM
#Casio really loved this case design and used it for quite a few products. I agree with them, it's compact and the clam shell design protects the screen and keyboard. The membrane keyboard they used is probably as good as they get. The four pictured here : fx-7500G, FC-1000, SF-4000 and DK-1000s
Reposted by Rick Swartz
Let's start with the Zootiest Zoot Suit that there ever was, shall we?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlE-...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlE-...
Cab Calloway & his Band - Geechy Joe - Stormy Weather (1943)
YouTube video by bessjazz
www.youtube.com
December 7, 2024 at 1:48 PM
Let's start with the Zootiest Zoot Suit that there ever was, shall we?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlE-...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlE-...