GoKawiil
Tech News
A new BASIC interpreter called Tiny Basic for Arduino has been released, designed to run on mid-range Arduino boards and microcontrollers. It lets users write, edit, and execute BASIC code directly on the hardware without an external compiler step.
Part 11 of the C64 BASIC Dungeon Crawler tutorial series introduces five dungeon levels, replacing the single-map, single-chalice design from part ten. Each level now requires collecting a growing number of chalices (using the formula CL=INT((LV+1)/2)) before stairs become accessible, with maps regenerated per level using an expanded version of the earlier generator. The updated code is playable and editable directly in the free RGC Online Retro IDE as part11a.bas.
A blog post challenges the common assumption that a post-scarcity, superintelligent-AI future means humans will simply 'hang out' in leisure, as depicted in sci-fi like the Culture novels. The author argues the social structures that normally bring people together—work, education, communities of practice like open-source coding—will be dissolved by AI making human collaboration unnecessary, and that AI-generated content offers an ever-improving alternative to real companionship.
Designer Basic Apple Guy has released a recreation of the default wallpaper seen on Apple's new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, built from assets taken from Apple's 3D product model. The wallpaper has been upscaled and resized for both the Mac Studio Display and 16-inch MacBook Pro, and is available as a free download via his blog until Apple releases an official version.
Go! Retail Group, operating Toys 'R' Us under license from WHP Global, is asking suppliers to accept payment terms of up to 180 days as it plans to open 120 new stores by Thanksgiving, according to the New York Post. That's well beyond the industry-standard 30 to 90 days, and some toymakers say they're wary given the chain's 2017 bankruptcy and 2018 liquidation. Basic Fun CEO Jay Foreman criticized the terms publicly, while Go! Retail CEO Gideon Schlessinger said he has seen no vendor hesitation.
A commentary piece examines whether universal basic income (UBI) programs create durable shifts in recipients' behavior and motivation, rather than just short-term financial relief. The piece opens with an Einstein quote questioning whether people act well only out of fear or reward, framing the discussion of UBI's psychological effects.
A hobbyist programmer has finished a retro-style demoscene intro running on a stock 128Kb ZX Spectrum, featuring a scrolling text with custom fonts, a three-channel AY soundtrack, VU meters and a parallax starfield. The project, started on December 13th, compiles to 10287 bytes of code (19552 bytes as a full tape image), and is available as a downloadable .tap file, a YouTube capture, a pouet.net listing, and a browser-runnable version via the creator's TNFS site.
Atari has reintroduced the 800XL, a hybrid home computer and gaming console from the early 1980s, rebuilt with modern features like HDMI output and USB ports. The $220 unit ships with 25 pre-loaded games, a cartridge slot, a USB-chargeable joystick, and a mechanical keyboard that supports Atari Basic coding and homebrew software. Plaion Replai, the company behind recent Commodore 64 and Neo Geo remakes, designed the hardware, with preorders open now and shipping set for April 23, 2027.
Retro Games Ltd, working with Atari and Plaion, has opened pre-orders for THE 800XL, a modern remake of the 1983 Atari 8-bit home computer. The unit includes a mechanical keyboard, built-in Atari BASIC, a cartridge slot, 25 built-in games plus two unlockable titles, save states, USB ports and HDMI output, bundled with a CX40-style joystick. Pre-orders cost $219, with shipping not expected until April 23, 2027.
Atari is launching a new version of its 8-bit home computer, the 800XL, after 43 years. The device, developed in partnership with Plaion, features updated ports such as HDMI and USB-A, along with a modernized joystick, while maintaining the original mechanical keyboard and compatibility with classic cartridges and software. Preorders are open at $219.99, with shipments expected to begin in April 2027.
Turbo Basic began as Bob Zale's BASIC/Z, the first interactive compiler for CP/M, before Borland International acquired it and released it for MS-DOS in 1987. Borland sold it for only a couple of years before discontinuing it, after which Zale bought back the rights and continued development under the name PowerBASIC. Unlike interpreters such as GWBASIC, Turbo Basic compiled code, removed the 64KB file-size limit, and offered an integrated edit-compile-run development environment.
A new release of Thoreau BASIC, a modernized dialect of the language, introduces built-in commands for file browsing (GETFILES) and interactive list selection (SELECTBOX) with mouse and keyboard support. It also adds STATEWRITE/STATELOAD for checksummed variable checkpointing, CRC32 and TEXTSTATS utilities, and a SYSTEMINFO$ function reporting CPU, AVX2/SSE2 support and build details. The update also includes JIT improvements for floating-point and complex/quaternion/octonion math, plus a RUN fix to avoid stack growth on restart.