Benj Edwards
@benjedwards.com
Senior AI Reporter, Ars Technica. Tech Historian. Bylines Fast Company / The Atlantic / Retronauts. http://www.benjedwards.com Founder http://Vintagecomputing.com
Pinned
Benj Edwards
@benjedwards.com
· Nov 8
Vintage Computing and Gaming
VC&G is a blog about computer, video game, and technology history founded in 2005 and run by Benj Edwards.
www.vintagecomputing.com
Someone suggested I start a retro tech blog—I already did in 2005! 😁 www.vintagecomputing.com
560+ more works: www.benjedwards.com/works.php
Culture of Tech podcast: www.thecultureoftech.com
Retro works for HTG: www.howtogeek.com/826448/best-...
MIT Press book: mitpress.mit.edu/978026204506...
560+ more works: www.benjedwards.com/works.php
Culture of Tech podcast: www.thecultureoftech.com
Retro works for HTG: www.howtogeek.com/826448/best-...
MIT Press book: mitpress.mit.edu/978026204506...
Reposted by Benj Edwards
The word ‘phantom’ stems from the same root as ‘photo’, ‘phase’, ‘phenomenon’, ‘fantasy’, and ‘fancy’.
The reconstructed meaning of this root is “to shine”.
Many words were derived from it.
It’s their Ancient Greek descendants that became the words above.
Zoom in on my graphic to learn more:
The reconstructed meaning of this root is “to shine”.
Many words were derived from it.
It’s their Ancient Greek descendants that became the words above.
Zoom in on my graphic to learn more:
January 10, 2026 at 7:31 PM
The word ‘phantom’ stems from the same root as ‘photo’, ‘phase’, ‘phenomenon’, ‘fantasy’, and ‘fancy’.
The reconstructed meaning of this root is “to shine”.
Many words were derived from it.
It’s their Ancient Greek descendants that became the words above.
Zoom in on my graphic to learn more:
The reconstructed meaning of this root is “to shine”.
Many words were derived from it.
It’s their Ancient Greek descendants that became the words above.
Zoom in on my graphic to learn more:
Reposted by Benj Edwards
It's kinda hypnotic when upping the ball count from 1,000 to 10,000.
January 10, 2026 at 2:53 AM
It's kinda hypnotic when upping the ball count from 1,000 to 10,000.
Reposted by Benj Edwards
Philadelphia sheriff Rochelle Bilal:
“No law enforcement professional wears a mask…No law enforcement professional shoots at a moving vehicle.
“What Trump’s private army is doing…is not only against legal law, but moral law.”
Vows to arrest agents on site who commit crimes.
“No law enforcement professional wears a mask…No law enforcement professional shoots at a moving vehicle.
“What Trump’s private army is doing…is not only against legal law, but moral law.”
Vows to arrest agents on site who commit crimes.
January 9, 2026 at 10:11 PM
Philadelphia sheriff Rochelle Bilal:
“No law enforcement professional wears a mask…No law enforcement professional shoots at a moving vehicle.
“What Trump’s private army is doing…is not only against legal law, but moral law.”
Vows to arrest agents on site who commit crimes.
“No law enforcement professional wears a mask…No law enforcement professional shoots at a moving vehicle.
“What Trump’s private army is doing…is not only against legal law, but moral law.”
Vows to arrest agents on site who commit crimes.
Reposted by Benj Edwards
how nobly it raises our conceit of the mighty, misty monster, to behold him solemnly sailing through a calm tropical sea; his vast, mild head overhung by a canopy of vapour
January 10, 2026 at 3:47 AM
how nobly it raises our conceit of the mighty, misty monster, to behold him solemnly sailing through a calm tropical sea; his vast, mild head overhung by a canopy of vapour
Reposted by Benj Edwards
Sometimes you just have to let @lopatto.bsky.social say it out loud www.theverge.com/policy/85990...
Tim Cook and Sundar Pichai are cowards
Once you’ve traded your principles for proximity to power, do you even run your own company?
www.theverge.com
January 9, 2026 at 9:29 PM
Sometimes you just have to let @lopatto.bsky.social say it out loud www.theverge.com/policy/85990...
I keep wondering how much worse our country can get, but I am not sure there is a real bottom to this black hole of self-destruction
Am I gonna open the news in one year and see "Trump eats clown baby while nude at press conference," and read "'The baby clown was clearly attacking him,' says Noem."
Am I gonna open the news in one year and see "Trump eats clown baby while nude at press conference," and read "'The baby clown was clearly attacking him,' says Noem."
January 8, 2026 at 10:04 PM
I keep wondering how much worse our country can get, but I am not sure there is a real bottom to this black hole of self-destruction
Am I gonna open the news in one year and see "Trump eats clown baby while nude at press conference," and read "'The baby clown was clearly attacking him,' says Noem."
Am I gonna open the news in one year and see "Trump eats clown baby while nude at press conference," and read "'The baby clown was clearly attacking him,' says Noem."
Reposted by Benj Edwards
If you enjoyed my posts about Metroid games you might like to learn that I made a fully drawn strategy guide for the original game several years ago. It's free! www.handdrawngameguides.com/free-guides/...
January 8, 2026 at 5:53 PM
If you enjoyed my posts about Metroid games you might like to learn that I made a fully drawn strategy guide for the original game several years ago. It's free! www.handdrawngameguides.com/free-guides/...
This is a neat game
January 8, 2026 at 5:36 PM
This is a neat game
Reposted by Benj Edwards
congrats for minting "the clicktatorship"
a bit jealous tbh
a bit jealous tbh
New, from me: The Trump administration isn’t just using social media to shape a narrative. They view the world through a social media lens in a way that is plausibly corrupting their judgment and undermining their performance.
Welcome to the clicktatorship. 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/life-under...
Welcome to the clicktatorship. 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/life-under...
Life Under a Clicktatorship
What happens to government when everything is content?
donmoynihan.substack.com
January 8, 2026 at 2:56 PM
congrats for minting "the clicktatorship"
a bit jealous tbh
a bit jealous tbh
Reposted by Benj Edwards
Forensic analysis of objective video evidence. This is how you serve readers searching for clarity.
January 8, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Forensic analysis of objective video evidence. This is how you serve readers searching for clarity.
Yoshi music timeline cleanse 😁
January 8, 2026 at 12:46 PM
Yoshi music timeline cleanse 😁
My kingdom for a nice HDMI monitor with not only speakers (common) but dedicated volume buttons (never made??)
January 7, 2026 at 10:32 PM
My kingdom for a nice HDMI monitor with not only speakers (common) but dedicated volume buttons (never made??)
Reposted by Benj Edwards
I'm already seeing people on here use AI face tools to try to identify the masked ICE agent in Minneapolis. It's a truly terrible idea and here's why
January 7, 2026 at 10:15 PM
I'm already seeing people on here use AI face tools to try to identify the masked ICE agent in Minneapolis. It's a truly terrible idea and here's why
Reposted by Benj Edwards
Astronaut snaps spectacular photo of lightning above Italy www.popsci.com/science/astr...
Astronaut snaps spectacular photo of lightning above Italy
NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers spotted the summer storm while aboard the International Space Station.
www.popsci.com
January 7, 2026 at 9:44 PM
Astronaut snaps spectacular photo of lightning above Italy www.popsci.com/science/astr...
Reposted by Benj Edwards
If your coding agent hits a brick wall, ask it: "What knowledge would it take for you to make this work perfectly? What is
currently unknown?"
This is very illuminating and can lay out next steps
currently unknown?"
This is very illuminating and can lay out next steps
January 7, 2026 at 3:16 PM
If your coding agent hits a brick wall, ask it: "What knowledge would it take for you to make this work perfectly? What is
currently unknown?"
This is very illuminating and can lay out next steps
currently unknown?"
This is very illuminating and can lay out next steps
Ruin a brand by making one word plural:
Fruit by the Feet
Fruit by the Feet
January 7, 2026 at 12:55 PM
Ruin a brand by making one word plural:
Fruit by the Feet
Fruit by the Feet
I’d play “You” 😁
accidentally introduced a bug to the game where all the text got replaced with "you"
January 7, 2026 at 12:47 PM
I’d play “You” 😁
Reposted by Benj Edwards
Live on the free feed: @jparish.bsky.social @atariarchive.org @benjedwards.com & @pettycommajared.bsky.social welcome you to 2026 with talk of 1976 & 1986
retronauts.com/article/2469...
retronauts.com/article/2469...
a picture of fireworks with the date july 4 1986
Alt: a blurry GIF of fireworks on july 4 1986 (quite the celebration that day)
media.tenor.com
January 7, 2026 at 12:05 PM
Live on the free feed: @jparish.bsky.social @atariarchive.org @benjedwards.com & @pettycommajared.bsky.social welcome you to 2026 with talk of 1976 & 1986
retronauts.com/article/2469...
retronauts.com/article/2469...
Reposted by Benj Edwards
Timelessly, fiendishly addictive, and what feels like a forerunner to the indie Simulator craze: a fine example of UK microcomputer games spinning a game off the most mundane of premises. And it's so well-crafted and executed.
📺: Trashman, New Generation Software, 1984 (ZX Spectrum)
📺: Trashman, New Generation Software, 1984 (ZX Spectrum)
January 7, 2026 at 12:42 PM
Timelessly, fiendishly addictive, and what feels like a forerunner to the indie Simulator craze: a fine example of UK microcomputer games spinning a game off the most mundane of premises. And it's so well-crafted and executed.
📺: Trashman, New Generation Software, 1984 (ZX Spectrum)
📺: Trashman, New Generation Software, 1984 (ZX Spectrum)
Reposted by Benj Edwards
Okay, I love this
With Claude Code, I created a text-based mouse GUI that simulates a 1984 Macintosh
Drag-drop icons, scrollbars, resizable windows, menus
Five working apps: MacWrite, MacPaint, Terminal, Calculator, and Puzzle!
Telnet to port 1984 or use the web terminal link below:
www.vintagecomputing.com/1984/
Drag-drop icons, scrollbars, resizable windows, menus
Five working apps: MacWrite, MacPaint, Terminal, Calculator, and Puzzle!
Telnet to port 1984 or use the web terminal link below:
www.vintagecomputing.com/1984/
January 6, 2026 at 6:24 PM
Okay, I love this
Reposted by Benj Edwards
This is immensely nerdy magic.
With Claude Code, I created a text-based mouse GUI that simulates a 1984 Macintosh
Drag-drop icons, scrollbars, resizable windows, menus
Five working apps: MacWrite, MacPaint, Terminal, Calculator, and Puzzle!
Telnet to port 1984 or use the web terminal link below:
www.vintagecomputing.com/1984/
Drag-drop icons, scrollbars, resizable windows, menus
Five working apps: MacWrite, MacPaint, Terminal, Calculator, and Puzzle!
Telnet to port 1984 or use the web terminal link below:
www.vintagecomputing.com/1984/
January 6, 2026 at 4:16 PM
This is immensely nerdy magic.
Reposted by Benj Edwards
You know, Benj, I was just messing with an idea in a somewhat similar wheelhose.
bsky.app/profile/erni...
bsky.app/profile/erni...
For kicks messing around with a tool that converts SVG into RIPscrip. Here’s a resulting file in Pablodraw, a RIP file viewer.
January 6, 2026 at 4:17 PM
You know, Benj, I was just messing with an idea in a somewhat similar wheelhose.
bsky.app/profile/erni...
bsky.app/profile/erni...
Reposted by Benj Edwards
Oh my this is fun!
With Claude Code, I created a text-based mouse GUI that simulates a 1984 Macintosh
Drag-drop icons, scrollbars, resizable windows, menus
Five working apps: MacWrite, MacPaint, Terminal, Calculator, and Puzzle!
Telnet to port 1984 or use the web terminal link below:
www.vintagecomputing.com/1984/
Drag-drop icons, scrollbars, resizable windows, menus
Five working apps: MacWrite, MacPaint, Terminal, Calculator, and Puzzle!
Telnet to port 1984 or use the web terminal link below:
www.vintagecomputing.com/1984/
January 6, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Oh my this is fun!
Reposted by Benj Edwards
Pandemonium — Gustave Doré
August 13, 2024 at 10:36 PM
Pandemonium — Gustave Doré