Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Ian Scott

@polpo.org

3K followers 680 following 870 posts

I created PicoGUS, an ISA card that can emulate sound cards like the Gravis Ultrasound, Sound Blaster, and MPU-401: https://picog.us I’m a retrocomputing generalist! Also on Fedi at https://chaos.social/@polpo In Colorado, USA

picog.us

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Ian Scott @polpo.org · Oct 22

I make things for old computers and like using them in fun ways. Most people know me for PicoGUS, a sound card emulator for mid-90s PCs. I'm making a card for the Sharp X68000 now, and when I get the chance I try to do things like hook an old Macintosh up to barbed wire and print over it.

A PicoGUS 2.0 card - a squareish red board with an edge connector for an ISA slot, a metal bracket, 3.5mm jacks, and a USB-A port.

A somewhat large, squareish shaped circuit board. It says "X68000 dev breakout board" on it with a halftone dot version of the Longcat meme photo. There is a pin header and edge connector slot on the right side of the board.

A Macintosh SE/30 set up on a desk next to a barbed wire fence that is inside in an office-like environment. There is a push button telephone on the fence post. The Mac is connected to the fence with a set of alligator clips.

2 6 47

Reposted by Ian Scott

Robert Sundling @robertsundling.bsky.social · 21h

It's time! After 33 years, I'm adding Gravis UltraSound support to my DOS game engine. 😄

I never owned a GUS back in the day, so it never happened. Now I've got a PicoGUS from @polpo.org (and a great emulator from @86box.net). So off we go!

Step 1A: I mirrored the final GUS SDK (v2.22) on GitHub.

GitHub - RobertSundling/GUSDK222: Gravis UltraSound, PC GamePad, and Analog Pro SDK V2.22 (GUSDK222.ZIP)

Gravis UltraSound, PC GamePad, and Analog Pro SDK V2.22 (GUSDK222.ZIP) - RobertSundling/GUSDK222

github.com

1 9 21

Ian Scott @polpo.org · 1d

I've heard of her, she's Upper Pines Dump Station's most famous resident.

Ian Scott @polpo.org · 1d

it me.

The Onion @theonion.com · 1d

Passenger Glued To Airplane Window Like It Fucking 1956 https://theonion.com/passenger-glued-to-airplane-window-like-it-fucking-1956-1832728158/

4 24

Reposted by Ian Scott

Jason Scott @textfiles.com · 2d

Okay, it's time. I have a prized Cult of the dead cow Zippo lighter. These simply do not exist anywhere. But a CDC member is hurting and I want to encourage donations to the GoFundMe, so out it goes. Details in thread.

2 56 140

Ian Scott @polpo.org · 2d

I’ve long wondered what the tech was behind these boardwalk computer photos!

1 1

Ian Scott @polpo.org · 2d

🫡

Reposted by Ian Scott

Kate @katef.bsky.social · 5d

i drew a 0603 resistor and a capacitor today

an isometric diagrammatic pencil drawing of a single resistor and a single capacitor, with dimensions indicated. the capacitor is taller (by exactly how much depends on the manufacturer). the terminals differ for both, for the resistor they wrap around the ends only, leaving no solderable surface on the sides. for the capacitor the ends are capped, as if the capacitor were dipped end-on into jelly or some kind of glue, or perhaps hot sugar or possibly fondued. but just on the ends

13 14 170

Ian Scott @polpo.org · 3d

always great to see someone I follow following the Iron Chef bot

Reposted by Ian Scott

GutBomb @gutbomb.net · 5d

Hey I finally got an everdrive for my NES but it didn’t have a cartridge shell so I just used one from an old sports game and cut a hole for the SD card.

7 8 32

Ian Scott @polpo.org · 5d

Of course! I even dug into an .mbox archive on archive.org to corroborate.

Ian Scott @polpo.org · 5d

Stumbled on a reddit thread with people calling a Usenet post from 1994 fake because it was archived on Google Groups. Excuse me while I crumble away to dust.

4 33

Ian Scott @polpo.org · 6d

I have no idea how your local flea has such good stuff.

Ian Scott @polpo.org · 6d

Hi, ⚠Invalid Handle!

Ian Scott @polpo.org · 7d

This feels like something McMaster would have a .step available of. But what's the fun in that?!

1 2

Ian Scott @polpo.org · 8d

Our former neighbors who are queer just left for Portugal permanently a couple weeks ago. Their red line was November 2024 and they planned for months to get everything in order to be able to go.

Ian Scott @polpo.org · 8d

Nice! This is very well photographed, BTW

1 2

Ian Scott @polpo.org · 9d

I got my boards around the same time. Seems that par for the course with JLCPCB, they are inconsistent with data entry in their catalog. Some say X-ray is required, some don't, even though they have the exact same footprint. The MSL they have for these parts varies wildly too (datasheet says MSL 3)

Ian Scott @polpo.org · 9d

Oh jeez me too. It's been 25 years since I've played it but I still remember.

Ian Scott @polpo.org · 10d

Like twins separated at birth!

Ian Scott @polpo.org · 10d

2097 is so much better than the original, it’s a good thing that was your first one!

They nailed the aesthetics on the original, but it was just not fun as a game due to the sticky walls, and 2097 fixed that.

1 4

Reposted by Ian Scott

Natalie @nataliethenerd.com · 12d

Bluesky exclusive

20 150 880

Reposted by Ian Scott

Ian Hanschen @furan.bsky.social · 12d

The masses were robbed of bicolor dot matrix vacuum fluorescent displays.

4 29

Ian Scott @polpo.org · 13d

I noticed that somewhat recently, eBay now asks for you to give feedback on the item, not on the seller. I don't really know what to put in any more, especially on unique items which is most of what I get on eBay. Makes me not want to fill out feedback which I used to be really good about doing.

3 7

Ian Scott @polpo.org · 13d

You're welcome!!

Ian Scott @polpo.org · 13d

Soooo... you could hack something with the little micro USB connector on the bottom edge. It's purposefully placed so you don't plug stuff into it at the same time as the USB-A connector, and it doesn't provide power on its own, but with some creative use of adapters it could be made to work.