Latest news with #Analogue
Forbes
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
The Analogue Duo Makes Classic TurboGrafx-16 Games Accessible Again
The Analogue Duo can play classic PC Engine and TurboGrafx-16 games without the need for emulation. For fans of the TurboGrafx and PC Engine, the Analogue Duo has a lot to offer and allows these classic systems to breathe life into their software libraries once more. Originally released in 1987 in Japan, the PC Engine started off life as a cartridge console, with its own HuCards storage setup. Technically an 8-bit system, much like the Famicom, the PC Engine did have two 16-bit graphics processors, which allowed it to compete more directly with the Super Famicom. When it came Westward in 1988, it became known as the TurboGrafx-16, with the latter '16' being something of a contentious point, as it technically wasn't a full-on 16-bit system. That said, what the PC Engine, and subsequently the TurboGrafx-16, did do very well was handle arcade ports almost perfectly. The most famous of these was the first R-Type, which was split across two HuCards, which brings me onto the Duo. The Analogue Duo supports HuCards and CD-ROMs. The Duo for both systems added a CD-ROM drive to the setup and allowed games with more audio and graphics to be pumped through the system. It also meant that games like R-Type could have their two HuCards combined onto one CD, with an all-new funky soundtrack. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Considering the legacy of R-Type on the PC Engine, it felt only fitting to test drive it on the Analogue Duo, which again uses a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) like their other retro-inspired systems. That means that the Analogue Duo is not emulating its games; it's running them effectively natively. This is an important point, because if you wanted to play PC Engine games, HuCard or CD, on an original system, let alone the even rarer portable PC Engine GT, you're going to have your work cut out for you. Especially as hardware such as the PC Engine GT is notoriously unreliable these days, as these systems weren't sadly built for a long lifespan, especially when it comes to the old CD-ROM drives in the Duo. The Analogue Duo uses an FPGA, so it is not emulating the games it runs. This is where the Analogue Duo comes in and allows classic HuCard and CD-ROM games to be played on modern displays at 1080p. Games like Macross 2036, being one of the earlier Masaya shmups, are very hard to get a hold of these days, and even harder to play on classic hardware (if you can even find hardware that works). This is why Analogue, and its family of retro systems using FPGA hardware, are helping to keep classic consoles like the PC Engine and the TurboGrafx-16 alive. It's also a helpful way to look back and see how the PC Engine's foray into CD-ROM games would, in turn, force Nintendo's hand and their ill-fated alliance with Sony to create the original Nintendo PlayStation. In many ways, the PC Engine was the indirect start of the PlayStation and the legacy it has had on the games industry. Thankfully, the Analogue Duo is still readily available from their online shop for $249.99, and the wirelessly compatible 8BitDo PC Engine Mini controller is still on Amazon for $24.24. Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
Sydney Morning Herald
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Your guide to fab (and budget-friendly) events in Melbourne in May
Nestled in the lower floors of a 19th-century brick building in Flinders Lane, not-for-profit gallery and theatre fortyfivedownstairs is hosting several free exhibitions over the course of May. Analogue by Jamieson Miller is a riposte against the imposition of the digital world and highlights the idiosyncrasies and imperfections of being a carver. Out of the Orchard by Cecilia Cairns celebrates her 60 years as a teacher and artist who grew up on an apple orchard in Merricks on the Mornington Peninsula. Edward Coleridge's oil paintings in Letterbox Landscapes capture the beauty of the Victorian countryside and cities, while multidisciplinary artist Hamish Tobias' paintings, drawings and sculptures in I've Been Curious About Daffodils Lately explore the effects of warped self-perception on mental health, and challenges conventional beauty standards. SERWAH ATTAFUAH: THE DARKNESS BETWEEN THE STARS ACMI, all of May May is your last opportunity to enjoy the work of multidisciplinary artist and musician Serwah Attafuah as she weaves past, present and future into an Afro futurist vision of resilience and reclamation in The Darkness Between the Stars at ACMI. Across five screens, female warriors rise from burning slave castles and shipwrecked colonial vessels, their glitch-patterned kente cloth celebrating Ghana's matrilineal traditions. This visually sumptuous exhibition uses visual effects, animation and 3D modelling to critique the historical and modern exploitation of Ghana while envisioning a liberated future and highlighting the strength of West Africa's Ashanti people. WORLD OF THE BOOK State Library Victoria, until May 18 What better place to chart the rise and restyling of the beloved book than in this one-of-a-kind exhibition on the history of book design, production and illustration from the Middle Ages to today? Among the 300 rare, remarkable and historic items are first editions by highly vaunted Japanese author Haruki Murakami and Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison, signed first editions by fantasy behemoth Philip Pullman, and the world's first novel – penned during the Edo Period. World of the Book is refreshed each year to showcase the extraordinary riches of the library's collections, but you have until May 18 to see the current iteration, after which the 20-year-anniversary edition launches on May 31. Golden Square Car Park, May 2–4 Descending on to Chinatown's famed multi-level carpark which has hosted many an arts activation is the annual three-day-long festival commemorating Buddha's birthday. Choose from any number of activities at this free public event: Ba Duan Jin meditation, calligraphy workshops, tea ceremonies, dance classes, wellbeing lectures and cultural performances from several different faiths. Step into the Lotus Flower Sanctuary, filled with illuminated-four-metre-tall flora, or the Lumbini Garden, a peaceful haven inspired by Buddha's birthplace where you can take part in the symbolic act of bathing an infant Buddha statue. The Children's Wonderland offers engaging puppet shows and face painting, and be sure to stay until dusk to see the digitally animated five-storey-high Bodhi Tree Mural come alive through projections. SRI LANKAN FESTIVAL Queen Victoria Market, May 4 Bringing to life the rich cultural traditions of Sri Lanka is a one-day festival celebrating the Tamil and Sinhalese New Year. Enjoy an assortment of Sri Lankan cuisine – sizzling kottu rotis, fragrant curries, crisp hoppers and deep-fried rice flour kokis – while enjoying the array of live dance performances, music and interactive workshops. HAWKER 88 NIGHT MARKET Queen Victoria Market, May 7 Wednesday, May 7 is the last time this season you'll be able to enjoy the spoils of this recreated Asian hawker centre. Choose from over 20 food stalls – boasting the likes of popular Chinese sugar-coated fruit snack tanghulu, Nepalese momos, Korean gold coin pancakes, Filipino street food and Japanese rice burgers – or watch the finals of a beer pong competition. It's all happening for one last time at the Hawker 88 Night Market before the Winter Night Market takes over. MELBOURNE DESIGN WEEK Venues across Melbourne, May 15–25 Much of Melbourne Design Week is free to attend, though bookings are occasionally required. Transpiring over 11 days across more than 350 events, exhibitions, talks and installations, Australia's premier design festival celebrates the depth and richness of talent in the region – from emerging talent to the industry's renowned professionals. Wander through a 20-year retrospective exhibition honouring eminent lighting designer Volker Haug or immerse yourself in 100 Lights as it illuminates the Meat Market Stables in a visually spectacular display of 100 artists' lighting designs. Visit Deep Calm, the culmination of a year-long research project into how architecture can cater to neurodivergent audiences, or Catch: Tales of First Nations Fishing, which highlights the design ingenuity and legacy of First Nations designers, among numerous other events such as the Melbourne Art Book Fair. LOCAL LUNCH CLUB Kathleen Syme Library, May 17 Join City of Melbourne Libraries' Local Lunch Club and connect with like-minded people at this community gathering that fashions surplus food into a delicious free vegetarian lunch. Hosted by Open Table, the event features live music, board games and talks from community groups on how you can better enmesh yourself in your local neighbourhood. The event is part of a lunch program series that originated in 2023 and incorporates community information sharing and skill-building through workshops on nutrition, minimisation of food waste, sustainability, grocery budgeting, cooking with limited kitchen resources, and pickling vegetables. Fed Square, May 24–25 The two-day, family-friendly Korea Festival celebrates all things synonymous with Korean culture. Popular Korean children's games made internationally famous by Squid Game but without the violent repercussions? Tick. K-pop showdowns where high-energy performances and powerhouse vocals come head to head? Tick. Kimbap-making classes? Tick. Coinciding with the festival is the Korean Film Festival, taking place at ACMI over two consecutive weekends and shining a spotlight on world-leading Korean cinema. Shows by male breakdancing troupe Saengdonggam Crew, taekwondo demonstrations, Korean cosmetic booths and food stalls selling the full gamut of Korean food, from fried chicken to tteokbokki, round out the festivities.
The Age
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Your guide to fab (and budget-friendly) events in Melbourne in May
Nestled in the lower floors of a 19th-century brick building in Flinders Lane, not-for-profit gallery and theatre fortyfivedownstairs is hosting several free exhibitions over the course of May. Analogue by Jamieson Miller is a riposte against the imposition of the digital world and highlights the idiosyncrasies and imperfections of being a carver. Out of the Orchard by Cecilia Cairns celebrates her 60 years as a teacher and artist who grew up on an apple orchard in Merricks on the Mornington Peninsula. Edward Coleridge's oil paintings in Letterbox Landscapes capture the beauty of the Victorian countryside and cities, while multidisciplinary artist Hamish Tobias' paintings, drawings and sculptures in I've Been Curious About Daffodils Lately explore the effects of warped self-perception on mental health, and challenges conventional beauty standards. SERWAH ATTAFUAH: THE DARKNESS BETWEEN THE STARS ACMI, all of May May is your last opportunity to enjoy the work of multidisciplinary artist and musician Serwah Attafuah as she weaves past, present and future into an Afro futurist vision of resilience and reclamation in The Darkness Between the Stars at ACMI. Across five screens, female warriors rise from burning slave castles and shipwrecked colonial vessels, their glitch-patterned kente cloth celebrating Ghana's matrilineal traditions. This visually sumptuous exhibition uses visual effects, animation and 3D modelling to critique the historical and modern exploitation of Ghana while envisioning a liberated future and highlighting the strength of West Africa's Ashanti people. WORLD OF THE BOOK State Library Victoria, until May 18 What better place to chart the rise and restyling of the beloved book than in this one-of-a-kind exhibition on the history of book design, production and illustration from the Middle Ages to today? Among the 300 rare, remarkable and historic items are first editions by highly vaunted Japanese author Haruki Murakami and Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison, signed first editions by fantasy behemoth Philip Pullman, and the world's first novel – penned during the Edo Period. World of the Book is refreshed each year to showcase the extraordinary riches of the library's collections, but you have until May 18 to see the current iteration, after which the 20-year-anniversary edition launches on May 31. Golden Square Car Park, May 2–4 Descending on to Chinatown's famed multi-level carpark which has hosted many an arts activation is the annual three-day-long festival commemorating Buddha's birthday. Choose from any number of activities at this free public event: Ba Duan Jin meditation, calligraphy workshops, tea ceremonies, dance classes, wellbeing lectures and cultural performances from several different faiths. Step into the Lotus Flower Sanctuary, filled with illuminated-four-metre-tall flora, or the Lumbini Garden, a peaceful haven inspired by Buddha's birthplace where you can take part in the symbolic act of bathing an infant Buddha statue. The Children's Wonderland offers engaging puppet shows and face painting, and be sure to stay until dusk to see the digitally animated five-storey-high Bodhi Tree Mural come alive through projections. SRI LANKAN FESTIVAL Queen Victoria Market, May 4 Bringing to life the rich cultural traditions of Sri Lanka is a one-day festival celebrating the Tamil and Sinhalese New Year. Enjoy an assortment of Sri Lankan cuisine – sizzling kottu rotis, fragrant curries, crisp hoppers and deep-fried rice flour kokis – while enjoying the array of live dance performances, music and interactive workshops. HAWKER 88 NIGHT MARKET Queen Victoria Market, May 7 Wednesday, May 7 is the last time this season you'll be able to enjoy the spoils of this recreated Asian hawker centre. Choose from over 20 food stalls – boasting the likes of popular Chinese sugar-coated fruit snack tanghulu, Nepalese momos, Korean gold coin pancakes, Filipino street food and Japanese rice burgers – or watch the finals of a beer pong competition. It's all happening for one last time at the Hawker 88 Night Market before the Winter Night Market takes over. MELBOURNE DESIGN WEEK Venues across Melbourne, May 15–25 Much of Melbourne Design Week is free to attend, though bookings are occasionally required. Transpiring over 11 days across more than 350 events, exhibitions, talks and installations, Australia's premier design festival celebrates the depth and richness of talent in the region – from emerging talent to the industry's renowned professionals. Wander through a 20-year retrospective exhibition honouring eminent lighting designer Volker Haug or immerse yourself in 100 Lights as it illuminates the Meat Market Stables in a visually spectacular display of 100 artists' lighting designs. Visit Deep Calm, the culmination of a year-long research project into how architecture can cater to neurodivergent audiences, or Catch: Tales of First Nations Fishing, which highlights the design ingenuity and legacy of First Nations designers, among numerous other events such as the Melbourne Art Book Fair. LOCAL LUNCH CLUB Kathleen Syme Library, May 17 Join City of Melbourne Libraries' Local Lunch Club and connect with like-minded people at this community gathering that fashions surplus food into a delicious free vegetarian lunch. Hosted by Open Table, the event features live music, board games and talks from community groups on how you can better enmesh yourself in your local neighbourhood. The event is part of a lunch program series that originated in 2023 and incorporates community information sharing and skill-building through workshops on nutrition, minimisation of food waste, sustainability, grocery budgeting, cooking with limited kitchen resources, and pickling vegetables. Fed Square, May 24–25 The two-day, family-friendly Korea Festival celebrates all things synonymous with Korean culture. Popular Korean children's games made internationally famous by Squid Game but without the violent repercussions? Tick. K-pop showdowns where high-energy performances and powerhouse vocals come head to head? Tick. Kimbap-making classes? Tick. Coinciding with the festival is the Korean Film Festival, taking place at ACMI over two consecutive weekends and shining a spotlight on world-leading Korean cinema. Shows by male breakdancing troupe Saengdonggam Crew, taekwondo demonstrations, Korean cosmetic booths and food stalls selling the full gamut of Korean food, from fried chicken to tteokbokki, round out the festivities.
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WIRED
22-03-2025
- WIRED
These Android Verizon Users Can Now Send Satellite Messages to Anyone
Plus: Analogue delays its Nintendo 64 console, Fujifilm unveils a medium format camera, and Microsoft's Adaptive Joystick game controller goes on sale. Photograph: JHVEPhoto/Getty Images If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED On Verizon? If you own a Google Pixel 9 or Samsung Galaxy S25 series phone and find yourself in a cellular dead zone, you can now send texts to your friends and family via satellite. This is the same functionality Apple introduced for the iPhone 14 and newer (regardless of carrier) in iOS 18. While these Android phones have been able to connect to emergency services via satellite, they can now use satellite connectivity to send texts to anyone, regardless of the recipient's device or carrier. Verizon says this capability has already started to roll out but will take two weeks to complete. Verizon isn't the only carrier focused on providing this kind of satellite connectivity to fill in the gaps in terrestrial cellular network coverage. T-Mobile recently announced a partnership with Starlink that's currently in beta until July. It lets you send and receive texts, and the carrier says you'll soon be able to share photos, use data, make voice calls, and more. T-Mobile's solution will be included for subscribers on its Go5G Next plan, and other customers can add it to their existing plan for $15 per month. AT&T is also working with AST SpaceMobile and recently tested a video call over satellite connectivity. This Handheld Console Lets You Relive Your Nintendo DS Dreams You've seen the Steam Deck, you've seen the Switch, and you no doubt remember the Nintendo DS. But this newly announced gaming handheld, the OneXSugar, claims to do that all in one. The device has two screens and rotating gamepad controllers to allow it to transform into all sorts of clever modes of use. There's the standard landscape mode, using the primary 6-inch screen and the two sides of the controller. But flip up that screen and you'll get access to the 3.92-inch secondary square screen. That secondary screen can be used as a kickstand, or you can rotate the controllers to attach to the square screen. Now that's definitely unlike anything we've seen before. The Android-based device, announced on Indiegogo, was unveiled alongside a new series of chips from Qualcomm designed specifically for gaming handhelds. The Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 boasts 28 percent improved graphics with ray tracing, specifically designed for cloud-based gaming and retro emulators. Just don't expect it to support Windows-level games like AMD's Ryzen Z-series chips, which you can find in handhelds like the popular Asus ROG Ally X. The company behind the OneXSugar also has something more powerful in its lineup, the OneXPlayer G1, which is part laptop, part gaming handheld. No word on the price or release date yet, but hopefully we'll hear more details about the OneXSugar soon. — Luke Larsen Velotric's Breeze 1 Is a Commuting, Crusing Ebike After multiple rounds of layoffs and pulling out of the European market, Rad Power Bikes' new CEO recently stepped down. That leaves a big, Rad-sized hole in the direct-to-consumer electric bike space—a space the company created when Mike Radenbaugh founded Rad in 2007. Which company will fill in the gap? We're most excited to test one of the new bikes from the up-and-coming Velotric. The Breeze 1 launched on March 18. It's a commuter bike built like a cruiser, with a comfortable, upright seating position on a step-through frame and a powerful 750-watt motor with a 70-mile range. The bike also has a few cool tricks up its sleeve. For example, you can switch between using a torque sensor, which will adjust the pressure you need to pedal on mixed terrain, versus the more old-fashioned cadence sensor, which is best for longer stretches of roads. It's also integrated with Apple Find My and Apple Health, so if you're an iPhone user, you don't have to fiddle with your fitness tracker to log a bike ride. Most importantly, it weighs under 50 pounds and costs under $2,000. I'm unboxing my tester ride (in Violet Haze, naturally) as we speak. —Adrienne So Fujifilm Debuts a Medium Format Compact Camera Anyone who's ever dreamed of a medium format Fujifilm X100 camera, dream no more. The new GFX100RF is just that. It takes the same minimalist, rangefinder styling of the X100 series, with dial controls and a nice wide-angle prime lens on the front, but adds a 102-megapixel medium format sensor. There is a price to be paid for that much larger sensor though—the GFX100RF is larger and heavier than any of the X100 cameras. At 5.26 by 3.56 inches, with a depth of 3 inches, this isn't fitting in your pocket, nor is the 25.9 ounces (735 grams) light enough to let you throw it in your bag and forget about it. To make the GFX100RF weather-sealed you'll need to further bulk it up with an adapter ring and filter, just as you do with the X100VI. Still, this is a very compelling camera, at least on paper. The 28-mm (full-frame equivalent) lens is a good all-around choice, though it's not the fastest at f/4 (f/3.1 full-frame equivalent). The huge sensor means you'll have considerable cropping ability. As you would expect from Fujifilm there are plenty of film simulations (20 in all) and ways to customize them. There's also an internal 4-stop neutral density filter that offers more exposure control options. The back of the camera bears a striking resemblance to a competitor, namely the similarly priced Leica Q3 (9/10, WIRED Recommends). The GFX100RF has a slightly slower lens and a much larger sensor, but otherwise, the two cameras are closely matched in both specs and price. The GFX100RF is available for pre-order now for $4,900. It's also listed on Amazon, though the website says it's temporarily out of stock. — Scott Gilbertson Analogue Delays Its Retro N64 Console (Again) The prospect of a new console capable of playing Nintendo 64 cartridges from the makers of the excellent Analogue Pocket got us excited, whether you loved the original N64 controller or not. But we'll have to wait longer to indulge in the N64 nostalgia because Analogue's 4K Nintendo 64 retro console is delayed until July. Originally planned to ship in 2024, then bumped to Q1 2025, preorders of the $250 Analogue 3D console are now closed. Analogue has employed field-programmable gate array (FPGA) tech in the new console, so it can play N64 cartridges from any region and plug into your TV via HDMI. The original N64 only outputs composite and s-video, making it difficult to pair with modern TVs. Analogue also partnered with one of our favorite game controller makers, 8BitDo on the 64 Controller. Analogue has a good track record, and delays and production issues are sadly not uncommon for retro game consoles, but the company may have some competition after controversial ModRetro founder Palmer Luckey posted a teaser on X suggesting that he is also working on an N64 console (the M64). If you can't wait, the Polymega's Ultra Module Set allows you to play N64 carts on its console today, but it is far pricier than Analogue's 3D. If you preordered and fed up, you can cancel for a full refund. — Simon Hill You Can Now Buy Microsoft's Xbox Adaptive Joystick Microsoft's Xbox Adaptive Joystick is now available for a cool $30. Announced at the company's Ability Summit, the Joystick is designed for people with limited mobility. It plugs directly into an Xbox or PC, and all the buttons can be remapped to a user's preference. You can also craft your own 3D-printed customizable thumbstick toppers through Xbox's Design Lab. Naturally, it's compatible with Microsoft's Xbox Adaptive controller.
