Hey, how’s it going? I’m Batman, and this movie’s about me!
[Dorkly]
Discovered: Coleco Adam
So in Ontario Canada, we have a Recycling Program where local businesses who support the program serve as a drop off point where you can discard your used electronics and have them transferred free of charge to proper recycling centers. Now at a local store, I was handy when THIS was brought in.
A Coleco Adam Home Computer System.
For those who don’t understand why I got all twitchy and had to capture a gallery of photos, this gem was in the wave of the earliest home computer systems available. The Adam was a pile of hardware that connected to your existing Colecovision Home Gaming Console making it a word processing super machine!
While it was far from being as powerful as my iPhone is today, back in 1983 it was a big deal! I owned both a VIC-20 and an Atari 800, and learned to write programs in Basic, which was saved onto a tape drive using everyday audio cassettes (we were still listening to music on vinyl back then). Trying to compete with the dominance of the Commodore and Atari home systems, the box had a brazen claim of a six month warrantee which DOUBLED those offered by either of the others.
But that wasn’t all this power-up system had to offer. Unlike today’s piecemeal collections of peripherals, Adam came with its own Daisy Wheel Printer. It bragged a total of 80k of RAM (cheating by today’s standards by adding in the console’s video card memory with the addon processor’s accompanying memory). It also boasted its built-in tape drive and had patented Data Packs that gloated over their ability to hold 250 pages of double spaced text!
And ease of use is a big seller in a home computer, so this handy user guide (pictured below) was included with staggering production quality inside. Coleco eventually blamed these manuals which “did not offer the first-time user adequate assistance” alongside a long list of technical errors that resulted in many of the ADAMs being returned.
Interestingly enough, it was the utter failure of the Coleco Adam that tanked Coleco. Coleco manufactured and distributed one of the most popular toys of the 80s – The Cabbage Patch Kids – but this didn’t save them from bankruptcy in 1988.
To this day there are Adam Enthusiasts that gather every year at AdamCon, held in different host cities. This year’s convention will be in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada (the city so nice they named it deux fois).
Metroid Lore in a Minute [Video]
Josh from IndieStatik gives you the crazy bird-related backstory of Metroid. Spoiler alert – Samus Aran is a girl. Have fun!
[Lore]
Star Wars Episode VII – A BIG SURPRISE: Military Dad Returns Home as a Jedi [Video]
After more than a year on duty, a military dad returns home from Afghanistan to his 5 year old son with a big Star Wars surprise.
It Can Be Yours: Authentic ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ Motorcycle Suit [Pics]
To say it costs a lot to be Batman is an understatement.
But if you have an extra $1564 lying around, you, too, can dress like Batcycle Batman, courtesy of UD Replicas, an officially licensed movie replica company!
You can also buy the pieces individually…but that’s less fun.
[Via Fashionably Geek]
Geektastic Avengers & Justice League Cupcakes [Pic]
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Light caramel Frosting and edible toppers by Chef JB Cada and Stephanie Santos from The Regali Kitchen.
[Source: The Regali Kitchen]
The Avengers Chase Loki in Real Life [Video]
These guys remind me of the Mortal Kombat Flash Dance dudes we featured a while ago… except with a little more class. :)
[Via Neatorama]
French Retailer Attempts to Trademark Anonymous Logo
A French Retailer called Early Flicker has applied to trademark the logo for the hacktivist group Anonymous. The group prides itself on its facelessness, and while no one really knows who Anonymous members are, it is very likely that this cannot be challenged.
The retailer also trademarked their slogan: “Anonymous. We are legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us.”
The reason behind this trademark appears to be self serving as the retailer wishes to be the only legal source of t-shirts, mugs, and other paraphernalia with the Anonymous logo on it.
A few observations here. Is this French Retailer a supporter of Anonymous? Or is he simply profiteering on the popularity of the hacker group? Currently Early Flicker is selling products with this icon on it. They are just making it legal by applying for the Trademark.
Considering Anonymous’ many public attacks to expose the wrong doers, will this retailer be a target of their actions for “stealing” their logo and motto for personal gain?
The process is still in the works and Early Flicker doesn’t own it yet. Ironically, part of that process would include the opportunity for someone to come forward and claim they rightfully own the logo and slogan, and that would require someone to admit they “own” or have the rights to Anonymous – which would make them potentially liable for the group’s actions.
Could this be a ploy to lure out Anonymous members?