Posts by rich_r

Subaru Outback Lineartronic: The thinking person’s 4x4

It's a pity they've dropped the 3.0 flat-6 petrol engine from the newer versions. My 2004 Outback 3.0Rn is absolutely superb, and I've had it dragging half a tonne of wood around a muddy field (literally dragging, no trailer!) with no issues. It's tackled some very rough tracks that I thought I'd need my proper 4x4 for (1991 Mitsubishi Pajero), slower than I'd do in the Pajero but it managed fine without any drama.

Remember that the Legacy/Outback started off as a farm vehicle and it's only recently started to become a comfortable semi-luxury road oriented car. It's not 4WD has been bolted onto an existing model, the 4WD system and boxer engine came first, then the body evolved around it.

RIP Ralph Baer: Father of the games console dies aged 92

I've got an Odyssey, complete with the rifle attachment - and it's in full working order. Think it came from a jumble sale in the 1980s for about £2 as the cardboard box is a little tatty.

As I've got the 'Interplanetary Voyage' game card (12), I think that means mine's a 1973 US version. However it seems to work fine on 50Hz UK TVs. I was born in 1973...

Unfortunately modern LCD TVs don't really like the rough video signal and also lack the electrical charge for the screen overlay films to stay stuck to them.

Hi-torque tank engines: EXTREME car hacking with The Register

Re: Charlie Broomfiled from Practial Performance Car Magazine...

I was going to mention Charlie from PPC's Rover too. It was very well documented in the magazine a few years ago as he ironed out issues (mainly how to prevent cooking himself due to the huge amount of heat in the cabin). Still looked roughly like an SD1, but certainly didn't sound like one.

Running the Gauntlet: Atari's classic ... now and then

I once found a mint condition half crown (~25p) in the coin reject slot of Gauntlet in the arcade at a local fair in the late 1980s. I guess someone was so desperate to keep going that they started desperately pumping in pre-decimal currency.

Globe grabbin,’ sphere slammin’, orb-tossin’, pill poppin’... Speedball

Joystick Killer

Speedball 2 was easily one of the most playable and atmospheric games on the ST/Amiga. The pitch moved in a perfect manner so that the players and ball were exactly where you expect them to be. The sound effects made you feel like you were at a real sporting event, even though you were crowded round a 14" TV in someone's bedroom.

This game ultimately cost my friends and me more in pocket money terms than any other - purely due to the rate we snapped joysticks playing it. It's not that we had weak joysticks, it's just that when you need just a couple more points to ensure a victory the red mist takes over and crack - there goes another Competition Pro... :)

I tried the iPhone version - whilst it's not bad, a touchscreen and accelerometer just don't have the physical connection needed for Speedball.

UK's oldest working telly up for sale

Alexandra Palace transmitting, not Crystal Palace.

Alexandra Palace began transmitting at the beginning of November 1936, using most of the equipment from Crystal Palace. So by the time Crystal Palace burnt down at the end of November 1936, it wasn't transmitting TV anyway.

So he would have been perfectly able to watch TV on his Marconi.