Author Topic: Things your kids will never know - old school tech! (Read 130693 times)

Deozaan · « **Reply #150 on:** November 12, 2008, 01:19 AM »

I do remember that if you didn't have a Pi key (I didn't!), you could always generate it by dividing 355 by 113.

It was easy to remember because it was just the first three odd numbers duplicated:

113355

Split it in the middle

113 355

and divide the bigger number by the smaller and you get

3.1415929203539823008849557522124
-40hz (November 11, 2008, 09:37 AM)

I always thought it was 22/7. Though 355/113 is certainly a lot more accurate for estimating pi.

I guess I was part of the younger generation the teachers all thought was too stupid to remember clever mnemonics like that.

Darwin · « **Reply #151 on:** November 12, 2008, 01:27 AM »

Ha! You're right, Deozaan - I learned it as 22/7 as well. I'd forgotten about that

Deozaan · « **Reply #152 on:** November 12, 2008, 01:51 AM »

must be an age thing, if [cursive] isn't normal writing, what is??
-Grorgy (October 28, 2008, 08:30 AM)

When I learned how to write in kindergarten, "normal writing" was called "denelian" AKA print. I don't think I learned cursive until maybe 2nd or 3rd grade. I only used cursive when required to by teachers, and to this day, I only use cursive for my signature.

An example practice sheet similar to those I used in kindergarten for learning denelian:

Things your kids will never know - old school tech!

tomos · « **Reply #153 on:** November 12, 2008, 01:55 AM »

Not a formula for Shell oil, but one that if followed may yield a cheaper and altogether more cozy way of heating your home:

62 O2 (g) + C52H84O22 (s) --> 52 CO2 (g) + 42 H2O (g)
-Darwin (November 12, 2008, 01:13 AM)

I seem to be needing lot's of help these days -
anyone else understanding that ?
I tried reading out loud but dont know what C52H84O22 is
Actually searching for it I found
http://answers.yahoo...0061130123830AAh3Sxc which gives the answer ...

Deozaan · « **Reply #154 on:** November 12, 2008, 01:59 AM »

Ha! You're right, Deozaan - I learned it as 22/7 as well. I'd forgotten about that
-Darwin (November 12, 2008, 01:27 AM)

Although to be honest it was always easier for me to remember the first few digits of pi rather than some obscure division problem.

Just from memory I can go to 5 decimal places before I start to get confused, and that's nearly as accurate as 355/113 and definitely as accurate as you'd ever need for a calculator that doesn't have pi built in to it.

Deozaan · « **Reply #155 on:** November 12, 2008, 02:01 AM »

Not a formula for Shell oil, but one that if followed may yield a cheaper and altogether more cozy way of heating your home:

62 O2 (g) + C52H84O22 (s) --> 52 CO2 (g) + 42 H2O (g)
-Darwin (November 12, 2008, 01:13 AM)

I seem to be needing lot's of help these days -
anyone else understanding that ?
I tried reading out loud but dont know what C52H84O22 is
Actually searching for it I found
http://answers.yahoo...0061130123830AAh3Sxc which gives the answer ...
-tomos (November 12, 2008, 01:55 AM)

I never took a chemistry class, so I was totally lost on this one.

Tangential: It's always fun to see people getting answers to their homework on sites like Yahoo! Answers.

Paul Keith · « **Reply #156 on:** November 21, 2008, 10:58 AM »

Brick Game 9999-in-1 games all in one portable handheld.

mouser · « **Reply #157 on:** November 21, 2008, 11:27 AM »

Paul, that looks a bit like Merlin, which was amazing:
Wikipedia page on Merlin

40hz · « **Reply #158 on:** November 21, 2008, 01:23 PM »

Paul, that looks a bit like Merlin, which was amazing:
Wikipedia page on Merlin
(see attachment in previous post)
-mouser (November 21, 2008, 11:27 AM)

Merlin was definitely cool. It actually got used for some very serious research on human memory and learning systems back in the 70s. I forget exactly why it was considered so useful. I vaguely remember something about it being a perfect demonstration of operant something or another. When my girlfriend was getting her Master's degree in cognitive psych, she showed me a dozen interesting experiments you could do with it. (Yes, I was her guinea pig on more than one occasion!)

She still has one of these little red monsters. And it still works.

Paul Keith · « **Reply #159 on:** November 21, 2008, 06:00 PM »

Nah, brick game was a handheld based entirely on Tetris and every variation of Tetris that uses the basic pixels at it. If I remember correctly, they even have a shooter using all the basic tetris blocks. The choice menu in choosing a game number also used large tetris blocks.

Edvard · « **Reply #160 on:** November 21, 2008, 06:21 PM »

Oh man, you had to start with the toys...

This is the beast I wanted with a passion.
The Big Trak
bigtrak n box.jpg

If only I had the money for some simple robotics and a microcontroller, I'd build a DIY version with my son and relive the memories.

I STILL want one...

mouser · « **Reply #161 on:** November 21, 2008, 07:00 PM »

i remember the big trak.. i also never got it.. dont know why.

cranioscopical · « **Reply #162 on:** November 21, 2008, 07:18 PM »

I STILL want one...
-Edvard (November 21, 2008, 06:21 PM)

There's a working one in my basement, together with the trailer.
I never could quite bring myself to throw it out when my son grew up.
My wife's 9-year-old nephew was quite taken with it when he came for a visit.

cranioscopical · « **Reply #163 on:** November 21, 2008, 07:24 PM »

i remember the big trak.. i also never got it.. dont know why.
-mouser (November 21, 2008, 07:00 PM)

Some parents are sooo inconsiderate!

Did everyone else in your class have one?
Apparently, every other kid always already had whatever
expensive item mine wanted, so denying them was akin to cruelty.

zridling · « **Reply #164 on:** November 23, 2008, 01:31 AM »

I think what's sad is that old tech represents freedom. Today, so much new technology is designed to shut you down, shut you out, and sustain restrictions (often by governments and corporations). So many devices could never be 'invented' today, much less never be used.

Imagine how fast the cassette recorder would be shut down, for instance. Correction, it's not sad, just depressing. The world gets ugly when tech is used to spy, record/video, and legally punish your every move unless you're following all their rules.

Shades · « **Reply #165 on:** November 23, 2008, 10:10 AM »

<off-topic>
That is an interesting one, zridling. If I may say so, super-capitalism, fear-mongering and (old time "favorite") greed, mixed together as a cocktail became too popular too quickly on a global scale.

Let's hope that the new US president (and his team) will be able to water this cocktail down (a lot) and make that just as popular as the previous one.

Being born in the (early) 70's I experienced a great childhood where inventing/creativity was stimulated in all things virtually without limit. Nowadays as a kid you are hitting boundaries very quickly set by everybody and their favorite community (government/corporation/shareholder).

To me it looks like that environments responsible for my childhood, produce more free minds that in turn produce more innovation which IMHO is the only way forward.
</off-topic>

<on-topic>
Does anyone remember "boomerang guns"? I had a lot of fun with those...not only when hitting the target or catching them in mid-air, but also when climbing on sheds/over walls to retrieve a "lost" boomerang.

They still make those guns

richel8 · « **Reply #166 on:** May 24, 2009, 08:51 AM »

old school don't have high tech computers....

http://www.fieldstoneacademy.org

Darwin · « **Reply #167 on:** May 24, 2009, 10:09 AM »

old school don't have high tech computers....

http://www.fieldstoneacademy.org
-richel8 (May 24, 2009, 08:51 AM)

Ironically, the webpage you linked to features a picture of a kid sitting at a desk surfing the web on a notebook computer - see upper right hand of the webpage

40hz · « **Reply #168 on:** May 25, 2009, 10:12 PM »

One thing they will never know (unless they develop an interest in electronics or go for an EE degree) is the joys of getting down and dirty on a fundamental level with computer hardware.

Anybody remember the Kim-1 single-board computer trainer kits? Don Lancaster, who was one of the earliest computer hardware columnists, used to wax poetic about starting with one of these. I took his advice and never looked back. I spent many hours on this little monster back in the days when you did machine code in actual machine code. Assemblers? "We didn't need no steenkin' assemblers!" Back then, a code monitor was considered pretty posh.

I cut my programming teeth on the 6502. After working out a simple program (and laboriously keying it in) you could actually envision the bits and bytes streaming down the circuit traces on that ugly green board. Almost felt like a mystical experience, except it came partnered with a pretty good neck cramp and watery eyes since it took forever to key the code in.

Much like the fans of vintage radios, there are people still in love with the Kim-1. Here's a link to one Kim-1 enthusiast site for anyone who's interested: http://www.kim-1.com/index.html

In looking back, I'm glad I was there when this stuff first came out. That being said, I wouldn't want to go back there for anything.

merkin · « **Reply #169 on:** June 04, 2009, 09:57 AM »

Text based adventures (Scott Adams, Infocom).

Deozaan · « **Reply #170 on:** June 04, 2009, 02:29 PM »

(see attachment in previous post) (see attachment in previous post)
-40hz (May 25, 2009, 10:12 PM)

Wow I've never seen a Hex keypad before! I was looking at that before I saw the label and I was thinking that it had to be the most confusing and hard to use keyboard in the world, the way the numbers and letters were organized.

Then I saw it was a hex keypad and it all made sense!

CWuestefeld · « **Reply #171 on:** June 04, 2009, 03:16 PM »

Then I saw it was a hex keypad and it all made sense!
-Deozaan (June 04, 2009, 02:29 PM)

Any old-school phreaks out there that remember silver boxes?

Google let me down here. I used to have a real phone with the extra buttons, but I can't find an image of it now.

40hz · « **Reply #172 on:** June 04, 2009, 04:53 PM »

Any old-school phreaks out there that remember silver boxes?
-CWuestefeld (June 04, 2009, 03:16 PM)

And blue boxes, and red ones, and ...ah the joys of trying to get to meet the "Ma Bell and Da Feds" under not so ideal circumstances.

Here's the sequence for that experience in six steps:

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

and finally

6)

.............

Cap'n Crunch Lives!

Edvard · « **Reply #173 on:** June 04, 2009, 05:37 PM »

A friend and I built a few, but they never worked quite as advertised.
Tabletop phones with alligator clips worked wonders though...