News nybble: Wakefield pot-pourri, 3rd April

The next meeting of the Wakefield RISC OS Computer Club takes place tomorrow evening, and will feature a mix of topics including Ian Stanley talking about using an IDE hard drive on a Raspberry Pi, running Mike Cook’s oscilloscope on under RISC OS, and using the RDSP module from AMCOG Games to produce sounds on the Pi. Peter Richmond will also take the floor to discuss TV video output and Gen-locking.

With free entry for members, and a £3.00 charge for non-members, the meeting will take place at 7:45pm at the West Yorkshire Sports and Social Club, Sandal Hall Close, Off Walton Lane, Wakefield, WF2 6ER.

News nybble: Time to update your phone book entries for CJE Micro’s

If you have CJE Micro’s old number (ending 666, which I’d make a joke out of if this was a full post), it’s time to replace it with the correct one – (0)1903 523 222 – which has been their main number for some time. The line carrying the old number will shortly be disconnected.

In addition to which they are also discontinuing their fax number because it has been some years since anyone contacted them that way.

Wispy made less… wispy

And given a bit of a shine to boot.

RISC OS may not have built in support for WiFi, but there are tricks that can be employed in order to benefit from wireless connectivity. One of those tricks is to run Linux on a board that does support WiFi, and hitch a ride on that board’s connection. That may sound complicated to those who lack the tecnical knowhow, but there are a couple of solutions available to simplify the whole process.

One of those solutions is Wispy, from RISCOSbits, which utilises the wireless connection on an Orange Pi Zero. Connected to your computer by a short network cable, the board is small enough to be discreet – indeed, on some systems it can be housed interally in the main case – and bridges the gap between your RISC OS computer and a wireless network connection.

Continue reading “Wispy made less… wispy”

Prophet 4 brings MTD support to RISC OS

From the start of April, any business whose turnover is above the threshold for VAT registration has a new set of rules to comply with, falling under the banner of ‘Making Tax Digital‘ (MTD). VAT records must now be maintained ‘digitally’ (which in this context means ‘in computer software’ rather than paper records), and returns must be submitted online by suitable software, rather than manually logging in and keying in the figures, or posting off a paper return.

There is a growing list of software available that can be used to maintain those records, and which can be used to submit returns under the new system – and there is now a RISC OS solution in the form of Prophet 4.

Continue reading “Prophet 4 brings MTD support to RISC OS”

News nybble: Discuss the possibility of virtual shows in London – 18th March

Chris Evans recently initiated discussions on the RISC OS Open forum and the comp.sys.acorn.misc usenet group about the possibility of moving RISC OS shows away from their current ‘real world’ space, and into the online world – taking them virtual. In a reversal of the proposed direction, the RISC OS User Group of London (ROUGOL) plans to follow-up that online discussion in the real world, by making it the topic of their next meeting, which takes place from 7:45pm on Monday, 18th March – tomorrow – at the usual location:

The Blue-Eyed Maid (upstairs in the restaurant),
173 Borough High Street,
London,
SE1 1HR.

News nybble: AMCOG Development Kit version 1.08 now available

The AMCOG Development Kit, designed to make it much easier to write games for RISC OS computers in BBC BASIC, has been updated. The new version is available to download from !Store by existing customers.

Version 1.08 brings with it an extended library, including procedures from AMCOG’s Island of the Undead and Stunt Drivers games, the addition of three new example programs, the latest version of RDSP, and more.

News nybble: Midlands User Group hardware workshop – 16th March

The next Midlands User Group meeting, which will take place at 2:00pm on Saturday, 16th March, will be a hardware repair workshop, featuring practical demonstrations from some members, as well as hints and tips for dealing with general hardware issues. There is a small entrance fee to cover costs, and refreshments will be available – and the venue to head for is:

The Methodist Church Hall,
Greenhill,
Blackwell,
Bromsgrove,
B60 1BL.

Please note: This will probably be the last meeting at that venue – so keep an eye out for news of a new venue for future meetings.

News nybble: Bristol meeting – 13th March

RISC OS Users in the Bristol area can once again enjoy a pie and a pint, along with a chat about all things RISC OS and beyond on the evening of Wednesday, 13th March, starting around 7:30pm. The informal meeting is free to attend, and is open to anyone with an interest in the operating system or Acorn computers of old, so if you wish to join in head for:

The Eldon House pub,
6 Lower Clifton Hill,
Bristol,
BS8 1BT.