Peter Scott has finally released his 198x adventure game. Apparently, work started on it in 2014 and took over five years. It was written in the ACT system (Adventure Creation Tool) for QL.

Here is a summary of the story.

“In the new future, computer data is the newest and most valuable commodity, worth more than rare metals, dwindling fossil fuels or even gold. Individuals, companies and even countries will stop at nothing to get a lead on information before someone else does, receiving vital information even just minutes before a rival can mean difference between war or peace, profit or bankruptcy, or even life or death.

This new endless thirst for information has led to the rise of data extraction profession; clandestine agencies and individuals, who receive shady anonymous requests for data espionage jobs ranging from the world changing to the almost mundane or petty. A new job request has flashed up on your encrypted messaging system.”

Download the game from:http://www.zen70509.zen.co.uk/198-adventure.zip

The third release of either THE DISTRIBUTION or QL/E this winter.

15^th December 2019 sees the release of THE DISTRIBUTION RELOADED! 2019 (latest v3.05) Raspberry Pi (RP) edition.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzar2Az0dd4

Download it here:

http://sinclairql.net/repository.html#TheDistribution

Browse to the last column “Download” in the “THE DISTRIBUTION” section and look for:

Image of Raspbian Buster with Complete Distribution, RELOADED edition 1911 v3.05, for Raspberry Pi, 8.48 GB

Then, 22^nd December 2019 brought the fourth release of either THE DISTRIBUTION or QL/E this winter!

Today sees the release of THE DISTRIBUTION RELOADED! 2019 (latest v3.05) QL-SD, MIST & Q68 (QL) edition.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg6wGxcD3TA

Download it here:

http://sinclairql.net/repository.html#TheDistribution

Browse to the last column “Download” in the “THE DISTRIBUTION” section and look for:

Image of SDHC card with Distribution, RELOADED edition 1911 v3.05, for QL-SD, MIST & Q68, 472 MB

I’ve set up a new page on my website containing scanned magazine articles.

Thanks to the work of individuals like Klaus Frank who’ve been busy scanning articles for me, the first draft of the page is ready with a few articles from various magazines.

Not all of the magazines listed have been scanned yet – this is a work in progress.

Note that many of the scans are graphical and so pretty HUGE in size. Offered as they are just for reading.

Please don’t everyone start sending me “improved” scans etc etc of existing material, I just won’t have time to handle it. Since such scans are huge and internet upload so slow here, uploading new scans takes overnight per 50MB typical scan. In other words, large volumes of material just won’t happen.

The page is at http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/docs/magarticles/index.html

Andreas von Döllen has given permission for the EasyCircuit DAD and circuit design program to be made freeware.

It’s a German language program, originally released in 1992.

The source files are available too.

Here are some screen dumps, reproduced from QL Forum:

Download the program and source files from http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/graphics/index.html

Andrei Tenu has written a new detective game called P.I.Cole-The Case Of The Missing Doxie.

Available to download from https://www.qlforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3035 and in four versions:

• As a 1MB .WIN container
• As a DD floppy disk image
• As 4 MDV images for use on vDrive QL
• As a regular zip file for a QL.

SMSQmulator 2.28 is out now. Download it free of charge from:http://www.wlenerz.com/smsqmulator

SMSQ/E version 3.35 is out now – get it from www.wlenerz.com/smsqe .

The sources for the revised QL-SD drivers from Marcel Kilgus are in there now.

There are also some bugfixes, including one which could cause the entire machine to crash severely if a string variable was used as a REPeat loop control variable (bug found by Per Witte).

As a result, it is no longer possible to use string variables as REPeat loop control variables (just like FOR loops).

The 16^th Italian QL meeting will be held on 5^th April 2020, at the DTM Technologies premises – Via Tacito 65, Modena, from 10am to 5pm. For further details, visit Giorgio Garabello’s website at http://www.hunggartorino.it/ql/16th-italian-meeting-sinclair-ql/?fbclid=IwAR2QWgJ-yp73V1ennGIrpyfO7rNdFWqdrNcw7N-d1FI0abn5wh2F8kI8Lpo or contact Davide Santachiara – ergon AT libero DOT it

Johan Engdahl writes:

“Slowly getting there. The RetroCom software will soon be ready for release…..it will sure ease up the daily work with QL for the community….things like connecting to various services on the Internet, save and load software across your local LAN etc.

I must admit it´s more complicated to code for QL than for any other platform I´ve been working with. It has been a steep learning curve, but now I´m over the ridge 🙂 Thanks to Derek Stewart and others for helping me out.”

Back in 2018, Johan started work on a software suite for what was referred to as QL Wifi Interface (now known as RetroCom), described a bridge between the modern world and old computers such as QL and Spectrum. The device would basically work on any system with a serial port.

Charlie Ingley, designer of the vDrive system for the QL, has announced a new case for the vDrive, styled to match the QL. These are available through Charlie’s presence on SellMyRetro.com and can be purchased either by themselves (rectangular LED upgrade kit included – £15 + postage) or with a bundle along with a vDriveQL+cable+vMap. Charlie has expressed thanks to Michele Perini for his kind permission to use his original vDriveQL enclosure model. https://www.sellmyretro.com/offer/details/40597