atari

The 404 1,193: Where we take the number 2 train (podcast)

Welcome to today's show, where we're finally analyzing the food photography trend for what it is, with the help of this article in the New York Times that profiles restaurateur David Bouley and the creative tactics he's come up with to stop the dining room distractions.

The way we see it, the problem with food photography is that we've collectively lost our shame and sense of subtlety when it comes time to dine. Instead of snapping a quick 3-second iPhone pic, we've seen folks stand on chairs, use tripods with a giant dSLR, and even ask the restaurant to adjust the ceiling lights to suit the mood of the picture.

The fact is that there's really no better way to prove you're eating above your budget than to take a picture of it. Argue all you want, it's just a tacky move and plenty of restaurants agree. Check out today's show to hear some places are doing to avoid the awkwardness.… Read more

Atari's U.S. arm files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection

The U.S. operations of pioneering game maker Atari has filed for bankruptcy protection with the intention of separating from its unprofitable French parent.

Together with affiliates Atari Interactive, Humongous, and California US Holdings, Atari requested joint administration in U.S. Bankruptcy Court filing yesterday in an effort to raise independent funding to develop mobile games.

The filing comes a month after the French parent announced it was strapped for cash. The company, which has not been profitable since 1999, forecast in December that it would record a "significant loss" (PDF) for the 2012-2013 fiscal year and was … Read more

Atari debuts iOS Pong app honoring game's 40th birthday

Here's something to make early video game enthusiasts feel old -- Atari's Pong is celebrating its 40th birthday today.

It was 1972 that Atari's first consumer product was created sending people into a playing frenzy. Rumor has it that lines of gamers vying to try out Pong at the arcade sometimes went at least 60 people deep. It wasn't until 1975 that the home version of the game was released.

Now, to honor the trend-setting game, Atari has launched a free iOS Pong app today called Pong World, which is available for iPhones and iPads.

"… Read more

Instantly turn a car into a Tardis, Land Speeder, or NCC-1701

I'm against tacky faux chrome stick-on portholes on cars, but I wholly endorse Etsy seller Empira's geeky custom car emblems.

The emblems cover most of the top sci-fi franchises, including "Star Wars," "Star Trek," "Battlestar Galactica," "Doctor Who," and "Firefly." There are even shout-outs to the fictional Canyonero from "The Simpsons" and to Atari with an Atari 2600 stick-on.

The emblems are convincingly done in the style of real car emblems. The Land Speeder even apes the look of the Land Rover logo. If you already own a vintage Ford Falcon, then you'll be on top of the universe with a Falcon Millennium Edition stick-on. Prices range for $12 to $15.… Read more

Play old-school Atari games in any HTML5 Web browser

Zap! Atari and Microsoft today launched Atari Arcade, an excellent example of how HTML5 can change the way we play video games.

The portal of retro entertainment -- primarily launched to celebrate Atari's 40th anniversary -- includes Asteroids, Centipede, Combat, Lunar Lander, Missile Command, Pong, Super Breakout, and Yars' Revenge. The best part? It's free, and doesn't require Flash, Java, or any other plug-in to play, running solely on HTML5.… Read more

Ouya console ends Kickstarter campaign $8.5 million richer

Yesterday was your last chance to get in on the Kickstarter fundraising for Boxer8's Ouya. After 30 days and more than 63,000 backers, the Android-powered home gaming console pulled in a total of $8,596,475 ($99 of those from your correspondent).

As my colleague Michelle Starr reports from Australia, you can now visit the Ouya Web site to place a preorder for the console. The price is now $109, and it's due to ship in March 2013.

Regardless of your thoughts on Ouya's merits, the little console that seems like it maybe could has captured … Read more

Steve Jobs' Atari memo sells for $27,500

Steve Jobs' Atari memo sold for $27,500 at its Sotheby's auction, just shy of twice its estimated worth.

The handwritten memo was jotted in 1974 by then-19-year-old Jobs, who described changes Atari could make to its World Cup Soccer coin arcade game to make it more fun and functional.

Jobs worked nights at Atari for a brief time in 1974, employing Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak to help whittle down the hardware required for a prototype of a single-player version of Pong, the game that would go on to become Breakout. Jobs would leave Atari that summer to travel … Read more

Steve Jobs' 1974 memo to Atari to be auctioned

Before he co-founded Apple, Steve Jobs worked briefly at Atari, helping the game maker improve design.

Sotheby's is auctioning a handwritten memo penned in 1974 by then-19-year-old Jobs that describes changes Atari could make to its World Cup Soccer arcade game to add fun and functionality.

The present report, written for his supervisor Stephen Bristow, was meant to improve the functionality and fun of World Cup, a coin arcade-game with four simple buttons and an evolution from Atari's Pong game. Job's report is stamped "All-One Farm Design," a name appropriated from the commune he frequented … Read more

The 404 1,057: Where we'd rather have an IPA (podcast)

Sorry about the rather short show today, but the Facebook IPO just started trading and we have to make way for a special edition of Reporter's Roundtable featuring our own "Aunt" Jill Schlesinger, Andy Rachleff of Wealthfront, and Tom Merritt. Check it out for in-depth discussion about the offering!

We'll be back on Monday with a week of new episodes, but you can stay in touch on our Instagram page--look us up @the404.… Read more