Vince Briel will be conducting a KansasFest workshop this year to build his new A2MP3 card. Vince demoed a prototype of the card a couple of years ago at KFest. Included in the $99 workshop fee are all parts needed to build the card, along with Vince’s expert guidance (please bring your own soldering iron).
The card plugs into an internal Apple II slot. It accepts a USB memory stick and will play MP3s located on the stick through your Apple II. This will be the first time the card is available to the public, and these cards will be unique because they will have ‘KansasFest 2011′ silkscreened on the circuit board.
You can sign up for Vince’s workshop as part of the online KansasFest registration process.
I’ve built several of Vince’s kits, including the Apple-I Replica, PockeTerm, and Altair 8800micro (well, I paid him to build the Altair–all those front mounted switches, whew!), and have found them to be of high quality. He’s a helpful and enthusiastic teacher too.
Now that registration is open, the KansasFest planning committee is accepting session proposals for this year’s event. Sessions run from 30-60 minutes, and cover most any Apple II related subject. They are the lifeblood of KFest, and a great way for attendees to share their knowledge, interests and passion with others. You don’t have to be a polished or ‘expert’ presenter, just someone who wants to share what they know. The list is already off to a good start, with session topics on how to get your Apple II on a LAN, a look behind the scenes of the new Open Apple podcast, a technical look at the Apple III operating system and add-ons, and a workshop to build your very own Apple II MP3 card. Visit the past session archive to see what others have done, and please send in your proposal.
KANSAS CITY, MO — March 30, 2011 — KansasFest, the 22nd annual convention dedicated to the Apple II computer, is now open for registration. Users, programmers, hobbyists, and retrocomputing enthusiasts are invited to Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri, from Tuesday, July 19, 2011, through Sunday, July 24, for six days and five nights of sessions, demos, announcements, contests, and camaraderie.
The week kicks off with keynote speaker Bob Bishop, co-founder of Apple’s R&D lab alongside Steve Wozniak and creator of many popular Apple II programs and articles. Several sessions and workshops are scheduled throughout the rest of the week, including but not limited to:
Ivan Drucker’s tutorial for putting your Apple II on a LAN
Build your own Apple II MP3 expansion card workshop by Vince Briel
A look at the Apple III’s technical aspects and modern accessories, by Mike Maginnis
A live-action text adventure, hosted by Ken Gagne
A behind-the-scenes look at the Open Apple podcast
The latest on Apple’s iOS mobile devices by Rob Walch of the Today in iPhone podcast
A vendor fair that includes an exhibit hall for attendees to show off and play with new or unusual hardware and software
HackFest, an annual programming challenge open to coders of all skill levels
What the schedule can’t predict is the variety of surprises that are a hallmark of KansasFest. Recent years have seen the debut of a new, boxed Apple II game; the reclassification of Resource Central’s catalog; a “lunch and learn” session on Apple IIc disassembly; and many other announcements and demonstrations. Attendees are encouraged to share their knowledge by presenting their own hardware and software sessions, especially of the Apple II but also including Macintosh, Windows, Linux, iOS, and others.
Register before June 1 to guarantee a price of $365 for a double room or $435 for a single, which includes admission to all sessions as well as most meals. Official KansasFest shirts and Vince Briel’s MP3 workshop are extra and optional and must be ordered by May 31; registration for staying on-site closes July 10. Veterans of the event are invited to bring a first-time attendee; if each indicates the other’s name on the registration form, both will receive a $25 referral rebate at the event. To register, please visit the official Web site at http://www.kansasfest.org/
KansasFest sponsor 16 Sector invites any and all Apple II users, fans, and friends to attend the world’s only annual Apple II conference. For photos, schedules, presentations from past year’s events, and inquiries, please visit the event’s Web site.
KANSAS CITY, MO — December 17, 2010 — Bob Bishop, co-founder of Apple's R&D lab, will be the keynote speaker at KansasFest 2011. Bob is part of the early history of the Apple computer and has developed numerous commercial software titles, worked side-by-side with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, written a book on assembly language programming, and published articles in most Apple II magazines. Bob has lived what most of us only dream about, and he has the stories to prove it.
In 1976, Dr. Bishop knocked on Steve Jobs' door and ended up owning an Apple I. Soon, he bought one of the first Apple II computers. A few months later, the first graphical Apple II games, like Rocket Pilot and Star Wars, came from Bob's keyboard before Apple had even finished the documentation. Later, Bob brought speech to the personal computer with Apple-Talker and Apple-Listener. In 1978, Bob and Steve Wozniak founded Apple's research and development division. His program Apple-Vision was included on DOS 3.3 master disks, demonstrating the audio and video capabilities of the Apple II. Even after retiring in 1981, he continued using, programming, and writing about the entire Apple II line.
The stories do not end with the Apple II. Bob has hosted a radio show using the "Mr. Logic" personality, written essays, founded a comic book club, designed a computer programming language, and written online riddles. Alas, Bob has not yet founded the fanciful "Subroutine Shack" stores "for supplying software components." Today, he lives in California, still "plays with computers," and laments that his Web site is forever under construction.
KansasFest 2011, the 22nd annual Apple II conference, is set for July 19th through July 24th at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri. KansasFest was originally hosted by Resource Central and has been brought to you by the KFest Committee since 1995. Any and all Apple II users, fans, and friends are invited to attend this year's event. Registration details will be announced on the KansasFest Web site in early 2011. For photos, schedules, and presentations from past year's events, please visit the event's official Web site at http://www.kansasfest.org/
After a brief hiatus, the Echoes of KFest podcast is back with more great historical content from the world’s premiere Apple II convention.
Three Four recordings from Resource Central’s catalog, which was recently reclassified under a Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License, have been digitized by Steve Weyhrich and made available as podcasts. Each episode is a different session from KansasFest 1992, featuring the tales and insights of Tom Weishaar, Roger Wagner, Steve Disbrow, Silas Warner, and more.
The first episode was published this weekend, with another coming each of the following Saturdays. The show is available at KansasFest.org or via iTunes.
Dr. Steven Weyhrich announced today that the Apple II History site has received a significant site update, and is now running WordPress. The new site features -=new content=- and is online right now. Check it out!
Edit: We’re adding a video of Steven Weyhrich’s announcement courtesy of Ken Gagne.
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