Axel Muhr has just released a Floating Point Unit interface card for the Apple IIgs and Apple IIe (enhanced and unenhanced). The NumberCruncher Reloaded is a peripheral card for the Apple II series that features a math co-processor, often also called a Floating Point Unit (FPU) which is specialized on, well, floating point calculations. Doing so, it is much, much faster than any 6502 or 65816 CPU ever will be.

That said, the NumberCruncher Reloaded will not automatically speed-up your programs as CPU accelerators like the Transwarp GS or ZIP CHIP would do. Programs will have to be either specifically written to use the NumberCruncher Reloaded or use a floating-point library like the SANE interface which then needs to be patched to itself use the NumberCruncher Reloaded for calculations instead of the main CPU.

Get one at https://www.geekdot.com/numbercruncher-reloaded

Volume 26, Issue 2 (June 2021) of Juiced.GS, the longest-running Apple II publication in print, has now shipped.

This issue features an inside look at the Apple II emulated in Joshua Weier’s Unreal game, zero_page; a tutorial for using ham radio with your Apple II; reviews of the ROMX and MacEffects’ transparent case; an Apple II podcast roundup; the continuing adventures of Detective Pomme and Colonel Hexings; and much, much more!

This is Juiced.GS‘s second quarterly issue of 2021, its twenty-sixth year in print. Subscriptions for 2021 are available for $20 each for United States customers, $25 for readers in Canada and Mexico, and $28 for international customers.

You can pre-order up to four different editions of Attack of the Petscii Robots, the new Apple II arcade style game by the 8-bit Guy and his team at http://www.the8bitguy.com/product/petscii-robots-for-apple/

A IIgs specific version will be available in a couple of months.

KansasFest 2021, the 33rd annual Apple II convention, is open for registration. Users, programmers, hobbyists, and retrocomputing enthusiasts are invited to gather virtually from Friday, July 23, through Saturday, July 24, for two days and one night of sessions, demos, announcements, contests, and camaraderie.

We will make the best of the virtual arrangement and return in person to Kansas City in 2022. We’ve rescheduled the keynote speaker, Robert Woodhead, to next year.

Registration is $10 for access to all talks and activities. For $20 you get access to all talks/activities plus you will also receive a commemorative pin (postage included). Official KansasFest t-shirts are extra and optional. To register, please visit https://www.kansasfest.org/registration.

KansasFest invites any and all Apple II users, fans, and friends to attend the largest and longest running annual Apple II conference. For photos, videos, schedules, and presentations from past year’s events or to sign up for the email list and for inquiries, please visit https://www.kansasfest.org/.

For once, three demos were presented during the Revision Online 2021 party. Two for the 8-bit Apple IIs, and one for the Apple IIgs.

Watch them online:

• LowTech demo by Stéphane Champailler @ https://youtu.be/Dlmrd0howLw
• Terra Nova by French Touch @ https://youtu.be/7Qrt6jzggWE
• No Hard Feelings by Ninjaforce, Dagen Brock, and Fatdog @ https://youtu.be/uDdJFKRtufU

Congratulations to you!

From the europlus zone blog:

Hot on the heels of WOzFest 18 I’m very happy to announce the date for the next WOzFest: WOzFest 19 will be held on Saturday 1 May 2021, starting at midday Sydney time (UTC+10:00).

The theme for WOzFest 19 is “Freedom” – a good friend and frequent WOzFest attendee retires the day before, so I thought what better way to celebrate than to get together with Apple ][ enthusiasts?! I’ll leave it to attendees to interpret the theme as they see fit.

Further details on the announcement post, and updates will be posted under the europlus zone’s WOzFest tag.

From the europlus zone blog:

[I’m happy to announce] four test sheets covering the major revisions of Apple ][ and ][+ motherboards:

WOzFest Labs Apple II Motherboard Test Sheet – Revision 0

WOzFest Labs Apple II Motherboard Test Sheet – Revision 1-4

WOzFest Labs Apple II Motherboard Test Sheet – Revision 7

WOzFest Labs Apple II Motherboard Test Sheet – Revision RFI

The sheets show most major components, including product codes, which motherboard product codes are relevant for that revision, areas to record info like case and PSU serial numbers and notes, and an area to record the dates of test sessions and progress through the board.

Further details and download links in the announcement post.

Volume 26, Issue 1 (March 2021) of Juiced.GS, the longest-running Apple II publication in print, has now shipped.

This issue features reviews of the long-awaited fantasy RPG Nox Archaist, the Web browser Webber, and the text-adventure Tristam Island; an interview with Pascal Anquentin, developer of the 1985 game Les Conspirateurs de l’Ombre; a behind-the-scenes look at Hugh Hood’s Direct Connect PostScript Printer Driver; and much, much more!