Three Levels of Game Boy Programming

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/W5wmBjaB_ys

@john2001plus
0 seconds ago
When I was a Game Boy Color programmer, it was all assembly language.

Problems with Internet Access after Mac OS Update

My iMac is dual-boot, meaning it can start up in either macOS or Windows 10. I mostly use the now-outdated Windows 10, but yesterday I switched to macOS to learn app programming. While using macOS, I was prompted to upgrade to the latest version of the operating system. I accepted the upgrade, which took about an hour. Everything worked fine afterward, both in macOS and when I switched back to Windows 10.

However, after leaving my computer in "sleep" mode overnight, I found in the morning that Windows 10 could no longer access the Internet. My other computer and my phone could connect without any problem.

I tried the obvious fixes — rebooting the gateway (router) and restarting the computer a couple of times — but nothing worked. When I switched to macOS, it connected to the Internet just fine. Then I set up a hotspot on my phone, and Windows 10 was able to access the Internet through that, which told me it wasn't a hardware issue and likely not a problem with the gateway.

I suspected that upgrading macOS might have caused the Boot Camp drivers used by Windows to become outdated. So, in macOS, I formatted a flash drive and used Boot Camp Assistant to copy the latest drivers onto it. Then I rebooted into Windows and reinstalled the drivers.

Initially, that didn't seem to help. I was about to call Comcast technical support, but I decided to reboot the gateway one more time. For a few seconds after restarting it, the Internet still didn't work — and then suddenly, Windows connected.

Apparently, the fix was a combination of updating the Boot Camp drivers and rebooting the gateway.

It's Easy to Get Free Extended Security Updates for Windows 10. Just Do This One Thing - CNET

https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/its-easy-to-get-free-extended-security-updates-for-windows-10-just-do-this-one-thing/

Why the end of support for Windows 10 is uniquely troubling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqh_40hyGYw&t=118s

Computer manufacturers, in partnership with Microsoft, have sold us computers costing hundreds — if not thousands — of dollars, with the implied expectation that we could use them for as long as we wanted. Yet Microsoft has now decided, seemingly arbitrarily, that we must either discard perfectly good computers or pay $61 per year for continued support. This feels criminal, given that Microsoft was the one selling the operating systems that power those computers.

Microsoft could easily create a version of Windows 11 that runs on relatively recent hardware if it chose to.

Perhaps the free market will eventually produce a viable alternative operating system or independent security software. In the past, there were efforts to develop Windows-compatible versions of Linux, but those projects often faced legal challenges from Microsoft.

This Keyboard is a Full Desktop PC - Raspberry Pi 500+

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cSxS76VCMM

For $200 you can get a somewhat capable minicomputer.

Ex Google Ceo Thinks Programmers Will Be Replaced By AI In 1 Year

Fastest Gateway in the west

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/a57ICcsTBjU

ChatGPT knows all about Doom. ChatGPT knows everything.

If I just paste some text into ChatGPT, it often just automatically corrects my grammar and clarity.  It usually does a good job, but sometimes I reject its changes for being too different from what I intended.

So I pasted the following comment text into ChatGPT.  Rather than correct my grammar, it came back with a deeper analysis.  It also figured out that I was talking about Doom II Map 28, which is a pretty neat trick because I mentioned multiple maps.

It just passed the Turing Test.  Maybe it is too good...

I couldn't find this third secret on my own. There is nothing to indicate that there is a wall to open. Usually, I do this area first, but there might be an advantage to wait to find the Computer Area Map, if it exists on this level. I started by trying to follow the right hand wall. Maybe the left hand wall is easier, but either way you eventually circle around and have to explore the areas you missed. My least favorite Doom levels are the ones with confusing mazes. One of the worst examples is Doom 1 E2M6 Halls of the Damned. I found M28 The Spirit World confusing to navigate. M12, M13, and M15 are also hard to navigate, but M15 is easier to figure out and more fun. I like M29 much better.

ChatGPT said:

Sounds like you're working through Doom II, and really digging into the level design—especially when it comes to navigation and secrets. From your mention of M28 The Spirit World and M29, you're deep into the later stages.

Here's a breakdown of what you've said and some thoughts that might help:

---

🔍 "I couldn't find this third secret on my own…"

If you're talking about MAP28: The Spirit World, it has 4 official secrets. The third one (Secret #3) is tricky:

• It's the one with the invisible wall you have to walk through on the southern side of the map.

• There's no clear visual cue for it, which is probably why you missed it. This is a hallmark of some of Doom II's more frustrating secrets—no texture difference, no light variation, no sound hint—just pure trial and error (or a guide).

• It's near the room with the blue key, behind the wall with torches. You have to press on the wall or walk through it to find the passage.

So, yeah—you're not alone in missing this. It's often cited as one of the least intuitive secrets in the game.

---

🗺️ "There might be an advantage to wait to find the Computer Area Map…"

Absolutely. In big, maze-like levels (like MAP28), waiting until you get the Computer Area Map can help you spot:

• Hidden rooms

• Oddly-shaped walls (often hints at secrets)

• Unvisited areas quickly, without relying only on automap memory

Unfortunately, not every map has a Computer Area Map item. MAP28 does not have one by default—so you're stuck with manual exploration unless you cheat (e.g., iddt).

---

🧭 "Maybe the left hand wall is easier…"

This kind of "wall-hugging" navigation works in simpler maps, but maps like MAP28:

• Have teleport traps

• Have non-linear progression

• Require backtracking

• And often, secret switches or shootable walls

So wall-hugging only helps with consistency, but you'll still miss things unless you explore every odd-shaped dead-end.

---

🤯 "My least favorite Doom levels are the ones with confusing mazes…"

You're in good company. Let's touch on each one you mentioned:

• E2M6 Halls of the Damned (Doom 1):
  The fake exit and dark maze make it infamous. That section near the blue key where the lights go out? Pure nightmare fuel.

• MAP28 The Spirit World (Doom II):
  Confusing teleporters, hard-to-see switches, and unclear secret walls. The "hellish" design is thematic, but disorienting.

• MAP12: The Factory
  Maze-like with multiple disconnected indoor sections, and lots of pain elementals. Not loved for its clarity.

• MAP13: Downtown
  The urban layout is ambitious but often frustrating. Jumping between buildings is cool but directionless.

• MAP15: Industrial Zone
  A huge level with a lot of elevation changes. But as you said, it's more fun to explore than MAP13.

---

👍 "I like M29 much better."

Totally understandable. MAP29: The Living End is:

• Still large, but more linear

• Has cool set-piece fights

• Great verticality and fun visuals

• Less maze-like and more about combat and platforming

It's often cited as a highlight of Doom II's final stretch.

---

🧠 Tips for Navigating Confusing Doom Levels:

1. Use the automap frequently – switch to full screen mode with Tab to check for missed areas.

2. Use iddt (press IDDT in the automap twice) if you're stuck and okay with light cheating.

3. Listen for sounds – sometimes a distant door opens when you press a switch.

4. Shoot walls – especially in areas that look symmetrical but feel off.

5. Look for texture misalignments – often a clue for secrets.

---

Would you like a breakdown of all 4 secrets in MAP28 or help navigating a specific section?

Alexa Is Always Listening #funfact

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/bB4eaGHqNQQ

Microsoft Announces World's First Topological Quantum Chip

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9SBVZr3lbS0

I have always been skeptical of quantum computing. Some of the claims made about it don't seem to make sense, such as suggestions that quantum computers access physical dimensions we cannot see. Others even claim they do not fully understand how their quantum computers work.

I am sure quantum computing works to some degree, but there are practical limitations. The number of qubits that can be packed into a small space will likely always be restricted. Furthermore, many systems require cooling their circuits to near absolute zero, making them impractical for widespread use.

The Star Wars: Concept Trailer

Six year ago this was made with CGI.  Now it would be made with AI.

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: John Coffey 

I'm impressed.  Before the original Star Wars movie was created, George Lucas commissioned artist Ralph McQuarrie to create some beautiful concept paintings of what the movie might look like.  These paintings helped inspire the visual effects and the look of the film.

Now someone has taken those paintings and animated them with CGI.  It is short but looks terrific.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7JKT9e-c7E

Computers

Around 1984, there was an article that made a bold prediction: "Someday you will throw away computers. Your house will be littered with them. You'll get computers in cereal boxes." Forty years ago, that future seemed a long way off.

So how many computers do I have in my house? I own two iMacs—one of which I'm trying to sell—a powerful mini computer, and a laptop I rarely use. Speaking of which, I don't use my Fire tablet much either, and my iPad 4 is so outdated that almost nothing runs on it anymore. I also have an old Raspberry Pi. So I should probably sell the devices I no longer use.

I like having two computers for the same reason I like having two microwaves: it lets me do more at once. One computer is busy running chess analysis, so I use the other to browse the internet.

But there are also a ton of devices in our homes that are technically computers, even if we don't think of them that way. I have a Fire TV Stick, a NES Classic video game console, a handheld gaming system, and four Arcade1Up arcade machines. It's hard to say how many household items now contain computers—our TVs, thermostats, and more. My garage door opener, CPAP machine, and robot vacuum cleaner can all be controlled remotely through the internet, which means they have chips inside as well.

I've also kept some of my old phones, which are computers too.

By my count, that adds up to about 22 computers.

From Facebook March 24, 2020

I was born at a time that made my life a transition between the old and the new. The people who came before me went through the Great Depression, World War II, and the Korean war. The technology of the 1960s was hardly distinguishable from the 1950s. The cars were practically the same. I didn't get a color television until the mid-1970s. High tech was a transistor radio.

In the early to mid-1970's I was very interested in electronics because at the time that was about as high tech as you could get. However, when the most primitive computers imaginable started to emerge around 1975, I became immediately hooked because I could see that this is where the future was headed.

John Coffey

Computer Benchmarks

On Thu, Jun 26, 2025 at 7:30 PM Aaron wrote:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F9F829S6?th=1

I just got this one, is it any good? I don't know anything about mini PCs or their specs.

Yours, 

Aaron

To put this in context, look at this benchmark for your computer....

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=AMD+Ryzen+5+3550H&id=3403

You got a great price, but the CPU power is similar to low end laptops and medium level tablets. 

My 2017 i5 iMac that I sold...

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i5-7500+%40+3.40GHz&id=2910

My 2017 i7 iMac that I am trying to sell...

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i7-7700K+%40+4.20GHz&id=2874

I have a newer 2020 model iMac that I use as my main computer...

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?id=3733&cpu=Intel+Core+i7-10700K+%40+3.80GHz

BTW, my iMac computers match these numbers when booting Windows 10, but when I boot them in Mac OS the benchmarks are 8 to 10% better.

My Rizen 9 7940hs minicomputer...

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=AMD+Ryzen+9+7940HS&id=5454

This thing is a beast.  This chip has the graphics card built into it for gaming.  I got a better benchmark by 2,000 points after it was repaired.  I don't know why this is, but the computer appears to do a better job of cooling after it was repaired.

--

Best wishes,

John Coffey

http://www.entertainmentjourney.com

Computers Are Just Rocks Doing Math

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgVosaLhPV0

NES Games Were Written in Assembly

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/kFjSxwijItU

@john2001plus
0 seconds ago
I wrote games in Assembly for the SNES, Gameboy Color, Atari ST, and Timex Sinclair 2068.

Facts That Will Change Your Perception Of Time

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/UiStDvaALDc

The Beatles vs Apple Computers Legal Battle

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/CxpuQMDccRA

Sugar Consumption, Date format

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/xHXtGsKq5JU

The International ISO Standard for dates is YYYY-MM-DD.  I have been using this format for at least 15 years.  

In the computer world, this is called "Big Endian", where the largest value numbers come first.  Many computer processors use this format for numbers, although Intel and Intel-compatible processors use "Little Endian", where the least significant part of the number comes first.  "Big Endian" has a small advantage because it is easier to sort records using this format.

ALL PROCESSORS are THE SAME

RAM Gets Screens

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pJ4d6Xw8VbA

The internet is breeding paranoid schizophrenic conspiracy theorists

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7FIvhDfOUY

Fwd: Are they listening. iPhones are listening.

FYI.

On Sun, May 18, 2025 at 12:54 AM BEESLEY wrote:

Are they listening.  iPhones are listening.

 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YMyHp4ZKJK4

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: John Coffey <john2001plus@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, May 18, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Subject: Re: Are they listening. iPhones are listening.
To: BEESLEY 

The question "Why did every major phone company switch to non-removable batteries at the same time?" is frustrating because it falsely links two unrelated issues. The tone suggests a conspiracy theory connecting non-removable batteries to phone surveillance.

My iPhone listens for the phrase "Hey Siri" to activate the digital assistant. I usually follow up with a question like "What's the weather?"—and it responds. I do this every day. This is a feature I can turn off, and Apple offers some of the strongest privacy protections among phone manufacturers.

Amazon has also been (falsely) accused of using its Alexa devices to eavesdrop on conversations:
Amazon denies duping US consumers over Alexa's recording practices – Reuters

Smartphone batteries have been largely non-removable since the first iPhone. This wasn't a sudden shift, but a gradual transition as new models and brands prioritized slimmer designs and sturdier builds. Additionally, Apple encourages the use of Apple-certified parts and repair services, reinforcing its ecosystem.

--

Best wishes,

John Coffey

http://www.entertainmentjourney.com

Mobile App Development in 2025 - Choosing between Flutter, React Native and more

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz0YeouiaOA

Why is @ on your computer keyboard?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjE03a8PGko&t=187s

Chess game

[Event ""]
[Site ""]
[Date "2025.05.15"]
[Round ""]
[White ""]
[Black ""]
[Result "*"]
[TimeControl "300+3"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3
Bb7 9. O-O b4 10. Ne4 Be7 11. Qc2 Nxe4 12. Bxe4 Rc8 13. Bd2 f5 14. Bd3 c5 15.
Qa4 c4 16. Qxa7 Bxf3 *


Best wishes,

John Coffey

Windows 10 Is DEAD! What You NEED to Know Now!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN3ShDRoQvQ

In the following comment, I conveniently omit that I purchased the iMac used for $380.  

@john2001plus
0 seconds ago
I am running a 2020 iMac with a powerful 8-core Intel Core i7-10700K processor.  The computer supports Windows 10, which is primarily how I use it.  (Mac OS sucks.)  

So, five years later, I am supposed to abandon a very good $2300 computer because it is supposedly outdated and the powers that be have decided to no longer support me.  There are hundreds of millions of less powerful computers that work just fine, and the company that made the operating system for every one of them has decided to abandon its user base and force people to buy a new computer.

This is criminal.

This Chinese breakthrough could change microprocessors forever

https://bgr.com/tech/this-chinese-breakthrough-could-change-microprocessors-forever/

i7-7700K (2017) iMac problems

After selling my 2017 i5 iMac to a woman from Scottsburg and setting up my 2020 iMac, I needed to prepare my recently purchased 2017 iMac (with an i7-7700K) for resale.

The first step was to remove the Windows partition and erase everything on the computer — and that's where the problems began.

I used Boot Camp to remove the Windows partition I had previously created, which should have reclaimed the 1.6 TB I had allocated to Windows. While the program successfully deleted the partition, it reported an error when attempting to reclaim the storage space. I then tried using Disk Utility (the Mac partition tool), which also failed and told me to try running it from Recovery Mode, which didn't work.  A few years ago, I tried the same thing on my old, dying 2009 iMac, and that attempt had failed too.

Newer iMacs have a built-in feature to securely erase everything automatically, but while the option exists in macOS, it doesn't actually function on older models. So, the recommended method is to boot into Recovery Mode, reformat the drive, and reinstall the OS — a process I had successfully completed on the iMac I just sold.

Unfortunately, the 2017 iMac with the i7 processor reformatted the drive but threw an error during the OS installation. It simply refuses to install. At this point, I have a $400 paperweight with no operating system.

I'm starting to wonder if the 2 TB hard drive might be defective.  It is, after all, an eight-year-old computer.

Next, I'll try creating a bootable USB flash drive with the macOS installer using my 2020 iMac. According to everything I've read online, that's the recommended next step if the OS won't install through Recovery Mode.  It is probably what the repair shop would try.

My Lengthy iMac Story

My Lengthy iMac Story:

Because of rapid advancements, computers quickly become outdated. From 1995 to 2010, I bought a new computer roughly every five years. I remember telling my coworkers in 2001 that my new machine could boot up in just 2.5 minutes—they were impressed. But how could a computer I considered "fast" in 2001 feel like junk by 2005? And the cycle repeated itself in 2010.

However, during the 2010s, the pace of chip improvements slowed. Companies were touting only 5–10% performance gains each year. A big reason was that it became increasingly difficult to shrink chip circuits. Intel got stuck at 14 nanometers. It wasn't until 2020, when Apple introduced its M-series chips—starting at 6nm and shrinking to 4nm—that we saw a meaningful leap forward. Much of the credit goes to TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company), which produces chips for Apple and many other companies.

My first Intel-compatible computer, which I bought in 1995, cost $1,200. It was a barebones 486 running at 33 MHz, lacking features that are standard today. Over time, I Frankensteined it—adding a sound card, optical drive, better processors—one component at a time. By the time I had spent $3,000 on it, it was so obsolete that it made more sense to just buy a new machine. Newer computers came with all the features pre-installed and cost much less.

In 2010, I bought an iMac because I wanted to do iPhone app development. It cost $2,000, already discounted from the original $2,400 price. If I had known it would take me so long to get into development, I probably wouldn't have bothered. I could have bought an equivalent PC for about a third less.

That 2010 iMac had a quad-core 2.8 GHz i7 processor with hyperthreading. At the time, it felt incredibly powerful—a huge upgrade from anything I'd used before. I told myself the higher cost was justified since it would last ten years.

About three years in, the power supply failed. One issue with iMacs—and all-in-one computers in general—is that they're harder to repair and more prone to overheating due to their compact design. By 2018, the power supply was failing again. A repair shop told me several components were on the verge of dying and that fixing it would be cost-prohibitive. By 2019, the machine was completely dead.

So, in 2019, I went shopping for another iMac. I found a used 2017 i5 model—twice as fast as my old one—for $1,050, which was a fair price at the time. I wanted an i7 version with hyperthreading, but those were going for $1,950 used.

By 2023, even this second iMac felt slow. The Android development tools I needed were nearly unusable due to performance issues. I realized I needed a faster computer—just a Windows machine for Android work. I could still use the iMac for iPhone development. So I bought a mini-PC with a 4nm AMD chip—five times faster than the iMac and capable of booting Windows 11 in just 7 seconds. Amazing.

However, mini-PCs can suffer the same heat issues as all-in-ones. They all use laptop components and compact cases. After 14 months of heavy use, mine overheated and died. It took three months to get repaired in China. Interestingly, the machine I got back was a bit faster. It was the same case, but I suspect some internals were swapped. The company wouldn't tell me what they fixed.

Then, in March 2025, a series of storms in Indiana triggered the next chapter in this saga. After several power flickers, my iMac died the next day. I brought it to a repair shop and, learning my lesson, bought a couple of surge protectors—which I highly recommend.

With my mini-PC still in China, I was stuck using an old laptop. Surprisingly, it streamed video just fine.

Worried that the iMac repair would be expensive, I started browsing for replacements. On Facebook Marketplace, I found a 2017 i7 iMac in Louisville—the same model that used to cost $1,950—for just $400. It was 60% faster than my i5. I was ready to buy it. But two things changed my mind: First, my i5 repair ended up costing just $50—a power supply cable replacement. Second, I admitted to the seller that I was nervous about the long trip to the south side of Louisville. I told him I didn't need two iMacs. He suggested I could sell my old one and even dropped his price by $50. That sealed the deal. I drove to Louisville on a day of severe flooding, had to turn around, and eventually found another route.

After buying the i7, I listed my i5 for $300. A buyer was interested, but I accidentally cracked the glass front while handling it. The shop quoted $500 for the repair. Although the crack is minor, the buyer backed out. I lowered the price to $200 and plan to keep reducing it until someone bites.

Meanwhile, Facebook kept showing me more iMac listings. Two 2020 i7 models appeared—one in Louisville, one in Carmel—both for $500. The Carmel one had more RAM and storage, making it more appealing. These newer models were twice as fast as my recent purchase and came with SSDs, which makes a big difference. I started wanting one of these instead.

The catch: the Carmel seller mentioned a scratch and a tiny crack on the right side of the screen. Since I was already dealing with a cracked-glass problem, I initially passed. The next day, the price dropped to $430, and then today to $380. I messaged the seller, drove to Carmel in more stormy weather, and saw that the damage was very minimal—so I bought it. A great deal.

Now, I'm trying to sell two iMacs.

P.S. Yesterday, my barber told me her old laptop takes 25 minutes to boot. I suggested adding more memory, but she didn't even know what that meant. I offered to take a look at it for her.