Jim Grimwood has completed an extensive update to the online Spectrum magazine index SPOT*On. All issues of the database's eight core titles - Crash, Micro Adventurer, Sinclair Answers, Sinclair Programs, Sinclair User, Your Spectrum, Your Sinclair, ZX Computing - have been indexed, 437 issues in all, along with 95 miscellaneous multi-format magazines, bringing the database to a grand total of over 43,000 entries.

Let's face it, it's what iPods were meant for all along... hooking one up to a Spectrum to use as a tape player with instant access to thousands of Speccy games. Well, it's now possible thanks to a new extension to the iPodLinux project. The patch to the Podzilla application adds TZX as a recognised audio file format alongside the more conventional formats such as MP3 and WAV. For more details, see the announcement on the iPodLinux forums.

Shaun Bebbington, Micro Mart's roving retro correspondent, has announced a competition organised by the magazine in conjunction with Cronosoft, for users of the recently released Platform Game Designer. Submissions of original, well-designed games are invited until Friday 1st July 2005, with the winner receiving £20 to spend at Cronosoft and a signed copy of the utility, and the top five games being immortalised on a Cronosoft compilation pack.

A new release of Z88Dk, the C development platform for various Z80 machines, is now available! New features include:

• Executables kit yet ready for Windows with "sprite editor" by Mc Kinnon
• Extended support for Sprinter and Sharp OZ
• Full library of Amstrad CPC with graphics (quite slow)
• Optimized code
• Library of "Debug" with a Z80 disassembler inside with more functions
• Library low level coding for microdrive support (there is also support fo ZXVGS and plus3)
• "appmake" function inside - you can generate ZX .tap file with a command like this: zcc +zx -lndos -create-app -o hello hello.c

The Spring 2005 issue of ZXF magazine has appeared on the metaphorical shelves. As usual it's available for download in PDF format, and this time round we're treated to a whopping 56 pages, featuring vast amounts of Speccy news, the final part of my Soundtracker tutorial, reviews including Cronosoft's latest release Higgledy Piggledy, an investigation into the Sinclair software range, and the sad revelation that this is going to be the final issue of ZXF for some time, while editor Colin Woodcock pursues other projects. Discussions are now under way in the WOS forums about the launch of a potential successor to the magazine.

For those who haven't noticed (and let's face it this site has been quiet recently, so that could include anybody), the raww.net server has been having some difficulties in the last few days. It started sometime over the weekend, during which time I was on a stag do and hence more interested in getting beered-up. I've been working on diagnosing the problem, and the server actually seems relatively stable, so I think it's possibly a network problem. Anyway for the next few days the server will be up-and-down like Zebedee on speed. Just thought you'd like to know. Assuming you can reach this page, that is.

While I'm here, a very quick mention of new versions of ASpectrum (0.1.8) and ZX-Emul (0.30b) - ok, that last one's not exactly "new", but I don't think I've mentioned it yet.
Back to work.

The last version of the tcp/ip stack on ZX is ready and avable. I hope it will be joined into AquaOS. Russian article is here:
http://zx.pk.ru/showthread.php?t=159
You could translate it using http://www.online-translator.com/
Ping program: http://zx.pk.ru/attachment.php?attachmentid=127
TCP program: http://zx.pk.ru/attachment.php?attachmentid=169

Internet radio station Flat Four are now broadcasting a show devoted to Spectrum chiptunes. It's the first in a series which will cover all kinds of platforms, and this show features interviews with Tim Follin, ZX Spectrum Orchestra, and some Gasman bloke...

The station's schedule broadcasts on a loop, and will continue featuring the programme for the next few weeks, so you won't be more than a couple of hours away from hearing it.

Although it's going to be very much a multi-format party, with little focus on the ZX (well, about as much focus on the ZX as on the other platforms, I guess), I think that the upcoming Sundown 2005 party is worth a mention. Because it's taking place in the UK. Yeah, it's not often that the demoscene has a UK event, and now there are two in one year. I'm a bit busy with work at the moment, so for now I'll point you to the original announcement (the confirmation that the party will go ahead), and to a party forum.
The event is taking place I think down the road from me (well, about an hour drive away), so I'll try to be there, tho' it's the weekend of my brother's birthday so I'll see what I can do. Check it out, especially if you're a scener (from any platform) in the UK. Yes.

Ok, phase two of the server-changes has just happened. Those of you eagerly watching the site will have seen it disappear for, ooh, up to half-an-hour. Some changes to domain-names still need to go through, but I'm going to leave those until tomorrow: partly due to waiting for other DNS changes to propogate, and partly coz I'm tired.
So far downtime has been minimal, so Woop!
Oh, but be warned that things like email to any @raww.org or @raww.net addresses may be a little flaky for a couple days while things settle. Also for website maintainers, sorry if any problems occur for you - let me know (non-server email) and I'll try to put things right ASAP.