The problem with taking a while off from "doing the news" on a site like this is that once you get a chance to sit in front of a 'puter and write something... well, there's loads of it! And that makes you want to leave it another day. Eventually, it becomes too much. My news sack is bulging, and ready to spurt. Ehm. There's an innuendo, eh?!
The problem is, with all this news to get through, it'd done really badly. Like this:

• A new version of Vortex Tracker II is available. It's up to v1.0 alpha 9.
  
• New versions of Horror Word (1.03) and BestView (2.14) are available over at DJH Downloads if you want them.
  
• Apparently, Mekka&Symposium won't be taking place next year. If you want it to happen, there's a petition.
  
• If you fancy trying out your Czech, go grab some issues of ZX Magazin from Speccy.cz.
  
• Spin v0.4 has been released. You can grab a list of changes if you check out the WOS forums. There's also something about a beta of Spin 0.41.
  
• Shitloads of goings-on at WOS, but importantly it's been cake-and-icecream time. The other day, the site turned 7 years old. Well done.
  
• In the last few days, vbSpec has been upgraded by a few versions, and it currently rests neatly on v1.62.
  
• POS is closed today in memory of Ded Smirnoff.
  
• Get over to V-TRD to grab yourself a copy of Prodigi DMA USC Music Editor, which supports a DMA sound expansion for the ZX.
  
• TCG have made another update to MB Commander, bringing it up to v1.3.
  
• If you want to transfer files to-and-from PC and ZX, then check out the news on the ZX DIY Page. There's info from Garry Lancaster with some programs for just that purpose.
  
• Timewasters wanted to spread this file, and this message: "we who are who are we. we made it to say we love scene. we will be here always. (c) Timewasters". There you go, then.
  
• I've been sent this votesheet for "kpuk#3__inskene", a 'zine from Skrju. Try to fill it in and send it on by December 8^th.
  
• Sintech report on CSS that there's no confirmation yet on whether the MB03 will ever exist. They have 20 of the required 50 orders for 8BC's proposed system. It's not easy to sell something that only may exist.
  
• Also with Sintech, there's some news of a +D Clone for the sum of 99 euros. Again, it's "soon".
  
• Another post on CSS from Yarek gives info on ZXVGS 0.30 for MB02, which is working lovely-like on RealSpec. It even works with an emulated HDD interface. Yum.
  

Normal service will resume soon, I promise. Things are going haywire at the moment. Once things have settled down I'll try to get back into the "news every day" thing.
Oh, and if I've missed some news, let me know about it again. I may have missed it in my email, lost amongst the spam.

Two gatherings have been announced recently.
First up is JHCon. It's being held in January 2003 in Czech Republic. The only details I have for now is what's posted on the X-Board, so check that out.
The other announcement was for Sintech's 8-Bit show. It's just in the planning stage at the moment it seems, and looks set for either a Spring or Autumn 2003 time. Check out the post on comp.sys.sinclair for more information.

Here's a few little notes about some websites, and things they have "on the go" as it were:

• If you're looking for the homepage of Gas13 you've probably been looking in the wrong place. It's moved to here. Update your links. Oh, and I've updated the button. Yes.
• Getting majorly retro, you can go check out the homepage of classic ZX game-makers Zenobi is you really like.
• Peters Plus are providing you with another chance to influence the development of the Sprinter, by asking in their latest poll if you think a CMOS chip is useful for the machine.
• Retro Review #4 will be out at the end of the month. Looking forward to it arriving, yes.
• Not quite ZX-related, but the follow-up to the recent ZX vs Oric battle is covered in the latest Retro Mart. This time it's the Vic20 vs the MSX.
• There's a new version of Ziewer out around the 'net. This is a tool used for viewing ZX images on a PC. Very handy. You can grab it from, various place such as... ooh... Scenergy.
• There's a new version of MB Commander from TCG out too. v1.2 includes faster copying and a minor bug-fix.

Hmm. Kinda strayed from news just about websites, but there you go. That's life.

More apologies from me to you for being slack with updates. As I've mentioned, I'm busy at work, and have to find time to get a new house. Ooh, the agony.
So a few nuggets of AY-news for you to start with:

• Over on POS they've posted "Compact AY-Player", a zipfile with details on how to make a... compact AY-player. Hmm. Have I mentioned this before?
• I don't know much about Buzz, but it seems it's a modular software synthesizer. Basically, and expandable synth. And someone has produced a ZX Synth for it. There's even a game available which uses it, if that's your kinda thing.
• Our friend (fiend?) Yerzmyey has produced another music pack (titled "Yerzmyey's Tunes pt2"), which you can download from the H-Prg homepage.
• Over on Virtual TRD you can grab the latest version of ZX-Amp, a kinda winamp thingie for ZX toons. Lovely.

That's it for AY news at the moment. Much of this was nicked... I mean borrowed from VORC.

As mentioned in the previous post, I have some catching up to do. Here goes:

• Vortex Tracker II has had another alpha-release. v1.0a8 brings with it chip-type and channel allocation selection. Oh, and the usual minor bugfixes, too.
• Check out Virtual TRD for details of some UnrealSpeccy bugs and fixes.
• All you Sprinter people will be pleased to see a demo version of "Thunder in the Deep" posted on the Peters Plus page.
• On the ZX Hardware DIY page, you can find info on the ZX Spectrum +4 (a possible enhanced ZX), and also some updated schematics for Serial+IDE.
• Highlighting the problems of developing using emulators, a new version of MB Commander is released. v1.1b allows it to start on... a real ZX. Hehe.
• Keeping with the MB02 for a moment, on the 8Bit Company downloads page you can grab yourself some info on the "MB-HDD". No prizes for guessing it's an IDE interface. But this fits inside the MB02 it seems. Grab the details and get building.
• Apparently, scenosaurus.org is back up-n-running, but I just checked and couldn't get there. I think it's a problem "up my end", tho', as I couldn't get to Scenergy either.
• Which is better, the ZX Spectrum or the Oric Atmos? I think that's a fairly easy question. But some people just don't understand how easy, so there's a poll over on Retro Computer Mart to find out. You'll need to log in to vote in the forums, but hey, it's free so why not!?

Okay, that'll do for now. I'm quite tired at the moment. It's been a long weekend, and tomorrow I want to work late, so I can have more time off to find a house. 'Nite.

Everyone point at the person who's not updated his website for nearly a week... yes, it's me. Sorry. So much for the news site, eh!? What can I say, I've been a bit busy what with work and trying to find a new house and things like that. So yes it's going to be a bumpy ride up until christmas, but we'll get through it. We usually do.
I'm currently in the middle of doing some system updates and "tweaks" over on raww.net. At some point (I keep saying this), raww.org will be moving over (with a new look - and yes, it's done), and I'll also put some information on the server in case anyone wants hosting. My plan has been to take a week off from work and do all of these projects, but try persuading my boss that's a good idea... he just won't accept it.
Quite a lot has happened in the last few days in the ZX scene. I'll get some of the updates out of the way now, and perhaps some tomorrow (depending on when I get home from work). Sorry to people who've emailed me. I've simply not been here to check them. But it must be saving me a fortune on the phone bill <g>.

Another one of those nights. I have a busy day tomorrow, looking for somewhere to live amongst other things. It's just started pissing it down outside too. Aah well, at least the roof isn't leaking.

• Over on the Peters Plus page you can grab yourself a new bootable system disk image, which you may want if your Sprinter has BIOS 3.00.
• Vortex Tracker II is up to alpha 7 now, adding import of .PTI, .GTR, .FTC files, and improving import of some other formats. There's a couple bugfixes too, and source is also available.
• There's a note on c64.sk about the addition of Retro Radio to the HC Gamer page's online radio. I have no idea if it'll include ZX tunes, but it could be worth a listen anyway.
• Get your soldering irons out, there's a schematic for connecting a Hayes modem to your ZX over at Shaos' page. Needs a ROM change of 1 byte, but if you've nothing better to do, why not?!
• The Compo is the title of a new AY-music competition started by Nik-o and Alone Coder. Check out Scenergy, POS, and ooh, other places for the details. It's what I'm gonna do. Yes.
• If you're yearning for more photos from the recent "International Vodka Party" held in Poland, check out a bunch of snaps taken by Sveta. Thank TDM for the hosting and descriptions.
• Gather up your belongings and head over to the X-Board for some news on next year's Shucon party. It's set to run from 11/07 to 20/07, setting you back 600czk entrance fee.

Well, Shucon looks promising, especially if combined with Beerever as suggested. I'd like to visit Czech Republic again. It's a nice place (before the flooding and stuff).
Anyway, I must get some sleep.

Haha, just after typing up the other news I get an email from Andrew Owen mentioning that SE Basic v0.80a is released. Go check the site to see what's changed, and also to check out the sections which now have content <g>.

Thanks to Sami for sending along news of the ZXATASP IDE interface for the ZX.
The system is complete (for now?), with the versions of kit at v1.62 IDE and v1.50 MEM. Ok, this won't mean much unless you check the site. There's even some of these kits for sale, too!
And if you have an Interface 1 on your ZX, then don't worry, as a little hack-type fix will get it working with the ZXATASP's ResiDOS. Ok, so you can only use one at a time, but a simple command switches between them. It even works well with the latest SE Basic (tho' we'll see what happens when v0.8 is released after beta testing is finished).
Now we just need to wait for someone to automate all of this into a handy multi-system commander. Yes, one program that handles MB02, TRDOS, ZXATASP, +D, ... hell, even tape. Anyone have the time to spare?

There's some mention on a couple websites (V-TRD and Ellipse) of some new Music tools. I'm gonna try to grab the information from the translations, so bear with me...
First up is mention of Riff-Tracker, a .MOD editor for General Sound. I don't have much more to tell you other than it's at v4.19.
Next is "Pocket AY". At least, that's what the translations are showing. From what I can see it looks like a Flash-based device that plays AY sound, perhaps through the XZ-80 AY-player. Or perhaps not.
If anyone has any more information on these two, send it along. Perhaps Black could help out, as he seems to be the creator of Pocket-AY.