Amstrad Expo is no more, but rejoice as ReSeT #0 is the new name of the Amstrad meeting organized by the tireless Eliot.

As usual you can expect a warm welcoming, good food, not much sleep (except if you are a sissy and use a bed), 4 competitions :

• demo : runnable on CPC6128 or 6128 Plus, without any extension
• 4 Ko intro : runnable on CPC6128 or 6128 Plus, without any extension. Maximum size is 4 Ko (4096 bytes)
• graphics : all formats/modes are allowed. The entry must be submitted with its viewer program runnable on CPC or Plus
• music : any executable music on CPC or Plus. The entry must be submitted with its player. No size limit

CPC Hardware will be given for free at the party-place: monitors, keyboards, floppy-drives, floppy-discs... All the parts from CPCParts.net will be available to repair and upgrade your CPC with the help of hardware specialists.

The ReSeT Party will take place from Friday 24th (10:00) to Sunday 26th of June 2011 (18:00) at Foyer des Jeunes Travailleurs in Coutances. The price is 11 euros per day for the entrance, drinks and food. You can book a double room at the party place for 20 euros per night.

Please use the ReSeT #0 site to register if you intent to come, thanks in advance.

QuickCMD v1.0 is a new utility by NoRecess. It's a shell-based user interface running on top of the system. Its aim is to provide a faster way to launchprograms. The idea actually came from a fact about NoRecess own usage of a CPC : most of the times, he turns on my computer to only execute CAT/RUN commands. He thought there were rooms to improvethat process :

• a really fast text output (really appreciated for discs containing lots of files)
• no need to type RUN" prefix anymore, simply typing a filename is required to execute a file
• faster approach to execute a file : even if the pattern Shift+Arrows + copy/paste a filename + Control+LeftArrow + Control+Enter is handy to fast-launch files after a CAT command, I found myself more efficient to uniquely deal with program's filename
• autocompletion : just type F then I letters then TAB key ; if FILENAME.BIN exists on disc then it will be automatically completed !
• fully compatible with the system : you can launch BASIC as BINARY files the same way, you can quit to BASIC then getting back to QuickCMD, DIR command also supports Cat'Art, etc.
• extensible command system : instead of typing a filename to launch, you can also specify a Resident System eXtension (RSX) ! By example, to launch HxC Floppy Emulator Manager, instead of getting back to BASIC and type |HXC, you just have to enter HXC as any other command. Parameters are also supported, so by example you can use default REN command or Arnor UTOPIA's COPY commands !
• respect the system : if an external command use the classic char output routine (BB5A), then its output will be merged to QuickCMD's user interface. This is possible thanks to usage of hardware scrolling provided by the system.
• handy shortcuts : pressing two times TAB key acts as a DIR, ESC two times acts as a quick exit to BASIC, etc.
• history management ! It's working like MSDOS's DOSKEY does (use up/down keys)
• auto-launch. When QuickCMD is installed on your system, it will get launched automatically after all other ROMs will get properly initialized
• not intruisive : credits are voluntary kept hidden behind ABOUT command ; the aim is to provide a neutral program, not a front-end for personal advertising or whatever
• clean, efficient and simple Z80 implementation using a mix of C and assembly programming language

Good news, since March 2011, GameBase CPC is once again available. V20 is ready since the start of May 2011. Thanks for the hard work, for the preservation of the Amstrad CPC legacy.

Guess what, Axelay is working on a port of Edge Grinder (see below), so says one of my numerous spies, who assured me that it isnt a secretand safe to be announced.

Edge grinder is in fact a work in progress C64 game at the start, the first Format War "Collabortition" (a combination of collaboration andcompetition) with the plan being for programmers on other 8-bits to consider ways to convert it from the C64 to their platform of choice. So on the Format War web site you can download all you needto port the game, source code, map, background and sprite data.

Size doesnt matter by SuperSly, oh really o.O ?

Dont get lost when you arrive, the room has changed, instead of entering just after Eliot's car, go left and down.

Then, you will find the entrance with CPCists trying to make the new demo which will put in flame the Batman forever demo.

So here is the new home of the ReSeT #0 meeting.

Here is the part of the room where most of the work is done (teeths chewing).

I wont say that some people in this meeting are using a C64 instead of a CPC, I promise...

And of course we have our own cinema room which was playing Batman forever a bit later.

Get your swim suit, because you will sleep in the l'aquarium (fish tank).

Top secret place of your webmaster, with the webmaster certainly drinking some coffee instead of working on this site.

Welcome back to Coutances, home of the ReSeT #0 meeting, organized by the tireless Eliot. I arrived this Friday just in time for lunch.

Sadly Eliot either doesn't own a watch or he still need to learn to use one, meals are good but never at the good hour that old men like me needs. So the meal started at 3:00pm with the first persons arrived.

At least Eliot has one big quality, he is very courageous : he isnt afraid of Escherichia coli, just look at part of our meal.

If you care about sound accuracy on Amstrad CPC emulators like Mr_Lou, you should know that at the moment the best emulator is CPCE (last version is v1.94 patched on 2th June 2011).

Thanks to this interesting discussion on CPCWiki, dont doubt that more emulators will have soon a better sound accuracy, a new version of WinApe may even be out soon.

Here are the results of the 4 contests of the ReSeT #0 meeting (and soon they will be available for download) :

• demo : Krusty with the demo Les experts à Coutances
• 4 Ko intro : Krusty with Still the best
• graphics : Rahow with LittleDGirl (on CPC+)
• music : McKlain with Take Off

See below for the photo of Krusty the winner (on the left), and Beb (on the right) who made a graph for the demo Les experts à Coutances.

If you arent afraid of some blood, here are 3 photos of the inside of a modded Amstad CPC with 2 CRTC. Which make me wonder what would be a heavily modded Amstrad CPC that everybody would love to own. If you have some ideas, write it in the thread I opened on CPCWiki.

Size doesnt matter by SuperSly (Les sucres en morceaux) let me think about an Amstrad CPC demo or music made on more than an Amstrad CPC. Alas, I am no genius, some people have already done that on ZX Spectrum with a music Hung up by Ay Riders made on 2 Spectrum for example. It's a nice music by the way. If you know about other demos or musics made on more than 1 8bit or 16bit computer, let me know please.

29 degrees celcius, it's hot here in Coutances after the results of the contests, so because I am thinking about all visitors (at least me) who could use some water, here are 2 old photos which will provide some.