Horizons schedule

Saturday 5th May 2012

Welcome to Horizons

by Leila Johnston and Paul Squires

Leila and Paul, co-hosts for Horizons, open the event.

At 11:30am to 11:40am, Saturday 5th May
Hey Hey 16k

by Mark Hibbett

MJ opens Horizons with a performance of Hey Hey 16k (a song all about classic computers and gaming) and "Programming is a poetry for our time".

At 11:40am to 12:00pm, Saturday 5th May
From Colossus To Colour-Clash - The story of how we got from WWII code-breaking to Jet Set Willy

by PJ Evans

The pre-history of the ZX Spectrum, with a focus on how the British computer industry grew from Colossus until the development of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum.
- colossus
- Computing
- History
- sinclair
- tnmoc
- ZX Spectrum
At 12:00pm to 12:45pm, Saturday 5th May
Digital archaeology

by Steven Goodwin

In a few years' time, it will be impossible to study the history of home computers: the cassette tapes are physically disintegrating, the hardware is dying, and the software is encumbered by software "protection". This talk outlines the issues of digital archeology, the methods necessary to preserve our computing legacy, and how emulation can help with this endeavour.

At 1:15pm to 2:00pm, Saturday 5th May
Chiptune!

by Matt Westcott

Matt shows how to recreate a pop song from scratch as a Spectrum chiptune, in one hour, using the 1991-era Soundtracker software.
- Music
At 2:00pm to 3:00pm, Saturday 5th May

Coverage link audio clip
Spectrum projects

by Dylan Smith

Dylan demonstrates a wealth of Spectrum-based projects. IRC and multiplayer gaming accompany a video of Dylan's extraordinary Twitter client for the Spectrum.

At 3:15pm to 4:00pm, Saturday 5th May
Sinclair and me

by Alex May

How Sinclair's computers and software made a lasting impression on this successful digital artist.

At 4:00pm to 4:45pm, Saturday 5th May
Directing the Micro Men

by Saul Metzstein

Saul Metzstein, director of the critically-acclaimed film Micro Men which charts the inception of Sinclair and Acorn, talks about the film and his own personal experiences of the golden age of British microcomputing.

At 4:45pm to 5:30pm, Saturday 5th May

Sunday 6th May 2012

Welcome to Horizons

by Leila Johnston and Paul Squires

Leila and Paul, co-hosts for Horizons, open the event.

At 11:30am to 11:40am, Sunday 6th May
Sinclair memories

by Rupert Goodwins

At 11:40am to 12:40pm, Sunday 6th May
Reverse engineering the ZX Spectrum, and software exploits

by Chris Smith

Chris talks about the cutting edge technology that was, and went into, the ZX Spectrum, and reveals some of the hidden design features. He goes on to show how an understanding of the machines quirks allowed the most creative programmers to produce the best games.
At 12:40pm to 1:30pm, Sunday 6th May

In BFI Southbank
Antiques roadshow

If you have any old Spectrum-related gear, bring it along and share your memories with other attendees.

At 2:15pm to 3:15pm, Sunday 6th May
The future

by Eben Upton

Will the Raspberry Pi re-energise the home computing and programming scene? We'll be joined by Eben Upton of the Raspberry Pi team to discuss how this extraordinarily successful new product can bring development and experimentation back to the home.

Thanks to our friends at RS Components, two Raspberry Pis will be demonstrated at the event. Showing due deference to its illustrious ancestor, one will be running Manic Miner using the Fuse Spectrum Emulator kindly ported by Andy Taylor. The other will running something more in keeping with the speed and power of the machine. We hope to answer any technical questions you may have, and ensure that you have the right accessories to hand when your Raspberry Pi arrives.
- Raspberry Pi
At 3:15pm to 4:00pm, Sunday 6th May
Sinclair's influence

by Matthew C. Applegate

How the Spectrum led to Matthew, aka Pixelh8, and thousands of others to take up programming.

At 4:00pm to 4:45pm, Sunday 6th May
Wrap-up

by Leila Johnston and Paul Squires

At 4:45pm to 5:00pm, Sunday 6th May