The 555 footstool
| Filed under Mainstream coverage; 1 comment. |
The Apple II popularized many processors and chips, most notably the 6502. But as a games machine, the Apple II relied heavily on an unsung hero: the 555, a timer IC that allowed two joysticks to be connected for head-to-head play.
Now you can give the 555 a new lease in your daily life courtesy Mad Scientist, which has adapted the chip into a footstool.
According to their blog, all it took was “datasheets, cnc routing, laser engraving, plywood, glue, chips, all-thread, angle grinders, mountains of sawdust, dowel rods, [and] spray paint.” Sadly, none of those ingredients allow the footstool to interface with your Apple II. Nonetheless, this retrofurniture can be yours for the exacting price of $555.
(Hat tip to Matthew Humphries)
My father designed the 555 timer in 1971. In 1978 we got our first Apple II+. I never knew that it used the 555 timer. How cool!