RWAP Software, a long-time supporter and stockist for the Sinclair Research ZX Spectrum and QL, is asking ZX81 enthusiasts for their help in the development of a future product for the monochrome monolith. After a successful product run of replacement membrane keyboards, RWAP would like thoughts and feedback on any of the four possible new hardware add-ons for the 8-bit, which are as follows: a SD/MMC card interface, an AY interface (the AY chip is the sound chip used in several notable 8- and 16-bit micros, such as the Speccy and Atari ST), a PC keyboard interface and finally a fix for the TV output [this is extremely useful if you don't happen to have an old CRT television to use with the '81).

Starting with the SD/MMC add-on, the site states that the aim will be to include a massive 32KB of RAM on board, along with a pass-through port which will allow it to be used with other upgrades, and obviously it will allow for easier file-sharing with modern-day Internet-ready computers as well as reliable and fast file loading, supporting the standard '.p' file format favoured by all good ZX81 emulators.

Adding a sound chip might not seem the best idea on the face of it, but the idea will be for it to play AY sound files, and so turning the 8-bit into the equivalent of an MP3 player for chip-music fans.

In the making of a PC keyboard interface - should it happen - it's a bit open ended, as RWAP invites users to make suggestions on how it should work, and what the extra keys should be used for. The most obvious one for me is the more sensible layout of the arrow keys on a standard keyboard layout over the ZX81's unusual directional keys, especially as the quirky 8-bit has no built-in joystick port. The 'one-touch' keyword entry could also be difficult to remember on a modern-days keyboard too, so I'm not sure about that one.

Finally, as for a fix for the TV output; well, this is especially a problem for many Sinclair computers, and there are already some solutions available if you search the Internet. However, RWAP is suggesting something that uses the computer's edge connector with the possibility of using VGA monitors.

To be honest, a mixture of the above in one upgrade would be superb, but I'm saying that without any real knowledge of how easy it would be to achieve everything mentioned in one device. If any of these sound like a good idea to you, then have your say by reading this page here: www.rwapsoftware.co.uk/zx81/zx81_projects.html. You will also notice that there's a link to some new and recent '81 software for you to download while you're there. Now, if only there was a way to easily transfer the emulator images to reliably load on a real ZX81 without using cassette tape... I don't know - like an SD card reader for the ZX81, for instance.

There's just enough space to tell you about a rather frustrating Speccy game written by Digital Pawn, called Smiler In Arrowe Land v1.1, in which you must guide our hero, a yellow, smiling face, back to his house (painted green) while negotiating a rather gruelling maze made up of arrows. The problem is that when the crude-looking 'emoticon' steps onto a square with a designated arrow, all the arrows on the screen rotate clock-wise, meaning that the course changes as you play. It's quite an interesting challenge for fans of puzzle games, although the spot effects are a little sparse and it's not graphically the best thing you'll see on the Spectrum.

This game is available through the World Of Spectrum archives, so if you want a quick mental challenge, you can download it from tinyurl.com/Smiler-Speccy.