The ABBUC group have developed a USB interface for the humble Atari XE/XL computers, which allows you to connect industry standard flash drives to your 8-bit, with the SI02USB interface. This device is compatible with Atari DOS, and will fully integrate with your system without any additional power needs, hardware modification or much in the way of specific software. This allows you to write disk images (.ATR, for instance) that are commonly used in emulators on a real machine without much fuss.

A built-in LCD screen allows easy navigation, or there is a configuration program that works from your Atari. Its creators also note that it is not necessary to own a PC or Mac to get use out if this device, as you can back up your ageing floppy disks quite easily, however the file-sharing potential is very useful and must be one of the selling points, as there aren't very many real-media release these days.

This device has a real-time clock, which stamps all files with the time and date of creation or last modification, like Windows does on# a PC, allowing you to easily find the latest files written to your Atari-designated flash drive. And, of course, you won't need many gigabytes of space; just 16MBs is ample space to hold all of your most-used programs, if you have an unused flash drive sitting unused in a drawer somewhere. However, the SI02USB is built to order, so if you like the sound of this device and have some money to spend on your Atari, head over to home.arcor.de/grasel/sio2usb_e.htm and fill in the online order form.

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There aren't many Oric-1 or Atmos games or developments these days, so you'll excuse me if I missed this earlier in the year. An interpretation of Space: 1999 has been released for the popular technology, which features real-time isometric 3D graphics. Amazingly, this is the first time it's been done on the technology. There is a lot of work put into visual and audible presentation, with a high-definition soundtrack and sound effects, and a full length introduction sequence.

It's certainly a game for fans, as this advanced binary world allows you to take control of your favourite characters from the hit TV series, whom live on the Alpha Tower Moon base. This seems to be headed towards a strange and seemingly fatal energy field, and so all civil personnel are evacuated underground. Worse still, the computer system has just over-heated, leading to the power system failing.

Taking control of John Koenig or Doctor Helena Russell, you must restore power to the upper levels of the Alpha base, with other puzzles and surprises along the way. The official home-page for the release is space1999.defence-force.org, while the popular Euthoric emulator can be found at oricifrance.com/oric/index_english.html, which will work on Amiga, Acorn RISC and Atari ST platforms, as well as the usual suspects - Windows, Linux and Mac.

One of the most recent uses for several old 8-bits is connecting to a modern network, with several hardware solutions now available across a number of platforms. Although this has caused me many headaches, a friend of mine recently visited and, doing the lion's share of the work, my Commodore 128 was set up as a web server, albeit temporarily, the other day. The point is that it works.

I'll be running a how-to-guide for the C64 and 128 in the coming weeks, and I've found someone to write something similar for the mighty Sinclair ZX Spectrum too. So, stay tuned. In the meantime, email me at shaunf@micromart.co.uk, or send your snail mail via Micro Mart's address (marking it with Retro Mart), with your thoughts and questions.