back to article Forgetful ZX Spectrum reboot firm loses control of its web domains

ZX Spectrum reboot company Retro Computers Ltd appears to have lost control of two of its web domain names over the weekend – and is now complaining about a “security breach” after some cheeky person bought them and pointed them at sites criticising RCL. The two domains, zxvega.co.uk (a reference to the firm’s flagship product …

  1. TRT Silver badge

    Ha ha ha ha...

    Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

    Sorry.

    Having been inundated with domain expiry reminders, even if I've got them on auto renew or even paid the fees by credit card months in advance, I can understand their pain. But seriously...

    Ha ha ha ha.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Ha ha ha ha...

      Yeah, it was a pretty stupid slip up on their part. Unless it was deliberate. I mean if you knew your company was going down would you bother to waste money on DNS renewals?

      Shame the page that replaced it sounds like it was written by a 13 year old and is about as funny as a bucket of cold sick. "Bum Fun Gaming" Hilarious! Quick get a doctor, my sides have split! *sigh*

      1. LaeMing
        Happy

        Re: Bum Fun Gaming

        Homeless people deserve games too!

  2. Kevin Johnston

    We asked the firm about this but it did not respond. ®

    So, are they trying to make themselves look as big and important as Apple Inc?

    1. itzman

      Re: We asked the firm about this but it did not respond. ®

      So, are they trying to make themselves look as big and important as Apple Inc?

      No, they are trying to remain true to the Sinclair business ethic.

      Take the money first, and do nothing except bank it.

      Did anyone ever receive a Sinclair Microvision?

      http://rk.nvg.ntnu.no/sinclair/televisions/tv1a.htm

      1. Jess

        Re: Sinclair Microvision

        I saw someone sitting in a car at a campsite watching one when I was a kid.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Sinclair Microvision

          I had one and It was bloody good too!!!

          But the batteries were like rocking horse shit. Almost impossible to find unless you knew how to take them out of the old instant polaroid packs.

        2. ckdizz

          Re: Sinclair Microvision

          Was it Raymond Babbitt?

  3. wolfetone Silver badge
    Trollface

    "Retro Computers Ltd’s accounts are two months' overdue at Companies House. We asked the firm about this but it did not respond. "

    Did you email them?

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Coffee/keyboard

    N Statement lost, 0:1

  5. Dan 55 Silver badge

    Security breach?

    Seems more likely what was left of Retro Computers didn't know how pay the renewal because the ex-partners took care of that. When the domain lapsed, one of their valued customers snapped it up.

    1. phil 21

      Re: Security breach?

      a fiver says one of the leavers was the contact email for renewals, and they ceased the address when they left.

  6. Ottman001

    "We are working to recover our property...."

    Sounds like they don't even understand the problem.

  7. Stuart Halliday

    There's dumb and there's stupid

    Truly a very stupid company.

    Obviously got no IT Staff on the payroll.

    Nominet are very good at reminding folks and even allow an extended time after the names expire.

    Even more stupid to report it to the Police. Nominet owns the names and so no property has been stolen.

    1. Chris King

      Re: There's dumb and there's stupid

      "Nominet are very good at reminding folks and even allow an extended time after the names expire"

      Normally you get 30 days from expiry to pay up, then the domain is suspended, and the registration is cancelled 90 days from expiry if you haven't paid up.

      Some registrars are stricter, and might re-delegate your domain to something else that serves out "this domain is suspended" pages.

      It is also possible to surrender a domain, and your registrarion is cancelled pretty much immediately - I've done this with a .co.uk in the past.

      Maybe one of the former directors decided to rid himself of an "asset" he no longer needed, and someone else picked it up ? No security incident to see here, citizens, move along...

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: There's dumb and there's stupid

      The IT equivalent of the Fyre Festival.

  8. Stevie

    Bah!

    Is anyone in doubt of what is going on here?

    It's another Peachy Printer.

  9. Jason Bloomberg Silver badge
    Facepalm

    "They do not so much fly as plummet"

    If they really did let their domains lapse; calling it a "security breach" shows what a bunch of B-Arkers this lot are.

    I am surprised just how incompetent they appear to be. Their only saving grace seems to be, when it looks like this sorry tale cannot get any worse, they always manage to pull something out the bag.

    1. Michael Strorm Silver badge

      Re: "They do not so much fly as plummet"

      "Shows what a bunch of B-Arkers this lot are"

      Indeed, this bunch of incompetents might want to sound like they can threaten the new owner of the domains, but they they can't do anything about it.

      Put another way, their B-Ark is worse than their bite.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Why bother?

    Just install RetroPie on a £30 RaspberryPi and you can play all the Spectrum games you want, along with many other platforms too.

    1. phuzz Silver badge
      Trollface

      Re: Why bother?

      No no no no! You're doing it all wrong!

      Take the RPi, put it in a "retro inspired case" and then put it on sale for £60, no, £90!

      Bonus points for just taking the money and never shipping any hardware.

    2. AIBailey

      Re: Why bother?

      For a portable Spectrum experience, the PSP is more than capable of doing exactly what the Vega Plus would have done.

  11. garetht t

    quote

    ""We also emailed the address given on the Bum Fun Gaming page (it’s never a dull day at Vulture Central)"

    I laughed out loud. ty

  12. The_H

    Oh, I've just realised who's behind this bunch. And they've got form.

    Flan, anyone?

    https://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/10/24/elan_flan_enterprise_micro_is_30_years_old/?page=1

    1. Steve Kerr

      That's terrible, I remember the launch of that :(

      Used to call it the egg flan

  13. Spartacus Mills

    RCL really scraping out their barrel of stalling tactics now... anything will do, so long as it doesn't involve actually informing their backers exactly what is going on with the ZX Vega + situation... I mean, that would just be too obvious, right?

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Retro

    computing, retro business practices too. Very authentic experience

  15. Zot

    zxvega.uk is still available, amongst others...

    Anyone???? : )

  16. Sam Therapy
    Facepalm

    R:Tape loading error

    Oh dearie bloody fuck.

  17. Oh Homer
    Meh

    Vapourware

    Hopefully this (or something like it) will not take 27 years to finally be available.

    Or you could just do it yourself. No dodgy crowdfunding (or 27-year wait) required.

  18. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    In ZX Basic

    5 POKE 23613,PEEK 23730-5

    6 REM (above command disables break keys!!)

    10 Input £$

    15 For Lies =1 TO 10

    20 Print "The device is nearing completion

    30 Pause 100

    40 CLS

    50 Next Lies

    60 Goto 10

  19. GeezaGaz

    “We do not currently have control of these domains and an unauthorised third party has taken over these accounts. We are working to recover our property from this person or persons whom we have identified and reported to Action Fraud and the Metropolitan Police,”

    Its not an *unauthorised* third party. They let the domains lapse and someone bought them, simple as.

    Complete and utter bollocks.

  20. adam payne

    You let the domains lapse so the so called "unauthorised third party" has done nothing wrong.

    Deal with it and move on.

    In regards to the company these people seem to have some grand ideas but after reading all the articles they make me think they had no idea how to turn those ideas into a viable product or how to deal with the business side of things. Almost like retro geeks with no idea how to run a business.

  21. Hairy Spod

    ZX SPECTRUM NEXT

    the link to this device on the page looks very interesting.

    I take it that the makers have no connection to the Vega bunch?

    1. Ross 12

      Re: ZX SPECTRUM NEXT

      You are correct, the ZX Spectrum Next has *nothing* to do with this sorry Vega+ lot, thankfully

POST COMMENT House rules

Not a member of The Register? Create a new account here.

  • Enter your comment

  • Add an icon

Anonymous cowards cannot choose their icon