Editing Flare Technology

{{Short description|Defunct computer hardware company}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Flare Technology
| logo = 
| logo_size = 
| foundation = {{Start date and age|1986}}
| founder = {{plainlist|
*Martin Brennan
*Ben Cheese
*John Mathieson}}
| defunct = 
| fate = 
| location = [[Cambridge]], England, [[United Kingdom]]
| key_people = 
| industry = [[Computer hardware]]
| products = {{plainlist|
*Flare One
*Konix Multisystem
*Flare II
}}
}}
'''Flare Technology''' was a [[computer hardware]] company based in [[Cambridge, Cambridgeshire|Cambridge]], [[United Kingdom]].  It was founded in 1986 by [[Martin Brennan (engineer)|Martin Brennan]], [[Ben Cheese]], and [[John Mathieson (computer scientist)|John Mathieson]], former engineers at [[Sinclair Research]].

== History ==
{{Infobox information appliance
| name = Flare One
| image = 
| caption = 
| manufacturer = Flare Technology
| type = [[video game console]]/[[home computer]]
| releasedate = technology demonstrator
| price = 
| connectivity = RS232, MIDI in/out, Joystick
| lifespan = 
| unitssold = 
| media = 
| os = 
| input = Keyboard, light pen
| camera = 
| power = 
| cpu = [[Zilog Z80|Z80B]], custom DSP
| storage = 
| memory = 1 MB
| display = Composite and RGB output, 256 x 256 with 256 colors; 512 x 256 with 16 colors
| audio = 
| service = <!-- online service/s offered -->
| dimensions = 
| weight = 
| touchpad = 
| predecessor = 
| successor = [[Konix Multisystem]]
| related = 
| sound = 8 channel sound
}}Flare Technology first worked for [[Amstrad]] before developing a technology-demonstrator system called '''Flare One'''.<ref>"Flare", ''[[Personal Computer World]]'', August 1988.</ref> The Flare One was intended as a [[home computer]] or [[games console]] with extensive audio and video capabilities.

Related to the ''[[Loki (computer)|Loki]]'' project they had worked on previously at Sinclair Research, which in turn was derived from the [[ZX Spectrum]] home computer, Flare One was based around a [[Zilog]] [[Zilog Z80|Z80B]] CPU (working as an 8-bit-per-pixel [[blitter]] and a video controller) and a custom 16-bit DSP chip (responsible for 8 channel sound and 3D computation), 1 MB or RAM, with a display resolution of 256 x 256 with 256 colors or 512 x 256 with 16 colors, and an expected price of £200 in 1988.<ref name="ace198808" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Slipstream: The Konix Multi-system Archive |url=http://www.konixmultisystem.co.uk/index.php?id=bellfruit |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=www.konixmultisystem.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Cooke |first= Steve |date=July 1988 |title=PLAYPOWER! |pages=90–92 |work=Advanced Computer Entertainment |publisher=Future Publishing |url=https://archive.org/details/ACEIssue10Jul88/ACE_Issue_10_Jul_88/page/n89/mode/2up}}</ref>

Flare One was used in some [[arcade game]] cabinets<ref name="ace198808">{{cite news | url=https://archive.org/details/ace-magazine-11/page/n29/mode/1up | title=Flare | work=Advanced Computer Entertainment | last1=Wilton | first1=Andy | date=August 1988 | access-date=26 November 2020 | pages=30–33 }}</ref> including a line of video quiz machines produced by Bellfruit (''[[A Question of Sport (video game)|A Question of Sport]],'' ''Beeline'', [[Every Second Counts (British game show)|''Every Second Counts'']], ''Inquizitor'', ''Quizvaders''  and ''Treble Top'').<ref name="konix">{{Cite web|title=Interview with Martin Brennan|url=http://www.konixmultisystem.co.uk/index.php?id=interviews&content=martin|access-date=2020-10-01|website=www.konixmultisystem.co.uk}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> The Flare One chipset was further developed into the [[Konix Multisystem]] ''Slipstream'' prototype.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Headline: Best Of British: The Konix Multi System |url=https://ininet.org/headline-best-of-british-the-konix-multi-system.html |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=ininet.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Multisystem Konix |url=https://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=2&c=1024 |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=www.old-computers.com}}</ref>

In 1989 Martin Brennan was contracted by Atari Corp. to complete and implement the chip design of the unreleased [[Atari Panther]].<ref name="konix"/>

Martin Brennan and John Mathieson went on to design the '''Flare II''', which was purchased by Atari and became [[Atari Jaguar]].

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Defunct computer hardware companies]]
[[Category:Defunct computer companies of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Companies based in Cambridge]]
[[Category:Computer companies established in 1986]]
[[Category:1986 establishments in England]]

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