Tim 🎮

Aussie gamer making new memories from the old. He/him. Writing from Ngunnawal/Ngambri land.

I built a giant Gravis GamePad and am working on USB adapters for old controllers. I beta-tested Secret Agent HD and UnDune2. I once made Toshiba mad at me over copyright. I post mostly #retrogaming, #3dprinting and #arduino stuff here.

Projects:
#Plasbeams
#Thrixels
#CGAPrints
#SerialStinger
#SimpleBreakouts
#SolderingStation
#GravisGamePad

Tim 🎮 (npub1x70…qqwa)">https://justmytoots.com/Tim 🎮 (npub1x70…qqwa)

My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@timixretroplays
My 3d designs on Printables: https://www.printables.com/@timixretropl_1311503
Stuff I've preserved at the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/@timixretroplays_gmail_com
My previous Mastodon account: https://fosstodon.org/@timixretroplays

Public Key

npub1x70q7w05ramc0mz3r34n8rjmkmrktmuwynmt3lxprq9t8untp7ysx2qqwa

NIP-05 Address

timixretroplays_at_digipres.club@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsr08s0886p7au8a3g3c6en3edmd3m9a78zfa4clnq3sz4n7f4slzgprpmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0d4hhxarj9ecxjmnt9g4mjm

Publishing to

relay.momostr.pink

Author Public Key

npub1x70q7w05ramc0mz3r34n8rjmkmrktmuwynmt3lxprq9t8untp7ysx2qqwa

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Published at

2026-04-13T13:54:20Z

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0 Metadata

Event JSON

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Last Notes

2026-03-25 05:13:00 UTC

This will be the longest of long shots, but: a decade ago, I backed the #Coostr on Kickstarter - it's a funny little drink coaster in the shape of a turtle and you can pop the shell up when it's not got a drink on it.
If you did the same, and still have them collecting dust somewhere - could I have them? I bought a bunch but have lost most of them through multiple house moves and a breakup, and it looks like the website went down permanently in late 2024.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/116/288/078/776/411/778/original/0fe7e445f5ec0ae1.jpeg

2026-03-23 01:32:30 UTC

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If you have Windows 10 and use multiple screens, you can click on the time/date on the taskbar on any of your screens to make the calendar pop up.
On Windows 11, only the time/date in the taskbar on your primary screen will do this. Clicking the time and date on any other screen will do exactly nothing.
This is so unexpected and unreasonably pointless I wondered first if something was wrong with my *mouse*.

2026-03-23 00:07:40 UTC

Just had a bizarro Bluetooth keyboard thing happen - I was trying to type the word "date" and it kept coming up as "ate". I backspaced it and tried typing it again a few times before realising I wasn't missing the D key, it just wasn't typing anything... then a moment later, with my hands off the keyboard, "ddd" appeared on the screen.
I guess wireless packets containing the letter 'd' are particularly laggy today?
It's gonna be another "we should never have taught sand to think" day, isn't it

2026-03-22 09:13:28 UTC

That's not a bad price for some tender, juicy lion but I'd rather season it myself. I'll pass, Coles.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/116/272/052/816/748/862/original/bd4ef97e2e9e9690.jpg

2026-03-02 07:13:44 UTC

Only just noticed this incredibly infuriating typo I made years ago.
Fortunately my otherwise flawless system means I know the solution is exactly two drawers up from this.
Label maker alphabetical order keyboards are Not Good and we need to let go the idea that anyone using them isn't by now familiar with the concept of a QWERTY layout.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/116/158/329/709/207/800/original/65dd0eaef52e304a.jpg

2026-02-25 01:16:28 UTC

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Of course I don't expect anyone to pick this up and suddenly start making a big game out of it, it's just a silly idea that's been bouncing around in my head for a while and I thought it might be amusing.
But if anyone did decide to whip up a couple of levels just to see what it'd be like? Sign me up.

2026-02-25 01:14:10 UTC

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Maybe there's a pickup that gives you the temporary ability to lean left or right in 3D to shoot at stuff behind other stuff. Some kind of side-perspective minimap that helps you navigate because it'd be hell otherwise. Picking up and carrying large items completely blocks your view until you put them down again. There's definitely a jetpack, Halloween Harry-style. Maybe a Mirror's Edge or Talos Principle style movement aid that helps you jump to particular platforms.

2026-02-25 01:11:19 UTC

I want a 2D platformer that plays like a 3D FPS. You can look up and down, but looking left or right just spins you 180 degrees. If you're facing multiple enemies you have to shoot and kill the closest one to you before you start damaging anything else. You can jump eleven times your height. If you walk into a room obviously full of treasure it says "you found a secret room!" because hidden passages in walls are completely visible in first person. Someone make a PoC of this please. #gamedev

2026-02-23 22:24:12 UTC

I'm not familiar with Huntarr (looks like something to do with Plex), but it looks like it was a vibe-coded (gen AI) system with huge security flaws and when these were raised with its author he simply blocked everyone and deleted everything and went into hiding: https://old.reddit.com/r/selfhosted/comments/1rckopd/huntarr_your_passwords_and_your_entire_arr_stacks/
If you or someone you know have used #Huntarr, it's time to nuke it from orbit and do some personal security auditing.

2026-02-22 01:46:20 UTC

Okay, #AskFedi - what is the best ice cream scoop I can buy today for a home kitchen? My partner has been buying a string of "whatever flimsy cheapness is available at Woolworths" and I want something better.
I need smaller-size scoops that come out easily. I've had a squeezy-rotatey mechanism scoop before but nobody else who tried it liked it. I'm used to running a scoop under hot water to get more bite and release.
All comments, suggestions and boosts are welcome. 🍨

2026-02-08 09:08:56 UTC

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cheddar I could've put on the parmigiana I'd planned to make tonight! I don't mind hommus every now and then but this is way too much.

2026-02-08 09:00:19 UTC

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pay peanuts, get hommus? Maybe they thought it was cream cheese or something

2026-02-08 08:05:17 UTC

I regret to inform you all that Coles supermarkets are out of buffalo mozzarella cheese, every every other kind of mozzarella cheese, every other kind of cheese entirely, and every other substance categorically or philosophically on the scale between cheese and a 1kg bucket of hommus.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/116/033/967/843/467/877/original/74daae975076c421.png

2026-02-07 08:17:02 UTC

Hey, folks who solder stuff - for my silly little electronic hobby projects, I use solder wire that measures 0.8mm in width, and looking at Jaycar 0.7mm and 1.0mm seem common too. But there is also a spool there that's got 3mm thick solder wire on it, that says it's recommended for soldering pins on Anderson connectors (seems like a niche use case).
What thicknesses of solder outside of my little world are common, and what are they used for?
Any/all comments and boosts welcome. #AskFedi

2026-02-01 08:19:52 UTC

I managed to pocket dial 000 today (the Australian equivalent of 911). Apparently if you tap my phone screen to wake it up, slide up to reveal the pattern screen and an "emergency" button, then tap that button, an #Android Pixel 8a will call for help... And it's entirely possible to do the entirety of this with it inside your pocket.
Anyway, here's the photo I was trying to take of a kangaroo (the Australian equivalent of a bison, I guess).
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/994/381/605/885/298/original/fd70392ed9540e1c.jpg

2026-01-31 22:50:20 UTC

WhatsApp: Use AI to summarise these 1 unread messages!
The message: "Good morning"

2026-01-27 00:12:29 UTC

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I like his presentation about cows too

2026-01-16 10:44:36 UTC

Miso soup implies the existence of mosi soup and clock soup

2026-01-16 05:15:04 UTC

It's been 20 years since I did anything at all in Pascal and I still sometimes type writeln instead of println and can't figure out why my Arduino code won't compile and upload.

2026-01-15 00:56:18 UTC

My 3d printer is more reliable than my 2d printer, by orders of magnitude.
Tempted to submit these documents in the form of a lithophane.

2026-01-04 10:49:51 UTC

Currently doing my annual personal budget and rigorously checking for better gas, power, insurance etc etc.
There's nowhere to run on power prices, but AGL appear to be fucking me for double what I should be paying for gas, and NRMA similarly want twice to insure my car than others are offering.
I'm going to save at least a grand this year by doing this. It takes time, but you'd pay yourself a grand for a few hours' spreadsheeting, wouldn't you? #Australia

2025-12-29 23:31:31 UTC

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Oh sure, it's getting old and tired and the keys don't all sit at the same height anymore, and I keep reaching for a volume control that isn't there. And it's big and heavy and displaces my mousing a bit to the right because it's not a TKL. And the left alt key isn't where my fingers want it to be.
But those aren't failures. It's not obsolete. It's just not new, and that's okay. It still works fine, even on a completely different system to the one it was intended to work with. #retrocomputing
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/805/451/876/746/221/original/dfceddd323d62b83.jpg

2025-12-29 23:29:02 UTC

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So I fully expected to put my G915 TKL back on the desk almost immediately, but I've actually been using the #Apple Extended Keyboard II unironically for a couple of days now. Keyboards have barely changed in decades - certainly not enough to make older ones *obsolete*, this one's merely *incompatible* without the right adapter - and unless I was working, or programming, and needed my keyboard to be as finely tuned an instrument as Mitutoyo calipers, it's a completely adequate input device.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/805/446/205/732/565/original/7cb43736fe01ea6f.jpg

2025-12-28 01:42:42 UTC

Today in "things that make me grin like an idiot": finally getting around to trying out the beautiful old Apple Extended II that I bought from @npub1e4d…gw2l back in July.
It came with the Griffin iMate USB adapter he rescued from unplanned obsolescence by modding it to work without a coin cell battery: https://www.projectgus.com/2023/04/griffin-imate/
Mine was never an Apple household, so this feels like an alien technology rather than nostalgia to me, but I still have a deep appreciation for this beast. #retrocomputing
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/794/623/200/260/333/original/a03a8c738b0c825f.jpg

2025-12-18 01:39:27 UTC

Getting two separate rejection notices for the same job application weeks apart feels very public service

2025-12-15 10:42:05 UTC

Cool thing I just learned about 4-wire stepper motors: If you don't have documentation telling you which wires are paired, try turning the motor by hand to get a feel for how hard it is, then hold two of the wires together and see if it gets harder to turn - if it does, the wires you're holding together are a coil pair.
Source: https://buildbotics.com/wiring-stepper-motors/

2025-12-11 22:56:30 UTC

Something I hadn't considered before: designing a 3D print to be largely hollow, then filling it with hobby concrete to set it solid and rigid. This guy made a little desktop lathe by 3D printing the frame and then filling it with concrete for strength: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Js8erWbsDQ
I've heard of 3D prints being used for slip casting, but designining a print with a large hollow specifically to be filled and then used that way is cool and might open up some new projects in future.
#maker #3DPrinting

2025-12-04 23:45:09 UTC

You will surely not regret putting an entire kilogram of sliced mushrooms in the pot at once
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/663/954/358/676/018/original/5a95c9867474d09e.jpg

2025-12-04 22:40:37 UTC

Hey #Australia, you should know about #13SICK - https://13sick.com.au/ - I've been sick and off work with a cold this week and needed a medical cert. I filled out a form, got a call and had the cert emailed to me all within the span of five minutes, and all completely free because it was bulk-billed.
In the past I've used a paid service that made me book an hour window and sit around waiting for a call. Today's was so quick I feel like I need a second appointment for the whiplash from it.

2025-11-25 04:31:17 UTC

The IKEA chatbot misunderstood my question about a cabinet door not lining up, so it asked me if I wanted to return a product.
I said no, expecting further prompts.
It said have a nice day, disconnected, and then it asked me for feedback.
I'm now waiting in a massive queue.
If AI chatbots ever, *ever* stop understanding "put me through to a human", the revolution immediately begins

2025-11-12 02:29:16 UTC

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I love that the photo composition here suggests there's a second, much better camouflaged cat on the left, and I have to consciously stop myself from looking for it

2025-11-11 22:39:02 UTC

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others are saying to get manual calipers. IMHO digital ones are the correct tool for 3d printing, you will get precise, easily interpretable readings every time. You don't need to spend megabucks, you're not machining metal to tolerances of a thousandth, the cheapest one on eBay will get you the precision you need for basic 3d prints. And yes, cheap ones will go through a battery in 6-12 months, but if you find yourself still using it every day then that's when you invest in a good one.

2025-11-03 08:01:50 UTC

Australian and generic Italian tinned tomatoes are... okay, they do the job, but if you have someone to impress, level up to DOP San Marzano tomatoes. They're a few bucks more, but they're grown in the fertile volcanic soil at the base of Mt. Vesuvius and have a depth and breadth of flavour not available even to the same variety grown elsewhere.
The pictured meal was not made with them because my local supermarket is insufficiently bougie to stock them.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/484/692/995/025/143/original/06f53b5ee28192a1.jpg

2025-10-24 21:25:26 UTC

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what a good smush

2025-10-13 11:16:38 UTC

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I have successfully made: A box with some stuff in it! This is a complete 3D printed enclosure for my dual NES controller adapter - two parts and some M3 screws and that's it.
There will be some tweaks before settling on a final version, but fundamentally, this is all the hardware there needs to be. This is now a fully self-contained project I can use to test, develop and play with the adapter software. #3DPrinting #retrogaming
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/366/567/259/456/078/original/c6bdfc6450ed7c1f.jpg
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/366/567/467/100/880/original/50650bee5a0727d2.jpg

2025-10-13 06:12:54 UTC

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🔹 There might be some ebook apps for Android that let you use the volume keys to flip pages. That at least potentially opens up the market to generally any old tablet, but volume controls on Android devices generally aren't intended to be used constantly (my phone's ones are definitely too stiff to want to press 40 times an hour). That then becomes a search for ereader-duty-suitable tablets with extremely variable results.
🔹 Some people use Bluetooth remotes to get physical buttons.

2025-10-13 05:56:14 UTC

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Things I have learned so far:
🔹 Every modern ereader is actually just an Android tablet with a touch-capable eink screen and nobody bothers putting physical buttons on them anymore because touch is the few-chah
🔹 People would still rather ones with physical buttons enough that even the most coffee-stained button-encrusted specimens are listed for equally filthy money on eBay
🔹 The Kindle 4 she already has might actually be the least shit option and I should just show her how to use Calibre?

2025-10-13 04:34:10 UTC

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And the plain old breakout board as well. These connectors are spaced correctly for dual-plug devices like the Four Score and Satellite receiver, so you can build your own adapter that also supports those.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/364/987/275/589/618/original/567a97c6785f778e.jpg

2025-10-13 01:41:47 UTC

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And the finished assembly! This is all the electrical parts for my NES dual socket adapter - the next step is designing the 3D printed enclosure to surround it.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/364/299/031/165/642/original/ffeebaea69140411.jpg
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/364/299/315/227/025/original/a6e1cfbf64f49727.jpg

2025-10-13 01:23:14 UTC

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Second soldering jig for the last part of assembly - this one holds the NES socket daughterboard to the Pro Micro mainboard so it can be soldered together at a precise 90 degree angle.
It's being held conveniently aloft by my #SolderingStation, which immediately became an integral part of my workshop infrastructure the moment it came together.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/364/227/948/217/337/original/a40d55c222cee7f2.jpg
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/364/235/450/227/550/original/1e5570e2dba484fb.jpg

2025-10-12 11:13:59 UTC

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With the angled header and the Arduino soldered to the mainboard, assembly step 3 is getting the NES sockets onto the daughterboard.
The sockets I'm using have lots of little plastic gubbins around them, including the remains of the plastic push-pins I've already clipped off, and it took five iterations to nail the cutouts to suit them. The sixth and final print tomorrow will get the height right, so the sockets sit flush in the production case - which I'll start designing from this part.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/360/861/669/317/596/original/13e0ced372c3317f.jpg

2025-10-12 07:22:34 UTC

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I'll be installing and walking her through Calibre on her PC so she can copy stuff to it outside of the capitalist-approved ecosystems. Would also be interested in third party/jailbroken firmware for a Kindle 4 as the hardware is otherwise alright.

2025-10-12 07:21:31 UTC

Hey #AskFedi, please recommend me an ebook reader for an Australian teenager. She has a Kindle that's almost as old as she is and the Amazon integration is either not working anymore or is too complex to be practical. The only really hard requirement is physical buttons to flip pages - anything that's pure touchscreen is a definite no. An older model is fine/ideal if I can likely still find one new or in decent condition used. I have a few weeks to hook this up so give me your best suggestions!

2025-10-08 23:24:39 UTC

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This little one-off part is a jig to help me solder right-angle headers to my NES adapter PCB. Won't have time today to actually do anything further with it, but at least this is here for when I do.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/341/036/215/674/201/original/4f828bc27154b864.jpg
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/341/036/420/892/233/original/b1817bc43d77cf26.jpg

2025-10-08 01:40:10 UTC

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Yes... ha ha ha... yes!
Now to find a couple of hours of time to do some soldering and some 3D printing.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/335/979/367/130/699/original/3a5805c6f65deca7.jpg

2025-10-01 10:24:27 UTC

So a few years ago, a cheap 3D printer gently applied ten volts to my home PC via USB and let the magic smoke out. The motherboard is absolutely dead, but there's a Ryzen 5 1600 in there that may or may not still be working.
How much am I likely to regret spending AU$84 on a "Jginyue" B350 board on AliExpress and turning it into an overpowered NAS? Reviews seem positive and it's half the price of anything compatible on eBay.

2025-10-01 01:14:28 UTC

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Boards have arrived! We have the two-part arrangement for my NES controller to USB adapter, and a more general-use NES breakout.
I'm completely out of straight sockets, and my next batch is currently sitting in the backrooms at an airport in China, so it'll probably be a week or two before I can resume this one again.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/296/241/980/735/443/original/ac4224ac9beb4088.jpg

2025-09-28 01:48:38 UTC

Fuck I hate check-in kiosks. At the doctor, at hotels, everywhere.
I can kind of rationalise them at airports - makes sense in a high volume environment to have that kind of efficiency built in - but even then it's silly when you get a text to virtually check in 24 hours before a flight.
The BEST outcome I ever see from kiosks is being told to go to reception and talk to the human sitting there bored anyway, and have a faster, less dehumanising interaction.

2025-09-28 00:12:27 UTC

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Actually I've just gone back to it and found a tab open with a seller who has 1400 of them for AU$1.48 each, and an even cheaper supplier with a smaller quantity. The only other one I found at first is AU$44ish for ten. AliExpress's search function is fucking terrible but I guess that's the price you pay instead?

2025-09-27 21:55:44 UTC

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Just went to stock up on straight NES controller sockets and we're down to two sellers of them on AliExpress... scratch that, one now, since I bought the last five from another.
There's a few more 90-degree ones on there, but they're starting to get thin on the ground.
I'm glad I have a reasonably functional 3D printed one up my sleeve.

2025-09-27 11:09:16 UTC

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And here's what it looks like in Rhino 3D. This is how I'm creating the board outline, and silkscreen top and bottom images. They get exported using the SaveAsSVG plugin and imported into Fritzing as the PCB layout and silkscreen images and aligned on top of each other.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/275/942/589/675/761/original/06da8281dc9c431e.jpg

2025-09-27 11:03:36 UTC

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And using the same technique/workflow, here's an updated plain dual #NES socket breakout board. This one has labeled pins and is the one you'd download and get made if you wanted to build your own adapter. Files for this one (and a couple of assembled units) will be available once I've built and tested them!
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/275/920/110/378/687/original/da4d5c5369d95651.jpg

2025-09-27 10:25:21 UTC

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The single line font (or "stick font") I'm using here is "OLF SimpleSansOC", which I think was included in SolidWorks. There are a couple of websites out there selling a font called "Simple Sans", and I wouldn't mind paying a creator a few bucks for the right font... but I can't tell for sure that any of them actually have the right to it, and if it was packed in for free with commercial software I don't feel too bad for using it in my silly little projects.

2025-09-27 10:13:38 UTC

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That certainly looks like a thing you'd find in another thing, doesn't it? Breakout daughterboard for my dual NES adapter is done.
I don't know exactly how these boards will line up together after being soldered to a right angle header, so the final cut of the 3D printed shell will have to wait until the boards arrive and I have time to assemble and measure.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/275/701/653/702/869/original/f2ad2a6961e665b7.jpg

2025-09-27 01:02:27 UTC

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Okay, this is actually quite workable. I can export a board outline and top/bottom silkscreen layouts as separate SVGs, import them into Fritzing, put them all in the same position (since they're identical dimensions they line up perfectly), and quickly drag and drop components into place.
This would be a terrible idea if the electronics were the star of the show, but the point is to adapt a funny old plug to a funny new plug, so Fisher Price My First PCB Design Skills are sufficient here.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/273/546/511/362/567/original/4f7ca0508a5ba372.jpg

2025-09-26 11:52:59 UTC

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As usual I've had my CAD goggles on and spent so much time zoomed in on tiny details that I lost track of the fact that... this thing is actually a pretty small object.
This silk green filament isn't the one I had in mind for the final thing - that's likely to be a sparkly red - but man, is that a pretty demonstration of what could be.
I think my goal for this weekend will be to complete designing the two PCBs - one for the Pro Micro, the other for the NES sockets - and get them ordered.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/270/425/697/657/766/original/fdc8ffd1a49d8593.jpg
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/270/425/830/483/490/original/cb638c1062598f04.jpg

2025-09-26 10:24:03 UTC

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Y'know, I don't hate it.
This is what my dual NES adapter could look like in the end - a USB socket at one end, and two NES sockets at the other.
Designing this while trying to keep in mind a consistent design language for other future adapters is hard. I *think* this is large and general enough that I can modify it for other sizes without hugely changing the design language (and to be fair I've picked the biggest, most complex one to try to start with).
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/270/077/537/790/716/original/e263e2d6386a1ef8.jpg

2025-09-26 09:37:38 UTC

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Topological ugliness. I want the breakout board to be this big and complete, because I want other people to be able to make it and use it separate to the overall adapter I'm making; and I want the sockets to be upright like this, like they were on the original NES, because I want compatiblity with the NES Satellite - which uses line-of-sight IR - and other wireless multitaps.
If I stack the PCBs, I lose that, or the USB cable sprouts out the top. I don't love any option here.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/269/921/217/255/658/original/749341d4d0d09f58.jpg

2025-09-26 08:12:24 UTC

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Simultaneously committing crimes against imperial AND metric schools of thought tonight.
If I create a 2D array of points on a 2.54mm pitch, I can use them to space and group together a set of through-hole components, then drag and align them to wherever on a metric grid I want them. I can then export the footprints to SVG and line things up as I like in Fritzing.
This workflow is certifiably awful but it works in my brain shut up don't tell me I'm doing it wrong I'm having fun making stuffs
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/269/573/615/950/194/original/bbd32bc406e313c1.jpg

2025-09-26 06:57:16 UTC

Once again I am asking myself to have magically bought an endless supply of little breadboards for project use weeks ago so I could immediately begin a new thing right this instant

2025-09-26 03:52:11 UTC

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Hey #Australia #AskFedi. How easy/hard does your mobile phone provider make it to see your historical data usage? Do they give you a nice webpage with a chart, do they give you a couple of months and that's it, do they make you download multiple PDF files and do maths from there?
I want to find out how widespread this actually is, and maybe make some noise about it.
Also interested in hearing what it's like for you not in Australia, for comparison.
Boosts for visibility would be very welcome.

2025-09-26 03:36:27 UTC

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Woolies: The PDF does give me a sum of data in the summary I downloaded, but to look at my data usage over a long period of time I'd have to set up a query per month, download a PDF, and copy that info into a spreadsheet.
Their website could run a single query to pull out gb/month and give it to me in seconds. That's not technically difficult, it's a simpler query than everything else they're throwing at me.
It should be mandatory to sum usage over at least 12 months on their website.

2025-09-26 03:34:01 UTC

It's 100% intentional that mobile providers don't give you an easy way to see your overall data usage, right?
Like, Telstra gives you a bar chart of up to the last 3 months (not 90 days - if you were halfway through a month, you'd get 2.5 calendar months of data), but nothing more granular.
Woolies lets me view seven days of usage, or download a PDF of up to 90 days, all with mixed units and poor enough formatting I can't easily get it into a spreadsheet.
This is anticompetitive bullshit.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/268/486/538/983/069/original/24bd302583909902.jpg

2025-09-23 07:59:54 UTC

PSA - not only are #Crumpler (bag company based in Melbourne, #Australia) back under original ownership, they've discovered and reacquired 15k 2005-era items from a former distributor in Seoul: https://www.broadsheet.com.au/national/fashion/article/crumpler-y2k-archive-collection
I think I just bought the last new-old-stock large Karachi Outpost in existence and the mediums have disappeared too, but the King Single II looks like a competent backpack and there's myriad other laptop and camera bags and small satchels: https://www.crumpler.com/collections/archive-collection

2025-09-23 03:48:03 UTC

Is there a DIY cloud storage system/app yet where like. You and five friends each set up a tiny ex office micro PC in a cupboard, let them connect to wifi, and then they all automatically sync across each other? So not only do you have a copy on your own PC and the one under the stairs but also sitting in four other friends' houses if yours burns down?
The cheapest OneDrive plan is AU$30/year for 100gb and you can buy a Fujitsu Q556 with a 512gb SSD for $120 and your data stays onshore.

2025-09-21 00:14:08 UTC

Just discovered that since the latest update to my Pixel 8a, #Android now automatically turns Bluetooth back on the next day if you turn it off. Something to keep in mind if something in your life depends on knowing 100% if it's on or off on your phone.
I can see situations where this would be a convenience factor, but... no. Settings I turn off should stay off until I turn them back on again.

2025-09-13 01:52:59 UTC

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Modeling something like this is simpler than you think. I use #Rhino3D and a plugin called BoltGen to generate an M20x50 thread (with a 2.5mm pitch), shoved an inverted truncated cone on top, and messed around with subtracting bits from the top until it looked about right.
The 20mm width is mainly to make it print reliably - something this tall but less wide would be more likely to break off mid-print, and I didn't want to spend time reprinting a joke.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/194/478/501/895/609/original/a156ad9401bec3a4.jpg

2025-09-13 00:48:16 UTC

Behold, the first prototype of my amazing new invention: The reverse one-way screw! The natural counterpart to those anti-theft screws used to attach license plates to cars, the ROWS can only ever be unscrewed, not driven in.
To use it, simply already have it installed somewhere, and unscrew it like you would a regular screw - attempts to reinstall it will simply result in the screwdriver safely slipping out of the head, with no risk of it actually being driven back in.
#3DPrinting
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/194/157/589/201/884/original/1e1dd2c1855193ea.jpg
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/194/157/817/830/253/original/bbb914c2e764d6c1.jpg

2025-09-08 20:56:31 UTC

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Orinoco wireless cards!...?

2025-09-07 23:37:04 UTC

This might be the hangry talking, but Victoria needs some "keep left unless overtaking" signs stat

2025-09-03 03:30:34 UTC

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Never a frown with golden brown.
So, the Breville "the original '74". Can recommend, to the point of "don't waste your money buying something cheaper". I once bought a jaffle iron from Kmart and it snapped in half the second time we tried to use it.
About the only thing I wish this had was removable plates for cleaning, but it's a lot less annoying to clean than every other one I've owned before.
Also that first bite of toasted jaffled bread was unbelievably nostalgic. This makes me happy.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/138/207/779/075/144/original/683e1380fd72962c.jpg

2025-09-02 02:02:48 UTC

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Today is Tuesday. Delivery is expected on Thursday. My order is being delivered today. Therefore, Tuesday == Thursday?
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/132/230/589/044/597/original/c80fc1429a2b6bbd.png

2025-08-29 03:27:30 UTC

Qantas emailed me today to say they were feeling so un-loved my frequent flyer points were expiring in February. I don't think I've ever purchased anything with them ever, and the total worth of them after ~15 years of occasional work and play flights was... approximately the value of a Breville "The original '74", so one of those will arrive sometime next week.
It's been a very, very long time since I had a decent jaffle, so I look forward to the many challenges of this role etc etc.

2025-08-23 12:03:58 UTC

This week's #retrogaming score is the official strategy guide for X-COM: UFO Defense, also known as Enemy Unknown - also known as the very first #XCOM game.
Written by David Ellis, who was #MicroProse's executive director at the time - remember when even big companies had people who cared about the games they made?
This thing is, as the cool kids say, a chonker - it's 374 pages long, and weighs more than half a kilo.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/077/974/194/236/925/original/e910236688e2ee28.jpg
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/077/974/424/678/096/original/bfbf2ba8b0ab8287.jpg

2025-08-21 13:34:18 UTC

FYI, a #Windows 11 update is killing SSDs: https://www.techpowerup.com/340032/microsoft-windows-11-24h2-update-may-cause-ssd-failures
You may want to uninstall and be on the lookout for KB5063878. Apparently the issue is caused by large sequential writes to certain SSDs after that update is applied.
There doesn't seem to be an exhaustive list of affected hardware yet but "Reported devices include several Phison-based NVMe models and other drives using different controllers".
Did your #Windows11 PC's drive suddenly cark it recently? This might be why.

2025-08-18 11:03:09 UTC

Do you use an Android phone? Have you discovered recently that you can't go to the app switcher and swipe up to close an app? Press and hold on the app for a sec until it vibrates and goes to select text in the app's current view, then swipe up anywhere except on that text and you'll be able to do it.
I don't quite understand what's going on, and of course there's no visible settings or documentation, but that seems to make it work again?

2025-08-11 09:37:41 UTC

User "cat" is requesting access to the following resources: cheese, salami.
#Cats #SiameseCat #CatsOfMastodon
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/009/448/850/063/363/original/b95d6062e2f7eb74.jpg
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/115/009/449/095/533/597/original/e0109ae6e1d5645b.jpg

2025-07-30 13:13:18 UTC

Absolutely cannot fathom the thought processes required to do 70kph in an 80 zone, then increase speed to 80 when it drops to 60 for roadworks?
They drive among us

2025-07-29 22:33:42 UTC

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The people have spoken, almost nobody liked the 'X' reset button... but I really don't like the circle one either, so here's a first draft of a squared-off one that will look a bit more balanced amongst the other three. Getting it to look right by itself will take a few goes, but the PCB to mount all this to won't arrive until next week sometime.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/114/938/881/743/861/970/original/5698204d8e78390e.jpg

2025-07-29 11:37:16 UTC

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Ok, decision time. What looks better: the 'split X' or the circle-with-arrow for a reset button? The circle's the better symbol but looks very similar to the power button. The X looks more balanced on the panel overall.
Both are perfectly functional as physical buttons, the total width and height of each glyph here is only 12mm so even an empty-ish circle works when firmly pointed at with a fingertip.
The circle version needs a bigger arrowhead, otherwise I'm happy with its appearance.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/114/936/311/270/694/067/original/0ae0d538741bc921.jpg
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/114/936/311/418/503/558/original/a7431f4e1612f5d5.jpg

2025-07-28 06:08:36 UTC

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This is more or less how the top of the front panel will look when complete. These just look like static icons, but the power and X things are tactile push-buttons, and the star and disk will hide bright blue LEDs for status lights. (Ignore the little orange breakout board, that's just holding the buttons in place.)
This is 10cm wide, which is the full width of the final case.
The sparkly black filament hides many crimes, but not under-extrusion - I'll have to tweak that for the final panels.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/114/929/353/149/969/179/original/53297b6d102c6832.jpg

2025-07-28 00:58:10 UTC

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I think I've entered a new phase with my #PCB design skills. Being able to sketch the layout in #Rhino3D where I'm relatively skilled, then export as SVG and then just line up the handful of actual components just so in Fritzing has been great.
Today I've discovered the existence of "single line" or "single stroke" fonts - apparently used in engraving, but also useful for text on PCBs. The one I'm using here is "MecSoft" from the Rhino people themselves: https://wiki.mcneel.com/rhino/engravingfonts
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/114/928/129/186/565/404/original/3cabb70a99387fd7.jpg
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/114/928/129/781/162/020/original/4c086557f36ca266.jpg

2025-07-27 11:27:47 UTC

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This is the 3D modelling equivalent of a cluttered, untidy desk, but I have at least a V1 print-worthy design for the CD drive mount and the bracket for the fans. That will need some cutouts for the fan wiring to escape, but I'll wait for the fans to arrive so I know exactly what I'm dealing with before I do that.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/114/924/936/219/574/474/original/466f957b5b5f33a4.jpg

2025-07-27 10:14:14 UTC

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My plan to work on the internal structure has led me straight back to the CD drive again - I have a plan to attach the front, back and bottom panels together, but I want to get the front stuff fitting before I can print a full front panel. This kerjigger will screw into the front panel from the inside.
Modelling off this beat-up, second-hand, slightly bent in places drive probably delayed the project a couple of days due to wasting a few iterations on its own eccentricities.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/114/924/650/057/466/981/original/c3157892e390f616.jpg

2025-07-24 11:16:49 UTC

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Okay, here's where the front panel sits after day seven. I have a pretty solid proof-of-concept for both the buttons and LEDs for the front buttons and lights - can anyone suggest a different reset button icon that isn't just a circle with arrows on it? Ideally it needs some mass in the middle.
Next step is the internal structure - I think the top and sides will be one U-shaped piece, but that means the front, back and base plate need to stand on their own, with a frame for the motherboard.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/114/907/922/440/603/628/original/41c0467d02e3bdd4.jpg

2025-07-24 07:25:18 UTC

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Okay, that's working beautifully so far. The photo is exaggerating the brightness, but not by much! That's shining through two layers of 3D print - I might even increase that to dull it a little.
The intricate button holes on the left would require support material underneath to print this whole structure in one go, and my AMS is a little broken at the moment, so I can't actually do more than two different filaments in one print right now.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/114/906/990/633/187/728/original/38d32e85d48e7e20.jpg

2025-07-23 04:51:30 UTC

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As for the LEDs, I'm hoping these will do the job. These are 15mm square diffused LED panels - they were Adafruit product ADA4040, but it doesn't look like they sell them anymore.
I can easily test what these will look like through a thin 3D print. If they're not bright enough, I can pivot to using super bright LEDs.
I won't need to worry about a current-limiting resistor in this assembly as PC motherboards do that anyway for their indicator LEDs.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/114/900/737/759/396/440/original/5223351ef972380a.jpg

2025-07-23 04:42:03 UTC

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How's it possible that I can just *make* my own buttons? Well, these exist - these are momentary tactile switches with a square nub on top, meant to have these colourful tops click on to them. I can make a simple circuit board with two of these, and two LEDs, 3D print some bits with my power and reset symbols to pop on, and then it's just two wires from each LED and button to the motherboard. That's functionally all that you're pressing on your own PC case to turn your computer on.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/114/900/708/251/896/146/original/d4e81b056cb4ca38.jpg

2025-07-23 01:25:11 UTC

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The four horsemen of vintage PC enthusiasm: power button, reset button, power light, hard drive activity light.
The power and reset button parts extend through the faceplate to press buttons on a circuit board underneath. The two light glyphs will sit atop a super-thin 3D printed layer with a bright LED underneath, so the whole right side of the panel will glow.
The design and scale of the individual bits will change before the final version, but I'm pretty firmly wedded to this idea overall.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/114/899/901/820/146/401/original/6773ba0859094168.jpg

2025-07-23 00:42:22 UTC

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15-pin gameport, PS/2 keyboard and mouse, and two sockets for that new-fangled USB standard that probably won't catch on. What more front I/O could you possibly want on a Windows 98 machine?
I've just made a fair bit more work for myself in fully kitting out this front panel, but I think all the "big" case problems are now solved.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/114/899/761/750/792/394/original/8cd6efbae05993bc.jpg

2025-07-22 11:52:07 UTC

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Here's where I'm leaving the project tonight. I fell in love with an asymmetrical front panel, but the reality is this is easier to balance and I think I have a source for okay 5cm fans that will work with this. It also frees up all four corners for mount points for all the side panels.
Downside is that it now looks like a horrified screaming robot, but that has its own charm and appeal too. Maybe there's still something wacky and asymmetrical I can do with power buttons and lights - any ideas?
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/114/896/731/877/009/041/original/ada72f0714f7ba81.jpg

2025-07-21 04:56:56 UTC

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This next one might be more interesting than the same CD drive again. My printer can automatically swap filaments mid layer, so I wanted to try making a 3D printed fan grille with an embedded logo/text. Those letters weren't made separately and glued on - they're printed in place!
I have some tweaks to do to make the grille itself look neat and even, and purple on white was not a great colourway in the end, but I'm calling this a successful concept test. #3DPrinting @npub1hgu…ljf3 @npub1d4n…dptf
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/114/889/435/579/714/115/original/0e4073a3a0f4ceb3.jpg
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/114/889/435/789/767/551/original/5f97e1f25fcb8999.jpg

2025-07-21 02:53:30 UTC

Had to laugh when I opened this spool of #BambuLab TPU. Maybe they were having a muck-up day at the factory? I've never seen a *brand new* spool of anything look like hastily-coiled spaghetti.
Hopefully there's no hard crossovers in there - I guess I'll find out when I go to print something?
#3DPrinting @npub1hgu…ljf3 @npub1d4n…dptf
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/114/888/945/619/130/784/original/1e0df70cf5518fb6.jpg

2025-07-21 02:48:36 UTC

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Five iterations in and I think the slim CD mount is final. The screw holes line up, the fit is snug but not too tight, and I have a pretty high degree of confidence it'll work.
See the scratches on the top of this drive? It's dated October 2009, but I bought it just a couple of years ago on eBay as a "new" cheap USB CD drive. You get what you pay for with cheap electronics, and apparently the cheapest price gets you a refurb drive from a junked laptop.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/114/888/934/334/268/170/original/210f3b5dd89d88f6.jpg
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/114/888/934/494/331/808/original/f2f948f7712f2432.jpg

2025-07-19 08:30:12 UTC

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I *also* currently have some sort of throat infection and the good doctor gave me antibiotics today. GPs are chockers at the moment, so if you think you might need to see a doc, I would book ASAP

2025-07-19 07:24:40 UTC

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a couple of weeks back I had RSV, confirmed by a triple that/flu A&B/covid test from Woolies. If it's not covid it might be one of those and it might be worthwhile knowing which.

2025-07-18 13:45:52 UTC

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What are the chances that purchasing this actually results in receiving an honest-to-goodness Arctic Cooling product? https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005008470980722.html
There's plenty of biggish-brand stuff on Ali these days, is it just counterfeit nonsense or maybe the genuine product sold out the back of the factory? I doubt "Shop1104078524 Store" in China are an official Arctic reseller.

2025-07-18 12:21:20 UTC

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Ugh, it's hard to buy a decent 80x80x15mm fan. I miss the days where there'd be 50 different brands of fans in every size overflowing in every computer shop. Now it's all $40 Noctuas and one out-of-stock Silverstone or Deepcool. The industry standardising on 120/140mm fans is great if you're building a PC in a standard gigantic size, but nothing much smaller.
Maybe someone'll rock up to the vintage computer thing tomorrow with a box of fans I can rifle through.

2025-07-18 10:53:15 UTC

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Close enough for tonight - this is a 3D printed mount for a slim CD/DVD drive. These things are a weird shape and take the smallest screws of any standard computer hardware, and it took three goes to get this good a fit.
The white residue on the face is just glue from the print bed - each part that makes up the final case will be cleaned first.
That's the last of the complex parts - most of the rest is stuff like mounting buttons, a cooling fan, and aesthetic tweaks.
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/114/873/839/526/736/839/original/ab89f40960fd75a2.jpg
https://digipres.club/system/media_attachments/files/114/873/839/786/907/281/original/bebbebcd2bbda41e.jpg

2025-07-18 09:18:41 UTC

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Tonight's philosophical question: If you were a very small bag of M2 size screws, where would you hide?
I've managed to use 3mm metric hardware everywhere so far in this project, but slim CD drives mount using 2mm screws. I own....... some, somewhere.