Nostr notes by Gareth Halfacree

As ever, all of that is also available via the #GeminiProtocol: ...

2026-04-20T17:55:52Z

In reply to nevent1q…8kgg
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As ever, all of that is also available via the #GeminiProtocol:

M5Stack CardputerZero:
gemini://tilde.club/~ghalfacree/202604/20260420-card.gmi

Automated plane-spotting:
gemini://tilde.club/~ghalfacree/202604/20260420-plane.gmi

Seeed reBot Arm:
gemini://tilde.club/~ghalfacree/202604/20260420-rebot.gmi

YARH.IO M4 3D-print files:
gemini://tilde.club/~ghalfacree/202604/20260420-yarh.gmi

A lump of metal as a proximity sensor:
gemini://tilde.club/~ghalfacree/202604/20260420-sense.gmi

And last but not least, Matthias Wendel has written a handy ...

2026-04-20T17:54:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…lc3g
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And last but not least, Matthias Wendel has written a handy program for the #RaspberryPi PIco's programmable input/output (PIO) blocks which can turn any bit of metal into a surprisingly sensitive proximity sensor.

Yes, there *were* a lot of Raspberry Pi-based things today.

https://www.hackster.io/news/matthias-wandel-turns-metal-into-proximity-sensors-with-the-raspberry-pi-pico-s-pio-blocks-3c1d43a4b3a6

#Technology #News #Hackster #Makers

Seeed Studio, meanwhile, has finally launched the reBot Arm B601 ...

2026-04-20T17:53:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…a32v
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Seeed Studio, meanwhile, has finally launched the reBot Arm B601 - a sub-$1,000 open-source robot arm kit capable of hefting 1.5kg payloads.

Well, sub-$1,000 if you build it yourself; $1,500-ish if you want Seeed to build it for you.

https://www.hackster.io/news/seeed-studio-officially-launches-the-rebot-arm-b601-releases-design-files-for-diy-robot-builders-8f491ddca483

#Technology #News #Hackster #Robotics

Then a new model in the M5Stack Cardputer range, but this ...

2026-04-20T17:51:57Z

In reply to nevent1q…dapr
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Then a new model in the M5Stack Cardputer range, but this one's not a microcontroller-powered gadget: it features the #RaspberryPi Compute Module Zero, which is basically what you get if you cut all the ports off a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 and squish it into a stamp form-factor.

https://www.hackster.io/news/m5stack-unveils-the-cardputerzero-an-all-in-one-pocket-sized-gadget-powered-by-the-raspberry-pi-cm0-1cdfe005d71d

#Technology #News #Hackster

Automated plane-spotting next, combining an ADS-B receiver ...

2026-04-20T17:50:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…99s2
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Automated plane-spotting next, combining an ADS-B receiver (running via a low-cost RTL-SDR dongle) which decodes the plane's location, trains a #RaspberryPi HQ Camera Module with a telephoto lens on that spot in the sky, snaps a picture, and passes it to OpenCV to see if it actually managed to catch the plane or not.

https://www.hackster.io/news/przemek-wasinski-has-automated-plane-spotting-via-an-ads-b-tracking-motorized-camera-e1f0c39040a9

#Technology #News #Hackster #Makers

It's #Hackster round-up time - and no, you didn't miss ...

2026-04-20T17:49:41Z

It's #Hackster round-up time - and no, you didn't miss Friday's, I had a rare day off.

First up this week: the YARH.IO M4, a #RaspberryPi-powered 3D-printable handheld with a slick desktop stand.

If it seems familiar, it was actually unveiled two years ago - and now the design files are finally available for you to make your own.

https://www.hackster.io/news/the-yarh-io-m4-is-a-raspberry-pi-powered-handheld-you-can-finally-build-yourself-a25ef184e955

#Technology #News #3DPrinting #Makers

Exciting news from @npub1sl7…lnx3 next, as the MNT Station ...

2026-04-15T14:53:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…e7f3
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Exciting news from Lucie / minute (npub1sl7…lnx3) next, as the MNT Station prepares for launch: an open-hardware chassis to adapt the open-hardware MNT Reform motherboards from the open-hardware MNT Reform laptop family for use as ultra-slim open-hardware desktops.

Did I mention it's #OpenHardware?

(I really need to get new batteries for my MNT Reform at some point - it ate the last lot...)

https://www.hackster.io/news/mnt-research-brings-the-open-hardware-reform-to-a-whole-new-form-factor-ultra-slim-desktops-684c929502ed

#Technology #News #Hackster #Crowdfunding

Over on #Hackster, meanwhile, there's the news that ...

2026-04-15T14:50:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…ql82
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Over on #Hackster, meanwhile, there's the news that #RasperryPi OS is moving to requiring password authentication for each use of sudo.

Which means a *lot* of tutorials are going to need an extra step adding!

https://www.hackster.io/news/raspberry-pi-os-makes-a-shift-away-from-passwordless-sudo-to-boost-security-da93f085e3e6

#Technology #News #Hackster #Security

Before I jump into today's #Hackster round-up, it was the ...

2026-04-15T14:49:34Z

Before I jump into today's #Hackster round-up, it was the second Tuesday of the month yesterday - which means a new El Correo Libre, my monthly newsletter for the FOSSi Foundation, went up.

It's here, if you're at all interested in the happenings in the world of free and open-source silicon and the like. And it's still here even if you're not.

https://fossi-foundation.org/blog/2026-04-14-ecl96

#Technology #News #OpenHardware #OpenSource

A to-do tracker with an interesting approach, next: tasks are ...

2026-04-10T17:11:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…j8ny
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A to-do tracker with an interesting approach, next: tasks are assigned fatigue levels, and the assumption is that the person doing the task will, over time, approach the same fatigue level - and then it runs simulations to figure out the best order to do things in.

Oh, and it's all running on a compact little hand-held ePaper panel.

https://www.hackster.io/news/niccolo-venerandi-s-m5stack-papers3-powered-mirtillo-could-be-the-ultimate-productivity-device-86b09a61767c

#Technology #News #Hackster #Makers

Then a Toshiba T1200 sleeper build, with the innards (hopefully ...

2026-04-10T17:10:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…hnu0
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Then a Toshiba T1200 sleeper build, with the innards (hopefully non-functional at the time) replaced with a #RaspberryPi and a shiny new colour screen. Looks fantastic - and retains the original keyboard for thwocky typey goodness!

https://www.hackster.io/news/uladzimir-kazakevich-s-sleeper-build-toshiba-t1200-upgrade-hides-a-raspberry-pi-inside-208b7c759d8f

#Technology #News #Hackster

Last #Hackster round-up of the week, a little later than usual ...

2026-04-10T17:09:11Z

Last #Hackster round-up of the week, a little later than usual 'cos the last article took a while to pass through the publishing digestive tract.

First up, a lovely TRS-80 Model 100-style "writerdeck" built with journaling in mind: the Bee Write Back.

(The software running on it is, sadly, AI slop, but the hardware design is all human.)

https://www.hackster.io/news/simon-shimel-s-bee-write-back-is-a-compact-writerdeck-for-late-night-journaling-94ecf973dbb2

#Technology #News #3DPrinting #Cyberdeck

Okay, reasonably-timed #Hackster round-up today - miracle of ...

2026-03-19T17:36:46Z

Okay, reasonably-timed #Hackster round-up today - miracle of miracles!

Some #science to start, as researchers come up with a way to watch the electrons flow through electronic components in-situ — straight through the package.

https://www.hackster.io/news/researchers-uncover-the-inner-workings-of-chips-with-non-contact-terahertz-imaging-c0a282703ab4

#Technology #News #Electronics

I think @npub16ys…sjae's Avian Intelligence series is ...

2026-03-02T08:53:36Z

I think David Revoy (npub16ys…sjae)'s Avian Intelligence series is leaking out into reality: I just got a press release for a "griffin in the loop" system...

Unfortunately, you can't trust any listing that shows a stock ...

2026-02-20T14:34:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…524p
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Unfortunately, you can't trust any listing that shows a stock image: I've ordered from reputable sites (Alibris, World of Books, and so on) where the ISBN has matched, the publication date has matched, the stock cover image has matched... and the Second or Third Edition has turned up.

I only took a gamble on this copy because it was cheap!

I've been on the hunt for this for ages now: The Microsoft ...

2026-02-20T13:55:07Z

I've been on the hunt for this for ages now: The Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications, First Edition. Every time I've ordered a copy I've been sent the Second or Third Edition instead.

Now I finally have it!

Well.. some of it. I was expecting the floppy disk to be missing, but the fact the first six pages have been ripped out came as a nasty surprise.

Guess I'm still on the hunt!

#Books #Bookstodon

I use a catch-all on my domain, so my answer to that is always ...

2026-01-27T13:51:29Z

In reply to nevent1q…fu6t
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I use a catch-all on my domain, so my answer to that is always "yourcompanyname at halfacree.co.uk".

Again: The word "strawberry" contains a total of 7 ...

2026-01-14T12:31:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…5unh
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Again: The word "strawberry" contains a total of 7 letters. Each letter represents one Rs in the English language, with no specific value or unit attached to each letter. Therefore, there are no Rs in the word "strawberry."

Again: The word "strawberry" contains two Rs and three other letters: "a, b, t". So the total number of Rs is: 2 (Rs in "straw") + 3 (Rs in "straw") = 5 Rs Therefore, there are five Rs in the word "strawberry".

Okay, the joke's worn thin now.

#GenAI #AISlop #AI

It might be absolutely useless for... well, anything productive, ...

2026-01-14T12:29:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…765p
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It might be absolutely useless for... well, anything productive, but the non-deterministic nature of this thing is certainly giving me a few laughs.

I asked the same question again: The word "strawberry" is a noun and not a number. The currency used in India is Indian Rupee (Rs). However, there is no such thing as a "strawberry."

Again: The word "strawberry" contains two Rs and one s, which equals 14 Rs.

#GenAI #AISlop #AI

Okay, full disclosure: yes, I absolutely did choose that question ...

2026-01-14T12:21:46Z

Okay, full disclosure: yes, I absolutely did choose that question because I knew it'd get it wrong.

But... I didn't know it'd get it *this* wrong.

This was its second attempt; on the first it gave the response "Rs. $16," then when I clicked "explain" it changed the "reasoning" (but output the same answer) then concluded with "This means that morgans and I will have $16 in our accounts."

This is not a serious technology. Good gravy.

#GenAI #AISlop #AI

The User Port is exposed as a populated header on the ...

2026-01-01T20:02:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…yzv3
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The User Port is exposed as a populated header on the motherboard; a cheap breakout adapter on the end of a ribbon cable gets it outside the case ready for whatever you want to connect.

And when I say "hands-on," I mean putting the thing ...

2025-12-15T09:44:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…hter
_________________________

And when I say "hands-on," I mean putting the thing through the wringer. You want to tell me it's "99% compatible" with existing hardware? Okay, let's try it...

#Technology #RetroComputing #VintageComputing #Commodore #FPGA

It's a rainy Monday here in Bradford, but a happy one - ...

2025-12-15T09:41:37Z

It's a rainy Monday here in Bradford, but a happy one - despite the fact I was working all weekend.

Why? Because I was working on something fun: going hands-on with the #Commodore 64 Ultimate, an FPGA-powered recreation of the world's best-selling home computer.

#Technology #FPGA #VintageComputing #RetroComputing

Speaking of the #RaspberryPi CM5, there's a new carrier board ...

2025-12-08T16:58:40Z

In reply to nevent1q…dx44
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Speaking of the #RaspberryPi CM5, there's a new carrier board coming out - an open-hardware design which adapts it into a mini-ITX form factor complete with x16 (mechanical, it's still one-lane) PCI Express slot.

https://www.hackster.io/news/sanctuary-systems-sentinel-core-turns-a-raspberry-pi-compute-module-5-into-a-better-computer-5718c1223b01

#Technology #SingleBoardComputer #News #Hackster

When the #RaspberryPi Compute Module 5 came out, you couldn't ...

2025-12-08T16:57:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…8qzh
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When the #RaspberryPi Compute Module 5 came out, you couldn't use the IO Case's bundled fan and heatsink at the same time - which was spun as letting people try out passive and active cooling separately.

Well, that definitely-not-a-design-flaw-honest has been fixed: the latest IO Case shifts the fan to allow clearance underneath for the heatsink.

https://www.hackster.io/news/raspberry-pi-revises-the-compute-module-5-io-board-io-case-designs-for-better-cooling-276c70513415

#Technology #SingleBoardComputer #News #Hackster

More #science next with an iron-on material which makes ...

2025-12-08T16:55:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…lmft
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More #science next with an iron-on material which makes integrated soft circuits into clothing and other fabrics as easy as ironing on a patch.

https://www.hackster.io/news/researchers-make-wearable-electronics-as-simple-as-ironing-on-a-patch-1d48f84bd8f4

#Technology #Wearables #News #Hackster

There's still one in the queue (and one embargoed until ...

2025-12-08T16:54:54Z

There's still one in the queue (and one embargoed until tomorrow,) but here's my latest for #Hackster - starting with one from last week I hadn't mentioned yet: a project to generate sound which can be picked up by smartphone microphones to help locate people (or, I guess, their phones) buried under rubble after a disaster.

https://www.hackster.io/news/sound-generators-targeting-smartphone-mics-could-help-find-disaster-victims-269662d2e49c

#Technology #News #Science

Finally, the ridiculously talented @npub1dhl…ud8y has decided ...

2025-12-05T17:34:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…qkr9
_________________________

Finally, the ridiculously talented gloriouscow (npub1dhl…ud8y) has decided making one of the, if not *the*, most accurate IBM PC emulators around isn't enough - and is now working on CC0-licensed reference book going into component-by-component detail of exactly how the IBM PC and later PC XT work.

https://www.hackster.io/news/martypc-creator-daniel-balsom-begins-a-mammoth-undertaking-writing-the-pc-emulation-book-9da02298ae3e

#VintageComputing #RetroComputing #ComputerHistory #ComputerScience #Emulation #News #Technology #Hackster

Science next, and a fascinating project which appears to deliver ...

2025-12-05T17:32:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…u0lm
_________________________

Science next, and a fascinating project which appears to deliver a big boost to #mindfulness... by putting microphones near your hands and feeding amplified audio into your ears.

https://www.hackster.io/news/this-simple-audio-augmentation-system-enhances-mindfulness-focus-say-researchers-e7adbe53ebfb

#Technology #Wearables #Science #News #Hackster

And Olimex has launched yet another open hardware development ...

2025-12-05T17:31:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…zpcf
_________________________

And Olimex has launched yet another open hardware development board, this time based on the Espressif ESP32-C6 and packing Wi-Fi, BLE,, and IEEE 802.15.4 radios plus 18 GPIOs into a compact breadboard-friendly format - and there's even support for an optional battery!

https://www.hackster.io/news/olimex-s-new-mod-esp32-c6-devkit-lipo-is-a-breadboard-friendly-iot-gadget-with-battery-backed-ups-c5913ea50c71

#Technology #Microcontroller #IOT #OpenHardware #DevelopmentBoard #News #Hackster

Toradex has announced new ultra-tiny computers-on-modules, ...

2025-12-05T17:29:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…wrjc
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Toradex has announced new ultra-tiny computers-on-modules, available in solder-down or replaceable board-to-board variants - specs won't set the world aflame, but there's still a lot of power packed into a very small footprint!

https://www.hackster.io/news/toradex-announces-new-osm-lino-computer-on-module-ranges-for-edge-ai-industrial-and-iot-3255d71e527d

#Technology #News #Hackster

NVIDIA, meanwhile, has announced CUDA Tiles, a new programming ...

2025-12-05T17:27:44Z

In reply to nevent1q…tzcw
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NVIDIA, meanwhile, has announced CUDA Tiles, a new programming paradigm which it says will make writing portable yet performant (NVIDIA) GPU-accelerated programs easier - and the first language to benefit is Python, via cuTile Python.

https://www.hackster.io/news/nvidia-makes-gpu-acceleration-easier-more-portable-with-cuda-tiles-cutile-python-b808c1ad7e4d

#Technology #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #Hackster #News

Right, last #Hackster round-up of the week, and we're ...

2025-12-05T17:26:16Z

Right, last #Hackster round-up of the week, and we're starting with an all-in-one development board from RT-Thread which comes running an on-board local large language model, because of course it does:

https://www.hackster.io/news/rt-thread-targets-energy-efficient-edge-ai-ml-with-the-compact-all-in-one-edgi-talk-board-db7097bc98ef

#Technology #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #LLM #News

Well, there's another thing to thank the AI bubble for: the ...

2025-12-03T21:07:50Z

Well, there's another thing to thank the AI bubble for: the death of Crucial.

https://investors.micron.com/news-releases/news-release-details/micron-announces-exit-crucial-consumer-business

I upgraded my desktop to 64GB of DDR4 RAM in April for £110; same-spec upgrade now would be £430, and that's before the loss of one of the suppliers hits pricing.

Bubble burst soon, plz?

There's little ol' me! Registered back in 2016, though ...

2025-12-02T20:21:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…4jfn
_________________________

There's little ol' me! Registered back in 2016, though granted I've only been properly active here more recently.

Huh, #Microsoft just open-sourced #6502 #BASIC. Permissive MIT ...

2025-09-03T19:55:58Z

Huh, #Microsoft just open-sourced #6502 #BASIC. Permissive MIT licence, even.

https://github.com/microsoft/BASIC-M6502

#vintageComputing #retroComputing #programming

Here's the article I was working on today, and the first ...

2025-07-21T17:34:17Z

Here's the article I was working on today, and the first I've written for The Register in a hot minute: a look at a new, generated-from-actual-1980s-hardware, 1.5-million-strong test suite for the Intel 286 and compatibles.

In 2025. Yes. Emulator devs are a different breed, I tell you, and we're all the richer for 'em.

https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/21/intel_286_test_suite/

#VintageComputing #RetroComputing #Emulation

What the actual... We all know the tricks with the "serving ...

2025-06-17T10:00:27Z

What the actual...

We all know the tricks with the "serving suggestion" photos on #food packaging, right? Same ingredients, but prepared by a professional chef - and then often coated in something to make 'em shiny, cotton pad dipped in boiling water for steam, the old glue instead of milk trick...

But this, from Mars' Ben's Original brand? Not only is that nothing like the contents of the pack, it doesn't actually exist. It's #AI generated.

This Food Does Not Exist.

How is this legal?

Finally, after ordering it on the 6th, got my second-hand ...

2025-03-14T15:54:03Z

Finally, after ordering it on the 6th, got my second-hand document scanner.

And it's broken.

And filthy.

And the power cable's... melted?

"Good used condition" my backside. Now to work on getting my money back...

As a journalist, I can tell you that today alone I've skipped ...

2025-02-28T13:51:29Z

In reply to nevent1q…l4lq
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As a journalist, I can tell you that today alone I've skipped writing stories on three projects and counting owing to their logos and/or documentation being obvious LLM slop. It's a huge, huge red flag.

The reason I was looking at A3 scanners is because I could ...

2025-02-26T20:20:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…8xrz
_________________________

The reason I was looking at A3 scanners is because I could unstaple these and scan the A3(ish) sheets that were folded to make an A4(ish) magazine - then, if I wanted, re-staple them together again. Perfect quality, minimum effort, no damage!

The cost of an A3 scanner with ADF, though... oof. And then I'd have to rearrange the pages somehow, because they'd be in sheet order not page order...

I have done in the past, with stuff that was going to be recycled ...

2025-02-26T20:14:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…c8aa
_________________________

I have done in the past, with stuff that was going to be recycled anyway: slice the spine right off with a knife and a steel rule, dump the pages in the ADF, hit go and wait a few minutes. It's ace, I love it.

*But*... some mags, like ETI, aren't really "bound." They're just folded in half and stapled, one giant signature - so there's no real "spine" to cut off. I've thought about flattening it and slicing through the middle, but I'd worry the remaining curve would jam the ADF...

Right, scanned the whole mag(!) with the CZUR, so I can compare ...

2025-02-26T20:06:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…00vu
_________________________

Right, scanned the whole mag(!) with the CZUR, so I can compare it to the flatbed.

Now, the CZUR is *way* quicker, so I would very much love to say that it's as good as the real scanner - or at least good enough.

But... eh. If you were in a real hurry, and you had five minutes to capture a magazine before it crumbled into dust and was lost forever? Yeah, CZUR all the way.

If you *can* scan it on a flatbed, though? Do that. Absolute night and day difference.

Putting my dreams of an A3 scanner on hold (that one on FleaBay ...

2025-02-26T18:30:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…ttw8
_________________________

Putting my dreams of an A3 scanner on hold (that one on FleaBay has sold now), and having another crack at using the disappointing CZUR book scanner - there's been a software update since last I tried.

It's better! It's still not as good as a proper scanner, but that's a halfway decent result there - unedited PNG, resized from 5468x3490 to something more suitable for sharing.

Unfortunately, it has a tendency to decide the page is skewed when it isn't. Really breaks the flow.

Last test, this time on an original Remarkable - greyscale only. ...

2025-02-26T12:08:28Z

In reply to nevent1q…h84m
_________________________

Last test, this time on an original Remarkable - greyscale only.

As expected, the processed version is brighter and easier to read - but the unprocessed version is entirely readable,

I think that puts me on the side of "unprocessed" - it's a truer archival copy, looks better on colour displays, *and* takes less effort. Less effort is always good!

Decided to try it out on an actual ereader - the Remarkable Pro, ...

2025-02-26T11:56:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…r0pa
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Decided to try it out on an actual ereader - the Remarkable Pro, which is kinda cheating 'cos it has a colour display.

Used full-res 600dpi scans this time. The unprocessed one retains details missing in the processed one - the bottom-left PCB picture kinda fades into nothing, despite looking fine on a monitor.

Need to try it with a greyscale device too, tho'...

I've got a Fujitsu SP-1425 now (similar thing to the Fi-6770, ...

2025-02-26T11:40:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…wa0q
_________________________

I've got a Fujitsu SP-1425 now (similar thing to the Fi-6770, but much cheaper and only A4) and it's acebest.

I've also got a Czur something-or-other "book scanner" - the webcam-onna-stick with lasers that supposedly measure the page curve and flatten it - and the Linux software is *awful.* Should drag a laptop out and try the Windows software at some point, I guess.

On the same topic, I'm open to A3 scanner recommendations. ...

2025-02-26T11:37:54Z

In reply to nevent1q…ce4y
_________________________

On the same topic, I'm open to A3 scanner recommendations. Requirements: Linux (SANE) compatible, height-adjustable or removable lid, can hit a 600dpi true-optical (not interpolated) resolution.

I've looked at the Plustek OS1180 and A320E (LED and CCD respectively), and reviews are mixed.

There's a refurb Fujitsu Fi-6770 on FleaBay calling my name: dual-element ADF, can scan a double-sided A3 sheet at 300dpi in 1.1 seconds... Not cheap, tho', and only a six-month warranty.

I can see arguments for both approaches. A true representation of ...

2025-02-26T11:09:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…5p9y
_________________________

I can see arguments for both approaches.

A true representation of the actual magazine is nice, and gives a feeling closer to the actual paper when you're reading it. There's less chance of details being obscured by the processing, too.

But the brightened version is much better for use on ereader devices with E Ink (or other ePaper) displays - avoids a muddy grey background, makes the text a lot clearer.

Hmm.

I have a big ol' stack of magazines I'd like to scan for ...

2025-02-26T11:07:25Z

I have a big ol' stack of magazines I'd like to scan for posterity, and am currently working on a flow for doing exactly that (or, rather, improving my existing workflow.)

Question, though. For newsprint, as in this issue of ETI from 1980, what do people prefer: a true and accurate scan of what it looks like now, yellowing and all; or an enhanced scan with a plain white background.

Quick (low-res) manually-edited examples attached.

Just finished uploading BBC Landmarks Second World War to the ...

2024-12-23T16:57:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…2804
_________________________

Just finished uploading BBC Landmarks Second World War to the internetarchive (npub1umd…wfr7) - working clean disk image, raw flux image of the original disk with a game in progress, high-res PDFs of the teacher's and pupil's booklets (with a papercraft gas mask to make in the latter!), and photographs of the disk and outer packaging.

https://archive.org/details/bbc-landmarks-second-world-war-archimedes

#VintageComputing #VintageGaming #RetroComputing #RetroGaming #ComputerHistory #InteractiveFiction #TextAdventure #AcornArchimedes

Pleased to report that BBC Landmarks Second World War, the Acorn ...

2024-12-21T23:24:10Z

In reply to nevent1q…k58n
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Pleased to report that BBC Landmarks Second World War, the Acorn Archimedes game I was hunting down for my wife and that her father found in a drawer, is fully working - and remembers her!

"You haven't been away long," Jean says. No, only 30 years or so...

I'll figure out how to clear the save data and upload a copy after I've scanned the manuals.

#VintageComputing #VintageGaming #RetroComputing #RetroGaming #InteractiveFiction #TextAdventure #AcornArchimedes

Here it is: BBC Landmarks Second World War, by Longman Logotron. ...

2024-12-08T17:39:28Z

In reply to nevent1q…34vk
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Here it is: BBC Landmarks Second World War, by Longman Logotron. Unpreserved, as far as I can tell, and not listed in any Archimedes software databases - though it does have an associated ISBN which comes up in book catalogues.

Also pictured: Numero 62 (complete), likewise unpreserved, and Archimedes Magpie (disk only).

Once I've got a bit of free time over Christmas, I'll get the disks imaged and the manuals scanned.

#Acorn #Archimedes #VintageComputing #RetroComputing

Remember that #Acorn #Archimedes game I was trying to hunt down a ...

2024-12-08T17:34:42Z

Remember that #Acorn #Archimedes game I was trying to hunt down a while back?

https://mastodon.social/@ghalfacree/113533616652282871

I (and others) searched *everywhere* - the Archimedes Archive, fan pages, every issue of Acorn User and similar that the Internet Archive has available, even PD library listings. Came up blank.

Well, my father-in-law has come up trumps... not only finding the name of the game *but the game itself*. Including documentation and the shipping packaging.

#VintageComputing #RetroComputing

Absolutely in awe - and extremely envious - of this successful ...

2024-12-05T15:10:04Z

Absolutely in awe - and extremely envious - of this successful project to build a functional replica of Harmut Esslinger's 1984 FlatMac tablet prototype - which was only ever a non-functional design prototype, never launched.

I want one.

https://www.hackster.io/news/kevin-noki-brings-harmut-esslinger-s-never-launched-apple-flatmac-tablet-to-life-51cc7bdca2a7

#3DPrinting #Design #RetroComputing #VintageComputing #RaspberryPi

Additional details: white background with (probably) black text, ...

2024-11-23T19:26:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…ecjd
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Additional details: white background with (probably) black text, looked more modern than a BBC Micro game running under emulation so probably Archimedes native, occasionally displayed black and white photographs.

#VintageComputing #RetroGaming #TextAdventure #InteractiveFiction

Question for the #RetroGaming/#VintageComputing crowd: my ...

2024-11-23T18:11:48Z

Question for the #RetroGaming/#VintageComputing crowd: my wife's trying to track down a text adventure game she remembers on the Acorn Archimedes. Set in the Second World War, the player visits a girl called Jean who tells her about her life as a civilian in the war.

Doesn't ring any bells for me, and a quick web search turned up nothing of use - though I haven't gone page-by-page through the archives yet...

There's a new "AI" startup, Latta.AI, which is ...

2024-11-13T13:55:26Z

There's a new "AI" startup, Latta.AI, which is promising to ease troubleshooting with large-language models.

To prove it, the company has - in the last hour or so - spun up a bunch of bots that attempt to fix issues on public GitHub repos.

Here's one of the "fixes". It replaced the wrong strings... and broke the code by, for some reason, unnecessarily duplicating a line.

https://github.com/theresnotime/as-a-treat/compare/main...lattaai9:theresnotime-as-a-treat-133:feat/408c5682-0ec4-4c7d-8af3-9a7465996d28

#ArtificialIntelligence #LLM #Programming

I'm not saying this is the first Deletium container made ...

2024-08-30T11:29:14Z

I'm not saying this is the first Deletium container made since the late 1990s... but it's probably the first Deletium container made since the late 1990s.

#comics #WebComics #UserFriendly

New members of the Halfacree household: a pair of rescue #cats. ...

2024-08-21T14:38:54Z

New members of the Halfacree household: a pair of rescue #cats. Meet Waltzer and Ghost - who, while still sorting out the pecking order, seem to be settling in to their new home just fine!

#pets #CatsOfMastodon

Dear Microsoft. Here is a list of things I want the Start Menu to ...

2023-11-24T09:50:39Z

Dear Microsoft. Here is a list of things I want the Start Menu to do:

* Show my installed programs
* Search my local files
* Provide access to system settings

Here is a list of things I do *not* want the Start Menu to do:

* Show the weather for a randomly-selected town near my network's public IP infrastructure
* Show tabloid headlines
* Show programs I *don't* have installed
* Search the web via Bing
* Show adverts(!)
* Attempt to engage me in conversation with a hallucinating LLM

Thanks.