(Mostly written in response to this issue on the Awesome Falsehoods list) For those new to the format, there is a popular meme about things which computer programmers erroneously believe. This isn't intended to shame anyone - just to point out things which may not be immediately obvious to the neophyte. There's nothing us Brits love more than moaning talking about the weather. And, just as Inuit speakers have hundreds of words for snow, so English speakers have hundreds of words for rain. …
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I'm beginning my adventures in MicroPython in the hope that I'll have something interesting working on the Tildagon Badge for EMF2026. Here's a basic implementation of a clockface. Here's how to set the time on the badge. There's a hardware clock which should keep time between reboots. Install mpremote on your computer. Connect the Tildagon to your computer using a USB-C data cable On your computer's command line, run mpremote. You should see: > Connected to MicroPython at /dev/ttyACM0 >…
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In an ideal world, people wouldn't drop litter. There would be plentiful bins and people would be responsible with their rubbish. In a slightly less ideal world, the local council would have enough money to clean up the mess left by people. But we don't live in an ideal world. People are ignorant and selfish. Councils are cash-strapped. So, once in a while, I'll go litter picking. I strap on a high-vis jacket, take a grabber, gloves, and refuse sack. Then I get to work. It feels like the…
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This was a bit of a labour of love - and something I wanted to get running during EMF Camp. I'm documenting in the hope it'll be useful for EMF 2026! Here's the end result: Background I'm going to assume that you have updated your badge to the latest firmware version. You will also need to install mpremote on your development machine. You should also have successfully run the basic Hello, World! app. Drawing surface The Tildagon screen is 240x240 pixels. However, it is also a circle. …
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Freedom of Information law is brilliant! It allows ordinary people to ask questions of the powerful and get solid answers. Sometimes these questions are sensible and journalistic. Sometimes they're vexatious. Sometimes they're a little silly. The silly ones can be fun to answer. It's a good chance for a politician to show their human side. It's pretty hard to get wrong. I mean, unless the question is "What's the Minister's favourite pop song?" and they answer "I'm the Leader of the Gang by…
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The UK has some tough advertising regulations. There are restrictions placed on gambling adverts, alcohol, tobacco, and all sorts of other products. But there are no regulations on political advertising. There are dozens of smaller parties contesting the UK's General Election. Some are single issue parties, some are independents, some parties contest multiple seats, some contest only one. Some parties are funded by individuals - some by companies. Here's a thought experiment. What would…
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Did you enjoy the game Moss? This is a sequel which is identical to the original. The graphics are identical, the gameplay is identical, the puzzles are identical. There are a couple of slightly new mechanics and a new playable character (also a mouse). But it is fundamentally more of the same. So I suggest you read my review of the original. Seriously, there isn't much else to say here. The story is a jumble of ethereal nonsense. The enemies are defeated by rather dull button-mashing. And…
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I'll review anything with a USB-C port. When hardware companies offer to send me a gadget to review, I'll always reply back with "only if it has USB-C". The EBL C9010N has a USB micro socket. *sigh* We live in the future now. Don't buy anything which requires you to have multiple cables and adapters. In terms of what the products does, it is… basically fine. Plug in Ni-MH or Ni-CD batteries and they will slowly charge. The batteries go in at a slight angle, which makes them slightly easier …
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I've got a fancy new Framework laptop. It comes with little expansion sockets - which allow you to plug in USB devices, HDMI ports, Ethernet cables, and all sorts. I want to add an NFC reader to it. So, step one was to find an NFC circuit board which worked with the hardware and was relatively small. Enter the ACM1252U-Z2. It works perfectly with Linux. It has a USB-Micro socket - but a USB-C OTG cable allowed it to work with the Framework. It is about as small as they come - but will…
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I hate it when I DNF a book. But "Soul of a New Machine" is just dull. It's sort of a hagiography of an obscure company which once made a 32 bit computer. All the men (and it seems to be mostly men) are in turns dull, agressive, or just dicks. As a sample quote: Grinning, he went on: “We’re trying to maximize the win, and make Eagle go as fast as a raped ape.” I completely see how staggering this book must have been on publication. The mix of fake-it-till-you-make-it and move-…
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Several years ago, I purchased a Clevo N151CU laptop with the idea that I'd gradually upgrade the RAM, storage, and other bits. After my keyboard failed, I found it difficult to find replacement parts. The whole point of the Framework laptop is that it is specifically designed to be modular. It come in kit form, is easy to disassemble, and is (reasonably) well supported by an ecosystem of manufacturers and makers. I splashed out on the larger Framework 16. Again, I only bought one stick of RAM …
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I've written before about the moribund BIMI specification. It's a way for brands to include a trusted logo when they send emails. It isn't much used and, apparently, is riddled with security issues. I thought it might be fun to grab all the BIMI images from the most popular websites, so I can potentially use them in my SuperTinyIcons project. BIMI images are SVGs. Links to a site's BIMI are stored in a domain's DNS records. All BIMI records must be on a default._bimi. subdomain. If you run …
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