darth vader – Terence Eden’s Blog https://shkspr.mobi/blog Regular nonsense about tech and its effects 🙃 Tue, 26 Aug 2025 06:48:56 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/cropped-avatar-32x32.jpeg darth vader – Terence Eden’s Blog https://shkspr.mobi/blog 32 32 <![CDATA["He's more machine now than mannequin" - repairing Darth Vader with a Micro:bit]]> https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2022/12/hes-more-machine-now-than-mannequin-repairing-darth-vader-with-a-microbit/ https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2022/12/hes-more-machine-now-than-mannequin-repairing-darth-vader-with-a-microbit/#comments Fri, 09 Dec 2022 12:34:00 +0000 https://shkspr.mobi/blog/?p=43744 As long term readers know, I got married dressed as Darth Vader. After keeping my wedding suit in storage for far too long, I purchased a mannequin to display the costume.

A huge, life size Darth Vader dominates the room.

Ever since then, Vader has lurked behind me in my home office. Looming over my every decision.

But a few weeks ago, the old chap took a tumble. A gust of wind caught his cape - NO CAPES - and sent him crashing to the ground.

Luckily the helmet took the brunt of the impact - but I was now left with a battle-scared Vader. Perhaps in homage to the end of the Obi-Wan TV show?

Photo of Darth Vader's head - there is a huge hole in his head.

I thought about trying to fill it in and sand it down - but I don't have the skills for that. But I can rebuild him - I have the technology.

I wanted something with blinkenlights - to match the original 1970s æsthetic. And something a little playful. So I dug out my old micro:bit!

Here is is in action. It scrolls various Vader phrases, shows a Vader emoticon, a heartbeat, and plays some Star Wars chiptunes when you press the buttons:

The code is super simple - it uses a "no-code" block platform like Scratch - you can remix it online:

Screenshot of the code used to control the Micro bit.

And, with a single click, it can be posted to GitHub.

At the moment the Micro:bit is just held there with tape. Maybe one day I'll put in a little OLED screen so you can see Vader's "brain". Or perhaps an eInk panel showing the blinkenlights ASCII animation. Or I could fill him up with sweets and use him as a Pez dispenser?

But for now, I have a Bluetooth connected set of LEDs enhancing my big guy. Let's hope they don't get hacked!

]]> https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2022/12/hes-more-machine-now-than-mannequin-repairing-darth-vader-with-a-microbit/feed/ 3 <![CDATA[Selling Out]]> https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2008/08/selling-out/ https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2008/08/selling-out/#comments Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:12:00 +0000 http://shkspr.mobi/blog/index.php/2008/08/selling-out/ As some of you know, I got married dressed as Darth Vader.

While we were on honeymoon, Liz and I were hounded by the paparazzi. Well, they rang while I was lounging by the pool.

The Newbury Weekly News were invited to the wedding and made us a spectacular wedding video.

Also, The Sun Terry Eden Sun and The Mirror ran little pieces.

First to offer us untold riches for our tale were Full House Magazine.

Full House Click the picture to read the article.

A few weeks ago, we sold out story to Now Magazine for their Celebrity Wedding issue.

Now Celebrity Weddings Click the picture to read the article.

It's quite interesting to read the difference between the two articles. Liz gave basically the same interview to both. Full House seem to think that UEA is a college and that we both have an IQ of 17. Now Magazine was much more receptive to the concept of our wedding - feminism, Oxfam, fun - and I think the article is better for it.

Even now, 7 months after the wedding, I still get emails from people who've spotted our story on various newspapers and forums. Our story was picked up in Romania!

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