I love putting stickers on my laptops. But when it's time to move to a different laptop, what happens to all those cool stickers? After spending too many nights with a scraper and isopropanol, I decided to get a pre-cut dbrand skin. It'll protect the laptop and it will peel off in one piece, allowing me to preserve all my old stickers. I got the cheapest possible one - it's going to be covered in stickers anyway - which came to US$60 with the deluxe package. Honestly, I wasn't thrilled at the…
Continue reading →
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…
Continue reading →
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 …
Continue reading →
After three years of constant abuse, my once pristine laptop keyboard now looks like this: My options were: Ignore it. Scrape off all the paint and replace with translucent stickers. Buy a new keyboard. Even if I were happy with the aesthetic of a hard-worn keyboard (I wasn't) the flaking paint just didn't feel nice under my fingers. I also figured that scraping the paint further risked damaging the keyboard. So new toy time! One of the problems of buying non-mainstream tech is that…
Continue reading →
Sorry for the title gore. But it's the only way to let people know that all four of these laptops are identical. These laptops come with an HDMI port and a Mini DisplayPort. Here's how to get both working simultaneously so you can have three screens. Enter the Dragon BIOS Restart your laptop. Press the F2 key when the manufacturer logo displays. You're now in the BIOS. The screens may look different from mine. Enter the Setup Utility Select Advanced In "Advanced Chipset Control" go to…
Continue reading →
This Tweet went unexpectedly viral! Terence Eden is on Mastodon@edentNew blog post!I've built a physical <blink> tag!shkspr.mobi/blog/2020/05/b…Please forgive me 😁 pic.x.com/a7bjpxmbfj❤️ 785💬 44🔁 011:24 - Thu 21 May 2020 Buy them! So I bought 200 of them for use as laptop stickers. I have an understanding wife. After some feedback from the sticker experts at TwenT3 - I redesigned them to be green text on a black background. https://shkspr…
Continue reading →
I have a vivid memory of my school days. I'd completed a pencil sketch in art class. For once, I was impressed with my dexterity. Then the teacher demanded that I colour it in. I was terrified that I would ruin it. I begged to use the photocopier - but to no avail. So the drawing remained uncoloured. I've been like that ever since. I have a crippling fear of doing something artistic which cannot be undone. That's why I prefer computers to the corporeal world. Mistakes are only ever a CTRL+Z…
Continue reading →
This is the latest of my many terrible lockdown-induced ideas. I'm saving money on commuting. So I'm spending it on tech-crap I really don't need. I bought a new laptop sticker. Anyway, enough waffle, here's the end result: This uses 2-frame lenticular printing. History No browser supports the <blink> element any more. It used to make text blink. It was a silly idea that got out of hand. And now I have summoned it back to life in physical form. I am bad. Please don't report me to…
Continue reading →
Sorry for the title gore. But it's the only way to let people know that all four of these laptops are identical. Taiwanese manufacturer Clevo makes the N151CU laptop. They sell it directly to resellers, who in turn sell it on to consumers. It has excellent Linux support. Both Entroware (in the UK) and System76 (in the USA) sell it pre-installed with Ubuntu. I purchased mine from PC Specialist where they sell it as the Lafité IV. PC Specialist sell it "bare bones" with no operating system. …
Continue reading →
I need a new laptop. My old one is dying a long, slow death. My requirements are modest - runs Ubuntu and charges via USB-C. Cheap would be a bonus - as would a num-pad - but I'll take what I can get! Loads of people have recommended the Dell XPS13 series. I'm looking at them and I'm a bit confused (so what else is new). I'd appreciate your advice gentle reader. There are two models available. Here are the main differences between them: New Old CPU i5-1035G1 Processor(6MB…
Continue reading →
My laptop battery has died. It was working fine yesterday, but today I shifted slightly on the sofa, dislodging the power cable and the laptop blinked out. It still works when tethered to the wall - but the battery is shot. TIME TO BUY A NEW LAPTOP! Because shipping in non-essentials from China is so easy right now... Nah, I'll just replace the battery. A fifteen quid job rather an a grand for a new machine. I've had this laptop for about 6 years. It has served its master well and is…
Continue reading →
Here's something I didn't know - but should have, because it's obvious... Your screen's auto-brightness depends on your webcam. If, like me, you have a privacy cover - this happens: https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/WebCamp-Cover.mp4 The MacBook I'm using doesn't have any lux sensors that I can see - most phones have a separate sensor which means the camera isn't in use all the time. What I find curious is that the camera's hardware light isn't on. It turns on when an app …
Continue reading →
