Joe's Computer Museum

An 80's kid playing with computers on YouTube and sharing that love with the world.

Selling cool retro/vintage computer gear! - https://jcm-1.com

Public Key

npub1qfy0ad4q45qn4k5a83x8v2zkheymckqad9qrk0d7esk3lf0mwu0q7nwnn8

NIP-05 Address

museumjoe_at_oldbytes.space@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsqyj87k6s26qf6m2wncnrk9pttujdutqwkjspm8klvctgl5hahw8sprpmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0d4hhxarj9ecxjmntqyt8wumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnswf5k6ctv9ehx2aqpzfmhxue69uhk7enxvd5xz6tw9ec82cs9zy7tm

Publishing to

relay.momostr.pink

relay.primal.net

offchain.pub

Author Public Key

npub1qfy0ad4q45qn4k5a83x8v2zkheymckqad9qrk0d7esk3lf0mwu0q7nwnn8

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Last Notes

2026-10-29 16:37:44 UTC

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I'm telling ya,: if this can be easily deployed with my distro of choice (ubuntu), and can run normal distro GUI apps, I can easily see it being something I'd use.

2026-10-15 00:51:26 UTC

Well, there's the source of the smell. But why?
Luckily it's on the Genlock board, which isn't necessary for the machine to function. But still. Oof.
https://assets.oldbytes.space/assets.oldbytes.space/media_attachments/files/117/442/182/235/194/703/original/ae33cc5261acc1d4.png

2026-10-07 02:02:15 UTC

Did you get one of those nifty Pico Micro Macs in the last year or so? Did you know you can get a refit kit that adds audio and 464k of RAM?
If you have a version 3 with the SD card socket on the bottom, then this is for you!
https://jcm-1.com/product/pico-micro-mac-v3-audio-refit-kit/

2026-10-03 23:49:43 UTC

Final case design for the GS-DVI just dropped, from our good friend Jason Merrill.
Digital video for your Apple IIgs, coming soon.
https://jcm-1.com/product/gs-dvi-apple-iigs-digital-video-adapter/
https://assets.oldbytes.space/assets.oldbytes.space/media_attachments/files/117/379/654/157/881/657/original/bd4d281ff455bbb0.jpeg

2026-10-03 13:34:56 UTC

"AI art is art" - sure Jan.
You can't claim ownership on it. This is like saying "That Picasso I own is my physical property, therefore I made the art and deserve the credit for making it."
But then also without the "physical possession" aspect.

2026-10-01 21:25:46 UTC

HAHAHA!
1) Your are technologically incapable of being as fast as what I have.
2) Your latency & packet loss is worse
3) Your firewall is worse than mine
4) Your Wifi is worse than mine
"...powered by fiber and connected to the premises by coaxial line".
That's the problem right there, boy-oh.
https://assets.oldbytes.space/assets.oldbytes.space/media_attachments/files/117/367/763/495/072/518/original/b3f1203b5800a13e.png

2026-09-26 21:09:40 UTC

I just intended to say, "Shipping's cheaper."
I actually said "Sheeping's chipper."

2026-09-23 20:07:27 UTC

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It's just another hormone that can indicate general health. The fact that it puts hair on your special places is a biological side effect.

2026-09-23 19:50:09 UTC

"Is it low T?"
Nope. My testosterone is on the top half of the normal range. I'm "all man", whatever the hell that's supposed to mean.
I'm just a very sleepy one.

2026-09-23 19:29:53 UTC

"Energy drinks keep me going!" people say.
All they do for me is make my heart and legs move slightly faster. I'm still just as "tired" as before. And by tired, I mean drowsy.
Been this way since I was in middle school. Bloodwork is fine. It's not chronic fatigue or FFI. I'm just a sleepy boy.

2026-09-18 18:22:39 UTC

I spent 2 hours last night deconstructing the entire head assembly and feed path to clean it out, fix the filament sensor, etc.
It printed a single job, then kicks this garbage again.
Anyone want a cheap large format 3D printer? Emphasis on "cheap"? Come to me, and it's yours for a steal.

2026-09-07 15:41:07 UTC

And to everyone reading that post about QuickBooks:
I -have- to use it. It's the only application the properly integrates with all my tools, and is accessible by my accountant.
I literally cannot use a FOSS tool for this.

2026-09-07 02:17:57 UTC

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I get it. I was mostly meaning having the system have loadable drivers, not compiled in ones. That way, down the road, you (or others) can build drivers without require a kernel recompile. You can have all your existing drivers be load-on-demand, not baked in. You still just test against QEMU.

2026-09-07 01:32:04 UTC

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What if I need to add a piece of hardware to the computer that the system doesn't have a driver for? How does the driver get into the kernel?

2026-09-07 01:26:17 UTC

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Make the GUI mandatory.
Make the OS distribution installable without compilation.
Make drivers addable/removable without re-compilation.
Make drivers addable/removable while the OS is running without requiring restart (with exception for kernel ring drivers)
Make drivers addable/removable using a GUI.
Make all application installers work by downloading a single package and dropping it into a folder (ala macOS).

2026-09-06 00:39:53 UTC

What song is this?
a b c d e f g h
i j k l m n o p
q r s t u v double...
...u x y and z
It's not what you think it is.

2026-09-04 02:13:36 UTC

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This is the second set of RAM for this machine. The first set DIDN'T POST

2026-09-04 02:04:34 UTC

For nearly $1,000, I expect better than this from -brand new- DDR5 memory.
https://assets.oldbytes.space/assets.oldbytes.space/media_attachments/files/117/210/315/088/824/915/original/a8f5c1a11f677b99.png

2026-08-29 01:58:50 UTC

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OMG yes. This is the kind of thing that Linux itself actually needs.

2026-08-24 20:20:46 UTC

Great news! Pico Micro Mac now supports audio!
If you have an existing v3 unit, you can upgrade with this linkie right here: https://jcm-1.com/product/pico-micro-mac-v3-audio-refit-kit/
If you don't have a Pico Micro Mac yet: no worries. Just watch this space because v4 is coming out soon that includes audio right on board.

2026-08-24 15:32:41 UTC

Your Friendly Public Service Announcement:
Do not check if your soldering iron is hot by touching it.
"I did not do that. You can't prove that I did."

2026-08-22 23:46:14 UTC

LisaFPGA is back, on pre-sale! Order one now and get in on the action.
While supplies last? Never! Everyone gets one. That's why it's a pre-sale!
https://jcm-1.com/product/lisafpga/

2026-08-11 18:58:19 UTC

"[$NATION] hacked the water plant!"
My response: "When are you replacing your entire IT staff with someone(s) competent?"

2026-08-11 18:57:23 UTC

If your water plant gets hacked over the internet, the problem is that it's connected to the internet.
When I managed networks with SCADA, my rule was: "SCADA here. Internet there. Never the twain shall meet."
Harder to manage, sure. But nearly impossible to attack.

2026-08-03 20:29:19 UTC

Your Friendly Reminder:
Sean Lee Robinson, AKA "Geek With Social Skills" is a known scammer. He has run cons on video game, arcade game, and vintage computer communities for decades - and is still doing it-.
Just look up his name.

2026-08-03 14:34:02 UTC

RE: https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@xot/117020680657735030
Burger Becky was awesome and an instrumental figure in the video games industry.
#note18rl…j0vf

2026-08-01 02:25:18 UTC

"freecad has been crashing a lot because it's a piece of shit that sucks"
- a friend on Discord

2026-08-01 00:16:06 UTC

Tell everyone you know:
Another LisaFPGA production run is happening!
It's all thanks to AlexTheCat's awesome work and the demand from cool cats like all of you!
If you want one, sign up in the next week so we have a good idea of how big of a run we should do!
https://jcm-1.com/product/lisafpga/

2026-07-18 00:42:05 UTC

What did I do for most of #kansasfest?
I cloned a rare controller card!
https://assets.oldbytes.space/assets.oldbytes.space/media_attachments/files/116/938/199/876/058/897/original/0e50e08d1d19f180.jpeg

2026-07-08 19:37:03 UTC

Still waiting on FedEx for my shipment of LisaFPGA.
It's fine. It's not like there's a bunch of people waiting, all while I'm also prepping for KansasFest, and pre-building orders for next week so I can get them out before I leave for KansasFest.
No biggie.

2026-06-25 18:55:01 UTC

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Yep. The diodes keep a key from feeding backwards into another input line, or having one input drive another input by mistake.

2026-06-25 18:53:41 UTC

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Basically.

2026-06-23 20:45:29 UTC

Would the world appreciate if I created an Apple /// Profile Interface card?
Original cards go for crazy money and ... there's like no reason for it? It's 100% jellybean logic chips.
https://assets.oldbytes.space/assets.oldbytes.space/media_attachments/files/116/801/374/018/853/469/original/03c6414ae9a2b1a6.png

2026-06-15 21:11:35 UTC

MegaFlash for the Apple //c? Don't mind if I do-didly-do, whee!
128MB in 4 SmartPort Volumes, RAM Disk, 256kB Slinky, Boot Menu, Control Panel, RTC w/NTP over WiFi, Move images via TFTP or serial, FPU for Applesoft BASIC and Bug fixes for System ROM/Applesoft.
WOW!
https://jcm-1.com/b/5iS

2026-06-11 19:30:04 UTC

The glitches are worked out, the firmware is baked, the 3D model is done. All I'm waiting now on is some parts.
Front Panel for BlueSCSI - Coming soon. Sign up to be notified when they're in stock!
https://jcm-1.com/product/bluescsi-ultra-front-panel-module/

2026-06-01 20:03:30 UTC

Happy Pride, everyone!
And you'll be glad to know that JCM is proud every month, not just June.
Like it or not: these colors show!

2026-05-30 01:58:47 UTC

We can't be at VCF Southwest, but that doesn't mean we can't still give you a deal!
JCM has #BlueSCSI on sale the entire weekend - steep discounts on all BlueSCSI assembled units through end of day Monday. They've never been this affordable!
https://jcm-1.com/product-category/hardware/bluescsi/

2026-05-19 23:38:12 UTC

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If they've paid nothing, tell them their rent is now paid in food, cleaning supplies and housework, or they can pay money. Pay one way or the other - or GTFO.

2026-05-19 20:41:49 UTC

Welcome to the modern PCB manufacturing process.
5 units: $350.
75 units: $750.
Economies of scale abounds.

2026-05-05 00:54:20 UTC

She’s so pretty. 65C02, serial port for control and program loading, 6 channel stereo sound and other features that may change later.
The boot chime is the same chord as the Mac startup.
I love it.
https://assets.oldbytes.space/assets.oldbytes.space/media_attachments/files/116/519/237/053/863/077/original/5a15d4b1ad1c3485.jpeg

2026-04-29 20:59:16 UTC

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Gridlocker on Apple II.

2026-04-28 15:13:59 UTC

JCM is now your online source for eMate Flash/RAM upgrades and Comm Slot II cards.
Come get 'em!
https://jcm-1.com/product/comm-slot-ii-10-100-ethernet-card/
https://jcm-1.com/product/emate-dram-and-flash-upgrade/

2026-04-23 19:09:44 UTC

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Will I be allowed to investigate the Chinese government over Tiananmen Square and not be hauled off at night to a re-education camp?

2026-04-22 17:44:11 UTC

The world's lowest-cost multi-function card for the Apple // is here.
$20 gets you just about any function you can imagine.
https://jcm-1.com/product/a2pico2lite-multi-function-card/

2026-04-12 00:26:02 UTC

Have you heard about BlueSCSI Ultra? It's the SCSI device emulator to have for your more modern vintage machines.
Faster performance, works in more machines, audio CD abilities and more.
Check it out! https://bluescsi.com/ultra
#BlueSCSI

2026-04-10 23:02:13 UTC

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Yeah: Ron's Computer Videos and I have a better Neithernet brewing. Taking a while because finding a good way to get DIN8 connectors is, like, this whole thing.

2026-04-10 00:54:04 UTC

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Them: "Joe made an unauthorized copy of XYZ product."
Me: *shows up with a direct chat log between me and the originator of the product -three days ago- discussing future updates to the product and how I can make changes on my end to match their firmware.*
Them: *crickets*

2026-04-10 00:47:54 UTC

I was tipped off to someone on a "well-known" forum stating lies about my associations.
I made an account there; apparently registration is fixed. How long has it been? 3 years?
Anyway, I addressed the kind person's statements. With receipts.
If you're going to step to, you better be "armed".

2026-04-02 19:46:40 UTC

This is why I don’t suggest HP laptops, especially the 17” models: they’re garbage.
This machine sat on a desk. The hinge failed from simply being opened and closed on that desk.
https://assets.oldbytes.space/assets.oldbytes.space/media_attachments/files/116/336/833/286/896/179/original/de674ec273e83d68.jpeg

2026-04-02 00:32:17 UTC

New products coming to JCM-1.com: BurgerDisk and DominoDisk: Daisy Chainable SmartPort solutions for Apple II.
BurgerDisk includes cable and box, so you can have it to the side and interface easily with the card. DominoDisk is tiny and attaches directly to your machine's DB19 Port!
https://assets.oldbytes.space/assets.oldbytes.space/media_attachments/files/116/332/294/060/384/020/original/8a77b521063ee3b8.jpeg

2026-03-30 19:02:12 UTC

BlueSCSI Ultra now in stock at JCM-1.com. Get the best performance at the best price! #bluescsi
https://jcm-1.com/product-category/hardware/bluescsi/

2026-03-23 20:27:12 UTC

PicoMicroMac is back in stock! Get one soon - they're gonna go fast!
https://jcm-1.com/product/picomicromac/

2026-03-23 17:12:49 UTC

A quote from a client today:
"I would consider printers to be a physical manifestation of evil."
This guy gets it.

2026-03-13 20:29:32 UTC

Hey look! My neighbor’s tree is now mine. Neat! /s
https://assets.oldbytes.space/assets.oldbytes.space/media_attachments/files/116/223/755/649/420/111/original/3b889ef288268b4b.jpeg

2026-03-13 02:03:34 UTC

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I assume this is tokenized and interpreted like Basic or somesuch?

2026-03-12 21:29:33 UTC

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Animated water!

2026-03-12 20:12:49 UTC

Montgomery Scott is my spirit animal.
I make shit work. It may be taped together, it may exceed specification, it may be totally improvised and against all logic, but by God, it fscking works.
Now, if only I was a smart or focused as him, I'd be a force of nature.

2026-03-09 16:03:41 UTC

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Random Suggestion: music should be a bit quieter than the sound effects.

2026-03-09 03:07:06 UTC

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2 frames of high noise. 2 frames of mid noise. 4 frames of low noise. Done?

2026-03-08 04:09:55 UTC

Another rabbit hole I've fallen into without results: The design of the house we lived in from 1989 through 2010.
I've seen the same design in small towns all across the United States, so it's a kit house. Dates from around 1910. But I have never been able to find the designer or plans for it.

2026-03-03 04:42:20 UTC

Fun fact. Timbuktu 3.0 Pro for Mac (if you enable AppleTalk in the settings) allows you to control other Macs -across the planet- over GlobalTalk.
Thanks torbar!
#MARCHintosh shenanigans!

2026-02-27 17:06:27 UTC

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A friend last night asked Claude to take code for a PIC and convert it to RP2040. It did it in 20 minutes with a single prompt, and it compiled, flashed, and ran without errors.
No change of output code was required.
This friend, however, was careful to note that "I used Claude to generate code"...

2026-02-27 16:37:40 UTC

When using AI to "make" something, don't say that you "made" it or "wrote" it. Say that you "used [AI] to generate a program". Neither of you made anything, no matter how good that thing is.
Taking credit for something a computer generated from someone else's work is disingenuous.

2026-02-23 03:53:48 UTC

SOON #MARCHintosh
https://assets.oldbytes.space/assets.oldbytes.space/media_attachments/files/116/117/918/729/413/884/original/dae372e2a1115c61.png

2026-02-17 18:48:51 UTC

You can be nice, or not.
I just received a large order of BlueSCSI units because the customer says purveyors of alternate solutions are not nice. My customer told me that was a --primary motivator--.
I'm humbled.
I try to be nice. So should you! It pays off.

2026-02-05 00:35:33 UTC

I could have given the binary of the SpectraGen to Claude, asked it to disassemble, then write scripts to interface to it.
But, I chose to learn.
I asked people for help, dug in deep, & now I'm someone who understands this thing & has documented what it can do.
https://github.com/jcm-1/sg3_4-reverse/tree/main

2026-01-29 21:03:52 UTC

Support PicoIDE!
https://www.crowdsupply.com/polpotronics/picoide

2026-01-06 21:05:01 UTC

My company is now taxed like an S-Corporation instead of a single member LLC to reduce my tax burden. Basically: I'm passing the tariff burden back to the gov't instead of customers.
I am now required by law to post a Worker's Comp certificate in a conspicuous place.
So, it's hanging on my fridge.

2025-12-18 03:26:01 UTC

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I have a gigatron I never built. LOL

2025-12-16 20:34:04 UTC

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if you have a memory increment and decrement instruction that doesn't touch A, then you can just use a memory location.

2025-12-04 20:07:42 UTC

Get a crazy deal - RIGHT NOW - at JCM-1.com
BlueSCSI v2 25-Pin External, Pico 1 with WiFi, fully assembled: only $35! That's crazy!
https://jcm-1.com/product/bluescsi-v2-25-pin-external-short-board/

2025-12-04 02:35:41 UTC

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It's from like 6 years ago. I just never finished building it. You can have it for cost of shipping. It's just taking up space.

2025-12-04 02:27:59 UTC

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Yeah. Like a board, and most of the stuff to build it and all that jazz...

2025-12-04 02:14:29 UTC

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You want one? I have bits just laying around I've never used...

2025-11-26 17:03:53 UTC

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Agreed.
I tried a linux desktop switch from Windows last week on my new computer.
It just... doesn't work for my very specific use case. Had to go back to Windows.
Does that make linux bad? Does that make Windows better? Nope!

2025-11-26 03:18:22 UTC

It's that time of the year. 10% off anything in the store. Expires December 24, 2025. Have fun!
HOLIDAY2025
https://jcm-1.com/

2025-11-18 23:17:25 UTC

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Jawhol. Also, if one intends to have the machine be educational, having discrete logic makes it easier to explain to the learner what the thing is doing.

2025-11-18 23:15:39 UTC

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NEAT. I was going to go the opposite way on JCM-1, just to reduce chipcount. Then again, I don't need that much decodning: JCM-1 is much simpler.

2025-11-18 23:13:39 UTC

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You moved the ATF logic into the FPGA?

2025-11-11 21:07:41 UTC

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take the two signals. use a resistor divider to halve the peak voltage. shove them both through a signal diodes into the same output. done?
I mean, if you want line out.

2025-11-10 18:01:05 UTC

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Right. What PicoIDE does is brings the image management of BlueSCSI into the IDE/ATAPI world. Instead of having CF cards as whole drives, you can just change images and ISOs at leisure. Backup a machine by just copying the disk image.
It's kinda a big deal.

2025-11-10 02:45:44 UTC

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All I can say about PicoIDE is this:
It's going to be the biggest thing for vintage computers.
Ever.
Take Platinum Filament, Retrobrite, BlueSCSI, PicoGUS and PicoMicroMac combined. Then multiply that by about 20.

2025-10-31 18:52:50 UTC

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Solving the hardware problem with software, basically.
Downside: extra software overhead for decoding the matrix. Potentially a lot.
Upside: you never have key clash. You can always see the entire state of the keyboard. Every single key pressed down? OKAY! no problem.
Question: how are you handling keybounce? By the nature of the read loop taking a while, or are you just going to read twice and compare?

2025-10-31 03:11:29 UTC

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Yes. Can we have windows with the modern kernel and security, but the old user interface and *gestures wildly* whatever all this other garbage is?

2025-10-18 20:59:46 UTC

Imma let you in on a little secret. Come in close now.
.
.
.
.
The Apple II is my favorite computer ever. I still have my original unit from 1994, and it is - hands down - the most reliable computer I own.

2025-10-18 20:47:39 UTC

If you had a system that allowed you to connect different brands of 80's era computers over the internet with a unified protocol...
What would you use it for? Games? Messages? File Transfers?
Imagine an Atari, Apple, Commodore and CoCo all doing something together.
What would that be?

2025-10-07 03:13:39 UTC

If you had the opportunity to talk to someone really cool in the tech industry, who would it be?
Game developer? Hardware designer? Tech visionary? The one dude who had that weird idea about marketing?
I wanna know! Sound off in the replies.

2025-10-04 03:31:58 UTC

Thanks to @npub1rrv…6x22 's suggested tool, and cg-wiki.org's great bitmap dump: we have a TTF of the -entire- SpectraGen character set.
https://assets.oldbytes.space/assets.oldbytes.space/media_attachments/files/115/313/783/007/773/485/original/eb1b484c0999190e.png

2025-09-25 22:06:34 UTC

Hey internet! Can I get enough interest to build these? I have no idea what production costs would be, but I can't see these costing more than $50/ea final retail price.
I don't want to commit to a large order if there's not enough interest. Sound off in the replies!
https://github.com/saybur/hootswitch

2025-09-04 01:43:13 UTC

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the ........ lottery is a massive scam, it's kinda funny
.....
There, I fixed it.

2025-09-01 20:54:59 UTC

Coming soon* to JCM-1.com: MiniPerformer+ For the Macintosh Plus.
Turn your Mac Plus into almost a Mac SE/30.
* i have to build them manually send help oh god where did all my time go
https://assets.oldbytes.space/assets.oldbytes.space/media_attachments/files/115/131/029/830/751/822/original/505187f5f91461a3.jpeg

2025-08-14 18:59:02 UTC

I love the 6502. You can just look at the code and understand it. (Except for all the weird branching modes, but that's it's own thing)
And hooking it up to hardware? Slap a buffer between it and your other chips and it'll just talk to them. To the 6502, everything is a memory location.

2025-08-07 20:36:44 UTC

I was contemplating a switch from Windows to #Mac for my daily driver before the Windows 10 EOL next month.
No longer. I will switch to Linux or install Windows 11 before I buy another #Apple product.
You lost a customer, Tim Cook. #timcook

2025-08-04 23:56:53 UTC

Dear Intuit,
STOP FSKING CHANGING THE UX FOR QUICKBOOKS ONLINE. Every six months, it changes completely and we have to re-learn everything.
Also: it keeps getting SLOWER.

2025-07-28 20:43:48 UTC

We need a scientific process to de-brittle plastics, the same way we have one to de-yellow them.
Get on it, or something.

2025-07-28 15:49:29 UTC

All orders packed and headed to the shipping company.
Thank you everyone for your patience!
"What's next?"
-Jed Bartlet

2025-07-23 15:36:02 UTC

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It can be a cloud service using an agent application and different authentication than the network.
It can be a specialized appliance that is not accessible to the loads by normal means.
Hell - it can even be *tapes* you physically remove.
Firebreak that shiz.
2/2

2025-07-23 15:35:57 UTC

Joe's Advice:
If you aren't backing up your data to a system that has proper filesystem isolation and snapshot immutability: you aren't backing up at all.
"We followed all guidelines, had backups, got encrypted and went out of business!" means you weren't following guidelines.
1/2

2025-07-17 17:24:54 UTC

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"Hold on, let me have another bite of my bran muffin. You'll get your answer in a couple of hours."

2025-07-17 17:21:05 UTC

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So, basically, AI is a huge Excel spreadsheet with a bunch of rows and columns that - at the end - is all passed into =AVERAGE()
4/4