Nostr notes by &tim; 🎮

Clapboards and clipboards imply the existence of clepboards, ...

2026-10-15T05:55:13Z

Clapboards and clipboards imply the existence of clepboards, clopboards and clupboards

Still on a mission to tidy up my #electronics workspace drawers - ...

2026-10-02T03:48:32Z

Still on a mission to tidy up my #electronics workspace drawers - my tools are pretty well organised, now it's down to parts. Jumper wire storage has long been a bugbear for me, but I finally though to look up what other people have done for inspiration.

Here's my first take on the popular solution, the jumper wire toast rack - with a little handle to lift it out of the drawer and onto my workspace. This can be easily adapted for any length of wire and any height for volume. #3DPrinting #maker

Hey, #AskFedi folks who deal with #ChronicPain - I have a ...

2026-09-27T09:57:25Z

Hey, #AskFedi folks who deal with #ChronicPain - I have a question from an ND friend. How do you go about staying mindful of levels through the day, and realising when you might need something to manage it better that day rather than powering through it? My friend has a great routine for figuring out what they need to take/do if it occurs to them, but it's the trigger to think of that process they say they struggle with. Thoughts?

Emails with vaguely threatening auras ...

2026-09-18T05:04:01Z

Emails with vaguely threatening auras

My work laptop: hi! I'm one of the most powerful computers ...

2026-09-16T23:21:39Z

My work laptop: hi! I'm one of the most powerful computers you've ever had at your disposal, with more cores and RAM than your first decade and a half of personal computers combined. I have now launched my operating system, and then your email client, a web browser, and two different flavours of team collab software, all of which are packages chiefly needed to deal with plaintext, and I am now so out of breath that I must spin my fan up for several minutes to catch up.

those 3-port fruit ones are super expensive! AU$29 for a 3-port ...

2026-09-12T14:09:29Z

In reply to nevent1q…lnzs
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those 3-port fruit ones are super expensive! AU$29 for a 3-port hub that is also only USB 2.0 (despite having a type C port). There are USB 3 hubs available for less than that at retail here, so I don't know who's buying those for that price at AE.

So... look, unless you're buying a USB hub to plug flash ...

2026-09-12T13:05:18Z

In reply to nevent1q…47z9
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So... look, unless you're buying a USB hub to plug flash drives into and copy stuff around, there's really no reason not to use one that's only USB 2.0.

And you can either buy a matte black rectangle, or you can have a banana-shaped one. The banana cost me AU$17ish, but I could've spent AU$4.80 for it on AliExpress (plus shipping).

I might buy the green one as well, just for a laugh.

I... think I recommend this? You probably won't regret buying a banana-shaped USB hub. 🍌 🏁

I have a SanDisk Extreme Pro USB flash drive lying around that I ...

2026-09-12T12:59:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…27e9
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I have a SanDisk Extreme Pro USB flash drive lying around that I grab for when I need to copy stuff to other stuff. It's pretty fast, and when plugged directly into my PC, HD Tune Pro says it reads and writes at about 250 megabytes per second.

Plugged into the same port via the banana hub, that drops to about 38 megabytes per second - that's about right, given it's within an order of magnitude of that theoretical 480 megabits per second of the USB 2 standard.

If you can read this, the banana hub appears to work fine for at ...

2026-09-12T12:36:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…hd9p
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If you can read this, the banana hub appears to work fine for at least keyboard and mouse devices. And it looks pretty funny on my desk. I'm mildly disappointed it doesn't glow yellow or something.

I wanted it as an easy way to move keyboard and mouse receivers between two computers, so it seems to achieve that goal.

Time to be cruel to it with some disk benchmarks.

Its VID and PID are 214B 7260. Vendor ID 214B seems to come back ...

2026-09-12T12:32:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…7w0m
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Its VID and PID are 214B 7260. Vendor ID 214B seems to come back with *two* possible names, Huasheng Electronics and Ameco Technologies - neither of which I've heard of, and are probably anonymous little manufacturers of hubs and things. Who knows who actually made it, theoretically you can program a chip to report anything you like.

It's... not a particularly impressive specimen. It certainly ...

2026-09-12T12:19:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…97n2
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It's... not a particularly impressive specimen. It certainly feels like a small plastic banana with cheap electronics in it. I've never seen a USB plug molded in yellow, though, so it is quite novel.

First off - the eBay listing claimed it was a USB 3.0 hub, but ...

2026-09-12T12:16:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…et6v
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First off - the eBay listing claimed it was a USB 3.0 hub, but for the price (AU$16.38 including postage) I was not expecting more than USB 2 hardware in it. Also, the ports weren't blue-coloured in any of the photos, something you'd expect in a USB 3 device... and it's not like there was a serious artistic decision made to break from the standard with this thing.

Tonight: a quick review of the only USB hub you can buy today ...

2026-09-12T12:11:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…7q7p
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Tonight: a quick review of the only USB hub you can buy today that is any fun at all. 🍌

Mr. Hammond, I think we're back in business. Or at least, ...

2026-09-09T07:22:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…mc26
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Mr. Hammond, I think we're back in business. Or at least, back to soldering stuff like this reliably and quickly.

This particular board is part of a new controller adapter I'm hoping to talk about very soon now.

Okay, breaking news: unleaded solder can get in the bin. I really ...

2026-09-09T05:40:52Z

In reply to nevent1q…vucw
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Okay, breaking news: unleaded solder can get in the bin.

I really can't explain what's different between now and a few months ago - the weather is a bit colder, sure, but correcting for that doesn't seem to have fixed it. Maybe some unconscious method I had going that I've lost now?

Switching to a different roll of solder that doesn't actually explain what it contains seems to have cured whatever was cursing my efforts the other day. Identical technique here.

Like, what even is this? It's like no board I try soldering a ...

2026-09-09T04:51:52Z

In reply to nevent1q…yhwj
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Like, what even is this? It's like no board I try soldering a thing to actually takes the solder. It wasn't like this the last time I wanted to do a big batch of soldering stuff. Iron is the same, solder is the same, some of the boards were made in the last week but plenty of them weren't.

Is it just too cold a day to solder? Are the boards too cold? Should I be warming parts on the 3D printer before attempting to solder them?

What the hell is going wrong with my soldering tonight? It's ...

2026-09-06T10:09:22Z

What the hell is going wrong with my soldering tonight? It's been a hot minute since I've done any, but it shouldn't be *this* terrible all of a sudden. I don't think I'm doing anything different but it's like the pads are refusing to 'wet' at all and I'm having to carefully trace the iron right around in order to draw solder around each pin. I'm even having trouble getting the solder to melt onto the tip of the iron. I've never had it misbehave this much at me before.

Do I want a cheap label printer, to slap address labels on things ...

2026-09-04T05:31:51Z

Do I want a cheap label printer, to slap address labels on things I'm posting? Officeworks have a barebones Brother thing for AU$89, is there a better cheaper option?

There seems to be zero point looking on eBay because they all show up for $29.99 but that's a single roll of labels and the printers themselves are several times that.

What's a cheap brand/model someone can personally vouch for not being complete trash/ewaste after 3 weeks?

Today's bread-cube is even better, and funnier. Difference is ...

2026-09-04T04:48:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…y7ry
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Today's bread-cube is even better, and funnier. Difference is that it went into the oven just before it started escaping out the sides of the tin, so it's neater, and I decided to trust the bread would come out just fine on its own if I didn't spray the inside of the tin with oil, and that was fine too.

This one I'm going to let completely cool before touching it further. I'll go get a decent bread knife in the morning and I should be enjoying the perfect jaffle for lunch tomorrow.

My bread is a cube, your argument is invalid. Turns out a 300g ...

2026-09-03T08:05:44Z

In reply to nevent1q…082t
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My bread is a cube, your argument is invalid.

Turns out a 300g flour recipe will make a perfectly adequate 12cm cube of bread if you actually let it rise for long enough - this thing sat in the cube tin for about 90 minutes in the early spring sun.

I got one unnervingly perfect square of bread out of it before it started to bend under the force of being cut. Having solved the shape question, I now need to upgrade my bread knife to one that actually cuts.

Revisited this idea today and topped off the cube-jar with an ...

2026-08-31T09:23:52Z

In reply to nevent1q…ey55
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Revisited this idea today and topped off the cube-jar with an M12-1.75 thread, modeled with #BoltGen in #Rhino3D and then physically cut into the correct geometry using the M12 die from my cheap metric tap-and-die set. That seems to have worked, so next up is a matching lid with a thread to be cut with the same kit.

This was also printed with random seam placement and scarf joint seams - that seems to work well these days, leaving an interesting but not undesirable texture. #3DPrinting

sometimes, nanny is right

2026-08-29T23:35:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…hmxr
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sometimes, nanny is right

"Messages is doing work in the background" it's ...

2026-08-27T02:56:21Z

"Messages is doing work in the background" it's receiving an SMS that is about a third of the maximum length for a such a thing, it's been a bare minimum feature of every mobile phone for decades, why does an app in 2026 require such a song and dance to handle that when a 2005-era Nokia 3315 required less processing power than an amoeba to do it without displaying a specific pre-message message?

I don't hate modern tech. I hate *this* modern tech.

Hey, #FountainPen folks of fedi. I've had the idea to get ...

2026-08-26T22:21:23Z

Hey, #FountainPen folks of fedi. I've had the idea to get someone a purple pen of some kind for a birthday in about a month. I don't know if I do or don't want a fountain pen specifically (and I barely do any handwriting myself these days, I've never bought anything other than cheap supermarket pens), but what terms should I be searching for / reading up on to start learning and making a decision?

I may have found the answer ...

2026-08-26T00:35:21Z

In reply to nevent1q…wytn
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I may have found the answer

Browsing for USB hubs I could go and buy today and the entirety ...

2026-08-26T00:03:59Z

Browsing for USB hubs I could go and buy today and the entirety of Officeworks's catalogue is black and matte grey rectangles. There was one that was *round*, but it was also boring black. Not a single one for sale there would look out of place on an executive director's desk.

I think they've realised computers aren't exciting at the moment so nobody's bothering to make fun coloured or shaped ones.

Decided I wanted a bespoke little measuring and pouring container ...

2026-08-24T08:01:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…sea4
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Decided I wanted a bespoke little measuring and pouring container for my unexpectedly diverse windscreen washing fluid collection. This little guy is a 38mm hollow cube with 1mm thick walls, approximately 45mL of volume, and a little spout for accurate pouring. I flattened one corner and printed it on that, and the resulting object is surprisingly strong for how dainty it is.

I will probably do the final version in clear polycarbonate for looks, and maybe even resin coat it. #3DPrinting

Three bits of data to add to this thread today: 1. A Hyundai ...

2026-08-24T02:55:55Z

In reply to nevent1q…jpru
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Three bits of data to add to this thread today:

1. A Hyundai Kona's windscreen washer bottle will take exactly four litres of water before it starts to rush up the filler tube.

2. ACDelco Optikleen mixes at 10mL per L of water, so the litre of it I bought will give me 25 full refills in my Kona.

3. While putting the Optikleen away in the garage I found a full, unopened 1L bottle of Bar's Bugs I have zero memory of acquiring, so I now have approximately a lifetime supply of washer fluid.

I recommend sitting for them

2026-08-20T23:58:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…d3jd
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I recommend sitting for them

Someone should do something about all the third parties losing ...

2026-08-19T07:33:42Z

Someone should do something about all the third parties losing our data. Careless buggers

It shouldn't, for example, take 20 seconds to load a list of ...

2026-08-19T01:47:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…hjg4
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It shouldn't, for example, take 20 seconds to load a list of the 3 apps it's currently updating, one of them being Firefox which updated itself when I restarted it.

At least that list of stuff installed through the Portal finally showed up, under "downloads and updates".

Seriously, it feels like sitting at a Fisher Price My First Control Panel and expecting real things to happen when I push buttons.

Also, this laptop is one of the most powerful computers I've ever had in my house.

Also the "Company Portal" (which is the Intune equivalent ...

2026-08-19T01:17:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…2ej0
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Also the "Company Portal" (which is the Intune equivalent to SCCM's Software Center) is A) not actually any kind of portal specific to my company, just software; B) at least four times slower than Software Center; C) makes it weirdly impossible to see a summary of software I've installed using it, which seems like an obvious feature to have?; and D) so out of sync I literally cannot trust it saying it is installing or updating, or has installed, an app, which feels like a fundamental failure.

Oh. Today's realisation is that Ctrl+W will close out of a ...

2026-08-19T01:13:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…cufd
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Oh. Today's realisation is that Ctrl+W will close out of a Teams meeting, but not the regular Teams app. I think that means a Teams meeting is secretly a window of Edge, but the main app is its own microcosm of chaos. That also explains why the back/forward buttons on my mouse don't work in Teams itself, which *would* have been a very useful carryover from a browser.

I think that firmly answers anyone (cough, Reddit thread) who exclaims "Ctrl+W is meant to close a window, what did you expect!?"

So much of my life right now is spent clicking around screens ...

2026-08-18T02:11:02Z

So much of my life right now is spent clicking around screens trying to dismiss the "one new message" notifications for new messages that are already on my screen and which I read before I saw the notification for them.

The inventor of the Red Circle With A Number In It should've taken the day off instead.

Whoever decided that Ctrl+W (keyboard shortcut to close a browser ...

2026-08-17T00:21:53Z

Whoever decided that Ctrl+W (keyboard shortcut to close a browser tab) should exit a Teams meeting should have stayed home that day.

Of course, nobody wrote that as a requirement. Everything is just websites now and that's probably just Edge sitting under five layers of frameworks and some slop going "oh! He wants to close a tab! I'm a browser!!! *click*".

Not the absolute earliest I've sworn at my work computer on a Monday morning but it's a contender.

Hey, #retrogaming and #car folks of #AskFedi, I have a strange ...

2026-08-13T00:58:20Z

Hey, #retrogaming and #car folks of #AskFedi, I have a strange theory to test.

If you have a strong opinion about whether you like playing Sonic the Hedgehog or Mario Bros better, AND a strong opinion about whether you prefer driving an automatic or manual transmission car, I would very much like to know the combination of those opinions.

Will explain after the poll closes.

#SEGA #Nintendo #boost4reach

I've got a mate who's been 3D printing moulds for ceramic ...

2026-08-12T04:38:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…6kes
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I've got a mate who's been 3D printing moulds for ceramic casting, I've seen a few silicone parts with layer lines and it's certainly cool and interesting but definitely not the finish I'd want out of my parts, hence thinking about CNC machining for accuracy.

Anyone used JLCCNC or similar for making silicone moulds, or have ...

2026-08-12T04:00:05Z

Anyone used JLCCNC or similar for making silicone moulds, or have any relation opinions or advice or specific things I should read in order to learn more about doing so? I've never done mouldmaking before, but have a lot of 3D modeling, #3DPrinting and epoxy pouring under my belt, so it's a not-too-distantly related field of interest. #maker #AskFedi

Coles are about to up their minimum free delivery from $50 to ...

2026-08-10T02:42:46Z

Coles are about to up their minimum free delivery from $50 to $75. That $50 figure was a serious plus for them - Woolworths have had it at $75 since approximately forever - and was one of the reasons I switched over to them.

If they wanted to even hint at remaining impartial and genuinely competitive, they could've put it up to $60, or maybe $65, and said "hey, it's still $10 less than the other guys!". But no, they've exactly matched it.

Tell me again how they're not colluding? #Australia

Hey @npub1hzy…wwp4 - I bet you'll love this if you ...

2026-08-08T00:51:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…jkxj
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Hey Ari [APz] Sovijärvi (npub1hzy…wwp4) - I bet you'll love this if you haven't spotted it already

This guy is making a real, physical #SpaceCadetPinball table ...

2026-08-08T00:50:31Z

This guy is making a real, physical #SpaceCadetPinball table using #3DPrinting and off-the-shelf electronics. I don't think you could target a project more accurately at me if you tried, so I've been following along pretty religiously.

The third instalment is out, covering how he's designed *the wormholes* to work. There's also a playtest section at the end with a partially assembled table, and there's something special about seeing it come to life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wvKlX_NsGk

My #soldering skills have, um, improved dramatically in the time ...

2026-08-03T01:38:50Z

My #soldering skills have, um, improved dramatically in the time since I bought this #Arduino motor shield.

Pinecil update: I was given a proper 30W PD adapter (wall to USB ...

2026-08-01T23:06:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…zetd
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Pinecil update: I was given a proper 30W PD adapter (wall to USB type C power adapter with Power Delivery that negotiates up to a higher voltage to go faster) this weekend, and my Pinecil now reaches 240 degrees C in twenty seconds.

That's at 12 volts - I suspect the USB cable is now the bottleneck, it should be hitting 20v with this adapter. But 20 seconds is probably as fast as I'll ever need or want a soldering iron to come up to temperature.

Well, it startled me enough that I swiped it away in reflex and ...

2026-07-27T04:01:50Z

Well, it startled me enough that I swiped it away in reflex and now the message is gone and I can't get it back. Good thing it was only a test? #AusAlert

I propose a new kind of time-keeping device: once a minute, it ...

2026-07-26T05:30:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…dmum
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I propose a new kind of time-keeping device: once a minute, it asks 100 random people on Fedi how they pronounce scone, and uses the ratio of 'gone' to 'cone' answers (and its trend over time) to figure out the ratio of Americans vs Brits and Australians who are awake and online and thus what the likely time is.

Also, this scone may be the single most photogenic bit of food I've ever made. #baking

Important question: does 'scone' - as in the baked treat ...

2026-07-26T03:50:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…5q9g
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Important question: does 'scone' - as in the baked treat - rhyme with 'gone' or 'cone' for you? Bonus: roughly where are you from, because I expect some stark regional differences?

When did active matrix LCDs become a thing in consumer ...

2026-07-21T03:33:20Z

When did active matrix LCDs become a thing in consumer #electronics? I think I've stumbled on an unasked and unanswered question in #retrogaming history and the answer hinges on the above question. #AskFedi

Maybe I was meant to use one size down cutter and actually get 20 ...

2026-07-18T05:30:55Z

In reply to nevent1q…tv3e
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Maybe I was meant to use one size down cutter and actually get 20 from half the box. I dunno. I'm going to make mega scones next time either way.

Can recommend the Laucke #CWA scone mix. Small donation goes to ...

2026-07-18T05:15:03Z

Can recommend the Laucke #CWA scone mix. Small donation goes to the Country Women's Association of South Australia, all I had to measure out was water, my girlfriend was delighted and so was the cat. 10/10.

The box says "Makes delicious 20 large scones", and I got 18 out of the first batch using half the mix. I guess I could've picked a bigger cutter, but these were good as bite-size snacks.

#Cats #CatsOfMastodon #Caturday #Baking

I have a Dymo Letratag bought on sale at my local supermarket. ...

2026-07-10T00:24:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…50uz
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I have a Dymo Letratag bought on sale at my local supermarket. It's not been a serious area of hobby investment so far - interesting though that there are multiple options out there!

Today I learned, and you should too: heatshrink label printers ...

2026-07-09T23:35:46Z

Today I learned, and you should too: heatshrink label printers are a thing.

They look like a normal laser printer except you feed them cartridges with white heatshrink tubing, they print text *directly onto the heatshrink* and then you put that on your wiring.

Looks like they're maybe AU$100 for a bundle with some supplies. Not entirely impulse purchase territory, but the next time I'm tearing down and recabling a desk from scratch or some other massive wiring project, I'm getting one. #maker

"...connection issues were mostly being reported in ...

2026-07-09T02:59:39Z

"...connection issues were mostly being reported in Australia's eastern states". Is this not simply a map of #Australia's population density? #Telstra

(Article here: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-09/telstra-outage-still-impacting-triple-zero-calls/106895430?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=other)

Nostr event nevent1qqsftttut43jrwk5c3lkwzkahhazh3w2wsllcfqktz3ztynstrjm5egzyqmeuree7s0h0plv2ywxkvuwtwmvwe003cj0dw8ucyvq4vljdv8cjjtuwn7

2026-07-09T00:08:51Z

Going on the internet, anyone want anything while I'm there?

oh, 100% - I've seen others from hot climates chime in and ...

2026-07-02T11:55:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…22jh
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oh, 100% - I've seen others from hot climates chime in and say "actually 40 degrees is nothing, it's the humidity that kills ya" without actually understanding the different climate and how your houses tend to be built.

I spent one of Sydney's hotter summers in a barren concrete ...

2026-07-02T11:32:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…jwaz
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I spent one of Sydney's hotter summers in a barren concrete block of apartments with windows that tilted out like in the photo. They're really not suited for portable aircon units, you could rig it up and seal it with tape against airflow but it'll be terrible at insulating against heat. You'll end up with a cool spot in the room in front of the A/C and it'll be super loud the whole time but if you have nowhere else to go it might be worth it to be vaguely comfortable at home.

Today's keyboard is an unusual one. It's a Chicony ...

2026-07-02T01:15:07Z

Today's keyboard is an unusual one. It's a Chicony KB-2931, and while it's "modern" enough to have Windows keys, it also has a 5-pin DIN plug - so I'm using it with a tinkerBOY 5-pin to USB adapter: https://www.tinkerboy.xyz/product/tinkerboy-ibm-terminal-keyboard240-degree-5-pin-din-to-usb-converter-with-soarers-converter-firmware/

I've been after a board with approximately the shape and layout of a proper IBM model M for a while - I won't have the time to properly test that aspect for a little bit, but for now, I'm having fun actually using this board for work today.

how different a climate is it where you are? Here we might see a ...

2026-06-25T03:26:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…6wf3
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how different a climate is it where you are? Here we might see a week of -7C mornings in the middle of winter, and 40+ days in summer.

Had the guy out today to quote on insulation and some electrical ...

2026-06-25T02:08:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…j4mq
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Had the guy out today to quote on insulation and some electrical stuff. The NatHERS assessor was right, they'll just crosshatch new insulation on top of the old. Dude left me a little booklet that includes this illustration about why that's important.

Assessor said my ceiling insulation is probably R2.5, this guy said 2ish, but it might be around R6 once it's topped up. I forget what he said about the blow-in wall stuff but there's definitely nothing in there but air right now.

There's also unexpectedly some minor repairs to make before ...

2026-06-24T02:56:49Z

In reply to nevent1q…vyjc
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There's also unexpectedly some minor repairs to make before new blinds can be installed - the old curtains were screwed into the architraves over the windows, and on bigger ones, that's pulled them away from the wall in places.

I've recently had a guy come in and do some bathroom ceiling work; I have a couple of other boxes he could tick if he came back, so I'll get him to look at those as well. That'll be 100% my cost (strata paid for the bathroom stuff) so I hope he's feeling generous.

tl;dr: poking holes in buildings so you can have windows is a ...

2026-06-24T02:46:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…a4zu
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tl;dr: poking holes in buildings so you can have windows is a terrible idea in every way because they are so hard to engineer and insulate. You can spend thousands on them and they'll still let more cold or heat in than your walls. It's a shame we like looking outside so often.

Haven't bothered with actual quotes for double glazing but it ...

2026-06-24T02:43:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…jgma
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Haven't bothered with actual quotes for double glazing but it would be 1.5-2x as much as the cost of putting these blinds in everywhere. I'll use up my NSW scheme money on insulation and solar, so I'd still be out of pocket paying full price for DG and THEN still need to do something about my shitty curtains on top of that.

The advantage of having skinny 90s windows is that I can fit most of the rollerblinds next to them within the reveal rather than outside, which makes them a bit cheaper.

Got quotes for window blinds - roughly AU$200-300 each for roller ...

2026-06-24T02:38:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…rvxk
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Got quotes for window blinds - roughly AU$200-300 each for roller shades, $800-1300 each for the insulated blockouts that run in side tracks and have an enclosed top to stop air moving between the window glass and the room. Price tracks linearly with size, small windows are cheaper, big glass sliding doors are obviously more expensive. Total approaches $10k to refit my place. Motorising any of them would be an extra $500ish each.

France: Nuclear power reactors are having to shut down because ...

2026-06-24T01:38:55Z

France: Nuclear power reactors are having to shut down because the rivers they source cooling water from are too hot (28C!), the Louvre shuts early because its climate control can't handle the afternoon heat from its patrons, and people are drowning in rivers trying desperately to cool off.

I wish I was reading these things in a Michael Crichton novel, not the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/23/heatwave-france-spain-italy-europe

Is there anyone in my network here associated with the #QUT ...

2026-06-23T10:40:23Z

Is there anyone in my network here associated with the #QUT School of Design who could put me in touch with a particular lecturer there (or at least tell me if he's still around)? There's a thing I need to discuss with the guy specifically and I haven't been able to connect with him so far.

Ha. Two days ago, NSW annouced $15k for green energy upgrades: ...

2026-06-19T05:15:54Z

In reply to nevent1q…rg55
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Ha. Two days ago, NSW annouced $15k for green energy upgrades: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-17/nsw-government-interest-free-renewable-energy-loans-subsidies/106805702

Details here: https://www.energy.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-06/NSW_Home_Energy_Saver_Loans_guidelines.pdf

Edit: this *beats* the ACT's offering as it's no interest vs 3%. Although the ACT is still bumping the amount up to $20k from July.

This does actually matter, because it means I'll be able to do solar + battery this year no matter what happens jobwise. And I'll be better off in the long run with immediate savings on energy costs.

#Linux #Apple #iMac folks - what Linux distro and age am I likely ...

2026-06-19T02:00:13Z

#Linux #Apple #iMac folks - what Linux distro and age am I likely to get running on a 2009-era Intel iMac? A guide written last year suggested Ubuntu Budgie but it's giving me UVD errors and graphics glitches trying to run a live environment from a USB drive.

Edit: Hoping for "I used X on my Y iMac and it definitely worked", not just "distro F should work fine"

Tonight's actual micro project: checking out the USB SSD my ...

2026-06-15T11:16:33Z

Tonight's actual micro project: checking out the USB SSD my partner bought off Temu, which claims to have *thirty terabytes* of space, maybe a year ago.

I can't remember what she said she spent on it, but it wasn't in the same ballpark as a house deposit, so I warned her not to put any data she actually cared about on it. It's sat unused at her place until I spotted it and decided to check it out, as fairly as I could. 🧵

I don't quit hobbies, they're waiting for me to come back ...

2026-06-15T00:35:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…fz87
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I don't quit hobbies, they're waiting for me to come back with the time, energy or knowledge that I was missing to progress them further

Of course, not replacing my windows means keeping the old ones, ...

2026-06-12T11:50:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…373n
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Of course, not replacing my windows means keeping the old ones, which are (again) original to the house, and a bit beaten up. Many of the sashes no longer stay up on their own, and I will have to repair these.

Fortunately, information about that is easier to come by. This video demonstrates how to replace spiral balances in sash windows: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se-YGNegpOo

And Whitco, the Aussie-made spiral balances Bunnings carry, have a product spec and selection guide here: https://www.whitco.com.au/au/en/documents/catalogue-pdf/whitco-window-balance-systems-catalogue/Whitco%20Window%20Balance%20Systems%20Catalogue.pdf

I was not expecting to find window upgrades at the bottom of my ...

2026-06-12T11:50:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…77v9
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I was not expecting to find window upgrades at the bottom of my list, but for what I might have spent on that, I'm getting more effective upgrades that will start saving me money from day one. That may become more affordable over time as glaziers and fitters replace ageing equipment with modern gear and double-glazing becomes more standard, but for now, I will focus my attention elsewhere.

Is it worth getting one done if you don't know much about ...

2026-06-12T11:50:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…jzhe
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Is it worth getting one done if you don't know much about this stuff? If you have cash to throw at some home improvements to make your place more comfortable to live in and/or be more energy efficient, you could get an assessment, do the top two or three things it suggests, and be very happy with the results.

What if you've already turned this topic into your hobby and personality for a month? Yes, because it'll give you advice specific to your situation without trying to profit from you.

Note that most of the information you find casually online about ...

2026-06-12T11:50:06Z

In reply to nevent1q…36hh
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Note that most of the information you find casually online about window insulation, blinds and coverings is going to be marketing info on manufacturers' websites, and SEO-tweaked florid prose and worthless AI-generated diagrams on installers' sites. You can get more personal opinions by searching Reddit and other forums, but those aren't any more immune to corporate influence and astroturfing.

This is why you should pay for an independent assessment and a NatHERS Home Energy Rating Certificate.

The apparent go-to is honeycomb blinds, which offer one or two ...

2026-06-12T11:49:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…5ml5
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The apparent go-to is honeycomb blinds, which offer one or two layers of fabric-small gap-fabric. Good ones work well - one supplier says theirs are rated R2 to R4, matching or besting basic double-glazing significantly - but real-world reviews pan their looks and their tendency to collect dust like nobody's business. I don't need that in my life, so I'm getting quotes for boxed-in roller blinds that run in tracks on their side, and have a closed-in top to tick the pelmet box.

My place has a mishmash of window coverings. Most have heavy ...

2026-06-12T11:49:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…zpga
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My place has a mishmash of window coverings. Most have heavy drapes, which do some good against the cold, but have what I can only describe as decorative pelmets - it's like a skirt around the top, with nothing blocking air movement. I could cover these and be done with it, but they are also from the 90s, look terrible, take space, and are coming apart in places, so I want to be rid of them.

Other windows have basic rollers, a sheer curtain, or nothing at all, and desperately need improvement.

I'm already taking my ceiling closer to R5, and my walls ...

2026-06-12T11:49:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…6te9
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I'm already taking my ceiling closer to R5, and my walls R2.5. Getting double paned windows will bring those into line with the walls, but at significant cost - I'm yet to get actual quotes, but I've had back-of-laptop estimates of over $10k for my place. So with the ceiling and walls improved significantly, the value proposition of bumping a much smaller surface area up as well becomes much harder to justify.

So, I'm looking in a different direction: engineered windowblinds.

And a theoretical future phase 4 is replacing the windows. ...

2026-06-12T11:49:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…3f5s
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And a theoretical future phase 4 is replacing the windows. Getting double-glazing is probably the most talked-about step in Canberra, but it might actually be one of the least useful, and certainly the worst value.

To my understanding: Windows are measured with U values, representing thermal efficiency, instead of R values, thermal resistance. The relationship between the two is inverse, so double-pane glass with a U value of 0.4 gets R2.5. Single pane glass is U1, R1.

Phase 3 is my other gas appliances - the oven, and the cooktop. I ...

2026-06-12T11:49:14Z

In reply to nevent1q…3l72
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Phase 3 is my other gas appliances - the oven, and the cooktop. I will absolutely relish the sight of my tenant-grade oven leaving the house for good, not least because it takes 20 minutes to preheat and still manages to cook everything unevenly. The stovetop I hate less, but once it's the last gas thing left, it's gotta go - it's an estimated 10% of my household energy usage, not even counting the ~$220/year I pay to have gas piped in before I start using it.

Phase two will be looking at solar power, maybe a battery, and ...

2026-06-12T11:49:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…577t
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Phase two will be looking at solar power, maybe a battery, and replacing my now ancient gas hot water tank (I'm thinking of offering it to a museum). PV panels will make power much cheaper when the sun is shining, the battery will keep it cheap when it isn't, and I'll be able to get a cheaper resistive hot water tank rather than an expensive and less reliable heat pump jobbie.

The report says my gas HWS alone is responsible for 50% of my house's energy usage, so that has to GTFO ASAP.

Ceiling, walls and floor are the biggest heat saps in Australian ...

2026-06-12T11:48:06Z

In reply to nevent1q…g628
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Ceiling, walls and floor are the biggest heat saps in Australian winters. Adding insulation where I can (not much I can do about the concrete slab without ripping up my entire ground floor), plus finding and blocking air gaps, will be an unexpectedly afforable phase one of my plan.

I'm also getting quotes for insulated window blinds. I'm not thinking practically about double glazed windows anymore, I will explain why later on in the thread.

Being from the 90s, my place also has nothing in the wall gaps ...

2026-06-12T11:47:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…97n0
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Being from the 90s, my place also has nothing in the wall gaps but air. That's an R value of zero, where the recommendation is R2.5.

Separately to the NatHERS report, I have an estimate of about AU$2k to remedy the ceiling insulation, and another $2k to drill holes and blow insulation into the walls, too. There's some electrical future-proofing to do at the same time, because dumping insulation into the wall cavities has follow-on implications for house wiring.

My place was built in the mid 90s, and while there is some ...

2026-06-12T11:47:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…h66g
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My place was built in the mid 90s, and while there is *some* insulation in the ceiling, it's not enough - it doesn't look like it was great to begin with, and there's lots of gaps from being carelessly shoved out of place and not shoved back again. Even small gaps make a huge difference.

The recommended minimum R value for ceiling insulation is now R5. Mine's about half that, and will likely get improved by topping it up with a second layer at a 90 degree angle to minimise through-holes.

So, the #NatHERS report grades both your home's building for ...

2026-06-12T11:46:40Z

In reply to nevent1q…d8vr
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So, the #NatHERS report grades both your home's building for insulation (this is a star rating, out of 10), and the efficiency of your major appliances (a rating out of 100). I'll avoid giving specific numbers out of my report for privacy reasons, but I can talk about some general results, what I've learned from the process, its value, my plan for making upgrades and why it's proceeding in this particular order.

The report progresses (I may receive it today) but we are 100% in ...

2026-06-12T05:07:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…f276
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The report progresses (I may receive it today) but we are 100% in the "double-check every detail, everywhere, in every document ever"-ocene era.

I did get to take a photo of a cat through a thermal imaging ...

2026-06-09T12:50:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…gt9y
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I did get to take a photo of a cat through a thermal imaging camera during the assessment. It was too warm and still to effectively locate any air leaks today, but I managed to detect some floof.

Electrifying the hot water situation leaves the cooktop and oven ...

2026-06-09T10:48:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…qn4p
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Electrifying the hot water situation leaves the cooktop and oven as my only remaining gas appliances. I would need to have more power circuits run for possibly all of the above, which should probably all be done before I fill every wall cavity with insulation, which will also de-rate my current wiring.

That will pump up the cost of the insulation work without immediate benefit, so the right perspective for that is enabling my future dream kitchen upgrades.

After insulation, solar power and maybe a battery are next. With ...

2026-06-09T10:41:40Z

In reply to nevent1q…uhcn
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After insulation, solar power and maybe a battery are next. With what I spent to heat and cool the place, solar panels on the roof would pay off very quickly indeed, and a battery to run heating or cooling overnight would be a huge quality of life improvement in the gap before doing thicker, thermally broken windows.

That would also mean I could replace my ageing gas HWS with a resistive electric tank, rather than a pricey heat pump system, because I don't need to maximise the HWS's efficiency.

I'd need quotes to verify, but it sounds like my estimate for ...

2026-06-09T10:38:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…r55m
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I'd need quotes to verify, but it sounds like my estimate for retrofitting double glazed windows was low by an order of magnitude. The current ones aren't in *terrible* condition, but they would need some repairs and servicing if I chose to keep them long-term. So here I might instead look into insulated roller blinds, or at the very least curtain pelmets that aren't decorative (mine are open at the top for some reason and actually thermally useless).

(And for anyone suddenly shrinking back and going "eww, a ...

2026-06-09T10:35:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…tjaz
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(And for anyone suddenly shrinking back and going "eww, a landlord!": I rent a room under very favourable conditions to someone who urgently needed a place to stay when fleeing a DV situation, then ended up staying long-term as they settled in. I am deeply respectful of the circumstance of providing a place for someone to live and do not view it as an investment or an opportunity to profit.)

The verbal estimate I have is my current ceiling insulation ...

2026-06-09T10:32:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…xavc
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The verbal estimate I have is my current ceiling insulation should have an R value of 3.5, but with its current state it's probably 2.5ish. In #Canberra, any ceiling with an R value of less than R must be upgraded to at least R5 to be rented to a tenant: https://www.climatechoices.act.gov.au/policy-programs/sustainable-household-scheme/buyers-guides/making-homes-healthy-all-year-a-guide-to-ceiling-insulation

I'm in NSW, so I'm not legally subject to a rule like that (yet!), but that seems like a good target to aim for, especially since I also live here.

It looks like the first priority is actually insulation - the ...

2026-06-09T10:25:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…4e6r
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It looks like the first priority is actually insulation - the wood framing inside walls apparently has an R value of one, and there's currently just air in between them in my place. So getting insulation pumped into the gaps should make a significant difference to the inside temperature.

The stuff in the ceiling isn't completely terrible, but it's laid badly and there's plenty of gaps. So probably it'll end up with a second layer over the top, at right angles to minimise thermal holes.

So, step one of the NatHERS report process done. Had a guy here ...

2026-06-09T10:23:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…qzff
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So, step one of the NatHERS report process done. Had a guy here for 3 hours (he estimated 1.5-2, but it was his first one for NSW), I've had tons of information and advice and will get an official certificate telling me how terribly insulated my house is in a day or two.

This wasn't mandatory to get done (yet), but it was discounted thanks to the NSW scheme and I now have a better informed and re-arranged set of priorities for improving the livability of my house in summer and winter.

the whole thing is just so completely "the Russians used a ...

2026-06-06T02:41:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…62jw
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the whole thing is just so completely "the Russians used a pencil" to me. We've probably spent more money as a species making typing on flat screens bearable than we would have making phones with physical keyboards instead. Just give me the faster horse please

It goes almost without saying that my ACTUAL solution to this ...

2026-06-06T02:16:44Z

In reply to nevent1q…gm6p
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It goes almost without saying that my ACTUAL solution to this problem is to give me a goddamn physical keyboard again, but neither Google nor Apple are keen on that, so those options will remain fleeting and niche and not something I can rely on. So let's at least do something good with the pixels we've been allowed by the market, yeah?

The way I type on my phone causes so many consistent mistakes and ...

2026-06-06T02:15:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…gv8f
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The way I type on my phone causes so many consistent mistakes and it's always a battle with the spell checker as to what kinds of mistakes it'll actually recognise. Like hitting 'v' instead of spacebar to separate words? It figures that out. But hitting backspace instead of M, and missing "m*" from the middle of a word? It can't comprehend that. But if it saw that, and made the M key a little wider on the right for me, it could adapt to my typical errors and make my typing more reliable.

Is there a keyboard app that changes the shape/position of keys ...

2026-06-06T02:13:10Z

Is there a keyboard app that changes the shape/position of keys depending on how you type? Like, you type a sentence it gives you, then it figures out exactly where you actually pressed on the screen and puts the bulk of the key there for you?

It boggles my mind that we've taken physical keyboards, which are inflexible only because it costs money to redesign them, and rigidly stuck to them on a touchscreen, where they could be literally any shape and size from one phone to the next.

How it started / how it's going: ...

2026-06-03T03:36:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…emgp
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How it started / how it's going:

Do you live in #NSW, #Australia? As part of the Nationwide House ...

2026-06-03T02:49:08Z

Do you live in #NSW, #Australia? As part of the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS), NSW is trialling a home energy rating scheme like they have in the ACT, where a place must have a valid report if you're renting or selling. It's currently discounted, I'm getting someone to come and do an inspection for my place for about $250 through here: https://www.energy.nsw.gov.au/households/action/initiatives/home-energy-ratings

I'm about to go through the process and start improving my house, and will report costs and results in a thread here.

Today I successfully superglued magnets to a 3D printed project ...

2026-05-31T06:11:37Z

Today I successfully superglued magnets to a 3D printed project without also gluing myself to myself.

We take the victories as and where we can.

And I can't find a straight answer on how big my windscreen ...

2026-05-28T08:35:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…jv3f
_________________________

And I can't find a straight answer on how big my windscreen washer bottle is - there's plenty of AI slop articles with meaningless random numbers that vary from page to page, including one claiming a Corolla's washer bottle is 300mL in size - but the consensus seems to be "about a gallon" among Americans on the topic so probably four litres ish is a reasonable volume to plan for.

For anyone in Sydney, Genuine Edge in Lidcombe sell 500mL and 5L ...

2026-05-28T08:17:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…wd7l
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For anyone in Sydney, Genuine Edge in Lidcombe sell 500mL and 5L bottles of ACDelco Optikleen, and it's 20% off for a few days: https://www.genuineedge.com.au/acdelco-optikleen-windscreen-washer-concentrate-5l

They don't ship the 5L bottle, so it looks like I might be buying the little one from them. Can't spot anyone selling it off-the-shelf in Canberra.