Vitalik Buterin's...
Where to use a blockchain in non-financial applications?
12th Jun 2022
Home on Erik...
Running Theano on EC2
Inspired by Sander Dieleman's internship at Spotify, I've been playing around with deep learning...
19th Aug 2014
Inspired by Sander Dieleman's internship at Spotify, I've been playing around with deep learning using Theano. Theano is this Python package that lets you define symbolic expressions (cool), does automatic differentiation (really cool), and compiles it down into bytecode to run...
Jonas Hietala
I designed my own keyboard layout. Was it worth it?
Almost two and a half years ago I embarked on the journey to change keyboard layout.
At first I...
2nd Nov 2023
Almost two and a half years ago I embarked on the journey to change keyboard layout.
At first I tried out existing ones, but it didn’t take long before I figured it’s better to develop my own—and things went downhill fast from there.
(Some) combos of the T-34 layout.
But now...
Old Vintage...
Mini-review: David Pogue's Apple: The First 50 Years
Apple: The First 50 Years to see if I even wanted to bother with the hardcover. Previously the...
1st Apr 2026
Apple: The First 50 Years to see if I even wanted to bother with the hardcover. Previously the essential tome on Apple (and especially Mac) history was Owen Linzmeyer's Apple Confidential, still on my shelf in the well-thumbed 2.0 paperback. I was prepared to find this book...
Louwrentius - Solar
Recycle your old laptop display and turn it into a monitor
During a cleaning spree I decided that it was time to recycle two old laptops that were just...
13th Mar 2021
During a cleaning spree I decided that it was time to recycle two old laptops that were just collecting dust on a shelf for many years. Although I didn't have any purpose for them anymore, I realised that the displays were still perfectly fine.
This is the display of my old 13"...
Open for Business
DeltaForce 65: Das Wilde Keyboard
One of my all time favorite brands is Metadot’s Das Keyboard. They typically don’t include all the...
18th Dec 2025
One of my all time favorite brands is Metadot’s Das Keyboard. They typically don’t include all the bells and whistles, but they are built so well. But what if a Das Keyboard had all the current extras?
Willem's Blog
Building the blog... in style!
Find out if it is possible to turn a computer from the 90s into a modern development machine.
22nd Jun 2016
Find out if it is possible to turn a computer from the 90s into a modern development machine.
Old Vintage...
Building an serial and VGA "everything console"
Some of our recent (and some upcoming) projects are oriented to systems with serial consoles, but...
14th Jun 2026
Some of our recent (and some upcoming) projects are oriented to systems with serial consoles, but it's been getting pretty old dragging around old CRT terminals or tying up Mac laptops with a serial port. I'd like something that's self-contained, a little more portable and a bit...
Arduino Blog
This inexpensive adapter brings Apple Universal Control to vintage Macs
In the distant past of about two decades ago, one would need to use a KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse)...
4th Aug 2025
In the distant past of about two decades ago, one would need to use a KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) switch to control multiple computers with the same mouse and keyboard — and even then, it would take a button press to move from one to the other. Today, Apple’s Universal Control...
./techtipsy
I've reached the self-hosting endgame
Setup
After I had a perfectly functional, quiet and performant server up and running, I fell
victim...
23rd May 2021
Setup
After I had a perfectly functional, quiet and performant server up and running, I fell
victim to my imagination and completely changed my self-hosting setup. Again.
Here it is, in all its glory:
Well, at least that’s what’s on the table.
This machine is a true all-in-one:...
Notes on software...
Implementing a simple jq clone in Go, and basics of Go memory profiling
In this post we'll build a basic jq clone in Go. It will only be able
to pull a single path out of...
10th Jul 2022
In this post we'll build a basic jq clone in Go. It will only be able
to pull a single path out of each object it reads. It won't be able to
do filters, mapping, etc.
$ cat large-file.json | head -n2 | ./jqgo...
Home on Erik...
We're hiring at Better
Just a quick note that my team is always hiring at Better. A lot of new people have been joining the...
9th Dec 2019
Just a quick note that my team is always hiring at Better. A lot of new people have been joining the team here in NYC lately—the tech team has actually grown from 35 to 60 in just ~3 months.
Pea Bee
Pea Bee #8: GT-I5800
Only a few days back, I heard the news that Blackberry has finally died.
14th Jan 2022
Only a few days back, I heard the news that Blackberry has finally died.
Fabien Sanglard
Following Street Fighter 2 paper trails
22nd Dec 2021
Willem L. Middelkoop
Computer says no
This morning I enjoyed my bike ride on a nearly empty bicycle lane, picture perfect rays of sunlight...
10th Sep 2022
This morning I enjoyed my bike ride on a nearly empty bicycle lane, picture perfect rays of sunlight illuminated the dew above the fields around me. Where were all the other cyclists? I suspect it has something to do with popular weather apps. It strikes me how great the control...
Evan Hahn (dot com)
Notes from "The Weather Machine: A Journey Inside the Forecast"
In The Weather Machine: A Journey Inside the Forecast, author Andrew Blum gives a high-level...
25th Jul 2025
In The Weather Machine: A Journey Inside the Forecast, author Andrew Blum gives a high-level overview of global weather forecasting. What complexity hides behind the simple interfaces of our daily weather apps?
Three main points stuck out to me:
“The weather machine has to be a...
Willem L. Middelkoop
Cash is king, or is it?
Very often I see men carry a wallet filled with plastic: multiple debit and credit cards plus a...
14th Jul 2016
Very often I see men carry a wallet filled with plastic: multiple debit and credit cards plus a bunch of loyalty programs and membership cards. Then, some even top it off with stinky paper money and sticky metal coins! It made me wonder if I can free up one pocket by ditching the...
Jonas Hietala
Ludum Dare 29 Entry
After months of procrastination it is time for me to enter Ludum Dare again!
I am totally...
25th Apr 2014
After months of procrastination it is time for me to enter Ludum Dare again!
I am totally unprepared, but I did setup a setup which actually compiles. I never got audio to run but hopefully I can manage something.
Repository: https://github.com/treeman/LD29. Going for C++ this...
Fabien Sanglard
How the DevTeam conquered the iPhone
21st Jan 2024
Alyssa Rosenzweig
Vulkan 1.4 sur Asahi Linux
English version follows.
Aujourd’hui, Khronos Group a
sorti la spécification 1.4 de l’API graphique...
2nd Dec 2024
English version follows.
Aujourd’hui, Khronos Group a
sorti la spécification 1.4 de l’API graphique standard Vulkan. Le projet
Asahi Linux est fier d’annoncer le
premier pilote Vulkan 1.4 pour le matériel d’Apple. En effet, notre
pilote graphique Honeykrisp est reconnu
par...
Notes on software...
On NYC, Tokyo and Seoul
I’ve lived in NYC for the past year — moved here after years in Philly
and after growing up in a...
20th Oct 2018
I’ve lived in NYC for the past year — moved here after years in Philly
and after growing up in a rural community a few hours west of
there. My wife is South Korean and last week concluded my second trip
to the suburbs of Seoul to visit her family. We finished up that trip
with a...
Notes on software...
Confusion and disengagement in meetings
The quickest way to cut through confusion or disagreement among
otherwise amiable and honest folks...
30th Nov 2019
The quickest way to cut through confusion or disagreement among
otherwise amiable and honest folks is to ask questions.
Ask early so you don't waste time. But it's not enough to just ask
clarifying questions because the answers won't always be clear.
Sounds like Human Interaction...
Writing
Fairy Tale
Alternate universe VGM-y nujabes. Nothing world-shattering, but extremely good vibes.
3rd Mar 2022
Alternate universe VGM-y nujabes. Nothing world-shattering, but extremely good vibes.
Evan Hahn (dot com)
Vim's UserGettingBored autocmd
In short: Vim has a joke autocmd called UserGettingBored that doesn’t do anything.
Vim’s automatic...
4 weeks ago
In short: Vim has a joke autocmd called UserGettingBored that doesn’t do anything.
Vim’s automatic commands feature, usually shortened to “autocmd”, lets you run code when various events occur. For example, you could implement an auto-save feature by binding the TextChanged event...
Lighthouse Blog
Introducing Lighthouse - The RSS reader, newsletter reader, and read-it-later app to fight content...
3rd Apr 2024
Willem's Blog
Multi-Window support in your iPad app
Take advantage of the improved support for multiple windows on iPadOS by implementing new UI...
6th Oct 2019
Take advantage of the improved support for multiple windows on iPadOS by implementing new UI concepts enabling different use cases for your app.
Fabien Sanglard
Quake Shareware, a CD-ROM just a little too full
17th Aug 2026
Neil Madden
Macaroon access tokens for OAuth: Part 2 – transactional auth
In part 1, I showed how Macaroon access tokens in ForgeRock Access Management 7.0 can be used as a...
9th Sep 2020
In part 1, I showed how Macaroon access tokens in ForgeRock Access Management 7.0 can be used as a lightweight and easy-to-deploy alternative to proof of possession (PoP) schemes for securing tokens in browser-based apps. The same techniques can be adapted to secure tokens in...
Arduino Blog
This Kenyan engineer modernizes vintage cars with a custom ECU and EFI upgrades
The automotive industry’s switch from carburetion to fuel injection was one of the most effective...
1st Oct 2024
The automotive industry’s switch from carburetion to fuel injection was one of the most effective advancements of the 20th century. Electronic fuel injection allows for precise control over an internal combustion engine’s air-fuel mixture, which dramatically improves fuel...
./techtipsy
This page looks better in the app
You’re a web developer at a social media company that has recently made a big push for
modernizing...
2nd Aug 2020
You’re a web developer at a social media company that has recently made a big push for
modernizing their frontend for the mobile-first era. It has taken a lot of time and effort from many people.
Countless challenges, arguments, testing.
The release is near. You’re probably a bit...
Fabien Sanglard
All about the fillrate
I bought "Blade infinity" yesterday. The game is a lot of fun and has the ability to satisfy both...
11th Dec 2010
I bought "Blade infinity" yesterday. The game is a lot of fun and has the ability to satisfy both people looking for instant fun and people wishing for a long game while collecting powerful items. At $5.99 it is a bargain, a must have not only for the gameplay but also for its...
Ian's Blog
Mourning the Loss of Cohost
The staff running Cohost have announced (archived) that at the end of 2024 Cohost will be shutting...
11th Sep 2024
The staff running Cohost have announced (archived) that at the end of 2024 Cohost will be shutting down, with the site going read-only on October 1st 2024. This news was deeply upsetting to receive, as Cohost filled a space left by other social media websites when they stopped...
Notes on software...
btest: a language agnostic test runner
btest is a minimal,
language-agnostic test runner originally written for testing
compilers. Brian,...
4th Aug 2018
btest is a minimal,
language-agnostic test runner originally written for testing
compilers. Brian, an ex- co-worker from Linode, wrote the first
implementation in Crystal (a compiled
language clone of Ruby) for testing
bshift, a compiler
project. The tool accomplished exactly...
Software and Tech...
Are We All Forced Meme Stock Investors Now?
Let's be honest, the financial landscape feels… weird lately. For years, the mantra for most...
14th Apr 2025
Let's be honest, the financial landscape feels… weird lately. For years, the mantra for most investors has been clear: diversify, buy stable index funds, and let time work its magic. It wasn't the most thrilling advice, but it was generally sound. The idea was that the underlying...
Louwrentius - Solar
The iPhone, iPad and iOS are powering a revolution
Most people just don't understand computers. Are these people dumb? Some may
be dumb, but the people...
6th Nov 2010
Most people just don't understand computers. Are these people dumb? Some may
be dumb, but the people who make them are maybe even dumber. Because they
can't seem to figure out how to create a computer that the majority of people
understand.
When the original macintosh arrived at...
Writing
FEVER DREAM
Wow they got generic quick!
10th Apr 2021
Wow they got generic quick!
matduggan.com
The AI Bubble Is Bursting
My surprisingly frustrating experience with Google force enabling Gemini AI on Workspaces.
20th Jan 2025
My surprisingly frustrating experience with Google force enabling Gemini AI on Workspaces.
Tiny struggles
Learning can be a waste of time
Learning and studying isn’t universally a good thing.
I found that saying “sometimes spending some...
13th Nov 2021
Learning and studying isn’t universally a good thing.
I found that saying “sometimes spending some time studying and learning can be a waste of time” is very contentious. Especially in a quickly evolving tech environment.
If you stop learning and become rigid in your ways, you...
anderegg.ca
Thoughts ahead of WWDC 2026
I’ve been following Apple news and rumours since the year 2000, and I don’t think I’ve ever been...
7th Jun 2026
I’ve been following Apple news and rumours since the year 2000, and I don’t think I’ve ever been less excited for WWDC. Apple’s software story is in rough shape, and I worry that this year’s event won’t do much to help. Perhaps it’ll be the beginning of an upswing, but we’ve got...
Style over Substance
Adding night shading to a Home Assistant mini-graph-card chart
One of my favorite Lovelace interface cards for Home Assistant is the mini-graph-card by kalkih....
13th Nov 2021
One of my favorite Lovelace interface cards for Home Assistant is the mini-graph-card by kalkih. It’s the card running most of the graphs in our smart home‘s dashboard. Surprisingly, mini-graph card is actually not included in Home Assistant by default – honestly, it should be,...
Odds and Ends of...
Odds and Ends #50: The weird thing about London's New Year's Fireworks
Plus how the government should respond to Musk's nonsense, and an AI video that might just show us...
4th Jan 2025
Plus how the government should respond to Musk's nonsense, and an AI video that might just show us how video production is going to change.
Home on Erik...
I'm featured in Mashable
This article from today in Mashable describes some of the fun stuff I get to work with:
Erik...
6th Feb 2013
This article from today in Mashable describes some of the fun stuff I get to work with:
Erik Bernhardsson is technical lead at Spotify, where he helped to build a music recommendation system based on large-scale machine learning algorithms, mainly matrix factorization of big...
OH8HUB’s Substack
Albert's Nature Reserve
Spring is here. Time to get radio active.
22nd Apr 2025
Spring is here. Time to get radio active.
Blog | Sam Curry
Abusing HTTP Path Normalization and Cache Poisoning to steal Rocket League accounts
19th Apr 2020
Engineers Need Art
Tom Dowdy
Tom Dowdy was a software engineer at Apple back in 1995 when I was still writing Macintosh games in...
3rd Apr 2022
Tom Dowdy was a software engineer at Apple back in 1995 when I was still writing Macintosh games in Lawrence, Kansas.
Posts on Made of...
Some opinionated thoughts on SQL databases
People who work with me tend to realize that I have Opinions about databases, and SQL databases in...
30th Mar 2021
People who work with me tend to realize that I have Opinions about databases, and SQL databases in particular. Last week, I wrote about a Postgres debugging story and tweeted about AWS’ policy ban on internal use of SQL databases, and had occasion to discuss and debate some of...
watchTowr Labs
Veeam Backup & Response - RCE With Auth, But Mostly Without Auth (CVE-2024-40711)
Every sysadmin is familiar with Veeam’s enterprise-oriented backup solution, ‘Veeam Backup &...
9th Sep 2024
Every sysadmin is familiar with Veeam’s enterprise-oriented backup solution, ‘Veeam Backup & Replication’. Unfortunately, so is every ransomware operator, given it's somewhat 'privileged position' in the storage world of most enterprise's networks. There's no point deploying...
Greater Still by...
Joining TCG Crypto
I am thrilled to share that I am joining the team at TCG, The Chernin Group, to focus on the firm’s...
14th Sep 2021
I am thrilled to share that I am joining the team at TCG, The Chernin Group, to focus on the firm’s investments at the intersection of consumer and crypto.
Ken Shirriff's blog
The electromechanical angle computer inside the B-52 bomber's star tracker
Before GPS, how did aircraft navigate?
One important technique was celestial navigation: navigating...
18th Apr 2026
Before GPS, how did aircraft navigate?
One important technique was celestial navigation: navigating from the positions of the stars, planets,
or the sun.
While celestial navigation is accurate, cannot be jammed, and doesn't require any broadcast infrastructure,
it is a difficult...
Writing
Slay the Spire
In lieu of more to say, I think this is the most well-designed game I've ever played. The size of a...
16th May 2019
In lieu of more to say, I think this is the most well-designed game I've ever played. The size of a given session is perfect for me (45-75 minutes); the difficulty curve is elegant and sloping; variety is strong. I have poured at least a hundred hours into the game and could see...
Louwrentius - Solar
Using InfiniBand for cheap and fast point-to-point Networking
InfiniBand networking is quite awesome. It's mainly used for two reasons:
low latency
high...
25th Mar 2017
InfiniBand networking is quite awesome. It's mainly used for two reasons:
low latency
high bandwidth
As a home user, I'm mainly interested in setting up a high bandwidth link between two servers.
I was using quad-port network cards with Linux Bonding, but this solution has some...
MIT News - Civil and...
From nanoscale to global scale: Advancing MIT’s special initiatives in manufacturing, health, and...
MIT.nano cleanroom complex named after Robert Noyce PhD ’53 at the 2025 Nano Summit.
13th Nov 2025
MIT.nano cleanroom complex named after Robert Noyce PhD ’53 at the 2025 Nano Summit.
axio.ms
Axio.ms site refresh
This is the obligatory “first post on new platform” post, coupled with a bit of “first post in 4...
28th May 2016
This is the obligatory “first post on new platform” post, coupled with a bit of “first post in 4 years, I’m still alive”.
The original axio.ms site was a very HTML1.0 affair and while this was kind of intentional-tongue-in-cheek-chic, it was also a PITA to update. It wasn’t...
Matt Blewitt
A Love Letter to Giant Robots
Ah, giant robots. I grew up thinking they are the coolest things ever, and I still do. My first...
1st Jun 2024
Ah, giant robots. I grew up thinking they are the coolest things ever, and I still do. My first exposure to them was probably through 1994’s BattleTech animated series, where Adam Steiner piloted an AXM-2N Axman, in its frankly ridiculous neon green and purple paint job. And from...
Willem L. Middelkoop
Towards Digital Sovereignty
Over the years I have experimented with different digital tools, platforms and apps to get my work...
1st Aug 2025
Over the years I have experimented with different digital tools, platforms and apps to get my work done. From easy-to-use but locked down commercial systems to free/libre solutions that are powerful but more challenging to setup. I learned a lot along the way. Now I offer that...
Neil Madden
Rating 26 years of Java changes
I first started programming Java at IBM back in 1999 as a Pre-University Employee. If I remember...
12th Sep 2025
I first started programming Java at IBM back in 1999 as a Pre-University Employee. If I remember correctly, we had Java 1.1.8 installed at that time, but were moving to Java 1.2 (“Java 2”), which was a massive release—I remember engineers at the time grumbling that the...
Vitalik Buterin's...
Multidimensional gas pricing
9th May 2024
Fabien Sanglard
Observing my cellphone switch towers
15th May 2021
Arduino Blog
This Arduino failsafe protects an amazing backyard observatory
Nothing quite compares to the feeling of looking up at the cosmos on a dark night, and even an...
3rd Jun 2025
Nothing quite compares to the feeling of looking up at the cosmos on a dark night, and even an affordable telescope can enhance that experience. But if you’re willing to spend the time and money, you can take things much further. That’s what Redditor CosmicRuin did when they...
Notes on software...
Phil Eaton on Technical Blogging
This is an external post of mine. Click
here
if you are not redirected.
25th Mar 2025
This is an external post of mine. Click
here
if you are not redirected.
Abishek Muthian
Building an offline AI stoic chatbot
Inspiration
Many teens are turning to AI chatbots for friendship and emotional support and online AI...
28th Nov 2025
Inspiration
Many teens are turning to AI chatbots for friendship and emotional support and online AI chatbots are harnessing their data.
As an alternate, I propose Epictetus- A 100% offline chatbot built on the wisdom of Epictetus-- A Stoic philosopher who taught ~2000 years ago...
Notes on software...
Writing a SQL database, take two: Zig and RocksDB
For my second project while learning Zig, I decided to port an
old, minimal SQL database project...
13th Nov 2022
For my second project while learning Zig, I decided to port an
old, minimal SQL database project from Go to Zig.
In this post, in ~1700 lines of code (yes, I'm sorry it's bigger than
my usual), we'll create a basic embedded SQL database in Zig on top of
RocksDB. Other than the...
Notes on software...
SQLite in Go, with and without cgo
This is an external post of mine. Click
here
if you are not redirected.
12th May 2022
This is an external post of mine. Click
here
if you are not redirected.
Blog | Sam Curry
Filling in the Blanks: Exploiting Null Byte Buffer Overflow for a $40,000 Bounty
1st Nov 2019
Willem L. Middelkoop
Programming on Apple Watch
Over the past years I have been no stranger to crazy experiments, but this time I really wanted to...
15th Feb 2017
Over the past years I have been no stranger to crazy experiments, but this time I really wanted to push it into the extreme: programming on an Apple Watch. Would it be possible to actually write code on such a tiny device? Why even bother? This post is about the case for crazy...
Construction Physics
Reading List 11/01/2025
A new semiconductor lithography startup, how to make batteries more like bombs, AI and real estate...
1st Nov 2025
A new semiconductor lithography startup, how to make batteries more like bombs, AI and real estate listings, a monastery being built in Wyoming, and more.
Vitalik Buterin's...
Endnotes on 2020: Crypto and Beyond
28th Dec 2020
Home on Erik...
Software companies buying software: a story of ecosystems and vendors
Why are new startups growing so fast?
Why is the wage distribution getting larger for software...
25th Feb 2026
Why are new startups growing so fast?
Why is the wage distribution getting larger for software engineers?
Why do I love infrastructure?
Is open source dead?
I think a lot of these things, and some more things, all have their roots in a big shift in how we build software.
Or...
Willem L. Middelkoop
Back to the University
This month, I headed back to university for a special course on scientific programming. With...
7th Feb 2023
This month, I headed back to university for a special course on scientific programming. With numerous recent advancements in machine learning (referred to as "AI" in PowerPoint parlance), including ChatGPT, it felt like the ideal moment to delve into Python programming. Join me...
Computer Ads from...
Ann Arbor Software's Textra Word Processing
The shortest distance between your thoughts and the printed word.
2nd Jul 2025
The shortest distance between your thoughts and the printed word.
Christian Selig
The Caldera: a sleek split and wireless keyboard
I designed my own keyboard and it’s freely available! I’m calling it the Caldera, and it’s basically...
20th Jul 2024
I designed my own keyboard and it’s freely available! I’m calling it the Caldera, and it’s basically my dream wireless split keyboard.
I’ve been using it for months, and I love it.
Video overview
If you’re a visual person, I made a fun little video showcasing the...
matduggan.com
My Very Own Rival
I’ve always marveled at people who are motivated purely by the love of what they’re doing. There’s...
12th Feb 2025
I’ve always marveled at people who are motivated purely by the love of what they’re doing. There’s something so wholesome about that approach to life—where winning and losing don’t matter. They’re simply there to revel in the experience
Arduino Blog
Pick and place without the CNC
Pick and place (PnP) machines are the linchpin on which modern electronics manufacturing rests. A...
2nd Apr 2026
Pick and place (PnP) machines are the linchpin on which modern electronics manufacturing rests. A PnP is a special kind of robot with a vacuum end effector designed to pick up SMD (surface-mount device) components and place them on a PCB for soldering. But for hobbyists, they’re...
Abishek Muthian
Multiple $20 AI Plans Are Better Than a Single $100 AI Plan
After using the $200 and $100 Anthropic monthly plans for Claude, I have now settled on $20...
1st Jul 2026
After using the $200 and $100 Anthropic monthly plans for Claude, I have now settled on $20 Anthropic + $20 OpenAI + $10 OpenCode Go monthly plans for coding and design work. I also use local AI occasionally for non-coding-related tasks.
By using multiple entry-level AI plans...
Louwrentius - Solar
Buying a new computer
*** Desktop or Laptop ***
When deciding on which computer to buy, the first decision you have to...
3rd Apr 2011
*** Desktop or Laptop ***
When deciding on which computer to buy, the first decision you have to make is about whether to go for a desktop or a laptop. There was a time that many believed that the desktop would become a niche product. Most people want a laptop because they can...
Home on Erik...
Storm in the stratosphere: how the cloud will be reshuffled
Here's a theory I have about cloud vendors (AWS, Azure, GCP):
Cloud vendors1 will increasingly...
30th Nov 2021
Here's a theory I have about cloud vendors (AWS, Azure, GCP):
Cloud vendors1 will increasingly focus on the lowest layers in the stack: basically leasing capacity in their data centers through an API. Other pure-software providers will build all the stuff on top of it.
Push to Prod
Comprehension of Concurrency is a Lifelong Journey
Accept that your understanding is imperfect. There is comfort in letting go.
23rd Jul 2024
Accept that your understanding is imperfect. There is comfort in letting go.
Electronics etc…
HP 33120A Repair - Shutting Down the Eye of Sauron
Introduction
Opening Up an HP 33120A
A Walk Through the Block Diagram
Bug Hunting
Zener...
2nd Jan 2023
Introduction
Opening Up an HP 33120A
A Walk Through the Block Diagram
Bug Hunting
Zener Replacement
Staring at the Eye of Sauron
FLIR IR Imaging
To Destroy a PCB in Order to Save It
Circuit Reconstruction
Success!
Trust but Verify
Conclusion
References
Introduction
When the...
Open for Business
My Half-Anniversary with Starlink
It was six months ago today that I first plugged my computer into the Starlink router, connected to...
20th Aug 2026
It was six months ago today that I first plugged my computer into the Starlink router, connected to the standard-sized Starlink “dish” (it’s a panel) that was flopped down haphazardly in my back yard.
videah's blog
Credits
Credits / Attribution
Some of the art used around this blog are by other people. Here is a list of...
21st Apr 2025
Credits / Attribution
Some of the art used around this blog are by other people. Here is a list of them:
Smug Videah by Kelevtov
Rantsona Sidebar Videah by ScruffKerfluff
Callout Pixel Art Videah by lockedsdcard
Videah Mutant Standard Emoji by Caius Nocturne
Writing
Final Fantasy IX
I’ve noticed that if I want to give something a perfect score but know that it’s not a “perfect”...
28th Dec 2013
I’ve noticed that if I want to give something a perfect score but know that it’s not a “perfect” thing, I always start off with “okay, so, it has flaws.”
Buck on Software
Vertical Aggregation
I’ve written in the past that I think returns for SaaS won’t be as attractive over the next decade.
12th Oct 2021
I’ve written in the past that I think returns for SaaS won’t be as attractive over the next decade.
Applied Cartography
May, 2026
There are two mental models about work and fatigue which, like my brief dalliance with Roshe Runs, I...
1st Jun 2026
There are two mental models about work and fatigue which, like my brief dalliance with Roshe Runs, I have loved and outgrown:
Alyssa Rosenzweig
Plan du réseau du métro de Toronto
La plus grande ville d’un pays bilingue mérite le transport en commun
bilingue. Vu l’intérêt...
10th Mar 2026
La plus grande ville d’un pays bilingue mérite le transport en commun
bilingue. Vu l’intérêt prolongé pour la francisation de la ville reine,
voici enfin un plan du réseau traduit.
Il y a plusieurs ans, un internaut traduisit le plan du réseau de
la Société de transport de...
Louwrentius - Solar
Howto get the hard disk size under Linux?
A: There is no single tool for this job, but it seems that Fdisk is just fine:
server:~# fdisk -l 2>...
18th Aug 2009
A: There is no single tool for this job, but it seems that Fdisk is just fine:
server:~# fdisk -l 2> /dev/null | grep Disk | grep -v identifier
Disk /dev/sda: 500.0 GB, 500028145664 bytes
Disk /dev/sdb: 500.0 GB, 500028145664 bytes
Disk /dev/sdc: 1000.1 GB, 1000123400192...
Abort Retry Fail
The Most Important Micros
That is, for what they represent
28th Feb 2026
That is, for what they represent
computers are bad
2023-05-07 electrical characteristics of telephone lines
Let's take a break from our boring topic of regional history to focus instead
on an even more boring...
7th May 2023
Let's take a break from our boring topic of regional history to focus instead
on an even more boring topic: implementation details of telephone lines.
The conventional "copper pair" analog telephone line is fading away. The FCC
has begun to authorize abandonment of copper outside...
Kent de Bruin
Great Tools Disappear
The best designed products get out of the way and let you focus on the work instead of the tool
18th Sep 2025
The best designed products get out of the way and let you focus on the work instead of the tool
Jonas Hietala
The T-34/1 keyboard layout
This is the revision of the T-34 keyboard layout that I use as my primary driver. I’ve used this...
15th Dec 2021
This is the revision of the T-34 keyboard layout that I use as my primary driver. I’ve used this particular version without any major changes for almost 3 months, so I’d say it’s a good improvement over the last revision.
There are two large changes from T-34/0: swapping o and...
Abishek Muthian
Backup PostgreSQL to cloud
This post will help you with easy, cost-effective and secure way to backup your PostgreSQL database...
9th Sep 2020
This post will help you with easy, cost-effective and secure way to backup your PostgreSQL database to cloud.
Create local scheduled backup of PostgreSQL database Login as postgres user on the console (tmux is recommended).
Create .pgpass file to access database without entering...
Jonas Hietala
How I made a kick-ass cover for my self-published book
If you want to publish a book, one of the most important things to consider is the cover—after all,...
10th May 2021
If you want to publish a book, one of the most important things to consider is the cover—after all, we judge the book by the cover.
And I did it the universally recommended way:
I hired a designer.
Simple, right?
But real talk; it’s not exactly that simple and I did a bunch of...
The Pragmatic...
New trend: extreme hours at AI startups
Pulling 80+ hour work weeks – including weekends – is becoming the norm across AI startups, and is...
14th Aug 2025
Pulling 80+ hour work weeks – including weekends – is becoming the norm across AI startups, and is unlikely to stop while AI is so hot.
computers are bad
2024-05-06 matrix
For those of you who are members of the Matrix project, I wanted to let you
know that I am running...
6th May 2024
For those of you who are members of the Matrix project, I wanted to let you
know that I am running for the Governing Board, and a bit about why. For those
of you who are not, I hope you will forgive the intrusion. Maybe you'll find my
opinions on the topic interesting anyway.
I...
Willem's Blog
Repairing a Giro AEON bicycle helmet
Try fixing your Giro bicycle helmet? I went through some trouble to do it! Read along to find out...
8th Jul 2020
Try fixing your Giro bicycle helmet? I went through some trouble to do it! Read along to find out how.
Matt Blewitt
So, You Want To Build A DBaaS
So you’ve made the decision to build a Database-as-a-Service product (or something similar). As a...
29th Mar 2023
So you’ve made the decision to build a Database-as-a-Service product (or something similar). As a result, you are making state and coordination your problem. Here are some things I’ve learned to keep in mind as you embark on this project, in no particular order (other than the...
Notes on software...
Intercepting and modifying Linux system calls with ptrace
How software fails is interesting. But real-world errors can be
infrequent to manifest....
1st Oct 2023
How software fails is interesting. But real-world errors can be
infrequent to manifest. Fault
injection
is a formal-sounding term that just means: trying to explicitly
trigger errors in the hopes of discovering bad logic, typically
during automated tests.
Jepsen
and ChaosMonkey...
Christian Selig
Announcing Apollo: a new Reddit app for iPhone
I’m really excited to unveil a project I’ve been working on for the last year or so. It’s called...
30th Jan 2015
I’m really excited to unveil a project I’ve been working on for the last year or so. It’s called Apollo and it’s a new Reddit app for iPhone.
I’ve been a Reddit user for about four years now, and the site is a constant source of interesting discussion, hilarity and news for me...
Simply Explained
Monitoring my 3D printer with a Pi Zero, Home Assistant and TinyCore Linux
Many devices in my home have become "smart" over the last couple of months, with one big exception:...
20th Apr 2020
Many devices in my home have become "smart" over the last couple of months, with one big exception: my trusty 3D printer. It's a super reliable Prusa i3 MK3, but it lacks an internet connection.So I decided to use a Pi Zero to keep track of my 3D prints and send the progress to...
Greater Still by...
In Crypto, Apps Need Infrastructure Like Infrastructure Needs Apps
Or, maybe the real infrastructure was the applications we made along the way
6th Oct 2023
Or, maybe the real infrastructure was the applications we made along the way
Notes on software...
Writing a minimal in-memory storage engine for MySQL/MariaDB
I spent a week
looking at MySQL/MariaDB internals along with ~80 other devs. Although
MySQL and...
9th Jan 2024
I spent a week
looking at MySQL/MariaDB internals along with ~80 other devs. Although
MySQL and MariaDB are mostly the same (more on that later), I focused
on MariaDB specifically this week.
Before last week I had never built MySQL/MariaDB before. The first day
of this hack week,...
lcamtuf’s thing
The Afterlife
AGENT: I am prescribing vardenafil 5 mg for you.
2nd Mar 2025
AGENT: I am prescribing vardenafil 5 mg for you.
Louwrentius - Solar
An ode to the 10,000 RPM Western Digital (Veloci)Raptor
Introduction
Back in 2004, I visited a now bankrupt Dutch computer store called MyCom1, located at...
30th Oct 2021
Introduction
Back in 2004, I visited a now bankrupt Dutch computer store called MyCom1, located at the Kinkerstraat in Amsterdam. I was there to buy a Western Digital Raptor model WD740, with 74 GB of capacity, running at 10,000 RPM.
When I bought this drive, we were still in...
Tiny struggles
How I find time for indie hacking while having a full time job
A friend recently asked me:
“How do you find time for all your projects while working full time?”
“I...
3rd Jun 2022
A friend recently asked me:
“How do you find time for all your projects while working full time?”
“I don’t, I just complain about not having enough time instead.”
But more seriously, I am working on two products, while having a demanding full time job and doing a lot of sports...
Home on Erik...
Luigi: complex pipelines of tasks in Python
I'm shamelessly promoting my first major open source project. Luigi is a Python module that helps...
21st Oct 2012
I'm shamelessly promoting my first major open source project. Luigi is a Python module that helps you build complex pipelines of batch jobs, handle dependency resolution, and create visualizations to help manage multiple workflows. It also comes with Hadoop support built in...
Neil Madden
The square roots of all evil
Every programmer knows Donald Knuth’s famous quote that “premature optimization is the root of all...
3rd Dec 2024
Every programmer knows Donald Knuth’s famous quote that “premature optimization is the root of all evil”, from his 1974 Turing Award lecture (pdf). A fuller quotation of the surrounding context gives a rounder view: I am sorry to say that many people nowadays are condemning...
Vitalik Buterin's...
Obfuscation (Part II): Diamond iO
28th Jul 2026
Applied Cartography
What Are You Going Through
The book was good but it felt like a step back from the masterwork of The Friend; they are so...
3rd Jan 2021
The book was good but it felt like a step back from the masterwork of The Friend; they are so similar in structure and style but it felt a little bit like everything in this one was a few percentage points less powerful, which accumulated. The writerly citations and digressions...
Jonas Hietala
Easy setup of a static site on Amazon S3 with SSL
I’ve been hosting my site on Amazon S3 for a while now but I never activated SSL for it. I just...
3rd Apr 2019
I’ve been hosting my site on Amazon S3 for a while now but I never activated SSL for it. I just never got around to it, probably the usual procrastination.
When I had to setup a new site for another project I chose to host on Amazon as well. Although there are many other free...
Niklas Oberhuber’s...
The 167 Point Ceiling of the Game Take-It-Easy
4th Jul 2025
Simone Salis
Being a Bridge Person
How lowering your masks can ripple outward, changing not just individuals, but entire communities.
15th Oct 2024
How lowering your masks can ripple outward, changing not just individuals, but entire communities.
Freewheeling Apps
2025-01-19
Infrastructure for graphical debugging
See transcript below.
audio/video; 4...
19th Jan 2025
Infrastructure for graphical debugging
See transcript below.
audio/video; 4 minutes; 25MB; scroll down for shorter clips
Transcript
For a while now I've been trying to improve the way I program. I've made some progress. I can edit my programs live, and...
Louwrentius - Solar
Core i7 920 @ 3,6 Ghz is a true beast!
Even today, Core 2 Duo processors clocked at 2 ghz are no slugs. However, the
Core i7 920 is of a...
4th Mar 2009
Even today, Core 2 Duo processors clocked at 2 ghz are no slugs. However, the
Core i7 920 is of a different kind. First, it is not only clocked at a higher
speed (default 2,8 Ghz), it is also a quad-core processor. Thanks to the re-
introduction of hyperthreading, this processor...
MIT News - Civil and...
Professor Emeritus Chiang Chung Mei, pioneering scholar of ocean wave dynamics and fluid mechanics,...
A towering figure in theoretical hydrodynamics is remembered for his intellectual rigor, generosity,...
14th Aug 2026
A towering figure in theoretical hydrodynamics is remembered for his intellectual rigor, generosity, and lifelong devotion to his students.
Matt Blewitt
Riding the Risk Railway
When building and operating a user-facing system, especially one that is open to the public, it is...
9th Mar 2020
When building and operating a user-facing system, especially one that is open to the public, it is important to consider the riskiness of a user, which can also be characterised as trustworthiness. These will typically be negatively correlated, with low trust indicating high risk...
./techtipsy
btrbk is awesome
I like having a safety net whenever I’m doing something potentially destructive,
which is why I use...
9th Jul 2022
I like having a safety net whenever I’m doing something potentially destructive,
which is why I use the btrfs file system for my operating system and my data.
Snapshots are one half of my “whoops, there goes all my work” strategy (backups
are the other half).
I’ve written about...
Greater Still by...
In Defense of the New
The future is being crafted out on the edge. Are you paying attention?
3rd Jun 2024
The future is being crafted out on the edge. Are you paying attention?
Louwrentius - Solar
71 TiB DIY NAS based on ZFS on Linux
This is my new 71 TiB DIY NAS. This server is the successor to my six year old, twenty drive 18 TB...
2nd Aug 2014
This is my new 71 TiB DIY NAS. This server is the successor to my six year old, twenty drive 18 TB NAS (17 TiB). With a storage capacity four times higher than the original and an incredible read (2.5 GB/s)/write (1.9 GB/s) performance, it's a worthy successor.
Purpose
The...
Krebs on Security
FBI Probes Service Selling 153M+ Drivers Licenses
A new identity theft service launched on the dark web this week is selling digital scans of more...
2 weeks ago
A new identity theft service launched on the dark web this week is selling digital scans of more than 153 million drivers licenses from people in the United States and Canada. Based on interviews with individuals whose licenses are available for purchase on this service, it...
Willem L. Middelkoop
Go Viral on X
Earlier this week one of my posts on the social network X went viral and attracted 32K views in two...
9th Nov 2024
Earlier this week one of my posts on the social network X went viral and attracted 32K views in two days. With no major presence on Elon Musk's platform, and no paid advertising, gaining that kind of attention is something special. Let me explain how this happened.
The Post
If...
Greater Still by...
Good Things Take Time
A crypto whitepill with Bridget Harris
22nd Aug 2024
A crypto whitepill with Bridget Harris
Matt Blewitt
Thoughts on User Safety: 2
Following up from last time, let’s explore the internal and insider fronts when moving beyond...
23rd Oct 2019
Following up from last time, let’s explore the internal and insider fronts when moving beyond security towards safety for our users.
Christian Selig
You should repaste your MacBook (but don't)
My favorite memory of my M1 Pro MacBook Pro was the whole sensation of “holy crap, you never hear...
10th Jul 2025
My favorite memory of my M1 Pro MacBook Pro was the whole sensation of “holy crap, you never hear the fans in this thing”, which was very novel in 2021.
Four years later, this MacBook Pro is still a delight. It’s the longest I’ve ever owned a laptop, and while I’d love to pick up...
Arduino Blog
This unique electronic toy helps children learn their shapes
It isn’t a secret that many kids find math to be boring and it is easy for them to develop an...
1st Jul 2025
It isn’t a secret that many kids find math to be boring and it is easy for them to develop an attitude of “when am I ever going to use this?” But math is incredibly useful in the real world, from blue-collar machinists using trigonometry to quantum physicists unveiling the...
Willem L. Middelkoop
Outside the comfort zone: amateur acting
This month I made my debut as amateur actor. I am no Hollywood star, nor do I envy to become one....
17th Apr 2018
This month I made my debut as amateur actor. I am no Hollywood star, nor do I envy to become one. But I do like crazy experiments and operating outside of my comfort zone often leads to new and refreshing insights. I took part in an amateur drama play and - in the name of science...
Louwrentius - Solar
Understanding the Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Server Autoinstaller
Introduction
Ubuntu Server version 18.04 LTS uses the debian-installer (d-i) for the installation...
11th Feb 2021
Introduction
Ubuntu Server version 18.04 LTS uses the debian-installer (d-i) for the installation process. This includes support for 'preseeding' to create unattended (automated) installations of ubuntu.
the debian installer
With the introduction of Ubuntu Server 20.04 'Focal...
Notes on software...
Transactions are a protocol
Transactions are not an intrinsic part of a storage system. Any
storage system can be made...
20th Apr 2025
Transactions are not an intrinsic part of a storage system. Any
storage system can be made transactional: Redis, S3, the filesystem,
etc. Delta Lake
and Orleans
demonstrated techniques to make S3 (or cloud storage in general)
transactional. Epoxy
demonstrated techniques to make...
Avestura's Blog
Understanding zero-knowledge proofs
What are zero-knowledge proofs, really?
24th Jul 2022
What are zero-knowledge proofs, really?
Birchtree
2025 was the year of making a (small) dent in my universe
Below is a version of the above video, so read or watch, whatever you prefer.
I am not really one...
1st Dec 2025
Below is a version of the above video, so read or watch, whatever you prefer.
I am not really one for inspirational quotes. I don't particularly like them. I don't particularly find them inspiring, but I really do like this one from Steve Jobs:
“Life
Vitalik Buterin's...
Degen communism: the only correct political ideology
1st Apr 2024
Greater Still by...
Why Digital Fashion Matters
“We’re in the midst of a technological revolution.
14th Jul 2022
“We’re in the midst of a technological revolution.
computers are bad
The Ascent to Sandia Crest II
Where we left
off,
Albuquerque's boosters, together with the Forest Service, had...
19th Oct 2025
Where we left
off,
Albuquerque's boosters, together with the Forest Service, had completed
construction of the Ellis Ranch Loop and a spur to the Sandia Crest. It was
possible, even easy, to drive from Albuquerque east through Tijeras Pass, north
to the present-day location of...
Nabeel S. Qureshi
Films + Books, Q1 2023
What I watched and read
6th May 2023
Alyssa Rosenzweig
OpenGL 3.1 on Asahi Linux
Upgrade your Asahi Linux
systems, because your graphics drivers are getting a big...
6th Jun 2023
Upgrade your Asahi Linux
systems, because your graphics drivers are getting a big boost:
leapfrogging from OpenGL 2.1 over OpenGL 3.0 up to OpenGL 3.1!
Similarly, the OpenGL ES 2.0 support is bumping up to OpenGL ES 3.0.
That means more playable games and more functioning...
Abishek Muthian
I was told, I would become quadriplegic
Tingling on the side of the face during tasks involving intense cognition was my first...
1st Sep 2018
Tingling on the side of the face during tasks involving intense cognition was my first symptom.
Nature of my job involves regular problem solving of various degree, on certain occasions there was a halting tingling sensation on the right side of my face to the end of lower...
On Life and Lisp
Hilariously Fast Volume Computation with the Divergence Theorem
(No, there won’t be jokes.)
The following presents a fast algorithm for volume computation of a...
16th Feb 2018
(No, there won’t be jokes.)
The following presents a fast algorithm for volume computation of a simple, closed, triangulated 3D mesh. This assumption is a consequence of the divergence theorem. Further extensions may generalise to other meshes as well, although that is presently...
Buck on Software
Thinking incrementally about SaaS
An overview of the key output of the growth software machine
3rd Apr 2021
An overview of the key output of the growth software machine
MIT News - Civil and...
MIT School of Engineering faculty receive awards in winter 2026
Faculty members and researchers were honored in recognition of their scholarship, service, and...
7th May 2026
Faculty members and researchers were honored in recognition of their scholarship, service, and overall excellence.
Project Blog on...
Train Simulator Controller: Inside an AWS Sunflower
In my first post about the Train Simulator Controller project, I introduced the Automated Warning...
20th May 2023
In my first post about the Train Simulator Controller project, I introduced the Automated Warning System (AWS) on most of the UK trains that I drive in Train Simulator. This safety system is designed to warn drivers of restricting (non-green) signals, often because there’s a...
Fabien Sanglard
The story of the Rendition Vérité 1000
The story of how the Rendition v1000 briefly rule the Quake world.
1st Apr 2019
The story of how the Rendition v1000 briefly rule the Quake world.
sibervepunk
learning to swim at 26
I learned how to swim at the age of 26. Or rather, I'm still learning. In my last lesson, I managed...
17th Jul 2026
I learned how to swim at the age of 26. Or rather, I'm still learning. In my last lesson, I managed to swim 50 meters without using any support (and I didn't drown, lol). In the lesson before that, I got dizzy, my leg cramped three times, and I had swallowed half the pool. (you...
watchTowr Labs
IBM QRadar - When The Attacker Controls Your Security Stack (CVE-2022-26377)
Welcome to April 2024.
A depressing year so far - we've seen critical vulnerabilities across a wide...
12th Apr 2024
Welcome to April 2024.
A depressing year so far - we've seen critical vulnerabilities across a wide range of enterprise software stacks.
In addition, we've seen surreptitious and patient threat actors light our industry on fire with slowly introduced backdoors in the XZ...
Ken Shirriff's blog
Reverse engineering the 59-pound printer onboard the Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle contained a bulky printer so the astronauts could
receive procedures, mission...
3rd Aug 2024
The Space Shuttle contained a bulky printer so the astronauts could
receive procedures, mission plans, weather reports, crew activity plans, and other documents.
Needed for the first Shuttle launch in 1981, this printer was designed in just 7 months, built around an Army...
Home on Erik...
Tumblr's awesome project names
Not sure how I managed to miss this, but I'm watching this Tumblr presentation and they talk about...
18th Nov 2012
Not sure how I managed to miss this, but I'm watching this Tumblr presentation and they talk about their projects named after Arrested Development topics: Gob, Parmesan, Buster, Jetpants, Oscar, George and Motherboy.
Still, the best software project name is probably still Apple's...
Writing
Slow Horses (Season 2)
Not as great as the first season; still tremendously entertaining television, with more than a few...
7th Jan 2024
Not as great as the first season; still tremendously entertaining television, with more than a few twists that I couldn't predict and an underlying thread of competence in set design, pacing, and acting that is hard to deny.
./techtipsy
I'm done with Ubuntu
I liked Ubuntu. For a very long time, it was the sensible default option.
Around 2016, I used the...
5th Feb 2025
I liked Ubuntu. For a very long time, it was the sensible default option.
Around 2016, I used the Ubuntu GNOME flavor, and after they ditched the Unity desktop environment, GNOME became the
default
option.
I was really happy with it, both for work and personal computing...
Fabien Sanglard
Doom3 Source Code Review
On November 23, 2011 id Software maintained the tradition and released the source code of their...
8th Jun 2012
On November 23, 2011 id Software maintained the tradition and released the source code of their previous engine. This time is was the turn of idTech4 which powered Prey,
Quake 4 and of course Doom 3. Within hours the GitHub repository was forked more than 400 times and...
somenice
CBC Spark with Nora Young
Really upset to recently learn that Spark with Nora Young has been cancelled by the CBC, ending in...
13th Jun 2024
Really upset to recently learn that Spark with Nora Young has been cancelled by the CBC, ending in June 2024. (Announcement episode) One of the most intelligent, progressive technology-in-society news shows in Canada or anywhere for that matter. Perhaps that it’s medium is radio...
Simply Explained
How I Built an NFC Movie Library for my Kids
When I was a kid, my sister and I had a tower of VHS tapes we watched endlessly. Fast-forward to...
14th Nov 2023
When I was a kid, my sister and I had a tower of VHS tapes we watched endlessly. Fast-forward to today, and my children's movie collection is vastly different. It's completely digital and dispersed across services. I wanted to recreate the tangible magic of my childhood for them.
Notes on software...
Writing a lisp compiler from scratch in JavaScript: 6. an x86 upgrade
Previously in compiler basics:
1. lisp to assembly
2. user-defined functions and variables
...
8th Dec 2019
Previously in compiler basics:
1. lisp to assembly
2. user-defined functions and variables
3. LLVM
4. LLVM conditionals and compiling fibonacci
5. LLVM system calls
This post upgrades the ulisp x86 backend from using a limited set of
registers (with no spilling...
Never Met a Science
What is "Theory"?
Substack is clearly growing.
9th Dec 2025
Substack is clearly growing.
Comments for Lars...
My 7 Rules for A/B Testing That Triple Conversion Rates
I really don’t care how any given A/B test turns out. That’s right. Not one bit. But wait, how do I...
11th Sep 2015
I really don’t care how any given A/B test turns out. That’s right. Not one bit. But wait, how do I double or triple conversion rates without caring how a test performs? I actually care about the whole SYSTEM of testing. All the pieces need to fit together just right. If not,...
Home on Erik...
Vote for our SXSW panel!
If you have a few minutes, you should check out mine and Chris Johnson‘s panel proposal. Go here and...
4th Sep 2013
If you have a few minutes, you should check out mine and Chris Johnson‘s panel proposal. Go here and vote: http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/24504
Algorithmic Music Discovery at Spotify
****Spotify crunches hundreds of billions of streams to analyze user's music taste and provide...
Jorge Arango
My Theme for 2026
I’m starting off 2026 with a post that likely won’t interest you at all. I’m only sharing it to 1)...
1st Jan 2026
I’m starting off 2026 with a post that likely won’t interest you at all. I’m only sharing it to 1) think it through and 2) make myself accountable. It’s inspired by this video:
Among other things, Pink suggests adopting a one-word theme for the year: “Not a sentence. Not a...
Daniel De Laney
Network Engineering
“My first job was to understand what network engineers do. Then, I had to show them complex data in...
24th May 2017
“My first job was to understand what network engineers do. Then, I had to show them complex data in a comprehensible and usable way. Finally, I had to make it less ugly.”
The Challenge
When you type “google.com” into your browser and press the Enter key, what happens? How do you...
Willem L. Middelkoop
One year of cycling
One year ago I started recording all my bike rides, including commutes, short grocery trips and long...
30th Dec 2016
One year ago I started recording all my bike rides, including commutes, short grocery trips and long Gran Fondos. I equipped my bicycles with Garmin Edge computers that recorded location (GPS), speed, cadence and my heart rate. I covered more than 7683 kilometers during 320 hours...
benn.substack
Can analysis ever be automated?
The catch-22 of all these AI analysts. Plus, go crazy folks; go crazy.
1st Aug 2025
The catch-22 of all these AI analysts. Plus, go crazy folks; go crazy.
Vitalik Buterin's...
Gitcoin Grants Round 9: The Next Phase of Growth
2nd Apr 2021
Style over Substance
Epaper digital art frame based on Seeed Studio reTerminal E1002 display and IKEA RÖDALM using...
For the last month, I’ve been experimenting with making a digital art frame based on color epaper....
24th Nov 2025
For the last month, I’ve been experimenting with making a digital art frame based on color epaper. Spectra 6 is the latest color epaper tech available, offering 6 colors (black, white, red, green, blue, yellow) in brighter and more saturated tones then its predecessors. And with...
Willem's Blog
Commuter bike checkup
This week my trustworthy commuter bike started making strange squeaking noises when braking, time to...
9th Jan 2021
This week my trustworthy commuter bike started making strange squeaking noises when braking, time to have a look at the bike after 21.000KM!
./techtipsy
Improving my focus by giving up my big monitor
Keeping my focus has been challenging. It’s not a new phenomenon, and I suspect that there are...
1st Apr 2026
Keeping my focus has been challenging. It’s not a new phenomenon, and I suspect that there are contributing factors that
have lead to the unfocused state dominating. For example, I’ve been that guy who wants to be on top of things, to be in
the loop, to respond to urgent issues....
Engineers Need Art
Balsa “2001: A Space Odyssey” Model
The spacecraft from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey have always had a special place for me. Here I...
30th Dec 2025
The spacecraft from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey have always had a special place for me. Here I build a replica from balsa.
anderegg.ca
AI and software security: the slop is now signal
No matter how you feel about AI, it’s changing the world of software. The “T” in ChatGPT was...
10th May 2026
No matter how you feel about AI, it’s changing the world of software. The “T” in ChatGPT was invented to improve language translation, and large language models (LLMs) are very good at this. Interestingly, translating between French and Japanese is effectively the same as...
Victor Poughon
All clocks are 30 seconds late
OK, this is going to sound crazy: I believe all clocks are 30 seconds late.
Let's get a few things...
6th Jan 2025
OK, this is going to sound crazy: I believe all clocks are 30 seconds late.
Let's get a few things out of the way: this is neither about time zones, nor leap seconds.
It's not about synchronization of clocks, and it's not about relativity or any obscure corner of physics.
I'm...
Posts on Made of...
The ITTAGE indirect branch predictor
While investigating the performance of the new Python 3.14 tail-calling interpreter, I learned (via...
4th Jul 2025
While investigating the performance of the new Python 3.14 tail-calling interpreter, I learned (via this very informative comment from Sam Gross) new (to me) piece of performance trivia: Modern CPUs mostly no longer struggle to predict the bytecode-dispatch indirect jump inside a...
lcamtuf’s thing
The 101 of analog signal filtering
Some intuition about this topic can be developed without summoning the ghost of Pierre-Simon...
12th Jul 2024
Some intuition about this topic can be developed without summoning the ghost of Pierre-Simon Laplace.
Elevation Lab - Blog
Introducing TagVault Magnetic for AirTag
Wanting to easily, securely, and discretely keep an AirTag on our car, we designed...
28th Nov 2023
Wanting to easily, securely, and discretely keep an AirTag on our car, we designed the TagVault Magnetic Mount.
Testing many designs, we did not want to settle with anything that couldn't stand extreme vibration. So we gave our mount has an huge, thick Neodymium rare earth...
Writing
Postwar
Postwar is not a book so much as it is a college course on 20th century Europe. Judt makes it clear...
2nd Sep 2020
Postwar is not a book so much as it is a college course on 20th century Europe. Judt makes it clear in his introduction that rather than try and propose a grand theory or specific thesis with which to plumb the six decades following World War II, he wrote the book in an exercise...
MIT News - Civil and...
Desirée Plata appointed associate dean of engineering
Faculty member in civil and environmental engineering will advance research and entrepreneurial...
8th Apr 2026
Faculty member in civil and environmental engineering will advance research and entrepreneurial initiatives across the School of Engineering.
Old Vintage...
John C. Dvorak has died
Reports coming in of the death of John C. Dvorak, apparently passed away on Monday (July 20th) from...
23rd Jul 2026
Reports coming in of the death of John C. Dvorak, apparently passed away on Monday (July 20th) from complications of heart bypass surgery. Dvorak started in wine and moved to silicon as an early columnist at InfoWorld, one of the pillar references for this particular blog because...
Project Blog on...
Train Simulator Controller: Dashboard Prototyping, Part 1
After sourcing rough measurements of the dashboard of a Class 80x train, I began creating a...
31st Jul 2025
After sourcing rough measurements of the dashboard of a Class 80x train, I began creating a cardboard prototype, plus associated CAD designs to get the design fabricated.
Vitalik Buterin's...
What do I think about biometric proof of personhood?
24th Jul 2023
Open for Business
Ecclesiology, Doctrine, Ecumenism: A Few Difficult Questions
I am provoked by an internet presence that goes by “Redeemed Zoomer,” presumably a 20-something...
6th Aug 2026
I am provoked by an internet presence that goes by “Redeemed Zoomer,” presumably a 20-something young man holding theologically conservative views, and similar views on Christian ethics, who is Reformed.
Himanshu Mishra |...
PEP8Speaks - Now helping 5,000 open source projects write neat and clean Python
What is this project? 🐍 PEP8Speaks = PEP 8 + Speaks GitHub:...
5th Apr 2020
What is this project? 🐍 PEP8Speaks = PEP 8 + Speaks GitHub: https://github.com/OrkoHunter/pep8speaks PEP 8 is Python's recommended coding…
Jonas Hietala
The End of the Tunnel
Lately I’ve been feeling like there’s been a shit-ton of stuff going on, quite a turn-around from...
19th Oct 2011
Lately I’ve been feeling like there’s been a shit-ton of stuff going on, quite a turn-around from the last time.
One course about data structure and algorithms (super fun to be honest) has wrapped up. We thought we were ahead with the assignments but in the end it got very...
Willem's Blog
Three tips to make a content strategy work
Consider these three things to maximise the effect of the words you write for your website, blog or...
24th Mar 2021
Consider these three things to maximise the effect of the words you write for your website, blog or company.
Writing
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
You wanna hurt me? Go right ahead if it makes you feel any better. I'm an easy target. Yeah, you're...
9th Jan 2025
You wanna hurt me? Go right ahead if it makes you feel any better. I'm an easy target. Yeah, you're right, I talk too much. I also listen too much. I could be a cold-hearted cynic like you... but I don't like to hurt people's feelings. Well, you think what you want about me; I'm...
Willem L. Middelkoop
Collecting health data with Biostrap
Most wearables (smartwatches, fitness trackers, etc.) use very basic sensors to capture heart rate....
14th Nov 2017
Most wearables (smartwatches, fitness trackers, etc.) use very basic sensors to capture heart rate. Their signal is binary: just counting beats. Biostrap is different, instead of just checking pulses, it captures a high-fidelity PPG waveform. These waveforms are the same kind...
Buck on Software
Don't be foie gras
If 2016-2020 was the golden unicorn age of SaaS, 2021 nearly hurtled us into the foie gras* era.
9th Jan 2022
If 2016-2020 was the golden unicorn age of SaaS, 2021 nearly hurtled us into the foie gras* era.
Applied Cartography
Fathom
I'd been meaning to jot down some thoughts on Fathom for a while, and did not have a particularly...
1st Dec 2024
I'd been meaning to jot down some thoughts on Fathom for a while, and did not have a particularly good reason to do so until the news broke that Paul Jarvis was selling his share of the company to Jack Ellis, the technical co-founder. 1The blog post itself is a great example of...
Notes on software...
Generating a REST API from a database
I recently published an alpha version of a code generation tool,
DBCore, that reads a...
6th Jun 2020
I recently published an alpha version of a code generation tool,
DBCore, that reads a database
schema from PostgreSQL or MySQL and generates an entire Go API with
CRUD operations, pagination, filtering, and authentication.
But more than just generating code like
xo/xo or...
Electronics etc…
Notes about Basic Polyphase Decimation Filters
Introduction
Decimation with FIR Anti-Aliasing Filter
Naive Hardware Implementation
Reduce number of...
25th Jan 2026
Introduction
Decimation with FIR Anti-Aliasing Filter
Naive Hardware Implementation
Reduce number of calculations - Move decimator before multiplier
Polyphase decomposition of the original filter
The Noble Identity for Decimation
Re-using Common Hardware in the Fast Clock...
Birchtree
Apple at 50: my most memorable product announcements
Apple turns 50 today, so I thought I'd take some time to think back on some of the most memorable...
1st Apr 2026
Apple turns 50 today, so I thought I'd take some time to think back on some of the most memorable Apple product announcements. I'm relying entirely on my own memory, so forgive me if I get some small details wrong.
Original iPhone
We have to start
Push to Prod
Queueing Requests Queues Your Capacity Problems, Too
On queues, capacity, and why your dashboard is lying to you
23rd Mar 2026
On queues, capacity, and why your dashboard is lying to you
Home on Erik...
What's Erik up to?
I joined Better in early 2015 because I thought the team was crazy enough to actually change one of...
1st Apr 2021
I joined Better in early 2015 because I thought the team was crazy enough to actually change one of the largest industries in the US. For six years, I ran the tech team, hiring 300+ people, probably doing 2,000+ interviews, and according to GitHub I added 646,941 lines of code...
Bryan Braun - Blog
You are not your grand plans
“You are not your grand plans. You are your daily patterns.”
I love this quote from James Clear...
11th Jul 2026
“You are not your grand plans. You are your daily patterns.”
I love this quote from James Clear because it hurts me in all the right ways.
At my worst, I feel like my daily patterns are at war with my grand plans. When I’m fighting a daily battle and willpower is slipping, I need...
Daniel De Laney
Atomic Design in 1998
When you hear “atomic design,” you probably think of Brad Frost. Interestingly, he was not the first...
8th Feb 2018
When you hear “atomic design,” you probably think of Brad Frost. Interestingly, he was not the first person to develop that method of delivering design as components, or even the terminology.
Brad published his atomic design article in 2013. While digging through the archives at...
Louwrentius - Solar
AI is critically important but not for you
Before Chat-GPT caused a sensation, big tech companies like Facebook and Apple were betting their...
14th May 2024
Before Chat-GPT caused a sensation, big tech companies like Facebook and Apple were betting their future growth on virtual reality. But I'm convinced that virtual reality will never be a mainstream thing. If you ever used VR you know why:
A heavy thing on your head that messes up...
Louwrentius - Solar
Creating a basic ZFS file system on Linux
Here are some notes on creating a basic ZFS file system on Linux, using ZFS on Linux.
I'm...
1st Feb 2014
Here are some notes on creating a basic ZFS file system on Linux, using ZFS on Linux.
I'm documenting the scenario where I just want to create a file system that can tollerate at least a single drive failure and can be shared over NFS.
Identify the drives you want to use for the...
Fabien Sanglard
The confusing world of USB
10th Jan 2021
Notes on software...
Static analysis with semgrep: practical examples using Docker
In this post we'll get a basic semgrep environment set up in Docker
running some custom rules...
20th Dec 2020
In this post we'll get a basic semgrep environment set up in Docker
running some custom rules against our code.
Existing linters
Linters like pylint for Python or
eslint for JavaScript are great for general,
broad language standards. But what about common nits in code review
like...
somenice
CircuitPython in 2025
This post is a wishlist for CircuitPython in 2025. Each year Adafruit asks the community to...
5th Jan 2025
This post is a wishlist for CircuitPython in 2025. Each year Adafruit asks the community to contribute their thoughts or requests for the open source microcontroller language as outlined on the Adafruit blog. In 2025 I would like a library for working with vectors, similar to...
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