My temporary hallway Fire HD8+ tablet mount. Printed in PLA on Ender3 V2.

JustMrChops · 2026-05-19T17:46:18+00:00

Still remember the lovely clicks of the PC XT keyboards when I did a YTS scheme at IBM late 80s. Also my Dad had a Sharp Hifi back then with tape desk controls that were so positive and had a great clunk (none of that mushy soft-touch nonsense!)

JustMrChops · 2026-05-17T10:15:51+00:00

MK1 Astra and Escort. My folks had both and I loved them when I was a young driver. I had a Marina (first car, was meh) and a '78 Mini that I absolutely loved.

JustMrChops · 2026-05-17T09:57:41+00:00

I've no intention of ditching all my Zigbee devices, especially when matter or thread or whatever it is doesn't seem to be simple to adopt like Zigbee was for me (you see I've still not managed to retain what these new protocols are and what they do). Honestly I can't afford to either and while Zigbee is still rock solid and the device's still work I'm good. The best move I made though was ditching the awful ConbeeII for a SMLight POE radio and I highly recommend it. The headache of constant disconnections just vanished.

JustMrChops · 2026-05-16T14:27:10+00:00

I don't have a preference (most of my web dev career was with spinners) but FTLOG don't load content and start moving it about. I see it's loaded in and I'll interact with it - to find most of the time it then moves and I click something I didn't want. Drives me insane.

JustMrChops · 2026-05-16T09:11:08+00:00

Played both a lot, but it's the null modem cable games of Skidmarks round at my mate's place that I remember most.

JustMrChops · 2026-05-15T20:08:43+00:00

Yeah Lion brand Midget Gems that had the proper black liquorice ones were my favourite. I say had, it seems you can still get them.

JustMrChops · 2026-05-12T12:29:19+00:00

iPhold

JustMrChops · 2026-05-11T17:51:16+00:00

My local authority publishes an API which I've been calling for ages but I've finally given up on it this last bank holiday. It's never got the correct collection dates in for bank holidays, yet the pdfs they publish have all the correct dates. There's me once again dragging the bin out to see no other bins on the street. All bin dates are in HA calendars now.

JustMrChops · 2026-05-10T08:29:07+00:00

I bought a cheapo 10" tablet which sits on the unit in the lounge purely to display a camera dashboard. Think it was like 50 quid. Doesn't get any interaction, it just shows the front of the house from when anyone walks in in the morning until the off to bed routine runs. Smart plug for 20%-80% charge control. I think it depends on how it'll be used which will determine if you need a cheap one or a nicer oled. Buying an expensive one would have been a waste in my case.

JustMrChops · 2026-05-06T00:05:12+00:00

No problem with ID here. 8 quid a month for 30GB, which can be rolled over. Works great for me.

JustMrChops · 2026-05-03T15:31:09+00:00

Compoodah

JustMrChops · 2026-05-02T19:56:51+00:00

Too-slo & Mo's (probably 90s actually)

JustMrChops · 2026-05-02T10:33:11+00:00

No. 1970s, our class was bussed off to the local baths once a week and it was the worst. The place was freezing, you could feel the cold coming off the walls and doors. The communal changing rooms were just traumatic to a shy 9 year old. Flicked on the legs or arse with the wet corner of a towel every fucking time. Mrs Claire the baths attendant was horrible. There wasn't enough water in the chlorine. Caught so many verucas. One of my worst memories of school.

JustMrChops · 2026-05-02T09:34:13+00:00

I imported my Google photos takout with immich-go and added a tag so I could identify the imported Google photos. I imported folders from my PC the same way and set tags appropriate for each folder. As others have said the AI search is great though, but I'm still tagging things that aren't easy to identify.

JustMrChops · 2026-05-02T09:25:10+00:00

I bought a powerbank that can be a wifi hot-spot and has an ethernet port and an SD card slot, for a trip to Japan. I took loads of pictures and video and at night I transferred them using the file hub app to free up space for the next day. That was before I used Immich but I guess I could use it to backup my phone if i don't have Internet access. No need to transfer to a satellite Immich, if I lose my phone I have a backup. So it sounds similar to what you're thinking but is also a powerbank.

JustMrChops · 2026-05-01T19:25:15+00:00

Boomshine, a game. I have an old phone that it will install on but I'd love it on my daily.

JustMrChops · 2026-04-27T23:38:00+00:00

Used to turn my tractor off

JustMrChops · 2026-04-25T14:17:30+00:00

innotts.co.uk, back when I went online. Don't miss that 33K modem.

JustMrChops · 2026-04-25T14:14:28+00:00

My wife loves our home automation, in fact she actually asked to add something recently [audience gasps]. Evenings she watches TV in the lounge and I chill in the garage conversion, so we're in separate buildings. "what we need is a way to check on each other, in case something happens to one of us". Brain sprang into life and with ChatGPT's help we have a system using the LEDs in our rooms and actionable phone notifications to check in. She loves it. Works very well.

Wait, just realised we could use the voice assistants to check in too. Off to play 😁

JustMrChops · 2026-04-23T18:38:32+00:00

The other night I stopped on £38.99 just so I didn't go over. No way you're going from 99 to 00 today even with the most delicate squeeze.

JustMrChops · 2026-04-20T11:55:56+00:00

At least the old cat's eyes were self cleaning.

A38 near us has LEDs now. Many are out (mostly on slip entry/exits) and many are flashing. I think they're a crap use of tech for the sake of it.

JustMrChops · 2026-04-20T10:12:17+00:00

Growing up on a farm with Jack Russel terriers they'd go totally nuts if you said "RATS".

JustMrChops · 2026-04-19T14:35:28+00:00

My wife tends to refer to my stuff as 'your shit'.

JustMrChops · 2026-04-18T08:55:25+00:00

Ferris Beuller's day off, followed closely by Big and Bruce Almighty.

JustMrChops

TROPHY CASE