I'm very sad but not really surprised by the recent #apple decision to remove #iceblock from the App Store. This clearly illustrates two points: 1) modern #tech, especially mobile phones, are gilded cages for users with single points of failure and little true freedom by design, and 2) […]

I’m definitely an #ai skeptic, but also a #diy #tinkerer. This tool is here to stay and I wanted to learn how it works. I was inspired by https://fecht.cc/personal/local-on-demand-gpu/ and set up a similar stack at home. Basically #ollama backend on my […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

Finally had some spare time to learn more about the #sciop project recently. I created a #DIY seed box to preserve several #smithsonian datasets at risk of censorship, including over 1.2TB and 94,000 images. I then configured #plex to serve the photos and […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

My old Dell Inspiron 5577 is still going strong. With #windows 10 aging out, I finally had time this weekend to upgrade to #debian 13 with #xfce 4.20. Looking forward to many more years of fun from this trusty #pc! #linux #diy #maker #computers

I was about to consider this bougainvillea a goner but after some recent rains, I’m glad to see it’s bounced back very nicely! #gardening #flowers

Our first #chile #piquín! Several other flowers, excited to try soon.

My 6yo son has a kit of Snap Circuits that he loves to tinker with, powered by 2x AAs. We wanted more flexibility, so we bought an NTE1904 3.3V regulator from a local mom and pop #electronics store and just finished our little #circuit this weekend. It may […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

I bought an old Arco Solar panel way back in 2002 but never did anything with it. It was so old I couldn’t even find a spec sheet online! The #kids and I used the multimeter we recently fixed to measure basic Voc and Isc, then built our own #diy #solar USB […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

First #harvest of sweet onions! The first actual crop from our first attempt at #gardening. 🧅

My 6yo son and I made a “Cricket in a Can” with bits and bobs we had laying around. A simple gadget and not too pretty, but it chirps like a cricket when you tap the can. His 2yo brother thinks it’s hilarious! I think this will be a fun little platform for […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

Our first-ever attempt at #gardening is wilting due to way too much sun and sheer heat. Today’s #diy dad project was moving the strawberries to a shadier spot by the front entryway. They perked up after a heavy water, so hope it helps! 🍓

Dad #diy fixes for today: a crockpot lid and two cheap plastic Chinese toys (they were Xmas gifts from friends). The lid was saved, decent prognosis for the trailer (glue drying), but the landing gear was irreparable, so we salvaged the batteries and interesting bits for another day’s invention.

I recently made my kids a nightlight. Four yellow LEDs programmed to continuously flicker like fireflies with an #arduino pro mini in a Mason jar. No switches or moving parts; simply set into the base and an inductive charger will power the system in a loop […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

Getting back into Arduino and electronics tinkering after a decade, I discovered my 30+ year old DM-59 multimeter couldn’t measure current. A quick online search suggested to check the fuses, which were both burned out. The best I could do at my local […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

The cloud is just someone else's computer. Specifically, Bill's.