Category Archives: Technology

September and the inner demons of detritus

Posted on Thursday, 30. November 2023 by hmvh

My desktop machine had died overnight. Just like that. No warning. This was not the downtime I had in mind for my holiday. Whilst we took our three furry monsters to the beach, another demon waited for me at home. This was as good a time as any to upgrade my 8-year-old machine. Has it really been that long? Continue reading →

Posted in Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

AI Photo Enhancement: Boon or Bust for Old Photos?

Posted on Saturday, 1. April 2023 by hmvh

Digitizing old family photos is a great way to preserve family history and memories for future generations. But let’s face it: old photos can be faded, scratched, and just plain old-looking. That’s where AI-powered photo enhancement software comes in. But is it really the panacea it’s cracked up to be? Continue reading →

Posted in Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Canis fidelis verum vox

Posted on Sunday, 18. April 2021 by hmvh

After several years of collecting components and a similar number of weekends of woodwork later, last December I finally completed the Hi‑Fi rack I’ve been wanting since what feels like an eternity. Continue reading →

Posted in Technology | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Of Duke Nukem and aborted laptop ideas

Posted on Sunday, 11. February 2018 by hmvh

Another use for an old laptop was to turn a donated Thinkpad into a “play-station” dedicated to preserving and showcasing old DOS games. And so, finally, Duke Nukem 3D was completed, start to finish. Continue reading →

Posted in Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Windows Phone is dead

Posted on Wednesday, 15. November 2017 by hmvh

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the introduction of the iPhone. The first commercial Android device was released a year later; today Android has the largest installed base of any operating system. In 2010 Microsoft also heeded the call with the ill-fated Windows Phone 7 (based on Windows CE). “Too little, too late”, one might say, nor was there an upgrade path to 2014’s superior Windows 8/8.1 generation (now based on Windows NT). And they were pretty damn good. Continue reading →

Posted in Technology | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

A look back at 1988

Posted on Friday, 28. February 2014 by hmvh

There was no way I could’ve foreseen how the telecommunications industry would change the world as we know it. Yes, 1988 was the year I started working. I started earning a regular salary. I now had to pay taxes. My parents started charging rent. I bought a camera and snapped a few pictures from a platform that few were privileged to step onto. Continue reading →

Posted in Technology | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Miniaturisation and consumerism

Posted on Saturday, 4. June 2011 by hmvh

The other day the DVB-T receiver packed up. After I took a drive to my favourite electronics store to pick up a replacement unit I noticed how small the box it comes in was. But it wasn’t until I got home and started hooking up the new unit that the size difference really became apparent. Continue reading →

Posted in Technology | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Goodbye, Walkman

Posted on Tuesday, 26. October 2010 by hmvh

Keeping in tune with the previous posting, we may as well follow up with the announcement that the Walkman has officially ejected its last tape. Sony announced on Monday that it has ceased production of the classic, cassette tape Walkman in Japan, effectively sounding the death knell of the once iconic, now obsolete device and marking the end of one of the most successful consumer gadgets of all time. Continue reading →

Posted in Technology | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment