retro tech is beautiful not just because of the chunky connectors and funny colors. like, that IS beautiful, but also: it's yearning for tech that doesn't break down. tech that you can keep repairing for generations.

"this was my grandmother's laptop", we'll say. "over the years I've replaced the keyboard, the motherboard, the ram, and the screen."

it still sends and receives emails, in plain or rich text. it still plays video games. not all of them, sure, but it plays five or six really good timeless ones. tetris, minecraft, balatro maybe. you can use it to edit photos for your digital scrapbook, or to write wedding invitations. you can use it to paint digital paintings or play digital concerts.

that's the goal. that's what we're all here for.

the hardware already exists. Framework is a good step in this direction but people have been converting Thinkpads into linux boxes since the early 2000s. this isn't a problem that requires an expensive new gizmo.

no, the thing between here and now is low-spec software. all the good apps use 10 times the ram they need, because the companies that develop good software are addicted to growth.

open source offers the dream of backwards compatibility forever, but open source software takes time and money too.

but hey, CSP runs on linux now. so don't stop dreaming. someday you'll have a computer you can give to your kids.

#retrocomputing #computers #hope

We take pride in our manufacturing process and we believe you would to if you join the team! We're looking for a skilled Manufacturing Engineer and CNC Programmer to help build the next generation of handcrafted Thelio Desktops at our Denver, CO factory. Apply today! https://s76.co/sys76cncaug2025 #manufacturing#Computers#CNCProgramming

We take pride in our manufacturing process and we believe you would to if you join the team! We're looking for a skilled Manufacturing Engineer and CNC Programmer to help build the next generation of handcrafted Thelio Desktops at our Denver, CO factory. Apply today! https://s76.co/sys76cncaug2025 #manufacturing#Computers#CNCProgramming

retro tech is beautiful not just because of the chunky connectors and funny colors. like, that IS beautiful, but also: it's yearning for tech that doesn't break down. tech that you can keep repairing for generations.

"this was my grandmother's laptop", we'll say. "over the years I've replaced the keyboard, the motherboard, the ram, and the screen."

it still sends and receives emails, in plain or rich text. it still plays video games. not all of them, sure, but it plays five or six really good timeless ones. tetris, minecraft, balatro maybe. you can use it to edit photos for your digital scrapbook, or to write wedding invitations. you can use it to paint digital paintings or play digital concerts.

that's the goal. that's what we're all here for.

the hardware already exists. Framework is a good step in this direction but people have been converting Thinkpads into linux boxes since the early 2000s. this isn't a problem that requires an expensive new gizmo.

no, the thing between here and now is low-spec software. all the good apps use 10 times the ram they need, because the companies that develop good software are addicted to growth.

open source offers the dream of backwards compatibility forever, but open source software takes time and money too.

but hey, CSP runs on linux now. so don't stop dreaming. someday you'll have a computer you can give to your kids.

#retrocomputing #computers #hope

Michael Dexter
Charlie Stross
Michael Dexter and 1 other boosted

"If you bought a ThinkPad between 1995 and 2017, it was probably designed under the oversight of David W. Hill, who served as lead designer under both IBM and Lenovo for those 22 years. We caught up with Hill, who today runs his own firm, ThinkNext Design, to talk about the history of ThinkPad, what drove him to make key design decisions, and the products he wanted to come out with but just couldn't."

https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/02/thinkpad_david_hill_interview/

#Computers#Thinkpad#IBM#Lenovo#Keyboards#ComputerHistory

"If you bought a ThinkPad between 1995 and 2017, it was probably designed under the oversight of David W. Hill, who served as lead designer under both IBM and Lenovo for those 22 years. We caught up with Hill, who today runs his own firm, ThinkNext Design, to talk about the history of ThinkPad, what drove him to make key design decisions, and the products he wanted to come out with but just couldn't."

https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/02/thinkpad_david_hill_interview/

#Computers#Thinkpad#IBM#Lenovo#Keyboards#ComputerHistory

boost_ok Re: iNaturalist getting involved with Google genAI...feeding our comments into things...

Due to continued silence from iNaturalist about everything, October 31. That’s my deadline. That’s MORE THAN FAIR amount of time for them to:

1) Have a proper outline of the project and exactly what it will be.
2. Have a solid opt-in to the project, so no users are auto opted in without their consent
3. Have added account deletion options from an over-year-old feature request to add ways to delete including without removing ID’s for others along with anonymization. If data loss is really such a problem to them (which I think it should be) not having a way to do such a type of delete should be TOP PRIORITY especially with all this genAI bs going on...already it sounds like some power users have fully deleted their accounts over this, tired of waiting.

- Signed, someone with almost 25k ID’s for others, and almost 4k observations, including some firsts on the site (including new species to science) and other rare reports.

Please boost because I don't think most users know what is going on. All this info is mostly occurring on their separate forum, which you need to make a separate account to join. This is part of the issue of lack of transparency!

#AI#genAI#LLM #programming #computers #nature #naturalist #iNaturalist #iNat #biology #ecology#communityScience #cave #critters #invertebrate #insect

boost_ok Re: iNaturalist getting involved with Google genAI...feeding our comments into things...

Due to continued silence from iNaturalist about everything, October 31. That’s my deadline. That’s MORE THAN FAIR amount of time for them to:

1) Have a proper outline of the project and exactly what it will be.
2. Have a solid opt-in to the project, so no users are auto opted in without their consent
3. Have added account deletion options from an over-year-old feature request to add ways to delete including without removing ID’s for others along with anonymization. If data loss is really such a problem to them (which I think it should be) not having a way to do such a type of delete should be TOP PRIORITY especially with all this genAI bs going on...already it sounds like some power users have fully deleted their accounts over this, tired of waiting.

- Signed, someone with almost 25k ID’s for others, and almost 4k observations, including some firsts on the site (including new species to science) and other rare reports.

Please boost because I don't think most users know what is going on. All this info is mostly occurring on their separate forum, which you need to make a separate account to join. This is part of the issue of lack of transparency!

#AI#genAI#LLM #programming #computers #nature #naturalist #iNaturalist #iNat #biology #ecology#communityScience #cave #critters #invertebrate #insect

Devs (2020) is a sci-fi thriller following a group of programmers at a secretive tech startup who believe the universe is deterministic and are using advanced quantum computers to prove it.


Director Alex Garland crafts a cyberpunk aesthetic through 3D animation and motion graphics.

#scifi #tvseries #computers #developers #3danimation #motiongraphics #graphicsdesign #alexgarland

Gotta love good ol' 1-bit pixel dithering (ordered, Floyd-Steinberg, etc.) 💚

𝙈𝙖𝙘𝙋𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩 𝘼𝙧𝙩 𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙞𝙙-80𝙨 𝙎𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙇𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨 𝙂𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙏𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮

https://blog.decryption.net.au/posts/macpaint.html

#PixelArt#RetroComputing#VintageComputing #retro #apple #BlackAndWhite #computers #computing #1980s #macOS#Mac#tech #technology #vintage #nostalgia #old #graphics #CharacterDesign #design #artwork #digital #DigitalArt #art #artist #arte #arts#GraphicDesign #MastoArt#FediArt #CreativeToots#ArtistsOnMastodon

Gotta love good ol' 1-bit pixel dithering (ordered, Floyd-Steinberg, etc.) 💚

𝙈𝙖𝙘𝙋𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩 𝘼𝙧𝙩 𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙞𝙙-80𝙨 𝙎𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙇𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨 𝙂𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙏𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮

https://blog.decryption.net.au/posts/macpaint.html

#PixelArt#RetroComputing#VintageComputing #retro #apple #BlackAndWhite #computers #computing #1980s #macOS#Mac#tech #technology #vintage #nostalgia #old #graphics #CharacterDesign #design #artwork #digital #DigitalArt #art #artist #arte #arts#GraphicDesign #MastoArt#FediArt #CreativeToots#ArtistsOnMastodon

mkb
mkb boosted

The rise of smartphones has created an interesting phenomenon: #computers communicating optically by scanning barcodes on each other's screens.

This has some interesting #infosec properties:

* Humans can see when communication happens and control which devices are communicating (by pointing them at each other).

* Only a few bytes of data can be exchanged. This limits attack surface: there's no room for a non-trivial attack payload.

* This requires line of sight. No attacks through walls.