Headworx

The shoemaker's children go barefoot. And so they do in the AI era. I plan to spend a week on Cabo Verde, most of the days working remotely from there. Quick survey of internet forums and cellular coverage maps hint at poor internet access there, so it seemed like a good excuse to try Starlink. Especially as the prices have fallen and the Starlink Mini Kit sells now for under $200. And then you can suspend the subscription at any time (so they say). There is also the 30-day free return period in case I don't like it. So I tried to more or less precisely time ordering the kit, so it arrives about a week before my trip.  The Starlink website was saying that I needed 1 to 2 weeks for the kit to be delivered. So I pulled the trigger on September 15. Then they sent me an email with the "updated" delivery estimate, which was between September 28 and October 6. So rather 2-3 weeks, not 1-2. Which would be a bummer as we leave for Cabo Verde on October 3. But there was nothin...

I used to use the iPad a lot in the past. But over the last year I've found myself using it less often. I think there have been three reasons for this decline and I have been able to get rid of at least two of them. Reason number one (and this one is still there) is the small "phone" form-factor apps have been getting increasingly better. Getting things done with just a phone is not only possible today but often it is the most effective way. App UX designers target the largest audience and these are phone users. I even find it quite convenient to watch (offline) YouTube videos on the phone ( the battery drain bug is still there - so be careful! ). Not movies but blog-type videos, where the audio track is really where the content is. Reason number two was the battery in my iPad was discharging quickly. It is a 3rd party battery. Apple does not replace the battery, replacing the whole device instead. I did not want to go through the iPad erase/restore process ( it is tediou...

The Karlsson Nixie clock (by Peter van der Jagt 1997) is very stylish. One of the first of the kind and definitely setting the trend. Unfortunately it does not hold the time after a power outage. For quite some time I was thinking of adding a time synchronization module. Initially the idea was to use the long wave radio receiving the DCF77 signal. DCF77 is increasingly more problematic as the 77kHz frequency is impacted by the totality of high frequency digital power supplies that generate lots of radio noise. The alternative is of course fully digital, relying on an Internet time source, based on the NTP protocol. Surprisingly (or not) the NTP-based module has proven to be super easy to build these days (...with the help of AI). Actually I wanted to kill two birds with one stone: have the bloody clock display the right time and also test Claude's capabilities as a junior embedded software / electronics coworker. Both goals have been achieved. I found it entertaining, educating, ...

My knee has been getting better and I was told that bicycle would be a much better recovery exercise than trail running. That is kind of obvious - less stress and better joint stabilization. September has also proven to be a great time for a bit of off-road / gravel biking. Not too hot and very nice scenery, especially in mornings or at sunset.  Sunset rides also mean returning after dark. Which means the bike needed a good light. That was planned from the very beginning, especially with some longer off-the-grid trips I had in mind.  When I was a kid, most bikes had attached dynamos, friction- powered by a rotating tire. That system was problematic - the friction was significant and did not work when the tire was wet. Also the additional tire wear was not negligible.  But now we have dynamo hubs. I chose the German SON , as it bears some convincing German engineering - like moisture protection. The hub also removes all issues of the old design: works always (even when wet...