Dr. Guillermo Power @gpowerf@social.cleverlibre.org

when I was 15 years old, I got a summer job at the first ISP launched in the far north of canada. i worked in the hardware servicing and deployment area, and did tech support with clients over the phone

for weeks I was enamoured with a massive #VisualBasic box that sat on the shelf. it had to weigh 10+ lbs, and was loaded with manuals. no one seemed to care, so I borrowed a few of the manuals and started reading them over lunch.

my boss must have noticed, and asked me if I was interested in learning how to program. for the next two months he spent weeknights teaching me how to code after the staff went home.

i spent the entire summer of 1995 building a photo library/database tool just for kicks. after that, a visual TCP/IP based chat program called Smalltima Online. 😅

that summer gave me the conceptual foundation for building user-driven experiences a decade later. thank you jeff🙏

i picked up this chonker a couple of years ago just for the memories. 🥰

I mean...

#8BitDo Gaming Controllers Now Compatible With iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac

https://www.macrumors.com/2023/03/20/8bitdo-controllers-apple-devices/

"It is what it is"

Oh thanks I thought it was something it's not.

"There might be room for one more...”

#Windows #WindowsXP #XP #Meme

The latest issue of Freeze64 is here! And it’s not a vintage game on the cover for a change, but a brand new one 😎

#Commodore64 #RetroGaming

My favorite toll fraud arms race story, which I've never seen documented:

As the blue box era ended in the early 80's with in-band signaling trunks becoming obsolete, a new service started to emerge that would also allow "free" (to the user) calls: 3rd party long distance dial-around networks provided by MCI and SPC.

You'd dial the local number for the service, enter a 5 digit customer code, and then a 7 digit phone number, which they'd connect you to. This was cheaper than AT&T.

...

My latest project, boots up, I hear the floppy drive , display works, cartridge port works - nothing from the keyboard - pulled the cable and checked the pins, looks ok! Will disassemble and clean the keyboard #retrocomputing

Ubuntu Prepares for Stable Steam Snap Release

https://www.linuxtoday.com/developer/ubuntu-prepares-stable-steam-snap-release/

#Developer #gaming #Ubuntu #Steam #News #Snap

Brings me small comfort sometimes that Windows 11 still has all these icons available.

Finally! https://9to5mac.com/2023/03/20/8bitdo-game-controllers-apple-devices/

On Mastodon it’s not shitposting it’s pooptooting.

This device could predict incoming phone calls.