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Tech Flashback: RS-232 USB Converter (USC1000) & TP Talk AAUI Adapter
When it comes to old and strange bits of hardware, I’m guilty of being a hoarder, to the point that it’s going to take me years (literally) to cover the stuff that I’ve already collected. In fact, I...
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Tech Flashback: Sharp ELSI MATE EL-120 Pocket Calculator
When I was in the second year of primary school, I remember the teacher carrying around his pocket calculator – a black, chunky plastic device which took a lot of AA batteries. By then, solar-powered...
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R&S NGM202 Update: F/W V2.005 Changes, Digital Trigger I/O, FastLog Fun &...
I published my launch-day review of the Rohde & Schwarz NGM202 Two-Quadrant Power Supply on 20th August 2019 and in the one-and-a-half months since then, there has been a new firmware release (and...
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Tech Flashback: Sharp Compet Digital Rule PC-1802 Pocket Calculator
Just last week, I posted about a Sharp Elsi Mate EL-120 Pocket Calculator with its glorious vacuum fluorescent display. That post made a mention that there would be another VFD-based calculator in the...
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Tech Flashback: Canon Palmtronic F-5 Calculator
I never thought I would be collecting calculators, but somehow, it just happened. I suppose if we look back on the progress of technology, the calculator is one of the devices which might be a good...
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Random: Tangara Upgrade Tests, Vintage Railway Assets, NBN HFC Demarc Box & More
It’s time for another random post – this time, there are more transport-related observations including more upgrades to Tangaras, a few vintage railway assets, a look inside my NBN HFC demarc box,...
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Tech Flashback, Repair: Texas Instruments SR-56 Programmable Calculator
As I continue to chip away at the pile of vintage equipment that has been donated to me by readers, I move to this moderately rare Texas Instruments SR-56 Programmable Calculator. The SR stands for...
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On the Way Out: Sydney Trains T6 Carlingford Line (17 Nov 1888 – 5 Jan 2020*)
I was out and about on the rail network one day when I heard the news – the T6 Carlingford Line is set to permanently close. Having never ridden the full-length of the line, I felt sad that it would be...
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Review: Seeeduino Nano + 16×2 LCD + BME280 + SGP30 + I2C Hub Grove Components
Around a month ago, I was approached by Seeed Studio with an opportunity to review some of their products. As their slogan is “The IoT Hardware Enabler”, it sounded like something I would be interested...
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Updates: Opal Connect for Cooee Busways, On Demand Patronage & Buses Going...
This week has been quite an interesting week for public transport users, especially bus users, as the NSW Government seems to have announced and extended a number of initiatives that change the way you...
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Opinion: Maccas – Get Your App Together!
I know it’s not good for my health, but I’ll admit, I eat at McDonalds on a moderately regular basis. They do a decent job of providing food that is affordably priced, at convenient locations on the...
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Visited: CeBIT Australia (ICC Sydney, 29-31 Oct 2019)
The CeBIT Australia exhibition came to ICC Sydney two weeks ago, which I attended as a regular visitor to the show. I would have blogged about it earlier – if it were not for a number of crises that I...
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Tech Flashback: Generic Light-Up Mobile Phone Keyring
In the process of cleaning up the endless piles of forgotten-about stuff, I came across a novelty item that we don’t seem to see very much of anymore – a light-up mobile phone keyring. Back in the days...
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Project: Data Recovery & SMART Post Mortem on a Seagate 1TB 7200.12 HDD
I haven’t had much of a chance to make regular postings recently, because when things break, it seems everything breaks at once. Between attending to a collapsing retaining wall, a broken luggage wheel...
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Quick Review: Samsung EVO Plus 128GB UHS-I microSDXC Card (MB-MC128G)
I don’t frequently purchase flash memory, as the cards I buy tend to serve me well. However, this week thanks to another seasonal discount, I purchased some local Samsung EVO Plus 128GB UHS-I microSDXC...
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Review: Orico 2139U3 2.5″ USB3.0 External SATA Hard Drive Enclosure
After my recent marginally-satisfactory experience of purchasing external 2.5″ SATA to USB 3.0 enclosures from eBay and my recent caving-in to joining eBay Plus, I decided to capitalise on my newfound...
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Tested: Generic USB Bluetooth Receivers (PiX LV-B02L, H7X-RX-163)
Recently, I had a request from my brother to take a look at the 3.5mm auxiliary input line into his car stereo. Over the years, pulling at the cable has seemingly mangled the plug and he was looking to...
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Review: Toshiba Canvio Basics 4TB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive (DTB440)
It’s that time of year again – a kind of “buying” season where discounts haphazardly seem to come out of nowhere. When it comes to bus-powered storage, the Toshiba Canvio Basics 4TB bus-powered USB 3.0...
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Review: Seagate Expansion Portable 4TB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive (STEA4000400)
Literally moments after I bought the Toshiba Canvio Basics drive reviewed in the previous post, Seagate fired back by matching the price on their Seagate Expansion Portable 4TB USB 3.0 External Hard...
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On-Demand & Opal Connect: An Audacious Trial Misrepresented?
Earlier this week, I was approached by Mr. Tim Davies of Channel 9 to answer a few questions to camera about the Opal Connect On-Demand Transport trial currently operating in The Ponds, Norwest and...
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