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Cynthia Spencer Project

What happens when you make a few phone calls to Friends to help create something to benefit a Charity providing Palliative and End-of-Life Care to people? We created this amazing Jewellery where all profits benefit Cynthia Spencer Hospice, that's what! Have a read to find out more.

Raspberry Pi booting to Raspberry Pi Desktop on a small HDMI touchscreen display placed on a wooden desk.

MHS35 Touchscreen LCD on Raspberry Pi – 64 Bit OS

Bought during lockdown, forgotten in a box, found at the weekend. Getting the MHS35 3.5" TFT touchscreen working on Raspberry Pi OS Trixie (64-bit) is straightforward once you know the correct approach. The instructions in the box are out of date, the product page has been updated but leaves gaps around rotation and touch recalibration. This guide covers the complete setup from fresh Trixie install to a correctly oriented and calibrated display, including what the installer script actually does under the hood and why.

Vintage illustration showing a “No Tipping Allowed by Law” sign with a policeman, waitress and customers debating tipping in early 20th-century America.

The Tipping Escalation Ladder – Can It Be Reversed? (Part 2 of 3)

After exploring the idea of the Tipping Escalation Ladder, one question kept appearing: can tipping culture actually be reversed? Surprisingly, the United States once tried to ban tipping entirely. This follow-up looks at the forgotten anti-tipping movement of the early 1900s and how modern payment systems and delivery platforms may now be reshaping tipping expectations once again.

Payment terminal screen showing large buttons for 10%, 15%, and 20% tips with a smaller “No Tip” option, illustrating dark pattern design in tipping prompts.

When Payment Design Becomes Persuasion (Part 3 of 3)

A modern payment terminal asking for a tip may look like a simple choice. But behind that screen sits decades of behavioural research, UX design, and subtle psychological nudges. As tipping prompts spread through global payment systems, the question becomes harder to ignore: are we choosing to tip… or being guided there by design?

Dimly lit NHS hospital six bed bay at night with a glowing smartphone on a rumpled bed, suggesting a restless patient and constant phone calls.

Tales from the NHS: The Unwashed Enigma

Life in a six bed NHS bay means you don’t just witness other people’s behaviour… you live inside it. This is the tale of Rupert, a sports-obsessed, toilet-blocking, phone-call addict who managed to delay an entire surgical list, ignore antibacterial wash instructions, and still somehow be the main character on the ward.

Illustration of an American and British diner arguing about tipping culture at a bar, symbolising the debate over tipping expectations.

The Tipping Escalation Ladder (Part 1 of 3)

Tipping used to be a simple thank-you for exceptional service. Today, it increasingly feels like something else… suggested by payment terminals, engineered into apps, and socially enforced in ways that quietly shift labour costs from employers to customers. In this piece, I explore what I call the Tipping Escalation Ladder and ask whether optional gratitude is becoming engineered expectation.

A close-up view of a PICC line secured to the upper arm with medical dressing and a SecurAcath anchor.

The NHS Is Modernising. Are We Remembering the Patient?

Recovering with a PICC line has made me notice something simple but important… trust. A withheld NHS call asked for my DOB before proving who they were, and a home visit introduced an AI recording app without clear consent. The problem isn’t technology… it’s assumed consent and invisible governance.

Empty hospital chair beside a bedside table with folded glasses, in a softly lit patient room.

Tales from the NHS: Schrödinger’s Elderly

A quiet moment from the ward… an elderly man, “medically stable” for discharge yet unable to stand. I didn’t intervene. Helplessness, fear… and the ache of not knowing what happened next. If this is how we treat those who’ve lived full lives, what becomes of us when our turn comes?

Digital illustration of a glowing neuron connected to a blue computer circuit board, representing the convergence of biological and silicon computing.

The New Frontier of Biocomputing: Power, Ethics and the Perils of Living Machines

Biocomputing is moving from sci-fi to server racks. Using living neurons as processors promises huge energy savings… but raises hard questions about consent, sentience risk, decommissioning and biosecurity. As a cybersecurity professional, I explore how “living machines” demand new ethics, governance and infection-control standards before they ever scale.

Cover of the Amstrad CPC Calendar 2026 featuring pixel art of Toki the ape, enemies, and retro fantasy elements.

Amstrad CPC Themed 2026 Calendar

Forget the 80s loading screens, the 2026 CPC calendar celebrates new releases from the modern Amstrad scene. Download it free and prove the CPC is still leading the 8-bit pack.

Amstrad CPC Calendar 2026 cover: vibrant pixel art scene from “Toki,” showing a cartoon ape, dragon, and colourful retro elements. Includes project title and QR codes in the corners.

Calendar Compiler

Create gorgeous, personalised printable calendars with CalendarCompiler! This open-source Python tool lets you mix your own artwork, public holidays, and special events (like “International Day Of…” and birthdays) in a fully customisable layout. Free to use and easy to configure, just update a settings file and hit run. Grab the latest version or contribute at: https://github.com/muckypaws/CalendarCompiler

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Raspberry Pi booting to Raspberry Pi Desktop on a small HDMI touchscreen display placed on a wooden desk.

MHS35 Touchscreen LCD on Raspberry Pi – 64 Bit OS

Bought during lockdown, forgotten in a box, found at the weekend. Getting the MHS35 3.5″ TFT touchscreen working on Raspberry Pi OS Trixie (64-bit) is straightforward once you know the correct approach. The instructions in the box are out of date, the product page has been updated but leaves gaps around rotation and touch recalibration. This guide covers the complete setup from fresh Trixie install to a correctly oriented and calibrated display, including what the installer script actually does under the hood and why.
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Vintage illustration showing a “No Tipping Allowed by Law” sign with a policeman, waitress and customers debating tipping in early 20th-century America.

The Tipping Escalation Ladder – Can It Be Reversed? (Part 2 of 3)

After exploring the idea of the Tipping Escalation Ladder, one question kept appearing: can tipping culture actually be reversed? Surprisingly, the United States once tried to ban tipping entirely. This follow-up looks at the forgotten anti-tipping movement of the early 1900s and how modern payment systems and delivery platforms may now be reshaping tipping expectations once again.

Payment terminal screen showing large buttons for 10%, 15%, and 20% tips with a smaller “No Tip” option, illustrating dark pattern design in tipping prompts.

When Payment Design Becomes Persuasion (Part 3 of 3)

A modern payment terminal asking for a tip may look like a simple choice. But behind that screen sits decades of behavioural research, UX design, and subtle psychological nudges. As tipping prompts spread through global payment systems, the question becomes harder to ignore: are we choosing to tip… or being guided there by design?

Illustration of an American and British diner arguing about tipping culture at a bar, symbolising the debate over tipping expectations.

The Tipping Escalation Ladder (Part 1 of 3)

Tipping used to be a simple thank-you for exceptional service. Today, it increasingly feels like something else… suggested by payment terminals, engineered into apps, and socially enforced in ways that quietly shift labour costs from employers to customers. In this piece, I explore what I call the Tipping Escalation Ladder and ask whether optional gratitude is becoming engineered expectation.

A close-up view of a PICC line secured to the upper arm with medical dressing and a SecurAcath anchor.

The NHS Is Modernising. Are We Remembering the Patient?

Recovering with a PICC line has made me notice something simple but important… trust. A withheld NHS call asked for my DOB before proving who they were, and a home visit introduced an AI recording app without clear consent. The problem isn’t technology… it’s assumed consent and invisible governance.

Dimly lit NHS hospital six bed bay at night with a glowing smartphone on a rumpled bed, suggesting a restless patient and constant phone calls.

Tales from the NHS: The Unwashed Enigma

Life in a six bed NHS bay means you don’t just witness other people’s behaviour… you live inside it. This is the tale of Rupert, a sports-obsessed, toilet-blocking, phone-call addict who managed to delay an entire surgical list, ignore antibacterial wash instructions, and still somehow be the main character on the ward.

Raspberry Pi booting to Raspberry Pi Desktop on a small HDMI touchscreen display placed on a wooden desk.

MHS35 Touchscreen LCD on Raspberry Pi – 64 Bit OS

Bought during lockdown, forgotten in a box, found at the weekend. Getting the MHS35 3.5" TFT touchscreen working on Raspberry Pi OS Trixie (64-bit) is straightforward once you know the correct approach. The instructions in the box are out of date, the product page has been updated but leaves gaps around rotation and touch recalibration. This guide covers the complete setup from fresh Trixie install to a correctly oriented and calibrated display, including what the installer script actually does under the hood and why.

Payment terminal screen showing large buttons for 10%, 15%, and 20% tips with a smaller “No Tip” option, illustrating dark pattern design in tipping prompts.

When Payment Design Becomes Persuasion (Part 3 of 3)

A modern payment terminal asking for a tip may look like a simple choice. But behind that screen sits decades of behavioural research, UX design, and subtle psychological nudges. As tipping prompts spread through global payment systems, the question becomes harder to ignore: are we choosing to tip… or being guided there by design?

Vintage illustration showing a “No Tipping Allowed by Law” sign with a policeman, waitress and customers debating tipping in early 20th-century America.

The Tipping Escalation Ladder – Can It Be Reversed? (Part 2 of 3)

After exploring the idea of the Tipping Escalation Ladder, one question kept appearing: can tipping culture actually be reversed? Surprisingly, the United States once tried to ban tipping entirely. This follow-up looks at the forgotten anti-tipping movement of the early 1900s and how modern payment systems and delivery platforms may now be reshaping tipping expectations once again.

GreaseWeazle

Via the Retro community I learned of the GreaseWeazle, and at a fundamental level it works by recording the magnetic fluctuations on the disk surface and therefore doesn't rely on a specific disk interface to decode those signals. As such it makes it perfect for making digital forensic copies of disks in the past.

A digital balance scale weighing a glowing AI chatbot on one side and icons for streaming and social media platforms like YouTube and TikTok on the other, symbolising the debate over digital energy consumption.

Is AI Really the Energy Villain?

Is AI really the energy hog it’s made out to be? This blog explores the real energy impact of LLMs like ChatGPT, comparing it with always-on digital habits like YouTube, TikTok, and cloud gaming. Backed by data, this piece calls for balanced scrutiny, not headlines.

Amstrad and ZX Spectrum DSK Tool

I found myself needing a command line tool to investigate and extract files from DSK Image files used by Emulators, after archiving my own 1980's hack disks. I wrote my own and made it opensource for you to use, amend or even improve on if it helps your projects.