Previously on Phil’s Newsletter: Not much happened, tbh. Is was Bobby Bonilla Day. Why are you still here

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This week’s guest on OpenCV Weekly Webinar was Minsoo Lee, CEO of Bluebox Labs. They just launched a new project called Co-pilot, which can turn any car (manufactured 1996 or after) into a smart robot with features like a dash cam, security system, mileage tracking, and more. Even better: It’s got an OpenCV AI Kit inside! Back ‘em on Kickstarter and tell ‘em Phil sent ya.

I am officially out of pro wrestling shirts to wear on the show. Somebody should buy me some more.

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Hello, I Must Be Posting

In this issue: I built a keyboard, we failed to play video games, and I drop a heaping helping of Good Links.

You may have noticed I didn’t do a newsletter yesterday! At least I hope you noticed, pls notice me. Anyway I didn’t send one. I had this whole thing cooked up about feelings but feelings are stupid and I got tired of trying to think about them. Instead I drank liquor, pawed at my guitar, and watched cartoons. BTW, The official Dungeons and Dragons Twitch channel is streaming episodes of the cartoon from the 80s (hat tip @chappelltracker).

I may have some fun announcements next week, Eldritch Terror-Gods of the Universe willing. This week we tried to put our head down and get some work done. For once, the flesh was willing but the spirit was lacking.

I Built A Tiny Keyboard / Stream Deck

Rare Lucrative Skeletons @philnelson

Here it is controlling the “transition” function in OBS

July 2nd 2021

2 Likes

This week’s unholy fusion of 3D printing and hobbyist electronics is a little 6-key keyboard, which I am using to control OBS functions via hotkeys. It uses a Raspberry Pi Pico, a $4 tiny computer, and CircuitPython to do its thing. Next step: Relabel-able key caps so I can draw lil pictures on they keys. Speaking of streaming…

Sticks & Fists in: Failure To Launch

There was no Sticks & Fists this week, due to technical bullshittery. For some reason my video capture box was not communicating with my MacBook Pro, despite my asking in a very stern voice, swapping cables, etc etc. We got drunk on Nelson Fuel and ate Spizzico di Pizza anyway. Next Wednesday at 7:30pm: Sticks & Fists take on Knights of the Round (1981) the classic Capcom medieval beat ‘em up.

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Did you know that if you have Amazon Prime you can give me free money? Here’s how to use your free Prime subscription to subscribe to my channel, extrafuture. You’ll unlock no-ads-mode and get a shout out during our broadcasts, and a shout-out in this very newsletter.

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The Good Links

A real cavalcade of whimsy this week.

• The Playstation boot screen was a 3D model

• “This Tesla was found self driving around a secluded on fire completely empty.”

• Apparently old bowling balls are not recyclable, and pro bowlers go through up to 200 balls per year. Balls

• Germany is trying to force adult websites to capture and store the ID and photo of every visitor or face a ban

• “In today’s society, our every move is monitored and every action criticized,” Liao wrote. “Is there any more rebellious act than to simply ‘lie flat?’”

• Mildly obsessed with the game Yogurt Commercial 3: “Travel the world amassing power in order to create the ultimate yogurt commercial of all time in this sandbox puzzle adventure game.”

• Microsoft Tries, Fails to Patch Critical Windows Vulnerability. Chaos Ensues

• Surprising nobody except shitty bosses the world over: World’s largest ever four day week trial in Iceland ‘overwhelming success’

• Some mad genius ported the MSX firmware to Sega Genesis/Megadrive

• Don’t Fear The Reaper arranged for paper tape music box

• Love the look of The Lilith Series 1, a semi-transparent computer released in 1981. Way before the iMac or even Play It Loud-era GameBoys.

• The Hoard of Bitfonts— “bitmapped fonts from disused operating systems and graphical user interfaces.”

• A wifi adapter for the original GameBoy Camera, which I need one of right away

PhilWatch

I’m doin OK. Here’s me in a cool science hat

My lease is up soon and it’s stressing me out. I don’t really know what I want to do or where I want to go but I feel like I’ve finally gotten semi-comfortable with my new life. All comfort in this life is temporary, unless you’re some kind of horrible Bezos/Musk-style wealth hoarder of course. After the hell of the last 2 years, I don’t want to throw this temporary comfort away so easily. I’ve had enough change to last me for awhile.

— Phil

Wizard Tower Gamma, South of Market, San Francisco, California, United States of America, Earth

07.09.21