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robert

@robert@irrelevant.me.uk

Random thoughts and comments. Most interested in retro computing, pre-web viewdata/Prestel services. Also likes Sci-Fi, Roads, Geekery of many kinds. Liberal leaning, watcher of UK politics & world news.
Moving from twitter @irrelevant_com / @viewdataUK

#Prestel #Micronet #Viewdata #Videotex #BBCMicro #BBS

Dieses Profil is von einem föderierten Server und möglicherweise unvollständig. Auf der Original-Instanz anzeigen

robert , an Random Englisch
@robert@irrelevant.me.uk avatar

So glad I have been procrastinating upgrading the distribution on my one server with a public facing sshd port*. OpenSSH has remained old enough to not have the current flaw..

(* non standard port, which at least avoids most of the port-scanning script-kiddies.)

foone , an Random Englisch
@foone@digipres.club avatar

I wonder how hard it is to make a fake USB printer.
Like, a printer that takes any printout and goes "yep, that printed just fine" but nothing ever comes out anywhere

robert ,
@robert@irrelevant.me.uk avatar

@foone
There's this thing.. https://www.pclviewer.com/resources/capture/print2usb.html
Though it's more designed to capture the print file. And no idea on pricing.
You could use a RPi Zero and the Linux printer gadget..
https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/usb/gadget_printer.txt

philpem , an Random Englisch
@philpem@digipres.club avatar

You know what #EMF2024 #emfcamp needs?

Cable TV.

robert ,
@robert@irrelevant.me.uk avatar

@philpem @sam @scarlet
With teletext, of course.. I've got a couple of SofTel inserters, plus a generator, that would slot right in.

Having seen so much posted about #emfcamp this year, I'm definitely going to have to work out how I can get to the next one! Might even be tempted to set up some sort of viewdata service, too..

robert ,
@robert@irrelevant.me.uk avatar

@zxguesser @philpem
Is there anything surviving that can actually decode databroadcast?

robert ,
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@zxguesser @philpem
That doesn't help :(

robert ,
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@zxguesser @philpem
Ah, I tried generating teletext on a Beeb, ~1989.. Moved the top of screen up, poked data into the right bits of video RAM. Just as we're doing now with the Pi. I didn't succeed, as I'm not sure I got it in the right place, and the only teletext TV was in another room, so a lot of walking back and forth made me give up fairly quickly, but it was a fun try..

foone , an Random Englisch
@foone@digipres.club avatar

FUN FACT:
if you build electronic devices which contain a raspberry pi in them, consider what will happen if one of them gets thrown out.
someone might open them up, stick the microSD card in them into a reader, and open up that tantalizing "apps.json" file which has YOUR GOD DAMN AWS KEYS? IN UNENCRYPTED PLAIN TEXT?

robert ,
@robert@irrelevant.me.uk avatar

@foone
Things are getting better.. I used to find database dumps featuring md5('123456') all over the place. https://blog.irrelevant.com/2011/07/data-breach.html?m=1
Only one result in Google today..

foone , an Random Englisch
@foone@digipres.club avatar

Here's something cool I never realized existed:

PCBs distributed through magazines!

From Radio Electronics (June 1987):

https://archive.org/details/radio_electronics_1987-06/page/n68/

robert ,
@robert@irrelevant.me.uk avatar

@foone
Pah! That's the easy way.. I used to use a pen to manually, by hand, draw the tracks onto plain copper-clad boards. Also had letraset-type transfers to create tracks/pads, but never had much success with those. Was never able to afford the photo resist board. Dunk the drawn-on board into ferric chloride to etch off the uncovered copper.
Found one of the pens in my old component drawers. Must be over 40 years old, and still draws a line!

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