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spongeb00b

228 karma · joined November 2, 2016

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spongeb00b··on Developer's block
Douglas Adams was a big proponent of baths to help his writing
spongeb00b··on It's a DE9, not a DB9 (but we know what you mean)
Apple even used the 1/4” jack for the Lisa keyboard https://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/access/physica...
spongeb00b··on My favourite fonts to use with LaTeX (2022)
Back in school we were told essays had to be submitted (as paper printouts, this was early 2000s of course) in Times. The rebel that I am, I submitted them set in Baskerville as I loved how much better it looked.
spongeb00b··on Show HN: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Online
The last thing I need is a fridge with a Genuine People Personality
spongeb00b··on Show HN: Sendune – open-source HTML email designer
UI-wise then I wonder if it would work better to have a "+" button inside each column, clicking that then gives a popover of available components right where you’re adding them.
spongeb00b··on Slow Bros crafted a video game universe by hand
Lumino City the puzzle game took this approach too, although their simpler detail perhaps makes it easier to appreciate the physical work that went into it. The “making of” app they released is worth it for anyone into making/crafting.
spongeb00b··on Reddit Will License Its Data to Train LLMs, We Made a FF Extension to Replace
50/50 - I’ve been surprised about the number of Reddit threads that have been more useful than other results. Even if it’s been a discussion that doesn’t give me a solution but helps me shape what I’m trying the find.

Although it would be nice if unanswered posts didn’t rank so highly.

spongeb00b··on Apple's classic Pascal poster, remade as a vector image [pdf]
I hadn't heard this connection to Tom Kamifuji before, but knew of it being Regis McKenna's work. Here's an example of that exact rainbow I found after a quick search: https://www.flickr.com/photos/30559980@N07/37428150582
spongeb00b··on You don't need JavaScript for that
The other end of the spectrum: I’m seeing graduates with great knowledge of frameworks, but no understanding of the fundamentals that these are built on. It’s all fine until they’re trying to debug a problem and don’t know where to turn. glares at Tailwind
spongeb00b··on Apple CPU Architecture Through the Ages
Ah you’re right yes, hard to believe now that was the early spec
spongeb00b··on Apple CPU Architecture Through the Ages
Yes, the MacBook Air was much more about being able to completely remove the DVD drive, SSD storage able to replace a traditional hard disk, and the battery formed of space efficient flat cells rather than a series of cylinders.
spongeb00b··on Figma makes 200 fixes and improvements to Dev Mode
Have a look at Plasticity, it seems to be a bit under the radar currently but I think it’s going to grow well
spongeb00b··on Designing the First Apple Macintosh: The Engineers’ Story (1984)
There's a related tale to this in Andy Hertzfeld's Macintosh Folklore book when demoing to Microsoft Bill Gates assumed it required specific hardware to draw the cursor (bonus outburst from Steve too)

https://www.folklore.org/StoryView.py?project=Macintosh&stor...

spongeb00b··on Effective June 7, 2026, Autodesk will no longer sell nor support EAGLE
The only thing I am happy about Autodesk is that they do at least attempt maintaining a Mac version. Wish this was more common on other CAD developers.
spongeb00b··on Rules of thumb for software development estimations
I repeatedly see features being placed into a "phase 2" that appears approx 90% into a project as the deadline looms.

Half of those features eventually get implemented, the rest it’s realised are not needed at all.

spongeb00b··on The Joy of Computer History Books
I need to recommend Sunburst and Luminary as an excellent memoir of the work to write and test the software for the Apollo missions.

http://sunburstandluminary.com/SLhome.html

spongeb00b··on VT2040: RP2040 based portable serial terminal
Same, but I enjoy when someone else has done the software part for me :)
spongeb00b··on France's baby bust
"Thanks for all the fish"
spongeb00b··on Documentation related to the implementation of SimCity 2000
SC4 also has an impressive modding community still adding new features.
spongeb00b··on Hardcoded Folder Icons in macOS
That works for the folder icon, but not the icon in the Finder sidebar
spongeb00b··on Hardcoded Folder Icons in macOS
For a few years now I've been using a ~/Uploads directory, as in the opposite of ~/Downloads

Uploads is where I put any temporary files that I've just made, e.g. an attachment I need to email, or upload into an online service of some kind. Previously my desktop became littered with these files which I absolutely hated.

I just wish I could set the sidebar icon to an upwards arrow.

spongeb00b··on TouchHLE: An iOS 2.0 App Emulator
The footer credits "Dashcode", which I had completely forgotten about https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dashcode
spongeb00b··on My “favorite” magtape story
Ok so this literally happens to me! There’s a desk behind my back. When the guy there stands up, roughly 10% of the time my Dell monitor will go blank and reset.
spongeb00b··on No, you can’t manufacture that like Apple does (2014)
I'd be interested to know what products you're seeing those on? UK market at least all recent MacBooks, iPads and iPhones I've opened have used paper-based trays instead of the old plastic. Even the screen protector has been a thin paper layer.

Even the cables in the box have a paper rings to hold them in shape, and everything has tabs to allow for easily removing from the boxes.

The exterior brown shipping boxes also have clever mechanisms which "raise" the retail box gently out when opening the flaps.

spongeb00b··on How Apple names things
The Apple Watch is the only one of those products post Steve Jobs. Since then they have specifically removed that prefix from the OS too, e.g. iPhoto > Photos
spongeb00b··on Mac OS 9
For me it was weird not hearing that very specific sort of grinding noise of old hard drives while watching the boot screen :)
spongeb00b··on What's TypeScript compiling? Use a treemap to find out
It scores better know, but previously if you even ran Google's own pages about Lighthouse through Lighthouse itself it would score terribly. I don't know if that ever helped my feelings towards the tool or made it worse.
spongeb00b··on The History of ‘Ampersand’ (2020)
I second your recommendation for The Book book, it’s a beautifully produced hardback, extremely well written and researched.
spongeb00b··on A Small Ode to the CRT
Tom Scott covered this in a good video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RA5UiLYWdbM
spongeb00b··on Ask HN: What is your “I don't care if this succeeds” project?
> You are probably in a position to retire earlier than age 86!

Woohoo!

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