kick tech to the curb

a practical, cost-effective path toward making our streets more intelligent

by julian stromer and steven stromer, jan 11, 2025

Our existing sidewalk and road infrastructure are built on ancient technology: concrete and asphalt. When cities add intelligence to our streets, the technology has to be installed over, under and around these obstacles. Instead, we should be installing new tech inside the infrastructure...

topic:  urban planning and living

keywords:  urban planning, architecture, smart cities, arduino

the benefits of analog in an all digital world

cassettes are back!

by steven stromer, Jan 14, 2025

It has been a full thirty years since the final throes of the portable cassette player, twenty years since the prime of the portable CD, already over fifteen years since file-sharing came and went, and as many years since digital music subscription services rose to become our musical overlords. So, why would anyone consider reaching for a cassette player in 2024? It may not seem logical, but here's one take on why the cassette tape is the format most primed for a comeback.

topic:  fixin 'n tinkerin

keywords:  portable compact cassette tapes, walkman, fixing, tinkering, right to repair

circuit build using a pic microcontroller and a device programmer

shift the pitch!

by julian stromer and steven stromer, feb 5, 2025

I have always been interested in how electrical engineers take their ideas and build electronic circuits. I have also started listening to more music. This gave me the idea to combine the two, and build a circuit that can change how the music I listen to sounds. I decided to build an audio pitch-shifter.

topic:  fixin 'n tinkerin

keywords:  microchip pic microcontroller, pickit programmer, electronics circuit prototyping, pitch shifter

a series on small business web presence under web 2.0

why it’s so hard to build a successful commercial web presence

by steven stromer, mar 25, 2023

A website is essentially a giant, public business org chart. It reveals to the world how the company is structured, how it operates, how deep its bench is, and how extensive its products and services really are.

topic:  website development

keywords:  website development

monitored directory syncing for os x

matchdir

by steven stromer, mar 23, 2024

A simple C app that combines the superpowers of fsevent and rsync for hastle-free directory monitoring and syncing either between local directories or between local and remote directories over ssh. Click for ussage syntax, examples, etc.

topic:  programming

keywords:  programming, software, coding, apps

web developer series

configuring the postfix mta on osx

by steven stromer, apr 18, 2024

A step-by-step guide to configuring the OS X postfix mta to successfully forward email on to your domain's smtp servers.

topic:  programming

keywords:  programming, software, coding, apps

a part of the osx fixes and solutions series

a quicker and easier way to create new subfolders in the osx finder

by steven stromer, jan 15, 2025

The OSX Finder makes it unnecessarily hard to create new subfolders. Automator offers a quick and easy fix.

topic:  mac osx solutions

keywords:  apple, mac, osx

a unique indiegogo project that should have seen wider adoption:

the vava touch UM-004 secure portable ssd storage drive

by steven stromer, jan 29, 2023

The VAVA Touch SSD is an exceptional device that, at the same time, highlights risks in how we store our data.

topic:  product review

keywords:  product review

electric scooter series

manufacturer review: gotrax scooters

by steven stromer, Jun 24, 2024

Most scooter-related content reviews particular models, so, with reviews so well handled elsewhere, this series instead focuses on manufacturer build quality, support for self-service repair, and technical maintenance and repair procedures.

topic:  product review

keywords:  product review, electric scooters, gotrax, right to repair

exploring the Creality CR-10S smart 3D printer, part 1:

understanding the CR-10S printer's specifications

by steven stromer, jan 12, 2023

Follow my son, Julian, and me as we explore our new Creality CR-10S printer. Already, we have discovered many of this machine's strengths and limitations, and techniques for improving printing results. Join us, as we put the Creality CR-10S printer through its paces, and integrate it into our many engineering projects.

topic:  3d printing

keywords:  3D printing, creality

exploring the Creality CR-10S smart 3D printer, part 2:

first steps into the world of 3D printing

by steven stromer, mar 25, 2023

So, my son recently convinced his grandmother that the perfect holiday gift would be a 3D printer. I was not as sure of this as he. Knowing only that 3D printers require a great deal of patience...

topic:  3d printing

keywords:  3D printing, creality

existing projects are not practical nor executable

engineering a human-habitable mars colony

by julian stromer and steven stromer, mar 21, 2023

So, my son recently convinced his grandmother that the perfect holiday gift would be a 3D printer. I was not as sure of this as he. Knowing only that 3D printers require a great deal of patience...

topic:  astronomy and space

keywords:  astronomy, space, mars, habitat, 3d-printing