Category Archives: tech

Magellan GPS 315 vs. The Future – part 1

Comparing a handheld 1990s dedicated GPS receiver with the GNSS chip in a 2019 smartphone

MCMF – MF4 dialling for the Psion MC400

Back in the early 1990s I was a serious Psion-a-holic. If there was such a thing as “Psionaholics Anonymous” I would’ve been there. My first machine was the ground-breaking Series 3 and I was instantly hooked. After that I owned a Series 3a, Siena, Series 5 and later a Revo. These machines had soul. IContinue reading “MCMF – MF4 dialling for the Psion MC400”

“Electronics & Music Maker” – archiving a demo cassette from 1982

“Electronics & Music Maker” (E&MM) was a magazine aimed at home/hobby music makers that started in the early 1980s and was produced as an offshoot of the mighty Maplin electronic component distribution empire. The idea was that it would promote more sales and engagement with Maplin’s component business through projects & DIY features based aroundContinue reading ““Electronics & Music Maker” – archiving a demo cassette from 1982″

A Life-long Love Affair with “Compact Cassette”

I was saddened to learn of the passing of Lou Ottens, a Dutch Engineer credited with inventing the humble cassette tape format whilst working at Philips in the 1960s. Crucially Philips had the foresight to licence the format and it quickly became the de-facto standard for consumer audio recording. It made me reflect on justContinue reading “A Life-long Love Affair with “Compact Cassette””